Author: Pastor J.O. Lawal

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

Title: Receive His comfort – February 02, 2020

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I welcome you into the second month of this year, the month of February. And I pray that the comfort of God will overflow your life in all ways all through the month, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now I offered that prayer for you because unless God Himself comforts you and fills your life with His comfort, there is nothing you or others do or acquire that will give you comfort in life. And who does not need comfort in his life? Why do people run up and down every day, laboring with all their intelligence, power, might and resources? It is largely because they want to be comfortable in life. Why do people even steal, embezzle public funds, get involved in prostitution and do all kinds of horrible things? Is it not because they want some measure of comfort for themselves and perhaps their loved ones? And why do some people seek to insert themselves into certain rich, popular or influential individuals’ lives? Is it not because of the hope of comfort?

However, nothing we do on our own can give us true comfort in life. Truly, money, position, power or fame may make us comfortable. But how comfortable can they really make us? What degree of comfort can they really make available to us? As we know, there are many today who have these things but who are still troubled and disturbed in many ways and are in need of comfort. What I am saying is that there are many that their money, fame, power and influence cannot comfort in their trouble. And they themselves know that these things are ineffective and insufficient in providing for them the kind of comfort their hearts desire.

So, if you want real comfort in your life, beyond what money, fame, power and influence can make available, you need to turn to God. Paul, in a letter to the Corinthians, says this of God: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (2Cor 1:3-4NIV) Did you see that? Paul, here, describes God as the God of all comfort. That means if you are enjoying any kind of comfort in your life at all, whether through your money, position, influence or relationship, it is because God has made it possible.

Now, of course, you don’t have to know God or believe in Him in order to enjoy His comfort. That is because, as a good, compassionate and loving Father, He makes His comfort available to all, regardless of whether they are good or bad (Matt 5:45; Acts 14:16-17). And if God is kind enough to comfort even those who are bad and who don’t believe in Him, then, imagine what measure of comfort He is able to make available to those who believe in Him and continually look up to Him for comfort in life. In fact, one of the reasons He has given those who believe in Him His Holy Spirit is that He may be an ever present Comforter to them (John 14:16).

So, as you go through this month and the remaining part of the year, learn to function with the consciousness that you have the Holy Spirit of God in you as your comforter and the source of whatever form of comfort you may need in your life. And as you receive His comfort, be kind enough to let it flow from you to as many in your life who are also in need of God’s comfort.

Do have a great February 2020.

Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020

Title: Don’t think about it

from pastor's desk

By: J.O. Lawal

Date: January 26, 2020

Series: From Pastor’s Desk

Number: Vol. 8, No. 38

Beloved: Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I welcome you to the last week of the month of January 2020. And my prayer is that you will be kept safe in all your ways and also preserved in the purity of Christ all through it, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As you go this week, I want to remind you that even though we are new creations in Christ Jesus, we are still living in a world of corruption. In addition to that, the body we still operate in is one that is mortal and responsive to all kinds of evil desires. So, the fact that we are now Christians does not mean that we are never again going to be confronted with desires to do evil. We will, as long as we are in this world. However, we are not powerless against them. We have the Spirit of God in us to teach and to strengthen us to walk in victory over them. All we need to do, then, is to take His ministry in our lives seriously and keep in step with Him. And we will never again be rubbished by any form of sin. 

Now one of the things the Spirit of God teaches us on how to walk in victory over sin is found in Paul’s letter to the Romans in which he says, “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Rom 13:14NIV) Did you see that? Paul says put on the Lord Jesus Christ and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. That means the flesh has desires. And these desires are constantly rising in us to take charge of our lives and determine the direction in which they go.

