Category: Youth for Jesus

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: An error of leadership

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Series: Youth for Jesus

Number: Vol. 8, No.16

“There is an evil I have seen under the sun, the sort of error that arises from a ruler: Fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones. I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves.” (Eccl 10:5-7NIV)

Who is making his observation known to us in our opening text? It is Solomon. And what has he observed? It is an error or a blunder that is often committed by those in leadership. Now what is this error of leadership that Solomon is talking about? It is that of putting unfit people in positions of authority or influence. And wherever that happens, people will not enjoy the benefits of leadership as they ought to. What they will be witnessing, on the contrary, are multiplied failure, chaos and pains.

For instance, as we are told in the bible, when Samuel became old, he made Joel and Abijah judges over the people of Israel. Why? They were his sons. So, he did not make them judges over the nation because God had chosen them or because they had shown themselves as honourable and wise men that could lead the people to please God and experienced prosperity.

Instead, he made them judges because they were his sons and he believed that they would follow his steps in leading the people. (Cf. 1Sam 8:1-2)But did those men walk in the footsteps of their father, Samuel? Not at all! Instead, they acted in greed, took bribes and also twisted justice. And when the people could no longer endure their nonsense, they approached their father to remove them and give them a king instead. That, of course, was not fully in line with the will of God for them. But it was Samuel’s error of leadership that caused it. So, even a great man of God can commit the error of leadership that Solomon speaks of in our opening bible text. (Cf. 1Sam 8:4-5)

Sadly, even Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, also committed this same error of leadership when he first became king. How? It was by choosing the young men that had grown up with him as his counsellors. Is anything wrong with choosing a young person as a counsel to the king or any leader? No! But the person should only be chosen because he is capable of giving sound counsel any time the demands to do so are made on him. (Cf. 1Kings 12)Rehoboam, however, did not choose those young men as his counsellors because they had anything in their heads. Rather, he chose them because they were his childhood friends.

Unfortunately, because they had nothing in their heads, they gave him the counsel that made him lose the larger part of his kingdom to another man.Now, of course, Rehoboam lost his kingdom in that manner because God had already said that He would divide that kingdom into two and give a part of it to Rehoboam. But it was his error of leadership, the one Solomon speaks of our opening text, that hastened it. What a shame! (Cf. 1Kings 11:26-40)

In any case, the point of all this is that if you are in a leadership position, be careful how you choose those that serve with you or represent you. Positions of leadership or authority are not meant for rewarding people or for making them happy. Rather, they are meant to be used to serve people and make life better for them.

So, in choosing people for positions of authority, choose only those who are utterly fit to serve or lead with you. Don’t choose anyone simply because they are close to you or because they have been good to you. Otherwise, they may undo all the good that you have been doing and even ruin your reputation. Therefore, be cautious.

Copyright © 2025, 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: 08146472876)

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: Have genuine concern for them

fire in my bones
fire in my bones


Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 8, No.15

“Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year—twelve years—neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. But the earlier governors—those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land.” (Nehemiah 5:14-16NIV)

Those were the words of Nehemiah, as he gave some account of his leadership over the people of Judah. And he penned down these words for us to show us a very important quality of a true leader. And what is that quality? It is a show of genuine concern for people.

See, a true leader does not just lead because he has to or because no one else will do so or because of what he hopes to gain. Rather, he leads because he is genuinely concerned about the welfare of others and also because he believes that he has what it takes to actually care for them. Therefore, where he does not think that he has what it takes to lead others and see them adequately cared for, he will graciously and humbly refuse to lead.

For instance, after defeating the Midianites, the people of Israel requested that Gideon would become their king. But he humbly declined. And why? Was it because he was being modest? No! Rather, it was because he knew that God had not chosen him to be their king but just a deliverer. So, he would not allow them to compel or entice him to take a position in their lives that was not meant for him but for God. (Cf. Judges 8:22-23)

But becoming king over the Israelites would have enabled Gideon to accumulate lots of money, wives, concubines, servants and lands. Yet he would not become their king. And that was because he wasn’t just concerned about himself and what he could possibly gain by becoming their king; he was also concerned about their welfare. He was concerned about what would become of them, if he should take a role in their lives and affairs that God had not made him fit for.

Now that’s how a true leader reasons. He is not just concerned about himself but also concerned about the people. And where he can see that his rights, interests or privileges as a leader will harm the people instead of bless them, he will let go of those privileges or even his position. And that is also what we see in Nehemiah. Though this man was the governor of his people, he would not fully utilise his rights and privileges as governor. Instead, he devoted himself to working for their protection and prosperity.

