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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

Title: Don’t be weary in doing good, even in your poverty – May 31, 2020

Beloved: grace and peace be yours abundantly from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I welcome you to another week of this year and pray that, as we move into a new month during it, God’s favour will overflow without measure on your behalf, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

If there is any time that the Scripture that says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers,” should find expression in our lives as believers, it is now. Without doubt, things are very hard for many now because of COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on world economy. And there is really no one that will say that they are not being affected by the whole thing, to one extent or the other. (Cf. Galatians 6:9-10)

Nevertheless, the word of God tells us not be weary in doing good. In other words, we should not allow the current situation of things to take away from us the desire to support others or help them with our resources, time, skills and so forth. It is true that many of us may not have access to as much resources as we used to. But it is not really about how much we give to people; rather, it is about the motivation for doing so.

For instance, Paul says to the Corinthians, “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.” (2Cor 8:12NIV) Did you see that? If it comes from your heart to bless someone else from what you have, God will accept your love gift based on what you have and not on what you don’t have. That is why the Lord once commended in a meeting a widow, who gave just a fraction of a penny as her offering, as having given more than the rich people in the meeting, who brought a lot of money as their own offerings. According to Him, that widow gave everything she had to live on, though all she had to live on was little. So, she gave out of her poverty while others gave out of their abundance. (Cf. Mark 12:41-44)

In like manner, we too can still bless others today, even out of our poverty, if the love and the desire to do so are there. I know that the general thinking is that you give to others only when you have more than enough. But when exactly are you going to have more than enough? Right now, there are people that you are still better than, regardless of how bad your financial condition may seem to be. And if the desire is in you to help, God will definitely open your eyes to see what you can give such individuals.

Paul says this about the church of the Macedonians: “Our friends, we want you to know what God’s grace has accomplished in the churches in Macedonia. They have been severely tested by the troubles they went through; but their joy was so great that they were extremely generous in their giving, even though they are very poor. I can assure you that they gave as much as they could, and even more than they could. Of their own free will they begged us and pleaded for the privilege of having a part in helping God’s people in Judea.” (2Cor 8:1-4GNT) Look at that. These brethren gave to help other believers, even in their poverty. More so, they begged to be given the privilege to do so. Why? It was because they saw that those other brethren had legitimate needs, which God could use them to meet from the little they had.

So, I am not saying you should use your resources to sponsor laziness or irresponsibility in others; neither am I saying you should use the little you have to enrich someone that perhaps has more than you do. Rather, I am saying you should allow God to use you to make someone that is really in need smile during this period of international crises. So, watch out for opportunities to help those in need around you, especially those of the household of faith, and utilise them. And as you do this, God, who sees everything, will make sure you are duly rewarded at the right time.

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

Don’t lose your mind because of them – May 24, 2020

from pastor's desk

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you to the last week of the month of May 2020. My prayer is that God will strengthen your heart to remain true to Him to the very end, regardless of what men may do against you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

One of the things we learnt from the earthly life of our Lord Jesus is devotion to God, even in the face of rejection, betrayal and denial of men. Here is One who fully gave Himself to doing the will of God in all things (John 8:29). Yet men, including those who benefited tremendously from His life and ministry, rejected Him. Even those who had the rare privilege of fullying sharing in His great life and ministry, at some point, denied and abandoned Him because of fear. That is besides the fact that it was one of them that betrayed Him and handed Him over to those who wanted to take His life. And he did that out of greed.

Nevertheless, in the face of all these things, our Lord Jesus stayed true to God to the very end. He did not lose His mind because He was ultimately rejected, betrayed, denied and abandoned. Painful as all this might have been, He did not become bitter. Instead, He committed His soul to the One who was able to deliver Him and also asked for forgiveness for all those who treated Him wickedly (Luke 23:34&36). Therefore, God answered His prayers, honoured Him, exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee must bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Phil 2:9-11).

