Tag: 2021

Series: Youth for Jesus, Number: Vol. 2, No. 33

“Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”” (1Cor 15:33NKJV)

One of the saddest things said about King Ahab of bible days was that he sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord. And he did so with the encouragement of his wife, Jezebel. (Cf. 1Kings 19:25-26) Therefore, God judged him and his house ruthlessly, cutting off all his male descendants and destroying his wife in disgrace (1Kings 21:17-24; 2Kings 9-10:17).

Unfortunately, despite the fact that what happened to Ahab and his house was common knowledge in the land, we still found one foolish young prince that saw no other woman fit to be his wife other than one of this man’s daughters. Here is the bible’s commentary about him:

“When Jehoram established himself firmly over his father’s kingdom, he put all his brothers to the sword along with some of the princes of Israel. Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD.” (2Chron 21:4-7NIV)

Did you see that? Why did Jehoram walk in the evil ways of the kings of Israel? Why did he end up killing his own brothers and some other princes in the land, men who were better than him, as pointed out in Scriptures? It was because he married a daughter of one of their kings, Ahab. And his association with that evil woman that was raised in an evil house destroyed whatever good that might have been in his life. So, he ended up being an evil king that everybody was happy to miss, when he eventually died after a short reign (2Chro 21:20).

But read about Jehoram’s father, Jehoshaphat, and his grandfather, Asa, and you will see that they were good and upright men, who loved God and served Him and their people with wholehearted devotion (2Chro 14-20). Why, then, did he not walk in the ways of these men? Was it because he had no goodness in him? No! Rather, it was because whatever measure of goodness that was in him was corrupted by his marriage to an evil woman.

All of this is why Paul warns us in a letter to the Corinthians not to be deceived or misled to think that we can use the good in us to change the bad in other people. And many people, including Christians, often make mistakes along this line, especially in marital matters. They foolishly allow themselves to fall in love with individuals who clearly have no character or a reputation for taking God seriously. And they do this under the notion that they will be able to change them, if they show them enough love or do them enough acts of kindness. Then, after they have been married for a while, the reality begins to dawn on them, which is that none of us has what it takes to change anybody. But by that time, much good will have been destroyed and, if God does not intervene in the matter, they themselves may be utterly ruined.

See, the only one who has all the goodness it takes in life to change all people is God. Yet He has not succeeded in changing all men, despite the fact that He has been exceedingly good and kind to them all (Ps 145:9; Matt 5:45). So, evil is not something that we, even if we are as wise as King Solomon, possess the ability to drive out of people’s lives, regardless of how good or upright we may be. On the contrary, it is something that possesses enough power to ruin us and corrupt us, if we unduly stay long enough in fellowship with those whose lives have been enslaved by it. This is why we are passionately warned in all Scriptures not to keep company with evil people. Otherwise they are going to corrupt us and make our lives unfit for the fulfilment of God’s good purpose here on earth. (Cf. 1King 11:1-11; Prov 22:24-25; 2Cor 6:14-18)

So, friend, if you are in friendship with anyone that does not take God seriously or someone that does not have a reputation for uprightness or goodness, you are into something that is capable of ultimately destroying you and everything that you hold dear. And the best thing you can do for yourself is to seek God’s help to get out of it, for it may not at all be easy for you to do so. But if you will do so, you will be glad someday that you did.

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)

Series: Youth for Jesus, Number: Vol. 3, No. 39

“Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah.” (Judg 16:4NIV)

The bible story of the fall of Samson is one the most instructive stories ever told on how important it is for us not to surrender to destructive desires. Samson, as bible account shows, was most likely the strongest man that ever walked the face of this earth. There may have been stronger men. But the things that are recorded about his exploits show that only few people could have been stronger than him, if there were any.

For instance, we are told of how, on one occasion, he caught three hundred foxes and tied them tail to tail in pairs in order to punish the Philistines. Just think about that. This man caught three hundred foxes, not hens, not goats, and even tied them tail to tail in pairs. How did he do that? Only God knows. Then he went on to kill in one day one thousand trained armed men of the Philistines with just a jawbone of a donkey. How stronger could anyone else get to be? (Cf. Judges 15)

On another occasion, this man, with his bare hands, removed the doors of a city gate, with its two posts, bar and everything else, and carried them on his shoulders to the top of a hill (Judges 16:1-4). You don’t even want to imagine how heavy those doors and their posts must have been. Yet removing them with his hands and relocating them all by himself seemed to mean nothing to Samson. And that was because he was specially blessed by God with unusual might.

