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Get the right team | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: January 12, 2022 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 35

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date January 14, 2022
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“Three of the thirty chiefs came down to David to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the LORD. “God forbid that I should do this!” he said. “Should I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives?” Because they risked their lives to bring it back, David would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.” (1Chron 11:15-19NIV)

Often, when people talk about the greatness of David of bible days, they overlook the fact that he did not become great all by himself. Yes, the bible says that he became great because God was with him (1Chro 11:9). But that was not all that it says about how he became great. It also shows us that there were men that God put in his life that helped him to become great. And if he had not identified those men and allowed them to come into his life and help him, he may not have become as great as he did.

Now what qualities of men did this man choose to be with him? Loyal and competent men! For example, we are given an account in our opening bible text of how three of these men once risked their lives to get water for him. He was very thirsty on that occasion and wanted water not just from anywhere but from a particular well near the gate of Bethlehem. He just mentioned it as his desire; he did not expect anybody to work with it. But to his surprise, three of his men broke through the enemy lines and got water for him from exactly where wanted it. And so shocked and humbled was he by their action that he offered the water they had brought to him as an offering to the Lord.

Why, then, did those men do that for David? First, it was because they were absolutely loyal to him. And because they were loyal to him, his desires were their desires. So, he did not have to command them to do anything for him. Once he said anything or expressed his desire about something, they would take it as their command and run with it, even at the risk of their lives. No wonder he regarded them as chiefs among his mighty men.

Another reason they did what they did for David on that occasion was that they were competent. Loyalty is good and must be cherished above all things in every relationship. But it cannot take the place of competence. If you do not have the ability to do something, then, you do not have it. You may be loyal to the person you are with and passionate about helping them in any way. But if you lack the ability to help them, they will still find you useless to them in many ways.

Those men of David were not just loyal to him but were also mighty in combat. According to bible records, there was a time that one of them killed eight hundred men in one encounter. So, these were not just boys when it comes to war matters; they were lions. And that was why God was able to use them to help David in becoming king and also in establishing his kingdom. (Cf. 2Sam 23:8-12; 1Chro 11:11-14)

Now what is the point of all this? It is that you too need the right team of people to work with, if you must attain certain level of greatness in life. Yes, God may have shown you all kinds of fantastic things about where He is taking you in life. But you may never get there, if you do not have the right people in your life. And certainly, God, who has destined you for greatness, will, from time to time, bring all kinds of people your way, as He, in the beginning, brought all the animals He had made to Adam to see what names he would give them and what kind of relationship he would build with each of them. And it is on you, as it was on Adam, to identify the ones among those He is bringing your way that are suitable to help you get to where He wants you to get to and to hold fast to them. (Cf. Gen 2:18-23)

How, then, would you recognise or identify such people among all the ones in your life? It is by considering those two qualities that we see in David’s three mighty men. And these are loyalty and competence. Those who do not have these two qualities cannot help you much in life, regardless of how much you love them or how much they claim to love you. Is that to say that you are to utterly do away with them? No! As long as they are not against you, they are for you and will do you some measure of good in life too. But when it comes to matters that concern realising your God-given dreams in life, don’t waste time with them or entrust things that are very important to you to them. The results you will get by doing such won’t be pleasant.

Instead, apart from utterly relying on God for everything, commit important matters of your life and future only to those who are loyal to you and who are also competent to handle them. And if you do not have any of such people yet in your life, then, your journey to greatness is not about to start. So, make it your priority to find them. May God fill your heart with divine revelations to make the right decisions about this, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Copyright © 2022, 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 pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

Tags choosing a team, getting the right team, how to choose your team, team

Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Watch out for them | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date January 7, 2022
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fire in my bones

Date: January 05, 2022 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 34

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” (Matt 7:15-20NIV)

Recently, I was saw a short video clip of a so-called man of God bathing members of his church in a basin and right in a church meeting. That, of course, is alarming. But it is not strange. Similar and even worse things are happening all around the world in many of our so-called churches. I mean that people do all kinds of terrible things in the name of Jesus. But has the Lord Jesus sent them? The answer is ‘No!’

See, our Lord Jesus, when He was physically here on earth and ministering to people from place to place, made it very clear that He was sent by God to set people free from their sins and from all kinds of satanic bondage (Luke 4:17-21). So, if anybody is doing anything in His name that puts you into any kind of bondage, you should know that such a person is not sent by Him.

