Category: FROM PASTOR’S DESK 2020

From Pastor’s Desk is a weekly admonition to believers! It has the purpose of weekly edification of the saints, preparing them for a fruitful walk with God every week

Categories
FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

Title: Be concerned about their welfare ,March 08, 2020

from pastor's desk

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours immeasurably from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you into the second week of the month of March 2020. And my prayer is that my God shall supply every need of yours from the fullness of His glorious and indescribable riches in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Now, if you have been paying attention to Scriptures for a while, the line of prayer above should not be strange to you at all. I picked it from Paul’s letter to the Philippians, chapter 4, verse 19. In other words, this prayer was originally offered by Paul for the Philippian brethren. And why would he pray specifically like that for them? It was because of the material support he had been receiving from them.

Just take a look at what he says about this church:

“I am very happy in the Lord that you have shown your care for me again. You continued to care about me, but there was no way for you to show it. I am not telling you this because I need anything. I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that happens. I know how to live when I am poor, and I know how to live when I have plenty. I have learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that happens, when I have enough to eat and when I go hungry, when I have more than I need and when I do not have enough. I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength. I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength. But it was good that you helped me when I needed it. You Philippians remember when I first preached the Good News there. When I left Macedonia, you were the only church that gave me help. Several times you sent me things I needed when I was in Thessalonica. Really, it is not that I want to receive gifts from you, but I want you to have the good that comes from giving. And now I have everything, and more. I have all I need, because Epaphroditus brought your gift to me. It is like a sweet-smelling sacrifice offered to God, who accepts that sacrifice and is pleased with it. My God will use his wonderful riches in Christ Jesus to give you everything you need.” (Phil 4:13-19NCV)

First, observe that Paul, through this letter, made it very clear that he could do with or without the gifts of these brethren in Philippi. That was because he had learnt the secret of contentment. He had learnt from God how to handle himself whether he had plenty or little. Nevertheless, he was glad in Christ Jesus because the Philippian brethren cared about him and his ministry. These brethren had been supporting him right from the time he first came to minister among them. And even after he had left their city, they still continued to send him aid. Then, at the time he was writing the letter, he had just received another set of gifts from them. How wonderful these brethren must have been!

In any case, even though Paul could do without the gifts of these Philippians, he accepted them with thanksgiving. And why? It was because he wanted them to receive the reward that comes from giving to God. “God? What has God got to do with this?” someone may ask. Well, He has got everything to do with it. Again, observe from the text that Paul says that the gifts of these brethren are like a sweet-smelling sacrifice offered to God. So, even though it was he that received and used the gifts, they were actually an offering made out to God. And why was that so? It was so because those brethren were giving in response to God’s command. God has commanded that those who teach and preach His word should be generously and adequately supported by those who benefit from their ministries (1Cor 9:14; Gal 6:6; 1Tim 5:17-18). So, when we give to those who feed us with the word of God, in obedience to this command, we are indirectly giving Him. And we can be sure that He will repay us, whether they, as Paul prays for the Philippian brethren, pray for us or not. (Cf. 2Cor 9:6-11; Gal 6:6-10)

Unfortunately, many of us who are being edified week after week by leaders from our various assemblies often act irresponsibly along this line. We don’t take usually take the initiative to support them with our resources. And many of them know this. They know that unless they pressure us, manipulate us or threaten us, most of us will totally ignore their needs. So, they cast off all restraints and begin to use all kinds of horrible means to raise money and other material things for themselves, instead of relying on God to take care of their needs. And are they going to have any excuse before God for doing this? No! But we too, who are continually failing God in this area, will not be held guiltless, as far as this matter is concerned. All of this is why I want you to repent, as you go this week, and begin to deal with your failures in this area. And may God’s good Spirit help you to retrace your steps, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a great week.

Copyright © 2020, 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 alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

Categories
FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

Title: Fulfil His purpose with your position – February 23, 2020

from pastor's desk

Beloved: Welcome to the last week of the month of February 2020. And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the companionship of the Holy Spirit be with you both now and forevermore. Amen.

As we start this new week, I want to remind you of one of the main lessons of the book of Esther, which is that God does not put people in positions of influence by mistake; there is always a purpose to it. It all started with the mistake of a great king, Xerxes, who in his drunkenness took some terrible steps that got his queen, Vashti, deposed (Esther 1). And this, of course, opened the door for lowly but favoured Esther to become the queen of one of the most powerful kings of all times (Esther 2).

