Category: FROM PASTOR’S DESK 2022

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2022 Pastor's Desk

That He may teach you warfare | Pst. J.O. Lawal

from pastor's desk

Date: March 13, 2022 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 45

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours forevermore from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Welcome to another week of this month. And may your heart be continually strengthened with adequate boldness to take advantage of God’s grace to walk in victory over whatever challenge you might be confronted with in life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Often, people wonder why God sometimes allow His children to face certain trials or challenges in life. Could it be because He does not love them? No! Could it be because He does not care enough about them? No! Or could it be because He does not have their best of interests at heart? No! Why, then, does He allow Satan, the archenemy of His children, to confront them with certain trials and temptations that may end up destroying them?

Well, we have very sure answers to these questions in the bible. For example, we are told this in it: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1Cor 10:13NIV) From what we are told here, we can see three major reasons God allows us to face challenges and temptations in life. And the first among them is that there have been people like us that faced whatever challenge or trial we may be currently facing, just as there are people like us that are facing the same nature of challenge or trial we are facing at the moment. So, we should not see any challenge or temptation that comes to us in life as strange or peculiar, for it is not. Instead, we should see it as something common to man.

Another reason God allows us to face these things is that He is in charge of life and the creation as a whole. So, He is able to determine what sort of challenges come to us or do not come to us in life. And He has promised never to let us face any challenge we cannot handle. So, if it comes to you, know that it is because God knows that you can handle it. But will you really be able to handle any trial or challenge that comes your way? Yes, you will. You will because God will see to it that you have all that you need to do so. And that is the third reason He allows trials to come to us. He allows them because He knows that His provisions to walk in victory over them are already available for us.

You can see, then, that none of us should be afraid of confronting life’s trials or challenges. But we are often afraid of confronting them. Why? We want to be comfortable and without any form of distress in life all the time. But the truth is that without being confronted with trials in this life, there are heights we cannot attain, things we cannot accomplish and levels of enjoyment and comfort we cannot experience. And since God knows this, from time to time, He permits certain trials or temptations to flow into our lives. That way, we can learn to take advantage of His grace that is more than sufficient for us to walk in victory over them and occupy the places meant for us in life.

Now look at what is said along this line about how He dealt with the children of Israel:

“These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath. They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the LORD’s commands, which he had given their forefathers through Moses.” (Judg 3:1-4NIV) Did you see that? One of the reasons God left those enemies of Israel around was to teach them warfare. In other words, He left them to teach them to take advantage of His grace. It was up to them, then, to take the word of His grace seriously for their victory over these enemies or to ignore it, to their own defeat, regret and shame.

In like manner, we must learn to think of all our trials as God’s way of teaching us spiritual warfare instead of being afraid of them or giving up on life because of them. Yes, we must think of them all as avenues to take God’s word seriously and utilize His grace for our victory. And as long as we are functioning like this, we will never again be afraid of any trial. Instead, we will always boldly join Paul to take advantage of God’s grace and to say, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

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

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2022 Pastor's Desk

The gift of a lover | Pst. J. O. Lawal


Date: March 06, 2022 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 44

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours immeasurably from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I welcome you to a new week in the month of March 2022. My prayer is that your heart will be taught to know God’s love more and more, so that you can always freely and fully yield yourself and all that you have to Him. Amen.

Why did Mary, Martha’s sister, take a jar of a very expensive perfume and pour everything on Jesus’ feet? It was because she loved Him dearly. And why did she love Him so much? It was because He too had shown her and her family immeasurable love. Remember that the Lord had been a friend to their family, visiting them often to know their well-being and also transforming their lives through His teachings. Remember also that He was the one that brought this woman’s brother, Lazarus, back from the dead, having being laid in the tomb for four days. And on the day that she poured this expensive perfume on Him, a dinner was being given in His honour because of what He had done for their family.

So, it was because Mary had known and enjoyed the Lord’s love that she honoured Him with her substance the way she did. And though what she lavished on Him was expensive, expensive enough to pay a man’s one year salary, she did not consider it too much to be used in honouring Him. Therefore, the Lord said that wherever the gospel is preached in the world, what she did would also be talked about, in memory of her. That, of course, is why we are still reading and talking about it today. (Cf. Matt 26:6-13; Mark 14:1-9; John 12:1-8)

Similarly, if we too have known and have been enjoying the Lord’s love, if our lives have been saved and changed by it, we will want to love Him in return. And in doing so, it is not only our lives that we will willingly want Him to have, we will also want Him to have everything we have. In short, there is nothing we have that we will consider too much to give to Him.

Look at how we handle our natural relationships, for example. We don’t often care about how expensive things are when we are dealing with those what we love dearly. Instead, what we will be asking ourselves is, “Can I afford this?” And if we know that we can afford whatever it is we want to get for the one we love, we will just go for it without blinking an eye.

What is my point? It is that if you are not giving much to the Lord and for His cause, it is simply because your love for Him is not much. If your love for Him is much, you will give anything to honour Him, without considering how much it costs or what people will say about it. People complained about Mary’s gift to Jesus. They said that it was a waste. They said that it was not wise spending. But did she care? No! And did the Lord care? No! On the contrary, the Lord said, “The opportunity to honour me in love like this will not always be there for you. And now that it is there, this woman has done the right thing in utilizing it.”

See, only true lovers of God will recognize opportunities to honour Him in love with their substance. So, if you have not been seeing opportunities to honour God with your substance in any way, big or small, you need check the fervency of your love for Him. That is because opportunities to honour Him are always there every day. But it takes a heart that is overflowing with love for Him to see and utilize them. My prayer is that your heart will be flooded with love for Him, so that you too can always readily recognize your opportunities to honour Him in such a way that people will never stop talking about it.

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

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2022 Pastor's Desk SUNDAY BULLETINS SUNDAY BULLETINS

What is going on with you? | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: February 27, 2022 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 43

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours in abundance from God our Father and Jesus Christ our precious Redeemer. Welcome to another week of this year. And I pray that God will keep your heart right with Him in the week and till our Lord Jesus will return.

