Category: Youth for Jesus

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: When your background is irrelevant|Fire in my bones

fire in my bones
fire in my bones
Date: December 13, 2023|Series: Youth for Jesus|Number: Vol. 6, No. 31

“Where you began will seem unimportant, because your future will be so successful.” (Job 8:7NCV)

Recently, I congratulated one of my church elder brothers who was just awarded a doctorate degree by one of the prestigious universities in the land. And though the news met me as a surprise, I was really happy and grateful to God for him. Why? First, it was because I remembered where we started from. It was a little town that you could not find on the map of Nigeria of those days. It was really a rural place then and still won’t be considered by many as an urban centre today. Yet, against all odds, some people have risen from that same rural place to become great and mighty in the country. 

So, where you started from in life is not really what is important but where you eventually rise to. You may have started from an obscure and unknown place in life. But once you become successful and great in life, only few people will bother to find out where you started or how you started. What they will be concerned about is how they can be a part of your success or benefit from it.

Second, I was surprised at the news of his doctorate degree award because when we were still the young boys of the church, he did not look like someone that would go on to become an academic. Yes, he was one of our role models then, someone that would master anything he set his heart on to learn. But I personally still did not see an academic in him. Yet, at this moment, what I saw or did not see in him years ago is irrelevant. He is already what he is by the grace of God. 

And there is nothing anybody can do against that.What is the point of that? It is this: that you do not have an impressive look or beginning does not mean you are not loaded with God’s grace to become great and mighty here on earth. So, don’t let how you look or where you are taking off prevent you from dreaming great things for yourself in life. 

Instead, determine to take advantage of the grace of God to utilise to the full all the beautiful things He has deposited in you. And if you will do that, only God Himself can tell how far you will go and how high you will rise in life.Now that, of course, is the point being made by one of Job’s friend (Bildad) in our opening bible text. And though he was misapplying it at the time, we cannot run away from the truth it is communicating. What truth is it communicating? It is that your future can make your background irrelevant. 

In other words, what becomes of your life in the future can make your background, social, academic, financial or spiritual, irrelevant. What, then, will become of your life, when all has been said and done? Will it make your natural or spiritual background irrelevant? If it will make it irrelevant, in what way will it make it irrelevant? Is it going to be on a positive note or on a negative note? The future that that dear church elder brother of mine came into has made his natural background irrelevant on a positive note. 

Everyone will now relate to him on the basis of his new status, a doctor of philosophy, not on the basis of the littleness or insignificance of the town in which he was born and raised. But the same thing could not be said of the prodigal son. He was born and raised in wealth. But all of that, at some point, became irrelevant, since he failed to make the most of it in building a place of greatness for himself in life. (Cf. Luke 15)

Well, the point is that when the story of your life is finally completed, what becomes of you is what will really matter and not your background. My prayer is that you will be led by the Spirit of God to make the most of everything He has provided for you to be all that you can be in this life, irrespective of your background, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

It was nothing but a symbol | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: December 06, 2023 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 6, No. 30

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“When the ark of the LORD’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook. Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, “What’s all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?” When they learned that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp, the Philistines were afraid. “A god has come into the camp,” they said. “We’re in trouble! Nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the desert. Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!” So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.” (1Sam 4:5-11NIV)

Why did the Israelites bring in the Ark of the Lord’s covenant into the camp on the occasion mentioned in our opening bible text? They brought it in because they thought doing so would give them victory over their enemies, the Philistines. And did things go as they had expected? No! On the contrary, they were soundly defeated by their enemies. Not only that, the Ark of the Lord’s covenant that they had brought in to save them was captured and taken away by their enemies.

Why? What went wrong? Well, the problem was that those Israelites made the mistake of misrepresenting the Ark of the Covenant for God Himself. And notice that even the Philistines, their enemies, also made the same mistake. When they heard that the Ark of the Lord’s covenant had been brought into the camp of the Israelites, they were sorely afraid. That was because they felt that God Himself had stepped into their camp and would fight for them.

But somehow, they managed to encourage themselves to fight and fight hard, even if it meant confronting the God of the Israelites. And their courage and bravery paid off. They defeated the Israelites, captured the Ark of the Covenant and took it away to their land, believing that they had captured the God of the Israelites. And did they really capture God? No! But they had to learn the reality about that in a very hard way. (Cf. 1Sam 5-6)

In any case, my point is that the Israelites made a mistake at that time to misrepresent the Ark of the Covenant for God Himself. That was why they tried to use it like a charm to defeat their enemies. But they were wrong. That Ark was not God. That Ark was only a symbol of God’s presence. It, therefore, means that if God Himself was not with them and on their side, the presence of His Ark with them would mean nothing.

Now what God with them and on their side at the time? No! As the account shows us, God was very angry with the people at the time because of their idolatry (1Sam 7:2-4). To make matters worse, their leading priests, the sons of Eli, that were supposed to set them right were also altogether corrupt (1Sam 2:12-17). Yet these men believed that as long as the Ark of the Lord was with them, God was with them. That explains why they were confident to take this Ark into the camp of the Israelites on the day of battle, believing that it was God they were carrying there and that He would surely perform.