Why? The first reason was that he could see that the burden of taking care of his office as governor was too heavy for the people to bear. And if he had insisted on utilising all his rights and privileges as governor, he would simply have increased their sufferings. But he would not do that because he had genuine concern for them.

The second reason was that he had the fear of God in him. If he had not had the fear of God, he would still have placed a heavy burden on the people, even though he could see that they could not bear it. All that would be on his mind was that it was his right to do so.

Sadly, we have many leaders all around the world, including parents and church leaders, that are like that. They are always more concerned about the rights, benefits and enjoyment of their positions than the welfare of the people they are leaders over. No wonder a lot of people are suffering in the world today, even though they have leaders over them that are meant to alleviate their sufferings. The leadership over them is not bringing them the comfort they need but is simply adding to their miseries. What a shame!

In any case, the point of all this is that you should learn to show genuine concern for those under you, if you are a leader in any capacity. Otherwise, you are occupying a wrong position and should promptly excuse yourself from there before God Himself removes or replaces you, something that may be too painful for you to bear.

Cheers!

Copyright © 2025, 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: 08146472876)

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: The test of patience

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Series: Youth for Jesus

Number: Vol. 8, No.14

“On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”” (Acts 1:4-5NIV)

Who gave the command in our opening text? It was our Lord Jesus Christ. And to whom did He give the command? It was to His disciples.What, then, was the command? It was for them to wait in Jerusalem until they were baptised with the Holy Spirit.But exactly when would they be baptised with the Holy Spirit? The Lord did not tell them. He only said to them, “In a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.” So, they would need to have faith in Him to obey this instruction.

Also, they would need to be patient in order to see what He had spoken of come to realisation. Now did they wait or not? They waited. And did the Holy Spirit come on them or not, as Jesus had promised? He came on them. But how long did they wait for the Holy Spirit to come on them?

Well, bible scholars would have us believe that they waited for about ten days. Jesus died during the Passover feast. And He showed Himself to these disciples in a period of forty days after His resurrection. Then the Holy Spirit came on them on the day of Pentecost, which was just fifty days away from the Passover feast. (Cf. Acts 1:3 & 2:1-4)

In any case, the point is that for those early disciples to receive the promise of the Holy Spirit, they had to be patient in waiting for Him. No one today has to wait like that to be baptised with the Holy Spirit, for He has already been made available by God to baptise all those who believe in Christ Jesus. But those early saints had to wait for Him to first be poured out on all humanity before they could receive Him.

And if they had not been patient in waiting for Him, if they had left Jerusalem a day or two days before He came, only God knows what would have become of them and of the church of Jesus Christ on earth.Thankfully they waited. And I am sure the Lord chose them because He could trust them to wait for as long as they had to until the Holy Spirit be poured out on them.

Can He also trust you and me to wait for Him in any situation? Can He trust us to patiently wait for Him to perfect what He is doing concerning our lives, in spite of the challenges or opposition we may face while waiting?King Saul could not be trusted by God to patiently wait for Hm. So, even before He failed God, He had chosen someone else to replace him (1Sam 13:13-14).

What happened? Well, once when the Israelites were at war with the Philistines, he too was commanded to wait until Samuel could come and offer some sacrifice to God before he would lead his men to war. And he did wait for seven days, the time set by Samuel.

However, when Samuel was not showing up that seventh day, he got impatient at some point and decided to offer the sacrifice himself. Why? It was mainly because his soldiers were deserting him. But should he not have called all of them to order, as their king? He should have done that. But he did not.Then even if all his men left him, was God not with him? Was God not sufficient to win the battle or war with him alone? How many men did Gideon need to defeat the Midianites of his time? Only three hundred men! Yet he defeated them because he had the consciousness that God was with him. (Cf. Judg 6-8)

But Saul did not have that consciousness. So, he allowed the misbehaviour of his men to make him lose his patience and do something God had not given him the right to do. Unfortunately for him, Samuel showed up just when he finished making the sacrifice. That means the man of God still came the very day that he had said he would come. So, he only needed to wait a little longer that day. And if he had, God would have established his kingdom.

Sadly, he failed that test of patience and lost what he was trying to keep. And we too may end up losing what we are desperately trying to keep, save or obtain, if we will not learn to be patient with God. Yes, we may be faced with all kinds of challenges that will give us the impression that God will be too late to save us or to perfect what concerns us. But as long as we function with the consciousness that He cares about us and will never leave us or disappoint us, we must keep on waiting for Him patiently.

