Tag: 2020

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Don’t detest hard work |Fire in my bones | J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: August 24, 2022 |Series: Youth for Jesus|Number: Vol. 5, No. 15

“I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.” (John 4:38NIV)

There is a growing hatred among many young people today for hard work. All they want is much profit with little or no work at all. They want to live in mansions, ride the latest exotic cars, eat delicacies all the time and move around with the finest of ladies or guys in the world. All for doing what? All for doing almost nothing!

Is it wrong to live in mansions or to ride exotic cars or to eat delicacies or to marry beautiful ladies or handsome men? No, these things are not wrong in themselves. But we need to earn the right to have them through honest, hard and diligent labour.

Now observe that I said spoke of honest, hard and diligent labour as a means to earning the right to live large. That is because it is not every job that is hard to do that is also honest. For example, robbery, drug trafficking, human trafficking, kidnapping, burglary, prostitution, and swindling are all hard and risky jobs to do. And they can make plenty of money available for people to live very large lives. However, regardless of the degree of devotion and diligence given to doing these jobs, they are not honest or legitimate jobs. So, those involved in them can only hope to get destroyed through them sooner or later.

So, when I am taking about being given to hard work, I am not talking about any kind of work. Rather, I am talking about legitimate and honest work that people can proudly identify with. And I am saying don’t be ashamed to give yourself fully to any such job. Why? First, it is because God rewards those who work hard and diligently. Paul, writing to the Colossian brethren, says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.” (Col 3:23-25NIV)

Did you see that? The Lord Jesus Christ Himself is interested in our work and also in our attitude towards it, regardless of whom we are working for or working with. And He will reward us right here in this world for whatever we do, even if we are not Christians. This explains why He may pick an unbeliever from among believers and exalt him, if he is hardworking and diligent. There is no favouritism with Him.

I am sure you know the story of Joseph and of how God exalted him. Why did God exalt him in the manner that He did? One main reason was that the young man was a hard and diligent worker. And it did not matter to him where he was, whether he was in slavery or in the prison, whatever he found to do, he did it wholeheartedly. So, he was always experiencing exaltation and standing before those who mattered wherever he was. Of course, he did not become great in one day. But because he had a culture of working hard and diligently, God was able to clear the way for him to attain the highest position anyone could ever wish for in life. (Cf. Gen 39-41)

If you too will learn not to run away from hard work but to handle your work, whatever it is, seriously and diligently, God, who is always watching you, will see to it that you are always standing before those who matter where you are and not before irresponsible and useless people (Prov 22:29). Then, if you do not faint, a day will surely come when you will be led by Him to that height that no one thinks you can ever attain. And who knows how close you are to that day?

Another reason you shouldn’t run from hard and diligent labour is that you may through it offer comfort and rest to future generations. As our Lord points in our opening bible text, His disciples had a very rare privilege of eating the fruit of the labour of many prophets of old that had lived and ministered before them. Those people did the hard work of clearing the way for Him to come. But they were the beneficiaries of their hard work.

In like manner, the Christian liberty and sound spiritual education may of us are enjoying today have been made available for us through the hard work of some great men and women of God who lived here in the world before us. These people gave themselves to hard and diligent spiritual labour with perseverance in order for the truth of Jesus Christ to be preserved for us. And if they had detested hard work, all that we are now enjoying in terms of our spiritual heritage today would not have been ours to enjoy.

Interestingly, the same thing is true in the natural realm. The sophisticated lives many of us are living in the world today have been made available to us through the hard work of some great scientists, thinkers, academics and business men and women that lived years or centuries before us or that are living now among us. Similarly, there are many young people today that are able to enjoy quality education and live comfortably because of the hard work of their parents or grandparents. But what if these people had run away from hard work or if they had treated it with contempt, would the kind of lifestyles some of us are living now have been possible at all? No!

So, if you give yourself to hard work, you won’t be the only one to enjoy it. Others coming after you will also enjoy it. Stop running away, then, from hard and diligent labour, for it is your own way of vitally making the world a better place for all to live in

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Fire in my Bones

Title: Oaths or Reputation – February 26, 2020

fire in my bones
fire in my bones


Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 2, No. 41

“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Matt 5:33-37NIV)

One of our customers came to our shop one day to buy certain things. While she was being attended to, she started lodging complaints about certain items she had bought from the shop and how they did not serve her purpose. Then I said to her, “Don’t worry – we will do something about what you just said.” And in response to that, she said, “Walahi (I swear to God), I am speaking the truth.” So, I was like, “Come on, I already said we will take care of your complaints. Why did you still have to swear to strengthen your statement? That was totally unnecessary.” And she said something like, “I just want you to believe me.”

