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Fire in my Bones

Title: Don’t add it to your own – January 06, 2021

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Series: Youth for Jesus , Number: Vol. 3, No. 34

“The LORD said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.”” (Josh 7:10-12NIV)

The bible is very clear about the fact that God hates stealing. In other words, He does not want us to take anything that does not belong to us or that is not given to us by its owner and add to our own things. And it does not matter how we do this, whether it is force we are using or tricks, stealing is stealing before God.

Now stealing, apart from the fact that it exposes us to the danger of eternal judgment, is also able to expose us and even those in our lives to all kinds of afflictions here on earth. For instance, look at what God says to Joshua in our opening text. He says he and the people he is leading are vulnerable to destruction. But why? It is because one of them stole certain items that God had given them instructions to destroy. (Cf. Joshua 7:1)

Just think about that. The things the man, Achan, stole were not anybody’s properties. Rather, they were just items that God said that they should destroy. So, he must have said to himself, “Since these are mere items and not people, they cannot report to anybody that I took them or rise up to fight us back. More so, they are not anybody’s properties. Why, then, can’t I take some of them and keep for myself?” And that was exactly what he did. He took some of those things devoted to destruction and made them his own.

Unfortunately, what Achan did not know was that it was God he was stealing from. And the presence of those items he had stolen in the camp of his people, not just in his own house, turned God against them and made them vulnerable to destruction. So, when they went out to fight their enemies, enemies that were not as powerful as the ones they had initially conquered, they could not stand before them. Instead, they were soundly defeated. And as Joshua prayed about the matter, God told him that they had stolen items devoted to destruction and added them to their own possessions and that unless they got rid of those items and destroyed them, He would not be with them and they would remain vulnerable to defeat and destruction. So, the man had to do what he had to do – he found Achan, made him confess his sins and made sure that he, family and the things he had stolen were utterly destroyed. And that was the salvation of that nation. (Cf. Joshua 7)

Now perhaps the reason you too do not have peace in your life and are constantly defeated is that you have taken what belongs to God or to other people and added them to your own. Whatever your reasons may be for taking them, the fact remains that those things are not yours and so should not be in your possession. And because they are not yours, they can open the door for God’s judgment or demonic afflictions to come into your life, if you are not shown mercy. So, if the Lord is leading you to return such things, you should by all means do so. And if He is not, you should ask that He should, in His mercy, destroy whatever wrong influence those things have brought into your life or relationships.

Then it may be that what you need to experience progress or soundness of body is to pay what you have refused to pay certain people for the work they did for you. See, from what we are shown in Scriptures, other people’s properties that we have wrongly taken or added to our own can cry against us. And when they begin to do this, God’s judgment will certainly manifest against us. What forms this will take is not what I or anybody can say. But it is never going to be something you want or wish for. So, inasmuch as it is still within your ability to pay up what you owe, do so and free your life from unnecessary limitations or troubles. (Cf. James 5:4)

As we are shown in the bible, God, at two different times, punished two very powerful kings for taking the wife of Abraham to be theirs. But these two kings acted in complete ignorance. I mean that they acted on Abraham’s lies. Yet God was ready to destroy them and their households, if they would not return the man’s wife. But in what way were they wrong? They were wrong because they did not make enough findings about the woman before taking her in. Their lust for her beauty would not allow them to do so. And they got punished for that. (Cf. Gen 12 & 20)

Therefore, we can also get into trouble for ignorantly, foolishly or carelessly adding to our own what does not belong to us. That is because we may not be able to tell what sort of grief we are bringing to the owner of what we have ignorantly taken for ourselves. So, we need to be very careful in all our dealings with people in order for us not to unconsciously add to our own things that do not belong us and open the door for wrong influences to work in our lives. Then we need to learn to pray to God to continually open our eyes to see those things that don’t belong with us and that we need to send out of our lives and to recognize every satanic trap that may lead us into adding to our possessions things that don’t belong to us. And may His hand of mercy continue to keep us safe from every trap to steal and get into trouble, 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 alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com / alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

Tell them of His goodness 07/03/2021

from pastor's desk

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours forevermore from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you into the second week of the month of March 2021 and pray that nothing will hinder your life from fully expressing the goodness and power of God wherever you find yourself in the week, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

One of the things we learn from the bible story of the mad man of Gerasene is that everyone who has experienced the goodness of God has a duty to spread the news to others, so that they in turn may come to Him. Then He will change their experience of sorrow, shame and pains to that of joy, glory and comfort (Mark 5:1-20).

