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Wisdom to handle happiness | By J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date September 26, 2021
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fire in my bones

Date: September 22, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 19

“…Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” (James 5:13NIV)

There is a Yoruba adage which, when translated, says, “Poverty does not kill; it is unrestrained merriment that kills.” This, of course, does not mean that people don’t die or can’t die as a result of poverty, for many all around the world die everyday as a result of poverty. Rather, it means that much more people die as a result of unrestrained merriment than as a result of poverty. And this, sadly, is the bitter truth.

So, it is not only our moments of trials that we must learn to handle; we must also learn to handle our moments of happiness. That is because moments of happiness can also be moments of vulnerability. They can be moments in which we let down our guards to rejoice or celebrate. And if we are not careful, those moments could end in pains, terrible losses, regrets or destruction for us.

For example, as bible accounts show us, on a particular birthday of the Herod ruling in Galilee during the time of our Lord Jesus, he became so happy with the dance presentation of Herodias’ daughter that he did not know when he swore an oath to give the girl anything she wanted, up to half of his kingdom. What was he thinking? Why would he make that kind of reckless promise? Let us even suppose that the girl did ask for half of his kingdom, would she be able to manage it? Did she have the wisdom, understanding and character that would be needed to handle such a great responsibility? I doubt it. (Cf. Mark 6:16-23)

Nevertheless, because this Herod was unusually excited, he made a reckless oath that eventually led him to killing a man of God. And that was because Herodias’ daughter did not ask for gold, silver, mansions, lands or cities. Instead, following her mother’s counsel, she asked for the head of John the Baptist, a man that Jesus referred to as one that is more than a prophet. And because of his oaths and his dinner guests, this king had to consent, even though he was greatly distressed about the matter. (Cf. Mark 6:24-28)

Now only God could tell the number of those who ended up killing or hurting themselves or others in some big ways because they failed to wisely handle their happiness or excitement. Only He also could tell the number of those that fell into the traps of their enemies because they were not wise or cautious enough in handling their moments of happiness or celebration. Perhaps you too have at some point in life gotten into trouble because you did not manage certain moments of happiness or celebration of yours wisely. And if you still would not learn wisdom from God, there is no guarantee that similar things would not happen in the future.

What, then, is God’s wisdom saying? First, as we see in our opening bible text, it says, “Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” Did you see that? The wisdom of God says if anyone is happy, let him praise God. Notice that it does not say let him get drunk with his friends or let him get inside his car and drive crazily around town or let him go and waste himself on some call girls. Rather, it says let him praise God.

Why is he to praise God? It is because God is the source of all through forms of happiness (Ecc 2:24-25). And if anyone would acknowledge this and praise Him on its basis, He will surely keep him from doing anything or taking any step that would turn his joy into mourning or open the door for the devil to use his moments of happiness against him. So, next time God brings about circumstances that make you happy, remember to praise Him for your happiness. That way, you are opening the door for Him to perfect your happiness and keep it from being polluted by the devil.

Second, the wisdom of God is saying do not make life complicated for yourself, just because you want to express your happiness. Solomon says this to us: “This is all that I have learned: God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated.” (Eccl 7:29GNT) Did you see that? It is not God that is making life hard for us; rather, we are the ones that often do things that Satan uses to make life hard for us. As I pointed out before, you can endanger others’ lives, get into debt, hurt or kill yourself, or expose yourself to the attacks of your enemies while expressing your happiness. And what good will that do you? None!

So, don’t create problems for yourself all in the name of expressing your happiness. Yes, praise God for your happiness and also rejoice with those who love you and care about you. But don’t do anything that will give the enemy an opportunity to strike you and turn your joy into sorrow. And may God fill your heart with His wisdom to always remember to act according to these words when you need to, 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 handle happiness, happiness, wisdom

FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

If His word is blessing you | Pst J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date September 26, 2021
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Date: September 26, 2021 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 21

Beloved: It gives me great joy to welcome you to the last week of the month of September 2021. And may God’s immeasurable grace and Christ’s unfailing love overwhelm your life and home in the week and throughout the remaining part of the year, causing you to be victorious in all ways, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we begin this new week, I want to remind you that if your life is indeed being blessed through the word of God you are receiving in this assembly, then, you have a duty to constantly lead others to experience what you are experiencing. You don’t need to know a lot of Scriptures to do this, neither do you even need to be an outspoken person. All you need is just a feeling of compassion for those around you whose lives could be tremendously transformed, if they too would be exposed to the teachings of the Scriptures you are exposed to. And you are good to go.