But why would God lift up a commoner like Esther to become queen in that vast empire of Xerxes, an empire of a hundred and twenty-seven provinces (states), stretching from India to Ethiopia (Esther 1:1)? Was it because she was the most beautiful or most gracious of the young virgins that contested for the position? We are not told that in the account. Instead, what we are told is that she won the favour of Hegai, the Eunuch in charge of the king’s Harem (Esther 2:8-9). That, of course, gave a little advantage over others. Then she won the favour of all the people that saw her, when it was her turn to appear before the king (Esther 2:15). Finally, she won the favour and approval of the king himself more than any of the other virgins. So, he crowned her queen in place of Vashti. (Cf. Esther 2:17)

It was God’s favour, then, not beauty that got Esther into that position of advantage. And remember that the bible says, “For promotion and power come from nowhere on earth, but only from God. He promotes one and deposes another.” (Ps 75:6-7TLB) So, regardless of what position of advantage you or anyone else may be in this life, you must never forget that you could never have gotten there without God’s aid. Yes, it is possible that you manipulated your way to where you are now, cheating, lying, killing or even getting diabolical and ruthless. Nevertheless, if God had not wanted you there, nothing could have brought you there. And if you fail to learn God’s purpose for bringing you there and begin to live up to it, someday you may perish with that position or be ruthlessly and shamefully replaced.

Well, I ask again, “Why was Esther, a commoner, lifted up to that great position of significance in that Persian empire?” Was it so that she could dress gorgeously all the time and throw very expensive parties every now and then, in the name of the king? Yes, those were part of the reasons. I mean that her office required that she did such things. But God who put her in that position had something bigger and nobler in mind. He had the salvation of her people in mind. So when the time came for her to use her position to save her people, He had to stir up her uncle (Mordecai) to talk some sense into her and show her that the salvation of her people may just be the reason she was queen at that time. Thankfully, she saw what God wanted her to see and sprang to action, even though it meant putting her life in jeopardy. And that was how she was used to prevent a total annihilation of the Jewish people in that empire and at that time. (Cf. Esther 3-9)

In like manner, God has not stopped lifting up commoners and people with no great abilities or potential to positions of advantage and influence. Unfortunately, instead for them to humble themselves under His mighty hand and allow Him to use them to comfort, lift and bless others, what we find is that many of them often function in arrogance and pride. So, they end up abusing their positions and using them in ways that are contrary to God’s purpose for them. They act like this, forgetting that there will always be greater heights to attain in life and that there is no way God can further lift them up, if He is totally dissatisfied with what they have done with where they are.

All this explains why certain individuals that some of us know seem to have reach the crest of their advancement in life, even though others around them have not stopped rising higher and higher. And perhaps it is the reason you too are no longer experiencing any tangible advancement in your life. You have been abusing that little promotion or increase you got from God the other time. So, He is now resisting you because of your pride (James 4:6; 1Pet 5:5). And if you don’t retrace your steps and begin to use that position or influence to do His will, you may never experience any real progress in life again. So, watch yourself. And may the Spirit of God help you do what is right on this note.

Do have a very pleasant week.

Copyright © 2020, 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 alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

Categories
FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

Title: Read, hear and do – February 16, 2020

read, hear and do

Beloved: I am delighted to welcome you into another week of the month of February 2020. And may grace, mercy and peace be yours abundantly from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

As we go this new week, I want to remind you how important it is for us not just to be hearers or readers of God’s word but to also be doers of it as well. Indeed, the bible makes it clear that when we read or hear God’s word, we are blessed. That means there are activities or provisions of God that are activated on our behalf when we listen to God’s word being taught by others or when we read and meditate on the Scriptures ourselves.

For instance, John, speaking about his book, the Revelation of Jesus, says, “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” (Rev 1:3NIV) Observe that there are three categories of blessedness that John speaks of here. First, he speaks of the blessedness of reading the word of God. So, each time you put aside other things to read or study God’s word, there are blessings of God (in form of inner strength, courage, hope, faith and so forth) that are released on your behalf. You may never know anything about them, but good things happen to you, for you and in you each time you read the word of God. And that is why if you know how to read, then, do your best not to cheat yourself of the blessedness of reading the Holy Scriptures as often as you can.