Now, as the account shows, this man had been possessed by some Legion of demons. And these demons made his life so miserable that he ran mad. But his madness was not a kind that just made him walk around naked or that made him smile at everybody in awkward ways. Rather, it was a kind that made him extremely violent and dangerous to everyone around him and even himself. It was so bad that people stopped bothering themselves about tying him with chains, for he was just too strong to be bound with anything. So, everybody abandoned him. And he started living in the tombs, crying day and night and cutting himself with stones. Just think about how miserable those demons that were living in this man made his life.

In like manner, there are people today whose lives have been made horrible by demons. They may not be running around naked like a mad person. But their lives are not any much different from the life of a mad person. That is because everything they are doing is something that will further hurt or destroy them and also make their lives stink. And isn’t that how it is with mad people too? It is. The things they eat and drink, the place they live and sleep, the way they move around and the things they wear, if they wear anything at all, can only further hurt their lives and make them more irritating and unpleasant to do anything with.

At any rate, a day came when this mad man of Gerasene met the Lord Jesus Christ. That was the day he experienced God’s mercy and was delivered from the hands of those wicked unclean spirits that were bent on totally destroying his life. And his deliverance was so amazing that those who saw him could not believe their eyes, for he sat down well dressed and in his right mind. Then because this man was so grateful to God and excited about his deliverance, he begged Jesus to allow him to follow Him wherever He went. But the Lord told him, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” (Mark 5:19NIV)

Look at that. The Lord plainly told that man that he did not have to move around with Him in order to serve God. All he needed to do was to go his people, all of whom had abandoned him, and tell them how much the Lord has done for him. And did he go or not? Oh, he did go to his family to share news of the goodness of God with them. But he did more than that. He also went all about a place called ‘the Ten Cities’ and told everyone he could find there how much Jesus had done for him. (Cf. Mark 5:20)

Now has the Lord truly done you too any good? If He has, then, who have you told about it? Is the Lord blessing you today through the ministry of His word or that of some of His saints? If He is, who are you telling about it? The Lord may not require you to be a preacher for you to serve Him. But He requires you to always seek opportunities to daily tell men of His goodness to you or others around you. This is so that they too may be inspired to come to Him for their salvation or deliverance. And remember that there are many around us whose lives are no better than those of mad people and who need urgent deliverance, if they must not perish. Such people need us to tell them something of the goodness and faithfulness of God, so that they may come to taste it. And my prayer is that we will be rid of every form of selfishness in this matter and made bold to do what is right.

Do have a week full of testimonies.

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 alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

Title: The nature of God’s judgment – July 26, 2020

Beloved: grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to the last week of the month of July 2020. My prayer is that none of the good things that are meant for you in the month will elude you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now, as one considers the terrible situation of things in this country, especially in the light of the recent allegations of fraud and corruption against some of our leaders, there is every tendency that he will be moved to ask God to swiftly judge all those who are involved and several others who are making it difficult for the nation to progress. And it is clear from scriptures that God will certainly judge people for all such acts of wickedness, not just at the end of this age but also right here on earth (1Sam 3:13; 1Kings 14:7-11). But those of us who are believers and who are also probably wishing that God will be quick to set things right in the country must also not forget that God does not judge things the way people do.

For instance, as bible points out, even though God is a God of justice, He does not delight in the death or destruction of the sinner. This is why He demonstrates patience with everyone, so that they may come to repentance and not be destroyed in judgment by Him. (Cf. Ezek 18:23&32; 2Pet 3:9) Then, even though God is determined to judge someone for his wickedness, He has His own set time for doing so. We can, therefore, not hurry Him to judge people before the time He has set to do so. In fact, from what we see in Scriptures, there are times that God waits for people’s wickedness to reach a certain limit before He deals with them in judgment. So, the full judgment or punishment for some individuals’ sins may not come on them, when they are alive, but on their descendants after them. (Cf. Gen 15:12-15; Ex 34:7; 2Pet 3:8)

Another thing we need to note about God’s judgment is that it often starts with His people. When there is so much wickedness in the land and we want it jugded, it is always our desire that God will start with those who are obviously wicked, perhaps the cruelest among them. But the bible tells us something different about this. It tells us that God often starts His judgment among His people.

