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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

Teaching you all over again | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Date: October 31, 2021 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 26

Beloved: grace and mercy to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I welcome you to another week of the year and pray that the joy and peace of the Spirit of God will fill your heart and home all through it, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

I once heard a preacher speak of how the board of elders of an assembly once wrote to their headquarters to have their pastor transferred. Their reason was that he had been preaching on just one subject since he got to their church, which was repent and be saved. And when the pastor was asked to explain himself, he said the problem is not that he does not have any other subject to preach to these brethren but that they have not acted at all on the one he has been preaching to them. “Why, then,” as he further pointed out, “should he teach them new things, when they will not act on the one thing that he has been teaching them?”

What is the point of this? It is that until God’s people begin to intelligently act on what they are being taught, preachers who know what they are doing will not stop going over it. This is one of the reasons Paul says to the Philippian brethren, “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.” (Phil 3:1NIV) Did you see that? Paul did not see it as a problem at all to go over again the same things he had taught these brethren before. Why? It was because doing so would help them in staying in the will of God.

Now I know that many of us often get offended when we are being reminded or taught again by our pastors something that we already know. But we must also understand that if we are acting well on what we know to be the truth of God to us, we won’t need anybody to remind or teach us to do so. It is when we are acting as if we did not understand what we have been taught or like a forgetful hearer or like a stubborn student that this becomes necessary.

For example, I have personally observed that even though the subject of appreciating our pastors and other church leaders, who regularly feed us with the word of God and watch over us by the power of God, has been severally taught to many of God’s people, only few still take it seriously. I am saying that in most of our assemblies only very few people often personally and deliberately appreciate their leaders not just with words of mouth but also with their material things. What about others? Do they not know this? In most cases, they know. But they won’t just act accordingly. (Cf. Luke 10:1-8; 1Cor 9:14; Gal 6:6)

It will, in fact, shock you to know that many children of God have never in their lives deliberately approached their pastors to simply say, “Thank you sir for the good work you are doing,” or to just do something for them that will make them happy. But if these same brethren hear that their church leaders are involved in some sexual scandal or financial mess, they will most likely not hesitate to spread the bad news or to use whatever means they have to totally destroy them. It is no big wonder, then, that the prayers and words of blessings of many preachers don’t settle on their brethren to work for them.

Or do you really think that it is every word of prayer or blessing that is said on behalf of people that may rest on them or work for their good? No! Jesus once said this to His apostles: “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.” (Luke 10:5-7NIV) Can you see that? A word of blessing can return to the one who offers it, if the person he is offering it for does not respond appropriately. So, even if your pastor is praying for you to prosper and do well in life all the time but you are not relating to him as God wants you to, his prayers of blessing may not settle on your life and work for you as they ought to.

Unfortunately, many of God’s people don’t understand that the reason they are not prospering under their pastors in most cases is not that something is wrong with those pastors spiritually. Rather, it is that they are not relating to them as God wants them to. And if they will repent of their disobedience and stop taking the things they ought to have used to support their pastors to some prayer mountains, they will begin to see that they can prosper even more under the daily ministration of those pastors than under the once in a while ministration of the so-called anointed prophets they are dying to see. But will they repent? (Cf. Matt 10:40-42)

In any case, my point all along is that if your pastor has to go over certain bible topics again and again with you, it may not be because he does not have something else to teach you; rather, it may be because you are not yet working with what you have been taught as you are supposed to. And if you are not working well with what you have been well taught, it may be that you do not yet understand it as you should or that you are being a forgetful hearer or that you are just being stubborn. None of this, of course, is acceptable. So, stop being slow to learn, forgetful or stubborn and begin to take the things you are being taught seriously. That way, you can leave the elementary teachings of the Christian faith and move on to maturity (Heb 5:11-6:3).

