Category: Fire in my Bones

Categories
Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

God’s man or another Pilate? | Pst. J.O. Lawal | June 22, 2022 | Youth for Jesus | Vol. 5, No. 6

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.” But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. So Pilate decided to grant their demand. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.” (Luke 23:20-25NIV)

From the passage of the Scripture above, it is clear that Pilate knew quite well that Jesus did not deserve to be punished at all, not to talk of being given a death sentence. Yet he gave him a death sentence. Of course, he did this reluctantly, for as we are shown in a parallel passage, right before the people, he washed his hand with water and said, “I am innocent of the blood of this man.” (Cf. Matt 27:24)

But the fact remains that he gave Jesus a death sentence. He gave him a death sentence, even though it was in his place to release Him and let Him go in peace. He gave Him a death sentence, even though he had examined him and found him guiltless. Yes, he gave Him a death sentence, even though his wife had earlier sent a message to him not to have anything to do with the condemnation or death of an innocent and righteous man.

Now why did Mr Pilate do that? Why did he use his office, which was the highest office in the land at the time, to promote injustice, when the right way to judge was very clear to him? It was because he wanted to please the people; he wanted to go with the crowds (Mark 15:15). Of course, he did not see it that way. That was why he used water to publicly wash his hands off the case. But what was that? That was nonsense. He was in a position to use his authority to save an innocent man from a jealous and ruthless mob. But he would not. How, then, could he think a bowl of water was all he needed to free himself from the sin and guilt of murder?

In any case, similar things still regularly happen in the world today. Here and there, we see people who are in a position to promote justice or what is upright act contrary what to what they know and even believe to be the truth. Why? Fear is always the reason. 

When we are afraid of being different, afraid of becoming unpopular with the majority, we may find ourselves throwing away our sense of justice or our duty to give justice in order to please men. And then we will start looking for ways to justify ourselves by saying things like, “If you can’t beat them, you join them,” or “God sees my heart and knows that I am not in support of this.”

But the word of God says ‘No’ to such things. His word commands us never to follow a multitude to do evil (Ex 23:2). And that is not because our refusal to go with the multitude will be easy in every situation. Rather, it is because the will of God is for us to separate ourselves from every kind of evil, even if doing so will set us against the whole world.

To say the fact, there may surely be times in our lives in which our stand for justice or morality will set us against the crowd or the majority. Yes, there may be times in which our refusal to go with the majority in promoting wickedness, injustice or immorality will be the only chance for righteousness to win where we are. And it will be good of us not to be like Mr Pilate but like God the true judge on such occasions. Otherwise, whatever we do afterwards may not have any power to change the history we have already made.

Pilate made history as the head of a supreme court that sentenced the only sinless man that ever walked the face of the earth to death. Yes, God wanted things to end that way. But Pilate did not have to be the one to make it happen. And you also don’t have to be the one to once again illustrate to the world that the natural man will always choose evil over good, if the circumstances are right, when you can be one of those that will be showing the world that God still has righteous people here on earth that will always do His will, even if they have to go against everyone else. 

Which will it be, then? Will you be God’s man or another Pilate? Or shall I say, “Will I be God’s man or another Pilate?” I guess we all will find out someday in eternity.

Copyright © 2022, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

Categories
Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

When you are not fit to judge evil | Pst. J.O. Lawal | June 15, 2022 | Youth for Jesus | Vol. 5, No. 5

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled, his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he kept quiet about it until they came home.” (Gen 34:5NIV)

As outrageous as the case of Dinah’s rape must have been to her father, Jacob, he did not do anything about it when he heard of it. Why? It was because he was already an old man at the time and his sons were not around. He must have reasoned, then, that there was no way he could possibly deal with the prince that had raped his daughter and not get himself into a bigger trouble or even killed.

Therefore, as the account goes, he waited for his sons to come back home from tending their livestock. And when he told them what happened to their sister, they handled the case. Yes, how they handled the matter surpassed his expectations and even made him afraid. But the fact remains that they did not allow the wickedness done to their sister to go unjudged.