What I am saying is that if you are not selfish but compassionate about those around you whose lives are messed up because they are not living on the basis of the word of God, you would use your mouth, money, phone or anything else you have at your disposal to share the word of God that is changing your own life with them as well. As the bible shows us, after Philip had heard words from the mouth of Jesus, he could not stay still until he found Nathanael, who was most likely a friend of his, and told him that he had found the Messiah. And though Nathanael found it hard to believe that any good thing could come from Nazareth, Jesus’ home town, Philip still persuaded him to come and see things for himself. That was how he too became an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Cf. John 1:43-51)

Now was Philip already a preacher at that time? No! He probably did not even know at the time that he would end up being an apostle. But because he was convinced about who Jesus was and wanted his friend too to become His follower, he found him and led him to the Lord. If you too are convinced that the Lord is in our midst and that His word that is changing our lives can change the lives of your neighbours, friends, family members, colleagues at work or in school and so forth, you will lead them to experience what you are experiencing. They too, like Nathanael, may not believe at first that there is anything for them to gain from what you are telling them. But you also just need to act like Philip and tell them to give it a try. Yes, tell them to taste and see that the Lord is good (Ps 34:8).

Another duty of yours, if you know that you are truly being blessed through the word of God you are learning in our midst, is to share all good things with those teaching you. Paul says this to the Galatian brethren: “Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.” (Gal 6:6NIV) Did you see that? Sharing all kinds of good things with the one teaching you the word of God that is moving your life forward or making your life better is something you are commanded by God to do. It is not a suggestion. It is a command.

So, week after week, as you are blessed with the word of God in our meetings, you should think of what good thing to directly share with those God is using to minister to you. This, of course, is something you are to do on the basis of what you have and not on the basis of what you do not have (2Cor 8:12). And as you do it, in obedience to God’s instruction, you will definitely be rewarded by Him for doing so, not just in heaven but also here on earth. How He will reward you is not what I can say. But from what we are shown in Scriptures, His rewards for obedience to His instructions are always mind-blowing and beyond human expectations or imaginations.

For example, because a widow obeyed Him and fed Elijah with what she and her son should have taken as their last meal, God saw to it that food was always in her house throughout the three and a half years of famine that the nation of Israel experienced and that her son did not die untimely (1Kings 17). Also, because Mary, the sister of Lazarus, anointed Jesus with a jar of very expensive perfume, the Lord said that wherever the gospel is preached, her name and what she did would always be mentioned (Mark 14:3-8; John 12:1-8). And it has been so. So, if you too will take His instruction about taking care of those who feed you with His word seriously, you will not fail to receive your reward. My prayer is that your heart will be strengthened to walk in obedience in this matter and in every other matter where God requires your obedience, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Do have a very pleasant week.

Tags blessing, his word

Fire in my Bones

The Master is watching you | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date September 17, 2021
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fire in my bones

Date: September 15, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 18

“And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.” (Eph 6:9NIV)

One of the major issues we are confronted with in our country today is a high rate of unemployment. And it is so bad that many of our school graduates have no way of putting to use the education they have acquired. So, they often have to diversify into businesses or fields of work in which they may never be able to apply the education or training they spent several years and a lot of resources to obtain.

Unfortunately, most employers of labor are now taking advantage of this ugly situation to impoverish and cheat their workers. I mean that they use the situation of things in the country as their excuse for paying their workers less than they deserve or for not paying them when due or for threatening them as though they had nowhere else to go if they should be out of their employment. And it is sad to know that there are even people of God, who should know better, among those who act like this.