Now that reminds me of what our Lord Jesus says about making and breaking oaths. He says you don’t need to swear about anything, just because you want to sound truthful; just let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’, ‘No’. In other words, build a reputation for honesty and truthfulness. Don’t carelessly make commitments. Learn not to be in a hurry to give your word about things you have not adequately thought about or considered. Otherwise you will constantly find yourself disappointing people and creating a feeling of distrust in them concerning you. Then you may have to start making vows or seeking others that would put in a word for you before you are taken seriously in any matter by anybody.

But God does not want any of us to be that way. He does not want us to be twisted in conduct or unreliable. He does not want us to rely on the power of oaths or on the reputation of others in order to be taken seriously in life. In fact, He says that relying on the power of oaths to strengthen our words, especially if we are not in a court of law, is of the evil one, for it is manipulative in character. It is like you are forcing or manipulating people to take your words as true, instead of allowing them to judge the trueness of what you have said on the basis of your reputation. And that is horribly wrong.

Therefore, what you should be doing is building your reputation on honesty. Look, if people, as in a court of law, have to first make us swear by God or any other thing before they believe us, it means that something is wrong with our reputation before them. And we need to do all that we can to correct that impression. So, going forward, mean what you say, and say only what you mean. If people won’t believe you, then, they won’t believe you. In fact, most of the people in our lives take our words seriously not because of the way we sound or look; rather, they take them seriously because we have over the time built before them a reputation for honesty. And that is what you should work on in your life. Once you give your word about something, make sure you do your best to make it good, even if doing so hurts you. That way, not only will you be building a reputation for honesty before others, you will also be training yourself not to be careless in making commitments.

Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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Fire in my Bones

Title: The little things of God – February 12, 2020

fire in my bones
fire in my bones


Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 2, No. 39

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” (Luke 12:25-26NIV)

The book of 2Kings 20 gives us an account of how King Hezekiah, one of the greatest kings the nation of Judah ever had, became ill to the point of death and of how God sent His messenger, Prophet Isaiah, to tell him to put his house in order, for he would not recover from his illness but die. But instead for Hezekiah to readily accept that death sentence from God, he decided to pray to Him for mercy and healing. And did God answer him or not? He did. He answered him and even decided to add fifteen more years to the ones he already used. (Cf. 2Kings 20:1-11)

Now that is amazing, or what do you think? Fifteen more years to Hezekiah’s life! Just like that! I mean that God just added those years to this man’s life, just as simply as you would add a pinch of salt to your stew. Once again, I say that is amazing; it is just mind-blowing. And I can almost hear someone saying, “Oh, I want that. I wish I could have something like that.”

To say the fact, who does not want longevity. People wish for death on their sick beds or desire to commit suicide mostly because they consider their cases to be hopeless. They simply cannot see what joy, comfort or peace staying here in the world offers them again. So, they want to die and escape from everything that is troubling them and making their lives miserable. But if they knew just one thing to do to make their lives pleasant again, just one thing to do to take away their pains and exceedingly great sorrow, they would most assuredly tear whatever will they have written, take back whatever parting words they have said and say, “Oh, I want to live again and enjoy life too.”

And if you are one of such individuals, wishing for death to come to you now or wanting to kill yourself because of your miseries and misfortunes, I want you to know that you don’t have to die like that. That is because the life of peace, health, comfort and joy you want, which your money, influence, fame, education or power has not been able to give you, is something God is able to freely give to you.

Our Lord Jesus, as we see in our opening text, once while talking to His disciples about the need for them to do away with all forms of worries in their lives, said something very striking to them. He said, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” (Luke 12:25-26NIV) Look at that. There is nothing any one of us can do by ourselves to increase the length of our days here on earth by just one hour. Our worrying about this won’t even make it happen. Yet the Lord went on to say that increasing our length of days here on earth is a very little thing for God to do. A very little thing? I mean that is many people’s biggest problem. Do you know how much money, energy and so forth that people all around the world put everyday into staying alive? It is beyond comprehension!