Similarly, Paul the apostle experienced the rejection of his own people, the Jews, even though he had given his entire life to doing the will of God, their God. Not only that, at some point in his life, he was abandoned by many among the people of God, including some of his own ministry associates, people that his life and ministry had been a blessing to. (Cf. 2Tim 1:15-18 & 4:9-10&16) But did he lose his mind because of this and withdraw his devotion to God? No! Or did he become bitter, resentful and malicious because of the rejection and betrayal he had experienced? No!

Instead, Paul cast himself totally on God for safe-keeping and also offered prayers of forgiveness for all the brethren who abandoned him, so that God would not hold it against them. And God answered him and kept him safe to the end of his earthly race. (Cf. 2Tim 4:16-18) This was why he was eventually able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2Tim 4:7-8NIV)

So, even if all hell is let loose against you, and you are being rejected, persecuted, abandoned, betrayed or denied by men, including those you love and those who have been blessed by God through your life, don’t lose your mind or throw away your devotion to God. Instead, follow the examples of our Lord Jesus and Paul the apostle by doing what Peter says. And what does he say? He says, “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” (1Peter 4:19NIV) Did you see that? If you are suffering while doing the will of God, don’t lose yourself. Instead, commit yourself to your Creator and continue to do good. And at the appropriate time, you will be rewarded for your steadfastness and trueness. May the God of all grace and comfort be with you. Amen.

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: Finding rest – May 17, 2020

from pastor's desk

Beloved: grace and peace be yours abundanty from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. I am pleased to welcome you into another week of the month of May 2020. My prayer is that your life will experience God’s rest in every way in the week and throughout the remaining part of the year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now I offered that prayer for you because it is in keeping with God’s will for you. What I mean is that it is God’s will for you to have rest, absolute rest, in every area of your life. That is why He says to us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matt 11:28NIV) This is a free invitation to everyone who is troubled and is bearing loads of life that are crushing him. The Lord says to him, “Come to me, and I will give you rest.” If He did not have what it takes to give us rest, He would not say, “Come to me, and I will give you rest.” It is because He has what it takes to deliver rest to us from all the things that are troubling us and making us tired of life that He tells us to come to Him for rest.

So, you don’t have to allow any problem of life to destroy you or drive you mad. You don’t have to allow any situation to take charge of your life and turn you into a beast or a slave. All you need is to come to Jesus for rest, and He will give it to you. I mean that the Lord will give you rest right here on earth. Yes, the rest He intends to give to us is beyond something that we enjoy only in this world. Rather, His intention is to give us eternal and permanent rest from every problem of life.

However, while the earth and all the problems that are associated with staying in it still remain, the Lord wants us to have rest in it. And He has been giving those who come to Him rest in it. For instance, we are told this about King David: “After the king was settled in his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him, he said…” (2Sam 7:1-2NIV) Look at that. The Lord gave David rest from all his enemies around him. So, he settled down in his palace to enjoy his life and kingship. But that did not happen overnight. I mean that he did not come to this place of rest overnight. Only God Himself knows what number of miracles He had to perform in order to bring him there.

As we are told in the bible, this man was ordained to be king at a very tender age, when he was but a boy (1Sam 16:1-13). But did he ascend the throne the day after his ordination by God? No! Instead, even though he was a man after God’s own heart, he went through what many today would call ‘hell’ before he got there. He was persecuted, hunted, robbed, slandered and even betrayed on his way to the throne. And even after becoming king, troubles, wars and betrayals did not vanish from him overnight. They kept on coming for him. But because in all these things, he set the Lord continually before himself and lived according to His word, he was preserved (Ps 16:8). Then there came a time in which even those around him could say, “The Lord has given this man rest from all his enemies around him.”