But what is the mind of God on how to treat our workers or anyone who does any kind of work for us? It is what we have in our opening bible text. There Paul speaks by the Spirit of God to employers of labor, who, at the time he wrote the letter, were masters of slaves, on how they are to treat their workers. And how are they to treat them? First, he says they are to treat them in the same way they expect their workers to treat them and their work.

Now how are their workers to treat them and their work? Paul says, “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.” (Eph 6:5-8NIV) Can you see that? Workers are to relate to their employers in obedience and with respect, fear, and sincerity of heart, just the way they would relate to the Lord Jesus.

In other words, the will of God is that all employees are to serve their employers wholeheartedly, whether they are watching them or not as if they were serving the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. In fact, in another letter, Paul says they are to keep in mind that it is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself they are serving (Col 3:23-24). This being the case, the Lord Himself will also personally reward them for the way they handle their work, that is, beyond whatever their employers give them. And this, I believe, should be an incentive for every child of God to take their work seriously. That is because it is not only your boss or employer or client that will appraise and reward you. The Lord Jesus Himself also will appraise you and reward you accordingly.

In like manner, as Paul tells us, employers also need to keep in mind that they also have a master over their heads. That is the Lord Jesus Christ, who He is currently watching and appraising them on how they treat their workers and will reward them accordingly. And since He does not play favorites, they can expect Him to deal with them justly. This is why they must treat their workers with respect and fairness in all things instead of cheating them or threatening them. Otherwise, they will simply be bringing themselves under God’s judgment, as James tells us in his own epistle (James 5:1-6).

So, if you have anyone working with you or for you, you must make up your mind to fulfill all your duties to them and not to cheat them, injure them, threaten them or make life hard for them. Remember that the Lord Jesus, our Master, is watching you and will reward you with justice, not just when you stand before His throne on the Day of Judgment but also right here in the world. Will you, then, want Him to treat you the way you have been treating your employees or laborers? I am sure you know the answer.

Tags employee, employers, watching

FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

May you not fail in your responsibilities | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date September 17, 2021
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Date: September 19, 2021 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 21

Beloved: grace, mercy, and peace be abundantly yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you to this new week and pray that you will not fail in any of the responsibilities God has entrusted to you in life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now, why is this prayer important for you and me? First, it is important because only God can open our eyes to see those things that are truly our responsibilities and also strengthen us to do them. Why do people act irresponsibly? For the most part, they act irresponsibly either because they do not know their responsibilities at all or because they lack the capability to fulfill them.

So, if we don’t want to fail in handling any of our responsibilities, we must make it our business to regularly pray to God to open our eyes to recognize everything we are responsible for in life. Also, we must continually pray to Him to equip us with everything we need to fully discharge our responsibilities to Him, to ourselves, to our families, to the church of God, and to our world, in accordance with every day’s need. Otherwise, there is no guarantee that we will not fail Him woefully in all or many areas of our lives.

Another reason this prayer is important is that God is only going to reward us for the responsibilities He has entrusted to us and not for those He has not entrusted to us. For example, though there may have been many children misbehaving in Israel in the days of Eli the Priest, God did not hold him responsible for the misbehavior of all of them. On the contrary, He only held him responsible for the misbehavior of His own children. (Cf. 1Sam 2&3)

In like manner, in the parable that the Lord told of a man that gave his servants money to work with, the man did not at all hold any of those servants responsible for sums of money that he did not give them. Instead, he only held them responsible for what he gave them. That is why he did not bother to find out what the servant that did nothing with the money he had given him was doing all the time he was away. Anything else he was doing, whether good or bad, during that period, was not his concern. His concern was for him to work and be profitable with the money he had given him. And since he was unprofitable with it, there was no reward for him – all he got was punishment. (Cf. Matt 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-29)

So, in rewarding us for whatever we do in this life, God’s primary focus will be on how we handle those things that are our responsibilities and not how we handle those things that are not our responsibilities. And if all those things we take seriously or are profitable in are those things that He has not entrusted to us as our responsibilities, He won’t be praising or exalting us because of them, regardless of how much we put into them. That, then, would mean that we have merely wasted ourselves on them. My prayer is that the Lord will always keep us from wasting ourselves on irrelevancies and non-essentials instead of devoting ourselves to learning what our responsibilities really are and carrying them out. Amen.