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

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Fire in my Bones

The cost of desperation | Pst. J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: October 27, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 24

“Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said.” (Gen 16:1-3NIV)

What led Sarah to acting the way she is reported in our opening bible text to have acted? Desperation! She was desperate to have a child for her husband, Abraham. And though God had promised to give them a child of their own, she just could not be patient to receive the fulfilment of the promise. Why? She was considering her age at the time. She had already passed the age of child bearing and her husband also had become an old man. In fact, he was ten years older than her. (Cf. Gen 17:17)

So, even though she believed God, she still felt that she had to do something about their childlessness before it was too late. That, of course, was because of her love for her husband. He had been faithful to her all the years of their marriage and had not gone after any other woman in order to have a child. Therefore, she must have thought that if there was anything she could do to make him have a child, apart from waiting on God, she would give it a try. That was what led to her suggesting that her husband sleep with her slave, Hagar. And the idea was that any child that came through the union would be hers as well, since Hagar herself was her property. Interestingly, her husband agreed to do what she had suggested, went in to Hagar and slept with her. And she conceived, as they had wished.

But then, just when Sarah was beginning to think that she had won and that her move, carried out in desperation, had paid off, Hagar began to misbehave. Why? It must have been because the care she was already receiving from Abraham got into her head. So, she totally forgot her place as a slave in that house and began to see herself as her mistress’ mate. At least, she had proven that the problem was with her mistress and not with her husband. And “Who knows,” she must have thought, “I may eventually become the madam of this house after giving my master a child.”

Now do you know that situation could actually have made Sarah lose her home? There have been women who lost their homes in very similar situations. So, if her husband had not feared God and truly cherished her, maybe Hagar’s pregnancy would have given her a chance to go from being a slave to becoming the madam of the house. But because her husband feared God and also loved and cherished her, he allowed her to handle the matter as she pleased. So, she dealt so ruthless with Hagar that she ran way from the house. And though she was restored because of God’s mercy, at some point, she and her son still had to be sent away for peace to reign in that home. (Cf. Gen 16&21)

What, then, is the point of all this? it is that when we are desperate to have something or do something, we are likely to take just about any step without counting the cost. But steps taken in desperation often come with very serious consequences. In Sarah’s case, the step she took in desperation in order to solve her problem of childlessness almost cost her husband’s love and home. Also, it turned her into a callous and cold-blooded person who was willing to do anything to save her home.

Therefore, before you ignore the word of God or common sense and take that step out of desperation, think about the cost. Yes, think about the likely consequences of what you are about to do because of your desperation. That step you take today may indeed solve your immediate problem or meet your immediate need. But will it not create more problems for you in the future, problems that may ultimately take away from you what you are so desperately trying to have or protect? So, you need to think carefully about this before doing anything stupid, just because you are desperate.

And remember this: God is never late. So, as long as you trust in Him and are acting on His word, He will certainly make all things beautiful for you at the right time, even when all hope seems to be lost (Ecc 3:11).

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)

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Fire in my Bones

When it is not yours to possess | Pst. J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: October 20, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 23

“Then the LORD said to me, “You have made your way around this hill country long enough; now turn north. Give the people these orders: ‘You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, but be very careful. Do not provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, not even enough to put your foot on. I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his own. You are to pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink.'”” (Deut 2:2-6NIV)

Before God led the children of Israel out of Egypt, He had made it very clear to them that it was the land of Canaan that He was giving to them as their inheritance. But it was obvious that before getting to this land, they would have to pass through some other lands, which may also be very good lands. And while passing through these other lands, they may be tempted to want to possess them for themselves. So, through Moses, God had to warn them in advance of the futility of wanting to take for themselves what He had chosen for them. That is the reason for what we have in our opening text.

As we see in that text, God makes it very clear to the Israelites that they would certainly pass through the territory of the descendants of Esau on their way to possessing the land He had promised to give them. But that land is not for them but for Esau. In fact, God specifically says that He has already given that land to Esau. Therefore, they are not to covet it or try to fight for it. Otherwise, their effort is going to be in futility. He Himself will fight against them and make sure they do not succeed in taking even a foot of that land.