Yes, as the apostles of old did while waiting for the Holy Spirit, it will be good for us to keep on strengthening ourselves in prayer and in the word of God, while we are waiting for God to fulfil His purpose for our lives. Yet we must be determined to patiently wait for Him, even if we have to do so till our time is up here. That is the only way we will not fail our test of patience and be fully rewarded by Him.

Cheers!

Copyright © 2025, 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: 08146472876)

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: Be quick to judge it

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Series: Youth for Jesus

Number: Vol. 8, No.13

“When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong.” (Eccl 8:11NIV)

After Amnon had raped his half-sister, Tamar, many or some of those who were privileged to know about the matter must have been waiting for a sentence to be passed by King David and his officials on the young man. But for some reasons not mentioned in the account, no sentence was immediately passed on him. In fact, judging from the account, it did not look like any sentence was ever going to be passed on him, for two years after, when he was assassinated, the sentence was yet to be carried out. (Cf. 2Sam 13)

Now why was no sentenced passed by King David on Amnon for raping his own sister? As I already pointed out, we are not told in clear terms in the account. It may be because he was the crown prince and sentencing him to death or to exile may not look politically okay. We wouldn’t know the reason for sure.However, because the sentence for his crime was not quickly carried out, Absalom, the elder brother of the rape victim, decided to take the law into his own hand.

Two years later, when everybody thought the matter had been forgotten, he arranged for Amnon to be assassinated. Then he fled.Now was Absalom also punished for murdering his own elder brother? No! Did David send anybody after him to arrest him and make him face justice? No! Then when he came back from the self-exile he had imposed on himself, was he punished by the king? No! Why was he not punished? Again, we are not told in clear terms in the account.

But then, because he was not punished, he had the opportunity he needed to stage a coup to get rid of his father from the throne. And he would have succeeded and destroyed his father, David, if God had not stepped into the situation to deal with him and rescue the nation from his hand. But many lives were needlessly lost in the process. They were needlessly lost because the man that was in a position to judge wickedness failed to do so when he had the chance to do so. (Cf. 2Sam 14-20)

Well, I personally believe that it is because of all this that Solomon, who witnessed it all, says to us in our opening bible text that when the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do evil.

What that means, first, is that when we are in a position to judge wickedness and will not judge it immediately or at all, somebody else that is not in a position to judge it may be filled with enough anger to judge it. And because the person is not motivated by justice but by anger or bitterness, they will most likely go beyond what is appropriate and adequate in judging the matter. Then they will have made a bad situation worse and be exposed to judgment themselves.

Second, when we fail to judge a crime in time, the person involved and other evil doers like them may be encouraged to do more evil. Why do many, for instance, keep on violating traffic rules in our country? The reason is that people are hardly judged for doing so.

So, most people drive their vehicles with the mindset that nothing will happen to them, even if they break all the traffic rules of the land. And think about the number of lives that have been needlessly lost as a result of that. It is unspeakable.In any case, Solomon wants us to know that if we want our society to be sane and healthy for us all to live in, we cannot afford to ignore crimes.

Instead, we must be quick to judge it in accordance with the laws of the land or of wherever we are, especially when we already have enough evidence to do so. Otherwise, before we know it, evil will so multiply against us that we will need divine intervention to judge it. And where that is the case, we ourselves cannot boldly say that we will be safe when all has been said and done.

Copyright © 2025, 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: 08146472876)

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: No reason to boast

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Series: Youth for Jesus

Number: Vol. 8, No.12

“For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (1Corinthians 4:7NIV)

Those are Paul’s words to us. And what is the first thing he points out to us? It is that we are not better than anyone else in the world. We may feel that we are better than some people because of certain natural or acquired advantages that we have over them or because of our accomplishments. We may also think we are better than others because certain people in our lives are saying so.However, the wisdom of God tells us that we are not better than anyone else, regardless of what we or others think.

Why? The reason is that there is nothing we have that we have not received from God. The bible says the following to us:“A person can receive only what is given them from heaven.” (John 3:27NIV)”Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17)

Did you see that? Every good thing we have or have accomplished in life has been given to us by God. And if we look or ask around, we will see that there are people that are better than us in terms of natural or acquired advantages but who are not as accomplished as we are. In like manner, there are people who do not have the kind of advantages we have in life but who are more accomplished than us.