But to their shock, God did not perform that day. And He did not perform because He was not with them. All they had with them was a symbol of His presence, not His presence. So, they lost their lives even though they had a symbol of His presence with them. What a shame!

Unfortunately, there are still many like the Israelites of that time who have no understanding that God is not a religious symbol or item but a real person. Therefore, they always expect Him to move on their behalf, irrespective of what they are doing with their lives or their attitude towards His word, just because they are carrying some religious symbols or items around. But they are simply joking.

See, God will not do anything for anybody just because they are carrying bibles, anointing oil, anointed handkerchiefs, anointed water or some crosses around. Those things are merely religious symbols and items, having no power of their own to do anything to or for anybody. So, God can do without them any day and anytime. And even if He decides to use any of them, He will only do so to the degree that the one handling it functions according to His word. If the person using it will not take His word seriously and act on it, he will soon enough find it utterly useless to him.

So, if you are one of those whose trust is in religious symbols and items instead of in God, you have set yourself up for constant defeat. That is because instead of seeing God move on your behalf in the face of life’s challenges, it is your symbols that you are going to be seeing moving. And of what help will those moving symbols be to you, then, if you are not shown mercy by God? Of no help whatsoever!

Likewise, if you are one of those who believe that once you carry certain religious symbols or items around, things will always work together for your good, regardless of what you do, you are simply preparing yourself for sudden destruction or defeat. Remember that the Ark of the Covenant, which was a symbolic presence of God with His people, could not save the sons of Eli when they really needed salvation. And why should it save them? After all, it was nothing but pieces of wood decorated with gold.

In like manner, what you too are carrying around, whether it is made of gold or silver and regardless of who prayed over it for you, is nothing but an item. So, it won’t be able to play the role of God and save you on the day of battle, if God Himself does not save you. And will God want you to save you in your hour of need, with or without your religious symbols or items? It all depends on how seriously you take Him and His word and what measure of mercy He decides to show you. I counsel you, then, to take Him seriously instead of relying on some symbols, for in doing so is real salvation.

Copyright © 2023, 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 Youth for Jesus

A blessing or a curse | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: November 29, 2023 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 6, No. 29

“Noah, who was a farmer, was the first man to plant a vineyard. After he drank some of the wine, he became drunk, took off his clothes, and lay naked in his tent.” (Gen 9:20-21GNT)

Why did Noah get drunk on the wine he had made? He got drunk on it because he did not know that too much of wine was capable of getting someone drunk. Truly, he was the one that discovered that wine could be gotten from fruits. And he made that discovery because God’s blessing of fruitfulness was at work in him.

However, it is not enough for us to discover anything, good or bad; it is also important that we possess adequate wisdom to handle our discovery. Otherwise, a discovery that is meant to be a blessing may end up being a curse.

Noah indeed discovered how wine could be made. And that discovery was meant to be a blessing to him. But it ended up exposing him to disgrace because he did not have sufficient wisdom to manage it. Yes, the wine he made must have tasted very sweet in his mouth and also felt quite refreshing in his body. But since he had never tasted or drunk it before, there was no way he would have known how his body would respond to it.

So, he should not have started by consuming a lot of it. That would have been his wisdom. But without knowing how his body would respond to the wine he had just made, Noah kept on consuming it until it he got drunk on it. So, he unknowingly exposed his nakedness and also ended up placing a curse on one of his grandchildren. (Cf. Gen 9:20-25)

What is this teaching us? Well, as I pointed out before, it is teaching us that it is not enough for us to possess the knowledge of anything, good or bad; it is equally important that we possess adequate wisdom to handle that knowledge. Otherwise, our possession of it may after all not do us any significant good. On the contrary, it may even end up harming us.

The discovery of crude oil in Nigeria, for instance, was meant to be a blessing, a very good thing to us as a nation. But has it been a blessing to us? No! Why? It is because, as a people, we do not have the wisdom to manage it. Yes, we know where the crude oil is located in our land. And we also know how to explore it. In fact, we explore and even export it every day. But has this improved our quality of living significantly as a nation? No! Why? Insufficient wisdom to manage it!

Personally, I am of the opinion that if we had not discovered crude oil as early as we had done, things would most likely have been better for us as a nation. At least, the country was doing relatively well before crude oil was discovered. And that was because those leading us at the time had sufficient wisdom to make use of the raw materials, which were mostly agricultural produce, that were available to them to make life better for us. If we had gotten much wiser, then, before discovering crude oil and the kind of money its exploration could make available to us, we may have been able to manage it better in making our nation great.