Furthermore, He warns them not to covet or try to fight for the lands of the Moabites and the Ammonites, the descendants of Lot. As He points out, they will surely pass through the territories of these people too on their way to taking their own land and may be tempted to want to go for their good lands. But if they should do so, what they will meet with is utter failure. And the very one that will be behind this failure is God Himself, who loves them and cares for them. (Cf. Deut 2:9-12&16-19)

Now what is the point of all this? It is that it is not every good thing, place or position that we see or come across in life that is for us. Yes, we may feel that we possess the ability, resources or wisdom to possess something good that we see. But if it is not what God has chosen for us but for someone else, we can only pray or labour in futility to have it. And even if we manipulate or force our way to have it, it won’t be without grievous consequences.

Remember what happened to David and his household when he took another man’s wife and killed the man. Remember also what happened to Ahab when he took another man’s vineyard and killed the owner. God did not act unconcerned in any of these cases. Instead, He moved in justice and dealt with those involved. (Cf. 2Sam 11-12; 1Kings 21)

In like manner, if we manipulate or force our way to possess something or someone God has not given to us but to someone else, we can be sure to have Him as our enemy. And remember that it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of God (Heb 10:31). So, we will do well to regularly pray that God will fill our hearts always with the perfect and exact knowledge of His choice for us in all things and that He will also make us content with whatever He has chosen for us. This is so that we will not destroy ourselves or lose what He has chosen for us, which is always the best for us, in our quest to have what He has not chosen for us.

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)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

A servant of everyone | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Date: October 24, 2021 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 25

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to the last week of the month of October 2021. My prayer is that you will spend the remaining days of this year in the fullness of the joy of the Spirit, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we begin this week, let me remind you of the words of our Lord Jesus that say, “…If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35NIV) From what the Lord says here, it is clear that God is not against His children becoming the best or first in life. In fact, among the things He promised to do for the children of Israel, if they would obey His commandments, was to make them the head and not the tail among the nations of the world (Deut 28:13). So, it is not against His wish for you and me to be the head and not the tail wherever we find ourselves in life.

However, how do we become the kind of head God wants us to be, not just in this world but also in His eternal kingdom? How do we occupy a place of significance in His scheme of things? That is what the Lord is speaking to us about in that bible text. And He says it is by functioning as everybody’s servant.

Now what does it mean to function as a servant of everybody? Does it mean to become an errand boy or girl for everyone? Or does it mean for to become everybody’s waste bin, to become someone that everyone feels free to treat shamefully? No! What, then, does it mean?

Well, we can understand what it means by looking at the way our Lord Jesus Himself functioned when He was here in the world. Remember that He said that He did not come into the world to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). How, then, did He serve men? Was it by becoming their errand boy or someone that they could always treat as they liked? No! Rather, it was by going from place to place, doing those things that would bring about the fulfilment of the will of God in people’s lives.

Of course, there were times that He was insulted and despised by people because of the things He said about His relationship with God. In fact, He was eventually treated shamefully and killed because He called Himself the Son of God. But all through the period that He ministered among His people, He was highly respected by all of them, including His enemies.

So, being a servant of everyone is not about presenting ourselves as individuals that have no sense of worth and that people can treat anyhow. Rather, it is about living in such a way that the things we do and say are directly or indirectly bringing about the fulfilment of God’s purpose in the lives of those around us and those with whom we are in fellowship. And if this is the way we are functioning, then, we will never mind doing even things that are meant for slaves or errand boys and girls, inasmuch as they will result in the fulfilment of God’s purpose in the lives of others.

