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Fire in my Bones

Beware of covetousness | Pst J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: August 18, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 14

“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”” (Heb 13:5-6NKJV)

All through the Scriptures, we are warned not to allow covetousness in our lives. Why? First, it is because God has promised to never leave nor forsake us, regardless of the circumstances of our lives. And that being the case, there is nothing we need immediately or later that He will not make sure we have. So, there is no reason for us to be covetous. No, there is no reason for us to want to take for ourselves what belongs to others or to want to take for ourselves what we don’t need or to want to have anything for ourselves at any cost, even at the cost of our souls. God is enough for us and is always with us. And as long as we continue to trust in Him, we will never be put to shame.

The second reason we are warned not to be covetous is that covetousness, which is also the love of money or earthly riches, is a root of all kinds of evil (1Tim 6:10). In other words, once we are covetous, there is no telling how far we may be willing to go to have what we want.

For example, even though David was a man after God’s own heart, the moment he coveted Batsheba, Uriah’s wife, he opened the door of his life for all kinds of evil to come in. First, it was adultery that came in. Later, manipulation and deceit came in – he wanted to trick Uriah into accepting a pregnancy that was not his. Finally, murder crept in. David killed this good and honourable man to cover up his sins and to also take for himself a woman that was never meant to be his. And by so doing, he opened the door of his household for satanic afflictions. (Cf. 2Sam 11-20)

What about King Ahab? Why did God make a pronouncement of disaster on him and his entire household? Was it not because of the sin of covetousness? He coveted the inheritance of another man, Naboth. He coveted something that was never meant to be his. Yes, he had a logical reason for wanting it and was even willing to pay the man any amount his inheritance was worth or give him something better. But the man was not going to give away his inheritance for anything, for it was meant to be passed on to generations of his children after him.

Now, instead for Ahab to let the matter go, he gave in to depression, which his wife used as an excuse to orchestrate the murder of Naboth and the taking over of his inheritance. And did God sit still and allow the matter to die like that? No! He did not. On the contrary, He stepped in and sent His prophet, Elijah, to judge the wickedness of this evil king and his wife. (Cf. 1Kings 21)

In like manner, He will not sit still and allow us to continue to harass, cheat, molest or destroy others through our greed or covetousness. At some point, He will step in and judge our love of money, position, fame or any of these earthly things that is driving us crazy and making us to do all kinds of evil things. So, watch your life and make sure it is free of covetousness.

And maybe you are asking, “But how do I know if I am being covetous?” Well, you will know once you see that you are willing to do just about anything to have something, even if it is something legitimate. In other words, if you are willing to make your hands dirty just to have anything in this life, even if that thing is your right, you are covetous. And you should humble yourself before God right away and allow Him to cleanse you of this evil. Otherwise, it won’t be long before it destroys you and perhaps other good people and things in your life as well.

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 knows how to save them | Pst. J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: August 11, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 13

“And God also destroyed the evil cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them until they were ashes. He made those cities an example of what will happen to those who are against God. But he saved Lot from those cities. Lot, a good man, was troubled because of the filthy lives of evil people. (Lot was a good man, but because he lived with evil people every day, his good heart was hurt by the evil things he saw and heard.) So the Lord knows how to save those who serve him when troubles come. He will hold evil people and punish them, while waiting for the Judgment Day.” (2Peter 2:6-9NCV)

Those are apostle Peter’s words to us. And he says them to encourage us to keep walking in righteousness, regardless of how corrupt or wicked those around us are or become. As he points out, it is not just on the day of eternal judgment that the wicked will be punished. Even right here in the world, God will not allow them to go unpunished for their wickedness, if they will not repent. It is only that it is not every time that people can relate the judgment God is bringing on them in this world to their wicked acts.

