Category: Youth for Jesus

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

The rich must be wrong | Fire in my bones | J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: August 10, 2022 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 5, No. 13

“Do not show partiality to a poor person at his trial.” (Ex 23:3GNT)

I really cannot recollect the number of times I have on the road witnessed commercial motorcyclists abusing and cursing private vehicle owners, even when it was clear that they were in the wrong. Unfortunately, most times, when others would intervene and judge such cases between people, it was the one that appeared to be rich among them that they would want to blame. Some would not even bother to find out what really happened before point accusing fingers.

Now why is that often the case? It is because most poor people have hidden bitterness in them against rich people. And that is because they usually think they are the reason they are poor. But while it is true that rich people can be oppressive and unfeeling, it is not every rich person that is hostile, wicked or oppressive. There are rich people that have become rich through the help of God and their honest and diligent labour. And there are rich people that are kind, generous and peace-loving in every way.

Therefore, we can’t always hold the rich responsible for the poverty of the poor. In fact, in many cases, they are not to blame at all for the poverty of the poor. People become poor and stay poor in life for different reasons, some of which could be lack of financial intelligence, laziness, pride, misfortunes and so forth.

If you are poor, then, you should settle down and carefully study the reason for your poverty and misery instead of always blaming the rich in your land for them. That way, you can begin to take steps that will take you out of poverty and lead you into abundance.

In any case, in our opening bible text, God warns us not to function with bitterness against the rich, regardless of our position in life. Why? It is so that we will not become judges with evil intentions. See, as long as we are bitter against those who are rich in our lives or around us, we will never see anything good in or about them. They and whatever they do will always be wrong in our eyes. This being the case, whenever we have any opportunity to judge a case between a rich person and some poor fellow, we will most likely favour the poor person against the rich one, without examining the facts or even with the facts clearly showing us something different.

Now when we function like that, we are promoting wickedness in our land; we are perverting justice in the land. And God will not hold us guiltless. This explains why some people will never be rich or great in life. Yes, they themselves want to be rich and great. But they are filled with hot bitterness and anger against rich and great people. Therefore, God Himself is resisting their advancement and exaltation in life. And He will continue to do so unless they repent and cleanse their hearts.

Perhaps you too are guilty of these things. Perhaps your bitterness, anger and injustice against those who are richer or more highly placed in life than you are the reason your life is stagnant. Every time you are speaking against them and working against them, even when they have not offended you or done you any wrong. You need to repent without delay and allow God to wash your heart with His word. Otherwise, that great height or better life you are eyeing and wishing for yourself in this life may forever elude you.

Mind you, I am not saying we should not condemn the rich when they are wrong. By all means, we should judge them wrong wherever they are wrong. But we must never assume that the rich must be wrong in every case they have against the poor. God will never work with such assumptions. So, we too should henceforth stop working with them.

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

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Emotional statements ensnare | Pst. J.O. Lawal | August 03, 2022 | Youth for Jesus |Vol. 5, No. 12

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”” (Mark 6:21-23NIV)

When Herod was swearing an oath to Herodias’ daughter that he would give her anything she wanted, up to half of his kingdom, he did not think that the girl would, even in her wildest dreams, ask for nothing but the head of John the Baptist. But that was what she asked for. Now because he made his pledge publicly, he was under pressure to fulfil it. And he fulfilled it and joined the company of prophet killers.

But was Herod under any form of pressure to make that pledge? No! He made the pledge because he was excited. So, it was an emotional pledge, a pledge that he made without thinking clearly, a pledge he made when he was probably half-drunk, a pledge he made without considering the character of the person involved. So, he needlessly ensnared himself by his words and made himself a murderer.

Also, we have in the bible the account of a man named Jephthah and of how he made a vow to give to the Lord as a burnt offering whatever came out of his house to greet him, if the Lord should give him victory over his enemies, the Ammonites. Unfortunately, when he came back home, after the Lord had given him victory over his enemies, it was his daughter, his only child, that came out to greet him and to celebrate his victory with him. (Cf. Judges 11:29-40)

Now was Jephthah under any pressure to make a vow to the Lord at the time? No, he wasn’t. Yes, he was faced with the pressure of a war that he did not ask for. But the bible is also very clear about the fact that the Spirit of the Lord came upon him on that occasion to give him victory over his enemies. So, whether he made a vow or not, victory was already sure for him. 