There was a time, for example, in which our Lord Jesus washed the feet of all His apostles, a job that was meant for slaves. He did that to show them that what makes a man great is not merely his title or position but his willingness to do whatever was necessary to serve those under his authority, even if it means for him to wash their feet. And did that make those apostles despise Him? No! Rather, it made them respect Him all the more. Also, it illustrated for them what He had been teaching them all along that anyone who wants to become first or great in the kingdom of His Father must be willing to serve others in any way that would bring about the fulfilment of God’s will in their lives. (Cf. John 13:1-17)

If we too, then, want to occupy great positions in the kingdom of God our Father, we must be willing to serve one another and those in our world in any way that will bring the will of God to pass in their lives. But are we going to humble ourselves to function like this or are we going to keep functioning with an exaggerated opinion of ourselves? My prayer is that our hearts will be made humble to serve all the people God wants us to serve in ways that will result in our greatness in His eternal kingdom. Amen.

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

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

God is at work in you | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Date: October 17, 2021 | Number: Vol. 10, No. 24

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours abundantly from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Redeemer. I am delighted to welcome you to this new week. My prayer is that everything that concerns your life will be perfected without delay, so that your life can be exactly where God wants it to be, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now I am confident that this will indeed be the case with you because the one at work in you is God Himself. Paul, speaking to the Philippian-Christians about the need for them to take their salvation seriously, reminds them that they can do this because God is at work in them to will and to act according to His good purpose (Phil 2:12-13). Think about that. The salvation of these brethren is not up to them alone but also to God. Yes, there are things they have to be doing in order to fully experience the salvation that Jesus has bought for them. But they will not be doing these things all by themselves. They cannot even do these things, whatever they are, all by themselves. The one that will make sure they are able to do them is God. And Paul assures them that He will surely get the job done. Isn’t that lovely to know? It is.

In like manner, because we too have become children of God through Jesus Christ, we now have Him at work in our lives. Before we became His children, it was Satan that was working in our lives and messing them up in different ways. That is why the bible calls him the spirit at work in those who are disobedient to God (Eph 2:2). But now that we have become children of God, He has come to live in us and to take charge of our lives. Yes, He has come to live in us to work. And what kind of work has He come to do in us? Everything that is consistent with His good purpose for us!

Therefore, the fulfilment of God’s good purpose for us is not up to us alone; it is up to Him as well. And this is why we can be confident that our lives will ultimately be what they are meant to be, regardless of where they are right now. Can you relate to that? God is able to make your life what it is meant to be, regardless of where He picked it up. So, Paul says to the Philippians, “…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil 1:6NIV) And David also says, “The LORD will fulfill [his purpose] for me…” (Ps 138:8NIV)

Did you see that? We can trust God to finish in us what He started. Yes, we can trust Him to fulfil His good purpose concerning us. All we need is to cooperate with Him every step of the way. He will put in us all the desires that are consistent with His purpose for us and also provide us with everything we need to actualise these desires. But we have to love what He wants to make of our lives and also be willing take whatever steps He wants us to take to accomplish this (Isaiah 1:19).

Now do we love what God wants to make of our lives? Are we willing to be all that He is working in us to make us? If we are, then, we will take His word seriously. We will give ourselves to reading, studying and meditating on it, so that we may act according to what it says (Joshua 1:8). Then we will not be arrogant, stubborn or discouraged when He disciplines us. Instead, we will accept His discipline with love and respect, knowing that, as our Father, He has our best in mind and will only discipline us in love (Heb 12:5-13).

Why did the most of the children of Israel that Moses led out of Egypt not make it to the Promised Land, despite everything God did for them and among them? The first reason was that they did not take God’s word seriously. The second reason was that they would not accept His discipline. And if we do not want all the work that He is doing in our lives to amount to nothing, then, we must not be like them. Instead, we must learn to take His word and His discipline very seriously. My prayer is that your heart will be strengthened to act accordingly, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Do have a glorious 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 pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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Fire in my Bones

He is bound to lose it | Pst. J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: October 13, 2021
Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 4, No. 22

“Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.” (Prov 26:8NIV)

Those are the words of Solomon the wise. And what do they mean? Well, they mean that just as a sling is bound to lose any stone tied in it, a fool is also bound to lose whatever honour, wealth or position given to him. It is only a matter of time.