There are times, however, in which God punishes people in such a way that everyone is able to tell that He is the one punishing them for their sins. For instance, as Peter equally reminds us in our opening bible text, there was a time God had to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them until they became nothing but ashes. Why? It was because of their wickedness and filthy lives. They were so immoral and unreasonable that their men (old and young) even thought of molesting the angels that came into their cities to assess the level of their wickedness. (Cf. Gen 19:1-5)

That, by the way, is something we should keep in mind. God, from time to time, sends His angels to assess and experience firsthand what is going on in our lives, homes, communities, cities and even countries. In fact, this is one of the reasons we are told in the Scriptures to be hospitable and kind to all people, including strangers, for we cannot tell when we will be interacting with God’s angels. What report or testimony, then, will they bring before God concerning us? And what will their testimony about us make God do to us? Will it make Him elevate us or make Him demote or destroy us? (Cf. Heb 13:2)

Two angels were sent by Him to Sodom and Gomorrah to see whether the degree of their wickedness was as outrageous as the outcry against them suggested. Also, they were sent to see if there would be enough righteous people, even if they were only ten, in these cities to make God change His mind about them and give them another chance. So, the fate of these people was resting to a great extent on the assessment of these angels. Yet, that very night that they chose to sleep in the city, the men there were bent on sexually molesting them. And they would have succeeded, if they had just been ordinary men and not angels. (Cf. Gen 18:20-23)

Now what more evidence did these angels need to conclude that these two cities must be destroyed? None! So, they carried out God’s sentence on them and destroyed everybody and everything there. However, that same day, Lot and his wife and two daughters were shown favour and led out safely. Yes, Lot’s wife eventually perished on the way. But it was not because she was a partaker of the sins of the people of those cities but because she disobeyed an angelic instruction. (Cf. Gen 19:12-26)

What is the point of all this? It is that God knows how save those whose hearts are devoted to pleasing Him when He is punishing the wicked for their sins. Why were Lot and his daughters saved on the day that Sodom and Gomorrah were judged? It was because God was merciful to them. And why was He merciful to them? It was because, though they daily saw the wickedness being done in those cities and had their hearts tormented by it, they would not partake in it, encourage it or sponsor it. And they proved their innocence in all these things by welcoming the angels sent by God and bringing them into their house for comfort and safety, when no one else would take notice of them.

In like manner, we too can expect to enjoy God’s favour and mercy anytime He brings judgment on the wicked in our world, if we will not partake in their wickedness or encourage or sponsor it. So, if your heart is already fainting because of the horror of wickedness around you, remember these things and strengthen yourself in the Lord. And someday, you will be glad that you remain steadfast in righteousness, when you are made to witness the judgment of the wicked around you from a place of safety.

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 judgment of deceit | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Date: August 15, 2021 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 15

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be multiplied to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you into another week of the month of August 2021. My prayer is that your heart will always be strengthened by the Spirit of God to walk in love and sincerity with all the people of God in your life, so that you won’t expose yourself to God’s judgment instead of enjoying the fullness of the joy of Christian fellowship. Amen.

The bible says, “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” (Col 3:9-10NIV) Did you see that? Lying, deception or deceit is an offspring of the nature of death that God removed from us, when we got born again. So, we must not allow it in our lives or in our dealings with one another. Otherwise, we may expose ourselves to God’s judgment. And who knows how He is going to judge? Nobody!

For example, if Ananias and his wife Sapphira had thought God could judge them with death for acting in deception towards the people of God, they most likely would not have acted the way they did. But because they had no idea that He could do so, they lied about their giving and were immediately and seriously punished for it. Both of them were judged and killed by God the same day. (Cf. Acts 5:1-11)

Now someone may say, “But many of God’s people still act in deception every now and then. Yet they don’t get killed by Him each time they do so. How come Ananias and his wife’s case was treated differently by Him?” Well, first, we need to understand that the fact that people are not judged immediately with death by God for acting in deceit or for doing any wrong thing does not mean they are not being judged at all. There are different ways He judges people. And if they are not sensitive to His things, they may never know they are being judged.

Second, we need to understand that it was not that God was treating Ananias and his wife differently. Rather, He was merely using them as scapegoats to warn others that may want to follow in their steps. And I pray that you won’t ever take any step that will make God use you as an example of how He judges wickedness, in Jesus’ name. Amen. But why did God have to use Ananias and Sapphira as scapegoats for others to learn from? It was because they tried to introduce deceit into His church. And we too should watch what we introduce into God’s church, for He is watching us and will reward us accordingly.