In like manner, even though Joab, David’s most accomplished army general, did certain horrible things that required that he was judged and punished severely, David had to leave his judgment to Solomon, his successor (1Kings 2:5-6). Why? First, it was because Joab was his nephew, a son of his sister, Zeruiah. Second, it was because he was one of those few faithful men who went through everything with him in order for him to be all that God wanted him to be. Third, it was because this man, being very close to David, also probably had some of his dirty secrets, like the murder of Uriah, which he could use against him any time.

So, judging Joab’s acts of wickedness was something David could not handle objectively and without some sentiments or fear of the consequences that could follow. But he knew that the man must be punished for his sins. Therefore, he passed the matter on to his son, Solomon. And Solomon, unlike his father, had no reason to be sentimental in handling Joab’s case. There was nothing good the man did for him for which he needed to reward him or overlook his wrongdoings. On the contrary, Joab was even one of those who did not want the throne to go to him but to his brother, Adonijah. (Cf. 1Kings 1)

Therefore, having become king, he just needed to wait for an opportunity to use his good office to judge this man for the murder of innocent people and perhaps some other acts of wickedness that were not on record. And when the opportunity came for him to do so, when Joab got himself entangled in another conspiracy move, he did not hesitate at all to judge him. (Cf. 1Kings 2:13-35)

What is all this teaching us, then? It is that there are times we are not in a position to judge wickedness, even though it is our utmost desire to see it judged. This may be because we are not powerful or influential enough to judge it or because we ourselves have gotten involved in certain things that make us morally unfit to judge it. It may even be because judging it may mess up certain important relationships for us and put us in some bad light for endangering innocent souls in our pursuit of justice.

Whatever the case may be, we must know when we are not fit to judge evil or wickedness. And whenever that is the case, we should wait until we are fit to do so or wait until we find someone else that is fit to do so and that we can hand the matter over to. Otherwise, we may end up destroying ourselves or other good people and relationships in the process.

Then the fact that we are not fit to judge evil now does not mean we should totally overlook it or act as if it did not exist or as if it were nothing. Evil is what it is. So, we must always condemn it, even where we are not fit to judge it. That way, we will be sensitising our society against it and also strengthening those who have what it takes to judge it to do so at the right time. Otherwise, God Himself may have to step in and judge the evil we have left unjudged in His own way. Then even those of us who have ignored it may not be spared at all. 

Copyright © 2022, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

Categories
Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Get adequate instructions | Pst. J.O. Lawal | June 08, 2022 | Youth for Jesus | Vol. 5, No. 4

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors,” he inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” The LORD answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” But David’s men said to him, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!” Once again David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand.” So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah. (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)” (1Sam 23:1-6NIV)

From our opening bible text, it is clear that it is not enough to find out from God if it is alright for us to do something; it is equally important we find out from Him whether success is sure for us in what He says that we can do or not. David, as we see in the text, was not just satisfied with the fact that God told him that it was okay for him to support the people of Keilah in fighting the Philistines. He also wanted to be sure that doing so would not result in defeat but victory for him. And he got his answers.

But why did David act like that? He must have known that the fact that God tells someone to go ahead and do something does not mean that the person will succeed in doing so. If the person does not ask God questions on how to go about what they want to do or ask Him if they are going to succeed in doing it, they may not succeed. They may, in fact, get killed or injured while acting on the word of God.