For example, when this wise man, Solomon, died, his son, Rehoboam, succeeded him as king over the nation of Israel. So, naturally, he inherited the kingdom, honour, wealth, influence and greatness of his father. But was he able to retain these things? No! Why? It was because he was a foolish man. And how did he show himself to be foolish? He showed himself to be foolish by not taking heed to the wise counsel of the wise elders, who had directly served with his father, on how to relate to his subjects. (Cf. 1Kings 12:1-24)

Therefore, anyone who does not know how to seek wise counsel, recognise it and act on it is a fool. And it does not matter what degree of honour you confer on that person or how much resources you entrust to them, they are bound to lose everything. That being the case, regardless of our position in life or what measure of wealth or honour we have bestowed on us, we must learn to seek, recognise and act on wise counsel on how to use it. Otherwise, we are bound to lose it.

In like manner, if we want to honour people or entrust them with some position, resources or people, we must be certain that they are individuals who know how to seek and handle wise counsel, especially as it relates to what we are entrusting to them. Otherwise, we may end up wasting everything on them. And who are going to blame afterwards? Ourselves!

Now, of course, being foolish in life goes beyond not knowing how to seek and handle wise counsel. There are other manifestations of foolishness. For example, being wasteful is also a manifestation of foolishness. We see this illustrated in the bible story of the prodigal son. That young man squandered the wealth he got from his father in reckless living and so ended up in poverty. He left his father’s house full but came back empty. What a foolish young man! (Cf. Luke 15)

In any case, if we too are wasteful in the way we use our resources or those entrusted to us by others, we are bound to lose them and whatever measure of comfort, honour or position we have received because of them. And if we entrust our wealth or possessions to a wasteful, slothful, careless or reckless person, it won’t be long before we lose everything because of them. So, in entrusting things to people, be sure you know their attitude towards the management of resources. Otherwise, you will eventually have only yourself to blame, when they have lost everything of value you commit to them.

Then what about pride, whether towards God or men? It is also a manifestation of foolishness. And anyone who has it is bound to lose whatever degree of honour, wealth or position they are given in life. In fact, they may even lose their life in the process. (Cf. Prov 16:18; Isaiah 2:11&17; Dan 4&5; Acts 12:19-23)

So, if we are concerned about not losing God’s blessings of honour, wealth, position or influence in our lives, we must allow Him to rid our lives of every form of foolishness through His word. Then we must also watch out for manifestation of foolishness in the lives of those we relate to, so that they don’t bring us to ruin through their foolishness. And may your heart continually overflow with God’s wisdom, so that you do not lose any of the things given to you by Him for your enjoyment, elevation and usefulness in life, 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)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

Spread the news | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Date: October 10, 2021 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 23

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be multiplied to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to another week of the month of October 2021. May shouts of joy and victory occupy your mouth in the week and throughout the remaining part of the year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

I want to remind you again, as we begin this new week, that you owe it to God to spread the good news of His word that is changing and lifting you through this assembly. Why did our Lord always have many people coming to Him to hear the good news and to be healed? It was because those whose lives were being changed by His word kept spreading the news about Him and what He was doing.

For example, Mark says this about the response of some of those who had the privilege of listening to Him and witnessing His miracles: “The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching — and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him.” News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.” (Mark 1:27-28NIV) Look at that. It was majorly the beneficiaries of Jesus’ ministries that were responsible for the publicity that His ministry had. So, the Lord did not have to print fliers, post notices or do radio, television or internet advertisement for people to know about Him or His ministry.

In like manner, even though nothing is wrong with it, we do not have to send out fliers and notices about our meetings or what God is doing by His Spirit in our midst week after week before people get to know about it and join us. Those of us who are beneficiaries of His goodness to us in the assembly just need to take it upon ourselves to spread the news. That is all. And the Spirit of God will take care of the rest.