Now the same God that gave David rest from all his enemies around him is the one we are dealing with. Yes, He is the one that says to us, “Come to me, and I will give you rest.” And if you have come to Him, then, rest is already available for you to enjoy. But someone may say, “I have come to Him. Yet I am not enjoying any measure of rest in my life. My life is still full of troubles that are weighing me down and seeking to utterly destroy me. What, then, is the problem?” Well, the problem is that you have not learnt how to take His rest and make it yours.

See, the Lord does not just say, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” He also says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matt 11:29-30NIV) Did you see that? The only way to find the rest that God has given is to walk with Him and learn to do things His own way. Even though you have come to Him, as long as you are trying to solve your life’s problems in your own way, you will never find the rest He gives. But the moment you quit using your methods and schemes and start listening to Him and acting on His instructions, you will start finding His rest in your life. Yes, He may have to daily perform a million miracles for you to experience His rest. But what does it matter? He will do whatever He has to do to make sure that someday you are able to look around and say, “Blessed be God, who has given me rest on every side from all that seeks to destroy me.”

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

He will keep sending in labourers – May 10, 2020

from pastor's desk

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you to another week in the month of May 2020. My prayer is that God will make you flourish like never before in it, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

This Sunday marks exactly eight years that we have been meeting together as an assembly in this town. And when we started, it did not look like we would be able to stand at all in the eyes of those who think they are in a form of competition with other assemblies of God in their locality. Some even told it to our faces that our coming together like that was a mistake – we should never have allowed it to happen. And to say the fact, why should there be another assembly of God’s people in a town that already has many? The reason is simple: the work of the kingdom of God is enormous, and God requires as many diligent and faithful hands as He can get to do it.

Remember that Jesus once said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send labourers into His harvest field.” (Cf. Luke 10:2) So, even though there are many assemblies of God all around, there are yet countless unsaved people in our world that need to be reached with the gospel and discipled in the will of God. Besides, how many of those who are in these assemblies of God actually belong to Christ and are not mere church meeting goers? And even among those who belong to Christ, how many are actually labouring together with Him?

Therefore, when the Lord finds anyone that is willing to labour with Him faithfully and diligently, He will send Him forth and also equip Him to do His work. And this is exactly the point He is making in the parable of the landowner that went out at different times of a particular day to hire different people to work for him. As the account shows, the man kept going out to the very last working hour of the day to recruit more people to work in his farm. Why? It was because the work was enormous. So, his concern was not that some of the workers may feel threatened by the coming in of others or that they may begin to see the whole thing as some form of competition. Rather, his concern was that his work may be done well and faithfully and be completed within the amount of time available. And if it was by getting more people involved in the work that the result he wanted was going to be accomplished, he was more than willing to get them. (Cf. Matt 20:1-16)

In like manner, the Lord is not going to stop raising more labourers and sending them into His field of harvest, just because some are going to feel threatened, unhappy, uncomfortable, jealous or bitter about the whole thing. Inasmuch as sending more faithful people in is what will get Him the results He desires, He will keep sending them in until the very end. This is why we should never feel threatened or frustrated when we see God raising more people around us to do His work. And we should never compete with anybody in doing the work of God, for nobody can do our own part of the work, if we do not neglect it. So, our focus should be on doing our own part of the work faithfully and diligently to the very end, bearing the fact in mind that none of us has what it takes to do all that the Lord wants done. Each of us will only do what God has assigned him and also enables him to do. (Cf. Eph 4:7-16)

Then we should not feel bad because somebody will not join our own group of believers in doing the Lord’s work. Inasmuch as they are true children of God and are devoted to Him, we should let people live for God and serve Him where they feel most comfortable. When the apostles complained to the Lord about a man that was driving out demons in His name and was not one of them, He simply told them that they should let him be. Why? It was because the man was not against them but on their side, for He was doing the Lord’s will, even though he was not in their group. And interestingly, the Lord did not tell them to go and call the man to join the apostolic band in order for his ministry to be validated. (Cf. Mark 10:38-40) So, we should not despise anybody’s ministry or consider it to be fake because they are not with our group of believers. Instead, we should bless God for them and pray that they, together with us, will excel with whatever work the Lord has assigned to us.

