Category: FROM PASTOR’S DESK 2022

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2022 Pastor's Desk

They begged to give | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: August 01, 2022 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 11, No. 14

Beloved: grace and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am glad to welcome you to a new week of the month August 2022. And I pray that God will cause you to excel in all good things in the week and throughout the remaining part of the year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now, as we begin this new week, I want to encourage you with the words of Paul to the Corinthian brethren about the Macedonian brethren, which say: “And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.” (2Cor 8:1-5NIV)

Why is Paul saying these things about the Macedonian churches to the Corinthians? It is because he wants them to emulate them. And what does he want them to emulate in the Macedonians? It is their devotion to giving for the work of the Lord. Evidently, there was a time churches of God of bible days were making contributions for His work and to help some of His people. And though the Macedonian churches at the time happened to be in extreme poverty, they still gave.

In fact, there are three major things Paul mentions in the text above about their attitude towards giving on that occasion. First, he says that they were overflowing with joy to give. Therefore, their poverty resulted in rich generosity. That is strange. How can poverty result in generosity? Well, as Paul shows us, when a man is overflowing with joy, even in poverty, he will find a way to be generous. If you are not generous, then, it may be that the joy of the Lord is not full or overflowing in your life.

Second, Paul says these people contributed beyond their ability. That, of course, is figurative, for no one can actually give what he does not have. So, what Paul means is that these brethren shocked everybody with their giving. They gave far beyond what everybody expected them to give, considering their circumstances. And that, again, was because their hearts were overflowing with joy to give.

Sadly, today, most people in church always think of giving as small as they can for the work of the Lord, to their leaders and to other brethren in need. That is because giving is boring to them. They see it as an unnecessary burden that God has placed on their lives. Perhaps you too see giving for the Lord’s cause as an unnecessary burden. The Macedonian brethren did not see it that way. Instead, they saw it as a thing of joy to give to the Lord and to His people. And that is how it should be, for if we see it as a thing of joy to receive from the Lord, we should also see it as a thing of joy to give to Him or to anyone He wants us to give to.

The third thing Paul mentions about the Macedonians is that they were earnest about their giving. According to him, they literally begged to be given the opportunity to give on that occasion. HAVE YOU EVER BEGGED TO GIVE TO THE LORD? Well, these brethren did. And why did they have to beg to give? It was most likely because the apostle did not want them to give, considering their financial condition at the time. But they would not miss out on the blessedness of giving and receiving. So, they begged him to allow them also to participate. And when they were allowed to do so, they gave beyond everyone’s expectations.

Unfortunately, most of us today will do all that we can to escape giving in our assemblies. If an usher, for instance, mistakenly takes the offering bag pass us in a church meeting, that is over for that day – we won’t give again. And what we do not know is that as we are seeking ways to avoid giving for the work of the Lord and to those that He wants us to give to, the benefits of giving are also seeking ways to avoid us. And the word of God is coming to us now and asking us to change our ways and learn from the Macedonians instead of always making excuses for not being devoted to giving to the Lord’s cause. Yes, sometimes, it may not be convenient for us to give, as it was not convenient for them too. But if our hearts are right, as their hearts were right, then, we will give with joy and in the maximum. And our gifts will be accepted by God based on what we have and not based on what we do not have.

Do have a pleasant week.

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@abcministry.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2022 General Post Pastor's Desk

Don’t be a useless helper | Pst. J.O. Lawal | July 31, 2022 | Vol. 11, No. 13

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours forevermore from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am glad to welcome you to another week of this year, which is the first week of the month of August 2022. I pray that God, who has been taking care of us, will continue to keep us safe in these dangerous times and also continue to make us increase in usefulness, in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

As we see in the bible, at various times in life God plants us in different people’s lives to be helpers or comforters to them. This, of course, is never to make slaves of us, even though we may sometimes find ourselves doing things that slaves do. Rather, it is often to prepare us for greater heights God wants to take us or for greater assignments He wants to give to us.