The problem, however, is that the desires of the flesh are mostly contrary to the will of God. In his letter to the Galatians Paul also speaks about this. He says, “Live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” (Gal 5:16-17NIV) Look at that. What the flesh desires and wants are contrary to what the Spirit of God in us wants. In other words, our flesh is naturally against the will of God for us. It wants us to have untamed pleasure and to take the whole world for ourselves at the expense of others. Also, it wants us to think and live like our own gods, having no regard for any form of authority whatsoever. (Cf. Gal 5:19-20)

You can examine your own life to see whether these things are not true of your flesh. Are your desires and feelings not naturally selfish, immoral, rebellious and wicked? I am sure you will agree that they are. And if you give these desires and feelings enough room to take charge of you, you will soon enough find yourself doing things that you yourself know to be wrong. James, in his epistle, describes this process for us, when he says, “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:13-15NIV)

Did you see that? Every kind of sin begins inside us. It starts with a seed-thought that is planted in us by the enemy. And our flesh loves such thoughts, thoughts that give it the feeling that it is going to enjoy itself one way or the other. But when we allow such thoughts to have their way in us, they will result in sin. Then sin, when it has fully taken hold of us, kills us and makes a waste of our lives. That is why Paul instructs us not to think at all about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. Those desires will definitely come to us. We cannot stop them from coming, for it is the enemy of our souls that is using them to war against us (1Pet 2:11). But we can refuse to think about them or to think about how to make them happen. 

See, if you want to sin, your mind will always come up with ingenious ways to do so and avoid the consequences. That is why you must deal with every thought coming to you, as we are told in the scriptures, and make it obey the Lord Jesus (2Cor 10:5). Yes, you must learn to say of wrong thoughts, “This thought is contrary to the will of God for me. So I refuse to think it or ponder on how to make it happen. And I receive strength from the Spirit of God to reject it, in the name of Jesus.” And as you devote yourself to treating all your thoughts like this, you will find yourself growing stronger and stronger in saying ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passion.

Do have a fabulous week.

Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020

Title: Don’t be a mere talker JAN 19, 2020

from pastor's desk

By: J.O. Lawal

Date: January 19, 2020

Series: From Pastor’s Desk

Number: Vol. 8, No. 37

Beloved: grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to another week of January 2020. And I pray that the Lord will fulfill every good purpose of your heart and all your steps of faith in it, in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

My admonition to you, as we continue our journey through this new year, is that you go beyond talking in your walk with God; be a performer. God Himself is a performer; He does not just talk. Balaam, that greedy seer, once said about Him, “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Num 23:19NIV) Think about that. Even Balaam, of all people, knew God as a performer and not a mere talker.

In like manner, you too should not just be one who just talks about all sorts of wonderful things you intend to do for God and His kingdom this year. Rather, be one who is committed to acting too. That is because it is not the one who talks and makes all kinds of promises that has God’s approval but the one who acts in accordance with His will. 

There is actually a parable of the Lord that speaks to warn us along this line. It reads: “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.” (Matt 21:28-30NIV) Now the Lord asks, “What do you think about that? Who out of the two sons did the will of his father?” Obviously, it was the first son. Truly, he had said that he was not going to do what his father wanted. But he later thought about it, changed his mind and went and did what the father wanted. 

Unfortunately, the one that raised his father’s hope and said that he would go and do his will never went. Perhaps he just said what he said to impress his father and make him feel good. And maybe he really did want to carry out his father’s will. But the fact remains that he never did. He was a mere talker. Many too are like that today. They are smooth and impressive talkers. Always, they are talking about what they are doing for the Lord or what they intend to do for Him, causing people to think of them in ways they are not warranted to. But when you examine their walk very carefully, you will see that all they do is talk – they don’t act.

Now people like that don’t move the work of God forward. On the contrary, they unconsciously discourage others and terribly slow down the work. That is because when you expect them to act, they won’t act. So, God may end up getting others to do what they should have done. And that is not good for them at all. I mean that it is not good for any of us to be one who just says before God things he does not mean or things he is unwilling to fully commit himself to. That is because, as Solomon shows us in his book, Ecclesiastes, acting like that may expose us and the works of our hands to God’s judgment. (Cf. Ecc 5:1-6)

So, this new year, even though it is the will of God for each of us to abound in His work, don’t try to impress or compete with anybody by saying that you are going to do for God things you have no intention of doing for Him. We have no business impressing or competing with anybody in kingdom matters. The only one that we need to impress is God. And don’t be in a hurry to commit yourself to any kingdom service, without first thinking about the cost well (Luke 14:25-33). That is because once you make a commitment to do something, God and people start watching out. What, then, will they think of you, if, at some point, you should drop your commitment to that thing all because you realise that you did not initially do your homework well? I don’t think I need to tell you. 