The bible says, “The Lord announced the word, and great was the company of those who proclaimed it…” (Ps 68:11NIV) When we read this from the Hebrew Scriptures, we get to see that the great company of those who published the word of the Lord being referred to were actually women. So, the fact that you are a woman does not mean you cannot spread the good news of how God is transforming our lives in this assembly through His word and by His Spirit. You can. And you should.

Do you know that even children are not left out in this matter? For example, there was a time the Jewish religious leaders complained to Jesus about certain children that were singing His praise. And what was His response? His response was, “Have you never read that Scripture says, ‘From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise?’” So, even our children need to be inspired and encouraged to spread the news of how God is blessing them in the assembly. (Cf. Matt 21:14-16)

However, if we are selfish and self-conscious, thinking only about ourselves, we will not be moved to spread the news of how God is blessing us in this church. Also, if we are timid, we may not say anything to those around us that are very much in need of the touch of the word and the Spirit of God. My prayer, therefore, is that our hearts will be overwhelmed with the love of Christ and the right measure of passion and boldness to spread the good news of His grace we are enjoying, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a very lovely 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 pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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Fire in my Bones

Don’t ensnare yourself | Pst. J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: October 06, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 21

“Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.” (Judg 8:27NIV)

Once, while teaching His disciples, our Lord Jesus said to them, “…Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves…” (Luke 17:1-3NIV) He said these things to warn us all to watch the thing we do and say, so that we do not become responsible, whether consciously or unconsciously, for anybody’s fall into sin. Otherwise, it would be much worse for us than the one we have led astray, when God begins to judge.

But then, it is not only others that the things we do or say can ensnare and lead into trouble. They can ensnare us as well and become an occasion for us to stumble, fall or get destroyed. For example, as we see in our opening bible text, Gideon had made an Ephod of gold from the jewelleries he received as gifts from the Israelites after a battle. What was an Ephod? From what we see in Scriptures, it was originally one of the accessories of the High Priest’s garment, according to the instructions God gave Moses. But later on, in the history of the Israelites, we see that it also began to represent an object through which some of the people learnt the will of God. (Cf. Ex 28:6-8; 1Sam 23:9-12&30:7-8)

In any case, from the recorded encounter of Gideon that we have in the bible, we can tell that he originally made that Ephod so that he could have a means of personally enquiring from God. Whether it, then, served his purpose or not is something that is hard to tell. But as we are further shown in our opening text, it ended up becoming a trap that led the nation of Israel back into idolatry. The people began to worship it. And they were not the only ones that were ensnared by that Ephod; Gideon and his family were equally ensnared by it. In other words, it became a trap for them too, a trap that led their family, which was the first to turn away from idolatry at that time, back into idol worship. (Cf. Judges 6)

But do you know that all that could have been avoided, if Gideon had not made that Ephod? Yes, he originally meant well – he simply wanted a means through which he could consult God. But he was not a priest of God. There were priests in those days that were authorised by God to wear Ephods and that he could meet any time, should he need to learn the will of God about any matter that was not clearly defined in the book of law. What I am saying is that the book of God’s law to them was always available for any of them to consult in order to learn the mind of God about any matter. It is only when what is said about a matter in the book was not clear to the people or when nothing is directly or indirectly said about a matter in the book that they were expected to go to a priest or a known prophet of God for clarifications. Anything different from this, then, would be of the devil and result in nothing but idolatry, which would be followed by God’s judgment, as was the case with Gideon.

Now what is the point of all this? It is that we are to watch the things and people we bring into our lives or get ourselves involved with. Otherwise, we may unconsciously or unknowingly set traps of destruction or failure for ourselves. What I am saying is that there are people and things that we have no business associating with. There are individuals we do not need as friends or companions. There are items and facilities we don’t need to acquire, videos we don’t need to see or keep, songs we don’t need to hear or keep and even phone apps we don’t need to download. Why? We will be ensnaring ourselves through them.