For instance, before Joseph became second-in-command to Pharaoh, he had served as a servant and helper to Potiphar and also to the warden of the prison he was taken to after the blackmail of Potiphar’s wife. And the experiences and training he had while serving these people must have helped him greatly while leading the nation of Egypt. Also, before Elisha became the leading prophet of the nation of Israel, he had first served and helped Elijah in many ways. And the time he spent with that man of God must have greatly helped him in cultivating the right culture in handling the word of God even in difficult situations. (Cf. Gen 39-41; 1Kings 19 – 2Kings 2)

But then, we must understand that the reason both Joseph and Elisha eventually got to the great heights God wanted them to get to and also succeeded there was that they made themselves quite useful to those that they were meant to serve at the time they were meant to serve them. If Joseph, for instance, had been useless to Potiphar, he would not have put all his possessions in his care. Or if he had been useless to the warden of the prison he was taken to, he would most likely not have had the opportunity to meet the man that secured his release.

So, wherever you are, identify the people God wants you to serve, help or comfort and prove yourself highly useful or invaluable to them instead of becoming an unnecessary burden. Don’t be like Job’s three friends who came to comfort him in his time of trial but ended up hurting him more. Look at his words concerning them: “You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you! If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom.” (Job 13:4-5NIV)

Then don’t be like John Mark who, in his early days as a minister, abandoned Paul and Barnabas during their first missionary trip. According to Luke, this man had followed these apostles to help them in whatever way they might need him. That means he may have been required to help them with their house chores, travel arrangements, letter writing or delivery, tax payments and so forth. But for no good reason, he left them when the work was just starting. So, he was a useless minister to them at that time, even though he was Barnabas’s cousin. No wonder Paul did not want them to take him when they were going on their second missionary trip. (Cf. Acts 13:5&13; Acts 15:36-41)

Now all thanks to God that Mark later woke up and began to make himself responsible in serving the leaders He wanted him to serve. So, Paul would later ask Timothy to bring him to him because he had become useful to him in his ministry (2Tim 4:11). And that is how God wants all of us to be. He wants us to grow up to be tremendously useful to the people in our lives, especially our leaders, whether at home, in the church or at work. 

See, leaders, including our parents, don’t want liabilities around them but helpers. They already have enough work to do and don’t want followers that will make things harder but easier for them. So, if you can’t make things easier for your leaders, wherever you may be, you are useless to them. And as long as you are like that, your leaders won’t see any reason to lift you up. Even God can’t open greater doors of usefulness for you, if you are useless to those He wants you to serve or help. So, wake up, as Mark eventually did and start making yourself useful to all the people He wants you to serve. And before you know it, doors of opportunity for greater heights will start opening here and there for you.

Have a fabulous week.

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@abcministry.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2022 General Post Pastor's Desk

Wake up and do your job | Pst. J.O. Lawal | July 24, 2022 | Vol. 11, No. 12

Beloved: grace and peace be yours without measure from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you to the last week of the month of July 2022. My prayer is that your heart will receive adequate boldness and encouragement to take your place in God’s kingdom and fully discharge the duties of your ministry. Amen.

Paul, writing to Timothy in a letter, says to him, “But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” (2Tim 4:5NIV) How best do we summarise Paul’s instruction to Timothy here? It is that he should leave no stone unturned as far as his ministry is concerned. That means he is to see to it that he does everything that God expects him to do.

But what will make Timothy succeed in doing all that God expects him to do here on earth? First, he must have adequate and accurate knowledge of what God expects him to do. He cannot possibly discharge all the duties of his ministry, if he does not know what his ministry is. Second, he must have a high sense of duty. In other words, he must see what God wants him to do as his job and be passionately devoted to carrying it out.

The third thing Timothy needs is the competence to carry out what God wants him to do. One may accept a job as his and also have a high sense of duty. But if he does not have the competence required to get the job done, his willingness and passion to work will both amount to nothing. So, it is not enough for Timothy to want to fully do all that God wants him to do; it is equally important that he is made fit to do it. And thankfully, God does not give anybody any task to do without providing the person with all that they will need to be fit to do it. It is up to the person, then, to give themselves to taking advantage of what God has provided for them to be fit to do His work. (Cf. 2Cor 3:5-6; 2Tim 3:16-17)