My point, at any rate, is that let your words and actions agree, as far as matters relating to the kingdom of God are concerned this year. And may God’s favour continually overflow your life all through the year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.  

Do have a splendid week.

Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020

Title: How God protected a murderer JAN 12, 2020.

from pastor's desk

By: J.O. Lawal

Date: January 12, 2020

Series: From Pastor’s Desk

Number: Vol. 8, No. 36

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Redeemer. I am pleased to welcome you into the second week of this new year, year 2020. My prayer is that God’s favour and cover will rest upon you continually all through the remaining part of the year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

One of the things we learn in the Scriptures about God is that He is compassionate and full of mercy. For instance, Micah says this about Him: “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” (Mic 7:18-19NIV) Look at the things this man says about God, things that many still do not comprehend about Him. First, he says that He is a God who pardons sin and also forgives people’s transgressions. So, regardless of how great your sin may be in His eyes, He is still able to forgive you, if you will turn to Him in repentance. 

Also, Micah says God does not stay angry forever but delights to show mercy. Have you ever thought about that? There are people who think that once God is angry with them, that is how He is going to be forever. But that is not true at all. It is not His desire to be angry with anybody forever, that is, as far as our activities here on earth is concerned. Rather, His desire and pleasure is to show mercy.

Now we see this in the way He dealt with the case of Cain, who murdered his brother, Abel, in cold blood. God, evidently, was very angry with him. And so angry was He that he told Cain that he would no longer prosper as a farmer and that he would be a restless wanderer all the remaining days of his life. And when Cain heard that, he was like, “What! God, this is too much for me! I know I messed up. But please, this punishment is too much for me to bear. In short, it is as good as passing a death sentence on me.” (Cf. Gen 4:10-14)

If you were God, what would you say in response to what that wicked man said? You would most likely say, “Are you alright at all? Just hear yourself. Don’t those words of yours sound bad and terrible in your mouth? Just be thankful I am not killing you immediately. Now get out of this place and don’t ever let me hear a word from you again.” But God would not act like that or say such things. And that is why we just couldn’t be God. 

Well, God, having listened to Cain’s plea, looked at him and was filled with mercy for him. So filled with mercy was He that He put a mark of protection on Him and also said to him, “Anyone who touches you will be punished seven times over.” And I can imagine Cain going around and saying to anyone who wants to harm him, “What do you think you are doing? God has got my back. And if you dare touch me, your life will be seven times more miserable than mine.” What a powerful charm to use! (Cf. Gen 4:15-16)

Now think about that. God was willing to show mercy to a murderer and put a mark of protection on him, just because he appealed to Him. What, then, will He not do to keep safe His children, whom He loves dearly in Christ Jesus? Nothing! No wonder Paul says this to us about what He has done for us: “Remember, God is the One who makes you and us strong in Christ. God made us his chosen people. He put his mark on us to show that we are his, and he put his Spirit in our hearts to be a guarantee for all he has promised.” (2Cor 1:21-22NCV) Did you see that? God has put His mark of ownership on us. Hallelujah. So, we don’t need to pray, as many used to pray today, that God will put a mark of life or protection on us. We already have His mark on us. We go everywhere with His mark on us. Oh yes, it is an invisible and spiritual mark. But angels, Satan and demons can see it; they can tell that we belong to God and that to touch us is to touch Him (Zech 2:8). And what we now need to fully enjoy this is to walk in its consciousness.

Cain, a murderer, walked in the consciousness that he bore God’s mark of protection everywhere he went. And his life was preserved for years. This, of course, does not mean that you are free to murder people, in expectation that God will protect you. You are a rogue, if you think like that; and God will see to it that you get what is right for you. But what I am saying is that if Cain, despite what he did, would boldly take advantage of God’s provision for his protection, we, who are loved and cherished by God, should not act any less. Instead, we should rise every moment of the year and declare boldly, “God’s mark of ownership, life and protection are on me. Nothing can successfully harm me.” And if this is the way we are functioning, we will see for ourselves all through this new year that God never fails in honouring His word.

