Category: Fire in my Bones

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

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date June 30, 2021
2 Comments on What will you ask for? | Pst. J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Fire in my Bones

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

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date June 23, 2021
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fire in my bones

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tags Fire in my bones, Learn to deliver on time

Fire in my Bones

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

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date June 19, 2021
No Comments on What is your excuse? | Pastor J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tags What is your excuse

Fire in my Bones

Why they may not want to help you? – June 02, 2021

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date June 2, 2021
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fire in my bones

Series: Youth for Jesus|Number: Vol. 4, No. 3

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.” (Luke 15:13-16NIV)

One of the excuses people who are living in poverty often give is that no one is willing to help them or give them anything. And it is true that many today who are in a position to support or lift those around them usually don’t want to do so. Why? A lot of times, it is because they are ignorant of the mind of God about greed, selfishness and generosity. But it is not every time that people do not want to support others because they are greedy, selfish or ignorant of the gains of generosity. There are times that they do not want to do so because they just cannot trust those they want to help with the help they want to give them.

For example, almost twenty years ago, a beloved elderly woman that I met in church tried to help me start a business by freely providing me with books to sell. She did that because she felt that the business, if managed well, would soon enough put me in a position where I would have access to more resources to function well in life. And I was so sure that I would do well with it since it was something I really loved to do.

But loving to do something is not synonymous to knowing how to do it and prosper with it. Many have gone into certain businesses or professions because of their love for them. Yet they failed and got frustrated out of them because they did not have what it takes excel in them.

Well then, though I loved that business, I did not pay enough attention to what those who were helping me to handle the books were doing. I also did not settle down to create a system that would ensure that the business was progressive and protected. Therefore, before I knew it, the books were all gone and there was no money to pay the person that helped me with them.

Now, for a while, I tried to avoid the woman that helped me set up the business, giving her all kinds of excuses for not showing up to pay back her money as scheduled. And later, when I could see that what I was doing was getting me nowhere, I went to meet her and told her the whole truth. Did she get angry with me? No! Rather, she appreciated the fact that I opened up about the whole matter. She also encouraged me greatly not to give up and cancelled by debt. But did she give me more books to start all over again? No! Even if she had offered to give me, I would most likely have rejected the offer, out of fear that I might disappoint her again.

Consider, then, how this woman would likely treat any other person that came to her after my case for financial support or help? Would she readily agree to support them? I don’t think so. And would she not think twice before she would commit her hard-earned resources into the hands of someone that may prove to be unprofitable? Certainly, she would.

What is the point I am making, then? It is that you should not just be praying and looking for help or support to rise in life; you should also be preparing yourself not to waste whatever help God eventually sends to you. You may think your problem is that there is no one to help you or lift you. But that may really not be your problem. Your problem may be that you don’t yet have what it takes to handle that sum of money or job that God will want to make available to you. And if He should go ahead and give it to you, you may end being another prodigal son.

If we take the story of the prodigal son literally, what was his problem? Was it that he left his father’s house to go and stay on his own? No! On the contrary, it was that he lacked the wisdom and financial intelligence needed to manage the wealth he was given. So, he ended up wasting everything and shutting many doors of favour against himself. As the account goes, when he got into trouble, nobody but his father wanted to help him? Why? It was because they knew him to be irresponsible with money.

In like manner, there are many like the prodigal son today who are living in abject poverty, even though they are being well-paid at work or had in the past been blessed with well-paying jobs or great financial support from some friends or family members. Some even won huge sums of money in lotteries and so forth or inherited great wealth from their parents. Yet they are now swimming oceans of poverty that they created themselves. So, nobody is interested in helping them or associating with them. And unless they seek God’s face for favour and submit themselves to be taught how to be responsible with one’s resources, skills or education, however little these things may be, they may end up dying in that condition.

So, if you sense that people don’t want to help you or support you, even though you are praying for God’s favour, it may be that they just don’t trust you. You, then, will have to show that you can be trusted with more resources, a better job or a higher position by making the most of what you have and where you are now. Show everybody how much you can accomplish with the little resources you have or with the low state you are in. And God, who is watching you and who alone has the power to lift up, will consider you and move people and situations to lift you up in due season, if you don’t give up and would also keep yourself humble (Luke 16:10-12; 1Pet 5:6).