Well then, as we start another year of sharing our lives together with God and with one another, I want you to join me in thanking God for loving us and for touching our lives the way He has been doing. I also want us to thank Him for enabling us to be firm and consistent in doing His will during these eight years. More so, we should thank Him for all the lives He has blessed and affected for good through us. And as we begin a new year of fellowship with Him again, my prayer is that our hearts will be strengthened to receive and enjoy all that He has in store for us.

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: How to maintain fellowship – May 03, 2020

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours immeasurably from God our Father and Jesus Christ our precious Saviour and Lord. I am pleased to welcome you into the month of May 2020 and pray that it will overflow with God’s goodness for you and your home, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now, as we begin this new month, I want to remind you of how important it is for you to stay in fellowship with the people of God. Yes, I know that because of the current situation of things in the world, we all are experiencing some degrees of limitations in the kind of access we have to one another. We are unable to meet together in the same place, as we used to. And we are not even able to visit one another freely in our various houses, as it is appropriate for us to be doing.

Nevertheless, we must never forget how important it is for us to stay in fellowship with one another. This is so that we may continue to mutually edify and watch over one another and that Satan may not take advantage of the situation and destroy the faith of many. As some of us already know, there have been brethren that have slipped back into unbelief, immorality, bitterness, covetousness and so forth as a result of the present situation of things in the world. And that is because they are no longer in touch with certain individuals that God has been using to streghten their faith and to guide them in the way of righteousness. Their case is just like the case of King Joash of Judah that lost his way and was led astray to abandon the worship of God as soon as his mentor and spiritual guide, Jehoiada, died. (Cf. 2Chro 24)

So, we need to understand that it is not the will of God for His people to be robbed of the privilege of fellowshipping with one another. Yes, there may be circumstances that will necessitate this. But such circumstances are often not brought about by God but by the devil. And we need to know how to handle them, so that we can frustrate Satan’s purpose and bring about a fulfulment of the will of God in our lives.

How, then, do we do that? The answer is in the Scriptures. And what do they teach about this? First, they show us that we need to maintain in us the desire to stay in fellowship with one another. That is the place to begin. And we see an illustration of this in the way Paul and his ministry partners related to the brethren in Thessalonica. They had been enjoying a beautiful fellowship with these brethren before they were hurriedly asked to leave the city because of persecution. Nevertheless, they maintained in themselves an intense longing to see these brethren and be reunited in fellowship with them, so that they could supply whatever was lacking in their faith. (Cf. Acts 17:1-15; 1Thess 2:17&3:10)

Unfortunately, even though these apostles, especially Paul, longed and tried more than once to visit these Thessalonians, they were unable to get to them. Why? According to Paul, it was because Satan hindered them (1Thess 2:18). Think about that. Paul acknowledged that he was hindered by the devil from doing the will of God in this case. That is why I said, often, it is the devil that brings about this kind of situation in which believers are unable to enjoy together the blessings of our divine fellowship.

In any case, when Paul and his colleagues realized that it was Satan that was hindering them, they decided that even if it was only one of them that would be able to visit these brethren and strengthen them, the person should go. So, as the opportunity showed up, they sent Timothy to them, and God made his trip fruitful. Then they did not stop praying to God to clear the way for all of them to get to these brethren (1Thess 3:10). In addition, Paul took advantage of one of the major means of communication at the time, letter writing, and used it in exhorting and encouraging the brethren. So, even though the circumstances seemed to be against these saints of old, they still ensured that their fellowship with one another was maintained and not broken. That is why they were able to pass on the truths of Christ to generations of believers after them.