But then, that someone knows what God wants him to do, has a high sense of responsibility to do it and is also fit to do it does not mean that he will do it. And why will someone have all these things going for them and still not do what God requires of them? Fear, for instance, may paralyse the person. When God first appeared to Gideon, He called him a mighty man of valour. In fact, He told him to go in his strength and save his people from their enemies. But the man was too afraid to do anything at the time. God had to build his faith over a period of time before he woke up to fulfil his ministry. And there are many of God’s people today that are just like this man. They are mighty warriors for the kingdom of God on their inside. But they may end up living and dying like useless people because of fear. May that not be the case for you, in Jesus’ name. Amen. (Cf. Judges 6; Ps 82:6)

Also, discouragement may paralyse a person and prevent him from fully discharging the duties of his ministry. If, for example, one is not getting the results he desires to get by doing the will of God or if he is faced with a lot of opposition, he may just lose heart and abandon his work. Moses once felt like dying because the weight of his ministry was driving him crazy. But when he talked to God about it, He told him what to do to lighten the load. And when he did it, he never had to be discouraged again. So, if you are discouraged about your ministry or anything in life, you just need to talk to God. And He will show you His provisions for that burden that has brought discouragement to your soul. (Cf. Num 11)

Now I have brought you all this to simply remind you that you, as a child of God, have a ministry in His kingdom that you too must fulfil like Timothy. And if you are not about fulfilling it, then, you need to wake up and pray to God to enable you deal with whatever is preventing you from doing so, whether it is ignorance, slothfulness, a feeling of incompetence, fear, discouragement or distraction. Otherwise, you will end up wasting the grace of God that is on your life. And no one can waste His grace and not be held accountable for doing so. So, as I said before, wake up and get busy doing what you are made and called to do. And may God supply all that is lacking in your readiness and devotion to fulfilling your ministry, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a great week.

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@abcministry.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2022 Pastor's Desk

It is for your good | Pst. J.O. Lawal | July 17, 2022 | Vol. 11, No. 11

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to another week of the month of July 2022. May God continually supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Now that prayer was first offered by Paul in his letter to the Philippian church. And why did he offer it for them? It was because they made him very happy through the gifts they had sent to him. As he pointed out in his letter to them, he was not expressing his happiness because he could not do without their gifts. He could do without them. That was because he was a man that had been taught by God to be able to thrive in any circumstance, whether he had plenty or little. (Cf. Phil 4:10-13)

So, even if none of the people God had used him to establish in the truth of Jesus would support him, he would still be fine. God would surely see to it that he was fine. Remember that God once used ravens, unclean birds, to bring His servant Elijah food, morning and evening, during a time of famine, a time when nobody had time to think about him. In like manner, He is able to take care of all His servants who put their trust in Him, whether people care for them or not. (Cf. 1Kings 17:2-6)

However, as Paul also notes in his letter to these Philippians, it is for their benefit to share good things with him from their possessions. Why? First, by doing so, they will be fulfilling the will of God for their lives. God has ordered that those who preach the gospel should live from doing so. Therefore, anyone sharing from their ministries and being blessed through it must also share in their needs. (Cf. Luke 10:5-7; Phili 4:14; 1Cor 9:14; Gal 6:6)

Then, as Paul further points out to these brethren, by sharing our possessions with those ministering to us in the word of God, we will be crediting our eternal accounts with God. So, even though it is men we are giving to, if we do so generously and without grumbling, God Himself will take our gifts as fragrant offerings and sacrifices that are pleasing and acceptable to Him. And once He receives our gifts in this manner, we can be sure that He will reward us for them at the appropriate time and in appropriate ways. (Cf. Gal 6:6-10; 2Cor 9:6-8; Phil 4:18-19)

Besides all this, when we fulfil God’s will for us by giving to those ministering to us, we will not only cause them to overflow with thanksgiving to God for us, we will also move them to wholeheartedly offer prayers for our good, just as Paul does for those Philippians in his letter to them. And who knows what tremendous impact those prayers could have on our lives? (Cf. 2Cor 9:12-14)

If you, then, have not been devoted to sharing good things with the ministers God is using for you, you are not walking fully in the will of God for you and are also cheating yourself of many things that could have been yours. So, wake your heart up to take this matter seriously. Determine how you are going to consistently support them with your resources according to how God has blessed you financially. And may God strengthen you to excel in doing so, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Cheers!