As we see in our opening text, He Himself warns us to watch out for false prophets. Why does He want us to watch out for them? First, it is because though He has not sent them, they may come to us in His name. Second, it is because they are beasts, ferocious wolves. Therefore, their coming to us is never going to be for good. Rather, it will that they may devour or ruin our lives.

How, then, can we save ourselves from them? It is by recognising them. And how do we recognise them? Jesus says it is by the fruit they bear. As the Lord points out to us, we can’t recognise a false prophet, teacher or believer just by merely considering the miracles or signs they perform or the things they say. We can only recognise them by looking at the fruit their lives are bearing.

What kind of fruit is the life of this so-called man of God you are chasing up and down bearing? Is it bearing the fruit of love, peace, gentleness, purity, self-control and everything else that is consistent with the righteousness of God? What about his practices? Are they consistent with the truth of the Scriptures and the practices of the saints of old?

If the life of a so-called man or woman of God is not bringing forth the fruit of the Spirit and if her practices are contrary to what we find in Scriptures, then, you should know that she is one of those the Lord wants you to watch out for. And you will do well to stay away from such or to guard yourself against them. Otherwise, they may end up corrupting, defrauding or injuring you.

There are many today who no longer want to have anything to do with Jesus or Christianity because they were polluted, defrauded or injured by certain so-called prophets or believers. Who, then, is to blame for their predicaments? They are to blame. They are to blame because they did not heed the Lord’s warning about false prophets. If they had heeded His warning, they would not have been victims of any false prophet or believer. And if you too do not want to have yourself to blame someday for being ruined, corrupted or injured by some prophet or preacher, you had better heed His warning and watch out.

Tags watch, watch out

FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2022 Pastor's Desk

He takes faithfulness seriously | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date January 7, 2022
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Date: January 09, 2022 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 36

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours without measure from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. I am glad to welcome you to the second week of this new year, year 2022. And I pray that you will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to be faithful in all your service to God in the year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we see in the bible, God is not only concerned about what we do for Him; He is also concerned about the heart with which we do it. Therefore, His reward will not come to us only on the basis of how much we are able to do for Him but also on the basis of how faithful we are in doing what we do for Him. This is why you must not let your focus be merely on doing this or that for God; instead, let it also be on doing whatever you do for Him with a diligent and faithful heart.

Why was Cain’s offering rejected? It was because his heart was not right with God. Yes, many have said that it was because he did not bring God a quality offering. Some have even said that it was because what he brought was not a blood sacrifice. But the bible does not say anything like that. It does not say that God gave Cain and his brother Abel a specific instruction on what to bring to Him. Rather, it tells us that they both brought Him offerings from the labour of their hands. So, it must have been freewill offerings that they brought to Him. (Cf. Gen 4:3-5)

In any case, even though both of them had laboured to bring Him something, it was only Abel and his offering that He looked upon with favour; He did not look upon Cain and his offering with favour. And when He saw that Cain was downcast because of this, He told him plainly, “If you are doing what is right, will you not be accepted?” So, it was not really about his offering but about him. All along, something had been wrong with his heart. That was what spoilt his offering. And because he did not heed God’s warning, that thing ended up making him a murderer. (Cf. Gen 4:6-8)

So, God is looking beyond what we are doing for Him or giving to Him. He is also looking at our hearts. And it is what He sees in them that will determine whether He accepts and rewards our labour for Him or not. In fact, as we also see in the bible, there are times that He punishes people for not being faithful or diligent in serving Him. For example, on the same day, Nadab and Abihu, two of the sons of Aaron, were both punished with death by Him because they offered before Him unauthorized fire. Yes, they were out to serve Him. But they ended up getting killed for their service instead of getting praised and rewarded. (Cf. Lev 10:1-3)

What about Ananias and Sapphira, his wife? They were both killed on the same day by the Lord for being unfaithful with their giving (Acts 5:1-10). So, we need to always take faithfulness in our service to God seriously. Paul, speaking about this, says, “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” (1Cor 4:2NIV) Did you see that? In stewardship, faithfulness is key; it cannot be overlooked or undermined.