In like manner, instead of allowing the present situation of things to destroy or render impotent our fellowship with one another, we too should, of first importance, maintain in us a burning desire to stay in fellowship. Second, we should keep praying that God will clear the way for us to be reunited with our brethren again. Third, we should do our best to take advantage of all the available and legitimate mediums of communications to stay in touch with one another and to keep edifying and strengthening one another. And as we do this, there will be a mighty release of the supply of the Spirit of God for us all to walk in victory over the current world crises and everything that is seeking to destroy our common faith in Christ Jesus.

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: A relevant faith – April 26, 2020

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours immeasurably from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Saviour and Lord. Welcome to the last week of the month of April 2020. And may it be a week of restoration and refreshing for us all, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

For some weeks now Coronavirus has been the major news on everybody’s lips. Everyday and everywhere people are reporting it. And why? It is because of its destructive impact on life in general. Everybody can see, hear and feel what it is doing to people’s health and lifestyles all over the world. So, though we are not happy about it, none of us is surprised that it is the main thing that is now being discussed everywhere.

In like manner, though those of the world may not like it, God’s desire is that our faith in Christ Jesus will be reported everywhere, not just for a while but till our Lord will come and take us to be with Himself. For example, Paul says of the Roman brethren of bible days, “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.” (Rom 1:8NIV) Did you see that? Paul says these brethren’s faith is being reported all over the world. In other words, people are discussing their faith in Jesus Christ everywhere.

But why are people discussing the faith of these brethren? First, it is because of the change they can see in their lives. They can see how they turned away from idol worship, immorality, drunkeness and greed in order to worship God and to wait for His Son Jesus Christ. Also, they can see how they are now doing what natural men find impossible to do – they are living a life of love and a life of righteousness. And these things are so obvious and suprising to everyone that they cannot but talk about them or call one another’s attention to them.

The second reason they are reporting the faith of the Roman brethren is the impact that it is making on their society. People are suddenly realising that there is a new breed of individuals among them that are not morally impotent, deficient or incapacitated. They are seeing that there is a new crop of people that can be trusted with lives, money, properties and so forth, a new crop of people that are constantly full of joy and are peaceable and lovely to be with. So, wise owners of businesses want them on their team or as their partners. Community leaders who truly care about their people want them among their staff. Slaves want them as their masters, and slave masters who have them don’t want to lose them because of the quality of service they are giving them. In short, these brethren are changing the mind of everybody about life and how to handle it meaningfully. There is, therefore, no way they won’t talk about their faith in Christ Jesus and its impact on their world.

Unfortunately, this is not the case with many of us believers today. People are not reporting our faith at all because they cannot see its relevance. They cannot see any good thing it has done to our own lives or homes, not to talk of our society. We have remained the old persons they used to know, that is, if we have not even become worse. I mean that they cannot see any good change our so-called faith in Christ Jesus has brought about in our lives. So, they don’t consider it something worthy of attention or something worthy of reporting.

Now why is this the case? It is the case because many of us who profess to be Christians don’t even understand what it means to be a Christian. In other words, we are not even saved at all – we are just church meeting goers. Then many among those of us who have been genuinely saved are not walking in the consciousness of who we are. We are not walking in the consciousness of the fact that we are the salt of the earth and that our lives are supposed to bring healing, preservation and taste to our world (Matt 5:13). So, we live carelessly and thoughtlessly, giving not much attention to how what we say and do affect those in our world. And the Lord is now saying to us, as we go this week, “This ought not to be so. You should not lose your saltiness in the world and allow yourself to be trampled upon, as it is the case with many. So, wake up and be the salt that you really are to your world, taking advantage of my grace. And before you know it, those in your world will begin to see and talk about the relevance of your faith in me.”