For instance, when God was giving instructions about the judgment of the people of Judah, as Ezekiel records in his book, He said to those He had appointed for the work, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.” (Ezek 9:5-6NIV) Also, Peter, in his first epistle, says, “For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1Peter 4:17NIV)

Did you see that? If God wants to set things right in a place, He will start by first dealing with His own people, who ought to know better. Think about it yourself. If He does not first deal with His own people who know the right thing to do but won’t do it, will He have any moral right to deal with those who don’t believe in Him at all and are doing wickedness? No! So, in order to stand just, He must first set His own house right before dealing with those outside it.

Now since that is the case, those of us who are calling on God to judge wickedness in our land should start by first judging ourselves and setting our own lives right before God. Otherwise when the judgment we are calling for starts, it is certain that we will be the first to taste it. So, let us begin to take seriously Paul’s admonitions that say, “But if we judged ourselves in the right way, God would not judge us. But when the Lord judges us, he punishes us so that we will not be destroyed along with the world.” (1Cor 11:31-32NCV)

Do have a great month end.

Copyright © 2020, 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 alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

Title: A point of reference for good – July 19, 2020

Beloved: grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. It is with great delight that I welcome you into another week of the month of July 2020. And I pray that God will perfect all that concerns you and make your life a point of reference for good things, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we see in the bible, the very first king God ordained over the Israelites was Saul. But after the record of his death, nothing serious is mentioned about him again. Why? It was because he did not live an exemplary life. Yes, he reigned for forty years. But those forty years meant nothing to God, for they were not lived to honour Him.

But the case was different with David, who became king after him. He so gave his heart to God that He continually used him as a point of reference to others. For instance, when He was going to tear the kingdom of Solomon into two and give the larger part of it to Jeroboam, He said to him by the mouth of Ahijah the prophet, “If you do whatever I command you and walk in my ways and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you.” (1Kings 11:38-39NIV)

Did you see that? God was using David as a standard for that young man to emulate. In other words, if Jeroboam would just order his life the way David ordered his own life, he would not have any problem with God but win His approval. And there are a number of other places in the bible in which we see God using this man as His standard for judging the performance of other kings. (Cf. 2Kings 14:3, 18:1-3 & 22:1-2)

But why would God use David as a standard for judging others? Was it because he was utterly sinless and absolutely perfect? No, he was not any of these things. He had his own flaws as a man and even committed sins that most of the other kings did not commit. Nevertheless, he was someone that was always after God’s heart to please Him and bring Him praise. And because of that, when he sinned, and it was brought to his notice, he would not start arguing with God or making excuses for his sins. Instead, he would lose no time in sincerely repenting and also in seeking forgiveness. You can, then, see why God continually used him as the standard for appraising all the kings that came after him. (Cf. 2Sam 11,12&24; Ps 51)

In like manner, God wants us to live our lives in such a way that He can tell others to learn from us. Yes, we know that none of us is ever a perfect example of man, as He wants man to be. Only Jesus Christ is. However, if we will follow the Lord holeheartedly and pattern our lives after His, it won’t be long before God is able to use us as a point of reference in showing others how to live lives that are well-pleasing to Him (1Cor 11:1; Phil 3:17). And my prayer is that, as you continue your journey through life, your heart will be strengthened to walk everyday in this consciousness, so that your life may continually be a blessing to everyone in your world.

Do have a great week.

