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Fire in my Bones

Share your prosperity as well – July 14, 2021

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Series: Youth for Jesus Number: Vol. 4, No. 9

“When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends, saying, “Here is a present for you from the plunder of the LORD’s enemies.” He sent it to those who were in Bethel, Ramoth Negev and Jattir; to those in Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa and Racal; to those in the towns of the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites; to those in Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athach and Hebron; and to those in all the other places where David and his men had roamed.” (1Sam 30:26-31NIV)

As we see in Scriptures, God’s people must learn to bear one another’s burdens. In other words, they must learn to be there for one another in their moments of trials or pains. That is because it is one of the things that show that we see ourselves as members of the same body of Christ and also love one another. (Cf. Gal 6:2; Phil 2:1-4)

To say the fact, there have been people that left the fellowship of the brethren because they were abandoned or ignored in their moments of need. And even now, there are people who are no longer taking their fellowship with other people of God seriously because they have been offended along this line. Certain trials of life came upon them, and they expected the people of God in their lives to show concern, even if they could not help. But no one was there for them. Everybody was just busy with their own thing.

So, with time, those people began to see their devotion to Christian fellowship as a waste of time and to seek fellowship elsewhere, where they would be loved, wanted and cherished. And this, in fact, is the reason some people joined some secret cults or help societies. They wanted in their lives and around them people who would not leave or forsake them in their hour of need. While, of course, it is only God can play that role in our lives, it is people that He often uses to do so. And when His own people that are supposed to be readily available to be used by Him to comfort one another in this sense will not make themselves available, others that have inferior things or nothing at all to offer are bound to fill in the gap.   

Therefore, wherever we are, as children of God, we must not get so carried away by our lives’ affairs that we forget to care for other children of God in our lives. We must not be like Cain, whose mantra is ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ We are our brethren’s keepers. And we must take this very seriously, for God will hold us accountable someday for the roles we play or fail to play for their fall, shame or destruction, if any of this should happen to them.

But then, it is important to also note that it is not only our burdens that we should want people to share with us or bear for us but also our prosperity and increase. See, one of the reasons some people of God no longer give themselves to supporting others in their moments of need in any serious way is that they have experienced diverse manifestations of ingratitude from those have helped or supported in the past. You too may know one or two people that you supported at some point in their lives but who, when things began to go well for them, would not let you know about their progress or totally severed their relationship with you. And it is people like such that often kill in us the desire to help or support others.

It is true that God’s children are not to help others or support them because they want their praise or gratitude. Otherwise, they would not have the praise and reward of God for any degree of help they are giving. (Cf. Matt 6:1-4) However, that is not to say that it is wrong for people to show us gratitude for being there for them in their moments of need. It is not wrong but right. In fact, God Himself wants us to learn to be grateful, not just to Him but also to those that He is using to help or comfort us. Otherwise, we will be shutting the door of more or greater help or support against ourselves.

So, if God has used anybody to share your burden or bear your burden in the past, remember to share your prosperity or increase with them in the day of your comfort (Gal 6:6). It will make their hearts leap for joy and also encourage them to help you or others in the future, should they need their help. David once demonstrated his understanding of this, as we are shown in our opening Scripture. He and his men went against certain raiders that had taken their families and possessions away, defeated them and brought back a great plunder. And instead of just taking everything for themselves, David decided to send some of the plunder to the elders of the different towns that had accommodated and supported them, when they were roaming around as fugitives.

Now that is what it means to be grateful. I am saying that to be grateful means to be willing and ready to share your joy, comfort and prosperity with others who have also shared in your burdens or borne them for you. And have you been doing this? Have you really been sharing the good things of your life with the people that have been there to share the bad ones with you? If you have not, you are wrong and need to repent. Otherwise, it is not only yourself that you will be shutting the doors of future help against but also some others that you may not even know.