Second, John speaks of the blessedness of hearing the word of God. Whether you know how to read or not, each time you present yourself or make yourself available to hear God’s word read or taught to you, there is a release of certain blessings of God on your behalf. This explains why people sometimes get healed of terrible sicknesses, diseases and deformities, just by listening to the word of God and without anybody praying for them. And it explains why certain destructive addictions and bad behaviours sometimes just disappear from people’s lives, just by listening to the word of God again and again, without anybody praying for them. So, inasmuch as God has blessed you with the gift of hearing, make the most of the preaching or teaching time in your church meetings. Don’t allow anybody or anything to distract you when the word of God is being taught to you. And also do your best to use your resources to take advantage of the different means of listening to the word of God that modern technology now makes available to us. That is because no one can comprehend or quantify the extent to which God’s blessings can manifest in your life just by listening to His word.

Finally, Johns speaks of the blessedness of taking the word of God to heart, so that one may act on it. And this, as supported by other Scriptures, is what enables one to continually enjoy and experience all of the blessings of God that have been poured out upon us in all their fullness. For instance, our Lord Jesus and Apostle James both tell us that anyone who hears God’s word but does not act on it is foolish and deceiving himself, if he is expecting the word to fully produce the results it is meant to produce in his life. That is because the word of God can only fully release the blessings of God in the life of the one that acts on it, the one that does what the word says. (Cf. Matt 7:24-27; Luke 6:47-49; James 1:22-25)

Also, our Lord Jesus, once while responding to a woman who had said to Him, “Blessed is the mother that gave birth to you and nursed you,” said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (Cf. Luke 11:27-28) Think about that. Mary’s natural relationship with our Lord Jesus could not readily unleash the flow of the fullness of God’s blessings into her life or through her life. She also, like every other person, had to take God’s word seriously in order for that to happen (Luke 1:26-45; Acts 1:14). In the same way, our natural relationship with great preachers of God’s word or our closeness to them or to the bible cannot release or activate the fullness of the blessings of God for our enjoyment. We must give ourselves to acting on the word of God for that to happen. So, if we want to continually enjoy all that the goodness of God is able to make available to us or carry out on our behalf, we must not stop at reading or hearing His word; we must also give ourselves to practising His word wholeheartedly. And I pray that the Spirit of God will continually strengthen our hearts to take these things seriously every remaining day of our lives here on earth. Amen.

Do have a very pleasant week.

Copyright © 2020, 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 alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

Categories
FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

Title: Where the word of a king is – February 09, 2020

from pastor's desk

“Where the word of a King is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?” (Ecc 8:4KJV) With these awesome quote from Solomon, often called the Preacher, I welcome you dear beloved into a new week. The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has brought us this far will preserve us until the end of the year, if He tarries. Amen.

Beloved, I perceive it is necessary we take time out to remind ourselves of the salient facts contained in the opening scriptures above. We are conversant with earthly rule, and we know that earthly kings exercise their authorities over their subjects – people under their domain. They may earn the respect of others outside their domain or even gain their admiration. Nevertheless, the ability to enforce their authority lies within their domain. And I am glad we are not ignorant of our translation from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son (Col 1:13).

Now a disobedience to the king’s order in an earthly kingdom carries dire consequences. Irrespective of the myriads of excuses presented, their moral grounds, or how illogical the king’s order appears, the king’s word is Power! Queen Vashti’s case is one of the pictures illustrated in the scriptures to emphasise this. It’s clear King Ahasuerus acted under the influence of strong wine and his order requesting Vashti the Queen to come was self-aggravating – to show off her beauty before drunk officials. Nevertheless, the morality of her excuses for disobeying the king did not exempt her from the consequences! It was at the cost of her throne! Think about that! (Cf. Esther 1)

The preacher, in our opening text, goes further to intimate us of one of the reasons the king’s word cannot be treated with a laisser-faire (do as you like) disposition. It is because no one can question Him! This I believe should give us reasons to examine the way we have handled the Lord’s instructions, revelations and divine commitments in times past and the way we are handling them at the moment. Rationalizing God’s direct instructions to us based on human thinking, immediate circumstances or past negative experiences is the main grounding box that has kept a lot of us at a spot.