Nevertheless, the Lord Jesus is saying to us that increasing our length of days is a very little thing for God to handle. Just as it was like nothing for him to add fifteen more years to Hezekiah’s years, so it is nothing for Him to add twenty, thirty, fifty or even a hundred more years to your time here on earth. At least, from what we see in the bible, people lived to be nine hundred years plus in the days before the flood of Noah’s time (Gen 5). So, it is almost nothing for God to add to your years. And if it is a little thing for Him to add to your years, then, what will increasing your resources, enlarging your business territory, bringing you a great husband or wife or giving you children of your own be for Him? Almost nothing!

All of this is why the Lord tells us not to worry about life or anything else in this life (Matt 6:25; Luke 12:22). That is because there is nothing that we need in life that is beyond what God can easily or readily make available to us. The only problem is with what we are going to do with what He gives us. The fact is that there is nothing God gives to some people that they are not going to waste on meaningless living. Even if He gives them a thousand additional years of comfort and rest, they are still going to waste them on nonsense. So, our Lord’s instruction to us is that we should stop worrying about those things that we need, which God already knows and can easily supply, but to put ourselves into taking our place in His kingdom and learning His righteousness (Matt 6:33; Luke 12:31). That way, not only will all these things that we need be given to us, but we also will have learnt how not to waste His gifts and blessings in our lives.

Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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Fire in my Bones

Title: Don’t fall in love with the wrong things or persons – February 05, 2020

fire in my bones
fire in my bones


Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 2, No. 38

“King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter — Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.” (1Kings 11:1-2NIV)

King Solomon, without doubt, was a man that was loved and favoured by God. In fact, bible accounts show us that when he was born, God actually sent one of His prophets to name him ‘Jedidiah’, which means ‘loved by God’ (2Sam 12:24-25). So, it is clear that his becoming king over the nation of Israel was not accidental at all. God had been looking out for him and nurturing him to be His king even before he was born. And having become king, he was blessed by God with wisdom, very great insight and a breath of understanding that is as measureless as the sand on the seashore. So he became famous, rich and powerful, more than any of the kings of the earth. (Cf. 1Kings 4:29-34)

However, even though Solomon was a lover of God, he had a problem, as we are told in our opening bible text. And what was his problem? Foreign women! Yes, it is true that Solomon had many wives and concubines – a thousand of them, actually. But he was not the first of the kings of the land to have many wives. His father, David, did have many wives and concubines. Saul, who was king before David, also had many wives and concubines. And God did not crucify any of them for that, even though that was never His original intention for mankind. His original intention is that every marriage will be made up of only one man and one woman. (Cf. Mark 10:1-9)

What, then, was the problem with Solomon’s many women? The problem was that they were foreign women. And the Lord had warned His people not to intermarry with such women. Why? It was because He knew that they would turn their hearts away from Him to the worship of idols and demons (Deut 7:3-4). Unfortunately, the bible tells us Solomon could not just handle his passion for these women. So, he held fast to them in love.

Think about that. Solomon held fast in love to what God said he ought to run away from. Why was that? Were there not enough beautiful women in Israel at that time? It couldn’t be. There must have been plenty of beautiful and graceful young ladies in the land at the time. Why, then, did he not content himself with them? We are not told. But from my own sanctified imagination, I could almost hear him saying to himself, “I know there are many pretty women in my land. But there is something irresistible about these foreign women. There is something about them that turns me on. There is a way they dress, walk, make up and carry themselves that beats what any of our ladies could handle. So, I just don’t know how I can stop falling in love with them, even though I know God says this is wrong for me.”

Doesn’t that typify the way many of our young Christian brothers and sisters reason today? They have been taught severally that if they must marry, then, they must marry from the household of faith – they must marry people who are not just Christians by mouth but who are also Christians by their actions (1Cor 7:39; 2Cor 6:14-16). But instead of looking out for wives or husbands among those who meet these requirements, they find themselves continually and passionately drawn to those outside the church. And they blame everything on love. I mean that they find the very people God tells them to run away from, as far as marriage matters are concerned, irresistible and tremendously appealing to them. These are the ones that measure up to their love tastes. These are the ones that delight their hearts with their ‘packaging’, ‘swaggers’, ‘romantics’ and so forth. They are just like Solomon, and like Solomon’s end will their end be too.