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

He can make you forget all your trouble | Pst. J.O. Lawal

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

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Welcome to another week of the month of July. My prayer for you is that God will cause you to experience in it things that will make you forget your years of trouble and all the evil things people have done to you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we see in the bible, even though Joseph eventually became a very great man, according to the plans of God for him, the road to greatness was a very rough one for him. First, it was members of his own family, his own blood brothers, that ganged up against him and sold him into slavery. Why? It was because they were envious of him and also bitter against him. They did not like the fact that their father loved him more than all of them and did not hide it. Also, they did not like the fact that he was always reporting their bad behaviours – they weren’t just pleased with the fact that his life was upright and not twisted like theirs. In addition, they did not like the fact that he was the one always having dreams of becoming greater than everybody. So, they did all they could to get rid of him. (Cf. Gen 37)

But because God loved him and would not abandon, he found himself as a slave in the house of a man who appreciated his uprightness and industry and permitted him to thrive. Therefore, after a while, he became the most important person in his master’s house. He became the manager of this man’s wealth and servants and everything going on in his household. Unfortunately, just about when his life seemed to be taking shape again, the wicked forces that were determined to destroy his life moved his master’s wife to take immoral and foolish steps that landed him in the prison. (Cf. Gen 39)

Yet God would not abandon this young man, even in the prison. Instead, He caused him to be favoured again and to meet a very influential person that eventually opened the door to greatness and peace of mind for him (Gen 40). And here is what the bible says concerning him, when he eventually had his firstborn some years later: “Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.”” (Gen 41:51NIV)

Think about that. God made Joseph forget all his trouble and all the bitter things he suffered from the hands of his own brothers. In other words, God brought about circumstances that took away all his pains, sorrows, regrets and even anger against those who offended him. So, he was able to live the rest of his life in prosperity, gladness and peace of mind. What a marvellous thing!

In like manner, the same God who made Jospeh forget all his trouble and bitterness of soul is able to make you too forget all your trouble, sorrows, pains and even anger against those whom Satan has used or is using to hurt or torment you. Yes, He is able to bring about in your life circumstances that will make you totally forget what it looks like to suffer or be in distress. All you need to do is to trust Him wholeheartedly and have the right attitude as did Joseph, and He will bring you to that place in life where your heart will be so occupied with gladness that you will have no time to cry, regret or think of taking vengeance on anyone for what they did to you.

See, people who have time to blame, hate and seek vengeance against others are like that because they have not experienced certain measure of the joy of the Lord. But if such people are thrown into the rivers of His joy and are overwhelmed by it, all their anger, complaints and hatred will vanish, and their focus will simply be on enjoying the fullness of the blessings God has bestowed on them. What, then, do you want? Is it to live the rest of your life complaining, hating and blaming others for the roles they played in your miseries and misfortunes? Or is it to live the rest of your life in the fullness of the joy of the Lord, where you have no time to remember the failure and pains of the past or the wickedness of those treated you shamefully?

As for me, I will live the rest of my life with a heart that is free of hate, sorrow, bitterness or vengeance and that is only occupied with joy and thankfulness to God. That is because I am certain that He is causing all things, including the wickedness of men towards me, to work together for my good and progress and for the praise of His glorious name (Rom 8:28). And I pray that you too will find strength in Him to have in you the same mind, in Jesus’s precious name. Amen.

Do have a fabulous 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

Exalt the man with the solution | Pst J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: July 07, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 8

“So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.”” (Gen 41:41NIV)

As the bible shows us, when Pharaoh of Joseph’s time had two dreams that troubled him, he lost no time to summon all the magicians and wise men of the land to come and interpret them for him. Why did he do that? It must have been because they had been interpreting dreams or solving very difficult riddles for him in the past. But on that occasion, none of them could tell him the meaning of his dreams. (Cf. Gen 41:1-8)

Now, while this king was yet troubled and wondering what those dreams he had could mean, one of his officials, who had benefited immensely from Joseph’s gift of interpreting dreams, remembered that the young man was gifted to handle such matters. So, even though he knew that Joseph was not their citizen but a foreigner, slave and prisoner, he still recommended him to Pharaoh. And did he disappoint him or not? No, he did not disappoint him at all.

On the contrary, as the bible further shows, he delivered beyond everybody’s expectations, including Pharaoh. That was because he not only interpreted the king’s dreams, he also told him the solution to the problem at hand. So, without wasting time, Pharaoh set him free from the prison and put him in charge of the whole country. (Cf. Gen 41:9-57)

But Joseph was merely a foreigner and a young man too. What does it matter? This young foreigner came up with solutions that could make the nation richer and greater and also keep it from going into extinction. And that was at a time that all the old magicians and wise men in the land were utterly lost and helpless. So, who should be exalted to manage the affairs of the entire country, if it was not him? None other!

So, Pharaoh did what he had to do. He did what any true lover of his people and their welfare would naturally do. He put Joseph in charge of the whole nation of Egypt. And remember again that he did not do this because somebody recommended the young man or because he was an Egyptian or because he was his family member. Rather, he did this because the young man proved himself as one possessing what it would take to wisely lead the nation and save it from future ruins.