Tags Fire in my bones

Fire in my Bones Relationship (Singles)

When primitive men are better | J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date May 26, 2021
No Comments on When primitive men are better | J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones

Date: May 26, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 2

“Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute. Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah.” (Gen 4:19-22NIV)

We often refer to the first set of men and women that walked the face of this earth as primitive, and rightly so. They were crude, simple and unenlightened in many ways, according to the standards of today’s world. But these people were not stupid, dull or unintelligent. On the contrary, they were highly intelligent and sound.

For instance, as we are told in the bible, though Adam, the first man, walked around naked while he was still in the Garden of Eden, he was super intelligent enough to name all the animals in the world, as well as the birds of the air (Gen 2:19-20). So, you cannot measure the level of intelligence of someone or their ability to do big things in life merely on the basis of what they put on or where they live.

Another thing about the so-called primitive people was that they drove their minds to work in order to discover their various abilities and use them to make life better and easier for themselves. For example, in our opening bible text, we are shown how certain descendants of Cain, the first son of Adam, pioneered animal husbandry, music and blacksmithing. These were supposed to be primitive men. Yet they used their head. They recognised their skills and abilities and developed them. So, they laid the foundation for whatever good things we are seeing or enjoying today in those fields of life.

But remember that there was no well-established system of government at that time apart from the home. So, there was nobody to rely on to create jobs, build roads, provide housing estates, provide security or any of the things that we now rely on the various governments of our countries to provide for us. Everybody had to fend for themselves. Everybody had to examine themselves to see what skills or abilities they had and that they could develop and put to use to make life worth living for them.

Unfortunately, the same thing cannot be said today of many of us who belong to this so-called modern world. That is because we hardly use our head. We hardly consider what abilities, skills or resources we have at our disposal that we could put to use to make life worth living for us and others around us. That is why we often rely too much on the government, certain support organisations and just anybody we find around to set the direction our lives will go for us and how much of life we will enjoy. And as long as we are functioning like this, we will never stop being small people, individuals who are hardly adding any value to the world they live in. That, of course, will make even the so-called primitive people better than us. That is because many of them added much value to the world they lived in.

Now I am sure you don’t want end up in life as a small person. You don’t want to end up as someone who, instead of adding value to the world he is in, is always relying on others to do for him what he can and should do for himself. So, wake your brain up and begin to put it to work. Yes, like the primitive people of old, drive your brain to begin to consider all the possibilities that you can actually explore in life with your gifts, education, skills and whatever measure of resources you have. Then, as you see these possibilities, put yourself to work, to work hard and smart. And who knows? You may just end up being the pioneer of something new the world has been waiting for. Even if you do not pioneer anything, as long as you are exercising your mind to put whatever abilities or education you have to wise and significant use, it is unlikely that you will end up in life as a small or useless person.

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Fire in my Bones

They stayed at a distance | J.O. LAWAL

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date May 5, 2021
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fire in my bones

Date: May 05, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 3, No. 51

“When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”” (Ex 20:18-19NIV)

After God had safely led the children of Israel out of Egypt, their house of bondage, He told Moses to get them ready for a meeting with Him. And part of the instructions he was given was that the people should not come near the mountain of the meeting or go up it until they heard a long blast of a ram’s horn. Otherwise, death would be the penalty. (Cf. Ex 19:10-13)

However, when God eventually stepped on the mountain of the meeting, Mount Sinai, and the people saw His terror, they no longer desired to relate to Him directly anymore. In fact, they would not even go up the mountain again with Moses. They just stayed at a distance from God and His mountain and missed that fellowship experience that would have changed their lives forever. (Cf. Ex 20:21)

Now someone may ask, “Why did God appear to the people in that manner? Why did He have to show them His terror and make them sick with fear? He could, at least, have appeared to them in a gentle and yet majestic way. Then they would not have been so afraid of Him that they would not want to have anything to do with Him again.” Good questions! Good thoughts! But we are not in a position to choose for God how He is to manifest Himself to us. Rather, He is the one to determine how He will manifest Himself to us. Otherwise, His purpose in manifesting Himself to us will not be accomplished.

What I am saying is that God has reasons He manifests Himself to people. And it is the reason for which He wants to manifest Himself to them that will determine the means He uses in manifesting Himself to them. If we, then, do not want to miss the purpose of His manifestation, we need to look beyond the means He is using to Him. In other words, we should not get carried away by the awesomeness of the means He using to reveal Himself to us or get frightened by its terror. Instead, we should fix our gaze on Him. That way, we will be able to experience what He wants us to experience through His manifestation of Himself to us.