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@abcministry.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2022 Pastor's Desk

Do not put your trust in them | From Pastor’s Desk | Vol. 11, No. 10 | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Date: July 10, 2022

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you to another week of the month of July 2022. My prayer is that God will keep your heart strengthened and encouraged always to maintain your trust in Him. Amen.

In recent times, there have been much talks on who should be the next president of this country or who people should vote for. And while it is appropriate for everyone to follow their conscience in this matter, it is equally important that we do not ignore what the word of God tells us about putting our trust in humans. Otherwise, we will not stop being victims of our own choices.

Now what does the word of God say about this matter? It says, “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.” (Ps 146:3NIV) What is our instruction here? It is not to put our trust in human beings, however influential, righteous or powerful they may appear in our eyes. But why? As the Psalmist puts it, it is because they do not have the power to save us or lift us up.

Yes, they may desire to do us good, save us or lift us up. But desiring to do something is not the same thing as possessing the power to do it, even in the face of opposition. Only God possesses the power to do whatever He purposes to do, against all odds. And if He does not empower man to do what he purposes in his heart, however good it may be, his desires, purposes and efforts can only amount to nothing (Ps 127:1-2; Prov 19:21). So, we must not rest our hope for a better life or a better nation in any human being but in God. That is because if God does not aid them, all their promises and good intentions towards making life better for us can only fail.

Another reason we must not put our trust in men is that they are dynamic. In other words, they can change. And this change can either be for good or for evil, for better or for worse. So, even if God has chosen someone to do certain good things for us, they may still end up not doing them. They may, at some point, temporarily or permanently turn away from the will of God to do their own thing.

For example, the bible makes it clear that Jeroboam, the first king of the northern nation of Israel, was God’s choice. He was anointed by God to rule over His people, comfort them and lead them in true devotion to Him. But this man, having settled down as king, did not pursue the will of God for himself or for the people at all. Instead, he permanently turned away from serving Him to worshipping some other gods, gods of his own making. And he also led the people to do the same thing. (Cf. 1Kings 11-14)

Now did that surprise God? No! Such things don’t surprise Him. That is because He knows that we are dynamic. He knows that He created us to be able to change. And whether our change is for something positive or negative, He is up to the task of dealing with it. We, however, are often not prepared to deal with such changes in men. So, when they change and fail us, we become clueless and lose ourselves to whatever ugly circumstances their change brings upon us. And that is one of the reasons our country is where it is today.

In any case, God is speaking to us again and telling us not to put our trust in men but in Him, as we approach another election season. That is because He does not change in faithfulness (2Tim 2:13). So, we can always rely on Him to do good to us, even if men fail to do so. Not only that, He also possesses the power to heal our land and lift us out of our mud of shame and plant us on a solid rock.

And look at what this Psalmist further tells us about Him:

“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them — the LORD, who remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.” (Ps 146:5-9NIV)

My prayer is that these things and even much more will be our experience all across the nation in the coming months and years, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a glorious week.

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@abcministry.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2022 Pastor's Desk

Hidden death | Pst. J.O. Lawal | July 03, 2022 | Vol. 11, No. 9

Beloved: grace and peace be yours without measure from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Redeemer. I am delighted to welcome you to the month of July 2022. My prayer is that God, in His mercy, will continually keep you and all that is yours safe from every hidden trap of the devil. Amen.

As bible accounts go, twice the king of Israel, Saul, talked to David about marrying his daughter. The first time it was Merab, his older daughter, that he presented to him. But the young man declined. He told him that his people were not rich and influential enough to become the king’s in-laws. So, Saul dropped the idea and gave his daughter to someone else. (Cf. 1Sam 18:17-19)

Then, sometimes later, Saul was told that his younger daughter, Michal, was in love with David. So, he immediately told his men to talk to David again that he had another opportunity to be his in-law and that all he needed was to bring him a hundred foreskins of the Philistines. That means David would have to first kill a hundred Philistines before he could get their foreskins. (Cf. 1Sam 18:20-25)

But why was Saul bent on giving his daughters in marriage to David? Was he the only man around that was qualified to marry his daughters? No! Or was it because he was really pleased with David and wanted him to be a member of his family by all means? No! The bible is clear about the fact that he was jealous of David’s military success and popularity among the people. So, it was not because he was really delighted to have him as his in-law that he wanted him to marry one of his daughters; rather it was because he wanted to use the marriage thing as a trap to get him killed. And if God had not been with him, he would have been dead while trying to become the king’s son-in-law. (Cf. 1Sam 18:29-27)