That, of course, is one sure way to make any nation, society, family, business or organisation experience true progress and safety. We look beyond people’s tribe, ethnic group, colour, social status, sex, age or family relationship to what they are actually capable of doing to make life better for all in determining what we recommend them for or what position we place them in life. Unfortunately, we don’t usually do this, when we are given an opportunity to recommend or put people in certain offices or positions that require some level of competence or intelligence to handle. What we usually do is to recommend for or put in those positions our friends, families, neighbours, tribal or town’s people, religious group members and so forth, even when we know quite well that they are not fit for them.

Why, then, do we act like this? Sometimes, it is because we want people who will always be loyal to us to be in positions where we can use them for our own benefits. At other times, it is because we want the praise or approval of men, especially those close to us or related to us. Then, there are also times that we do this because we want to reward people for certain acts of kindness they have done for us or to us.

Now is it really wrong to have people who are loyal to us occupying certain positions of advantage in life? No! Or is it wrong to use our position to elevate or promote the welfare of others, especially those who are related or close to us in one way or the other? No! Then is it wrong to reward people for the good they have done to us in the past, when we are in a position to do so? No!

However, if we recommend for or put someone in a position they are not competent to handle, we will certainly be hindering the progress of whatever society or organisation we want them to serve, regardless of how loyal they may be to us. And if we want to use our position to elevate or promote the welfare of others close to us or to reward them for whatever good they also have done to us, we should mind their level of competence or capability in determining what we do for them. That means we should elevate, promote or reward them on the basis of their competence or capability. Otherwise, we will never be able to build lives, institutions, organisations or societies that are strong, healthy, fruitful, productive, safe and progressive, regardless of how hard we try.

So, next time you are thinking of exalting someone or recommending someone for elevation, think about these things. Exalt or recommend the man or woman with leadership solutions or competence and not just anybody you feel like picking. By doing so, you may just be saving all of us from years or decades of hardship and pains.

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 you hinder His provisions | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Date: July 04, 2021 | Number: Vol. 10, No. 9

Beloved: grace and peace be yours immeasurably from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. It is with great joy that I welcome you to the first week of the month of July 2021. And I pray that you will be kept from doing anything in the month that will hinder the flow of God’s provisions into your life and home, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now one of the things that can hinder the flow of God’s provisions into our lives or our access to His provisions for us is stinginess, stinginess to God and to the people He wants us to be generous to. For instance, in addressing His people through Prophet Haggai, God says the following:

“”Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the LORD. “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the LORD Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands.”” (Hag 1:7-11NIV)

Did you see that? God, in this bible text, is taking responsibility for the failure and poverty that His people are experiencing. In other words, He is the one preventing them from experiencing His blessings in their lives and affairs. But why? As He points out, it is because they are not generous to Him. All of them are busy building their own houses and taking care of their personal businesses. But they will not do the same for the house of God in their midst. They just won’t commit their time or resources to building it. Therefore, they began to experience labour loss. And as God further tells them, until they repent and start using their time and resources to build His temple, things will not get any better for them.

In like manner, if we too ignore the work of God’s kingdom, if we will not commit our time and resources to doing it, we will block the flow of His blessings in our lives. Yes, He has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus (Eph 1:3). However, we can hinder the activity of His blessings in our lives through selfishness and stinginess. So, though we are blessed beyond measure, we may also find ourselves being frustrated beyond measure in life, that is, because of our stinginess.

Also, speaking through Malachi, God accuses His people of stealing from Him by not being faithful in bringing their tithes and offerings to take care of His priests, the poor people in the land and the strangers among them. That means when we keep for ourselves what God wants us to give out to others, we are stealing from Him. How, then, are we going to steal God’s properties and still expect His blessings to freely flow in our lives? It won’t work. (Cf. Malachi 3:8-12)

Furthermore, God says that even when these people bring Him offerings, it is blind, lame and diseased offerings they bring to Him. Think about it. These people are so shameless that they bring to God things they will not offer to their bosses, governors or even in-laws. And this gets Him so angry that He tells them to just shut the doors of their temple altogether and stop bringing Him useless sacrifices and offerings. If He, then, considers what they are bringing to Him as useless, will He reward them for it? No! (Cf. Malachi 1:6-14)

In the same vein, if we too are stealing from God by not being generous to the people He has commanded us to be generous to, we will be shutting the windows of His provisions against ourselves, as the people of Malachi’s day were doing. And if we are giving for His work or to those He wants us to give to blind, lame and diseased offerings (things that are beneath us and beneath His grace on our lives), we will have no reward from Him for our giving, whether here on earth or in His eternal kingdom. How sad would it be, then, if I found out someday that all my giving had been done in vain? It would be really sad.