What this is telling us is that having certain good things that others do not have or accomplishing feats that others have not accomplished is not a function of being better than anybody. Rather, it is a function of God’s grace, God’s gift. Therefore, we have no reason to boast about our possessions or accomplishments. Also, we have no reason to look down on anybody. That is because there is nothing we have that we have not received from God.

If we, however, fail to grasp this and continually give glory to God, we will find ourselves thinking that we are better than others and even boasting about it. And what will God call that? He will call it pride. And there is only one judgment from God for pride. It is downfall.Remember that it was pride that brought Satan down from the height of glory God had originally placed him (Ezekiel 28:12-17). It was also pride that destroyed King Herod, the one that beheaded Apostle James (Acts 12:20-23).

So, before you start acting in pride towards others and boasting that you are better than them, remember these things. And may God continually prevent you from orchestrating your own fall. Amen.

Copyright © 2025, 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: 08146472876)

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: When you are not fit to judge

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Series: Youth for Jesus

Number: Vol. 8, No.11

“Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.” (1Cor 4:5NIV)

What is Paul speaking to us about here? He is speaking to us about situations in which we are not fit to judge others. What he says here, of course, can be mistaken as meaning that we cannot and must not judge others at all. And if we should mistake it like that, then, we will be giving evil enough room to strengthen itself against us and destroy us.

But Paul is not saying that we cannot and must not judge others at all. Instead, he is simply telling us to understand that there are situations in which we are not fit to judge what others are doing or what is going on in their lives.

In fact, what he says here is similar to what the Lord Jesus say to us through the gospel of Matthew, which reads:“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matt 7:1-5NIV)

Is the Lord telling us not to judge people at all here? No! Rather, He is giving us an example of a situation in which we are not fit to judge others. What is that situation? It is one in which we are guilty of the same offence as others or of worse offence than them.

And where that is the case, He is telling us that we are not morally fit to judge them. So, we should first take care of the evil in our lives before pointing accusing fingers at others. Nevertheless, if God has already judged something in His word as wrong or evil, we must judge people accordingly.

So, if you are doing something wrong and somebody condemns you for it, don’t say, “Jesus says, ‘Do not judge, or you too will be judged.’” And do not say, “What right do you have to judge me, seeing that you too are doing something worse.” Just repent. Otherwise, sudden destruction may come upon you while you are arguing with the truth.

Well, Paul’s point to us in our opening text is that it is not in every situation that we are fit to judge what is going on in people’s lives or what they are doing, however close we may be to them. And that is because it is not everytime we have enough light or information to judge others correctly. We may know what they have done or what they have not done. But we may never know why. We may also never know what they have done in secret or not done in secret.

If we, then, judge them only on the basis of what we know, without considering their motives and secrets and the fact that we may not know enough about the matter at hand, we can miss it big.That is why we are admonished by Paul to wait until the one that knows everything about everyone comes to judge. Then He will judge everybody and their works, motives and secrets. That, of course, is when we all will know who has done well and who has done better. But until then, we wait.

Now remember that Job’s friends made the mistake of judging him before God showed up. They judged him as wicked, proud and unrepentant. And that was because they thought that they knew enough about him. But God knew the man differently. So, when He showed up on the scene to judge, it was not Job that needed sin sacrifices and prayers for forgiveness; rather, it was his friends. (Cf. Job 4-42)

In like manner, if God should open our eyes, we may be extremely surprised at the number of people we will need to go and meet for prayers of forgiveness because we judged them wrongly. And only God knows in what ways this is hurting and limiting our lives. So, henceforth, don’t be in a hurry to judge anybody in matters that God has not clearly judged.

Instead, first check if you do really know enough to judge their matter. Otherwise, wait for the judge of all to come and do His job. That will be your wisdom.

Copyright © 2025, 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: 08146472876)

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: Be ready for your season

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Series: Youth for Jesus

Number: Vol. 8, No. 9

“Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” (Eph 5:15-16NIV)

Who is Paul talking to here? He is talking to me. He is talking to you. He is talking to anyone who cares to listen.Now what point is he making to us through what he says? It is that we are to live wisely. And why are we to live wisely? The reason is that we are living in evil days. That means there is enough evil in the world every day to destroy any of us or to make our lives meaningless. And if we are not living wisely, then, our lives can only amount to nothing, that is, if they are not prematurely cut short.

So, we must be determined to live wisely. And how do we live wisely? As Paul goes on to tell us in that text, it is by making the most of every opportunity. That, of course, means that there are opportunities for us in these evil days to make sense out of living. And it is only those who make the most of these opportunities that will be ready to attain the heights God wants them to attain in life when the season for their elevation comes.