Do have a very pleasant week.  

Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020

Title: Trust Him with all your heart JAN 05, 2020

from pastor's desk

By: J.O. Lawal

Date: January 05, 2020

Series: From Pastor’s Desk

Number: Vol. 8, No. 35

Beloved: Grace, mercy and peace be yours abundantly from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. It is with great delight that I welcome you into this New Year, year 2020. Without doubt, it is because of the Lord’s mercies and compassions that we are alive to be a part of the year. And my prayer is that it will not be a wasted additional year for us, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now, as we all are preparing our hearts, minds and bodies to make the most of this new year, I want to remind you that there is nothing we can accomplish on our own in the year without God (John 15:5). So, let us not waste any time, energy, resources, skills or dedication on trying to make it on our own. Rather, let us begin, right from this moment on, to rely on God for everything we need to make the most of this new year that he has given us the privilege of witnessing.

Solomon says this to us in his book of proverbs: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” (Prov 3:5-8NIV) Did you see that? We can choose to either trust in the Lord with everything inside us or trust in ourselves and our own ways of doing things. Which will it be?

See, God will not force us to trust in Him. But He will always counsel us to do so. And if we listen to Him and cast ourselves in utter dependence on Him for every matter of our lives, we will experience His glory in ways that are beyond anybody’s imagination. But if we choose to rely on our ways and methods of doing things, we will someday see for ourselves the folly in doing so.

David, in a Psalm of his, has this to say to us: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.” (Ps 20:7-8NIV) These words, you need to understand, arise out of this man’s personal experience of the difference between trusting in God and trusting in ourselves or our schemes. Remember how he stood before that great giant and warrior, Goliath, and challenged him in the name of the Lord. He clearly said to him during that encounter, “You come against me with sword, spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, who you have defied.” (Cf. 1Sam 17:45)

Now David did not say those words to Goliath because he had nothing in his hands to fight with. He had a sling and some stones in his hands. And he must have been quite skilful in using them. So, he had some skills too, even though his skills could not in any way be compared to Goliath’s. Nevertheless, he did not put his trust in his skills or weapons; rather, he put his trust in the Lord. So, at the end of the fight, he, the little boy from Israel, was the one standing, not Goliath, the great warrior giant from Gath. 

So, when we are talking about putting our trust in the Lord, we are not saying that we don’t need to put our skills, education or resources to any legitimate use. Rather, we are saying that we must not put our trust in those things but in God. Those who trust in human wisdom, strength, influence or resources will ultimately meet with humiliation and disgrace. But those who trust in the Lord, those who count on Him to handle the matters of their lives for them, will never be put to shame, regardless of their handicaps. Instead, when all has been said and done, they will be radiant and standing strong and firm (Ps 34:5). So, put your trust in Him with your whole heart this year, beloved, and you will never regret that you do so.

Happy New Year.

Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021

Title: His power and authority are now yours JAN 17, 2021

from pastor's desk

By: J.O. Lawal

Date: January 17, 2021

Series: From Pastor’s Desk

Number: Vol. 9, No. 37

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you to this new week and pray that your heart will be strengthened to walk in the fullness of God’s purpose for your life all through the week and the remaining part of the year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we begin this week, I want to remind you of the words of our Lord Jesus, which say, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…” (Acts 1:8NIV) Who did He say these words to? His first set of disciples! What did He say that they would receive, when the Spirit of God comes on them? Power! And what kind of power did He say that they would receive? It was God’s divine power to live as victors over sin and over the devil and all his works here on earth.