Well, my point is that it is not enough for you to labour to discover things or to acquire knowledge; it is also important you continually pray to God fill you with the wisdom to handle whatever knowledge you receive. Otherwise, as Paul tells the Corinthians, knowledge without adequate wisdom to handle it may end up making you proud, insensitive and reckless (1Cor 8). And these things are bound to make you stagnant or destroy you. Is that, then, what you want? Do you want that which is meant to be a blessing to become a curse for you? I am sure that is not want you want. So, don’t just seek to know; also seek to be made wise enough to handle whatever you know.

Cheers!

Copyright © 2023, 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 Youth for Jesus

Title: No one knew what they were|Fire in my bones

fire in my bones
fire in my bones
Date: November 22, 2023|Series: Youth for Jesus|Number: Vol. 6, No. 27

“One of them went out into the fields to gather herbs and found a wild vine. He gathered some of its gourds and filled the fold of his cloak. When he returned, he cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were. The stew was poured out for the men, but as they began to eat it, they cried out, "O man of God, there is death in the pot!" And they could not eat it. Elisha said, "Get some flour." He put it into the pot and said, "Serve it to the people to eat." And there was nothing harmful in the pot.” (2Kings 4:39-41NIV)

Who went out into the fields to gather herbs to cook? It was one of the sons of the prophets serving under Prophet Elisha. And what did he bring in to cook for his people? The gourds (fruits) of an unknown wild vine!Interestingly, when he came back with those gourds and began to cook them, nobody queried him or asked him questions, even though they did not know what he cooking for them to eat. Why? As the account shows us, it was a time of famine. So, food was scarce.

If someone, then, brought something into a house to cook, regardless of what it might be, those in that house may not ask him any questions, as long as there was something to fill their bellies with. (Cf. 2Kings 4:38)That was the situation that those sons of the prophets found themselves in. Because they were all starving, they did not bother to query their colleague about what he was cooking for them, even though not even he could tell them what it was. But it was not long after they started eating it that they all realised that it was poison they were eating. 

And if Prophet Elisha had not been around that day to supernaturally heal them and the food they were eating, the story would definitely have ended differently.Now what is the point of this bible story? It is that we must not allow any situation, however ugly it may be, to drive us into accepting to do something or consuming something that we have no adequate knowledge of what it is. 

Otherwise, we may end up consuming poison or getting involved in something that will ruin our lives before we know what has befallen us.How did some people end up being ruined through prostitution or money rituals? It was because when they were about to be introduced into these terrible things, they did not ask enough relevant questions from those introducing them into them. And why did they not ask enough relevant questions from them? They were desperate to come out of poverty and suffering. 

So, when some people told them that there was a way out, they did not bother to find out what way it was and what taking that way may do to their lives. They just sat down to eat what was set before them. And by the time they found out what was happening, they had taken enough poison to totally destroy their lives. If such people are, then, not shown mercy, they will surely be utterly ruined.In like manner, some have ended up in some deadly secret societies or in the practice of sorcery because they would not ask relevant questions from those offering them help to their problems. 

Maybe they wanted to have children, to become influential, to be healed of certain sicknesses or to be protected from some wicked enemies. Then, in their desperation, they agreed to do what certain individuals that volunteered to help them told them to do, without asking relevant questions. And before they knew it, what appeared altogether harmless when they got started became some kind of poison that was ruining their lives, homes and everything else that they held dear. If they also are not shown mercy, they can only be completely ruined.


So, again, before you settle down to eat that free food, know what it is you want to eat. And before you join that group or enlist for that business, know what you are getting involved in and what terms and conditions applied. Many all round this country are running from pillars to posts now because of some debts hanging around their necks. But how did they get into those debts? Almost unconsciously! Those who dragged them into debt did not make it look like a serious thing when they were offering them loans. They did not make it look like something capable of poisoning their world. So, they got involved without considering the reality about their abilities to handle the situations. 


And by the time the reality dawned on them, they had sunk so deep in some rivers of debt that it would probably take series of miracles from God for them to be saved.What is my point? Have adequate knowledge of whatever you are getting yourself involved in or signing up for, regardless of who is introducing it to you. Then you won’t have to needlessly surrender your life and world to be poisoned by some unknown quantity.
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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: When they are overreaching| Fire in my bones

fire in my bones
fire in my bones
Date: November 15, 2023|Series: Youth for Jesus|Number: Vol. 6, No. 26

“Two years later, when Absalom's sheepshearers were at Baal Hazor near the border of Ephraim, he invited all the king's sons to come there. Absalom went to the king and said, "Your servant has had shearers come. Will the king and his officials please join me?" "No, my son," the king replied. "All of us should not go; we would only be a burden to you." Although Absalom urged him, he still refused to go, but gave him his blessing.” (2Sam 13:23-25NIV)

It is a natural thing for those who love us or who hold us very highly in their hearts to always look for opportunities to do things that will make us happy. And it will only be proper for us at such times to cheerfully and willingly accept the tokens of their love for us, regardless of how little they may seem. That is because it will show that we accept them as they are and are not ashamed of associating with them, though they may not be as wealthy, educated, influential or spiritual as we are.