Copyright © 2020, 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 alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

Title: Don’t lose your soul for anything – July 12, 2020

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Welcome to another week of the year 2020. And I pray that the kindness of God will make life sweet and pleasant for you all through the week, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we begin this new week, I want to remind you that, regardless of how sweet and pleasant this world is for us, there is a far better place that God has prepared for those who love Him. And regadless of how horrible this world may seem to be for us, there is a far worse place that God has prepared for the devil and all haters of God. Therefore, we must see to it that we do not allow our dealings with this world and the things in it to rob us of that wonderful place in eternity that God has prepared for us.

Our Lord Jesus, once while teaching the people, said, “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Matt 16:26) That means we can’t ever compare the value of this world and all its beauties and grandeur to the worth of a soul before God. While this world is bound to perish and be no more, every human soul that God has made lives on forever. So, even if all this world is given to you, you will still lose it someday.

Satan, for instance, has this whole world and its systems under his power, to whatever degree God has allowed it (Luke 4:5-7; 1John 5:19). Yet it is certain that he is going to lose it and forfeit himself in the the lake of fire forever, when God is set to establish His eternal kingdom (Rev 20:10). In like manner, even if anyone gained the whole world, he would surely lose all of it someday, for it is a world that is reserved for fire and destruction (2Pet 3:10).

But gaining the whole world is not even the issue. I mean that having all the beautiful things of this world and enjoying yourself with them is not the issue. The issue is for us to make sure that whatever we gain in this world is not at the cost of our souls. In other words, we should not allow those beautiful relationships, jobs, vehicles, offices and so forth to steal from us our place in God’s eternal kingdom. That is because when all those things are eventually gone, and they will certainly be gone someday, we will still be standing.

Where, then, are we going to be standing on that day and with whom are we going to be standing? Are we going to be standing with God in His eternal home of rest or with the devil in the eternal home of pains and distress that God has prepared for him? It all depends on how we relate to God now in this world. If we take Him more seriously than the world and everything in it, then, we will be with Him throughout eternity. But if we take the world more seriously than Him, then, we are going to be suffering together with the devil and his angels for eternity.

Similarly, it is not just about losing the whole world; it is also about our reason for losing it. If we fail to have or enjoy the beautiful things of this world because we want to gain God and His eternal home, then, we have done well and are blessed. But if we fail to have or enjoy these things because of our own foolishness or laziness in living or because Satan really has us, then, it would only spell a double loss for us. And this is why we must pay attention to what our dealings with the things of this world will do to our place in eternity and act according to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, which say, “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” (Matt 5:29-30NIV)

Now this does not mean we are to literally remove our eyes or cut off parts of our body, just because we don’t want to miss God’s eternal rest. Doing such things will not necessarily accomplish want we want. At least, there are blind, deaf and lame persons that are nothing but little demons, even with their handicaps. What the Lord is saying, then, is that, if need be, we must ruthlessly deal with whatever is trying to make us lose what God has prepared for us and send us to hell. And I pray that your heart will be taught to identify all such things and also strengthened to do the needful by the wisdom of the Spirit of God in handling them.

Do have a fabulous week.

Copyright © 2020, 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 alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

Title: Be all-out for God – July 05, 2020

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours immeasurably from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am glad to welcome you into the month of July 2020, the first month in the second half of this year. And I pray that God will so occupy your heart with joy in this last half of the year that you will forget whatever pains or losses you experienced in the first half of the year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now I want to enjoin you, as we begin this second half of the year, to be all-out for God in everything. In other words, don’t take half measures in your worship of God or go half way in your devotion to Him. Instead, give yourself fully to Him in worship and in service. That is because that is the only way to enjoy Him in all His fullness and also have His approval.

To say the fact, one of the reasons many in the church today are not having the kinds of glorious experiences they are supposed to be having in their walk with God is that they are not all-out for Him. They choose when they will obey Him and when they will not obey Him. And they choose when and how they will serve Him, instead of giving themselves to learning how to serve Him appropriately and adequately. Yet they complain all the time that God is not taking the matters of their lives very seriously. Can that ever be true?