In the case we are considering, God chose to reveal Himself to the Israelites the way He did so that they would also know Him as a God to be feared. They had known Him as their saviour and deliverer, one that they could call upon anytime and any day for mercy and help and who would answer. But they also needed to know Him as one who must not be taken lightly, as one who could destroy them, as He destroyed their enemies, if they would not obey Him.

Unfortunately, they did not want to know God that way. They did not want to embrace Him as a God of terror and justice. So, they would not meet with Him or have Him talk to them directly anymore. Instead, they asked Moses to be the intermediary and mediator between them and Him. And that was how they lost the opportunity of knowing God personally and intimately and have their lives changed forever by their knowledge of Him.

Now there are many today like these Israelites, who do not want to have any intimate relationship with God. These ones have no problem accepting Him as a God of goodness, favour and mercy. And they have no problem accepting Him as a saviour and deliverer. But they have problems accepting Him as a God of justice and terror. What they want is a God that is good and kind and who will not punish sin or wickedness. They will be comfortable with that kind of God. But that kind of God does not exist. The true God must not just be loving, kind and merciful but also just and righteous. That is because it is not only His love and mercy that will change our lives and make them right but also His justice and discipline. And until we are willing to embrace His love, mercy, justice, discipline and whatever else He stands for, our lives will never be what they are meant to be.

For instance, why was Moses, whom the Israelites chose to represent them, different from them? Why did he end up becoming a man that God Himself commended as faithful in all His house? He too was a man like them. He too saw the same things they saw, heard the same things they heard and was as afraid of God as they were. But he had a burning desire to know God personally and intimately, regardless of the means He might use in making Himself known to him. Also, he was ready to embrace God in all His fullness, to embrace whatever was revealed to him about Him. So, he approached the thick darkness where God was in order to meet with Him and fellowship with Him. And that experience was not like anything he had had before in his life – it changed his life and ministry forever. (Cf. Ex 20-34)

If we too want our knowledge of God to change our lives forever, we must be willing to know Him in His fullness and regardless of the means He is using to make Himself known to us. And we must be willing to accept whatever He reveals to us about Himself, even if it is something shocking and awesome to bear. That is because, as I pointed out before, it is only as we embrace Him in all His fullness that our lives can be perfected. So, stop relating to God at a distance and stop looking for intermediaries between you and Him, especially since you are not coming to Him in the same manner as did the Israelites (Heb 12:18-24). Instead, freely and boldly draw near to Him through Christ Jesus and embrace all that He is showing you about Himself. And you will be amazed at how your life will be transformed from whatever it is now to all that it is meant to be.

Tags Fire in my bones, may

Fire in my Bones

Watch your love – J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date April 28, 2021
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fire in my bones

April 28, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Vol. 3, No. 50

“Now Saul’s daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased. “I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.”” (1Sam 18:20-21NIV)

One of the things we need to be careful of in this life is what or who we fall in love with. That is because love opens the doors of our hearts and lives to whoever or whatever we are in love with. Therefore, if we are in love with the wrong person or thing, certain wrong things or experiences may just find their way into our lives. And who knows what sort of damage they may cause?

For example, we are told in the bible of how Samson, that great and mighty man of war, fell in love with a woman called Delilah. And because he was madly in love with this woman, he opened up to her about the secret of his power. Was it wrong to open up to someone we love about certain secrets of our lives? I don’t think there is a simple answer to that. It all depends on the measure of confidence we have in the person’s love for us and also on how wise we think they are in handling matters of life. (Cf. 1Sam 16:4-31)

If we are certain that someone loves us, just as much as we love them or even more than we love them, then, it may be okay to entrust certain things about our lives to them, especially if we know that they possess the wisdom to handle what we are entrusting to them. But if we do not believe in the love someone has for us or in their ability to manage information, then, it may not be wise to open the doors of certain areas of our lives for them to come in.

That being the case, we have no business going into a love relationship with anyone that we do not believe in their love for us or in their ability to handle our secrets. Unfortunately, most people who go into love relationships don’t think well about this before they commit themselves to their love affairs. This is why we have many marriages today in which those involved don’t trust their partners with what is going on in their lives. They married people whose love they have no confidence in. So, they often have to keep secrets and look over their shoulders in order for them not be hurt by their so-called lovers.