However, there are times that such people may actually be overreaching in their attempt to make us happy or satisfy us. And it will only be wise and kind of us to prevent them from making us an unnecessary burden to them. Otherwise, in trying to make us happy, they may end up putting themselves in some avoidable problems. Are we, then, going to be happy to learn that the reason someone who loves and adores us is in a big financial, marital or social mess is that he wanted to please us? We will not at all, if we have any iota of human feeling.

A friend of mine was once very angry with me because of something along this line. What happened? Well, there was this particular bible that she had told me that she would love to have. So, I wanted to surprise her with it on her birthday. But I didn’t have enough money at the time to do so because of some commitments I had. So, I talked to a friend of mine to lend me part of the money for like a week or so. Unfortunately, somehow, she overheard us. And it got her very upset. She was like, “I understand that you are trying to make me happy here. But you did not have to do that. You did not have to borrow to make me happy.” Now, of course, we later resolved the matter. 

But I learnt my lesson, which is that those who truly care about you will not want to receive things from you, just because doing so will make them happy; they will also be concerned about what making them happy will cost you. Will it cost you your happiness? Will it cost you your job? Will it cost you your marriage? Or is it your reputation or life savings that it will cost you? They will be concerned about this and will do whatever they can to stop you from embarrassing yourself because of them. That, of course, is the main message of our opening bible text. 

Absalom was throwing a party for his sheepshearers and requested that his father, King David, and all his officials would be present there. But his father told him that he and his officials would not be attending the party. Why? Was it because he did not love Absalom or appreciate his generous invitation? No! He loved him and also appreciated his invitation. In fact, we are told in the account that he gave him his blessing.Why, then, did he insist that he and his men would not be coming? It was because he knew that their presence at the party would be a great burden for the young man. We are talking about taking care of the king and his high officials along with their servants and guards. 

The money and the logistics involved could be financially paralysing for him. And David did not want him to go bankrupt because of them. So, he simply gave him his blessing and told him not to worry about him and his officials.We too must be like that. We must be sensitive to people’s true conditions and not allow them to paralyse themselves because they want to please us or make us happy. Otherwise, once the harm is done, nothing we do may be sufficient in healing those involved.Then I want you to also keep in mind the fact that it is not every time that people give us the impression that they want to do something in our honour or to make us happy that they really want to make us happy.

 As we see in Absalom’s case, he really did not want David and his men to attend his party. That was because he already had plans of using the party as a cover-up for assassinating his elder brother, Amnon. And the presence of the king and his officials would not have made that possible. So, asking the king and his officials to grace his party was all pretence, something simply done to massage their ego. He already knew that they would not agree to come.

So, don’t ever assume that everyone that is giving you the impression that he will sacrifice himself to make you happy is actually willing to do so. They may just be flattering you and expecting you to stop them. But if you foolishly rest on their words, you will only have yourself to blame when those words break or shatter under you, leaving you injured and disgraced.Finally, it is important that we too are not overreaching in our attempts to make anyone in our lives happy. 

Otherwise, we may end up putting unnecessary and paralysing burdens on ourselves because of them. And are we going to be able to freely talk about the harm we have done to ourselves then? Not verry likely!So, know those things that are beyond your ability to give to people or do for them. And know the people that you have no true intention or ability to entertain and never insist that they visit you or be a part of something you are doing, just because you want to show them how much you respect them or because you want to use them to enhance your prestige. You may end up embarrassing yourself and feeling terrible for the rest of your life, if your best ends up not satisfying them or making them happy. Be wise.
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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Don’t make a monster of them | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: November 08, 2023 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 6, No. 26

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“Your servant is in your hands, “Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.”

(Gen 16:6NIV)

As we go through Scriptures, we see that Sarah, the wife of Abraham, is consistently described as a virtuous, holy and submissive woman. She was a woman who stood by her husband all the time and who was always committed to doing anything that would keep him safe and happy, even at the risk of her own life. It is not surprising, then, that married believing women are instructed to emulate her way of life, if they want to earn the respect of their husbands and become models for others to follow. (Cf. Gen 12&20; 1Pet 3:1-6)

Nevertheless, in our opening bible text, we are told of a time in which this same Sarah mistreated Hagar, her maidservant. And the maltreatment she gave her was so intense that she fled from her. So, Sarah too had a history of being cruel to someone. And is that something believing women should emulate as well? No!

See, though believing women are told to emulate Sarah, she does not represent a perfect example of who godly women should be. Only Christ Jesus represents a perfect example of who all of us believe in Him, both male and female, should be. He, then, is the only one we are to emulate in all things and at all times. Yes, Scriptures recommend a number of people for us to emulate. But they also tell us what to emulate in them. And we must not go beyond whatever they tell us to emulate in people. Otherwise, to our own disadvantage, we may find ourselves emulating in others attributes that God has already judged as wrong or destructive. (Cf. Heb 12:1-2)

In any case, what was responsible for the cruelty that, at some point, found expression in that beautiful, holy and virtuous woman, Sarah? What was responsible for that stain that was found on her white garment of integrity? It was the misbehaviour of Hagar, her maidservant.