David, in one of his Psalms, says, “With the merciful, you are merciful; with a man who is sincere, you are sincere; with the pure, you are pure; but with the crooked you are cunning.” (Ps 18:26-27CJB) Did you see that? It is the way you relate to God that will determine what you will experience in your walk in life. If you are all-out for God, then, He will be all-out for you. And if you try to be cunny in relating to Him, not putting your whole heart in your devotion to Him, He will also show Himself cunny to you. He will do this to let you know that He is not someone you can deceive. He knows everything about us and can tell whether our hearts are fully with Him and truly devoted to worshiping Him or not.

Look, for instance, at what is written about King Amaziah of Judah: “He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not wholeheartedly.” (2Chron 25:2NIV) Think about that. This king, on the surface, seemed to be for God. That means he must have been talking and acting like somebody who loved and belonged to God. But God could tell that his heart was not right. So, at some point, what was really in his heart came out. He abandoned God for idols, despite all the victories and beautiful things he had enjoyed from his hand. And from the moment he abandoned him till the time he was brutally murdered, life never remained the same again for him. (Cf. 2Chro 25)

Therefore, examine yourself, as Paul says, to see whether your heart is totally for God or not (2Cor 13:5). Test yourself and be certain that your so-called faith in God is not a lie. Otherwise, apart from the fact that you will not be able to enjoy God in His fullness, you will also be wasting your time and life. See, if your heart is not all-out for Him, at some point, the truth of where it belongs will be made known. That explains why certain individuals are no longer with the church of God today. But some of them used to be thought of by others as true Christians. And that was because they used Christian vocabularies like others, regularly attended church meetings and perhaps also served in one leadership capacity or the other. But their hearts were never fully with God; they were always somewhere else. So, at some point, there came circumstances that revealed to everyone the truth about what they were after.

Now if you don’t want to end up being like such individuals, you must guard your heart against taking God lightly in any way or trying to relate to Him in deception. And my prayer is that your life will be kept from being polluted or led astray in any way.

Do have a great week.

Copyright © 2020, 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 alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

Title: Renew your strength in Him – June 28, 2020

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours abundantly from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Saviour. I am delighted to welcome you to this new week, which is the transition week between the months of June and July of this year. And I pray that your heart will continually be strengthened to remain strong in doing the will of God, regardless of the circumstances in which you may find yourself in this life. Amen.

Evidently, these are difficult times for many all around the world. Yes, these are difficult times for many to take care of themselves, their families or their affairs in righteousness and with integrity of heart. And that is because of the increase in wickedness, deception and apathy towards God among men. But should we be surprised or alarmed because of these things? No! And that is because the word of God already makes it very clear to us that the last days of men here on earth will be difficult days. His word already shows us that these days will be days in which all forms of evil will be on the increase, and all the laws and programmes that we have put in place to protect us or make life easy for us will not be able to keep things from falling apart. (Cf. Matt 24:12; 2Tim 3:1-5)

Consider for yourself the rate at which sexual immorality, rape, murder, kidnapping, terrorism, looting of public funds, homosexuality, transvestism, rebellion against authority, religious deception and all other forms of evil are increasing these days. Is it not terribly alarming? Also, consider the rate at which all kinds of incurable sicknesses and diseases are breaking out among men everywhere and the rate at which people, both young and old, are running mad or taking their lives. Isn’t it disturbing? I read recently from one of the dailies of how a young man murdered his wife in cold blood because he felt she was involved in some extra-marital affairs. And after stabbing the woman severally to the point of death, he too took some insecticide and killed himself with it.

Now that was really bad, right? But the truth is that there are worse things happening everyday all around the world, our world. And for the most past, even the best of our governments, constitutions and programmes have been unable to tame them. That is beside the fact that there are governments that encourage and feed some of these horrible things to grow through their laws and policies. Therefore, many righteous and upright people are being tormented and pressured everyday to give up on righteous living, just as Lot was tortured to give up on righteous living in Sodom because of the things he saw and heard (2Pet 2:7-8).

To say the fact, only God can really speak of the number of those who have already given up. Some of us may be able point to certain individuals who used to stand for righteousness but who have now surrendered to adultery, prostitution, sorcery, homosexuality, greed or some of these corrupt and wicked practices. Perhaps you too are on the verge of giving up to certain evil desires that are warring seriously against your soul and tormenting you everyday. Well, I want you to know that you don’t have to do so. If you did so, it would not be because you couldn’t have walked in victory over those evil desires; rather, it would be because you would not take advantage of God’s strength and boldness to do the right thing.