At any rate, as bible accounts show us, what happened to Ananias and his wife happened at a time that the love of Christ was truly reigning in the lives of all the brethren and over their affairs. This love so much dominated their lives that those who had properties among them were selling them off and bringing the money they made from their sales to the apostles to distribute to others who had need. And that, in fact, was what eradicated poverty among them, for the bible says, “There were no needy persons among them at that time.” (Cf. Acts 4:32-35)

So, all the brethren at this time, whatever their number was, were truthful and loving towards one another. And God wanted it that way, for that was what would show the world that they were true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, during that same period, Satan somehow succeeded in getting Ananias and his wife to start thinking and acting differently. How long they carried on like this we would not know. But we do know that, at some point, they too, like some other brethren, pledged to sell a property of theirs and bring the money to the church. And they did. 

However, they were not willing to bring all the money they made from the sales of the land to the church. So, they kept a part of it for themselves. Was that a problem? No! The money was theirs in the first place, as Peter would later tell them. So, they had the right to choose how they used it. But to try to deceive other people of God, who loved them and cared about them, and give them the impression that they were giving more than they were actually giving was unacceptable to God. That was why He judged their deceit, giving others like them an opportunity to learn and change their ways.

In like manner, if we too will not walk in love and sincerity with our brethren, whether in the use of our resources or spiritual gifts or in other matters, we may just be exposing ourselves to God’s judgment, which could be as terrible as physical death. Therefore, let us allow the word of God to cleanse us of all forms of insincerity and hypocrisy while we still can. And may the Spirit of God enable you and me to do what is right in this matter, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Do have a 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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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

How to become an enemy of God | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Since God our Father is a finisher of everything He sets his hands on to do, we too, as His children, must cultivate the culture of finishing every good thing we lay our hands on to do

Date: August 08, 2021 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 14

Beloved: welcome to the second week of the month of August 2021. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you both now and forevermore. Amen.

As we begin this new week, I want to exhort you with the words of Apostle Paul that say, “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Gal 1:10NIV) Now does this mean that it is totally wrong to gain people’s approval or to please them? No! On the contrary, it is important that we learn to please people, especially those in our lives. That is because it will promote love, peace and unity in our relationship with them.

And what does God want among men? He wants love, peace and unity among them. So, when we work to please people and accomplish these things, He is pleased. And anyone who will not study and work towards pleasing men in this manner will unlikely give himself to the discipline that pleasing God requires.

However, we need to be careful that we do not displease God while we are trying to please men. And that is the point that Paul is setting before us in that bible text. He wants us to know that while it is true that God wants us to labour to please men, so that our dealings with them may be smooth and peaceful, He does not want us to do this at the expense of our relationship with Him.

What does this mean? Well, it means that God is the one that must define for us how we please people. Yes, people may desire that we act in certain ways in order for them to be pleased or happy with us. But they are not our creator, neither are they the ones that will judge and reward us for the things we do in this life, whether good or evil. So, while it is alright for them to desire that we please them in one way or the other, we must only do what they want if it pleases God. If what they want does not please Him or is not in agreement with His will, we must refuse to do it for them or give it to them.

Will this make them happy? Will doing things that displease people make them happy? No! But as children that are responsible to God, our most important goal in life is to please Him and make Him happy and not to please men and make them happy (2Cor 5:9). Yes, in most cases, when we please God and make Him happy, people will be pleased and made happy too. But there are times that pleasing Him will set us against men. And that will be because of their hatred for His righteousness and truth (John 3:19-21).

Nevertheless, even if in pleasing God, we find ourselves at variance with men, we should not lose heart or feel bad. That is because it is far better to be an enemy of men and suffer their temporary rejection, abuse or persecution than to be an enemy of God and be forever lost. If you have men as your enemies, God is able to save you from their hands. But if you have God as your eternal enemy, who is going to save you from His hand? Nobody!