But then, someone may say, “But the bible says we are to give on the basis of what we have and not what we do not have. And that is what I am doing. Why, then, should God or anyone say that I am not giving enough?” True talk! But that person must also understand that God knows everything we have. So, He can tell when what we are giving out of what we have is something beneath His grace on our lives. And when that is the case, we are cheating Him and so can get nothing from Him for our giving. Therefore, pay close attention to your devotion to generosity because God is also paying close attention to it. And I pray that He will always find you faithful in these matters, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Do have a pleasant week.

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

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Fire in my Bones

What will you ask for? | Pst. J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: June 30, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 7

“The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”” (1Kings 3:4-5NIV)

Often people pray or wish that they would be connected someday to some great, influential, powerful or important person that will do something for them that will change their stories or lives forever. And nothing is wrong with that. But what many do not understand is that having our lives changed forever goes beyond meeting some great person in life; it also involves knowing what we need any great person that we are privileged to meet to do for us. I am saying this because there are people who meet everyday with certain persons that could be used by God to change their lives forever but who don’t just know how to use such meetings to better their lot in life.

For instance, there are people who sit down day after day to wine and dine with their rich or influential friends. These ones are satisfied with going from party to party or club to club with these people and have them buy all kinds of expensive food, drinks or cars for their enjoyment. But their brains have never opened for once to ask them to use the money being wasted on them to support them in some profitable ventures, which will take them away from the realm of being unduly dependent on others and make them become responsible persons too. And those brains may never open until that door of opportunity is closed against them. Then they will start saying, “I wish I had asked for something better when that person was still with me.”

So, it is not just about having access to individuals who could give you a serious lift in life; it is also about knowing how to legitimately use that access to benefit your life. Otherwise, even if God Himself should visit you, you would still not know what to make of that visit.

Look at King Solomon, for example. As we are shown in our opening bible text, there was a time God paid him an unexpected visit. And to his surprise, He asked him a very simple question, which was, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” That is like giving someone a blank cheque to fill. How much would he write on it? That, of course, would depend on what he knows about the worth of the person in question.

But we are dealing with God here, the creator and owner of all things. Therefore, when He asked Solomon to ask Him for anything he wanted, He knew that there was nothing he could ask for that would be too much or unavailable for Him to give. It was up to the man, then, to think carefully about what he needed from Him and to ask.

Now, as God would later say, Solomon could have asked for long life, wealth or the death of his enemies. And He would have granted his request. But if he had asked for any of those things, he would have wasted that very rare opportunity that God was giving him to change his life and story forever. Thankfully, he did not ask for any such thing. Instead, he asked for wisdom and a heart of discernment to make the most of his position at that time as king. (Cf. 1Kings 3:6-9)

Therefore, God not only commended him for asking for the right thing, He also told him that He would give him more than he had asked for. He was going to give him wealth and honour in addition to a wise and discerning heart, which he had asked for. And that was what changed the man’s life and story forever. Yes, that was what made his name become a household name, even centuries after he had lived and died.

Do you want your life and story to change too? Then learn to ask for the right things in life. Learn to ask for those things that will enable you to make the most of your current circumstances in life to rise and shine. And those things may not even be money, a car, a house of your own or the death of your enemies. What you need may just be an opening of your eyes to a job to do, a trade to take on, a skill to acquire or some course to study. Whatever it is, the only person that can make you know it is God Himself. So, pray to Him that He will enlighten your heart thoroughly about that very thing you need to do to change your life and story forever. And He will answer you. Then, when the opportunity of support to do it comes, you will know the right request to make.