The bible says, “If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small.” (Prov 24:10) Did you see that? It is inadequate strength of heart that makes people yield to destructive practices. But those of us who have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ can always receive whatever degree of inner strength we need to say ‘No’ to evil and ‘Yes’ to righteousness, anyday and anytime. Look again at what the bible says: “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isa 40:30-31NIV)

Did you see that? Strength of heart or of character has nothing to do with youthfulness. In other words, there are situations in life in which your muscles won’t be able to keep you from growing tired and weary or from stumbling and falling. But if your trust is in the Lord, if the Lord is the one you are counting on for strength, then, regardless of what circumstances you are faced with or how much pressure is on you to go the wrong way, He will supply you with the strength you need to stand firm. And as long as you are trusting Him, He will see to it that your strength is renewed everyday to face life and whatever it brings with it. That means you will go from strength to strength every new day, soaring over all trials of life like eagles and never becoming tired or weary.

So, my friend, don’t trow in the towel at all or yield yourself to those evil forces that are pulling you on all sides and trying to make a mess of your life and your faith. Instead, learn to draw from the Lord whatever measure of strength or boldness you need to walk in victory over these things everyday and every moment (Heb 4:16). And you will never be disappointed or disgraced but will receive a rich welcome into God’s eternal kingdom, when all has been said and done.

Do have a very pleasant week.

Copyright © 2020, 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 alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

Title: He knows where you live – June 21, 2020

Beloved: grace and peace be yours forevermore from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Saviour and Lord. Welcome to another week of the month of June 2020. And I pray that your heart will be strengthened to remain true to the Lord to the very end, irrespective of the circumstances of the place in which you find yourself, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

One of the things the Lord commended the church in Pergamum, one of His churches in the province of Asia of bible days, for was their loyalty to Him, even though they were living with Satan himself. Look at the way He puts this in His letter to them:

“I know where you live — where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city — where Satan lives.” (Rev 2:13NIV)

Now the first thing the Lord tells these brethren is that He knows where they are living. And His point is not that He knows the name of their city. Of course, He knows the name of their city, which is Pergamum. But the name of that city is not the issue; the issue really is what is going on in that city and the impact it is having on the everyday life of the people there.

According to the Lord, Satan was living in that city at the time He was writing these words. Indeed, we know from Scriptures that Satan is a wanderer – he does not settle permanently anywhere (Job 1:7 &2:2). But there are times he settles for a while in particular places to wreck havoc. And once he makes his home in a place, one can be sure that there will increase in demonic activities there. This, in turn, will result in increase in wickedness, immorality, idolatry, sorcery, hostility against righteousness, deception, violence and all kinds of evil in such a place.

Perhaps you have been in such a place – city, town, village, community, household, establishment or school – before. You could tell the moment you got there that something was definitely wrong. You could sense or feel the gross darkness that was over the people there and see how it was twisting their lives and making them act contrary to what is right and proper. For example, I once lived in a town where there were so many teenage mothers and fathers living with their parents, and many among the people felt it was no big deal. In other words, sexual immorality was so prevalent there that many of their young ones were involved. So, at that time (I wouldn’t know about now), it was pretty difficult to raise children there to be pure. And if you got there as a pure person and would not be careful to walk in the strength of the Spirit of God, it would not be long before your life got messed up in immorality.

But why will any place be like that? It is usually because of the presence of the devil or certain powerful angels of his there (Eph 6:12). They are the ones that fill people with wrong and deceptive thoughts, philosophies and ideas that end up becoming strongholds in their lives and holding them in captivity to engage in destructive practices. And once they make their home in a place, certain evils will start taking their foothold there and affecting the overall lifestyles of the people.

However, in the case of the brethren in the city of Pergamum, whom the Lord is speaking to in the bible text we have above, they would not allow their loyalty to the Lord to be affected in any way, even though Satan had set up his throne in their city. In other words, they would not conform to the ungodly practices of the people in that city, even though the pressure on them to do so was great. In fact, one of them, Antipas, was killed because of his faith. Nevertheless, these brethren would not renounce their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, surrender to the devil and allow their lives to be messed up in whatever wrong things the people of the land were involved in. And the Lord commended them for this and told them that He was aware of all that they were going through and would reward them at the right time, if they would remain faithful to the end.