As we are further told in the bible, as Solomon grew old, those foreign women, whom he had clung to in love, utterly led him astray. They literally led him away from devotion to God to idol worship. And even though God sought to restore him to Himself, appearing to him twice to warn him of the danger that lay ahead for him, he did not repent. Therefore, He changed his mind about him and decided to tear the kingdom away from him. That, of course, was the beginning of the end of all that was good and pleasant about Solomon’s reign. (Cf. 1Kings 11)

Now why do we have this account in the bible? It is to warn us of the danger of desiring or falling in love with the wrong things (1Cor 10:6). If God has said that something is wrong, then, we must take it as wrong and not think that we can cling to it in love and still continue to experience an unhindered flow of His blessings in our lives. So, you need to separate yourself from that wrong thing that you are clinging to in love and stop acting as though you could not do without it. The only person you cannot do without in all of life is God. And if He has told you that your life is better off without certain things, then, kill whatever desire you may have in you for those things. And if you need to get the help of other godly people to do this, then, do so. Otherwise, your attachment or devotion to those wrong things may just be the end of the reign of peace, love, joy and fruitfulness in your life and home.

Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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Fire in my Bones

Title: A talent that became a problem – January 29, 2020

fire in my bones
fire in my bones


Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 2, No. 37

“And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!” (2Sam 3:39NIV)

David, as we see in the bible, was a mighty man of war and great king. He was a man that was highly respected because of his love for God and love for his people. God Himself testified that he was a man after his heart (Acts 13:22). Then the bible says of his leadership over Israel, “David took care of them with unselfish devotion and led them with skill.” (Ps 78:72GNT) So, evidently, this man was one of the greatest men and leaders of all time.

Nevertheless, there was one man in David’s administration that he really could not handle, as he would love to. And that was the commander of his army, Joab. In fact, on one occasion, as we see in our opening text, he confessed that Joab and his brother, Abishai, were too strong for him to handle, even though he was the Lord’s anointed king. And that was because Joab in particular was a man that liked to do things his own way, even if it meant disobeying, displeasing or threatening the king.

For instance, there was a time he killed Israel’s army general Abner, in his quest to avenge the death of his brother Azahel, whom Abner had killed in a battle. But he did that without David’s knowledge or permission and without any concern for how what he did would affect his master’s integrity. Also, just because he was not pleased with the appointment of his nephew, Amasa, as the army commander in his place, he assassinated that man in cold blood. In addition, he killed David’s rebellious son, Absalom, even though David had commanded him and the other army generals to spare the young man’s life. And to make matters worse, he sided with Adonijah, another son of David, in his conspiracy to make himself king after David, when the king, by the wisdom of God, had already chosen someone else, Solomon, as the one to rule after him. So, you can see that Joab was indeed a thorn in the flesh of his master. (Cf. 2Sam 3:26-27, 18:9-15 & 20:8-10; 1Kings 1)

Why, then, would David not fix this man once and for all? Why did he allow him to carry on with his nonsense throughout the days of his reign over Israel? It was because of what it might cost him and his kingdom. First, Joab was his nephew, his own blood (1Chro 2:13-17). Second, he was one of those few men that faithfully stood by him and protected him with their lives during his years as a fugitive – David could trust him with his very life (1Sam 22:1). Third, he was one of his greatest warriors and the commander of the entire army of his Israel (2Sam 20:23). Fourth, he was one that was always ready to do any dirty work the king might desire to do (2Sam 11).

Therefore, Joab was a talent that was almost indispensable to David. Many things about his life and kingdom had been built around him. Therefore, getting rid of him or punishing him in certain ways may be as bad as bringing down the kingdom itself. And he knew it. He knew that he was not someone that the king or anybody in the kingdom could take lightly or dispense with easily. So, he used this to exploit David and to do as he pleased on many occasions, knowing that the worst punishment he probably would get was a scolding. But he really did not lay to heart the fact that David would not always be king and that the next king may not see him as indispensable as David had seen him. And so, when Solomon became king, he saw to it, as his father had instructed him, that the land was rid of him and other characters like him (1Kings 2).