As the story goes, Sarah, because she was desperate about giving her husband Abraham a son, came up with the idea of giving Hagar, her maidservant to him as wife. And her plan was to adopt any child that came of that union as her own child. But why did she consider Hagar for that kind of sensitive task? It must have been because she loved her dearly and also trusted her very much. (Cf. Gen 16:1-3)

Now we know that there is hardly anything that could be more difficult for a married woman to tolerate than to share her husband with someone else. Even Leah and Rachel, who were blood sisters, had serious issues sharing the same husband (Gen 29-30). So, for Sarah to consider Hagar as the best person to bring into her marriage bed in order to raise a child for her husband, she must have thought very highly of her.

But to her utter disappointment, as soon as Hagar realised that she had become pregnant for Abraham, she began to despise her. She despised her so much that she became frustrated. And in her frustration, she began to blame her husband for her suffering. But in the first place, it was her idea to bring Hagar into their bed. How, then, was she able to conveniently blame her husband for the way things turned out? Maybe Abraham overpampered Hagar. Who knows! But it is clear that Hagar got the wrong signal after becoming pregnant and began to think that she had arrived in a place where she could displace Sarah at will. (Cf. Gen 16:4)

Thankfully, Abraham loved Sarah too much to allow anybody to come between them or to insult her personality. So, even though Hagar was carrying his child, he told Sarah to fix her. And that was what awakened the monster in her. She got herself together and treated Hagar to so much cruelty that she ran away from their house. I mean that she showed her who the real mistress of the house was. And if God had not stepped into the situation, giving birth to her son and raising him would have been a sort of hell for Hagar. (Cf. Gen 16:5-16)

But would lovely and gentle Sarah have turned to a cruel monster overnight, if Hagar had not overstepped her boundaries? Not likely! She loved her and trusted her. But her pride made her betray her love and trust. So, even though she was eventually allowed back into that house, things never remained the same for her there again. Sarah, for instance, did not adopt her son to be hers again. And that was why when she had her own son, she insisted that Hagar and her son, Ishmael, leave the house. (Cf. Gen 21)

What is the point of all this? First, it is that we can turn very good and kind people into monsters through our misbehaviour to them. And when they strike, we may not be the only ones that will suffer – others in our lives also may suffer along with us. So, don’t take lightly those who have been good to you or instrumental to certain records of success you have in life, just because you are now richer or better placed in life than them. Don’t abuse their generosity or the rare privileges they have given you. Otherwise, the pains they may feel may be beyond what you can imagine. And those pains may be what will wake up the monster in them. Then you will be surprised to see that the same hand that once fed and nurtured you is now carrying a sword to severe your head.

Second, don’t allow anyone to turn you into a monster and forever ruin your testimony before God and His people. It will always be on record that Sarah once maltreated someone. No, she never thought it would come to that. But her bad decision of bringing Hagar into her bed made things come to that.

So, as we relate to people, we must not allow any form of desperation or excitement to lead us into taking them to beds they are never supposed to be sleeping on or into giving them privileges that they are not mature or wise enough to manage. Otherwise, they may end up using what we have given to them to do to us things that will not only fill us with regrets but also fill us with strong desires for vengeance. Then some monsters will have been created. And it may take God’s intervention for such monsters not to destroy everything in their paths or themselves before they are healed and restored. Therefore, mind yourself.

Copyright © 2023, 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 Youth for Jesus

Title: Be willing to associate with them|Fire In My Bones

fire in my bones
fire in my bones
Date: November 08, 2023|Series: Youth for Jesus|Number: Vol. 6, No. 24

“…Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.” (Rom 12:16NIV)

Twice we are told in our opening bible text not to be arrogant but to be willing to associate with people of low position. Why? First, it is because God Himself was willing to associate with us when we had nothing to offer Him. And why? It was so that He would be able to save us and elevate us to the position of sons in our relationship with Him. So, the bible says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8NIV)

In like manner, by associating with people of low position in our neighbourhoods, workplaces and even the church of God, we can be used by God to elevate them or protect them from some oppressors. Truly, we may not see ourselves as being in any position to elevate or protect anybody. But the truth is that, no matter how low we may think of our current place in life, we will still find people who will wish they were in that position. And that will be because they see us as living on a higher plane of life. 