Perhaps you have ensnared yourself in this manner before. You brought certain ungodly or carnal people or things into your life for some reasons, which may even appear legitimate, only for them to become the reason you found yourself in sexual immorality, theft, robbery, drug trafficking or use, bribery or some other destructive thing. Who do you now blame for this? Or who do you think is to blame? Yourself! And unless you separate yourself from such people or things, even if you have to be ruthless about it, you may never be free.

Well, all I am saying is that in all your dealings with men and the things of this world, be careful not to ensnare yourself. And you will be able to do that, if you will keep this admonition of the Lord to the nation of Israel in your heart: “Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you.” (Ex 34:12NIV) Did you see that? If you unduly associate or unite yourself with any ungodly person or thing, you will ultimately ensnare yourself. And you may not get a chance to free yourself before you are destroyed. So, be very careful.

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)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

The Lord is with you | By J.O. Lawal

Date: October 03, 2021 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 22

Beloved: grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. It gives me great joy to welcome you to the month of October 2021. And my prayer is that your heart will be strengthened to continually function with the consciousness of God’s abiding presence with you, so that you will never lose heart or be discouraged, regardless of the circumstances of your life. Amen.

You know there are times that the circumstances of our lives may drive us to think that God has abandoned us and that we are all alone to face the things that are seeking to destroy us. But that is not a new thing. There were saints of old that felt likewise at some points in their lives. For example, when the Angel of the Lord first appeared to Gideon and said to him, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior,” his answer was, “If the Lord is with us, why are we in this mess and why is He not performing all kinds of signs and miracles for our liberty, as He did for our forefathers? It is clear that He has abandoned us.” (Cf. Judges 6:11-13)

Think about that. God was personally telling that man face to face that He was with him. Yet he found it hard to believe Him. Why? It was because he was looking at the circumstances of his life and of his country. He could not understand how God could be with them and still allow things to get as messed up for them as they were. But God was not the one responsible for the mess in their lives. They were the ones responsible for it. They were the ones that abandoned God and began to function according to their wisdom. So, He left them to face the consequences of abandoning Him to walk in their own ways.

But when they cried out to Him because of their oppression, He answered them by visiting Gideon and letting him know that He had been with them all along. But it was their sins that was hindering the manifestation of His presence. And with a number of convincing proofs, He inspired and encouraged him to lead his people to experience freedom from the hands of their oppressors. (Cf. Judges 6-8)

In like manner, if we too focus on the circumstances of our lives, we may conclude that God is not with us or that He does not care at all about what becomes of us. But God never leaves or abandons His children. That is because He has already promised to never leave us or forsake us. And since He never fails to keep His word, we can be sure that He is with us, regardless of the circumstances of our lives. (Cf. Heb 13:5-6)

However, even though God is with us, we may not experience the manifestation of His power in changing our circumstances or delivering us from them. And there are two main things that may be responsible for this. The first is sin. If, like those Israelites of Gideon’s day, we allow sin to turn us away from God, we may find ourselves being oppressed by the devil, right in His presence, and He will do nothing about it. But if we will also humble ourselves before Him, as they later did, and repent of our sins, He will forgive us, show us mercy and make us experience His deliverance. And this, I believe, is what we all urgently need to do in this country, if we want to experience true liberty from all the things and people that are now oppressing us.

The second thing that may keep us from experiencing the power of God in our circumstances is focusing our attention on those circumstances instead of focusing it on God. If our attention is on the problems of our lives, we may ultimately be destroyed by them, even though we are not living in sin. But if our attention is on God, who is with us, for us and in us and who also has power over all the circumstances of our lives, we will certainly experience His power and victory over the things seeking to hurt or destroy us.