Do have a fabulous week.

Tags fail, responsibilities, your responsibilities

Fire in my Bones

Separate yourself from it | Pastor J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date September 11, 2021
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fire in my bones

Date: September 08, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 17

“When Jehoshaphat king of Judah returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem, Jehu the seer, the son of Hanani, went out to meet him and said to the king, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, the wrath of the LORD is upon you.”” (2Chron 19:1-3NIV)

Why was the wrath of the Lord upon king Jehoshaphat? It was because he joined a wicked man in acting against the will of God. As the story goes, Jehoshaphat once visited the king of Israel, Ahab, because the latter was his in-law. But Ahab, as the bible tells us, was a very wicked man. In fact, he was so wicked that the bible says of him, “There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the LORD drove out before Israel.” (1Kings 21:25-26NIV)

So, Ahab was not just a wicked man but also an idolater. This being the case, Jehoshaphat, being a true lover and worshipper of God, should not have allied himself to this man by marriage or in any other way at all. That is because there is no way you will be in alliance with a wicked person and not be unduly exposed to situations that will want to make you sin against God (Deut 7:3-4). But you know, most times, in politics, people care more about perceptions than realities. They care more about favouring public sentiments than doing what is right. And this, perhaps, was the reason Jehoshaphat ended up having Ahab as his in-law.

Therefore, on this occasion that he visited him, the man requested that he join him in going to battle against the people of Ramoth Gilead. And since there was an alliance between them, he accepted to go with him. But he also requested that they should consult God first to know whether they should go to that battle or not. And when they did, the man of God, Macaiah, made it clear to them that disaster was what they would meet, if they should go to that battle. But instead for them to listen to his voice, Ahab would not let them. So, they went against the will of God and Ahab met his death in the battle, just as the man of God had said. (Cf. 2Chro 18)

Now Jehoshaphat himself would have been killed in that battle, if God had not been merciful to him (2Chro 18:30-32). But what was he doing on that battle ground in the first place? Why would he go against what he knew to be the will of God in order to please people? He could have told Ahab that he would not go with him since God had shown them that disaster was looming. That, of course, may have affected their alliance. But he would not have been exposed to destruction, as he was, or come under the wrath of God.

What is the point of all this? It is that you should watch the kind of association you keep. Paul says, “Don’t be deceived. Bad company corrupts good character.” (Cf. 1Cor 15:33) That is to say that there is no way you will maintain friendship with an evil or wicked person and not be corrupted at some point and to some extent, regardless how much you love God. So, don’t get involved in any kind of association or friendship that has a potential to put pressure on you or entice you or manipulate or seduce you to do evil or act against the will of God. Otherwise, you will have fallen into some trap of death, immorality, idolatry or greed before you know what is happening to you. And if God’s mercy is not extended to you, that may just be what will destroy your life or faith permanently.

Then, if you are already in a friendship or association that is constantly making you go against what you know to be the will of God, you need to separate yourself from it while you still can. I am saying this because I want you to know that the reason you have not yet been destroyed or gotten into some big trouble because of this relationship is that God is being patient with you and merciful to you.

But as we know through Scriptures, His patience with sinners is not forever. At some point, if they will not repent, He will have to do the needful and judge them (Rev 2:20-23). And if you do not want to come under such judgment, you had better separate yourself right away from that wrong relationship or friendship. My prayer is that you will be filled with the wisdom, boldness and strength of mind you need to do so, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Tags separate, separate yourself from it

FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

The giver of justice | Pastor J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date September 11, 2021
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Date: September 12, 2021 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 19

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours immeasurably from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to another week of the month of September 2021. My prayer is that God will see to it in the week that you get justice in every area of your life where you are being cheated, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we know, the world we live in is one that is full of all kinds of injustice. And there is almost nowhere we are not confronted with one form of injustice or the other, starting from our various homes. This, of course, is destroying our society, for it makes room for wrong people to enjoy or control things that they are not qualified to control. And where this is the case, things can only be expected to fall apart.