A similar example is given to us in the Gospel of Saint John (John 2:7-8). We are not told that Jesus prayed over the water; neither are we told that He blessed the water pots. And come to think of it: how relevant is the instruction to the need on ground? Wine! Fill the water pots with Water! Yet, they could have missed their miracle, if they had logically analyzed the situation or treated the King’s Word with nonchalance. How often we grieve the Spirit of God in this area.

Some of us handle the King’s word at our convenience! Solomon tells us in the next two verses that a wise man’s heart discerns both ‘time’ and ‘judgment’ because to every purpose there is ‘time’ and ‘judgment’ (Ecc 8:5-6). What a profound warning that is to us. It warns us of the consequences of procrastination. It informs us that every instruction from the King has a ‘time-element’ and ‘possible consequences’, if we miss the ‘timing’. (Cf. Luke 19: 41-44)

“You Son of Man are the Watchman. I have made you a watchman for Israel. The MINUTE you hear a MESSAGE from ME, WARN THEM! If I say to the wicked, ‘Wicked Man, Wicked Woman, you are on a fast track to death!’ and you don’t speak up and warn the wicked to change their ways, the wicked will die unwarned in their sins AND I’LL HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR BLOODSHED.” (Eze 33: 7-8MSG – emphasis added) I do not know the implications of that, but I know it’s not going to be good. So, as we go this week, I want us to reflect on these time-dependent words of our King: “Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost…” (Cf. Matt 28:19-20) What excuse will you give for disobeying the King’s Order?

Do have a fabulous week.

Copyright © 2020, 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 alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

Categories
FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

Title: Receive His comfort – February 02, 2020

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I welcome you into the second month of this year, the month of February. And I pray that the comfort of God will overflow your life in all ways all through the month, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now I offered that prayer for you because unless God Himself comforts you and fills your life with His comfort, there is nothing you or others do or acquire that will give you comfort in life. And who does not need comfort in his life? Why do people run up and down every day, laboring with all their intelligence, power, might and resources? It is largely because they want to be comfortable in life. Why do people even steal, embezzle public funds, get involved in prostitution and do all kinds of horrible things? Is it not because they want some measure of comfort for themselves and perhaps their loved ones? And why do some people seek to insert themselves into certain rich, popular or influential individuals’ lives? Is it not because of the hope of comfort?

However, nothing we do on our own can give us true comfort in life. Truly, money, position, power or fame may make us comfortable. But how comfortable can they really make us? What degree of comfort can they really make available to us? As we know, there are many today who have these things but who are still troubled and disturbed in many ways and are in need of comfort. What I am saying is that there are many that their money, fame, power and influence cannot comfort in their trouble. And they themselves know that these things are ineffective and insufficient in providing for them the kind of comfort their hearts desire.

So, if you want real comfort in your life, beyond what money, fame, power and influence can make available, you need to turn to God. Paul, in a letter to the Corinthians, says this of God: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (2Cor 1:3-4NIV) Did you see that? Paul, here, describes God as the God of all comfort. That means if you are enjoying any kind of comfort in your life at all, whether through your money, position, influence or relationship, it is because God has made it possible.

Now, of course, you don’t have to know God or believe in Him in order to enjoy His comfort. That is because, as a good, compassionate and loving Father, He makes His comfort available to all, regardless of whether they are good or bad (Matt 5:45; Acts 14:16-17). And if God is kind enough to comfort even those who are bad and who don’t believe in Him, then, imagine what measure of comfort He is able to make available to those who believe in Him and continually look up to Him for comfort in life. In fact, one of the reasons He has given those who believe in Him His Holy Spirit is that He may be an ever present Comforter to them (John 14:16).

So, as you go through this month and the remaining part of the year, learn to function with the consciousness that you have the Holy Spirit of God in you as your comforter and the source of whatever form of comfort you may need in your life. And as you receive His comfort, be kind enough to let it flow from you to as many in your life who are also in need of God’s comfort.

Do have a great February 2020.