In like manner, the Lord knows where you and I live and the prevailing conditions there. He knows where we work, do business or study and the prevailing circumstances there. Nevertheless, He expects us to remain faithful to Him and not conform to whatever wrong practices those we are living with are involved in, even if it is Satan himself we are living with. And if the church in Pergamum could be faithful to Him, we too can be faithful to Him. So, instead of making excuses for conforming to the evil practices that are prevalent in our locality, we ought to be drawing from God’s throne of grace whatever we need to remain true to our Lord (Heb 4:14-16). Remember that if we remain true to Him, we will have His commendation and reward. But if we give in to the pressure of Satan and the world, we may end up partaking in the judgment that is bound to come on the world. And may that not be our lot, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Do have a splendid week.

Copyright © 2020, 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 alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

How not to waste your life – Date: June 14, 2020

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours forever from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you into another week in the month of June 2020. And my prayer is that your heart will be filled with the perfect knowledge of the will of God for you in every situation of your life in the week and all through the remaining part of this year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now why is it important that you know the exact will of God for you in everything you do? It is so that you will not live a foolish life. Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians, “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” (Eph 5:17NIV) Did you see that? It is foolishness not to know the mind of God about life in general and how to conduct ourselves in response to it. If we don’t know what God thinks of life as a whole and how we are to handle it, then, there is no way we will be able to live our lives to please Him. And if our lives are not lived to please Him, then, we have wasted them.

See, God did not create us to live for ourselves. Nobody creates anything for that thing to exist for itself. Rather, we create things (machines, organisations, systems, processes and so forth) to serve our purposes. And if they are not going to serve the purpose for which we create them, we end them. In the same vein, God created us to live for Him; He created us to live to bring Him pleasure. And that is one point that everyone in this world needs to get. You have been not created to live for yourself. You have not been created to live for your husband or wife. You have not been created to live for your friends, neighbours or colleagues at work or in school. In short, you have not been created to live for any created being or thing. The only person you have been created to live for is the one that created you, and that is God. (Cf. Rom 14:7-8; Rev 4:11)

If you, then, believe that God is your creator, then, your most important goal in this life must be to live to bring Him pleasure. Yes, in bringing Him pleasure, you are also going to be bringing pleasure to many other people in your life. But essentially, He is the one you have been created to delight. And if you are not living to bring Him pleasure, then, you are not fulfilling His purpose for creating you. Therefore, you are wasting your life and are in danger of being permanently and forever discarded by Him.

Unfortunately, many today are wasting their lives without knowing it. They are wasting their lives because they are not living them for God. They are wasting their lives because they are not living them in the will of God. Yes, they may be good and kind people, individuals who are doing their very best to make the world pleasant for themselves and others to live in. But as long as they are not doing what they are doing on the basis of faith in God and a desire to please Him, they are not living for Him but for themselves. They may not even agree that it is themselves they are living for and say that it is other people they are living for. But the truth is that in doing whatever they are doing for others, it is still themselves they are trying to please and satisfy. And since it is themselves they are living to please and satisfy, they are not fulfilling God’s purpose for creating them. They are merely wasting their lives. And they are never going to get His praise on the day that He rewards all men.

Now I don’t want to want to waste my life in this world. Rather, I want to live it to earn the praise of the one who created me. And I am sure you too won’t want to waste your life but will want it to count for something before God, when all has been said and done. But we are going to waste our lives, if we do not live them in the will of God. And if we do not want to live our lives outside the will of God, then, we need to know His will, which takes us back to what Paul says. He says, “Do not be foolish but understand the will of God.”