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

Don’t let Him find you sleeping | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Date: June 27, 2021 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 8

Beloved: grace and peace be yours in abundance from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Saviour. Welcome to another week of this year. I pray that you will be strengthened to remain focused now and always in your walk with the Lord and in your service in His kingdom, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we begin this new week, let me remind you that the Lord Jesus will certainly return for all His saints, as He has promised. And if you are one of them, you should keep this in mind and look forward to it. But when exactly will He return for us? We are not told. But we are told this:

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back — whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!'”” Mark 13:33-37NIV)

Did you see that? The Lord clearly tells us here that nobody, not even Him, knows the day or hour He will return to take us to be with Him forever and establish a new order of things. Only God knows these things. Our own duty, then, is to look forward to this day and make ourselves ready for it. So, the question for us is, “Are we looking forward to the day of the Lord and making ourselves ready for it or are we acting as though nothing is at stake at all?”

As the Lord points out in that bible text, His return will be like that of a man who gives his servants different tasks to handle for him before he travels. Seeing, then, that this man could return anytime, it will only be wise for those servants of his to get busy with the tasks he has given them and keep watch. Otherwise, when he comes, he may not find them where they are supposed to be. And that would spell nothing but disgrace and trouble for them.

In like manner, since our Lord Jesus could return anytime, it will only be wise of us to get busy with the life He wants us to live and the works He wants us to do. What kind of life, then, does He want us to live? It is a life of holiness and godliness. And what sort of works does He want us to do? Good works! He wants us to be busy doing things that will bless those in our world, make life better for them and also draw them close to God. (Cf. Eph 2:10; 2Pet 3:11-14)

But are we busy living holy and godly lives where we are? And are we busy using all that God has given to us to do works that will make the world a better place for us all and to make men want to have God in their lives? What exactly are we busy doing now? If we are not busy living as He wants us to live, then, we are sleeping and not waiting for Him. Yes, what we are doing may be important to us and even cherished by men. But if it is not consistent with the life He wants us to live and the things He wants us to do, it is as good as nothing to Him.

Now remember that He warns us not to allow Him to come back and find us sleeping. That is because anyone that He finds sleeping is not waiting for Him but doing his own thing. That means that person does not really believe in Him and so cannot reign with Him. Those who truly believe in Him will keep watch and wait for Him instead of sleeping. And they are the ones that will reign eternally with Him and also hear these sweet words from His mouth: “Well done, good and faithful servant. Come and share in your master’s happiness!” If you, then, want to be among them, don’t let Him return and find you sleeping.

Do have a splendid week.

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

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Fire in my Bones

Learn to deliver on time | Pst. J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: June 23, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 6

“Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.” But when Amasa went to summon Judah, he took longer than the time the king had set for him.” (2Sam 20:4-5NIV)

One of the things everyone who wants to continually increase in relevance in their job must learn is how to work with time or deliver on time. Every task has the right amount of time to be invested in it. And it is important that we know this and function accordingly. Even the devil, according to the bible, knows that he does not have all the time in the world to mislead humanity and bring them to ruins. So, he is not ready to lose time at all. Instead, he and his demons are daily working hard and fast to destroy sinners and to also lure God’s people into error through immorality, greed, envy, bitterness and so forth. (Cf. Rev 12:12)

Therefore, if you are given any task, whether by your employer or by a client, don’t handle it as though you had all the time in the world to do it or as though it were the only task for you in life. Instead, first find out or determine the required amount of time to invest in it. Then proceed to handle it with the aim of finishing on time or even earlier. That way, you can always make yourself ready to take on something else and increase in usefulness. Also, that way, you can avoid losing your place of relevance in your job or trade to others, who perhaps are willing to do anything to have it.

In our opening text, for example, we are told of how Amasa, the general of Israel’s army, did not finish the task given to him by King David on time. What was this task? It was to muster the army of Judah together to snuff out a growing rebellion before it got out of hand. But this man failed to deliver on time. And why did it take him so long to get this task done? We are not told.

Mind you, gathering the army was not even the main job at hand. The main job was to quell a rebellion. And if it was going to take him ages to gather the men, when exactly would the real thing be done? It is clear, then, that Amasa did not work with an understanding of the seriousness and urgency of the matter at hand. Therefore, he ended up losing the job to another person, Abishai, who knew what it takes to deliver on time. Also, by failing to deliver on time, he gave Joab, another general, who desperately wanted his office as the commander of the army, a reason and an opportunity to murder him in cold blood and take his place. (Cf. 2Sam 20)

In like manner, if you too will not learn to finish every task that is given to you on time, it won’t be long before you lose your relevance or place. Understand that your employers or clients won’t forever endure your slothfulness or excuses for not getting their jobs ready on time, regardless of how good you are at what you do. At some point, they will do whatever they can to find a replacement for you, instead of allowing you to ruin their work.