Therefore, as you go this new year, let faithfulness be your watchword in all your service to God. This is so that He may use your service to accomplish His good purpose in the lives of men. Also, it is so that you may get His praise and reward for your service instead of His disapproval or punishment. And may your heart be taught and strengthened to be faithful to Him in all things and at all times, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a great week.

Tags faithful, Faithfulness

FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2022 Pastor's Desk

Success all the way | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date December 31, 2021
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Date: January 02, 2022 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 35

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you to the very first week of this new year, year 2022, and pray that God will cause you to experience tremendous success in all your ways all through it, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now someone may ask, “Is it even possible for one to experience success in all his ways in this world that is full of all kinds of surprises and challenges?” Yes, it is possible, if one knows what to do. For example, as we read the book of Joshua, we see that this man led the Israelites that Moses brought out from Egypt from victory to victory in bringing them into the land of Canaan, which God had promised to give to them. He had success all the way. Therefore, he fulfilled his ministry of giving every one of the people their inheritance, in that land that was flowing with milk and honey.

But what made Joshua, who was not a priest or a prophet but a soldier, successful in this manner? What made him have success all the way? It was his devotion to the word of God. God had told him this when he was taking up the job of leading the Israelites into the Promised Land: “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Josh 1:8NIV)

What did Joshua need to be prosperous and successful, according to that bible text? He needed to take the word of God seriously. First, he was to keep reading, studying and declaring it to himself and to the people he was leading. Second, he was to continually ponder on what it says, day and night. Why? It was so that he may be careful to live according to what it says. That means if we are going to practise the word of God, we must give ourselves to carefully meditating on it all the time. We must continually meditate on it until it becomes a part of us and we cannot just act otherwise.

At any rate, Joshua’s instruction was to personally take the word of God seriously. And did he do so or not? He did! That was, in fact, why he was able to succeed and prosper in leading the people into their inheritance, as God had instructed him to do. And towards the end of his life, he gave the people the same instruction God had given him, saying, “Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left.” (Josh 23:6NIV)

So, regardless of who you are, where you live and what your honest vocation is, if you too will take the word of God seriously this year, if you will give yourself to learning what it says about how you are to live, to meditating on it and to practising it, you will go from victory to victory in all your endeavours in the year. Yes, there will be challenges and trials in the year, just as there will be opportunities to do big and great things. But it is only those of us who take God’s word seriously in a very personal manner that are guaranteed to have success all the way, just as Joshua did.

Will you, then, make up your mind to take His word seriously this year, so that you can be successful and prosperous in all your ways? As for me, I have made up my mind to take His word seriously all through the year because I want to win all the time in it. And I know that He will enable me to do so by His Spirit, for He has said that if we are willing and obedient, He will make sure we enjoy the best of the land (Is 1:19). If you too are willing to do as He has instructed, then, He will make sure you have all that it is going to take to please Him and to be victorious all the time. And may you be continually strengthened to do so, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Happy New Year!

Tags Pst. J.O. Lawal, Success, Success all the way, Success all the way | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Don’t let them put you in trouble | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date December 31, 2021
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fire in my bones

Date: December 29, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 33

“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” (Heb 12:15NIV)

One of the things to learn from the bible story of Achan is that the sin of one person can put an entire nation, community or family in trouble. Achan, as the account goes, was the one that sinned against God by stealing some of the items devoted to Him when Israel was taking over the city of Jericho. Yet when the judgment for his sin came, it was the whole nation that suffered for it. Interestingly, he was not even among the people that died when the nation fell before the city of Ai, showing that it is not every time that people cause trouble that they partake directly in suffering for it. (Cf. Joshua 7)

But could the defeat that the nation of Israel experienced on that occasion have been avoided? I believe it could have been avoided, if the people in the lives of that man, Achan, had been watchful enough. If his wife, children and other people with him had been paying attention to his movement and dealings and asking him relevant questions, they would, by the help of God, have been able to detect that he was up to no good and expose him. At least, as the account reveals, what he stole was kept inside his tent. When did he take it into his tent? How was he able to successfully hide it there, without anybody knowing or suspecting?

Of course, when people are filled with the desire to do evil, Satan will always help them come up with ingenious ways of carrying it out. But if there is someone who cares enough about them to keep an eye on them and on what they are doing with their lives, they may be prevented from doing things that will destroy them or put those in their lives in trouble.