Copyright © 2020, 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 alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

Categories
FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020

Title: Don’t think about it

from pastor's desk

By: J.O. Lawal

Date: January 26, 2020

Series: From Pastor’s Desk

Number: Vol. 8, No. 38

Beloved: Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I welcome you to the last week of the month of January 2020. And my prayer is that you will be kept safe in all your ways and also preserved in the purity of Christ all through it, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As you go this week, I want to remind you that even though we are new creations in Christ Jesus, we are still living in a world of corruption. In addition to that, the body we still operate in is one that is mortal and responsive to all kinds of evil desires. So, the fact that we are now Christians does not mean that we are never again going to be confronted with desires to do evil. We will, as long as we are in this world. However, we are not powerless against them. We have the Spirit of God in us to teach and to strengthen us to walk in victory over them. All we need to do, then, is to take His ministry in our lives seriously and keep in step with Him. And we will never again be rubbished by any form of sin. 

Now one of the things the Spirit of God teaches us on how to walk in victory over sin is found in Paul’s letter to the Romans in which he says, “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Rom 13:14NIV) Did you see that? Paul says put on the Lord Jesus Christ and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. That means the flesh has desires. And these desires are constantly rising in us to take charge of our lives and determine the direction in which they go.

The problem, however, is that the desires of the flesh are mostly contrary to the will of God. In his letter to the Galatians Paul also speaks about this. He says, “Live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” (Gal 5:16-17NIV) Look at that. What the flesh desires and wants are contrary to what the Spirit of God in us wants. In other words, our flesh is naturally against the will of God for us. It wants us to have untamed pleasure and to take the whole world for ourselves at the expense of others. Also, it wants us to think and live like our own gods, having no regard for any form of authority whatsoever. (Cf. Gal 5:19-20)

You can examine your own life to see whether these things are not true of your flesh. Are your desires and feelings not naturally selfish, immoral, rebellious and wicked? I am sure you will agree that they are. And if you give these desires and feelings enough room to take charge of you, you will soon enough find yourself doing things that you yourself know to be wrong. James, in his epistle, describes this process for us, when he says, “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:13-15NIV)

Did you see that? Every kind of sin begins inside us. It starts with a seed-thought that is planted in us by the enemy. And our flesh loves such thoughts, thoughts that give it the feeling that it is going to enjoy itself one way or the other. But when we allow such thoughts to have their way in us, they will result in sin. Then sin, when it has fully taken hold of us, kills us and makes a waste of our lives. That is why Paul instructs us not to think at all about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. Those desires will definitely come to us. We cannot stop them from coming, for it is the enemy of our souls that is using them to war against us (1Pet 2:11). But we can refuse to think about them or to think about how to make them happen. 

See, if you want to sin, your mind will always come up with ingenious ways to do so and avoid the consequences. That is why you must deal with every thought coming to you, as we are told in the scriptures, and make it obey the Lord Jesus (2Cor 10:5). Yes, you must learn to say of wrong thoughts, “This thought is contrary to the will of God for me. So I refuse to think it or ponder on how to make it happen. And I receive strength from the Spirit of God to reject it, in the name of Jesus.” And as you devote yourself to treating all your thoughts like this, you will find yourself growing stronger and stronger in saying ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passion.

Do have a fabulous week.

Copyright © 2020, 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 alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

Categories
FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020

Title: Don’t be a mere talker JAN 19, 2020

from pastor's desk

By: J.O. Lawal

Date: January 19, 2020

Series: From Pastor’s Desk

Number: Vol. 8, No. 37

Beloved: grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to another week of January 2020. And I pray that the Lord will fulfill every good purpose of your heart and all your steps of faith in it, in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

My admonition to you, as we continue our journey through this new year, is that you go beyond talking in your walk with God; be a performer. God Himself is a performer; He does not just talk. Balaam, that greedy seer, once said about Him, “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Num 23:19NIV) Think about that. Even Balaam, of all people, knew God as a performer and not a mere talker.

In like manner, you too should not just be one who just talks about all sorts of wonderful things you intend to do for God and His kingdom this year. Rather, be one who is committed to acting too. That is because it is not the one who talks and makes all kinds of promises that has God’s approval but the one who acts in accordance with His will. 

There is actually a parable of the Lord that speaks to warn us along this line. It reads: “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.” (Matt 21:28-30NIV) Now the Lord asks, “What do you think about that? Who out of the two sons did the will of his father?” Obviously, it was the first son. Truly, he had said that he was not going to do what his father wanted. But he later thought about it, changed his mind and went and did what the father wanted. 