What is the point of this? It is that there are times that certain people’s so-called favour to us or request from us may just be death, destruction or disgrace pills coated with sugar. And if God does not open our eyes to see what they are up to and also show us the way of escape, we can end up becoming victims of their evil schemes. So, we must never think we will be safe because we are always good to those around us, because our ways are pure before God or because we are always careful in the way we relate to others. Instead, we should continually commit ourselves to God for safekeeping. That is because if He does not keep us safe, we will not be safe, regardless of how sensitive we are or what things we are doing to stay safe (Ps 127:1). 

Remember Uriah, one of David’s warriors. Remember that he was the one that bore the letter of his death sentence. Yet he did not know anything until he perished. And how could he have known that the king he trusted with his life and was ready to die for any day and any time had hidden his death sentence in the letter he gave to him? Or how could he have known that all the kindness and favour the king was showing him during his last hours on earth were just a way to trick him to accept a bastard as his son? He could not have known these things unless they were revealed to him. So, he perished because he had no revelation that could prepare him and lead him to escape from what was coming for him.  (Cf. 2Sam 11)

That is telling us that good, upright and faithful people can become victims of the wickedness of even those that they trust, if God does not show them mercy and protect them. So, again, I am saying that you should learn to always entrust yourself and all that is yours to God for safekeeping instead of counting on your goodness or smartness. And my prayer is that He, in the fullness of His mercy, will always reveal to you every hidden snare of the enemy and also keep your feet from being caught by it. Amen.

Have a great July 2022. 

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@abcministry.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2022 Pastor's Desk

Your own enemy | Pst. J.O. Lawal | June 26, 2022 |Vol. 11, No. 8

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I gladly welcome you to the last week of the month of June 2022. My prayer is that God will rid your life of everything that is hindering the full manifestation of His blessings in your life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

In the parable of our Lord Jesus about a man who gave his servants certain amount of money to work with, we see a very important life principle. And it is that anyone who will not intelligently put their God’s given relationships, abilities, opportunities or privileges to work will not increase in good works or in the good things of this life. It is only those who sensibly utilize and continue to utilize what God has given them that will continue to abound in good works and good things. (Cf. Matt 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-26)

As the account goes, a man, who was going on a long journey, decided to share some of his money among his servants, so that they may put it to work. In other words, he did not want all of his money lying fallow and gathering dust in his safe while he was away. So, he gave part of it to his servants to work with, according to the ability of each of them. To one he gave five talents. To another he gave two talents. And yet to another he gave one talent.

Now, after a long time, this man came back and began to settle accounts with the servants he had entrusted his money to. And to his surprise, only two of them worked with the money he had given them and multiplied it. The man with five talents made a profit of five more talents with his money. Likewise, the man with two talents made a profit of two more talents with his money. But the man that was given one talent only came around with excuses. He did nothing with the talent he was given and so got nothing in addition to it.

Why did he do nothing with his own talent? Well, the popular answer is that he did nothing with it because he felt that what he was given was too small, when compared to what others were given. But that was never the reason. In the first place, their master gave each of them money according to their abilities. So, what he could handle was what he was given. Second, historians will have us know that a talent at that time was about 20 years of a day labourer’s wage. So, it was a lot of money that this man was given.

It follows, then, that it was not because his money was small that he did nothing with it. Rather, in his own words, it was because he was afraid of losing it that he did nothing with it (Matt 25:25). But as his master told him, he could have deposited the money with the bankers, and he would have received it back with interest. So, fear was not enough reason for him not to do anything with such a huge sum of money. He had another problem, which was laziness. In other words, it was because he was lazy in his mind and with his hands that he made no effort to consider how to multiply what he was given. So, he allowed the very thing his master was trying to avoid to happen – he allowed his money to lie fallow.

To cut a long story short, apart from the punishment that this lazy and unprofitable man was given to serve, his master commanded that his money be taken away from him and given to one of the servants that had shown themselves worthy of receiving more. And in conclusion, our Lord Jesus says that is exactly how things work in God’s kingdom. Those who acknowledge all that God has given them – people, resources, skills, gifts, education, position and so forth – however small or insignificant these things may be, and are putting them to good use are the ones He will continue to promote and increase in good things. But those who do nothing with what He has given them can only expect what they have, even if it is little, to be taken away from them. This explains why poor people often get poorer and rich and influential people often get richer and more influential. 