James says, “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” (James 4:4-5NIV) Did you see that? If, for any reason, whether it is fear, money, pleasure, position or a desire for men’s reward, you choose to be a friend of the world, you automatically become an enemy of God. And the consequences of that will never be good or enjoyable for you, whether in this life or in the one to come.

Remember Pilate. Why did he release a criminal to go and continue his life of sin but condemn an innocent man to death? It was because he wanted to please men (Mark 15:15). So, he became an enemy of God and of truth and justice just because he wanted to satisfy men. I wonder what he would say to Him on the day of judgment, if he did not receive salvation through faith in Christ Jesus before his death. And I wonder what you too will say to Him on the day He visits you, if you should allow yourself to become His enemy just to remain friends with adulterers, prostitutes, thieves, swindlers, sorcerers or any other kind of wicked person. Well, my prayer is that nothing will succeed in setting you against Him, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Do have a great week.

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

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Fire in my Bones

Where does it lead? | Pst. J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: August 04, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 12

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” (Prov 16:25NIV)

When the prodigal son first came to his father to ask for his own share of the man’s property, he felt he was doing the right thing. Yes, he felt that running his own life and affairs without the guidance or control of his father was the right way for him to become the kind of great man he had always dreamt of becoming. So, he asked for his independence and got it. And before long, he was on his way out of his father’s house to some foreign land, where he would be the lord and master of his own life. (Cf. Luke 15:11-13)

But some years later, it became all clear to him that what he thought was a good and wise decision was nothing but a bad and foolish one. The way he thought would lead to a great experience of liberty did not lead to it at all. Instead, it led to an experience of poverty, hunger and shame. And if he had not humbled himself and accepted the reality about the inability of the way he chose to lead him to a life of prosperity and rest and gone back home, he would have perished in that way. (Cf. Luke 15:13-24)

Therefore, that a way of doing things seems right or popular to us does not mean it will lead us to our desired haven. If that way does not agree with the will of God for our lives, it can only lead us to an experience of defeat, confusion, shame, poverty, illness or death. And that is the point Solomon is communicating to us in our opening bible text, saying, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”

But how do we know what way is right and what way is wrong? How do we know that this way we are taking to gain riches, fame, power, health, affluence or pleasure is right or wrong for us to take? For some people, if a way feels right for them to take, then, it must be right. So, they will take it. And for some others, if they can see a sizeable number of people taking a particular way to getting what they want, then, it must be the right way to take.

That, of course, explains why, for example, we now have many young and even old people getting involved in internet fraud, which is popularly known as ‘Yahoo’, as a way to becoming rich in life. It is also the explanation for the involvement of many in prostitution, money rituals, drug trafficking and other terrible things people now do as a way to come out of poverty and become rich, powerful or famous.

But, first, we need to know that that something feels right does not mean it is right. As we are told in the bible, in the day when there were no kings in Israel, everyone did what seemed right in his sight. That means these people did not set out to do evil or what was bad. They had a mind to do what was right or what looked right to them. But because most of the things that looked right to them were actually wrong, they ended up experiencing confusion, chaos, insecurity, death of all kinds and even a civil war that almost extinguish a whole tribe. (Cf. Judges 17-21)

So, our feeling or conscience is never the true judge of the right or wrong way to take in life. God is the true judge of these things. And if we want to know whether a way is right for us to take or not, we should consider what He is saying to us about it in His word. That will be our wisdom and salvation from dangerous and destructive paths. (Cf. 1Cor 4:4)

Also, that many people are taking a particular way to have safety, prosperity, good health, a great position in life or a home does not mean it is right. The bible says do not follow a multitude to do evil (Ex 23:2). And that is because God is not going to spare people who do evil just because they are many. He did not spare the people of Noah’s day that were sinning because they were many; instead, he spared the family of Noah, who were just eight in number. And He did not spare the multitudes that were sinning in Sodom and Gomorrah on the day that He rained down fire on them. Instead, it was Lot and his daughters that were spared – only three people. In fact, Lot’s wife did not make it out alive. (Cf. Gen 7&19)

Therefore, if you follow the way of witchcraft, sorcery, theft, prostitution, adultery, murder, drunkenness, kidnapping or any other evil way men may follow in order to solve your financial, health, marital, academic or political problems, just because many people are following it, the same fate that awaits them awaits you, even if you are a child of God. That fate is destruction. And it may not look like you will get destroyed today, tomorrow or even in ten years’ time. But you can be sure that any way you follow that is inconsistent with the will of God will not lead to life but pains, sorrow, shame or death for you.