Was it wrong for him, then, to make a vow to the Lord, as he did? No, it wasn’t! Making vows to the Lord is an act of faith in Him and should not be discouraged. However, making vows to Him is also a personal thing. It is not something anybody should force anybody to do or something anyone should do under pressure. That is because once we make a vow to Him, we are bound to fulfil it. Otherwise, we may just put ourselves in trouble (Ecc 5:4-6). Therefore, you must never allow anyone or any situation to drive or coerce or manipulate you to make any kind of vow to the Lord. Make your vows only because your heart wants to do so. 

But then, even if you have to make a vow, don’t make it on an emotional basis. Rather, make your vows on rational basis. In other words, think carefully about the kind of vows you are making and your capacity to fulfil them. Remember that you are not in charge of life and its affairs but God is. Remember also that accidents, mistakes and all kinds of unforeseen events happen everyday in this life. So, before you make a vow, first, make sure it is in line with the will of God. Also, make sure it is what you truly have the ability to make good. That means you must be reasonable in making your vows. That way, even if circumstances that are beyond your control should keep you from fulfilling your vows when due, God Himself will understand that is not your fault.

Jephthah made an emotional vow. He did not consider the will of God at all in making his vow. Would God ever accept a human burnt offering? No! Did He literally accept it from Abraham? No! In fact, one of the things He told the children of Israel never to do was to sacrifice their sons or daughters in the fire, for it was because of such things that He drove out the inhabitants of Canaan for them. (Cf. Deut 18:10)

So, it was totally out of place for Jephthah to make the kind of vow he made to God. In other words, his vow was dead on arrival – it was invalid from the moment it came out of his mouth. Why, then, did he make it? He made it because he was ignorant of the will of God for them. He made it at a time everybody in Israel did was what right in his eyes, not what was right in the eyes of God.  Otherwise, he should have had people that would let him know that it was not in his place to make that kind of vow. (Cf. Judges 21:25)

Unfortunately, people still act like Jephthah and make invalid vows and pledges today. They make vows and pledges that are born out of their ignorance of the will of God for them. Also, people make vows and pledges without considering how they will affect those in their lives or the roles those in their lives could play in enabling them to fulfil their vows or in voiding them. Then, when it is time for them to fulfil them, they will realise that they have taken on themselves responsibilities that are too much for them to handle.

Now, of course, how Jephthah fulfilled his own vow will always be a subject for debate among God’s people. Did he truly offer his daughter as a burnt offering to the Lord? Or did he redeem her and offer something else to God in her place? We really would not know what he did, seeing that we were not there. But the lesson of his story is clear. And it is that we must avoid making emotional statements, emotional pledges, vows, curses, blessings and so forth, especially when we are excited or under pressure. Otherwise, we may end up ensnaring ourselves with our words. And if we do so, the price we will pay may just be too much for us to handle. 

So, be careful.

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

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Fire in my Bones General Post Youth for Jesus

An unnecessary burden of favour | Pst. J.O. Lawal | July 27, 2022 | Youth for Jesus | Vol. 5, No. 11

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“Barzillai the Gileadite also came down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan with the king and to send him on his way from there. Now Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years of age. He had provided for the king during his stay in Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man. The king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me and stay with me in Jerusalem, and I will provide for you.” But Barzillai answered the king, “How many more years will I live, that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king? I am now eighty years old. Can I tell the difference between what is good and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats and drinks? Can I still hear the voices of men and women singers? Why should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? Your servant will cross over the Jordan with the king for a short distance, but why should the king reward me in this way? Let your servant return, that I may die in my own town near the tomb of my father and mother. But here is your servant Kimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king. Do for him whatever pleases you.” The king said, “Kimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him whatever pleases you. And anything you desire from me I will do for you.”” (2Sam 19:31-38NIV)

From the story told by Luke in his gospel about the healing of certain ten lepers by the Lord Jesus, it is clear that God wants us to always be grateful for everything He does for us. He doesn’t want us to cultivate a culture of overlooking His acts of kindness and mercy to us day after day. Otherwise, we will be blocking the flow of His goodness into our lives in ways beyond our understanding. (Cf. Luke 17:11-19)

Think about it yourself. Even as human beings, we too want people to express their gratitude when we do them good. We don’t want them acting as though our labour or sacrifice of love or mercy over them means nothing. And when we are dealing with anyone who will not take our goodness or kindness to them seriously, we begin to think of how to block the flow of our acts of goodness to them. So, we cherish gratitude, and rightly so.