So, if you are not utilizing what God has given you or enabled you to acquire by His grace, you are simply showing yourself to be unprofitable and unfit to be introduced or elevated to higher heights in life. You are your own enemy then, regardless of what your excuses may be. You are the one limiting and pulling yourself down. Therefore, you should not expect things to get better but worse for you.

Now my prayer is that things will only get better and better and never worse for you. But praying about it alone will not do. You also need to wake up from your slumber, stop making excuses for failure or poverty and identify everything God has given you that you can use to increase yourself in relevance, good works and resources in life and begin to put it to work. And as you do this, you will be amazed to see all the blessings of God that have been inactive or dormant in your life fully finding expression.

Have a splendid week.

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@abcministry.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2022 Pastor's Desk

Share the good news | Pst. J.O. Lawal |June 19, 2022 | Vol. 11, No. 7

Beloved: grace and peace be yours abundantly from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to another week of this month. I pray that you will be counted worth of the calling you have received from God all through the week and for the remaining part of your time here on earth. Amen.

One of the things the Lord expects of everyone that has been a beneficiary of His goodness and salvation is for them to share with others the good news of what He has done for them. That way, those they share this with can be moved to come to Him to experience His goodness in their own lives as well. For example, after setting that mad man that was possessed by a legion of demons free, the Lord said to him, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” (Mark 5:19NIV) 

Now did that man do as he was instructed by the Lord or not? He did! In fact, he went beyond what was expected of him. He did not speak only to his family members of what God had done for him. Instead, he also went talking about it to everyone that cared to listen to him in a region called ‘The Decapolis’, which means ‘The Ten Cities’. 

Imagine that. That man went all through a region of ten cities, talking about what Jesus had done for him. Why? First, it was because he was really grateful for what the Lord had done for him. Second, it was because he also wanted others, who were under satanic bondage, to know that they too could obtain deliverance by coming to the Lord, however terrible their cases may be.

In like manner, if the Lord has indeed been good to us too in our assembly, we owe it to Him to let others know about it. If He has indeed been changing our lives for the better and moving us forward through His word, then, we should let our friends, family members, colleagues at work or in school and neighbours know that they too can become partakers of His goodness with us. As I pointed out before, God Himself is expecting us to do this. That is because one of the reasons He is doing us good is that we may become doors through which He will have access to the lives of others around us and also do them good.

What this means, then, is that if we will not spread the news of His goodness to us to those around us, we are not just being selfish but also hindering His work. And there is no way we will be acting in selfishness and hindering God’s work and will not suffer for doing so, to one degree or another. Perhaps the reason for the stagnation some of us are experiencing in our lives is even this. We will do well, therefore, to repent without delay and begin to passionately lead others around us to experience the goodness of God that are already enjoying.

This, of course, does not mean that we should force or manipulate anybody to become partakers with us in enjoying the goodness of God. Rather, it means we should do all that we can to encourage and inspire as many as we can to come and see for themselves how good and gracious the Lord can be to them. And may the Spirit of God continually teach and strengthen our hearts to take this matter seriously in our lives, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a splendid week.

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@abcministry.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2022 Pastor's Desk

Keep yourself humble. | Pst. J.O. Lawal. | June 12, 2022. | Vol. 11, No. 6

Beloved: grace and peace be yours immeasurably from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to another week of the month of June 2022. I pray that God will keep your heart humble before Him all the time, so that redundancy or stagnation will not take charge of your life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we are told in the bible, the reason the angel of God that we now call Satan became Satan was pride. Originally, he was made by God to be perfect in beauty and wisdom and was given a very high place among the angels of God. But when he allowed his beauty to fill him with pride, he was thrown down by God from his position of prestige and power. (Cf. Ezekiel 28:11-19)

Why, then, are we told this in the bible? It is so that we may know that God hates pride. And why does He hate pride? It is because pride is a symptom of our refusal to give Him credit for whatever good thing we have or are able to do. As we see in the bible, we all are nothing apart from God and can have nothing apart from Him. He is our creator and the creator of everything else that exists. So, there is nothing we can take credit for in this life or in the age to come. He is before all things and all things are from Him and for Him. (Cf. Ps 24:1; Col 1:16-17; Rev 4:11)