Now it is such people that the word of God is telling us to be willing to associate with. That way, we may just be able to help them rise in life or save them from some situations that may lead to their disgrace or destruction. Look at Jonathan, the son of King Saul, for instance. Even though he was the crown prince of Israel and a mighty warrior, he was willing to associate with David when he was but a boy. Yes, David did something outstanding at the time for him to be noticed by Jonathan. Nevertheless, if he had been an arrogant prince, he would still not have associated with him, seeing that he was younger than him and also did not come from a wealthy family. (Cf. 1Samuel 18:1-4)

But Jonathan was not a proud prince or warrior. So, he came down to David’s level in order to make friends with him. And because he did this, God was able to use him to save the young man from the jealousy of his father, King Saul, and send him away from the land in peace, so that the purpose of God may be fulfilled in his life. (Cf. 1Samuel 19-20)   

Consider Joseph too. When he was in the prison, he had the rare privilege of meeting two important officials of the king of Egypt. These men offended their master, the king of Egypt, and were imprisoned for doing so. And as people had been used to power and money, they may have chosen not to associate with anyone in the prison, while waiting for the king’s judgment. But they humbled themselves and associated with Joseph, a slave and prisoner. So, God was later able to use one of them to save him from this prison that he had been unjustly sent to and to also open the door for the great dreams He had given to him to come to pass. (Cf. Gen 40-41)

In the same vein, by humbling ourselves to associate with those who are occupying lower social positions than us, we may just be making ourselves available for God to use in fulfilling His dreams of greatness for them. And where that is the case, they also may eventually be used by God in fulfilling certain dreams of His for our lives or be used by Him in rescuing us in some period of trials. But if arrogance had prevented us from associating with them, who are we going to blame, if they too are unwilling to associate with us if life becomes better for them?

So, the second reason we should be willing to associate with people of low positions is that they also may be occupying greater positions than ours tomorrow. See, the fact that someone is occupying a position lower than yours today does not mean that the person is a moron or that you have better abilities or prospects in life than them. David, at the time Jonathan met him, was a lowly Bethlehem boy. But he was also the one chosen and anointed by God as the future king of the land. So, by treating him well, Jonathan was simply helping his own future in the land.

Similarly, even though Joseph, at the time that the chief cupbearer of the king of Egypt met him, was just a common slave and prisoner, he had been chosen by God to be a father to Pharaoh and the saviour of the world of the time from a coming terrible period of famine. So, by associating with him, the man was just unconsciously building a relationship with a future world leader. And think of how he must have felt on the day Joseph was made the prime minister of Egypt by their king.

Well, the point of it all is that don’t allow pride or arrogance to keep you from building great relationships with the people of low position around you. That is because apart from the fact that God can use you to lift them up in great ways, He may also have appointed them to be the people that will lift you too up in a time of need. And if you allow arrogance to despise them now, how do you think they too will treat you, if the tables were to be turned? Only God can tell.

A word of caution, however: don’t associate with people of low position because you hope that God will want to use them to help you someday. That may not be in God’s plans at all. Even if it is, such people may forget your kindness or not permit Him to use them for you. And where that is the case, bitterness may overtake and ruin you, if your reason for helping them now is that they too may help you in the future. So, mind yourself.
Categories
Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: Know when to keep quiet|Fire in my bones

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: November 01, 2023|Series: Youth for Jesus|Number: Vol. 6, No. 24

“But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, “Do not answer him.”” (2Kings 18:36NIV)

Who were the people that remained silent and would not reply who was talking to them? It was the Jews under the reign of King Hezekiah. Who would they not reply? It was the commander of the army of the king of Assyria. And why would they not reply this man? They would not reply him because their king, Hezekiah, had told them not to answer him.

Now why would Hezekiah instruct his people not to answer this man? It was because answering him would not solve the problem at hand but only escalate it. As the account goes, Sennacherib, the king of Assyria at that time, had sent his commander with a great army to the land of Judah for the sole purpose of possessing the land and its people. And this commander began his campaign by first threatening the people and ridiculing their king and their God.

In fact, at some point, he began to address them in Hebrew, so that his threats and words of annoyance would sink into their hearts more readily. (Cf. 2Kings 18:17-35)That being the case, Hezekiah suspected that some of his people might become provoked by this man’s words and decide to answer him. And that was exactly what the man wanted. He wanted to provoke the people to respond to his threats, so that he would have an easy reason to attack the land. Then all that Hezekiah had been doing to avoid going to war with the Assyrians would have amount to nothing.

As the account further shows us, the army of Judah at that time was actually no match for the Assyrians’. That, of course, was why Hezekiah was doing all that he could do to avoid any kind of direct confrontation with them. And in doing this, he went as far as giving the king of Assyria all the gold and silver that he could lay his hands on in his treasuries. He even took things from the temple of God in order to appease this ruthless king. (Cf. 2Kings 18:13-16)

Nevertheless, Sennacherib would not stop haunting and harassing the nation of Judah. Why? He was bent on possessing it for himself. And he only needed a little insult or provocation from the people to attack them. This was why Hezekiah commanded his people not to answer the commander of his army whom he had sent to insult them.

See, Hezekiah knew that responding to this man’s threats and insults would not solve their problem in any way. Instead, it would only make it worse by bringing quick destruction upon them. The only one that could solve their problem at the time was their God whom the man had been insulting. He, then, was the person they were supposed to be talking to and not the man. And when they talked to Him about the matter, He answered them and turned all the threats of the commander of the Assyrian army into empty and useless threats. (Cf. 2Kings 19)

What is the lesson for us here? Well, it is that we must know when to keep quiet and not respond to people’s arrogant words or threats. Look, there are times that we may come across human opponents or enemies that we clearly do not have enough education, power, influence or money to defend ourselves against.