So, if we don’t want our homes, communities, offices, schools, religious assemblies and society as a whole to continue to fall apart, we must begin to maintain justice in them. Yes, each of us must be determined to use our position or resources to establish justice wherever we are. In other words, we must see to it that it is what is right for people that we give to them and not what they are not qualified for or what they are overqualified for. We must also see to it that people are adequately and appropriately rewarded or punished for their acts, so that those around us may see our devotion to justice and begin to behave themselves.

Unfortunately, this, most times, is not the case with us. Most of the people that are in a position to give justice and establish it in our society are not devoted to doing so. And even when people complain, protest or go to a law court to get justice, they have no assurance that they are going to get it at all or get it on time. That is why many in our country, for example, have not risen in life beyond where they are. It is also why many others have become discouraged about practising righteousness and have started putting their hands in things they once condemned (Ecc 8:11).

Perhaps you too have already given up or are about to give up on righteous living because of the injustice you have suffered from men’s hands. That will simply amount to allowing evil to overcome you. But the bible says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Rom 12:21NIV) So, do not give up on righteousness because of the injustice in the world. Instead, continue to practise righteousness wherever you find yourself. Also, continue to pray to God to establish justice for you and every other person that is being cheated in the land, and He will answer your prayers.

The bible says, “Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the LORD that man gets justice.” (Prov 29:26NIV) Did you see that? The only person from whom we can get justice, true justice, in life is God. And if He does not give us justice, it does not matter how many powerful or influential people we meet or protest to for justice, we won’t have it. Is that to say that we should never meet people for justice? No! We are free to meet anyone that is in a position to ensure we have justice about any matter of life to do so. But we must never forget that unless God Himself moves and enables that person to give us justice, they may never give it to us.

So, in whatever area of your life that you feel cheated or robbed, the first person you should take your matter to is God. Once you do that, even if men would not give you justice, He will do what is right and just for you without delay. Remember that our Lord Jesus says, “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”” (Luke 18:7-8NIV) Did you see that? God will never put us off, if we seek His face for justice. But are we going to seek His face? Are you going to seek His face? I pray that our faith will be strengthened always to seek God for justice in every area of our lives where we need it, in Jesus’ name.

Have a great week.

Tags justice, lawal, the giver of justice

Fire in my Bones

End the culture of unfaithfulness | Pst J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date September 4, 2021
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fire in my bones

Date: September 01, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 16

“Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’”” (Luke 16:1-2NIV)
Why do we have such a high rate of unemployment in our country today? Is it basically because the successive governments we have had have been irresponsible for many years? Not exactly! Truly, our governments have failed mostly in providing the basic infrastructures that could aid the birth and growth of many businesses and organisations and, as such, reduce the rate of unemployment in the land. But these governments are not to blame for everything. Our own culture of unfaithfulness also has a lot to contribute to what we are now experiencing.

What is my point? It is that many of us cannot be trusted with anything that does not belong to us. We just do not have in us a heart that wants to faithfully handle whatever is entrusted to us. So, we are not fit for any kind of employment in which there is no well-established system to monitor us and also punish us accordingly for any kind of unfaithfulness. Otherwise, we are going to ruin any business or organisation we are employed to work in.

Just think of the number of businesses, organisations, companies, government institutions and so forth that used to be great in the country but that were wrecked through the unfaithfulness of their managers and employees. So, many who would have invested in our economy by building businesses or organisations that would employ many are afraid of doing so. Even government leaders are afraid of embarking on certain projects that would benefit the people. Why? It is because it is hard to find people who will faithfully manage or work in another person’s business and not ultimately ruin it.