Amen.

One of the things the writer of the book of Hebrews emphasizes all through the pages of the book is the need for every assembly of God’s people to keep an eye on their members. Why? It is so that they will not stray away from the will of God for their lives and be ruined or harm the health of the church. So, if you have any member of your assembly watching out for you and asking you questions relevant to your life and faith, don’t take offence or insult them. They are just fulfilling the law of Christ concerning you (Gal 6:2).

Now I am not saying that it is everyone in your church that is mature enough to know some things about you or to handle certain information about your life. And I am not saying that it is everyone that professes to be a Christian that you can open your life to. Anyone, according to the Scriptures, whose faith-life is not plain for you to see, so that you can tell that they will not injure, pollute or cheat you is definitely someone you have to be careful in relating to. If in your judgment, then, there is no one in your assembly that is worthy of knowing what is going on in your life or worthy of keeping an eye on you, you should get out of there and find another assembly where you can freely relate. Otherwise, you will soon enough endanger your faith or life. (Cf. 2Cor 7:2)

So, for your own good, stay in an assembly where you can freely let the brethren know what is going on in your life and also keep an eye on you. Then, for the health of the church, it is important that you keep your life open to the brethren and allow them to be a vital part of it, so that they can continually support you to stay focused in doing the will of God.

Why do we have many weak and unstable Christians in many of our Christian assemblies today? And why do we have many assemblies in which brethren are bitter towards one another or are constantly quarrelling over one thing or the other? One main reason is that many of us don’t want our lives to be watched or set right by the brethren. What we want is to be able to live as we like without anybody’s interference or contribution. And that is not good for us or for the health of the church at all.

For example, the writer of the book of Hebrews says this to us: “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.” (Heb 12:15-16NIV) How do we see to it that none of us misses the grace of God, if we do not know what is going on in the lives of all of us? How do we see to it that bitterness or division does not happen in our midst, if we do not know what is going on among us? Or how do we prevent our brethren from falling into the trap of sexual immorality or any other sin that could ruin their lives or marriages, if we do not know what is going on in their lives? It is not possible.

See, we can only appropriately help one another stand firm in the faith when we have adequate information about what is going on in our lives. And we can only truly preserve the health of the church of God when there is sufficient knowledge of what is going on among the brethren. For instance, when the church began to increase in number in those early days, some groups of the brethren began to feel that their widows were not be properly treated by those representing the church in food distribution. What, then, did they do about that? They talked to the apostles about it, and the problem was fixed and the church was strengthened. But what if they had kept quiet about it? It would not have been long before bitterness, anger, hatred and envy filled the whole church and ruined it. (Cf. Acts 6:1-7)

So, for your own spiritual health and for the health of the church of God, keep your life and affairs open to the people of God in your life. And don’t carry around the air of ‘My life is nobody’s business’ or function with the notion that no one would understand you or be able to help you, if you should open up to them. Your life is the business of every one of us. Then your business is to make us know and understand what you are up to in life. And my prayer is that the Spirit of God will enable you to understand and function in this light always, so that you don’t end up falling into Satan’s trap or end up becoming his tool in afflicting the church of God.

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

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2022 Life Application Pastor's Desk Prayer SUNDAY BULLETINS SUNDAY BULLETINS

Title: The practice of righteousness | By: Johnson O. Lawal | Date: February 20, 2022 | Series: Taking advantage of God’s power

We have been looking at how to take advantage of the power of God. And the first thing I said we need is a clear and thorough knowledge of the quality and greatness of His power. Without knowing His power and what it is capable of accomplishing for us, we won’t be able to take adequate and appropriate advantage of it. So, we need to know His power. We need to study His power. And we need to pray to know His power. We need Him to fill our hearts with revelations of His power. So, we should continually look to Him for more and more revelations of the greatness of His power in order that we may take adequate and appropriate advantage of it.

We have been looking at how to take advantage of the power of God. And the first thing I said we need is a clear and thorough knowledge of the quality and greatness of His power. Without knowing His power and what it is capable of accomplishing for us, we won’t be able to take adequate and appropriate advantage of it. So, we need to know His power. We need to study His power. And we need to pray to know His power. We need Him to fill our hearts with revelations of His power. So, we should continually look to Him for more and more revelations of the greatness of His power in order that we may take adequate and appropriate advantage of it.

Then we talked about the place of prayer in taking advantage of God’s power. So, we must learn to pray. The bible says the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective (James 5:16). Therefore, we must not underestimate prayers that we offer in accordance with the will of God. They are powerful and effective and can change things. What we are saying is that when we pray, God’s power is unleashed for our experience and for the experience of those in our world. I already gave you a number of examples from Scriptures of how people prayed and released the power of God for their salvation, prosperity and strengthening in doing the will of God. We too, then, should devote ourselves to prayer.

Jesus says men ought always to pray and not to faint (Luke 18:1). So, do not faint in prayer. Exactly how God’s power will work when you pray is what I cannot tell you. But I can tell you that His power works in very dynamic ways. So, do not allow Satan to mess up your life or world. Instead, learn to pray, for as we pray, we release the power of God to frustrate him.

Now another way to take advantage of the power of God is through the practice of righteousness. Let me give you something Paul says to Timothy in the second chapter of his second letter to him, from verse 19: “Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and, ‘Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.’” (2Timothy 2:19NIV) God expects everyone who confesses Jesus as Lord to turn away from wickedness, as Paul points out in this verse of his letter. And He wants them to turn away from wickedness to what? He wants them to turn away from wickedness to righteousness.

See, when we are talking about Christian living, it is not just about turning away from wickedness; it is also about devoting ourselves to practising righteousness. That is why the bible talks about putting off the old man and putting on the new man (Eph 4:20-24). So, as we talk about and emphasise the things we must no longer do; we must also be talking about the things we must be doing. Mind you, we have been recreated to do good works. Paul tells us in Ephesians, chapter 2, verse 10, that we are God’s workmanship in Christ Jesus, created to do those good works that God has prepared in advance for us to do. So, Christian living is not just about what we do not do but also about what we do. We have an obligation not just to turn away from wickedness but also to be devoted to practising righteousness.