However, even though it is highly important that people express their gratitude to us when we do them good, we should be careful not to become an unnecessarily burden to them because of anything we have done for them. And we will become an unnecessary burden to them, if we do not understand that we cannot help anyone or do anyone any form of good, if God has not enabled us to do so. So, whatever measure of good we do for anybody is not something we can take credit for. The one that should take all the credit for it is God. Otherwise, we will be paralysing ourselves and making ourselves incapable of abounding in good works. (Cf. 2Kings 6:27; Isaiah 26:12; 2Cor 3:5-6)

See, when we understand that God is the reason we are able to bless others, we will look to Him only for our reward and not be bitter, if men fail to show us gratitude for whatever we have done for them. There may indeed be times when men forget to show us gratitude for the good we have done for them, as we see in the case of Pharaoh’s official that forgot to help Joseph for two full years. And there may be times that people just deliberately take lightly what we have done for them. Nonetheless, whether people show us gratitude for our goodness to them or not, as long as we have done what we have done for them with a right heart, God will reward us fully for it at the appropriate time. (Cf. Gen 40-41; Gal 6:7-10)

Now if we are functioning with this understanding, we will also know when it is totally unnecessary for us to accept some show of gratitude from certain people God has used us to bless. What I mean is that there are times we can become an unnecessary burden of gratitude to others, all because we want them to be grateful to us. And that is what we will be, if we are greedy and don’t know how to say ‘No’ to what we don’t need or what we don’t have the ability to manage or enjoy.

As we see in our opening bible text, even though Barzillai was tremendously helpful to King David during the rebellion of Absalom, he would not accept his gesture of gratitude to him after the rebellion had been squashed. Why? It was because he knew that he did not need what the king was offering him, seeing that he was a very wealthy man himself and had also become too old to appreciate merriment. He would just become an unnecessary burden to him by taking it. So, he persuaded him to let someone else become the beneficiary of whatever good he wanted to do for him. And so it was.

In like manner, we too should not allow greed to make us accept from others any material expression of gratitude that we don’t need or that we can do without. Instead, at such times, we should consider their words of gratitude and prayer sufficient for us. That way, others that truly need what they want to do for us or give to us can become beneficiaries of it. Then God who sees our hearts will reward us abundantly for our thoughtfulness and also make His face shine upon us.

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

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Humble yourself to serve | Pst. J.O. Lawal | July 20, 2022 | Youth for Jesus | Vol. 5, No. 10

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:12-17NIV)

One of our sisters in church recently asked me why Jesus once told Peter that unless he allowed Him to wash his feet, he would not continue to be one of His own people. And I said it all had to do with possessing a willingness to serve others, even those that we have some measure of authority over. 

As the account goes, our Lord Jesus, when the time came for His earthly ministry to end, decided to wash the feet of his disciples. But at that time and in that clime feet washing was done mainly by servants. Sometimes, people also did it for guests or strangers that they considered honourable to them. That was because it was a show of respect and honour to others. (Cf. Gen 18:4; Gem 19:2; 1Sam 25:41) 

You can, then, imagine how those disciples of the Lord must have felt when He stooped to their level to wash their feet. They were just not comfortable with it. And while others kept quiet and allowed Him to wash their feet, not understanding why He had to do so, Peter could not just resist the urge to protest. He told the Lord that he would not allow Him to condescend to the level of a servant and wash his feet. In other words, he believed that he was the one that was supposed to be washing His feet and not the other way round.