So, today, if you want to start any business, people will tell you that if you are not going to be readily available to manage and nurture it yourself, you had better not start it. Otherwise, you will regret it. And this true to a very great degree. Even if it a house you want to build, and you do not plan to be there, those close to you will advise you not to try it. Why? It is because you will not likely find any contractor, even if the person is your own blood, that will manage the building faithfully and see to it that the correct items are used and that the correct thing is done.

You can now see why the rate of employment in our land is high. People who have money to invest in businesses or organisations or systems that will solve unemployment problems in many ways don’t want to do so. That is because they don’t want to lose their investment to the unfaithfulness of their would-be workers or employees. And unless we renew our minds along this line and begin to treat other people’s things faithfully, just as we would expect them to treat our things, many of us will never in this life find any real job that will make enough resources available to us.

Then, even if we find a good job for ourselves, as long as we are unfaithful in handling our duties in it, we are bound to lose it at some point. It is either we are sacked by our employers or sacked by the business or organisation itself after we have ruined it. As we see in our opening bible text, the only reason that rich man the Lord speaks about was going to sack his manager was his unfaithfulness in managing his business. And even he went on to act more unfaithfully in managing the business after he learnt that he would be sacked. So, he never had the good of his master’s business at heart; all he was concerned about was himself and his welfare. (Cf. Luke 16:3-8)

Now, of course, this man’s master commended him for being a smart person, one that knows how to get himself out of trouble. However, that did not change the fact that he was an unfaithful person that was not fit for any form of job or favour. And if we are like him, we too, as I pointed out before, are not fit for any kind of real employment. We are not even fit for any kind of financial favour to run our own business or organisation.

Why? It is because, as our Lord Jesus shows us, if we have not learnt to handle what is small in a faithful way, we cannot handle what is big in a faithful way. Also, if we have not shown ourselves as being able to handle what belongs to someone else faithfully and responsibly, only a foolish or reckless person will invest us. (Cf. Luke 16:10-12). Therefore, as I mentioned earlier, if we want to greatly reduce the rate of unemployment in our land, we all must begin to develop a culture of faithfulness. And we can start by handling whatever job or business we are doing for others or ourselves at the moment faithfully and diligently. Then God, who is the true rewarder of all faithfulness, will see to it that our faithfulness does not go unrewarded by opening doors of greater opportunities, resources and positions for us.

Tags culture of unfaithfulness, Fire in my bones, unfaithfulness

FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

Be patient with Him | Pst J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date September 4, 2021
No Comments on Be patient with Him | Pst J.O. Lawal

Pastor J.O. Lawal

Date: September 05, 2021 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 18

Beloved: grace and peace be multiplied to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you to a new week in the month of September 2021. My prayer is that you will keep experiencing God’s exaltation until you are fully established in His good purpose for your life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now one major way not to miss the full realization of God’s good purpose for our lives is to walk with Him with patience. As we see in Scriptures, the fact that God has a good purpose for someone does not mean that everything will be realized overnight. God, for instance, ordained David as king in place of Saul. But He did not put this young man on the throne the same day He ordained him. In fact, He did not put him on the throne until about thirteen years later.

Why, then, did God not put David on the throne the moment He ordained him as king? It was because he was not yet ripe for the position. Being a king comes with a lot of responsibilities and not just privileges. And if one is not wise and strong enough to handle those responsibilities, he would fail woefully. Also, if one does not have enough faithful, wise, competent and strong subjects that would help him establish and strengthen his kingdom, he would most likely be devoured by the wolves in that kingdom.

So, though God wanted David on the throne of Israel because he was a man after His heart, He still had to give him time to learn, prepare and strengthen himself for the position before putting him there. Otherwise, his reign would have ended even before it had any chance to start. And the accounts of the persecutions he suffered from the hands of Saul were enough proof for this.