Now as we devote ourselves to righteous living, we unleash the power of God. How this works or happens is not what we can explain. Spiritual things aren’t always things we can explain using human words. But once God is clear about what we need to do, ours is to act accordingly. And as we act on His word, we will see the results He wants us to see.

What is the point I am making? It is that through the practice of righteousness we are able to take advantage of God’s power for our protection, exaltation and favour. There are some examples I want to quickly draw your attention to about this. First, from Genesis, chapter 35, verse 1, we are told:
“Then God said to Jacob, ‘Go, up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau. So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, ‘Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.’ So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in the ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.” (Genesis 34:1-5NIV)

The bible tells us that all the things written in the Old Testament part of the bible are types and examples for us, so that we may learn from them, take advantage of the lessons they teach and live the kind of life God wants them to live. Here we are told of how God appeared to Jacob and told him to go to Bethel, settle down there and build an altar to Him. In response to this, he called all the members of his household together, told them what God had told him and instructed to do away with all their idols and foreign gods. That means, even at that time, not all the members of Jacob’s household were devoted to worshipping God. You know that he had all kinds of people with him – servants, workers, guards, wives and so forth. And these people had not been raised to be worshippers of God. So, they had idols and gods that they worshipped. They must also have had charms, tokens and so forth them as well. And these things must have been affecting Jacob and his prosperity as well.

In any case, on this occasion, he called all of them together and said, “My God, the true God, that I serve has told me to go to Bethel and live there. Now I want you all to give me your foreign idols and gods and turn away from them. And let us go and serve this God.” And they all did. They gave him all their idols and gods, which he buried so that they would not have access to them again.

Now, as they set out for Bethel, as God had told them, the fear of God came on all those around them, so that no one attacked or pursued them. What is that telling us? It is that when we give ourselves to practising righteousness, God’s power is released on our behalf. Jacob did not pray on this occasion in order to experience God’s protection. Yes, we know that he prayed to God for salvation when his brother Esau was coming to attack him. And when he prayed, the power of God was released. But on this occasion, all that he and those with him did was to turn away from their idols and foreign gods. And when they did, God released His power for their protection. He brought His fear on all those around them. So, no one pursued them, attacked them or made any attempt to hurt them. That was because the power of God had been released for their protection.

As we too give ourselves to practising righteousness, we will begin to see God’s power being released for our protection and to accomplish different things in our lives, even without praying. I am not saying we are not to be praying at all, once we devote ourselves to practising righteousness. We must always pray according to the instructions given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy apostles. Remember that as we pray, we are expressing our dependence on God. However, besides praying, when we give ourselves to practising righteousness, we are able to take advantage of the power of God in ways beyond our imaginations.

Look at another account similar to that of Jacob’s in 2Chronicles, chapter 17. From verse 7 we are told the following:
“In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hali, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah to teach in the towns of Judah. With them were certain Levites – Shemiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah – and the priests Elishama and Jehoram. They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the Lord; they went round to all the towns of Judah and taught the people. The fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not go to war against Jehoshaphat.” (2Chronicles 17:7-9NIV)

When Jehoshaphat became king, one of the things he did was to send people to different parts of the land to teach the people the word of God. Why did he do that? Why did he send his officials to teach his people the word of God? It was so that they would devote themselves to practising righteousness. He knew that if they were taught the word of God, they would know what to do. Not only that, they would experience the cleansing, healing, transformation and prosperity that come with hearing the word of God and practising it.

So, this king understood the fact that if people would be taught the word of God, they would live lives that are consistent with the will of God. And if they would live lives that are consistent with His will, they would experience His power in their lives. God had promised them through Moses that if they would live in His righteousness, He would continue to be their God, protecting them, prospering them and lifting them. And Jehoshaphat wanted this to happen. So, he sent teachers that would teach them the word of God. As they were taught, then, and began to live according to what they were taught, the fear of the Lord came on all the kingdoms around them. So, they would not attack them.

In like manner, the terror of God can be on those around you through your practice of righteousness. So, they will not have the boldness to attack or hurt you. They may not like you or your prosperity or progress. But as you give yourself to practising righteousness, God’s fear will be on them. I mean that His power will be released for your protection. So, they would not be able to come near you, attack you or hurt you, for the power of God is all around you, protecting you. One of the things that Satan said concerning Job was that there was an edge of protection from God all around him. So, he could not be attacked, hurt or touched by his enemies. Why? It was because of the man’s devotion to practising righteousness. And I am saying that if you too will devote yourself to practising righteousness, you will be unleashing the power of God in ways you cannot describe. People will be able to sense this in your life. They will be able to tell that there is something about you that they cannot handle. So, they will be relating to you with respect or regard. (Cf. Job 1:9-10)

Furthermore, through your devotion to the practice of righteousness, God’s power can be released for your favour and advancement. Let me give you an example along this line from the book of Daniel. It is about how Daniel determined in his heart not to be defiled with the royal food and wine. And that had nothing to do with the sweetness of the food or the quality of it; rather, it had to do with the composition of the food. Daniel and his colleagues had been raised up as Jews. And as Jews they were not permitted to eat certain animals and birds or to include them in their meals. That, of course, was not because something was wrong with those animals and birds. Rather, it was because God had said that He would not want them to eat them and that He would bless them for following His instructions on this matter. (Cf. Leviticus 11)

So, the unwillingness of Daniel and his friends not to eat the royal food and wine had nothing to do with the quality of the food they were being offered but with its composition. In any case, these men resolved not to defile themselves with the royal food and wine and asked for the permission of the official in charge of their affairs not to do so. And because of their devotion to God’s righteousness, He caused that official to favour them. Look at some of the things said about this from verse 8 of chapter 1, the book of Daniel:
“But Daniel resolved no to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself in this way. Now God had caused the official to show favour and compassion to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, ‘I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men of your age? The king would the have my head because of you.’ Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hanaiah, Mishael and Azariah, ‘Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.’ So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams.” (Daniel 1:8-17NIV)

Why did Daniel and his friends experience what they experienced in the service of King Nebuchadnezzar? They experienced these things because of their devotion to righteousness. Yes, these young men were raised to worship God. So, they must have been praying to Him as well. But apart from the fact that they were praying to Him, they were also devoted to practising righteousness. And because they were devoted to practising righteousness, God also began to release His power for their favour.