Besides, there may just be around you individuals who are waiting for you to slip up a little, so that they may use the occasion to get rid of you and take your place. And if you allow slothfulness or distraction to keep putting you behind schedule in handling your job, you may someday become their victim. So, wake up and be diligent.

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

What is your excuse? | Pastor J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: June 16, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 5

““Ah, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.” But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.” (Jer 1:6-8NIV)

When the Lord first appeared to Jeremiah to tell him of His purpose for his life and His readiness to use him, his excuse was that he was too young for the job. But did God not know that he was a young man before approaching him? He knew. Was He not the one that selected him for this task even before he was formed in the womb? He was the one. And did He not know his potential and limitations? He did.

So, what excuse could this young man possibly give God to make Him change His mind about using him? None! That was why He told him to drop his excuses and fears and get set to be useful and fulfil His purpose for his life. And He promised him that he would never be alone in doing the job He was giving him. Instead, He would always be with him to guide, protect and make him successful. All he would need, then, was to believe and act accordingly.

Now did Jeremiah believe God or not? He did. And did He fail him? No, He did not fail him. Instead, as He had promised, He stood by him all through those years that he faithfully proclaimed His word to all the people and nations that He sent him to. Yes, he encountered all kinds of trials – betrayals, rejection, persecution, imprisonment and even death. But God protected him in all these things and made him stand before the world as a true prophet of His.

In like manner, you too had been known and chosen by God for greatness before you were formed in the womb. And you don’t have to be a prophet or a president of a nation before you stand before Him as a great person. You just need to identify fully with His purpose for your life and fulfil it. That will be your greatness.

Also, you do not need to see a vision, have a dream or receive a special revelation from God before you know what His purpose for your life is. You just need to begin to diligently work with those good and righteous desires you have in your heart, and you will be good to go. The bible says it is God who works in us to will and to act according to His good purpose (Phil 2:13). That means those good and righteous desires that are rising in your heart are not coming from the devil but from God. And the skills, abilities and education you now possess to do good and righteous things in life have also become yours through His enablement.

Therefore, instead of making excuses that you are too young, poor, uneducated and so forth to be a world shaker, start putting these things to some honest and legitimate use. And unless, like David, you receive a specific message from God not to do something good and righteous that you have the ability to do, let nothing stop you from doing it (1Chro 17:1-14). Then God, who was with Jeremiah, will be with you too to guide, protect, and make you succeed.

See, as long as God is on your side, you are not too young, poor, uninfluential, weak or uneducated to fulfil His purpose for your life and become a highly useful and great person in His sight. It all depends on the purpose He wants to use you to serve in life. Don’t forget that the bible makes it very clear to us that it is not those who think of themselves as great or those who are called great by men that are truly great in the sight of God. It is only those whom God Himself calls great that are actually great. (Cf. Luke 16:15; 2Cor 10:18)

So, do away with all the excuses you are making for remaining irresponsible, useless and insignificant in life and get to work, making the most of every good thing God has endowed you with. And you will always find Him ready to see you through and make your life truly count. Then, even if you have wasted several years of your life wandering in irresponsible living, it is still not too late for God to make the remaining years of your life count for something. If He could pick up Moses at age 80 and make the remaining years of his life a wonder, He could do similar or greater things for you, if you too will reach out for His restoration and renewal. So, reach out for Him, and you will find Him waiting and ready to help 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

Double jeopardy | Pastor J.O. Lawal

Date June 20, 2021 | Number: Vol. 10, No. 7

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to another week of the month of June 2021. I pray that your heart will be strengthened to always retain and profit with every word God is bringing to you all through the remaining days of your life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

I offered that prayer for you because the word of God is clear about the fact that it is not everyone that hears or reads the word of God that ends up profiting with it. Why is this so? It is so because in order to profit with the word of God, one must not just read or hear it; he must also act on it. It is only the one that acts on what he hears or reads that will experience the fullness of the blessing of what God says. The one who merely listens to the word or reads it but does not act on it is only deceiving himself – he will not experience in his life the result that the word is supposed to accomplish in it (Cf. Matt 7:24-27; James 1:22-25; Rev 1:3)

So, our aim in reading or listening to the word of God must be to act on it. Otherwise, not only will His word not accomplish His will in our lives, it will also stand against us as a witness when God begins to judge (John 12:48). For example, there was a time that the leaders of the remnant of the Jews in Judah came to Jeremiah to ask him to seek God’s face for them, so that they may know where to go or stay. They even went on to say to him, “May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the LORD your God sends you to tell us. Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the LORD our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the LORD our God.” (Jer 42:5-6NIV)

Did you notice that those people said that they would act on the word of God, whether it was favourable for them or not? Yet when Jeremiah came back with God’s word for them, their response was, “…You are lying! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to settle there.’ But Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Babylonians, so they may kill us or carry us into exile to Babylon.” (Jer 43:2-3NIV) Therefore, they rejected the word of the Lord and acted according to their own wisdom and desire.