All of this is why you should take God’s word about every matter of life seriously, for only His word leads to a sure experience of life in this world and throughout eternity (John 12:50).

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

Run away from sexual sins | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Date: August 01, 2021
Series: From Pastor’s Desk
Number: Vol. 10, No. 13

Beloved: Grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am pleased to welcome you to the eighth month of the year, the month of August. I pray that your life will be organised to experience the fullness of the blessings of God in the month, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we begin this new month, let me remind you of the words of Apostle Paul that say, “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (1Cor 6:18-20NIV) What is our charge here? It is that we are to flee from sexual immorality. And what does it mean to flee from something? It means to run away from it.

So, when Paul tells us to flee from sexual immorality, he means that we are to run away from it. For example, when Potiphar’s wife began to make sexual advances towards Joseph, he started avoiding her. The bible says, “And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.” (Gen 39:10NIV) Did you see that? Though that woman made it her business to seduce Joseph everyday, he would not listen to her or even spend time with her. I am sure if he were not a slave but just an employee of Potiphar, he may have totally resigned from work. But because he could not resign and had to deal with that woman everyday, he also made it his business to avoid her.

Finally, a day came when all the other household servants were not in. And that day the woman grabbed his coat and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his coat in her hand and ran out of the house. Why did he run? It was because he would have fallen into the sin of sexual immorality, if he had not done so. See, sexual sins are sins of emotions. So, you cannot tell at what point you will give in, if you keep hanging around someone that is continually tempting you with them. That is why we are commanded to run away from it. Otherwise, we would have fallen into it before we know what is happening.

But why are we commanded to run away from sexual sins? Why are we commanded to stay away from something that feels good and seems good? It is because it defiles and destroys our bodies, which are God’s temple. As Paul points out in that text, our bodies do not belong to us but to God who paid the price for our redemption. And it is because they belong to Him that He now lives in them by His Holy Spirit. So, we are not the only ones occupying these bodies; the Spirit of God is also living in them with us. This is why we must not defile or abuse them in any way. Otherwise, we may end up being destroyed, for Paul further tells us that if anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person (1Cor 3:16-17).

Now we must understand that it is not sex we are told to run away from but sexual immorality. So, sex is not the problem; its abuse or misuse is the problem. Sexual passions, just like hunger and thirst, were given to us by God Himself as a gift for expressing love. But we are only allowed to express these things in a marriage relationship. So, if you are not married, you are wrong to be involved in any form of sexual activity, whether between man and woman, man and man, woman and woman, man and animal or woman and animal. It is even wrong for you to be involved in sex with yourself, which is popularly referred to as masturbation.

Look, you will be polluting your body, if you are involved in any of these things. And as I already pointed out to you, your body does not belong to you but to God. So, any time you pollute it, you expose yourself to destruction. What form this destruction will take or when it will come is what I cannot tell you. It may be the destruction of your future home or the destruction of God’s plan to exalt you or the destruction of your body by some deadly disease. But it will certainly come, if you fail to repent when you have the chance to do so.

So, run away from anyone or anything that could drag you into sexual sin. And don’t allow any of the lies that ungodly people, especially our film makers, are propagating about sex to lead you to self-destruction. The will of God is for you to control yourself and stay away from sexual immorality (1Thess 4:3-6). So, nothing is wrong with you, if you abstain from sexual immorality and stay pure. And may the Lord continue to strengthen your heart to do so, irrespective of how immoral those around are, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Do have a fabulous August 2021.

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

Be careful mighty man | Pst J.O Lawal.