For example, when they determined that they would not be defiled by the royal food and drink, God caused them to obtain favour from the official in charge of them. If everything had just been about their determination, it would not have amount to anything. But as they determined to please God, He also released His power for their favour. So, they were favoured by the official the king had appointed over them. That was why the man agreed to test them with vegetables, when they proposed to him that he should give them vegetables instead of the royal food and wine. That man agreed because God had put their love in his heart. And that was a manifestation of the power of God. His power can cause people to help you, love you and want to help you, if when it is risky. It was risky for that man to help Daniel and his friends. Yet because the power of God was at work on their behalf, he favoured them, even though it was risky.

God is powerful and awesome. And when His power begins to work in our favour, it would be mind-blowing. These men were devoted to practising righteousness. So, God caused His power to work in their favour. And when they were tested with vegetables, as they had proposed to that official of Nebuchadnezzar, they looked better at the end of the ten days than all the other young men that were eating the royal meals. How did that happen? It was through the power of God. The power of God made them look more handsome and better nourished than others.

So, you don’t have to ruin your life through prostitution, stealing, bribery and corruption or any other wrong thing because you lack certain things in life. That is because if you will give yourself to practising righteousness, God will cause His power to manifest on your behalf. And what you think is not enough will become enough or more than enough for you through the working of His power. Then where you think there is no way His power will make ways available for you there. So, people will begin to envy you, even though you do not have as much as they do. And your joy will be full, fuller than the joy of those who have more than you do. (Cf. Psalm 4:7)

That was what happened in the case of those men. The power of God worked even in their bodies because of their practice of righteousness. Also, God blessed them with wisdom, knowledge and understanding in all kinds of literature and learning. So, you who are worried because of studies just need to devote yourself to righteousness. Then you will see how God would release His power to quicken your brain, understand what others do not understand and excel in your studies. The same thing can happen in your business or any other area of your life. Therefore, take the practice of righteousness very seriously in your life. And you will be amazed at how His power will begin to work in your favour in various ways and beyond human understanding.

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

First consider your capability | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Date: February 20, 2022 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 42

Beloved: grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. I am delighted to welcome you to the last of the weeks of this month. My prayer is that God will continually equip you with all that you need to make the most of His blessings in your life, in Jesus’ name. Amen. Have you read this month’s edition of The fire in my bones publication? Follow the link below to read.

He can make you outstanding | Pst. J.O. Lawal

In the parable that our Lord Jesus Christ Jesus shares about a man who entrusted some of his properties to a number of his servants, we get to see that our God is a God who considers people’s abilities before entrusting things to them. In other words, God will never entrust to us anything that He has not given us the capability to manage and prosper with. Truly, we may not manage well or profit with what He has given to us, as the Lord equally shows us through that parable. But that will not be because we lack the capability to manage it or prosper with it; rather, it will be because we are lazy, unfaithful or faithless. (Cf. Matt 25:14-30)

Since this, then, is the case with God, we too, who are His children, should learn to imitate Him and function with the same mindset or mentality. In other words, we too must learn to consider our capability to manage things or people and prosper with them before going for them. Otherwise, we may end up ruining whatever we acquire or have entrusted to us, our reputation or even our very lives.

What was the problem with the prodigal son? Why did end up being miserable in life? Was it because he left his father’s house with his inheritance? No! Of course, he should not have left a father who loved him and cared very much about him. But that was not the problem. The problem was that he took something that he had no capability to manage and prosper with. Therefore, he suffered terribly for doing so and almost lost his life in the process. And if his father had not been a loving and forgiving one, he would most likely have died before his time in misery, pains and shame. (Cf. Luke 15:11-32)

So, before you go for anything in life, before you even start asking God for anything in life, first, consider your capacity to handle it. See, God, as our loving Father, will never give us anything that He knows He has not given us the capability to handle. He will not give us a scorpion as food, even if we are asking for it, or a snake instead of a fish. Rather, He will give us only that which He knows we can handle and prosper with, even if we do not ask for it. (Cf. Matt 7:9-11)

However, if we pressure Him long enough to give us what He does not want to give us or decide to use whatever means we see to get for ourselves what we want, He may just allow us to have our way. And then, like the prodigal son, we will sooner or later realise that only pains, sorrow, misery and death await anyone who goes for what God has not given him or provided him with the capability to handle. (Cf. Numbers 11)

Therefore, again, before you go for that job, sign that contract or go for that house, consider your capability to handle it. Yes, before you enroll for that course in school, embark on that project or engage in that love affair, be sure you have what it takes to excel in it. Then before you take that loan, and sometimes people may need to take a loan to get some things done, consider your capability to make good use of it and to also repay at the proper time. Otherwise, you may end up making life miserable for yourself and even others in your life. My prayer is that my loving God will continually increase your capacity to tremendously prosper with whatever He delivers to you in life, so that your life may daily attract more and more good things, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2022 Pastor's Desk SUNDAY BULLETINS

Knowing His power | By: Johnson O. Lawal | Date: February 06, 2022 | Series: Strengthen yourself in Him

from pastor's desk

I want us to continue from where we left off on ‘Taking advantage of God’s power’. Why are we looking at this? We are looking at it because of the things we are told in the Scriptures about the power of God. We are told in them that the kingdom we belong in is a kingdom of power. We are equally told that the gospel we preach is a gospel of power. Then we are told that the power of God is for those of us who believe to enjoy, utilise and experience. In addition to that, we are told that this power is at work in us. His power is resident in us. So, everywhere we go we carry His power there. And since this is the case, it is only wise and responsible of us to begin to utilise His power and to also do those things that will make us experience His power in our lives.