In like manner, even though God has great plans for our lives and is committed to fulfilling all of them, He will not do anything that would end up destroying us or give us anything that we would not be able to manage or keep. Therefore, He may have to keep certain things from getting into our hands until we are adequately equipped to handle them, keep them and also not destroy ourselves with them. But if we are not patient, we may get angry with Him for not fulfilling His promises to us as we expect and throw away our confidence in Him. And doing that, of course, can only make us totally miss the fulfilment of His purpose for our lives.

Look at what He said to the children of Israel through Moses before He took them into the promised land: “The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you.” (Deut 7:22NIV) Did you see that? Even though God was going to drive out all the enemy nations before His people, so that they may occupy the land flowing with milk and honey that He had promised to give them, He did not intend to do so all at once. Why? Was it because He was not powerful enough to do so? No! Rather, it was because doing so would not be advantageous to them.

As His words clearly indicate, these Israelites were not numerous enough to occupy and manage the whole land at that time. So, even if everything was given to them all at once, it would not be long before wild animals multiplied against them and began to kill them off. And that would not be good at all. Therefore, in His wisdom, God decided that He would only eliminate their enemies little by little until they were numerous and strong enough to take over the whole land. And He still operates by the same principle. He still fulfils His purpose for His children little by little, based on their immediate ability to manage His provisions and exaltation. All they need is to be patient with Him and continue to do His will, knowing that He is utterly dependable and powerful enough to fulfil His purpose concerning them (1Thess 5:24; Heb 10:35-39).

So, if you are already feeling that God is not fulfilling His purpose in your life or is acting too slow, His Spirit is speaking to you now, saying, “Be patient and continue to do the will of God.” That is because He may just be waiting for you to become strong or wise enough to manage what He is bringing. And my prayer is that whatever is lacking in your faith, wisdom or strength to manage God’s provisions for you will be immediately and abundantly supplied, so that your experience of His exaltation and salvation will no longer be delayed. Amen.

Do have a wonderful week.

Tags pastor lawal, patience, patient

FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

He is concerned about the source too | Pst J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date August 29, 2021
No Comments on He is concerned about the source too | Pst J.O. Lawal

Date: August 29, 2021 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 17

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I welcome you to the last Sunday of the month of August 2021 and pray that the Lord will perfect all that concerns your affairs in the month, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Recently, I had a discussion with a young woman who was troubled about her family’s financial conditions and how things were not going well for them as they wanted. As she told me, she was so troubled about this matter that she, at some point, thought about becoming a ‘Yahoo girl’. But we know that the so-called ‘Yahoo boys’ and ‘Yahoo girls’ are nothing but fraudsters and thieves. Not only are they fraudsters and thieves, they are also sorcerers. In other words, many of them, if not all of them, have one thing or the other to do with demons in order to make money. And unless they repent, they are bound to perish even before their lives get started.

But why would that woman think of becoming a ‘Yahoo girl’? That was the question I asked her. I said, “You are a Christian and one who has a job. Why, then, would you think of doing that?” And her answer was a little surprising. It was surprising because, according to her, she has been seeing many ‘Yahoo guys’ in church meetings and observing the way they spend money in those meetings and also the way many so-called church leaders praise, adore and pray them. That made her feel oppressed and that she and her husband also needed to do something about their financial state.

Now thank God that though that dear young woman thought about getting involved in this evil thing, she was held back by the Spirit of God from doing so. But the point of the matter is that there are many in the church today who are involved in all kinds of illegal activities and who have remained comfortable among us because no one is rebuking or warning them. And regardless of how much they give to the church or how highly certain people sing their praises, their jobs and their gifts are detestable to God.

So, apart from the fact that they will not receive any reward from Him for what they are doing, they will also get punished by Him at the right time for the evils they are doing and also for being bold enough to think they could bribe God with wages of wickedness. Under the old covenant, God said to His people, “No Israelite man or woman is to become a shrine prostitute. You must not bring the earnings of a female prostitute or of a male prostitute into the house of the LORD your God to pay any vow, because the LORD your God detests them both.” (Deut 23:17-18NIV)

Did you see that? God is concerned about what we do for a living. He is concerned about the source of our income. And if what we are doing is something that He hates, we had better not bring Him any money or offering from it. That is because even if men do not know what we are up to, He knows what we are up to and will reward us accordingly. Mind you, we are not the only ones that will get punished for this nonsense; every church leader that is encouraging or supporting us to carry on in it will also get severely punished along with us.