Date: July 28, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 11

“This is what the Lord, the LORD Almighty, says: “Go, say to this steward, to Shebna, who is in charge of the palace: What are you doing here and who gave you permission to cut out a grave for yourself here, hewing your grave on the height and chiseling your resting place in the rock?” Beware, the LORD is about to take firm hold of you and hurl you away, O you mighty man. He will roll you up tightly like a ball and throw you into a large country. There you will die and there your splendid chariots will remain — you disgrace to your master’s house! I will depose you from your office, and you will be ousted from your position.” (Isa 22:15-19NIV)

Daniel, once, having received a revelation from God about what the future holds for the kingdoms of men, said these words: “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever, wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others…” (Dan 2:20-21NIV) Did you see that? Wisdom and power belong to God. So, regardless of how wise you may think you are, the owner of wisdom is God. And if you will not acknowledge this, humble yourself before Him and use whatever measure of wisdom He has blessed you with to do His will, He will someday deal with you and frustrate your so-called wisdom. This is why we have had wise people that lived and died without leaving any significant mark on the world of their time or accomplishing their lofty dreams.

Also, regardless of how powerful you may be, regardless of what position of power you may be occupying in life, never forget that God is the owner of power. So, if He had not permitted you to be in that position you are now occupying, you could not have been there. And if you will not acknowledge this and use your position to make life better for others, He is able to remove you from your secure position and put someone else there.

Now Daniel witnessed this in his day. First, he saw how that mighty emperor, Nebuchadnezzar, was driven away from his throne by God because of his pride. This man ran mad and lived as an animal among animals for some years. And if God had not been merciful to him, forgiven him and restored him, he would have perished as an animal. (Cf. Dan 4)

In addition, Daniel saw how this man’s son that became king after him, Belshazzar, was judged by God as unfit for the position he was occupying and taken away in death the very night he was judged. But this man had been forewarned about the looming disaster. Why did he do nothing about it? Procrastination, most likely! Appararently, this man had no idea that the judgment God had announced was coming on him the very night of the day Daniel warned him. He probably thought he had more time to fix things. Unfortunately, he died that same night and lost his position to another, just the way God had said. (Cf. Dan 5)

Furthermore, as we see in our opening bible text, God told Shebna, the palace administrator during the reign of King Hezekiah, that He was going to judge him, break his power and send him far away to a strange land to die there. Exactly what this man did to merit this kind of judgment we are not told. But it is evident from the context of the text that he had been abusing his power and acting in arrogance, thinking he was some mighty man. In fact, he had even prepared an expensive tomb for himself in some choice place, as though he were in charge of his own future. But God, speaking through His prophet, Isaiah, said that He would uproot him from his position of power, throw him away like a ball and replace him with a better man. (Cf. Isaiah 22:15-24)

So, regardless of how mighty you think you are now, be careful. Yes, watch how you use that might or power that you have. That is because God, the owner of all might, power and dominion, is watching your every move. And if you are already failing Him, He may, at some point, have to show you that He has the power to uproot from your secure position and throw you away to a place where you may remain useless or irrelevant for the rest of your earthly life. How soon can He do this? It can be as soon as now. So, waste no time to repent of every abuse of your position or power. That may just be the difference between elevation and disgrace for 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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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

Why you may miss the supernatural | Pst. J.O. Lawal

from pastor's desk

Date: July 25, 2021 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk
| Number: Vol. 10, No. 12

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours forevermore from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Saviour. It is with great delight that I welcome you to the last week of the month of July 2021. And I pray that God will keep the eyes of your spirit illuminated to always distinguish what is spiritual from what is natural, so that you will never again miss His provisions for your peace and exaltation. Amen.

One of the reasons many of God’s people today often miss His provisions for their peace and prosperity is the erroneous belief that the spiritual always has to be spectacular or grand. But the spiritual isn’t always spectacular or impressive. I mean that it is not every time that God’s healing, deliverance, transformation or exaltation comes in an amazing way. And if we do not understand this, we are likely to miss or even reject what He has sent to us because it does not appear to us in a spectacular way.