As we are told in the bible, God has seasons for lifting people up to different levels of greatness, importance or usefulness in life (1Peter 5:6). But it is not everyone that is always ready when the time comes for God to lift them up or help them.

For example, when it was time for God to end the wilderness experience of the Israelites that Moses brought out of Egypt and take them into the Promised Land, they were not ready to go in. But all the difficulties they had experienced, all the words God had spoken to them and all the miracles He had performed for them were meant to make them ready for that moment Yet they were not ready for it. So, they ended up spending forty more years in the wilderness before the Promised Land could be theirs to possess and enjoy. (Cf. Num 13-14)

In like manner, the word of God that comes to us day after day, the miracles we are experiencing or witnessing and the various circumstances we are going through in life are all supposed to make us ready for the seasons in which God will elevate us.

But if we are not making the most of them to strengthen our faith and to train ourselves to be responsible, faithful, patient, humble, loving and forgiving, we will simply find out that we are not ready when our season of elevation comes to us from God. Then who knows how many days or years it may take again for us to be ready, that is, if we ever become ready.

So, instead of complaining about your life’s circumstances, however ugly they may seem, learn to apply the word of God and His goodness to you in making the most of these circumstances to make yourself ready for your next season of elevation. That was how Joseph functioned. He did not waste his time and energy in complaining about the miseries of his life.

Instead, he used God’s favour that was on his life to make the most of the opportunities of his evil days to prepare himself for his season of elevation. And when that day came, he was more than ready to ascend. May that be your experience too in every season of elevation that comes to you from God.

Amen.

Copyright © 2025, 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: 08146472876)

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: Wasted on an empty head

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Series: Youth for Jesus

Number: Vol. 8, No. 8

“Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful face on an empty head.” (Proverbs 11:22MSG)

Those are Solomon’s words to us. And he does not say them to discredit beauty. Beauty is good! Beauty is a gift from God. So, we ought to appreciate it in anyone who has been endowed with it.However, beauty alone is not enough to attain greatness in life.

Yes, beauty may open certain doors of greatness for you. But if you lack God’s favour, good sense, character and adequate measure of education and skills, those doors of greatness may just be wasted.Look at Esther of bible days, for example. Her beauty made room for her among those being considered as queen for King Xerxes. But she needed more than her beauty to become queen. She also needed God’s favour, wisdom and character.

Thankfully, she had them all. (Cf. Esther 2)As we see in the account, the moment the king’s Eunuch in charge of the harem saw her, he just loved her and began to treat her differently from all the other girls that were brought to him. That’s favour. Then when it was her time to go to the king, she did not request for anything else apart from what that man had told her to take along. So, she ended up becoming queen. That’s wisdom. (Cf. Esther 2:8-16)

Moreover, after she had become queen, she continued to listen to the counsel of her uncle, Mordecai, the man who had raised her like his own daughter. So, she continued to thrive and prosper. That’s character. (Cf: Esther 2:20)You can see, then, that you need more than beauty to thrive and prosper in life. Otherwise, you will be wasting the good opportunities to shine that God may be using your beauty to bring to you.

And where that is the case, the words of Solomon that say, “Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful face on an empty head,” will be true concerning you. In other words, beauty will have been wasted on you, wasted on an empty head.Now you may know one or two people that what we are talking about is true concerning them.

Beauty has been wasted on them, for they lack the qualities needed to make it shine. And is that what you too want? Do you really want people to be saying that God has wasted beauty on you? Well, that is what they will most likely be saying, if all you have got apart from your beauty is an empty head. And this is not applicable to beauty alone; it is also applicable to other natural advantages or gifts you have received from God.

If all you have apart from these natural advantages or gifts is an empty head, you will surely be making a waste of God’s gifts.All this is why you should learn to pray that God will daily equip you with everything you need to make whatever natural endowments He has blessed you with worth it in life. Then you must not be lazy. Instead, you must drive yourself to daily take advantage of every opportunity you have to train and develop yourself to be fit for greatness in life.

That way, as God is using your natural endowments to open doors of favour for you, you will not be using your hands to shut them, simply because you have got nothing else apart from an empty head.

Cheers!

Copyright © 2025, 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: 08146472876)

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: Change the content

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Series: Youth for Jesus

Number: Vol. 8, No. 7

“You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.” (Matthew 12:34-35NIV)

Those are the words of our Lord Jesus to us on how to be good people or bad people. And how do I become either a good person or a bad one? It is all about what I deposit or invest in my life.As our Lord asks in our opening text, “How can someone who is full of poison say or do anything good?” It is not possible. That person will have to change the content of his life for that to happen.