Now that, of course, is what we see in Samson too. Though he was really in love with Delilah, he was not confident of the woman’s love for him. So, for a while, he kept the secret of his power to himself and kept on fooling her, each time she asked questions about it. But then, when he could no longer bear her nagging, he decided to tell her the whole truth, even though it was clear to him that she was up to no good. And that was the end of him. His love for her became the trap that his enemies used in catching him and making the remaining days of his life miserable.

Therefore, just as our love for people or things can be a blessing, a door through which all kinds of wonderful things may flow into our lives, it can also be a curse, a trap that holds us down for the destroyer to afflict. As we see in our opening text, King Saul saw his daughter’s love for David as something he could use as a trap to catch and destroy him. And if God had not been on the side of that young man, he would have fallen into the trap set for him and died before his time. (Cf. 1Sam 19:11-17)

All of this is why we need to be careful not to fall in love with the wrong thing or person and not to put our confidence in the love of an unfaithful person. Solomon’s love for strange women was the trap Satan used in polluting him and destroying his faith in God (1Kings 11). And Samson’s love for an unfaithful woman was the trap that held him down for his enemies to destroy. Yours may not be love for a woman or man. It may be love for wine, money, fame, games or pleasure. Inasmuch your love is for something contrary to the will of God, as revealed in His word, it will always be a potential trap that Satan can use to afflict you, pollute you or destroy your life anytime. So, watch your love.

Tags love

Fire in my Bones

What kind of light are you walking with? – J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date April 28, 2021
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fire in my bones

April 21, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 3, No. 49

“Make certain, then, that the light in you is not darkness.” (Luke 11:35-36GNT)

Light is anything that makes things visible. In other words, light reveals the true state of things. However, how well we see whatever we are observing is dependent on the quality of light we are using. For example, we know that even though both the sun and the moon give light, the quality of light they give differs. There are things that you can see very clearly under the light of the sun that you cannot see clearly or see at all under the light of the moon. So, if you do not want to make a poor or wrong judgment about those things, you won’t rely on what the light of the moon is showing you about them. Instead, you will wait until you have the light of the sun or some other better lights to examine them.

Furthermore, as powerful as the light of the sun is, it cannot see through our bodies and show us what is inside them. So, we cannot rely on it to examine our bones, intestines and so forth. We need some other kinds of lights to do this. And that, again, is telling us that it is the quality of light we hold that will determine what we see about whatever we are examining.

That being the case, as good, powerful and relevant as all these natural and artificial lights that we daily use can be, they are not sufficient for us to make those decisions that will make life meaningful and worth living for us. For instance, they cannot show us who to marry or who not to marry, what occupations to embark on or not to embark on, what people to keep as friends and what people not to keep as friends, what the future holds for us or what it does not hold for us and so forth. We need a higher kind of light to be able to see these things and make sound decisions about them.

What, then, is that higher light that we need? Is it the light of education or that of religion or that of superstition or that of philosophy? Indeed, education, religion, superstition and philosophy offer people some measure of light that can help them to make sound decisions in some areas of their lives and not get wounded. But the kinds of lights these things offer are also limited in many ways in what they can make people see. There are times that they even cast shadows, leaving people doubtful about what is right or wrong or them to do. And there are times that they do not give light at all about what people need to do about the situations of their lives.

All of this is why people, even with their possession of the light of education, religion, superstition or philosophy, often make foolish and harmful decisions that are capable of destroying them and every good thing they have. And we have examples all around us. We have examples of people who are highly educated but who the light of education they possess could not help them in getting it right in their marriages, finances and so forth. Then we have examples of highly religious and superstitious people that the light of religion or superstition could not help them with their marriages or finances or lead them out of their bondage to certain bad habits that are secretly destroying them.

So then, it is not enough to be confident that we possess some form of light in us to walk through this life; it is equally important that we are certain that the light we have is one that will not fail us when we probably need it the most. And that is exactly the point our Lord Jesus is making in our opening text, when He says, “Make certain, then, that the light in you is not darkness.” That is because if what you call light is darkness, then, you can expect it to fail you, when you need it. But if what you call light is light indeed, then, you have no cause to worry at all, for it will lead you to that place you are meant to be in life and also keep you from stumbling or going astray.