Now what is there to learn from all this? First, it is that, as a leader, no matter how talented or useful someone may be to you and the cause you represent, don’t build everything you do around them. Instead, make room for other talented people that can be trusted too to work with you. Otherwise, if they are not yielded to the Spirit of God, they may someday grow wings and become a thorn in your flesh. Also, don’t give them reasons or excuses to manipulate, blackmail or subvert your authority. Instead, be clean and upright in all your dealings with them, so that if they misbehave, you will be free to judge them righteously.

And the second lesson is that you too must not become a problem to your leader, however useful or indispensable you may seem to be to him. That is because there is really no one that is indispensable; only God is. So, even if for certain reasons a leader you are manipulating with your ability or usefulness will not get rid of you, someday, some other person or the system you are working in will get rid of you. And God Himself will make sure of that, for He hates a heart that devises wicked schemes (Prov 6:18). Therefore, be wise.

Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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Fire in my Bones

Title: Proceed to work with what you have – January 22, 2020

fire in my bones
fire in my bones


Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 2, No. 36

“Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard.” (Gen 9:20-21NIV)

After the flood of Noah’s days, there were just eight people left in the world, and they were all members of Noah’s family. So, when they came out of the ark that God had used in preserving them, they were all by themselves. There was nobody waiting to welcome them. There was no house for them to rent or move into other than the ark that had come out from. There was no market for them to go and buy whatever they might have needed, even if they still had some money with them. There was no company or organisation waiting to employ any of them. And there was no government or charity foundation to give them aid or relief. All they had was the blessing of God upon them, which said, “Be fruitful and increase in number.” Yet, from these eight people came the billions of people who now fill the earth and from them also came all the civilisations men have known and adored. (Cf. Gen 9:1&18-19)

But how did that happen? How did those people who started out all over again with almost nothing end up laying the foundation for a world in which we are now constantly dazed by the wonders of our own advancement? It was by putting whatever skills they recognised in themselves to work, trusting that God’s blessing upon them would make them fruitful and productive in doing so.

For example, as we see in our opening text, Noah was someone that loved the soil. So he proceeded to plant a vineyard. That means he did something with his passion, inspiration and abilities. And in fact, as some other translations of the English Bible make clear, he was the first person to do this, to cultivate a vineyard. That was why he got drunk while he was trying the wine he had brewed (Gen 9:21). So, talk about breweries, they are not modern day inventions; they had been springing up since the days of Noah.

Then what about the sons of Noah and their wives? Evidently, they also considered what they had passion and abilities for and began to explore and work on them. So, as we are told in the bible, years later, we began to have among them maritime people (men of the sea) (Gen 10:2-4). We even had someone like Nimrod, a great hunter, warrior and developer of cities, among them (Gen 10:6-11).

Now I am showing these things to let you know that you too need to start doing something with your passions, natural abilities or acquired skills, instead of waiting for some family members, friends, governments or organisations to help you or set you up. Noah and his family did not wait for anybody to help them or set them. Even if they had wanted to wait like that, there was nobody for them to wait for or count on. The only one they all had was God. And since He has already put His blessing on them, all they needed to do was to activate that blessing by doing something honest and legitimate with their brains and hands.

In like manner, you too can activate the blessing of God on your life by putting your brains, abilities, skills and even education to legitimate and righteous use. You have waited long enough for help that may never come. Now begin to think and act for yourself, exploring all the possibilities that the abilities, skills or education God has enabled you to have make available. And just like God’s blessing worked mightily in the lives of Noah and his children, causing them to be fruitful and productive in the various fields of interests that they pursued, it will also work in your life and cause you to be exceedingly fruitful and productive in your honest and legitimate use of your brains, abilities, skills or education.

I look forward to hearing your testimonies. God bless you.

Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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Fire in my Bones

Title: Don’t preserve what should be destroyed – January 15, 2020

fire in my bones
fire in my bones


Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 2, No. 35

“The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth — men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air — for I am grieved that I have made them.”” (Gen 6:5-7NIV)

One of the lessons to be picked from the story of the flood of Noah’s days is that we must not preserve what should be destroyed. Without doubt, it was God that created man and placed him here on earth to rule over the works of His hands (Gen 1-2). But at some point, man became rebellious and corrupted his ways. And so bad was his case that God’s heart was filled with pain because of him and his ever-increasing wickedness. In other words, He could not just bear again what His man had become. So, He said to Himself, “I am going to end all this for good.”