But why did they ask Jeremiah to find out the mind of God for them, when they were not willing to accept whatever His will for them was? It was because they did not know that it would have been better for them not to know the will of God at all than to know His will and refuse to act on it. That would mean nothing but double punishment for them. They would not just suffer for not doing the will of God but also for knowing His will and deliberately rejecting it.

So, Jeremiah said this to them: “O remnant of Judah, the LORD has told you, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ Be sure of this: I warn you today that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the LORD your God and said, ‘Pray to the LORD our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.’ I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the LORD your God in all he sent me to tell you. So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine and plague in the place where you want to go to settle.”” (Jer 42:19-22NIV) Did you see that? It is a fatal mistake for us to seek to know the will of God and then refuse to act on what He is saying to us. It can only mean double jeopardy for us.

Unfortunately, many of us do not realise that this is what we are doing to ourselves, when we show up in church meetings or before our leaders, hear the word of God about how we are to live and then leave to go and do the exact opposite of what we have heard. But what is the point of coming to hear the word of God, when it would only mean more troubles for us? Would it not be better for you to avoid His word altogether than to hear it and then say to yourself, “That preacher can say whatever he likes to say. But what I will do is in my mind?” That will simply bring greater punishments and sufferings on you, as it is probably your experience already. I mean that it will only make you suffer more than those who do not have the knowledge of God’s will at all.

So, stop putting yourself in more troubles by refusing to act on the truth of God’s word that you know. And may you be led to repentance and restoration wherever you are suffering as a result of this, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

Wait for the Lord | J.O. Lawal

Date: June 13, 2021 | Number: Vol. 10, No. 6

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you to another week in the month of June 2021. And my prayer is that you and your family will be preserved to witness the good that God will bring about for this country, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

David, in one of his psalms, says, “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” (Ps 27:13-14NIV) What is this man confident of? He is confident that he will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of living. And why is he confident in this way? It is because he is waiting on the Lord who does not disappoint.

As we see in the scriptures, as a young man, David was faced with severe persecutions from Saul, who was king over Israel at that time. So, he, his men and their family members had to constantly be on the run and could not live as normal people lived. There was even a time that their temporary camp was burnt down and all their wives and children were taken away by the Amalekites. And all his men became so distressed that they were even talking about stoning him, for they felt that their association with him had brought them nothing but trouble. (Cf. 1Sam 30)

Yet the bible says that David did not lose heart in the face of all these things. Instead, he kept on strengthening himself in the Lord, knowing that He would ultimately give him victory all the way and also end his days of wandering someday (1Sam 30:6). That was why he said I am still confident that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. And did he see it or not? He did. He saw God’s goodness not after his death but during his lifetime. He not became king over the nation of Israel but also had the rare privilege of crowning one of his sons king over the land before his death.

But why was David able to eventually witness the goodness of the Lord in his lifetime, despite all the terrible experiences he had, even as a young man? As we see in the bible text above, it was because he did not lose heart but waited for the Lord. The Lord had ordained him king in place of Saul and given him many great and wonderful promises. But for him to witness the manifestation of all these things, he needed to demonstrate faith and patience in Him. Yes, he had to do this for a number of years. But his faith in God and patience ultimately paid off. Therefore, he is able to tell others in his psalm above to do just as he did, if they too want to witness the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Do you, then, also want to witness the goodness of the Lord in your lifetime? Do you want to be alive and well, when God burns the garment of reproach of this nation and wears her with a garment of glory and praise? I want to be alive and well then. I also want my family to be alive and well then. And, like David, I am confident that the good Lord, who saved us from our sins and brought us into His glorious kingdom, will make this happen. So, regardless of what I see or hear, I will not lose heart or throw away my confidence in Him. Instead, I will be strong in heart and wait for Him. Yes, I will wait for Him because He cares about me and is also trustworthy. But will you too do the same?

Do have a splendid week.

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