Unfortunately, the one that raised his father’s hope and said that he would go and do his will never went. Perhaps he just said what he said to impress his father and make him feel good. And maybe he really did want to carry out his father’s will. But the fact remains that he never did. He was a mere talker. Many too are like that today. They are smooth and impressive talkers. Always, they are talking about what they are doing for the Lord or what they intend to do for Him, causing people to think of them in ways they are not warranted to. But when you examine their walk very carefully, you will see that all they do is talk – they don’t act.

Now people like that don’t move the work of God forward. On the contrary, they unconsciously discourage others and terribly slow down the work. That is because when you expect them to act, they won’t act. So, God may end up getting others to do what they should have done. And that is not good for them at all. I mean that it is not good for any of us to be one who just says before God things he does not mean or things he is unwilling to fully commit himself to. That is because, as Solomon shows us in his book, Ecclesiastes, acting like that may expose us and the works of our hands to God’s judgment. (Cf. Ecc 5:1-6)

So, this new year, even though it is the will of God for each of us to abound in His work, don’t try to impress or compete with anybody by saying that you are going to do for God things you have no intention of doing for Him. We have no business impressing or competing with anybody in kingdom matters. The only one that we need to impress is God. And don’t be in a hurry to commit yourself to any kingdom service, without first thinking about the cost well (Luke 14:25-33). That is because once you make a commitment to do something, God and people start watching out. What, then, will they think of you, if, at some point, you should drop your commitment to that thing all because you realise that you did not initially do your homework well? I don’t think I need to tell you. 

My point, at any rate, is that let your words and actions agree, as far as matters relating to the kingdom of God are concerned this year. And may God’s favour continually overflow your life all through the year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.  

Do have a splendid week.

Copyright © 2020, 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 alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

Categories
FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020

Title: How God protected a murderer JAN 12, 2020.

from pastor's desk

By: J.O. Lawal

Date: January 12, 2020

Series: From Pastor’s Desk

Number: Vol. 8, No. 36

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Redeemer. I am pleased to welcome you into the second week of this new year, year 2020. My prayer is that God’s favour and cover will rest upon you continually all through the remaining part of the year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

One of the things we learn in the Scriptures about God is that He is compassionate and full of mercy. For instance, Micah says this about Him: “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” (Mic 7:18-19NIV) Look at the things this man says about God, things that many still do not comprehend about Him. First, he says that He is a God who pardons sin and also forgives people’s transgressions. So, regardless of how great your sin may be in His eyes, He is still able to forgive you, if you will turn to Him in repentance. 

Also, Micah says God does not stay angry forever but delights to show mercy. Have you ever thought about that? There are people who think that once God is angry with them, that is how He is going to be forever. But that is not true at all. It is not His desire to be angry with anybody forever, that is, as far as our activities here on earth is concerned. Rather, His desire and pleasure is to show mercy.

Now we see this in the way He dealt with the case of Cain, who murdered his brother, Abel, in cold blood. God, evidently, was very angry with him. And so angry was He that he told Cain that he would no longer prosper as a farmer and that he would be a restless wanderer all the remaining days of his life. And when Cain heard that, he was like, “What! God, this is too much for me! I know I messed up. But please, this punishment is too much for me to bear. In short, it is as good as passing a death sentence on me.” (Cf. Gen 4:10-14)

If you were God, what would you say in response to what that wicked man said? You would most likely say, “Are you alright at all? Just hear yourself. Don’t those words of yours sound bad and terrible in your mouth? Just be thankful I am not killing you immediately. Now get out of this place and don’t ever let me hear a word from you again.” But God would not act like that or say such things. And that is why we just couldn’t be God. 