Achan’s immediate family members suffered and died with him, not because they were partakers of his sin but because they were not watchful enough to know what he was doing and to expose it. Many today too are suffering for certain sins committed by some people in their lives because they were not watchful enough to discover their involvement in the dangerous things that eventually brought calamities on them and those in their lives. And if we too will not take watching what those in our lives are doing with their lives very seriously, so that we can hinder or prevent them from getting involved in what might get them or us in trouble, we will often find ourselves suffering for sins we have not committed.

All of this is why we are instructed in our opening bible text to see it that no one in our lives ignores or abuses the grace of God and get involved in things that will put them and us as well in trouble. Of course, this instruction is originally directed to churches of God to show them the kind of mutual attention they are to give towards watching one another, so that none of them ends up causing trouble for everyone. But it is something that individuals can also apply to their lives, marriages, homes, businesses and so forth. That way, they can prevent the people in their lives or around them from putting them in needless troubles.

So, keep your eyes open to see what is happening in the lives of the people in your life and around you. And stop acting as though what they were doing with their lives is not your concern or problem, for it may someday become your problem. I am not saying you should begin to unduly meddle in people’s affairs or that you should start suspecting every move the people in your life make. Rather, I am saying be alert and sensitive to observe anything in the lives of those in your life or around you that appears to be inconsistent with the righteousness of God or that looks like a trap to get them in trouble. That way, you can warn them, pray intelligently for them and also take necessary steps to protect them or to keep yourself from being a part of their problem.

May God’s wisdom to do this as occasions demand fill your heart continually, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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 pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

Tags dont let them, dont let them put you in trouble, trouble

FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

When you need to move on | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date December 24, 2021
No Comments on When you need to move on | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Date: December 26, 2021 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 34

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours forevermore from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. It is with great delight that I welcome you to the last week of the year. And I pray that your heart will be equipped and strengthened by the Spirit of God to move from where you are now to where God wants you to be in the year we are moving into. Amen.

When the children of Israel came close to entering the land of Canaan, which God had promised to their forefathers, He said this to them through Moses: “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land that the LORD swore he would give to your fathers — to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — and to their descendants after them.”” (Deut 1:6-8NIV)

What was the first thing the Lord brought to the notice of those Israelites? It was that they had stayed long enough where they were and needed to move on. That means God is interested in our advancement. He is interested in our progress and success in life. He does not want us to be stagnant in life or to be satisfied with too little when we could have more. So, if our lives have been stagnant and have not experienced much progress or advancement this year or in the last couple of years, we need to reach out for Him to intervene and show us what is wrong or why this has been so. But to assume or conclude that it is His will for us to be stagnant in life is to totally miss it.

As we see in the case of those Israelites that He brought out from Egypt, there came a time in which He told them plainly that they needed to move on. But where were they to move on to? It is easy to determine to move on in life. But it is not every time that people move on that their movement results in true progress or comfort. It is only those who move on in accordance with God’s purpose for their lives that will find their moving on rewarding.

So, if you see yourself as having stayed too long where you are and in need of moving on, don’t just move on in any direction that you please. Instead, see to it that you move on in line with God’s purpose for your life. And if God has already made His purpose known to you about the need for you to move on and where to move on to, then, lose no time to do so.

Again, as we see in the case of those Israelites, it was God that told them that it was time to move on. Also, it was He that told them where to move on to. And where were they to move on to? It was the land that He had promised to their forefathers, a land flowing with milk and honey, that they were to move on to occupy. Unfortunately, though God had said that the time had come for them to possess this land and that He had already given it to them, they refused to go in at that time and possess it. Therefore, they ended up using the next forty years of their lives wandering and perishing in the wilderness, without possessing and enjoying what had already been given to them. (Cf. Num 13-14; Deut 1)

Now I am sure you do not want to use the year we are about to move into wandering through life without possessing or enjoying what God has prepared for you. So, you need to be ready to move to possess whatever God has already told you is yours to possess. There may indeed be giants in the land. But as long as God has already told you that it is yours, just go in and take possession of it, for He will certainly take care of all the giants there for you. Then don’t just move on to take of anything simply because you feel you could. Instead, through prayers, meditating on God’s word and seeking godly counsel make certain that whatever you are going for is what God has chosen for you. That will not only keep you from wasting your labour and devotion on what will never work, it will also make it possible for you to enjoy whatever you possess. And may the Spirit of God lead and strengthen you to do what is right about this matter, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Happy new year in advance.