More so, as Paul shows us in his letter to the Ephesians, God Himself wants us to take advantage of this power. He wants us to strengthen ourselves in Him and in His mighty power. In other words, He does not want us to live weak and beggarly lives in this world. God knows that there are forces that are against us in this world. He knows that we have enemies. And this are not human enemies. They are spirit enemies, powerful and wicked spirit beings. And these beings are ready to do anything to make life miserable for us. They are ready to do anything to hinder us in life and prevent us from being the persons God wants us to be and doing the these He wants us to do. If we, then, will not take advantage of the power of God, we will have no answer for the things they are doing against us. We will not be able to fix them or handle them. It’s only God’s power that is capable of dealing with these beings and preventing them from ruining our lives. (Cf. Ephesians 6:10NIV)

So, we have a duty, which is to learn how to use the power of God and to also begin to utilise it. It is on us to choose not to be victims in this life but to be victors. It is on us to choose not to allow the devil to have a free day in our lives. So, as I said, we need to learn how to take advantage of God’s power and then begin to take advantage of it.

How, then, do we do this? First, we need to know His power. We cannot take adequate and appropriate advantage of His power, if we do not know it. If we do not know the quality of this power and what it is able to accomplish for us, we may not be able to take advantage of it adequately or see the need for us to be serious in taking advantage of it. So, it begins with knowing His power.

Now how do we know His power? One of the ways to know it is by revelation from God Himself. In other words, God Himself will have to reveal His power to us or educate our mind about the quality and greatness of His power. For example, when God first appeared to Moses in the wilderness, He began to reveal His power to Him. Look at what we are told about this from verse 1 of Exodus, chapter 4:
“Moses answered, ‘What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, “The Lord did not appear to you”?’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’ ‘A staff,’ he replied. The Lord said, ‘Throw it on the ground.’ Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. Then the Lord said to him, ‘Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.’ So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. ‘This,’ said the Lord, ‘is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their forefathers – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob – has appeared to you.’ Then the Lord said, ‘Put your hand inside your cloak.’ So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, the skin was leprous – it had become as white as snow. ‘Now put it back into your cloak,’ he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh. Then the Lord said, ‘If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second. But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground.’ (Exodus 4:1-9NIV)


You can see that God is revealing something to Moses here about His power. He is showing him that His power can recreate. His power is His creative ability. And with His power things can be recreated. With His power the course of nature can be changed. As I have already pointed out, we need to know what His power can do or accomplish. We need to know that His power can change our situations. His power can change our life’s circumstances. Until this is revealed to us, we won’t know. And if we don’t know, we will not be able to take adequate advantage of it. If we do not know what His power can accomplish for us, we cannot have faith to experience or utilise it.

The point I am making is that until we have revelations of God’s power, we will not be able to take advantage of His power adequately and appropriately. So, we need God to reveal His power to us. We need Him to reveal the greatness of His power to us. We need Him to reveal the quality of His power to us. He did this with Moses. He also did it with Gideon, as we also see in the bible. When God was going to send him to deliver His people from the Midianites, He had to reveal His power to him in order to strengthen his faith to carry out the assignment. There are also people who will not move an inch in doing the will of God, if He does not reveal His power to them or show them what His power is able to accomplish for them or make them succeed in what He is sending them to do.

Moses and Gideon were not immediately willing to do what God wanted them to do. They kept on arguing back and forth with Him and giving Him reasons they would not succeed. And He had to strengthen their faith by revealing something of His power to them. Maybe you too need to have Him reveal things about His power to you in order for you to do certain things He wants you to do. That step you are supposed to take that you have not taken – what you need to take it may just be a revelation of God’s power. Once you see that His power is able to make you succeed in it, you will take it.

Many are finding it difficult today to live the Christian life because they have no revelation of what God’s power is able to do for them in making it possible for them to live this life. They need a revelation of His power. We all need revelations of His power. And the more revelations of His power we have the better it gets for us. That is because the revelation of His power strengthens and builds our faith.

Another way to know His power is to pray to Him about it. In Moses and Gideon’s case, they did not offer any prayer to God in order for Him to reveal His power to them. Moses did not wake up that morning that God came to him expecting himself to find God. Gideon also did not wake up that day expecting to find God the day God came to him. Yet both of them saw Him, and He revealed His power to them. So, it is not every time that God shows up and reveals His power to people because they have prayed. But we can pray to Him to give us revelations of His power. And we see this in Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian church, which we have from verse 18 of Ephesians 1 and which says:
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, for above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.” (Ephesians 1:13-21NIV)

There are three things Paul asks of God for these brethren here. First, he prays that the eyes of their hearts may be enlightened in order that they may know the hope to which God has called them. Second, he prays that they will be made to know the riches of God’s glorious inheritance in His holy people. Third, he prays that they will be made to know God’s incomparably great power for us who believe. So, we can pray to God for revelations of His power. We can pray to Him to reveal the greatness and quality of His power to us in order to know how to take advantage of it.

Now Paul, who is offering this prayer for the brethren, already knows something of His power, for he describes it as Christ’s power of resurrection and ascension. According to him, it was God’s power that raised Jesus from the dead. Also, according to him, it was His power that caused Him to ascend on high, far above all principalities and power. And he would later write to the Philippians that he wants to know Christ and the power of His resurrection (Philippians 3:10). So, his own way of describing God’s power is to call it the power of resurrection, that is, the power that raises the dead. He also describes it as the power of ascension, the power that causes people to rise above any life’s challenge or trial.

The point I am making, in any case, is that we can pray to know God’s power; we can pray to have revelations of His power. Then we too will be able to describe His power. There are many descriptions of His power in the Scriptures from people who had revelations of it. We too can describe it to others, when we have it. I told you already how important it is for us to have revelations of His power. We cannot function beyond the revelation of His power that we have. So, we need to increase in our revelations of the power of God in order that we can take advantage of it in our situations.