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

Do not put your trust in princes – April 19, 2020

from pastor's desk

Beloved: I am delighted to welcome you to another week of the month of April 2020. And I pray that God will make where you are a place of rest and flourishing for you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

It is clear that many all around the world are confined to their various houses at the moment and cannot freely move around to work or do anything for themselves. And that is because of the rapid spread of COVID-19, which has forced governnments of all the countries in the world to place some degree of restrictions on their peoples. To what extent this is affecting everyone only God can tell. But it is clear that many are not finding it easy or funny at all, which is why there are all kinds of complaints and murmurrings everywhere. I mean that there are murmurings and finger pointing in many places against government leaders, political leaders, community leaders, religious leaders, leaders in the business world and even those who lead various world organisations. And that is largely due to the inability of many of them to provide true leadership and comfort for their people at such a time as this.

But then, the Lord already says to this to us about human leaders, “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.” (Ps 146:3NIV) Did you see that? The Lord says we are not to put our trust in human leaders. And notice that He does not say, “Do not obey human leaders.” We are to obey our leaders, as long as they are not asking us to do something contrary to the will of God (Dan 3&6). This, of course, is good and pleasing to God, who takes no pleasure in rebellion and pride (Rom 13:1-5; 1Pet 2:13-14).

In any case, why does the Lord tell us not to trust in human leaders? It is because they cannot save us from our problems. Yes, they will always promise us heaven and earth and salvation and relief from all kinds of problems and trials we are daily confronted with. But the truth is that even if they have the will to do the things they have promised to do, the ability to deliver does not belong to them but to God (Prov 16:1&9 & 19:21). And if He does not enable them to do as they desire or as they have promised, nothing will ever get done by them.

Therefore, the Lord warns us not to put our trust in them or in any other human but in Him. And why should we put our trust in Him? First, it is because He cares about us (Matt 6:25-34; 1Pet 5:7). Second, it is because He has the ability to fully take care of us (Jer 32:27). Third, it is because He can be trusted all the time (Deut 32:3-4; 1Thess 5:24). No wonder the writer of the Psalm I gave you above goes on to say:

“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them — the LORD, who remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.” (Ps 146:5-9NIV)

Look at that. Blessed is the one whose trust is in the Lord, the Maker and Owner of everything. Why? It is because the Lord will certainly and always take care of him, regardless of what the circumstances of his life might be. Look at the different categories of people the Psalmist mentions in that Psalm and how the Lord takes care of them, though they are weak and helpless. And He will take care of you too, if you will allow Him and put your trust in Him, even during this period when many are filled with depression, distrust and bitterness. So, put your trust in Him, my friend, notwithstanding what your current situation may be. And you will find that He is utterly faithful and dependable.

Do have a 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: Comfort is available in God – April 12, 2020

from pastor's desk

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be multiplied to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to another week of the month of April 2020. My prayer is that the comfort of God will overflow and overwhelm your life all through this period of national and worldwide crises, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Evidently, these are very difficult times for people all around the world. And that is basically because of the partial or total lockdown that we all are faced with. So, those who have money cannot really spend it to enjoy themselves the way they would love to. And those who do not have are agitated because they cannot go out to make some money to take care of themselves. Then those who have or who are suspected to have contacted this horrible disease ‘Coronavirus’ have had to unhappily surrender themselves for isolation and treatment. And families of those who died as a result of the disease also have had to deal with the pains of not being able to give them proper burial or pay their dead bodies their last respect.

To make matters worse, many in different parts of the world are daily confronted with the reality of the incompetence and limitations of their leaders. Many can now see for themselves that their so-called leaders, whether at the national level or at the community level, only care about themselves and are so selfish that all they can think of at the moment is how to take advantage of the present crises to further enrich themselves. This is why their supposed relief measures have become the laughingstock of many. Also, many can now see that their leaders, whom they have literally worshipped for years, are only humans too – they are not God. So, apart from the fact that they too can be messed up by this fast spreading horrible disease, they are equally and terribly limited in terms of capacity to handle certain life’s problems, even though some of them seem to be trying their best to help.

What, then, are we to do in the midst of these terrible times that are driving many crazy? Who are we to turn to for comfort and relief at such a time as this? It is clear that we all need to be comforted and given relief from the evils of these times. But who can we trust to comfort us now? And who actually has the capacity to do so?