Now did these disciples receive this power, just as the Lord had promised them? Yes, they did! They received the power of God into their lives the very day the Holy Spirit was poured out on them (Acts 2:1-4). And from that time on, life was no longer business as usual for them. First, they began to live differently, in love and in the righteousness of God and in boldness. I mean that all these men and women, who were once selfish and loaded with all kinds of immoral ways, began to sell their things to take care of others and to live for the sole purpose of pleasing God. And that was because they were strengthened in their hearts with God’s power by the Holy Spirit in them. (Cf. Acts 2:44-46 & 4:32-37)

Then these brethren began to proclaim the good news about Jesus Christ and to frustrate and destroy the works of the devil everywhere they went. They had lived all their lives in fear of the devil and his wicked works before they met Jesus and were eventually filled with the Holy Spirit of God. But having been filled with the Spirit of God, they received the power of God to lose their fear of the devil and his works and their fear of men and their wickedness. So, everywhere they went, they boldly proclaimed Jesus and also set people free from Satan and his demons. (Cf. Acts 2:43, 4:31-33 & 5:12-16)

In like manner, as many of us that have received the Holy Spirit today have also received God’s power to live the way those disciples of old lived. We too have received God’s power to reject a life of unrighteousness and live in the love and righteousness of God every day. And if we are not walking in the love of God and practising His righteousness, it will not be because we are powerless to do so; rather, it will either be because we have refused to take advantage of His power in us or are totally ignorant that we now possess His very power in our lives. 

Also, we have received His power to lose whatever fear we have of the devil and his demons and destroy their works wherever we go. I mean that we now have at work in us God’s power to heal the sick, raised the dead, drive out demons and even destroy bad habits in people’s lives. And remember that Jesus says,

“I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” (Luke 10:19NIV) So, it is totally unacceptable for us to still be living in fear of Satan, his demons, witches, wizards or any other worker of wickedness. What we need is to learn to utilise the power and authority that we already have to put these beings where they belong in our lives and affairs –under our feet (Rom 16:20).

Now how do we utilise God’s authority and power that are now ours? One way to do this is through prayer. James tells us in his epistle that the prayer of a righteous person makes tremendous power available and is dynamic in its working (James 5:16). In other words, each time we pray in accordance with the will of God, His power is released to bring about His will in our lives or world and to frustrate the works of the devil. So, if you want to continually see a mighty release of God’s power through your life, pray without ceasing. Another way to put to work God’s power and authority in our lives is to constantly speak His word to our situations. And we will speak His word to our situations, if we truly believe that it is true and will not fail (2Cor 4:13). Do you, for instance, believe that in Christ Jesus you are a master to Satan, his demons, witches, wizards, sicknesses, diseases and so forth? If you do, then, you will not hesitate to command them to stop their works wherever you come in contact with them.

So, as you go this week, make up your mind that you will take advantage of God’s power and authority that are already yours in Christ Jesus to enforce His will in your life and in your world. And remember that you are not alone in all this. The Spirit of God is in you and with you and will strengthen you to do what is right, as long as you are willing.

Do have a miracle filled week.

Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021

Title: What exactly is in your heart? JAN 10, 2021

from pastor's desk

By: J.O. Lawal

Date: January 10, 2021

Series: From Pastor’s Desk

Number: Vol. 9, No. 36

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to another week of the month of January 2021. I pray that your heart will be kept right to continually experience the goodness of God in the week and all through the remaining days of your life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now there is a very troubling account of a man in the bible, which I want to use to admonish you, as we begin this new week. It is that of Simon the sorcerer. This man, because of his sorcery and magic, had been a very powerful force to reckon with in Samaria until Philip the Evangelist came there and proclaimed the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to the people. And when he, like others, saw the great miracles, signs and wonders that God performed through Philip, in the name of Jesus, he too joined the company of those who believed and began to fellowship with them and to follow them up and down. (Cf. Acts 8:4-13)

However, when Peter and John came to Samaria to pray for the people, so that they may receive the Holy Spirit, Simon was astonished to see that it was through the laying of their hands on them that they received Him. And instead for him to present himself to these apostles to have hands laid on him, so that he too may receive the Holy Spirit, he offered them money to give him the ability to also be able to make people receive the Holy Spirit by laying hands on them. This, of course, got Peter so upset that he said to him: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”” (Acts 8:20-23NIV)

What was the problem with Simon, as Peter pointed out? It was that his heart was never right with God. Yes, like every other person, he too confessed Jesus as Lord with his mouth. But the truth was that he never really believed in Him for the salvation of his soul. In other words, he did not confess Jesus and join the company of believers because he truly realized that he was a sinner and in need of salvation. Instead, he joined them because he saw in that fellowship an opportunity to gain additional power to his sorcery powers and be able to do whatever he wanted. Unfortunately for him, his real intentions were exposed by the Spirit of God, and he was told that he was in danger of perishing in sin, if he would not repent.