For example, we are told in the bible that when God told Samuel to go and anoint David in place of King Saul, he immediately protested. Why? He knew that Saul had become wicked and ruthless, for the Spirit of God had already left him at the time. And if he should carelessly ordain someone else in his place, Saul would most likely kill him. So, he had to express his concern to God about the matter. And God taught him what he would do in order to succeed in the assignment and not put himself in arms’ way. If that had not been the case, if he had simply hurried down to the house of Jesse to anoint David as king in place of Saul, he would most likely have lost his life in the process, even though it was the will of God he was carrying out. (Cf. 1Sam 16:1-14)

Also, we are told in the book of Judges of how the eleven tribes of Israel failed twice to defeat the tribe of Benjamin, even though God was in support of their cause. As the story goes, certain wicked men from the tribe of Benjamin had raped a woman to death. And because their tribesmen would not punish them or hand them over to be punished by the people of God, all the men from the remaining eleven tribes decided to move against them in battle to purge the land of wickedness. (Cf. Judges 19-20)

But they did not just move against these Benjaminites without first consulting God. They consulted Him first, and He asked them to go. He even told them the first tribe to go. But when they went, they met with utter defeat. Summoning courage, they came to God again to ask whether it was alright for them to go to battle against the men of Benjamin. And He said that it was alright for them to go. But when they did, they lost again. In fact, their loss was so terrible that they all came back, weeping and crying before the Lord. (Cf. Judges 20:17-26)

Nevertheless, they inquired of the Lord again the third time to know if they should still go and fight the men of Benjamin. This time, however, God did not just tell them to go but also told them that He would give them victory. And when they went and fought against those evil men, they succeeded. Why? It was because the Lord had said that He would make them succeed. (Cf. Judges 20:27-28)

But why did they fail the first two times they went to battle against the Benjaminites, even though God approved of their going? Though we are not expressly told this in the bible, we can infer from other things said in it that they failed in that manner because they did not get enough instructions from God about the matter. Yes, they asked God if they could go to battle against those people and who should go up first among them. But they did not ask Him about the right time to strike or if they would succeed at all in doing so. So, they failed. And it was just the mercy of God that made them succeed in the final battle; it was not that they learnt their lessons and asked sufficient and right questions.

However, David, who must have read their account in the Scriptures, would not act like them at all in fighting any battle. He would not just ask God if it was okay for Him to engage in any battle; he would also ask Him if he would succeed in doing so. And God always answered him. No wonder he never lost any battle. (Cf. 1Sam 30:7-8; 2Sam 5:18-19)

In like manner, if we too do not want to find ourselves failing while acting on God’s word or instructions, we should always be patient to be adequately instructed by Him. Yes, God has spoken to you about what to do about a matter. But also make sure you find out how to go about it, where to handle it and when to handle it. Don’t run ahead with insufficient instructions about the will of God concerning any matter of your life, even if it is a prophet, an angel or God Himself that has spoken to you. Instead, like Samuel and David, always ask relevant and enough questions from God about any matter you are dealing with. Otherwise, you may often find yourself failing or getting injured while doing His will.

Copyright © 2022, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

Categories
Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

It is uncertain | Pst. J.O. Lawal | May 25, 2022 | Youth for Jesus | Vol. 5, No. 2

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” (1Tim 6:17NIV)

What is the Spirit’s instruction to those who are rich in this present world, as we see in our opening text? It is for them not to be proud or to put their hope in earthly riches. Now, of course, this instruction is not applicable to those who are rich alone but to all men. That is because it is not only those who are rich who can be proud. Those who are poor can also be proud. And I have seen under the sun very poor and lowly people who are full of themselves, just as I have seen under it rich and influential people who are meek and easy to get along with.

So, to say the fact, it is not wealth that makes people become proud. People are proud because Satan has succeeded in making them have an opinion of themselves that does not exist. And wealth may just be the one thing that will underline that pride that has always been in them.

In any case, we all, not just the rich among us, are being warned by the Spirit not to be arrogant or to put our hope in wealth or earthly riches. And why are we warned not to put our hope in earthly riches? It is because they are uncertain. In other words, wealth is unreliable. Yes, wealth is undependable. So, it can disappoint you or put you to shame when you least expect it to do so.

Unfortunately, many do not know this. So, in a crazy fashion, they run around the world, getting involved in all kinds of foolish and harmful things in order to become rich. And will that definitely make them become rich? No! Eagerness for money or earthly riches will not necessarily make you rich or wealthy. And there are millions all around the world today whose lives are proving this to be the fact. They have been running around for money all their lives. Yet they are poor, very poor today. 