Well, Paul, in one of his letters, answers these questions for us, when He says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (2Cor 1:3-4NIV) Look at the way he describes God here. He calls Him the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. So, two things stand out here about the character of God. The first is that He is a compassionate Father. That means He is a Father that will not sit still and watch His children or anyone who reaches out for Him to suffer or get destroyed by their problems. The second thing about God is that He is the God of all comfort. In other words, every measure or form of comfort anybody can hope to have or receive in this life is with God and can only come from Him.

Therefore, at such a time as this, when most people are going crazy because they are distressed and really have no one to trust or depend on, we, who are God’s children, ought to be drawing their attention to the fact that we have a Father who will not only show them compassion but also comfort them. But if we ourselves have not learnt to receive and enjoy His comfort, there is no way we can lead others to do the same. For instance, the reason Paul was able to say through that letter that God is the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort was that he himself had been enjoying His comfort. Then he made it clear that one of the reasons God was comforting them was that they too would be able to comfort others who are in trouble with the same comfort they had received from Him.

So, in order for us to serve as a channel through which others will receive and enjoy God’s comfort anytime, especially now, we must first show that our own lives are receiving and enjoying His comfort. But our lives will not receive and enjoy His comfort, if our hearts are not resting on Him and reaching out to receive from Him all that we need. If we, therefore, want to be fully comforted and also be channels of comfort for those around us during this period, let us set our hearts fully on God. And just as He comforted Job, David, Paul and other saints of old in their times of distress, He will comfort us too and also use us in comforting others with the same comfort we have received from Him.

Do have a week full of comfort.

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: Heart worship – April 05, 2020

Beloved: grace, mercy and love from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. I welcome you to a new week in the year and pray you will be strengthened and kept steady all through this period of worldwide crises, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we start this new week, let me remind you of the words of Jesus to a Samaritan woman that He once ministered to, which say, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:21-24NIV) Why did the Lord say these things to the woman? He said them to let her realise that true worship of God is not something anybody can tie to any particular location; true worship of God is of the heart.

Up till the time the Lord was speaking to that woman, the worship life of the Jews was tied to the temple in Jerusalem. And that was consistent with the instructions given to them in the laws of Moses and the prayers of Solomon in dedicating the temple of worship that he built in his own day (Deut 12; 1Kings 8). But when the Lord came, He began to show the people that what God was concerned about was not the building or city in which they were worshiping Him; what He was concerned about was the heart with which they worshipped Him. And that explains why He would allow the city of Jerusalem and the temple of worship in it to be sacked by an enemy nation, when the heart of His people were no longer with Him (2Kings 25:1-21).

Unfortunately, many of God’s people today, including their leaders, still need to be taught this same truth over and over again. They need to be taught again and again that true worship of God is primarily of the heart. In other words, it is from our hearts that our worship of God must evolve. Our praying, singing, dancing, giving, preaching and every other thing we do in service to God must rise from our hearts. And until our hearts are fully and truly involved in whatever we are doing for God, we can be sure that it can only be taken by Him as vanity – a waste of everything (Mark 7:6-7).

So, worshipping God is never about any place or structure; rather, it is ever about the heart of those who are worshiping Him. Sadly, for many today, the worship of God is about structures, places or facilities. This is why a lot of kingdom resources is being put into the erection of magnificent structures and acquisition of all kinds of expensive facilities today. While it is true that God’s people, depending on the times they find themselves, may need to have access to some structures or facilities, we must never make them think that they cannot do without such facilities. Facilities and structures, however important they may seem to us, are not God and should never take His place in our lives. Also, facilities and structures are not human beings. So, they cannot worship God. It is the use we put them to, then, that determines whether God sees them as useful or not.