Paul says we walk by faith and not by sight (2Cor 5:7). But it is not all of us that can say this, for it is not all of us that are actually walking by faith and not by sight. To walk by faith is to function on the basis what God has said to us and not on the basis of what we see, hear or feel. And as long as we are functioning on the basis of what He has said to us about Himself, ourselves and life in general, we will never be put to shame, even if all hell is stirred up against us. My prayer, then, is that your heart will be strengthened to always look beyond your circumstances unto God, your Father, who has power over all things, so that you will never again miss the manifestation of His power in your life. Amen

Peace be unto you.

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)

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Fire in my Bones

Imitate the God of order | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Date: September 29, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 20

“For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” (1Cor 14:33NIV)

The bible tells us that we should imitate God because we are His beloved children (Eph 5:1). And one of the things we are to imitate from Him is order. God, as we are told in our opening bible text, is a God of peace and order and not of disorder or confusion. So, if we observe any form of disorder or confusion in our lives or affairs, we should know that God is not behind it. That means He is not the one responsible for the chaos and confusion that we see everywhere in the world today. We and the devil are the ones responsible for these things.

From what we see in the bible, God’s intention is that this world we live in will be one of order. So, even though He made the earth for us to live in, He did not make us before making the earth habitable and ready for us. He did not make us first before thinking of what we would eat and where we would stay. Instead, He made sure the food we would eat and all the other resources we would need for shelter and to make the earth most interesting for us to live in were already available. So, there is nothing we are using or discovering here on earth now that God had not made available before we were brought forth. In fact, we were the last of all His creations to be brought forth. Therefore, we were brought forth into the fullness of His provisions. That is what we call order. (Cf. Gen 1:26-31)

Also, from the creation story that we have in the bible, we see that the world of plants was not made until God had provided light and water for it and also put in the soil all the nutrients that it would need to make the world beautiful and habitable for man and all the other living things with him. Then the birds and animals were not made until God had prepared the world of plants and every other thing they would need to enjoy their stay here on earth. That, again, is what we call order. (Cf. Gen 1:1-23)

Furthermore, when we consider the way the universe works, the consistency of the Sun, the moon and the stars in blessing us with their lights and energies and in marking off for us our days, nights, months, years and seasons, it is clear that God, who created all these things and set them in their proper places, is a God of order and not of confusion. And as His children, He expects us to replicate the same consciousness and pattern of order in our lives and affairs. He does not want us to be disorderly in our lives or to do things without taking into consideration their results or aftermaths.

Yes, order, sometimes, can be very costly. But we won’t regret it, if we will pay for it. What I am saying is that there are times that in order to have order in your life or affairs you may need to expend more resources, energy or time than you will naturally want to use. But ultimately, it will pay off, for it will make life easier and better for you and others with you or others that may come after you.

So, if, for example, you intend to be educated along certain field of life, God expects you to have a plan of what you will do with that education before you even begin to receive it. That is order. Otherwise, you may never be fruitful with that education you want to receive when you are done receiving it. And there many all around the world whose lives clearly illustrate this.

Or if you intend to get married and have children, God expects you to have a plan for the proper care of your spouse and children. He does not expect you to just go ahead and marry like every other person without any knowledge or plan of how your home will be run peacefully, happily and responsibly. Otherwise, that home may never be a blessing to the society but a curse. And there are many homes that are readily testifying to this fact.

At any rate, the point I am making is that God wants our lives to be orderly and free of any form of confusion. So, we must stop making excuses for whatever degree or measure of disorderliness that is in our lives. Instead, we need to deal with it. And how do we do this? First, we need to agree that disorderliness or confusion is not the will of God for us. So we must not embrace it. Second, we must learn to always commit our lives and affairs to God, so that He may cleanse them of confusion and guide us into what is best for us. Third, we must refuse to be lazy or impatient in taking advantage of God’s provisions to organise our lives for excellence. And as we devote ourselves to doing these things, it does not matter how disorderly things may be for us now, it won’t be long before our lives take the shape God wants them to take and begin to show forth His excellency.

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)