But the Lord’s firm and frank response to that shocked him and the other disciples there. He told him that if he would not allow Him to wash his feet, then, he should consider himself disowned. Why? It is because in His kingdom, it is not only the subjects that serve; their Lord Himself also serves. That was why He lived all His earthly life serving men. (Cf. Mark 10:42-45)

Now serving men, of course, is not always about taking the position of a slave or a lowly person. I mean that you don’t have to be in a lowly position to serve others. In fact, a lot of lowly people don’t serve others or understand service. That is because they think of serving others only in terms of doing things for those who are greater than us. But people don’t have to be greater or more honourable than us for us to serve them. That is because service is all about using our position, resources, time and skill to do good to others, make life easier and better for them and also make them happy, regardless of their relationship or our relationship with them.

That was the way our Lord functioned when He was here on earth. The bible says He went everywhere doing good and healing all those who were oppressed of the devil because God was with Him (Acts 10:38). And when all had been said and done, He gave His life as a ransom for all humanity. That is the height of service.

Then, towards the end of His earthly ministry, He began to show His disciples how seriously they too must take serving one another and all the people He would be entrusting to them. He did that by washing their feet. And He told them that any one of them that was not ready to act similarly, to humble himself to do even menial jobs for those below him in the kingdom of God, at home, at work, in the neighbourhood or elsewhere should not consider himself as one of His people.

You can now see why all the apostles of old used their lives, knowledge, spiritual gifts, time and even resources to serve people. Yes, they too, like Jesus, went everywhere doing good, healing all those who were oppressed of the devil and making the world a better place. Also, they taught the brethren to act similarly, to cultivate the culture of serving others, regardless of their position and where they were, and making the world a place where God could freely move and bless men.

If we too, then, consider ourselves as belonging to our Lord Jesus, we must humble ourselves to serve others and make life easier, better and more enjoyable for them, even if they are lower in class in the society or younger in age than us. Unfortunately, we don’t even want to serve those that have authority over us or that are older than us, if we have our way. We think of it as being used by them or as making life unnecessarily easier for them. That being the case, how can we be expected to serve those that we are on the same plane of life or those younger than us or those that are of lower class in the society than us? 

This is why we could, for example, go to a friend’s house and not see anything we could do to help them or ease the burdens they are carrying. Our usual line of thought would be, “At least, I am the guest here. He should be the one running around to care for me and not the other way round.” And if we could reason like that when dealing with our friends, then, one can be sure that our thought would be worse when we are dealing with someone that we consider to be beneath us in one way or the other.

But the Lord is saying to us, “That is not my way. That is not the way of the kingdom. And as long as you continue to function like that, know that you are not one of my own people.” So, if you want to be considered as one of His own, wherever you are, wherever you go and whatever you are, give yourself to serving others. Cultivate the culture of using whatever you have to help others and make their life better, easier and more enjoyable. Don’t let your focus always be on what others can do for you but also on what you can do for them. That way, even if it is few minutes you spend with them, they will know that you have lifted some burdens off their shoulders and made them happier than you met them.

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

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Why you are permitted to witness it | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: July 13, 2022 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 5, No. 9

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“But you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this.” (Dan 5:22NIV)

Those were the words Daniel said to King Belshazzar when God was set to end his reign. The man began ruling over Babylon after his father, Nebuchadnezzar, had passed on. And from what God wrote on the wall of his palace concerning him, it is clear that He had expected him to be better than his father, especially in the area of humility.

As bible accounts show us, this king’s father, Nebuchadnezzar, was once a very proud king. He was proud because he was a great and mighty king that was feared and honoured by the peoples of all nations. But what he did not know at that time was that his greatness was a gift from God. He did not make himself great. It was God that raised him up, gave him honour and splendour and put all the peoples of the world under his dominion. (Cf. Dan 5:18-19)

Now because he did not know the source of his greatness and splendour, he began to nurse proud thoughts in his heart and to act arrogantly towards God and men. So, God dealt with him ruthlessly. He caused a strange thing to happen to him, a thing that made him live like an animal and among animals for some seasons. And when his sanity was restored, he lost no time in acknowledging God as sovereign over all men and their kingdoms. Therefore, he was shown mercy and given back his kingdom and his glory. (Cf. Dan 4:28-37)

Why did God show this king mercy and didn’t allow him to waste away like an animal? It was so that he would be a living witness to all men of God’s greatness and of how far He could go in judging pride. That means God wanted all the people in the lives of this man, especially his princes and officials, and others who would hear about his story to learn from him and humble themselves before Him.