Now the only light that is truly light and that will never fail us is the word of God. As the bible puts it, it is the true light that lights every man that comes into the world (John 1:9). This light does not have darkness in it at all (1John 1:5). So, it does not confuse people or cast shadows of doubts on their paths (James 1:17). Instead, it shows them things as they really are, so that they can make wise and upright decisions about them. And this is the higher light you and I need to possess, embrace and walk with in this world, if we do not want to stumble and fall, and if we do not want to waste our lives pursuing shadows.

So, let us go for the word of God, my friend, which is already fully documented for us in the bible and begin to shine what it says on our lives and our paths. And as long as we are walking and living in its light, we will never stumble and fall or fail to be the people we are meant to be in our homes, marriages, businesses, neighbourhoods and our society as a whole.

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Fire in my Bones

Put it to work – J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date April 14, 2021
No Comments on Put it to work – J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones

Date: April 14, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 3, No. 48

“So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’” (Luke 19:13NIV)

One of the reasons many have remained poor and will most probably die poor and small in life is that they will not put to work the skills, abilities, education or resources they have and increase in usefulness and fruitfulness with them. Why has God given us special abilities or enabled us to acquire some degree of education or put some measure of resources at our disposal? It is so that we may put these things to wise and legitimate use in order to thrive in life.

See, there is no way all of us could have been born into rich and influential families in this life. And there is no way all of could have the same measure of abilities, skills and education in life. But if we are willing, all of us, regardless of our handicaps, can put whatever little resources, abilities, skills or education we have to adequate and appropriate use and shine with it. So, instead of wasting all our energy in complaining about our government, and there is always a lot to complain about every government, or the bad circumstances of our lives, we should focus more on recognising the abilities, resources, education and skills God has put at our disposal and considering how we can make the most of them.

Now it is those who take seriously what God has given them, however little it may seem, and wisely put it to work that will keep experiencing progress or advancement in life. They are the ones He will keep elevating and promoting. And as long as they keep making the most of what they have, they will never be stagnant, poor or small in life. No, they may not become the richest or most influential person in the world. But they will know that they are fine and comfortable in life. And the bible story of a man who gave his servants some money to see what they would do with it over a period of time has a lot to teach us about this.

As the account goes, there was a certain nobleman that was going to receive a kingdom for himself. But before he left, he called ten of his servants and gave each of them some money, actually about three months salary, to work with. And why did he give them this task? First, it was to test their abilities and seriousness in handling little things, so that he may know how to promote them. Second, it was to let them discover themselves. In other words, by giving them that money to work with, he was giving each of them an opportunity to apply his mind and showcase the potential in him to thrive in the face of life difficulties.

At any rate, after a while, when he had been made king, this man came back and called in these servants to find out what they gained with the money he had given them. And the first one that came in told him that he had gained ten times the money he was given. So, his master said to him, “Well done, my good servant. Because you have been trustworthy in handling this little matter, I am putting you in charge of ten cities.” Then another servant came in and said, “Sir, I have made five times what you gave me.” And he said to that one as well, “Well done, my good servant. Because you have been trustworthy in handling this little matter, I am putting you in charge of five cities.” (Cf. Luke 19:1-19)

But then, one of the servants came in and said to him, “Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.” (Luke 19:20-21NIV) Look at that. This servant did nothing with his own money because he was afraid he may lose it and then get into trouble with his master. And so afraid was he that he did not even apply his mind at all to consider any safe business he could invest the money in. He just hid it somewhere and spent his time watching others increase in usefulness and profitability.

However, as his master pointed out when judging him, if he was indeed afraid of being punished for failing, he could at least have put the money in the bank. Then he would have taken it back with some interest. That means it was not really fear that made him do nothing with what he was given; it was laziness of mind. And so, instead for him to be promoted like the others, he was demoted. What he had was taken away from him and given to the one who made ten times what he was given. (Cf. Luke 19:22-24)

That, of course, made those who were watching the appraisal process all the time protest and say to the master of the house, “But this man already has ten minas. Why give him one more?” So, the man answered and told them this life principle: “It is the one who has that will be given more, so that he can have much more. But as for the one who does not have, even the little he has will be taken away from him.” (Cf. Luke 19:25-26)

And is this not very true? Is it not true that those who do not have in this world keep getting poorer by the day and that those who have keep getting richer moment by moment? It is. Why? For the most part, it is because while those who do not have will not just intelligently apply themselves to see how to make the most of what they have, those who have keep thinking of how they can use what they have to get more of the things they want. Therefore, if you don’t want to be among those who keep losing the little they have but among those who keep increasing what they have, take an inventory of all the abilities, skills and education you have and begin to faithfully and diligently to put them to work. That is the Lord’s principle for promotion and advancement in life.