Then, even if you have become rich or wealthy, whether through diligent and honest labour or otherwise, it still does not mean that you are going to have the happy, peaceful and rich life your heart desires to have here on earth. And there are many wealthy people today that are not happy. Yes, they are rich in earthly goods. But their riches have not been able to give them peace of mind, a sound body, a great marriage or fantastic children. Why? It is because wealth has no power to give anybody anything God has not given.

Besides all that, wealth can be lost. It can fly away. It can disappear into thin air. As we are told in the bible, in one day, righteous Lot lost all the possessions he had used his entire life to labour for to the fires that consumed Sodom and Gomorrah. And in one day, blameless and upright Job, who was considered to be richest and greatest of all the men of the eastern part of the world of his time, lost everything he had laboured for all his life. Did these men lose their wealth because they were evil? No! Rather, they lost it because life’s circumstances went against them at some point in their lives. (Cf. Gen 19; Job 1; Prov 23:5)

So, the uncertainty of earthly riches can manifest to any man, whether they are righteous or wicked. And if that should happen, what will determine what happens to them afterwards is where their confidence lies all along. If their confidence lies in their wealth and they have been building their lives on it, then, they will most likely perish with it, if it perishes or disappoints them. But if their confidence lies in God, then, He will comfort them and restore them, even if their wealth fails or disappoints them. That was what happened in Job’s case. He did not lose his life and eternity along with his wealth because his confidence was never in it but in God. And though life circumstances really messed him up, God eventually showed up at the right time, comforted him and also restored him. (Cf. Job 42)

Now this same God is always ready to heal, comfort and restore you, regardless of what life throws at you. But you have to put your confidence in Him and not in money or anything else. That is because He is the only one that is certain in His devotion, love and care. But all other people and things can fail you and will fail you, if the circumstances are right. 

Copyright © 2022, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

Categories
Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Don’t overstep your boundaries | Pst. J.O. Lawal | May 18, 2022 | Youth for Jesus | Vol. 5, No. 1

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the LORD followed him in. They confronted him and said, “It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the LORD God.” Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the LORD’s temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead. When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the LORD had afflicted him.” (2Chron 26:16-20NIV)

What led Uzziah to enter the temple of the Lord to burn incense? It was pride. Here was a king that began reigning at the age of sixteen and then went on to reign for fifty-two long years. Even the great King David reigned for only forty years (2Sam 5:4-5). But this man enjoyed many fruitful years of reign as a king over the land of Judah. Why? It was because the Lord gave him rest, good health and success in all his ways. In fact, the Scripture says that this man was marvellously helped by God to become famous, powerful and great (2Chro 26:15).

But then, after many years of enjoying the goodness of God, he began to think of himself as some special breed. At least, he had succeeded as a king, as a military leader, as a farmer and as a land developer (2Chro 26:6-10). So, as he thought, if he should go into priestly ministry as well, nothing should stop him from succeeding. That was why he entered the temple of the Lord with incense in his hands to burn.

However, as the priests in the land boldly told him, it was not in his place to burn incense to the Lord. In other words, he had already overstepped his boundaries. He had taken upon himself to do something that he was neither anointed nor trained to do. As the bible shows us, even those who were anointed as priests at that time could not just show up before the Lord anyhow or offer any kind of incense to him and not suffer for it. 