But did the people in the life of Nebuchadnezzar learn anything at all from what happened to him? Evidently, they did not. If they had learnt from what happened to him, his son Belshazzar, would not have gathered his wives and one thousand officials of his to get drunk on wine, using articles of silver and gold belonging to God, and to sing praises to the gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood and stone. Imagine the fact that over a thousand nobles got together for revelry and idol worship. It was a shameful thing. (Cf. Dan 5:1-4)

In any case, because Belshazzar, who was a direct son of Nebuchadnezzar and who also witnessed first-hand how God judged his pride, failed to take to heart and utilise the lessons from his father’s fall and restoration, God judged him too. In fact, He made an end of his reign without delay and without mercy. (Cf. Dan 5:22-31)

What, then, is the point of all this? It is that there are incidents or events that God permits us to witness in order for us to learn and imbibe certain virtues. And whether these things concern someone’s fall or exaltation, it does not matter. What matters is what we gain through it for our own preservation or exaltation. Otherwise, we may someday blame ourselves for being too dull to learn what could have separated us from death, failure or disgrace when he had the opportunity to do so.

So, as people are being lifted or brought down around you, see to it that you learn all that you can about what is responsible for their elevation or fall. Don’t just act unconcerned or uninterested. That is because you may need to deal with situations similar to theirs one day. How, then, will you fare, if that should happen?

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

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Don’t give His place to anything | Pst. J.O. Lawal | July 06, 2022 | Youth for Jesus | Vol. 5, No. 8

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.)” (2Kings 18:4NIV)

We have in the book of Numbers the account of how God sent venomous snakes among the Israelites because of their ingratitude and grumbling. And when they cried out to Him for forgiveness and mercy, He listened to them and told Moses what to do for their salvation. (Cf. Num 21:4-9)

What, then, was Moses to do for the salvation of these people? He was to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole for all of them to see. Then anyone that was bitten by a snake only needed to look at this bronze snake in order to live. And it was so. All those who were bitten by snakes and who looked up to the bronze snake lived and did not die – the venoms of those dangerous snakes had no power over them.

Now what was in that lifeless bronze snake that made it effective in keeping alive any of the Israelites that was bitten by a live poisonous snake? What power was it carrying? The answer is ‘None’. There was nothing powerful about it or in it. It was just what it was – a lifeless bronze snake.

Why then did it work in saving the people? The truth is that it wasn’t that bronze snake that saved those Israelites. Rather, it was God that saved them. Remember that it was He that told Moses to make the bronze snake and put it on a pole for the people to look at. And He could have asked him to put up something else or to do something totally different for their salvation, and it would have worked as well. Therefore, their salvation did not come from the bronze snake but from Him and through their obedience to His instruction.

Unfortunately, they and their descendants after them did not see things that way. They thought it was that snake that saved them from death in the wilderness. So, somehow, years after Moses had left them, they idolised it and set it up in a high place as a god to worship. And they continued to worship it until Hezekiah became king and totally destroyed it and ended its worship, as we are shown in our opening bible text.

Now try to imagine the kinds of suffering those people must have experienced from God’s hand, year after year, for worshipping that bronze snake in place of Him. Yes, He was the one that gave it to them. But it was merely an instrument that He used to get their attention at the time and make them trust Him for their salvation. So, it was never meant to be kept as an object of worship. But they turned it into another god for themselves and became idolaters and sinners. 

In like manner, there are many today that have idolised certain people, things or processes that God used at some point for their salvation, healing or exaltation. So, anytime they have any problem or challenge, they look up to these things for help instead of looking up to God. They may have been doing this thoughtlessly. But it does not change the fact that they have become nothing but idolaters.

Now, as it is made very clear to us in Scriptures, God has zero tolerance for idolatry. He always judges it in very ruthless ways. That is why we are commanded by Him to flee from idolatry (1Cor 10:14; 1John 5:21). So, if you have anyone or anything that you have idolised in your life, perhaps because God once used it for your healing, deliverance or promotion, you need to redefine your relationship with it and smash whatever altar you have erected for it in your heart. 