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Fire in my Bones

Are you learning from history? – J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date April 14, 2021
No Comments on Are you learning from history? – J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones

Date: March 31, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 3, No. 4

“Joab sent David a full account of the battle. He instructed the messenger: “When you have finished giving the king this account of the battle, the king’s anger may flare up, and he may ask you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you know they would shoot arrows from the wall? Who killed Abimelech son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn’t a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?’ If he asks you this, then say to him, ‘Also, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.’”” (2Sam 11:18-21NIV)

The message above, which was sent by Joab, Israel’s army commander, to David would never have been set forth the way it was, if David had not been bent of getting rid of Uriah, one of his most dedicated captains and whose wife he impregnated. But that is already history, which we can do absolutely nothing to rewrite. That being the case, the best we can do for ourselves is to see what lessons this history teaches and how we can adequately and appropriately apply them to our lives.

Now one main thing that stands out from what Joab said to the messenger he was sending to David is the fact that he would certainly rebuke them for letting some of his valiant men die because they would not learn from the mistake of the past. And he went on to specifically speak of an instance that David might cite, which was that of Abimelech son of Gideon, who, though was a valiant warrior and schemer, was killed by a woman because he moved too close to the wall of a tower he had wanted to capture. (Cf. Judges 9)

So, Joab had learnt from the mistake of Abimelech that it was wrong for them to move too close to the wall of the city they were fighting. He knew that doing so could get even the strongest among them killed. Why, then, did he allow some of his men to move too close to that city? It was because he wanted to get rid of Uriah in the process. So, it was not because he was not going to learn from the mistake of the past that he did what he did; rather, it was because he wanted to accomplish something evil.

Unfortunately, however, many today who won’t learn from the mistakes of the past are not up to anything cunny like Joab. They are just being foolish and dull. All around them are very perfect examples of people who made certain decisions about their lives, marriages, jobs, children, health and so forth and landed in trouble. Still, they are making the very same decisions that landed those before them in trouble. What do you call that? Stupidity! And they will someday pay dearly for it, if they are not paying for it already.

See, history is for us to learn from. And by learning adequately from it, our journey through life can be made easier and more enjoyable. But if, out of pride or dullness, we will not learn those things that are relevant to our daily living from history, we too will repeat the errors of the past and plunge ourselves into needless sufferings and pains.

One of the things I love about Joshua is that he was a man that took history seriously and learnt from it. For instance, when he was going to send men to go and spy the land of Canaan, especially Jericho, he did not send twelve men as did Moses. Instead, he sent only two. Why? Though we are not given any specific reason in the bible, we can infer that the man was acting on history. He was with Moses when he sent twelve men, one from each tribe of the Israelites, to go and spy the land. In fact, he was among the twelve men sent. But only two of them, he and Caleb, came back with a good report. The remaining ten men brought a bad report and polluted the minds of the people. And it was so bad that all the people ended up spending forty years in the wilderness because of their report, forty years for a journey that took those men just forty days. (Cf. Num 14)

So, when Joshua was going to send his own spies, he did send representatives from all the tribes. Instead, he sent only two men of faith, men that would not bring a report that would make their journey longer and more painful but that would bring a report that would stir their faith in God up. And that was exactly what happened. Those men brought a report that encouraged everyone to get ready to take what God had promised them. (Cf. Joshua 2)

In like manner, we too must not ignore history but learn from it. But we cannot learn from it, if we don’t know it. So, how much of the historical accounts that we have in the bible do you know? And what are you doing with the lessons they teach? Also, what is the history of that house or town you live in? What is the history of that office or organisation you work in? What is the history of that assembly you are fellowshipping in? What is the history of that family you want to marry from? Do you know it? If you know it, what can you learn from it or in what ways can it affect you, whether positively or negatively?

A man called Hiel ignored the history of the city of Jericho and of how Joshua cursed it and lost two of his sons for doing so (Joshua 6:26; 1Kings 16:34). I pray that you won’t have to first lose something very dear to you or even your life before you learn to pay attention to relevant histories and to adequately act on them, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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