Why did Nadab and Abihu die before the Lord, even though they were his anointed priests? Was it not because they offered a strange fire before him? (Cf. Lev 10:1-3) Then why did God, through Samuel, tell King Saul that his kingdom would not endure? Was it not because he took up the priestly duty of Samuel in offering some sacrifices to the Lord on an occasion? Yes, he did what he did because he was frustrated and under great pressure from those around him. Nevertheless, he did it at the cost of his kingdom. (Cf. 1Sam 13)

Now these two accounts were well documented in the Scriptures for someone like Uzziah to learn from. But apparently, he learnt nothing from them. So, the very day he overstepped his boundaries to assume priestly functions in the land was the day God struck him with leprosy on his forehead. God struck him with something he could not hide from anybody. So, he had to step down from the throne for his son, Jotham, to reign in his stead. And even when he died, public sentiments would not allow the palace to bury him with his ancestors. Instead, he was buried in a field near them. (Cf. 2Chronicles 26:21-23)

What is the point of this? It is that while it is good to diversify in life, especially when God is increasing us in good things, we must know our boundaries in life and not overstep them. That you are successful in a certain line of business or vocation does not mean that you have what it takes to succeed in any other kind of business or vocation. 

So, if it is not something you are absolutely sure you have abilities or training for, don’t allow pride, greed or the smooth talk of men drive you into doing it. Otherwise, you may meet with utter disgrace by getting involved in it. And only God knows how many successful people that have met with certain death, disgrace, illness or destruction by getting involved in politics or some sort of businesses that they did not have the ability, training, influence or experience to succeed in.

Then, regardless of how successful you may be in life, don’t ever disregard spiritual authority or carelessly interfere in spiritual functions that God has not given you abilities for. Yes, every child of God is anointed and not one of us is more anointed than others. However, each of us has their own place in the kingdom. And it is only by staying in that place where God has anointed you to be that you can prosper. If you should, then, begin to address yourself by a name or title that God has not given you and to take up tasks that He has not gifted you to do, at some point, disgrace or destruction may break out on your forehead. And you won’t be able to hide it. So, mind yourself. 

Copyright © 2022, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

Categories
Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Offer the best | Pst. J.O. Lawal | May 04, 2022 | Youth for Jesus | Vol. 4, No. 51

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“So give orders that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. My men will work with yours, and I will pay you for your men whatever wages you set. You know that we have no one so skilled in felling timber as the Sidonians.”” (1Kings 5:6NIV)

Those were the words of King Solomon to King Hiram of Tyre in his letter to him in which he expressed his desire to build a temple for the Lord. And one thing that is clear from what he said to that king is that he recognised the skills of his men in handling timber. According to him, no one at that time was as skilled as the Sidonians in felling timbers. So, if anyone wanted the best of timbers and was willing to pay for them, they were the ones he must consult and engage.

What is the point of this? First, it is that if you are the best at what you do, even the wisest of men will consult and engage your services. And they will not mind coming from the ends of the earth to find you, simply because you have what they want. So, if people are ignoring your work or trade, it may just be that your skills in handling it are not sharp enough to attract them to you.

Then, if you are the best at what you do, people will be willing to pay handsomely for your services. As we see in our opening text, Solomon was willing to pay Hiram any amount for the services of his men. That, of course, does not mean that he may not bargain at all or ask for discounts. He may do that. But it means that he recognised that those people would be offering him the best of timber services he could get anywhere. So, the power of setting the price to pay did not lie with him but with them.

In like manner, if you are the best at what you do, the power of bargain is with you and not with those engaging your services. So, they will be the ones begging or persuading you for discounts on the goods or services you are providing them. And because they want nothing but the best, because they do not want an alternative to the best, they will not go away from you but stick with you. 

For example, I have observed that there are some brands of items that people keep buying from our family shop, regardless of how costly they get. Why? Those buying these items believe that they are the best around. And since they want the best, they are willing to pay the price for it. 

So, if people are ignoring your work or business, it may not be because your price is too high. Yes, overpricing is one of the things killing some people’s businesses or trade. But truth be told, if you offer the best, those dying to have the best will not mind paying whatever it may cost them to have it.

If you, then, are looking forward to earning more, then, the secret is in offering the best of whatever you do. And why can you not offer the best of what you do? Why can’t you be the best? It is all about renewing your mind. If you renew your mind to be the best at what you do, then, you will give yourself to whatever training or discipline you will need to be the best. But as long as you continue to think that being the best is not necessary or achievable, you will not aim for it. 