We read in the bible accounts of people who took advantage of God’s power. Why were they able to do so the way they did? It was because they had revelations of it. For instance, we are told of a woman with an issue of blood. For twelve long years this woman suffered from this thing. Then, one day, she heard that Jesus was passing by and she told herself, “If I could only touch the hem of His garment, I would be well.” Then she pushed herself through the crowd to touch Jesus and, instantly, she became well. That means when she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, the power of God was released for her healing. And she knew that she was well. Jesus also knew that power had gone out from Him to someone. Interestingly, He could not keep the power from coming out from Him to that woman.

But why was the woman able to do that? It was because she already had a revelation in her heart that God’s power could heal her and that by just touching the hem of Jesus’ garment that power would be released for her healing. She had a revelation that she did not have to meet Jesus personally in order for the power of God to be released for her healing. She also knew that Jesus did not have to lay hands on her in order for her to receive her healing. So, she did not need Him praying for her or saying anything to her. The revelation she had was that even the cloths of Jesus would have residues of God’s power in them and that if she could just touch the hem of any of His cloths, God’s power would be released for her healing. And when she did, she was healed instantly. (Cf. Mark 5:25-34)

Also, we are told in the bible of a centurion whose servant was unwell and who had come to Jesus so that He could come and lay hands on the man and make Him well. But while talking to Jesus, he just suddenly had a revelation that He did not even need to come to his house in order to heal his servant – all he needed to do was to speak a word, and the man would be well. And the Lord described that as great faith. But faith is based on revelations. That man had a revelation of the quality of God’s power. He had a revelation that the very words of Jesus carry God’s power. So, if He would speak, the power of God would be released and what he wanted done would be done. And when Jesus spoke, the power of God was released, what the man wanted was done and God was praised.

Well, we are talking about receiving revelations of God’s power, so that we can take advantage of it and change our experience in life. And I am saying that we can pray for that to happen. Paul prays for the Ephesians to know this power. We too can pray to know it. And we really need to know it, if we would be taking adequate advantage of it.

Another way to know God’s power is by studying the Scriptures and meditating on them. We have all kinds of accounts in the Scriptures of manifestations of God’s power. And by studying these accounts we too can strengthen our faith to take advantage of His power. In the book of Exodus, for example, we have a number of accounts of the manifestations of God’s power. And by studying these accounts, we too can have faith to take advantage of God’s power, especially if we find ourselves in situations that are similar to the ones the children of Israel found themselves in.

At least, we know from this book of Exodus, that God’s power can alter the course of nature or accelerate the changes of physical state of things. God told Moses to take water from the Nile river and pour it on the ground and that it would become blood. And he did, and the water did. In other words, Moses did what God told him to do. And when he did, the water that he poured on the ground became blood. We have something similar in John 2. There Jesus turned water into wine. That was a manifestation of the power of God. It can change an unpleasant situation into something pleasant. And it can alter the course of nature.

Of course, it was not everyday that Jesus turned water into wine. And it was not everyday that Moses turned water into blood. But if you find yourself in a situation in which the course of nature needs to be altered in order for a need to be met in your life or in order for you to be saved from a situation, you can have faith to utilise God’s power on your behalf. This may be a little difficult to explain. But the point of it all is that by studying and meditating on scripture accounts of the manifestations of God’s power, we too can develop our faith to experience His power in tremendous ways.

Also, in the book of Exodus, we see that by God’s power He parted the Red Sea. God’s power can do that. His power is so great that it can divide the waters of the sea. Later on, both Elijah and Elisha would demonstrate their faith along this line in parting the waters of River Jordan (2Kings 2). You may not need to divide any physical sea. But you may find yourself in a situation in which you need a way to be made for you. You may just be sandwiched in a place where you need a way out. And you can trust Him to release His power to make a way for you. Paul tells us that there is no situation that has come to us that uncommon to man and that God is faithful and will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear but will make a way out for us, when we are tempted, so that we can stand up under it (1Corinthians 10:13).

So, God is able to make a way out for us in any situation, however dangerous the situation may be. But we need to know that His power can do this for us. Otherwise, we may not take any step to take advantage of His power to make a way for us where there is no way.

Well, what I am saying is that by studying the Scriptures to see the various ways in which God’s power was manifested in the past, we too can strengthen our faith to utilise His power for our advantage. Look at what a psalmist says about this from verse 10 of Psalm 77: “Then I thought, ‘To this I will appeal: the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand. I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.’” (Psalm 77:10-12NIV) This man says I will remember the deeds of the Lord, I will remember your miracles of long ago and I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds. Why did he say this? It was so that he could strengthen his faith in God. He would go through the Scriptures, consider the things said in them about the power of God and meditate on them so that he could take advantage of this power.

So, learn to study Scriptures that talk about manifestations of Gods power and to meditate on them. That way, you can take advantage of His power for your preservation, exaltation, salvation, healing and so forth. Look at what Gideon said about his knowledge of God’s power when the angel of the Lord appeared to him: “When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior. Pardon me, my Lord, ‘Gideon replied, ‘but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, “Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?” But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.’” (Judges 6:12-13NIV)

When the angel of the Lord appeared to this man, he asked, “Where is God? Where is His power that we have heard great things about? It seems that He has already abandoned us. Otherwise we would be experiencing His power.” So, Gideon was familiar with what God’s power could accomplish. He had heard about it. He had read in the Scriptures about it and had been thinking about what became of this power. Yes, he had been wondering if God’s power was no more or if it was just that God had left them. If He had not left them, why then were they not experiencing His power for their deliverance? And the angel of the Lord did answer all his questions for him.

Now thanks to God, for we have no doubt about His presence with us or the availability of His power for us and in us. We just need to know what His power could accomplish for us and then begin to take advantage of it. Therefore, you need to increase in your knowledge of the power of God, which is the point I have been making all along. You need to increase in your revelations of His power. Yes, you need sound and abiding revelations of His power in your heart, so that you can begin to adequately take advantage of it to frustrate the devil and walk in victory in every area of your life. And I pray that your heart will be filled with greater revelations of this power, so that you can take advantage of it to be the person God wants you to be and do the things He wants you to do, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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

Remember Lot’s wife |Pst. J.O. Lawal |February 13, 2022 |Vol. 10, No. 41

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to another week of the month of February 2022. My prayer for you is that you will continually be strengthened by the Spirit of God to remain true to Him and never to look back till the very end of this age. Amen.