Tags move, when you need to move

Fire in my Bones

Manage your position with wisdom | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date December 24, 2021
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fire in my bones

Date: December 22, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 32

“A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son, and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.” (Prov 17:2NIV)

When the prodigal son lost it all and had to go and get a job, he confessed to himself that even the servants in his father’s house were better off than him. In other words, their living conditions as servants were far better than his own living conditions as a son. So, he concluded that he would go back to his father’s house and beg him to take him in, not as a son but as a servant. (Cf. Luke 15:11-20)

But why did he find himself in that situation? He found himself there because he did not manage the rights, opportunities and privileges that his position as a son in his father’s house gave to him with wisdom. And that is what Solomon is speaking about in our opening bible text. There he tells us that our position in life is not what is really important; what is really important is how we conduct ourselves in whatever position we are.

As he points out, even if we start out in life as a servant or an errand person, occupying a low place in life, if we will conduct ourselves and our affairs with wisdom, at some point, God is able to raise us up to sit, dine and rule with princes. And if we start out in life in a position of advantage, having access to riches, honour, affluence and so forth, if we will not learn to conduct ourselves and our affairs with wisdom, at some point, we will realise that we have lost it all and that some that should have been our servants are now the ones ruling over us.

Remember Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. Remember that it was lack of wisdom, prudence and character that made him lose the larger part of the kingdom that his father left for him to his father’s servant, Jeroboam. Yes, of course, it was the will of God for Jeroboam to become king and to have the larger part of that kingdom. But it was this man’s foolishness that made it very easy for what God wanted to come to pass. So, if you are given to handling your affairs with a foolish mind, regardless of how high or lofty your position in life may be, you will just be making it easy for people of lesser influences or of lower places in life to push you aside and take over what God has given to you. (Cf. 1Kings 11:26-12:24)

Then remember Joseph too. Remember that even though he started out in Potiphar’s house as a slave, he ended up being the administrator of that man’s house because he conducted his life and affairs with wisdom. Potiphar may have had sons and daughters at that time. But nothing is said in the bible about them or about any of them being the one in charge of his house. Joseph was the one in charge. And he was in charge because overtime he proved to Potiphar that he had what it takes to do so. (Cf. Gen 39)

In like manner, even if you are in a low place in life now, God is able to lift you up to a high place of leadership, power, influence and riches. But you will need to show those that He may want to use to lift you up that you have abilities that belong in the high place of life. Otherwise, it does not matter your level of faith in Him, you may never rise beyond where you are. So, don’t just desire to leave your low place in life for a high place; also, cultivate attributes that will make you fit to function in the high places of life. Then when God opens the door for your lifting, you will not waste the opportunity but be ready to make the most of it.

Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Remember where you came from | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: December 08, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 30

“Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this.” (Deut 24:17-18NIV)

Among the things that are most difficult to manage in life is comfort. And that is because it can make one totally forget where he is coming from or what he has been through in life. To say the fact, God loves to do for people things that will make them forget their years of pains, miseries or sufferings. And that is to show them how powerful He is. For instance, when Joseph would name his firstborn child, he called him Manasseh, meaning God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household (Gen 41:51). That means God did for this young man things that made him look like someone that had never suffered in life.

In like manner, He is still doing for people today things that will turn their lives around and make them forget all their years of pains and sufferings. And why is He doing this? It is so that those He is lifting and comforting may also use their position of comfort and prosperity to help others who may be suffering or experiencing pains the way they used to.

Look at what Paul says about this: “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? Apart from the fact that God wants us to live in comfort in life, He also wants us to be instruments through which others will experience His comfort in life. That means we are not the only ones He has in mind when He leads us into comfort and prosperity; He has others around us in mind as well. And we will do well to keep this in mind, so that we do not allow our comfort and prosperity to make us blind to the sufferings of others around us.

Unfortunately, there are many today that comfort and prosperity have blinded already. These ones were lifted by God out of some sticky mud of misery and poverty and set on a solid rock of comfort and prosperity. And they were lifted up by Him like this so that they too could begin to do things that would lift some others out of their muds of misery, poverty or shame and set them on some solid ground of peace and prosperity. But instead of allowing themselves to be used by God in this way, they are yielding themselves to be used by the devil to add to the sorrow and pains of the afflicted ones around them.