Why did God eventually destroy Balaam the seer? It was because he loved the wages of wickedness. He was a man that would prophesy to anybody, pray for anyone or curse anyone, without first finding out what they are really up to, if you offered him enough money. So, God destroyed him, just as He is bound to destroy all these preachers that are walking in his footsteps, if they too waste time to repent. (Cf. Num 22-24 & 31:8)

So, always remember that even though God wants you to be generous to Him, He is also concerned about where the things you give Him are coming from. This is why you must not be involved in anything unclean or allow anyone to pressure you to do so (Eph 4:28). Otherwise, you will be wasting whatever you think you are giving to God or to His church, and your destruction won’t be sleeping.

Do have a great week.

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Fire in my Bones

Learn to get adequate good counsel | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date August 25, 2021
No Comments on Learn to get adequate good counsel | Pst. J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones

Date: August 25, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 15

“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Prov 15:22NIV)

Why was Solomon a great and mighty king? Was it because he was all-wise and all-knowing? No! Indeed, God, as we are told in the bible, blessed this man with wisdom, insight and a breadth of understanding that was as measureless as the sand on the seashore (1Kings 4:29). But that is not to say that he knew everything and needed nobody’s counsel or advice to succeed in life or as king. Only God knows everything and needs nobody’s counsel or advice to do anything (Isaiah 40:13-14).

But man is not God. Man is man, however wise or knowledgeable he may be. So, he is limited in many ways and will, from time to time, need the counsel and support of others to thrive in life or to escape from trouble. And one of the things that will show that he is wise and understanding is his recognition of the fact that he does not know or understand it all – he needs the wisdom, knowledge and understanding of others too to perfect his own. Otherwise, he is a fool, even if he or some other people think of him as wise.

So, Solomon, in his wisdom, says to us in our opening bible text, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” Have you ever failed at anything you were so sure you would succeed at? If you have, do you know why you failed? Well, even if you do not know why yet, Solomon is telling us here that one major reason people’s good plans or projects fail or fall apart is that they do not get adequate counsel or get counsel at all.

See, when we allow others to counsel us about what we want to do or about a problem we want to solve, whether through their direct words of mouth, books or audio or video recordings, we are able to see the loopholes, errors, impossibilities, possibilities or opportunities we are perhaps overlooking. And this enables us to make better informed decisions. But when we act like we know it all and do our thing, then, the surprises we get may end up being what will drive us to seek the counsel we ought to have sought before.

Therefore, before you make any major decision in your life, get counsel, adequate counsel. Meet or listen to as many people that are informed or highly experienced about the matter that you can listen to. But then, you must also understand that it is not every counsel that is good for you. Some counsel is bad and dangerous enough to destroy you. So, you need to be able to distinguish a wise and good counsel from a bad and destructive one.

Some people have all kinds of counsellors around them and that are ever ready to give them free counsel. But because they lack the wisdom of the Spirit to recognise what counsel will do them good and what counsel will destroy them, they are often embracing the wrong counsel and making life harder for themselves. And when they are done failing at something, they would say, “But I sought people’s counsel on this before I did it.”

Now what such people do not know is that success or salvation does not come just by taking counsel from people but also by taking the right counsel in its right amount from them. What was the difference between Solomon and his son, Rehoboam? It was the ability to distinguish a right counsel from a wrong and destructive one (1Kings 12). And if you want to possess and increase in this ability, give yourself to the word of God. That is because it can be trusted to make even a simple and naïve heart wise enough to distinguish what is good and profitable from what is bad and destructive (Ps 19:7).

At any rate, learn to seek and to take the right measure of counsel for every major step you are taking in life. That may just be the difference between success and failure for you or between salvation and destruction.

Tags counsel, Fire in my bones