In like manner, Paul speaks about certain people in the church, who are always learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth (2Tim 3:6-7). These ones just don’t ever understand or practise the things they are being taught. And it does not matter how much time you devote to teaching them, counselling them, praying for them or following them up, they will still remain unchanged in their way of life. Why? It is because their hearts have never been right. They have not joined the people of God because of the salvation of their souls; they have other reasons. It may be because they see in the fellowship of God’s people an opportunity for financial gain, to meet some influential people, to get a good brother or sister to marry or to be involved in all kinds of immoral affairs.

In any case, whatever our reason for confessing Jesus and joining the church may be, if it is not to experience the eternal salvation that God has purchased for us, we have missed it and are in a wrong place. And like Simon the sorcerer, we will not go far in our hypocrisy. At some point, God will expose us for what we really are and show His children that we never really belonged to Him. Then, if we refuse to repent and accept His salvation, we will eventually perish in our sins. 

So, ask yourself, “What is really in my heart? Why have I confessed Jesus as Lord? Is it really because of the salvation of my soul or am I after something else?” And I pray that the Spirit of God will cause us to be truthful to ourselves in this matter, so that we will not end up wasting our lives and our so-called devotion to the Lord and His kingdom.

Do have a very pleasant week.

Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021

Title: Be determined to walk in His will -JAN 03, 2021

By: J.O. Lawal

Date: January 03, 2021

Series: From Pastor’s Desk

Number: Vol. 9, No. 35

Beloved: I am glad to welcome you to year 2021. This is the Lord’s doing, and we ought to give Him praise and honour for it. 2020 was a very tough year for many all around the world. But God, in His kindness, saw us through it. And I know that regardless of what this new year also brings up, He will see us through it and make our walk in it a walk of total victory and rest.

But then, for God to make our walk that of absolute victory and rest this year, we too must be determined to do His will all through it. Yes, I know there may be all kinds of things that you have determined or resolved to do in the year. And really, most people often come up with new resolutions every new year, which is not a bad thing in itself. But however grand your new resolutions for this new year may be, if they do not include a resolution to do the will of God in all things, then, they are nothing.

The bible says, “”You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”” (Rev 4:11NIV) Did you see that? God created everything, including mankind, by His will. So, we are not here in the world by our own will. It was not because we wanted to come into the world at this time that we are here. We are here because God wanted us to come. We are here for Him.

Since, then, we are here for God, our lives ought to be about living to please Him. But if we are ignorant of this, we will not give our lives to pleasing Him. And even if we know this but do not resolve in our hearts to live to please Him in all things, we will not live to please Him. That is because there will definitely be circumstances that will want to pressure us to act against His will. And if that determination is not in us to please Him, we may find ourselves yielding to those circumstances and acting contrary to His will.

Yes, according to Scriptures, it is clear that no one can please God by His own power or just because he desires to do so. God Himself has to empower us to please Him and also, in His mercy, make the circumstances of our lives favourable for us to please Him (Zech 4:6; Rom 9:16). But we too have to be willing and determined to please Him. I mean that we have to want what He wants for our lives and be resolved to experience it. Otherwise He won’t be able to produce what He desires in our lives.

Paul tells us in a letter of his that it is God who is at work in us to will and to act according to His good purpose (Phil 2:13). Think about that. If you belong to Christ, God is working in you. And what is He doing? First, He is working to give you desires that are consistent with His purpose for you. Second, He is working to empower you to carry out those desires that are in line with His purpose for you. So, we have not been left alone in handling the business of living to pleasing Him. He is with us and will be with us all the way to see to it that we have everything it is going to take to fully please Him in our lives.