As our Lord Jesus clearly points out to us, it is only those who stand firm in their faith in Him to the very end that will ultimately experience eternal salvation (Matt 24:13). Then His apostles of old also maintain the same point in all their writings. They also show us that it is only those who stand firm in their faith to the very end that are true believers and sharers in Christ (Col 1:21-23; Heb 3:6&14). So, our walk with God is not meant to be epileptic or one that we carry on with for a while. Rather, it is meant to be from start to finish. In other words, we don’t quit or look back. We just keep on moving to the very end.

See, there is danger in quitting. And there is danger in looking back. Our Lord Jesus says, “Remember Lot’s wife.” (Luke 17:32NIV) What are we to remember about Lot’s wife? Evidently, we are not being told to remember that she was Lot’s woman or that she had some daughters for him. Rather, we are being called upon to remember an incident in her life that teaches us never to look back after we have answered the call to fellowship with God.

Lot’s wife, just like her husband, was warned by the angels God sent to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah to run for her life and to never look back. That was God’s way of showing her mercy, so that she would not be destroyed along with the wicked people of Sodom and Gomorrah. But this woman disobeyed this simple command and looked back.

Now looking back must have seemed like a totally harmless thing for her to do. I mean that looking back to see what became of Sodom and Gomorrah was not like committing adultery, stealing or being involved in homosexuality. Yet doing so came with punishment for her. She immediately turned into a pillar of salt and could no longer reach her destination of safety. So, looking back for Lot’s wife was as good as participating in the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. (Cf. Gen 19)

But what made her look back? We are not told in any clear words in the bible. Whatever it was, it made her lose her life and fail to reach her destination of safety. In like manner, there may be all kinds of things that could get us to look back to the old life of sin and disobedience to God that we have abandoned. And if we should allow any of them to make us look back, we may end up being hindered from going forward in our walk of faith in order to experience eternal salvation.

Therefore, we must continually guard our hearts and lives against those thoughts and people that often want to make us look back and desire the old and empty life we already abandoned. Yes, we must protect ourselves against anything or anybody that is constantly making us miss the old life. And remember that, as it was in the case of Lot’s wife, looking back to revel in our past lives of sin could be as bad as currently living in sin. Where this, then, is the case, we may also expect to receive the same punishment for sin that those who are currently living in sin are receiving in their lives. And what this punishment may be is not what I can tell you. But I can tell you to remember Lot’s wife.

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

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2022 Pastor's Desk

Not your spiritual gifts alone | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Date: January 30, 2022 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 39

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to another week of year 2022. My prayer is that, as you go through the week, your eyes will be opened to see what things you need to give yourself to this year in order to increase in usefulness in God’s hand, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now one main way to increase in usefulness in God’s hand, apart from offering prayers to Him, is to recognize His gifts in our lives and make the most of them. As the bible shows us, it is only those who are putting to meaningful usage what God has given to them, whether spiritual things or natural things, that He gives more things to, so that they may increase in usefulness with them. Those who are not doing much or anything with what He has given to them will not receive additional revelations, abilities, resources or opportunities from Him. In fact, if they are not careful, He may end up taking away from them what He has given them. (Cf. Mark 4:24-25; Luke 19:11-26)

So, if we want to increase in usefulness in God’s kingdom this year, we must carefully look into our lives to see what things He has given to us that we can use to serve Him or do His work. And this is not just about using our spiritual gifts to serve Him. It is also about using our natural or acquired abilities, education, resources and position to serve Him.

For example, Luke, who wrote one of gospel books and also ‘The Acts of the Apostles’, was not known as an apostle, prophet, evangelist or pastor. Rather, he was known as a trained physician or doctor. But he made use of his education and his love for history in serving the Lord by writing an orderly account of the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. He also put these things to work in giving us a brief history of the church and of the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world. So, though he was not a preacher, he made himself useful to God in preserving for us the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. (Cf. Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1-2; Col 4:14)

Also, Dorcas was not a preacher or church leader. But she was always using her resources to help the poor, especially in the church. And that made her popular among the brethren. Therefore, when she died, they could not accept her death. They had to immediately send for Peter, who came to them and prayed for her to be brought back to life. And God answered him. Why? It was because He knew that if He gave that woman more years to live, she would not waste them in unproductive living. Instead, she would increase in usefulness and fruitfulness with them. (Cf. Acts 9:36-42)

So, you do not have to have preaching or healing gifts to be useful in God’s kingdom or to increase in usefulness in it. You just need to adequately and continually put to use whatever your spiritual gift is. And you will be amazed at what things God will accomplish through you. Then, even if you don’t seem to know what your spiritual gift is at the moment, consider how you can use your education, skills or resources to move forward the work of God.

For example, if you are a furniture maker, see what you can make for the use of the church of God or how you can use your abilities to save the church some unnecessary spending. Or maybe you are good with writing or artwork. Think of how you can regularly use your skills in these things to support the church and promote the gospel, instead of making excuses for not being responsible to God in any way. It is unfortunate, however, that many in our churches today don’t want to use their abilities to serve God, if it will not result in much material profit for them. In fact, some don’t mind cheating the church in matters like this. That is because their god is their stomach. (Cf. Ex 35:4-36:3; Philippians 3:18-19)

Now I know that it is wrong for any church too to underpay or cheat anyone who does any work for her simply because the person is a church member or believer. If a believer wants to give his church some discounts on goods or services supplied by him, it is fine. But it has to be as he purposes in his heart and not something he is manipulated, threatened or forced to do (2Cor 9:7). Yet we all must learn to make available everything we have that is of use in doing the Lord’s work and in increasing in usefulness in His kingdom. Otherwise, we may end up being regarded by Him someday as lazy and unprofitable servants. And may things not end like that for you and me, in Jesus’ name.