For example, after Jacob had left his father’s house for Haran, he decided to pass the night in a certain place that offered him little or no comfort. All he could get in the place was a stone that he used in place of a pillow. But right in that same place, he dreamt of God, of His angels and of heaven. He even received a word of blessing from God’s mouth in that dream. And when he woke up, he was terrified and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it…How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” (Gen 28:16-17NIV)

So, God can be very much present in a place, and we may not know it, if our eyes are not opened to see Him. And you know that God is always actively present in all the meetings of His people, for Jesus has said to us, “Where two or three of you come together in my name, there am I in their midst.” But how many of us always take this very seriously, so that we may take advantage of it? How many of us always function with the consciousness that when we come together with other people of God, the Lord is there with us, watching everything we are doing and ready to reward our faith in Him or punish our misbehaviour? (Cf. Matt 18:20; Acts 5:1-11)

A lack of understanding of these things is the reason many attend church meetings week after week and do not experience the miraculous in any tangible way. It is also the reason many go from prayer mountains to prayer mountains and from prophets to prophets, seeking miracles that are not lost. To say the fact, the miracles many are running up and down to find could have easily taken place in their local Christian assembly, if they had taken the presence of God in their meetings very seriously.

See, you can be in a meeting that is so full of the power of God and not know it or experience it, simply because your mind is spiritually dull of understanding. Paul says this to us: “When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present…” (1Cor 5:4NIV) Did you see that? Anytime we are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus, His power is present with us to save, heal, deliver, exalt and even judge evil. And all we need is to recognise this, even though we cannot see it or feel it, and take advantage of it to change our situations for the better.

But when our minds are dull of spiritual understanding, we will be looking for the wrong things in our meetings. We may be looking for some great music, thinking that is where the power lies. Or we may be looking for someone that will scream the word of God into our heads or someone that will spice us up with some sweet words to pray or someone that will do something that will make us shake or have goose pimples. And when we don’t see these things, we may conclude that God is not active in those meetings, if He is there at all.

Now that is a sure way to miss God’s power and provisions for us. While nothing is wrong with having great music, great preaching or loud praying in believers’ meetings, it is not these things that make God’s power or blessings available to people. Rather, it is God Himself. Yes, it is His presence in our lives or our meetings that makes His power available for our enjoyment. Therefore, if, instead of putting our faith to experience the miraculous in Him, we put it in some spectacular performance from people, we will not experience His power that we are seeking to experience. It is as simple as that.

All of this is why we must continually pray that God will keep our hearts right, so that they will not be led astray by the spectacular and miss the supernatural. And may He grant this request in your case, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a 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

Know who you take things from | Pst J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: July 21, 2021                | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 10

“Do not eat the food of a stingy man, do not crave his delicacies; for he is the kind of man who is always thinking about the cost.  “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. You will vomit up the little you have eaten and will have wasted your compliments.” (Prov 23:6-8NIV)

From what we see in the bible, love must be the motivation for anything we do in life (1Cor 16:14). Therefore, anything that is not based on love will be rejected by God as useless, regardless of how grand it may be in the sight of men. And since that is how it is with God, since He will not accept from our hands anything that is not based on love, we too must study not to accept from people anything that is not based on love.

The point I am making is that it is not every gift or act of kindness from people that we can accept or must accept. It is true that love does not just give but also receives. But it is not every gift that people give or everything that looks like an act of kindness or generosity from them that is borne out of love. And it will be wisdom for us to be able to tell when what someone is trying to give to us or do for us is not being motivated by love, so that we may reject it. Otherwise, someday, we may have to pay a very costly price for something that we thought was free.

For example, in our opening bible text, we are warned not to eat the food or delicacies of anyone that we know as stingy. Why? It is because stingy people always think more about the cost of what they want to give out than their relationships with those they want to give to. So, their giving is hardly motivated by love but by necessity. This being the case, you cannot trust them to give you anything of quality. And even if they should give you something of quality, it will certainly come with a price.

Now, of course, once you receive the gift or help of a stingy person, you will have to say ‘Thank you’ to them. But as Solomon further tells us in that bible text, soon enough, you will realise that you have wasted your compliments or thanksgiving. Why? It will either be because what they have given you or done for you is utterly worthless or that the price you have to pay in order to use or enjoy it is even greater than thing itself. Then you end up blaming yourself for receiving their gifts or allowing them to help you.