Now, initially, it looked a like joke to the men of those days when Noah began to preach to them about what God was going to do to them and the world they lived in. But the day eventually came when God fulfilled His word to Noah. He destroyed everybody and all the things they have built their lives around. He spared only Noah, his family and a handful of animals and birds in order to start all over again. But why did God destroy them like that? It was because they were no longer fulfilling the purpose for which He had created them. (Cf. Gen 6-9) And He has also promised to someday destroy this present earth too, along with the heavens we see, to save only those who take Him seriously in it and to start a new heaven and a new earth with them. That is because these present heavens and earth are no longer as He intends them to be. (Cf. 2Pet 3:3-13; Rev 21:1-4)

If God, then, would not hesitate to end a failed system in order to start all over again, even though He was the one that had created it, we too should not fail to end anything that we have created that is no longer serving the purpose for which we created it. And don’t get me wrong here. I am not talking about ending people’s lives. No, I am not saying that you can end anybody’s life just because you think he is no longer serving your purpose. That will be murder, punishable by death under any serious government. And remember that you did not create or own anybody, even your own children. God created and own all men (Ezekiel 18:4). So, He is the only one that has the absolute right to take people’s lives. Then He has also empowered governments in every place to act on His behalf in ending the lives of those that are judged in righteousness to be unfit to continue to live among men.

But what I am talking about has to do with ending programmes, systems, businesses, institutions, facilities, policies and so forth that are creations of men. And I am saying that once we recognise that they are no longer serving the good purpose for which we created them and we also see that there is nothing we can do to restore them, then, we should not hesitate to end them. Unfortunately, many today, individuals, organisations and even governments, still find themselves funding and protecting certain creations of theirs that have outlived their usefulness and purpose. Why? For some of them, it is undue sentiments. They are so much in love with their creation that they don’t want to lose it, even though it is clear that it is already hurting them and others. And for some others, it is unwillingness to admit that their creation is a failure. They just don’t want to face the fact that what they created has become a problem that cannot be redeemed.

Perhaps you too are like that. Because of some undue sentiments or fear of dealing with the truth, you are holding on to a decaying creation of yours that you yourself know cannot be cured. You need to wake up and act like God. End it. Destroy it. Then start all over again. It is better you use whatever is left of your time, resources and energy to recreate than to further waste it on preserving what you ought to destroy. And my prayer is that God will grant you insight and understanding to do what is right in those areas of your life in which you are affected by these words.

Stay immeasurably blessed.

Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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Fire in my Bones

Title: Don’t attack him – January 08, 2020

fire in my bones
fire in my bones


Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 2, No. 34

“…And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.” (Gen 4:8NIV)

The story of Cain and his brother, Abel, that we have in the bible is one that teaches us how horrible and deadly jealousy that is not dealt with can be. Exactly how cordial these brothers’ relationship was before the account given in Genesis 4, we are not told. But we do see that Cain was angry with God and also jealous of his brother because the latter and his offerings were accepted by God while he and his offerings were rejected by Him. And despite the fact that God had come to talk to him and warn him to watch his anger, bitterness and jealousy, he still went ahead and attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him. In other words, Cain destroyed the very person he was meant to protect. (Cf. Gen 4:1-8)

But notice that Cain did not kill Abel because Abel was richer than him or because he had a more beautiful wife than him; rather, he killed him because God approved of him but disapproved of him. So, when we are talking about jealousy, it can be aroused by anything. I mean that people can become jealous of others because of their progress, family, influence, beauty, age, riches, relationships, jobs, positions, gifts and so forth. In short, people can become jealous of others because of anything. And when such jealousy is not dealt with and eradicated by the power of God, it can result in any kind of evil.

James, in his epistle, says, “Whenever people are jealous or selfish, they cause trouble and do all sorts of cruel things.” (James 3:16CEV) Think about that. Jealousy is a powerful force that is able to drive people to do all sorts of horrible things. And examples abound all around us of how people, even friends and family members, have killed, maimed or destroyed others because they were jealous of something in their lives. They felt that since they did not have what those people had, they just had to do something to make sure none of them enjoyed with peace whatever it was they were jealous about. And concerning them the Yoruba proverb is true that says, “Instead for the mouse not to eat ‘Sese’ (a species of beans that is known to be highly toxic), it will waste it.”