How, then, do we know the will of God for us in this life? First, it is by continually asking Him to reveal it to us, that is, in prayer (Col 1:9-12). And since He has said everyone who asks receives, we can be sure that if we ask Him to make His will known to us about life, He will do so and do so according to our needs. Second, we can know His will by giving ourselves to the Holy Scriptures. Paul says every scripture is inspired of God to teach us, correct us, rebuke us and train us in righteousness, to the end that we may be perfect and thoroughly furnished to know and do the will of God in all things (2Tim 3:16-17). So, give yourself to the Scriptures.

Third, we can know God’s will through fellowship with other children of His. We have not been called by God to live alone but to live in His family. And it is only as we truly fellowship with other members of this family that we can attain perfection in our knowledge of God and of His will. So, take your fellowship with other people of God, especially those of your local assembly seriously. And as you devote yourself to these things, may your heart be continually flooded with the absolute knowledge of God’s will for you in all things, so that you may not waste your life. (Cf. Eph 4:9-16)

Do have a great week.

Copyright © 2020, 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 alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

Title: Christ our wisdom – June 07, 2020

from pastor's desk

Beloved: grace, peace and love be multiplied to you forever from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

I am deligted to welcome you to the second week of the month of June 2020. And my prayer is that God will cause His wisdom to continually and fully find expression in you, so that you may always excel in all good things, irrespective of the situations of the world, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Paul, speaking to us by the Spirit of God in a letter of his, says, “…God, who is the Creator of all things, kept his secret hidden through all the past ages, in order that at the present time, by means of the church, the angelic rulers and powers in the heavenly world might learn of his wisdom in all its different forms.” (Eph 3:9-10GNT) Think about that. God, right now and not later, wants the angelic rulers and powers in the heavenly world to learn His manifold wisdom through the church. In other words, He wants to manifest His wisdom through you and me because of our faith in His Son Jesus Christ. What a marvellous thing!

See, we may have started out in life as ordinary, ignorant and unimpressive people. And many indeed started out like that. But it really does not matter to God. As long as we are in Christ Jesus, our social, cultural, political or academic background does not matter; what matters is a new creation. And since we are new creations in Christ, God’s intention is to teach the world and all the powers that are operating in it His wisdom through us. This is what He recreated us for. Therefore, the thoughts we think, the words we say, the decisions we make and the things we do ought to daily and always communicate the wisdom of God to men, angels and demons alike.

Look, for example, at the apostles of old. Everywhere they went, they shocked rich, powerful and influential people by their words and acts of wisdom, even though many of them were unschooled and ordinary men. And why were they able to function like that? It was because of their relationship with the Lord Jesus. He was the wisdom by which they were living, functioning and handling life. (Cf. Acts 4:13; Acts 13:4-11; Acts 25&26)

In like manner, Jesus Christ is our wisdom too. The bible says, “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.” (1Cor 1:30NIV) Because of who are we in Christ Jesus? It is because of God. He, not any man or woman, is the reason we are new creations in Christ Jesus today. And it is He who has made Jesus Christ our wisdom. So, as far as we are concerned, our own wisdom is a living person, not a mere sense of good judgment. Our wisdom is Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col 2:2-3).

Now since our wisdom is a person, how do we see it manifest in us? Is it by daily confessing that He is our wisdom or how? While it is okay to confess and affirm that Jesus is our wisdom, His wisdom won’t find expression in us because of that. He is already our wisdom. Confessing Him, therefore, as our wisdom will not make Him any more our wisdom or make His wisdom find expression in us. What will make the wisdom that He represents find expression in us is our learning from Him, so that we make His ways our ways and His thoughts our thoughts. The more we do this the more His wisdom finds expression in us. And the more His wisdom finds expression in us, the more God’s purpose of teaching men and the rulers and powers in the heavenly realms His wisdom through us is fulfilled.

The question, then, is, “Do we want this purpose of God to be fulfilled in us and through us?” I am asking if we want those of this world and all the angelic beings that be to learn through us that God’s ways are the only true ways to make sense out of life. If we do, then, we must take more seriously our devotion to learning from our Lord Jesus in order that we may know Him better, for the better we know Him the better the expression of His wisdom through us gets (Phil 3:10). And my prayer is that, as we go this week, you will realise that this is God’s expectation on your life and that you are in a position to fulfil it.

Do have a glorious week.

Copyright © 2020, 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 alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)