You only need to look at the way some rich and influential people today treat their employees, neighbours or other people that are subject to them, and you would most likely conclude that they had never tasted suffering in life. But they have tasted it. In fact, if you hear the stories of what some of them experienced in their days of poverty, you would know that only God could have made them survive. Yet these same people, who have had their own fair share of oppression and affliction, now no longer see anything wrong in oppressing or afflicting others. Why? They have totally forgotten what it looks like to suffer. And if care is not taken, at some point, God may have to send them or their descendants back to where they came from, examples of which abound all around us.

At any rate, it is so that God wouldn’t have to treat us in that manner that He sends us the warnings that we have in our opening bible text. There He tells His people, the Israelites, to remember where they had come from in order to settle in that land of comfort and prosperity that He gave them. They had come from Egypt, that house of furnace, where they were shamefully and brutally treated for more than three hundred years. And now that they have rest and peace of mind from Him, if they are not careful, they also will not know when they will start treating the strangers and the poor and weak people among them just exactly the way the Egyptians treated them. Then, they would open the door for the wrath of God to come upon them.

In the same vein, if, in our days of comfort and prosperity, we do not continually remind ourselves what life once looked like for us, if we do not continually remind ourselves of how God set us free from the hands of certain powerful people that would have made an end of our lives or of all the pledges we made never to oppress anyone if God should deliver us, then, we too may end up becoming worse than our oppressors. Perhaps you have already become worse than those who once oppressed you, especially in the way you treat the people that are now under you. The word of the Lord is coming to you now in order that you may retrace your steps and repent before it is too late. Otherwise, God may change His mind about you and send you back to where He picked you up from or put an end to whatever plans He has to further lift you up or prosper you (Jer 18:9-10).

I pray that things won’t have to end like that for you. I pray that God will never have to send you or your family back into any place of suffering that He already rescued you from, so that you may learn afresh whatever you failed to learn before about how to treat people. But you too have to learn to do what is right and pleasing to Him with whatever measure of peace of mind or comfort He has given you in all your relationships with others. And may you be continually strengthened to do so, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Tags Fire in my bones, remembrance

Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Guard yourself against them | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: December 15, 2021 |Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 31

Guard yourself against them

“Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message.” (2Tim 4:14-15NIV)

God, as we see in Scriptures, is able to protect and safe His children from all kinds of wicked and unreasonable men. He is, in fact, able to protect them from all the traitors and saboteurs in their lives. But then, His children also must learn to be on their guard against individuals that have clearly revealed themselves as enemies or as having tendencies to become enemies. This is so that they will not foolishly walk into their traps or snares.

For example, in our opening bible text, Paul reminds his son in the faith, Timothy, of a man called Alexander and of how this man had shown himself to be his enemy. Why? It is so that Timothy will be on his guard against him. God, of course, is able to protect Timothy against all of this man’s wicked plans and works. However, it will be foolish of Timothy not to take whatever righteous measure that is in his power to take to protect himself against this man, seeing that God has already revealed him as his enemy.

See, we must understand that it is not everybody that their earthly life is meant to end the way our Lord’s earthly life ended. Our Lord surrendered Himself to be betrayed and killed because He knew that God was going to use His death and resurrection to save the world. So, even though He knew the traitor among His men and all that this traitor was doing to hand Him over to His enemies, He did not do anything to protect Himself against him. But since none of us has been chosen for that purpose, it will be unwise of us, then, to ignore any sign or revelation to us from God about what certain people may be planning to do to hurt us.

To say the fact, one of the ways God protects us against the wickedness of our enemies is by revealing who they really are, what they are capable of doing and what they are planning against us to us. Yes, of course, we will still need to function by His wisdom to make use of whatever information or knowledge He gives to us along this line. But we must surely make use of it. Otherwise, we may end us suffering or dying where He never intends us to die.