Now what you don’t aim for may never be yours. And what is not yours you cannot give. So, if you want to be the best or be offering the best, renew your mind to always aim and go for the best. And may God’s grace overflow over your life to make this happen, in Jesus’ name. Amen.  

Copyright © 2022, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

Categories
Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Your opportunity to learn | Pst. J.O. Lawal | April 27, 2022 | Youth for Jesus | Vol. 4, No. 50

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?”” (John 14:9NIV)

Among the things we must know how to maximise are opportunities to learn. Truly, education, whether in spiritual things or natural things, is never cheap. But there are times in life that we are presented with opportunities to learn or to be educated in certain matters of life free of charge. And what we make of such opportunities at such times may be the difference between failure and success for us in life.

Therefore, wherever you are, always keep your eyes opened to recognise opportunities to learn, especially for free. And once you recognise them, be determined to make the most of them. Pay attention. Ask relevant questions. Volunteer to serve. Go some extra miles. Stay longer than you are required to. Just make sure you do whatever honourable thing you can do to learn whenever and wherever opportunities to do so show up. And you will someday be glad you did.

But will you recognise your opportunities to learn and make yourself better fit to handle life? And if you do recognise them, will you do all you can to make the most of them?

In our opening bible text, our Lord Jesus queried one of His apostles, Philip, for asking Him a certain question? Why? It was because the man had stayed long enough with Him to know the answer to the question he was asking. So, hanging around someone of great knowledge, wisdom or substance for a very long time does not mean we are going to learn anything at all from them or even recognise our opportunities to learn from them.

Rehoboam, son of Solomon, was forty-one years old when he became king in his father’s place (1Kings 14:21). So, he must have had at least thirty years of diverse opportunities to learn from his father, Solomon. Yet when he became king, he proved through his conduct that he did not learn enough from his father to sustain the kingdom he had handed down to him. Yes, his father was the wisest man that ever lived before our Lord Jesus came. But all that did not matter, seeing that he did not make the most of the privilege and opportunities he had to have such a man as his father.

Perhaps you too are now making the same mistake Rehoboam made. You are ignoring or despising the opportunities or privileges you have to learn where you are or from certain people you are living with, working with, studying with or fellowshipping with. You need to wake up before it is too late. You need to drive yourself to learn as much as you can from them before the opportunity or privilege to do so is totally or finally taken away from you.

See, laziness, procrastination, pride or lack of concentration will not help you in this matter. These things are your enemies. So, you need to get rid of them along with any other evil trait that is preventing you from making the most of your opportunities to learn. Otherwise, a day may come when you, like Rehoboam, will lose what God has already graciously given you because you did not get enough knowledge, wisdom, understanding or discipline when you should have. 

So then, let those words of Jesus to Philip wake you up from your slumber, as you ask yourself, “I have been here for such a long time. But how much I have learnt?” 

Copyright © 2022, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

Categories
Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Familiarity that breeds contempt | Pst. J.O. Lawal | April 13, 2022 | Youth for Jesus | Vol. 4, No. 48

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.” (Matt 13:53-58NIV)

Why couldn’t Jesus do many miracles in his own home town, among His people? Unbelief! But why were they unbelieving? They were unbelieving because they allowed their familiarity with Him to result in contempt for Him.

As the account shows us, these people thought they knew Jesus well. That was because He and His siblings grew up among them. They knew their parents. They knew their family occupation. And while He and His siblings were growing up among them, they most probably did not show any special sign that they would be better off or greater than other children in the town. But what they did not understand was that they only knew Jesus as a natural man; they did not know Him as a spiritual man. They did not know who He was on the inside and what measure of authority He carried in His Spirit.

So, when He began to teach them and to perform miracles, they were shocked to their bones. And instead for them to rejoice that God was using one of their own sons to do big things in the land, they allowed bitterness to take roots in their hearts against Him. So, they began to ridicule Him and to tell useless stories about His past and His years of growing up among them. And by doing so, they shut the door against God’s blessings of healing, deliverance and restoration that could have been theirs.