Therefore, if you don’t want to be wasting your compliments on anybody, if you don’t want some so-called gift or help done for you by some person to eventually become a terrible burden for you, know who you receive things from and what you receive from them. Some people are not stingy but arrogant. These ones like to boast, even to the point of exaggeration, about what they do for others. So, you can always expect them to take more credit for whatever they do for you or give to you than they deserve. And if care is not taken, at some point, they may start making everybody believe that they made you. So, regardless of how needy you may be, mark them and do your best to stay away from their help or gifts. Or someday you may regret ever receiving anything from them. (Cf. Gen 14:21-24)

Then some others only give to others and do things for them for the sole purpose of being able to use them at some point or trap them. That means their help or gift is either a bribe or a trap and not a love sacrifice (1Sam 18:20-21). You equally must do your best to stay away from their help or gifts, even if you are in serious need of what they are offering. Otherwise, whatever you receive from them may end up leading to your fall or enslavement. And may God fill your heart continually with wisdom to know what sort of help or gift is not good or appropriate for you to accept, 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

Recognize, embrace and bless them | Pst. J O. Lawal

Since God our Father is a finisher of everything He sets his hands on to do, we too, as His children, must cultivate the culture of finishing every good thing we lay our hands on to do

Date: July 18, 2021 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 11

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours forevermore from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you to another week of the month of July 2021. I pray that the Spirit of God will keep your heart right, so that you will never miss His visitation in your life through your rejection or poor treatment of the people He has appointed for your elevation, prosperity and peace of mind. Amen.

As we see in the bible, God has wonderful plans for all His children. In fact, Paul tells us that God’s plans for us are so great and wonderful that our minds cannot fathom or handle them. So, it will take His Spirit to make them known to us and guide us into a full enjoyment of them. (Cf. 1Cor 2:9-12) However, the Spirit of God does not always work alone in accomplishing God’s purpose in the lives of men. Many times, He uses others that He has trained, gifted and built up in certain ways to bring about what God wants in their lives. And unless they recognize, accept and treat well those He has raised up in this manner for the fulfilment of His wonderful plans in their lives, they may never experience a realization of what He has planned for them in life.

For example, our Lord Jesus was sent by God to first seek out the lost sheep of Israel before He would go to the rest of the world with His free gift of salvation (Matt 10:5-6 & 15:24). That was why they were the first to hear His messages of grace and to benefit from His anointing to heal, deliver and restore. But did they accept and relate to Him well? No! Instead, as a nation, they rejected, abused, persecuted and eventually killed him. (Cf. John 1:10-13)

Now what about His own people, those of His hometown, where had been brought up? Did they accept Him, even if it was out of tribal sentiments? No! On the contrary, what He experienced among them was even worse than what He experienced in other places. Look at what Mark says about this: “He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith…” (Mark 6:5-6NIV) Did you see that? These people’s unbelief shocked the Lord to the bones. So, though He was anointed of God to bless them in many significant ways, He could not.

In any case, towards the end of His ministry among the people of His country, He wept for their capital city, Jerusalem, and said these thought-provoking words: “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace — but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”” (Luke 19:42-44NIV) Also, He said, “”O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'”” (Matt 23:37-39NIV)

Look at that. Those people had been praying and waiting, all along, for God to come and save them. But when He sent the Saviour they needed to them, they did not receive Him. Why? It was because they did not recognise Him as their Saviour. So, He told them that their house would remain desolate until they recognised, welcomed and blessed Him as the Saviour sent to them by God.

In like manner, until we too recognise, accept and bless those God has sent by His Spirit to guide, build up, heal or exalt us, our lives will remain stagnant and desolate in many ways. That is why one key prayer we must continually offer for ourselves is that the people and things God has provided or sent for our lives to be what they ought to be will not be hidden from us. So, again, my prayer for you, as you continue your journey in this life, is that your heart will be set right to recognise and embrace appropriately the people and things God has provided for your life to be what it ought to be, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Do have a great week.

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