Well, God, having listened to Cain’s plea, looked at him and was filled with mercy for him. So filled with mercy was He that He put a mark of protection on Him and also said to him, “Anyone who touches you will be punished seven times over.” And I can imagine Cain going around and saying to anyone who wants to harm him, “What do you think you are doing? God has got my back. And if you dare touch me, your life will be seven times more miserable than mine.” What a powerful charm to use! (Cf. Gen 4:15-16)

Now think about that. God was willing to show mercy to a murderer and put a mark of protection on him, just because he appealed to Him. What, then, will He not do to keep safe His children, whom He loves dearly in Christ Jesus? Nothing! No wonder Paul says this to us about what He has done for us: “Remember, God is the One who makes you and us strong in Christ. God made us his chosen people. He put his mark on us to show that we are his, and he put his Spirit in our hearts to be a guarantee for all he has promised.” (2Cor 1:21-22NCV) Did you see that? God has put His mark of ownership on us. Hallelujah. So, we don’t need to pray, as many used to pray today, that God will put a mark of life or protection on us. We already have His mark on us. We go everywhere with His mark on us. Oh yes, it is an invisible and spiritual mark. But angels, Satan and demons can see it; they can tell that we belong to God and that to touch us is to touch Him (Zech 2:8). And what we now need to fully enjoy this is to walk in its consciousness.

Cain, a murderer, walked in the consciousness that he bore God’s mark of protection everywhere he went. And his life was preserved for years. This, of course, does not mean that you are free to murder people, in expectation that God will protect you. You are a rogue, if you think like that; and God will see to it that you get what is right for you. But what I am saying is that if Cain, despite what he did, would boldly take advantage of God’s provision for his protection, we, who are loved and cherished by God, should not act any less. Instead, we should rise every moment of the year and declare boldly, “God’s mark of ownership, life and protection are on me. Nothing can successfully harm me.” And if this is the way we are functioning, we will see for ourselves all through this new year that God never fails in honouring His word.

Do have a very pleasant week.  

Copyright © 2020, 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 alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

Categories
FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020

Title: Trust Him with all your heart JAN 05, 2020

from pastor's desk

By: J.O. Lawal

Date: January 05, 2020

Series: From Pastor’s Desk

Number: Vol. 8, No. 35

Beloved: Grace, mercy and peace be yours abundantly from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. It is with great delight that I welcome you into this New Year, year 2020. Without doubt, it is because of the Lord’s mercies and compassions that we are alive to be a part of the year. And my prayer is that it will not be a wasted additional year for us, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now, as we all are preparing our hearts, minds and bodies to make the most of this new year, I want to remind you that there is nothing we can accomplish on our own in the year without God (John 15:5). So, let us not waste any time, energy, resources, skills or dedication on trying to make it on our own. Rather, let us begin, right from this moment on, to rely on God for everything we need to make the most of this new year that he has given us the privilege of witnessing.

Solomon says this to us in his book of proverbs: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” (Prov 3:5-8NIV) Did you see that? We can choose to either trust in the Lord with everything inside us or trust in ourselves and our own ways of doing things. Which will it be?

See, God will not force us to trust in Him. But He will always counsel us to do so. And if we listen to Him and cast ourselves in utter dependence on Him for every matter of our lives, we will experience His glory in ways that are beyond anybody’s imagination. But if we choose to rely on our ways and methods of doing things, we will someday see for ourselves the folly in doing so.

David, in a Psalm of his, has this to say to us: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.” (Ps 20:7-8NIV) These words, you need to understand, arise out of this man’s personal experience of the difference between trusting in God and trusting in ourselves or our schemes. Remember how he stood before that great giant and warrior, Goliath, and challenged him in the name of the Lord. He clearly said to him during that encounter, “You come against me with sword, spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, who you have defied.” (Cf. 1Sam 17:45)

Now David did not say those words to Goliath because he had nothing in his hands to fight with. He had a sling and some stones in his hands. And he must have been quite skilful in using them. So, he had some skills too, even though his skills could not in any way be compared to Goliath’s. Nevertheless, he did not put his trust in his skills or weapons; rather, he put his trust in the Lord. So, at the end of the fight, he, the little boy from Israel, was the one standing, not Goliath, the great warrior giant from Gath. 

So, when we are talking about putting our trust in the Lord, we are not saying that we don’t need to put our skills, education or resources to any legitimate use. Rather, we are saying that we must not put our trust in those things but in God. Those who trust in human wisdom, strength, influence or resources will ultimately meet with humiliation and disgrace. But those who trust in the Lord, those who count on Him to handle the matters of their lives for them, will never be put to shame, regardless of their handicaps. Instead, when all has been said and done, they will be radiant and standing strong and firm (Ps 34:5). So, put your trust in Him with your whole heart this year, beloved, and you will never regret that you do so.

Happy New Year.

Copyright © 2020, 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 alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)