See, people are people, not God. And things are things, not God. Yes, God may have used them in the past for your good. But He could as well have used other people or things or even nothing at all. So, don’t exalt them to His place in your life and arouse His jealousy. Don’t turn them into the solution to every problem you have or encounter. God alone holds the solution to all your problems and challenges. And if you give His place to another in your life, utter disgrace and destruction are the only things you can hope for.

Then be careful not to allow anyone to use you or anything from you to replace God in their lives. And if this is already happening, you need to stop it right away before you ensnare yourself. That is because God will never share His place as God with anyone or anything. And scriptures are very clear about this. So, watch yourself.

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

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

A lesson from Bathsheba | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: June 29, 2022 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 5, No. 7

from pastor's desk

“One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her.” 2Sam 11:2-4NIV)

The story of David’s scandal with Bathsheba, wife of Uriah, is one of the most popular stories of the bible. That is because it illustrates for us those warning words from the Scripture that say, “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall.” David fell when and where he never thought he would fall. And the consequences were of very terrible proportions for him and his family. (Cf. 1Cor 10:12)

But then, was it only David that fell? It was not only David that fell into the mud of adultery. Bathsheba also fell into this same mud because she too was married. Yes, God held David more responsible for what happened. That was because he was the one that initiated the whole thing. He was the one that sent for Bathsheba and most likely sweet-talked her into committing adultery with him. But it was not a rape case. It was a voluntary sexual escapade between two consenting adults.

So, David was not the only one to blame for this gross sexual misconduct that eventually led to the murder of an innocent man. Bathsheba was also to blame. It is true, according to the account, that David was in a wrong place at the wrong time. He was not supposed to be in town at all at the time, for it was a time when kings led their armies to war by themselves (2Sam 11:1). But for reasons best known to him, he chose to send his general in his place at the time. And that was what exposed him to the situation that Satan used to ruin his testimony as a man after God’s own heart.

Therefore, always avoid being in the wrong place at any time, not just the wrong time. Avoid making excuses for not being where you should be when you should be there. That is because you don’t know when your being in a wrong place will expose you to battles you should never have any business fighting or to situations that may damage your life, relationships or reputation permanently.

But as I pointed out before, David was not the only one to blame for what happened. Bathsheba also was to blame for it. How? Was it her fault that she was beautiful? No! Or was it wrong for her to take her bath the very evening David saw her? No! How, then, was she also to blame?

Well, for the most part, she was to blame because she did not take her privacy seriously enough. Think about the case yourself. Was she living in a village, where life was low and the people uncultured? No! She was living in a city, in fact very close to the palace of the king of the land. What, then, made her, a married woman, choose to take her bath in a place so open or conspicuous that anyone aimlessly wandering around could see her? Only God knows. But poverty of a good bathroom was most certainly not the reason.

Yes, I am certain that this woman did not go out that evening expecting the king to see her while taking her bath. But she ended up exposing herself to the sin of adultery by not taking her privacy seriously. And even at that, she could have politely rejected the king’s adulterous proposal. If she had, David would have needed to rape her to succeed. Then the story would have ended differently. But she did not. Why? I will leave that to your sanctified imaginations, since we are not told the reason in the bible.

At any rate, what I want you to learn from her is the need for you to take your privacy seriously and to guard it jealously. There are many women today, married and singles, who, like Bathsheba, do not take their privacy seriously at all. They wear whatever they like, regardless of where they are or of where they go. And they often blame this on weather, fashion, pregnancy, motherhood, tiredness or anything else their mind can think of. We now even have those who record and store their private activities, especially immoral ones, on their mobile phones.

Now what all such people need to know is that they are playing with fire. And someday, like Bathsheba, they may get burnt. They may end up exposing themselves to people or situations that will take away from them things that neither money nor time can buy. Then their lives, happiness or reputation may be gone forever. And if you will ask around, you will discover that some are already living testimonies to this. So, watch yourself.

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

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

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

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

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

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

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

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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