In like manner, many today are allowing their familiarity with certain family members, neighbours, friends or church members to hinder the flow of God’s blessings in their lives. But the fact that you are close to someone, see them every day, live with them or eat with them does not mean that you know the place they hold in God’s scheme of things. So, do not allow your exposure to their natural state to become the very thing that will hinder you from enjoying the goodness of God through their lives. Instead, see how you can make the most of it in experiencing God’s favour, exaltation, healing or restoration.

For example, though Mary was Jesus’ mother, the very mother that nursed Him as a child and brought Him up with the word of God to be a man of character, she did not allow that to prevent her from seeing the spiritual man in Him. That was why she was instrumental to the first miracle He performed at Cana in Galilee, the miracle of turning water to wine. (Cf. John 2:1-11)

Also, though Hanani was Nehemiah’s brother, he did not begin to treat his brother with contempt when he became the governor of Judah. He did not go around town messing up and saying, “What can Nehemiah do to me? Is he not my brother? He may be your governor, but he is my brother. So, I can relate to him as I please.” If he had behaved like that, he would most probably have ended up being killed by Nehemiah’s guards. But that man so conducted himself well that Nehemiah later entrusted the whole city to him, for he considered him to be a man of integrity and one that feared God more than most people. (Cf. Neh 7:1-2) 

So, if God has caused those close to you to be great in one way or the other, don’t allow your closeness to them breed contempt in you for them or bitterness in you against them, so that you begin to misbehave as you relate to them. Instead, learn how to relate to them with respect and caution, so that whenever the opportunity arises, their greatness will serve you well.

Then, don’t ever assume that the greatness of someone close to you will certainly or automatically work for your good, whether you have character or not. If the person is truly a great person, then, they will not use their greatness to sponsor or promote you, if you lack character and diligence. So, if certain great people in your life will not help you, you may want to check out your life for character and diligence. And even if, though you have these things, the great people in your life will still not notice or support you with their greatness, don’t be upset or bitter against them. Instead, rest your matter in God’s hand, for no one, however, great they may be, can help you, if He does not help you.

Copyright © 2022, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

Categories
Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

A false sense of security | Pst. J.O. Lawal | April 20, 2022 | Youth for Jesus | Vol. 4, No. 49

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come!” (Amos 6:1NIV)

When reports of what King Xerxes had decreed against the Jews, at the instigation of Haman, came to Esther’s ears, she was indeed distressed. But she did not see how she could be of any help to them, neither did she sense that she herself was in danger. And it took some very harsh words from her uncle, Mordecai, for her to deal with the false sense of security she felt she had in the king’s palace. (Cf. Esther 4)

As the account goes, the edict of the king was for all the Jews in his kingdom to be annihilated on a certain day. And though Esther was the queen, she too was a Jew, something unknown to the king at the time. So, the edict was going to affect her as well, once it was brought to public notice that she was a Jew too. That was because the edict given was irrevocable. It couldn’t be changed or altered. So, in order to save the Jews, another edict had to be issued by the king, giving them the right to defend themselves against any form of hostility. You can see, then, that if Esther had been complacent because she was the queen and had done nothing to help her people at that time, though she was in a position to do so, her false sense of security would have been her undoing. (Cf. Esther 8)

In the same vein, there are many today that are carrying around a false sense of security in places where disasters are already brewing. They think because they are in certain positions in life or are related to certain people, no harm will come to them. But the disasters that they think will not come to them will surely come to them and in fact overtake them. Why? It is because they are failing to utilise the positions they are in or the influence they have at the moment to end or prevent the evil that is about to swallow them and their people up. 