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

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2022 Pastor's Desk

He will rebuke them for you | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Date: January 23, 2022 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 38

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours immeasurably from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. It gives me delight to welcome you to the last week of the month of January 2022. My prayer is that your heart will be taught and strengthened to always make much of the presence of God in your life every remaining day of your life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

One of the most challenging statements of the bible is that which we find in Paul’s letter to the Roman brethren, which says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31NIV) Is God for us? Is He on our side? If He is for us, and He is for us, then, who can be against us? Nobody! I mean that there is no one powerful enough to oppress or harm us in any matter of life since God is for us. We just need to let this soak in our heads and continually walk accordingly.

For example, because of His presence with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, no one could successfully harm, cheat or oppress them. The bible says, “He allowed no one to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings: “Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm.”” (Ps 105:14-15NIV) Just think about that. God allowed no one to oppress these people because they were His. And He was ready to afflict or kill anyone who tried to do so. (Cf. Gen 12:10-20; Gen 20; Gen 31:24&29)

It is no wonder, then, that when Moses was leading the children of Israel into the Promised Land, he did not ask God for wealth, food, water or protection for the people. Instead, he asked for His presence. In fact, he plainly told Him that if He would not be with them all the way into the Promised Land, He should not bother sending them up there. Why? It was because he knew that God’s presence was everything they needed. In other words, he knew that as long as God was with them, they would have all the food, water, wealth, good health and protection that they needed and even much more. (Cf. Ex 33:12-17)

Now we don’t need to ask for God’s presence in our lives. That is because we already have it through of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is already with us, in us and for us. In fact, the bible says, “…God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”” (Heb 13:5-6NIV) Did you see that? God Himself has said that He will never ever leave us or forsake us. That means we will always and ever have His presence with us.

And how should we respond to that? Well, as that bible text also shows us, we should respond by confidently saying, “I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Whose job is to boldly say I will not be afraid? It is my job. It is your job. And whose job is it to boldly say there is nothing any man can do to me? It is my job to say so. It is your job to say so.

But we are not to say these things because we just want to sound bold or courageous. We are to say them because we know that God is with us all the way to make sure we are adequately taken care of and also protected from all forms of satanic or human oppression. If you, then, know this, get rid of all your fears. Yes, get rid of all your fears of those situations or people that are threatening you, cheating you or oppressing you. That is because God is going to rebuke them and take for you what is rightly yours.

Remember that He rebuked kings, even kings that were being controlled by demons of sorcery and witchcraft, for His saints of old. So, it won’t be anything serious for Him to also rebuke for you anything or anyone that is against your peace of mind, health or progress, regardless of what measure of demonic influence they are exercising. You just make sure you that you always remind yourself that He is with you. And you shall continually witness great manifestations of His power on your behalf.

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

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2022 Pastor's Desk

So that you don’t surprise yourself | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Date: January 16, 2022 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 37

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I welcome you to another week of the month of January 2022. My prayer is that you will always be adequately equipped and strengthened to walk in victory over everything warring against your soul, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now one of the things constantly warring against our souls as children of God is sexual immorality. And it is so widespread today that there is hardly anywhere you go or turn to that you won’t find something calling you to be involved in it. If you, then, will not act on what the word of God says about it, you may soon enough surprise yourself by doing something you never thought you could do. This is already happening to many of God’s people. To their surprise, they are already succumbing to sexual sins, things that they used to frown at and condemn. And unless they return to acting on what the word of God says about sexual immorality, they will never be free from its grip.

To let you understand how bad this has gotten, recently, I saw a status a so-called Christian posted online, expressing his urge to sleep with anyone that shows up. And just right after that, he posted another status of certain believers singing about the eternal life we have in Christ Jesus. So, I asked myself, “Is this young man alright? From sexual immorality to Christian worship – how do these add up?”

As if that were not enough, about the same time, I saw a status posted by another so-called believer. And he was saying that if anyone should see him feature in any of these immoral movies, popularly referred to as adult movies, they should know that he is just hustling – nothing else is attached. Of course, I immediately sent a message to him to find out if he was alright. But all these things are pointing to one thing, which is that we are living in a sexually saturated environment. And if we, as God’s children, do not watch ourselves, we may someday surprise ourselves through our involvement in immoral activities or practices.

All this, of course, goes beyond praying to God to keep us safe from sexual sins. It also involves acting on what He says about them. And what does He say about them? He says, “Flee from sexual immorality…” (1Cor 6:18NIV) Did you see that? Despite the fact that God has the power to protect us from all problems, He tells us that His way of protecting us from sexual immorality is for us to run away from it. Yes, He will energise us and also make sure there is a way for us to run away from it. But it is on us to run away from it. Otherwise, we may just surprise ourselves by our involvement in it.

Look at Joseph of bible days. How was he able to escape being involved in sexual sins with his master’s wife? Was it be reasoning with her? No! He tried reasoning with her, but it did not work. And that is because reason never works when it comes to sexual passions. That explains why we often see some married people who have great homes and have no reason whatsoever to be involved in sexual sins getting involved in it. And when they have eventually ruined their homes, they will start asking themselves, “Why did I do this? Why did I go against all reason to commit this kind of blunder?”

So, don’t ever think reason, smartness or willpower will keep you safe from sexual sins. None of them has the power to keep you safe from it. The only one that can keep you safe from it is God. And He is now saying to us, “As long as it is about sexual sins, run for your life.” That was what Joseph did. First, he made sure that he was never alone with his master’s wife. Then, when the woman eventually found an opportunity to drag him down, he took to his heels, not minding the fact that he had to leave his cloak behind. Yes, he ended up being imprisoned because of that. But he maintained his purity and was later justified by God. (Cf. Gen 39:6-15)

In like manner, you too should make sure you stay away from anyone or anything that can promote sexual immorality in your life. You don’t have to be with that man or woman that is often trying to seduce you with immoral talks or touch. And you don’t have to see that movie or keep that phone app, if you can see that it is constantly drawing you to sexual sins. So, do what is right and run, if you cherish your soul and don’t want it destroyed. May you always find in you the strength, courage and wisdom you need to do this, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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