But as I pointed out already, unless we embrace what God wants for us and are determined to see it come to pass in our lives, our lives will never be a fulfilment of His will. Why did most of the people Moses brought out of Egypt fail to enter the place of rest prepared by God for them? Was it because God did not have the power to take them into it? No! Rather, it was because they really did not want what He wanted for them and so were not determined to have it. Therefore, His power could not work in their favour. But look at Daniel, when he was in that godless city, Babylon. The bible says he resolved in his heart not to be defiled but to please God. Because of this, God caused His favour and power to work for him and his friends, so that they were able to please Him and experience His rest all through their stay in Babylon. (Cf. Dan 1:8-16)

In like manner, if we too are determined to walk in the will of God for us this year and are dependent on Him to make it happen, we will certainly experience a great release of His favour, mercy and power on our behalf that will make it so. But if there is no determination in us to live in His will, there is no way His power will be released to make our lives a fulfilment of His good purpose. My prayer, then, is that our hearts will be touched by God to fall in love with His will for us and be determined to live in it, so that we may fully experience His rest in every area of our lives this new year. Amen.

Happy New Year.

Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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Be reminded

Title: Be reminded
By: J.O. Lawal
Date: January 31, 2021
Series: From Pastor’s Desk
Number: Vol. 9, No. 39

Beloved: grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to another week of this year. My prayer is that, as we move into a new month in the week, you will be led to experience God’s favour and goodness in ways you have never experienced them, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now among the things we must continually remind ourselves of, as believers in Christ Jesus, is that we are not of this world. Yes, we live in this world and use the things of this world. But the word of God makes it very clear that we do not belong to this world but to God and His eternal kingdom. (Cf. John 15:19 & 17:14) And it is important that we always remind ourselves of this so that we may yield ourselves to be educated in the knowledge of who we really are and be empowered to walk in the light of this knowledge.

Many really do not know that all of us who are new creations in Christ Jesus need to be educated in the light of who we now are and how we are supposed to live. But Paul says to the Colossian brethren, “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” (Col 3:9-10NIV) Did you see that? We who are now in Christ Jesus have taken off our old self and have put a new self in Him. And this new self, as the apostle makes clear, is being re-educated to know what it means to be the image of God the creator.

That, of course, would mean that man lost the true knowledge of what being the image of God means when he fell into sin. So, instead of always living like one who has been created in the likeness of the living God, most of the time we find him living less than his real worth; we find him living like little demons or like animals. But now, in Christ Jesus, man is able to gain that knowledge of who he really is again and receive strength to live in the light of it.

Unfortunately, many that claim to be in Christ Jesus are not making any serious effort to learn what God has to say about who they are and how they to live in the light of who they are. And that is largely because their spiritual leaders are not constantly calling their attention to these things. They do not regularly remind them that they are no longer of the world and must not live again like those of the world. And they do not give themselves to patiently teaching them those things that will renew their knowledge about who they are before God and how they are to live to please Him.

But look at what Paul says to the Thessalonian brethren: “Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.” (1Thess 4:1NIV) Did you see that? These brethren had been educated in the will of God and also shown how to live in it by Paul and his ministry associates before he wrote this letter to them. Yet, since he was no longer physically present with them, he wrote to remind them to keep putting to work the things they already knew about living to please God.

In like manner, we too need to be continually educated in the knowledge of who we have now become in Christ Jesus and also to be constantly reminded to walk in the light of this knowledge. Otherwise we are going to forget who we are and begin to live lives that are inconsistent with our new nature in the Lord. Perhaps you have already forgotten that you are now a new creation in Christ Jesus, a child of the living God, a joint-heir with Christ Jesus and a master of Satan and his demons. I want to use this space to remind you that these are what you are and that you need to rise up and begin to live responsibly in the light of them. And may you be strengthened by the Holy Spirit in your inner man to do so, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Do have a great week.

Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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UNDERSTANDING FELLOWSHIP