And these ones may deliberately be provoking us to say or do things that will give them a reason to attack and hurt or disgrace us. Our wisdom at such times, then, will be to be quiet and refuse to respond to whatever they say or do to us against us, however arrogant or annoying it may seem. That is because responding to them will simply make matters worse, something that we ourselves will know, if we are not foolish or reckless. Not replying such people in such situations, however, does not mean we are not to take any step towards defending or protecting ourselves against their nonsense. We must take steps towards doing that.

But our most important step will be to talk to God about what they are doing and let Him rebuke them for us. How He will rebuke them, of course, is up to Him. But we can be sure that if, instead of trying to fight a battle we cannot win, we will entrust the situation to Him, He will handle it for us. And when He is done, we might find ourselves asking, “God, have you not gone too far in dealing with this?”

Categories
Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: Before you risk your life|Fire in my bones

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: October 18, 2023|Series: Youth for Jesus|Number: Vol. 6, No. 23

“Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his father’s family from taxes in Israel.” David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.”” (1Sam 17:25-27NIV)

From our opening bible text, we see that one of the reasons David was very much interested in fighting Goliath was the reward offered by King Saul. Yes, of course, he wanted his nation to be rid of the shame that Goliath had brought upon them, threatening them for forty days and making their army look weak and worthless. But he was also interested in what he would gain, if he risked his life to save his country.

Now was anything wrong with that? No! Nothing is wrong with wanting something in return for being patriotic or faithful to our nation, family or organisation. It all depends on what we want in return. We may not want money, a position or the praise of people in return for our patriotism. But even if all that we want is a better standard of living for others, it is still something.

In like manner, nothing is wrong with wanting something in return for helping others or being good to them. It all depends on what we want in return for it. We may not want their money, praise or respect. But even if all we want is to simply see them live better lives or if all we want is God’s praise, it is still something. So, don’t ever say that you don’t want anything for being patriotic or for living a righteous or generous life. That is because we all always want something for whatever we do.

What we want, however, is what will show whether God is the one inspiring us to do what we do or the devil.Well, in David’s case, as I pointed out earlier, one of his reasons for risking his life to fight Goliath was the reward promised by King Saul. King Saul had promised to give his daughter in marriage to anyone who fought and defeated Goliath and to also exempt the person’s family from national taxes.

That, of course, must have sounded very good in the ears of the boy David And since he knew that he was anointed by God to handle such a situation, he did not hesitate at all to take it up. What David, however, did not think carefully about before risking his life in that manner was the character of the man who promised to reward him, that is, King Saul. Was Saul a man of his word? Or was he someone that would say anything to get some relief or peace when under pressure? Thankfully, for David, the reward for killing Goliath was not his main motivation for risking his life to fight him.

The deliverance of his people was his main motivation. Otherwise, he probably would have lost his mind after the whole show and told himself never to fight for Israel again. Why? Saul did not keep his word at all. He did not give David his daughter’s hand in marriage. On the contrary, David had to do the dirty job of killing two hundred Philistines and supplying their foreskins in order to pay the bride price for Saul’s daughter, Michal (1Sam 18:18-27).

Now since Saul did not freely give David the hand of his daughter in marriage, it is safe to also assume that he did not exempt his family from taxes in Israel. Why? Did he forget his promise, one that was reiterated in the ears of all the soldiers of his army and also documented for future generations to read? No! Or was it because he later became jealous of David and did not find it convenient again to reward him as his rival? No!What, then, was the problem with Saul? Why did he not fulfil his promise to David? The simple reason was that he was not actually a man of character.

A man of character would keep his word any day and any time, even if it is his enemy that he is dealing with or even if it is something that will eventually bring him distress. And that is because reputation means a lot to him. Herod executed John the Baptist at the request of Herodias’ daughter. He did not like to do it. He did not want to do it, for he knew that he would be killing an innocent man. Yet he killed him. Why? His reputation was everything to him. He had sworn an oath to give anything the girl wanted to her. And he had to keep his word to her, though it hurt him to do so.

If King Saul, then, had been anything like Herod, as far as reputation matters are concerned, he also would have done the needful in David’s case – he would have given him the reward he had promised. (Cf. Mark 6:17-28)

What is the point of all this? Well, first, it is that we should always see that our motivation for being patriotic or for helping others is rooted in the will of God. In other words, we should be patriotic, generous and helpful to others basically because we want to please God and not because of the reward of men. Otherwise, the reward of men that we are looking forward to may never come or be satisfactory, even if it comes.

Second, we should always consider the character of anyone we are dealing with before we start risking our lives for them. Some have been seriously injured along this line. They sold their properties, gave up well-paying jobs or borrowed huge sums of money to assist some family members, spouses, friends, lovers or even church members in their moment of need. And they got all kinds of promises on how they would be repaid or rewarded for what they did. Unfortunately, none of the promises made to them was kept because those who made them had no character.