As we see in our opening bible text, God was once angry with certain leaders of His people and was also set to bring judgment on them. Why? It was because though the people were looking up to them to use their positions and influence to save them from their miseries, they were doing nothing to help them. And why were they doing nothing to help them? It was because they had a false sense of security. They felt that the problems of their people would never become their personal problems. They felt that their wealth, position and influence would be able to save them from whatever calamity that would befall the land. 

But they were wrong. They were wrong because God, the true judge of all, could see their complacency, hypocrisy and selfishness. And He was determined to make them the first among those would experience the coming calamities. (Cf. Amos 6:1-7)

Therefore, if you are in a position to alleviate the sufferings or pains of any group of people that you are a part of, don’t be complacent about it. No, do not think that their problems will never affect you or become yours because of certain measure of security your position, money or influence now offers you. That is because if you fail to act on time, God will soon enough make you see that what you have is a false sense of security. Then the problems you have always thought would never be yours would not just become yours but may also end up swallowing you up.

Copyright © 2022, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

Categories
Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Don’t be a stumbling block | Pst. J.O. Lawal | April 06, 2022 | Series: Youth for Jesus. | Vol. 4, No. 47

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.” (Matt 23:13NIV)

What is the Lord accusing the Jewish religious leaders of in our opening bible text? He is accusing them of being stumbling blocks to the people of God. But how are they being stumbling blocks to them? It is by preventing them from doing the will of God through their teachings, practices and traditions.

As the Lord points out, it is bad enough that these leaders have no intention to do the will of God in their personal lives and affairs. But by deliberately doing things that will keep others also from doing His will, they are heaping up His wrath on themselves. And that is why the Lord says, “Woe to you…” In other words, it will be much worse for these religious leaders than the people they are misleading when God’s judgment eventually comes.

What is the point of this, then? It is that we need to be careful not to be a stumbling block to anyone that wants to do the will of God, just because we ourselves do not want to do it. But why will any child of God not want to do the will of his Father? The reason may be fear, selfishness, envy, pride or complacency. Whatever it may be, we must let it stop with us, if we will not repent of it, and not spread it to others. Otherwise, God will see to it that we surely get the punishment we deserve for sponsoring or encouraging rebellion against Him.

For example, why would Korah, Dathan and Abiram not accept the leadership of Moses and Aaron? Envy! And if they had allowed their envy to live and die in them and among them, God may have spared them. But they allowed it to spread to several other leaders of the people, so that their rebellion against the will of God began to gain ground. Therefore, God judged them in a most remarkable way. He made the ground swallow them and their families and possessions up. When next you, then, think of sponsoring others in rebellion against God, whether in the church or elsewhere, think also of these men. (Cf. Numbers 16)

Also, why would the Jewish leaders not accept Jesus as their Messiah? Pride! Envy! Greed! Stubbornness! They knew somewhere in their hearts that He was the real deal and that accepting Him was the will of God for them. But they would not accept Him for the reasons I already mentioned. Instead, they began to prevent their people too from accepting Him as their Messiah. Therefore, it would be much worse for them than all the people they hindered on the day of God’s righteous judgment. And if you too, because of greed, stubbornness, pride or envy, have been working against others’ acceptance of the truth of God where you are, know that your sin will surely find you out someday, if you fail to repent on time.

Furthermore, why did ten out of the twelve spies sent out by Moses to spy Canaan not want to go up and take over the land? Fear! Unbelief! And if they had kept their fear and unbelief to themselves, God might have spared them. But they poisoned the whole nation of Israel with these things. Therefore, they were the first to die of a plague before the Lord that very day. (Cf. Numbers 13 & 14)

So, you really need to be careful what you spread among people, especially God’s people. Be careful that you are not spreading things that will promote unbelief, bitterness, fear or rebellion among them. Otherwise, you may end your life before you start enjoying it.

Then, be careful not to allow anyone to discourage you from doing the will of God because of their own personal problems with God or men. In other words, don’t make anybody’s fear your fear, their bitterness your bitterness or their rebellion your rebellion. Or else, on the day they are judged for their wickedness, you too may not be spared.

Copyright © 2022, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)