For example, there was a time that some Jews, more than forty men actually, bound themselves with an oath to kill Paul the apostle. And they told their religious leaders what to do in order to make this happen. But God, in His kindness, revealed their plot Paul’s nephew. And he came and told him about it. Interestingly, the night before those people hatched their wicked plan, the Lord had appeared to Paul in a vision and assured him that he would certainly testify about him in Rome. That means it was not His intention for this man to die at that time. Yet He did not say anything to him about what those wicked Jews were planning. Instead, it was his sister’s son that He used to reveal it to him. (Cf. Acts 23:1-16)

Now why did the Lord not reveal that matter to Paul in that vision? Though we are not told the reason in the bible, I personally believe it was because the soldiers holding him at that time would most likely not have believed him. And if they did not believe him, they would not do anything to protect him. But when his nephew came with details of the plans of those wicked men and shared everything with the commander of those soldiers, he believed the young man and immediately made adequate and effective plans for Paul to be protected and taken away from that region. (Cf. Acts 23:17-35)

What is the point of all this? It is that it is not every time that God will use His angels or some supernatural acts to warn or protect us from our enemies. There are times that it is people or circumstances that He will use to reveal our enemies and their plots against us to us. And when this is the case, He expects us to take whatever legitimate steps we can take to frustrate them or guard ourselves against them. That is what we learn from Paul’s case. Though he may have prayed to God to protect him against his Jewish enemies, he also took advantage of the fact that he was in a military camp to protect himself against them.

So, when God’s has revealed your enemies or what they are doing to you, don’t stop only at praying for protection against them; instead, also take whatever honest or legitimate steps you can take to guard yourself against them. And may you continually be filled with the right measure of wisdom and boldness to make the most of God’s revelation to you in protecting yourself and all that is yours and that you love against all forms of wickedness and evil. Amen.

Tags Fire in my bones, guard yourself, Guard yourself against them

FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

Remember to do them good | Pastor J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date December 12, 2021
No Comments on Remember to do them good | Pastor J.O. Lawal

Pastor J.O. Lawal

Date: December 12, 2021 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 32

Beloved: grace and mercy be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to another week of the month of December 2021. I pray that God will open your eyes in it to see all the good you are supposed to do for others in the year that you are yet to do and also enable you to do it without delay, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now I offered that prayer for you because it is in line with the will of God for you. In other words, just as it is His will that all those who are meant to do you good this year will remember to do so, it is also His will that you too will remember all those that you are supposed to do good to this year and do whatever good you are supposed to do to them or for them. Therefore, our desire must not just be for others to remember to do us good; rather, it must also be for us to remember to do others good. And there are people that God is expecting us to remember to do something good to. It may be because of certain roles that they or someone related to them have played in our lives in the past. Or it may be because we are just in the best position to help them.

For example, here is what is written about David concerning this matter: “David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”” (2Sam 9:1NIV) Why did he ask this question? It was because he remembered Jonathan, his friend. In fact, Jonathan was more than a friend to him; he was a brother as well. When he was alive, he loved him with all his heart and did all that was in his power to protect him from his wicked and jealous father, Saul.

But then, he died because of the sins of his father, and the kingdom was taken away from their family and given to David. So, at the time David was asking this question, nobody was paying any serious attention to what was going on in their family again. They had become a history to everyone. If David, then, had not made any move to find out if he could be of any help to them, they may never have gotten any serious help or attention in the land again. But by asking that question, he was able to learn that Jonathan actually had a crippled son that had been abandoned by almost everybody. And that was how the young man, Mephibosheth, was lifted out of the realm of shame and poverty and brought into the prosperity of the king. (Cf. 2Sam 9)

Now though we are not told how God rewarded David for doing this, bible accounts show us that, years later, when he was running away because of the rebellion of his son, Absalom, Mephibosheth’s servant, Ziba, was one of those that God used to supply him and his men food. But what if David had not allowed God to use him to lift them out of poverty and shame at the time he did, would the man have had anything to support him in his own days of misery? Even if they had something to support him, would they have thought about him at all, when he had not remembered them or done anything good for them when it was in his power to do so? It was very unlikely. (Cf. 2Sam 16:1-4)

So, if there are people you are in a position to support or do some good to now, and there will be such people, lose no time to help them in whatever way you can. That is because you may not be able to tell how God will reward you for the good you are doing to them today or when the good you are doing to them today will open a door for you too to receive some form of kindness that money or position cannot buy.

Do have a splendid week.

Tags do them good, From pastor's desk, good, remember to do them good