See, true worship is about God and the people who are worshipping Him. Once God is out of the question, then, all we find is idolatry – the worship of things, organisations or people. And once people (their hearts) are out of the equation, then, all we find is noise and no worship at all. So, for us to have true worship, first, we must see God as the centre of it all. Second, we must understand that we are really the ones that He wants and that can worship Him. And as long as our hearts are fully with Him, He is fine with us and our worship, regardless of where we are and what material things we are using to serve Him. But if our hearts are not with Him, then, there is no worship of Him, regardless of what expensive things or structures we are employing in our worship.

Finally, remember that the apostles of old equally show us through their writings that the real temple of God is made up of people and not earthly structures, however magnificent they may be (1Cor 3:16-17&6:19-20; 1Pet 2:4-5). So, at such a time as this, when most people cannot access the places they have tied their worship life to because of the spread of Coronavirus, I want you to know that you can still worship God adequately and appropriately. All you need to remember is that you yourself are the temple of the living God, not those structures or places you used to go, and that your heart can offer Him true worship from wherever you are.

Do have a peaceful 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: How long will you wait? – March 29, 2020

from pastor's desk

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I welcome you to another week of this year and pray that it will be a week of rest and peace for you in all ways, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now, as we begin this new week, I want to admonish you with Joshua’s words to the Israelites, which say, “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?” (Josh 18:3NIV) Evidently, at the time Joshua said these words to the children of Israel, some part of the Promised land had been taken over by the people. In fact, records show that he had already led them to conquer thirty-one kings and their lands (Josh 12:7-24). Yet there were still very large areas of land for them to take over (Josh 13:1-5).

Unfortunately, it seemed at that time that the people were already comfortable with what they had. So, they were not making any move to take over the remaining lands and begin to enjoy them, as God expected. And this was displeasing to Joshua, who had patiently laboured for years to see that they fully came into what God had promised them. Therefore, he charged them with these words: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?” In other words, he was saying to them, “God has already given you this land to possess and enjoy. What, then, are you waiting for? Why are you not yet taking it over to possess and enjoy? Or are you expecting God to force you to do so?”

In like manner, there are things that God has already made available for every one of His children to possess and enjoy in Christ Jesus. And it is on each of them to find out what these things are and to embrace them for their enjoyment. God is not going to force us to take hold of His provisions for us. We are the ones that must want what He has provided enough to go for them. For instance, we know that He has already made provisions for us in Christ Jesus to walk in victory over sin, sicknesses, diseases, failure, poverty and every work of darkness. And it is now on us to go for a life of victory over these things. But if we ourselves don’t seriously want to experience them in our lives, it may take us forever before we begin to take steps of faith towards enjoying them.

Also, there are works God wants every one of His children to be doing for the advancement of His purpose here on earth. And He has already provided all that we are going to need to do these works. But if we are distracted, lazy or afraid, it may take us ages before we start doing them, that is, if we ever make any move to do them at all. This explains why there are many highly gifted children of God that are redundant in the kingdom.

In any case, the Lord is asking us right now, “How long will you wait before you start taking hold of all my blessings for you to be the persons you are supposed to be? And how long will you wait before you begin to do those good works I have appointed and gifted you to do?” Now nobody can answer these questions for any of us. Each of us must answer them for himself. But we must remember that we don’t have forever to enjoy those blessings of God that are meant for us to enjoy here on earth. What I mean is that there is not going to be a carry over of the things that are meant for us here on earth to heaven. If we fail to use what is provided for us here, when we have the opportunity to do so, then, that is our own loss. We won’t be needing any of those things in the kingdom we are being led into.

In addition, we don’t have forever to do those works God wants us to do here on earth. A time is coming when all such works must cease (John 9:4). And whatever we fail to do right here and right now is lost; it cannot be credited to our account. This is why we must wake up and begin to take advantage of God’s grace for us to do the things He wants to do and to live fully the life He has designed for us to live. And my prayer is that our hearts will be strengthened and encouraged not to waste God’s provisions for us to live excellent and meaningful lives right here on earth. 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)