But when we fail to acknowledge this fact and begin to act like we are something, whether towards Him or towards men, we are positioning ourselves to be thrown down by Him, just as Satan was thrown down by Him. The bible says, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So, it does not matter who we are or what height we have attained in life, the moment we allow pride in our lives, the moment we start to think or act as if we were God, we would find Him resisting us. And if we fail to repent quickly, we will soon enough find ourselves trampled down on the floor of life or in the pit of hell. (Cf. James 4:6; 1Peter 5:5)

So, give no room for any form of pride in you, regardless of how smoothly life is going for you or what position of advantage you are or how useful you have become in the hands of God. Remember that Satan was once a great instrument of praise in the hand of God. But pride ruined him. And it can ruin us too. It can corrupt our beauty, wisdom, knowledge, position and usefulness, if we too allow it. It can turn us into beasts, beasts that God will not want to have anything to do with.

And is that what you want? Do you want to become someone that God will begin to seek to discard or get rid of? I am sure you don’t. But that is what may eventually happen, if you allow any form of pride in you. So, watch yourself. Watch the way you relate to God and the way you relate to men. And may the Spirit of God open your eyes to whatever form of pride you have in you, so that you can deal with it before it leads to your downfall, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a lovely week.

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@abcministry.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2022 Pastor's Desk

Reset your life focus | Pst. J.O. Lawal | May 29, 2022 | Vol. 11, No. 4

Beloved: grace and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to another week of the year, which is the transition week between the months of May and June. I pray that your heart will continually be strengthened to take seriously whatever ministry God has given to you in His kingdom, so that you will not fail Him and lose your reward. Amen.

Our Lord Jesus once said this to His disciples: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work.” (Cf. John 4:34) On another occasion He also said to them: “As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.” (John 9:4NIV) Why did our Lord speak like this? First, it was because He knew that God had given Him a ministry to carry out here on earth. Second, it was because He had a sense of responsibility. And this was driving Him to take the ministry God had given to Him seriously. Third, it was because He knew that He did not have forever to do the job God had given Him. So, if He did not give His ministry the attention it deserved, He would not complete it by the time His time here on earth was up.

In like manner, each of us too has received a ministry from the Lord. Each of us has a job or a set of jobs that God has assigned him to do for Him and His kingdom here on earth. That is what the bible tells us. It is on us, then, to know what the ministry we have received from Him is and to begin to carry it out diligently and with the intent of finishing it on time. And Paul, speaking along this line to the Ephesian-elders, says this about himself: “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me — the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” (Acts 20:24NIV)

Can you see that Paul’s focus in life was not at all different from our Lord Jesus’ focus in life? His focus too was to do the will of God with his life and to finish His work. And would that be convenient for him? He did not expect it to be convenient. In fact, he said that the Holy Spirit had already warned him not to expect this to be convenient for him (Acts 20:22-23). However, whether it was convenient or not, he was determined to please God with his life in all ways and to diligently complete the task He had given to him. Why? It was because he knew that the one who called him and set him apart for Himself would always be with him and ensure that he succeeded. 

Now if we too would function with the mindset that both our Lord Jesus and Paul had about living for God and doing His work, then, we will never fail God, regardless of how hard or inconvenient things may be for us. But is this the mindset with which we are operating in life? Are we functioning with an abiding consciousness that our lives must be lived to please God and to do the work He has given us, whatever this work may be and whatever the circumstances of our lives may be?

If we are not functioning with this consciousness, then, we are simply wasting our lives. No, it may not look like we are wasting our lives, especially if we are being praised by men for our accomplishments in different areas of life. But a time is coming when, as Jonah eventually did, we will realise that all our race outside the will of God can only end in the belly of a big fish, in a place of utter darkness, where there is no gain, where there is no reward. And that is when we will know that all that we have done has been for nothing. My prayer is that your race and toil here on earth will not eventually amount to nothing, in Jesus’ name. But you too must reset your focus, if it has not been on doing the will of God and finishing the task He has given you.

Do have a great week.

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@abcministry.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)