So, they were left stranded and dejected. And there have been stories of those who took their own lives or who became deadly monsters because of such things.So, before you start risking your life or giving up your life savings for anybody, be sure you know them well. There can’t be assumptions or guesses here. And you can’t be acting on sentiments here. Otherwise, you may someday terribly regret your actions.

Categories
Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: A test of determination|Fire in my bones

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: October 11, 2023|Series: Youth for Jesus|Number: Vol. 6, No. 22

“When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the LORD has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.” (2Kings 2:1-2NIV)

One of the things we learn from Scriptures about God is that He appreciates determination. Yes, He is a God that gives freely to people without complaining about them (James 1:5). However, there are times that He considers people’s determination to receive from Him before giving certain things to them.Why did many of the children of Israel that Moses brought out of Egypt perish in the wilderness and did not make it into the Promised Land? One of the reasons for this, as we are shown in the bible, is unbelief. They did not believe that God was able to give the land to them.

But something also assisted their unbelief. That was insufficient determination to take what God wanted to give to them. (Cf. Numbers 13&14; Hebrews 3:19)But there were two people from that same generation that made it into the Promised Land. They were Joshua and Caleb. Why did they make it there? They made it there because apart from the fact that they had faith in God, they were also determined to make it there.

So, it is not enough for God to promise to give us something or to show us visions of what He wants us to be or enjoy in life; It is also important that we are determined to have what He wants us to have. If we are determined to have what He wants us to have, we will be willing to go all the day in doing whatever legitimate thing we can do to take what He is giving to us. But if we are not determined, there is every tendency that the challenges that we will encounter on our way (and we will surely encounter challenges) will bring discouragement to our hearts.

We mighty, then, stop believing and taking steps of faith towards taking for ourselves what He wants us to have.As we see in our opening bible text, even though Elijah had made it clear to Elisha that God had chosen him to take his place as the leading prophet in Israel, he was still prompted by God to test his determination to take the place He had already chosen for him. So, when the time came for him to be taken to heaven, he told Elisha to stay in Gilgal and not bother to follow him to Bethel, where God had sent him to go.

But did Elisha agree to stay? No! Instead, he told him that he would not leave him until he was eventually caught up to the heavens. Also, when they got to Bethel and Elijah told him to wait there, since God had sent him to Jericho, he told him that he would still not leave him. And though the prophets there also tried to discourage him from following this man of God, he did not listen to them. The same thing happened when they got to Jericho and Elijah told him to wait there, he would not leave him or pay attention to the words spoken by the prophets there to discourage him. Instead, he followed this man of God on to the Jordan. (Cf. 2Kings 2:1-6)

Why did Elisha act like that? It was because he knew that he had not yet received the spiritual authority and power to function in the prophetic position Elijah had publicly anointed him for. And he was determined to receive these things before the man was taken away from him. Otherwise, all that he would have was just a prophetic title; he would have no authority and power to back it up. Then everything he left behind in order to follow this man of God would have amount to nothing.

Thankfully, because of Elisha’s determination to take the place God had chosen for him, he eventually received from God the authority and power to function as the lead prophet in Israel. But do you know that Elijah had a servant that was serving him before God asked him to go and anoint Elisha in his place? He did. Why, then, was this servant not chosen by God to take his place? We are not told the reason in Scriptures. We are not even given his name. Why? It may be that God saw that he was not someone that was determined enough to serve Him in his master’s place.Look at all that is said about him in the bible: “Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there.” (1Kings 19:3NIV)

It was after this, of course, that he received an instruction from God to go and anoint Elisha in his place instead of looking for the servant that he had left in Beersheba. But why, in the first place, was this man not with Elijah when God was talking to him? Why did he agree to stay in Beersheba instead of following his master all the way, regardless of where his path may lead them? We have no direct answers in Scriptures for these questions.

But it is clear from Scriptures that Elisha was utterly different from him. He was not going to leave the man God had appointed him to follow and serve until God’s reason for placing him under his leadership was fully accomplished, regardless of the level of stress that may place on his life. That is determination. And it paid off for him.In like manner, we too need to be determined to have certain things God wants us to have in order for us to have them.

Yes, we need to pass His tests of determination for certain things He has already chosen for us to be ours to possess and enjoy. We may, of course, be faced with all kinds of challenges on our way to taking for ourselves what He has chosen for us. But as long as we trust Him and are determined to have what He wants us to have, He will surely clear the way for us to have it.So, be determined to see God’s promises to you and the visions He has shown you come to pass in your life.

Be determined to go all the way in praying, meditating on Scriptures and taking all the legitimate steps you can take to be that person God has shown you that you can be. And my prayer is that He will count you worthy of His purpose for you and also fulfil every step of faith you take towards becoming all that He wants you to be in this life. Amen.