Now your name may not be Cain. But if you are jealous of someone else because he has something you don’t have or because he is progressing where you are failing, you are just another Cain. And if you won’t deal with your jealousy now, if you won’t ask God to enable you to get rid of this monster that has come to stay in your life, a day may come when it will drive you to destroy the very people you are supposed to love, cherish and protect. Then, like Cain, you will have exposed yourself to a curse of unfruitfulness, barrenness and miserableness, something you may never be free from for the rest of your life, unless you seek God’s mercy (Gen 4:10-12).

So, get rid of the jealousy you have in your life and don’t attack that person that Satan has been inciting you to attack. Instead, talk to God about your life and whatever you think is missing in it. And He will not ignore your honest and heartfelt prayer but will rise and begin to move things in your favour. But don’t go down the path of jealousy, for the end of it is destruction. (Cf. James 4:1-3)

Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

Title: How long will you wait? – March 29, 2020

from pastor's desk

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I welcome you to another week of this year and pray that it will be a week of rest and peace for you in all ways, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now, as we begin this new week, I want to admonish you with Joshua’s words to the Israelites, which say, “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?” (Josh 18:3NIV) Evidently, at the time Joshua said these words to the children of Israel, some part of the Promised land had been taken over by the people. In fact, records show that he had already led them to conquer thirty-one kings and their lands (Josh 12:7-24). Yet there were still very large areas of land for them to take over (Josh 13:1-5).

Unfortunately, it seemed at that time that the people were already comfortable with what they had. So, they were not making any move to take over the remaining lands and begin to enjoy them, as God expected. And this was displeasing to Joshua, who had patiently laboured for years to see that they fully came into what God had promised them. Therefore, he charged them with these words: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?” In other words, he was saying to them, “God has already given you this land to possess and enjoy. What, then, are you waiting for? Why are you not yet taking it over to possess and enjoy? Or are you expecting God to force you to do so?”

In like manner, there are things that God has already made available for every one of His children to possess and enjoy in Christ Jesus. And it is on each of them to find out what these things are and to embrace them for their enjoyment. God is not going to force us to take hold of His provisions for us. We are the ones that must want what He has provided enough to go for them. For instance, we know that He has already made provisions for us in Christ Jesus to walk in victory over sin, sicknesses, diseases, failure, poverty and every work of darkness. And it is now on us to go for a life of victory over these things. But if we ourselves don’t seriously want to experience them in our lives, it may take us forever before we begin to take steps of faith towards enjoying them.

Also, there are works God wants every one of His children to be doing for the advancement of His purpose here on earth. And He has already provided all that we are going to need to do these works. But if we are distracted, lazy or afraid, it may take us ages before we start doing them, that is, if we ever make any move to do them at all. This explains why there are many highly gifted children of God that are redundant in the kingdom.

In any case, the Lord is asking us right now, “How long will you wait before you start taking hold of all my blessings for you to be the persons you are supposed to be? And how long will you wait before you begin to do those good works I have appointed and gifted you to do?” Now nobody can answer these questions for any of us. Each of us must answer them for himself. But we must remember that we don’t have forever to enjoy those blessings of God that are meant for us to enjoy here on earth. What I mean is that there is not going to be a carry over of the things that are meant for us here on earth to heaven. If we fail to use what is provided for us here, when we have the opportunity to do so, then, that is our own loss. We won’t be needing any of those things in the kingdom we are being led into.

In addition, we don’t have forever to do those works God wants us to do here on earth. A time is coming when all such works must cease (John 9:4). And whatever we fail to do right here and right now is lost; it cannot be credited to our account. This is why we must wake up and begin to take advantage of God’s grace for us to do the things He wants to do and to live fully the life He has designed for us to live. And my prayer is that our hearts will be strengthened and encouraged not to waste God’s provisions for us to live excellent and meaningful lives right here on earth. Amen.

Do have a splendid week.

Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

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

read, hear and do

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

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

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

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

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

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

Do have a very pleasant week.

Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)