Otherwise, regardless of how hard he tries, he can never say anything good, unless, of course, God borrows his mouth for a moment.So, do you want to be a good person, in word and in conduct, begin to store goodness in your life.

Yes, begin to deliberately load yourself with words, thoughts and images of goodness. And you can do that by exposing yourself continually to the word of God. That is because His word is the word of goodness. And if you feed on it long enough, it will fill you with sufficient power of goodness to recreate your heart and also your conduct. Then you will find yourself unconsciously and naturally exhibiting and promoting goodness.

In like manner, if you really want to be or remain a bad person, you just need to feed yourself long enough with bad words, thoughts and images. And before you know it, everyone around you will have no doubt whatsoever about the fact that you are Satan’s firstborn. That is because you will be utterly bad and corrupt.

But then, I also need to say that even if you do not want to be a bad person but a good one, as long as you keep feasting on bad and useless words, thoughts and images, you will not be able to stop yourself from being a bad, corrupt and useless person. It is just what it is.

Similarly, even if you do not want to be a good person but a bad one, as long as you continue to feed on the word of God’s goodness, filling yourself with good thoughts and images through it, you won’t be able to help yourself from manifesting goodness.

So, whether your life will manifest goodness or evil all depends on the content of your heart. What, then, do you want in manifestation in your life, goodness or evil? Well, all you need is to change the content of your heart accordingly. My counsel, nevertheless, is that you change the content to what is good.C

heers!

Categories
Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: Act your part

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Series: Youth for Jesus|Number: Vol. 8, No. 6

“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.” (Luke 15:31NIV)

Who said these words? It was the father of the prodigal son that said them. And who did he say them to? He said them to his elder son?Now why did he say these words to the young man? The reason was that he was complaining that he was not being fairly treated by him.

Look at what he actually said to him:”But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ (Luke 15:29-31NIV)

What do we see from this young man’s protest to his father? We see anger. We see frustration. We also see bitterness. But should he have been angry, frustrated and bitter in this sense? No! Why, then, were these things present in his life? They were present there because he would not live in the consciousness of who he was. They were present there because he would not act his part as the elder son of his father and heir to everything the man had.He, as he pointed out to his father, had been slaving himself for him for years.

In other words, he had been doing all kinds of jobs for the man, including those meant for servants or slaves. But who asked him to act like that? Was it his father? It could not have been his father.Truly, he was meant to obey his father in everything good and right. But he was not meant to do that as a slave but as a son. In other words, he was to do whatever his father asked him to do, not with the consciousness of someone being used but with the consciousness of one that would in the long run enjoy the fruit of all that he was doing.

Mind you, as his younger brother pointed out when he came back to his senses, even their father’s servants were living in some measure of luxury (Luke 15:17). Therefore, neither of them had any legitimate reason to be living like a slave.

Unfortunately, he did not fully appreciate this. So, he would not act his part and enjoy himself as a son and heir to all that their father had. Instead, he was waiting for his father to command him to enjoy what already belonged to him before he would do so.

But he, unlike his foolish younger brother, had the training, discipline and wisdom needed to enjoy his inheritance. All he needed was to appreciate the fact that all that his father had belonged to him, especially since his younger brother had already received his own share of the inheritance, and act accordingly. But he would not learn the need to act his part until his foolish and reckless brother came back home and was treated to a great celebration by their father with part of his own inheritance.

In like manner, until certain people begin to enjoy in very unusual ways the benefits of our relationship with God or our relationships with some people, we may not wake up to the need to cherish what God has done for us or given to us. And where that is the case, the best thing for us to do is not to get angry, bitter or frustrated. That will only make a bad situation worse. Instead, it is to begin to act our part in such relationships and stop denying ourselves the enjoyment of what is ours.

So, start acting your part as a child and heir of God in every situation you find yourself. Yes, lay claim on everything that God has already said is yours without hesitation or fear, in the name of His Son Jesus. And it will be yours to enjoy. Then start acting your part in all your relationships with people.

Yes, fully act your part as a father, mother, husband, wife, child, sister, brother, church member, employer, employee, neighbour or citizen, as the case may apply. And may God readily bring about circumstances that will wake you up to begin to act your part in all your relationships, so that you may fully enjoy all that God has provided for your enjoyment through them. Amen.

Cheers!