Unfortunately, even though Samson had more than enough physical strength to protect himself and his people from any kind of physical assault, he lacked the inner strength to protect himself from his desire for ungodly women. God had already warned His people, the Israelites, against having any form of sexual relationship or marriage with the pagan nations around them. That was because He did not want them to be polluted by these people and so come under His wrath. And if there was anyone that ought to take this instruction very seriously, it was Samson, for he was born as a Nazirite (special messenger) of God. (Cf. Deut 7:3-4)

But that was not the case for him. His very first love was a Philistine. And he put so much pressure on his parents about getting the lady for him that they gave in to his demand. Yes, of course, God used the occasion to punish the Philistines at that time for their hostility towards His people, Israel. Nevertheless, that did not change the fact that He did not want His people intermarrying with their pagan neighbours. And Samson ought to have use that occasion to learn that their own ways were different from the ways of these people. At least, from the way he and his so-called fiancée were shamefully treated, he should have seen that there was no way light could fellowship with darkness.

Yet Samson could not just get over falling in love with these pagan women, including their prostitutes. Perhaps it was the way they dressed and carried themselves that caught him. We are not told in plain terms in the bible. But it is clear there was something about these women that held him in love bondage to them. Eventually, he fell into the hands of one of them that care nothing for his love but for the money she could make on his head. And even though it was very clear to Samson that this woman, Delilah, did not really love him but only wanted an opportunity to hand him over to his enemies, he did not stop loving her or going to her. So, it was not because he did not know what Delilah could do to him that he gave in to her but because he had become a slave to the wrong love he had for her. And that, of course, was what led to his fall. (Cf. Judges 16:4-31)

In like manner, there are many today that are in love with things or people that they know will ultimately destroy them. They just know that what they are involved in is something that will definitely ruin their lives and that it is only a matter of time before it does. But why will anyone stay involved in something that he knows will certainly ruin him? Often, the reason is that they think they cannot help doing so. That means they have been trapped; they have been enslaved. And if they are not set free on time from this enslavement, they will certainly be destroyed.

Perhaps that is your situation now. You feel trapped in this thing or with this person that you are in love with but that is equally destroying you. I want you to know that you don’t have to go down this way. You don’t have to be led to the slaughter house like a helpless sheep and have your life wasted. That is because you can get help from God, if you will cry out to Him. The bible says, “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” So, cry out to Him today, if you truly want to be set free, and say, “Oh Lord, Jesus Christ, save me from this thing (person) that is bent on destroying me.” And He will save you, for He has done this for many in the past and will not make an exception in your case, if your cry to Him is genuine. (Cf. Rom 10:11-13)

Copyright © 2021, 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)

Series: Youth for Jesus ,Number: Vol. 3, No. 40

“Absalom ordered his men, “Listen! When Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Have not I given you this order? Be strong and brave.”” (2Sam 13:28NIV)

Recently, I saw a viral video of a young man that cleverly put some substance in the cup of drink of another young man when they were all dancing together in a party. Why he did that or what became of the person whose drink he dropped that substance in, nobody knows? But something is clear, and it is that he could not have succeeded in doing that, if his victim had not been in that party and also in high spirits from the wine or beer or whatever it was that he was drinking.

Now this, of course, reminds me of the bible account of how Amnon, the first son of King David, was assassinated in cold blood. Of course, he was killed because of his own evil act. Nevertheless, killing him would not have been an easy thing for his murderers, if he had not attended Absalom’s party at all or got drunk there. Is that to say that it is wrong to attend parties? No! It all depends on the kind of party you want to attend. What is it about? What kind of individuals will be there? And what will they be doing there? If you go to a party where ungodly things are bound to be done or one that will be loaded with your enemies or those who want your fall, then, you can expect ungodly or wicked things to happen to you there.

Also, am I saying it is wrong to drink wine or beer? No! The bible never says it is wrong for people to drink wine or beer or anything alcoholic, even for pleasure. But it warns severally against drunkenness (Prov 23:29-35; Eph 5:18; 1Tim 3:3; Titus 2:2). It also warns against drinking or doing anything else that can destroy other people’s life or faith in God or our own very lives. So, you can drink wine or beer if you are confident that you won’t get drunk by doing so and that you will not be endangering your life or another person’s life or faith through it. (Cf. Rom 14:20-21; 1Cor 8:13)

But then, why does the bible warn us in particular about drunkenness? It is because it takes away our self-control and our ability to think clearly and make sound judgment. And once this happens, we become vulnerable to disgrace and all kinds of terrible things. For instance, the first recorded case of drunkenness in the bible was that of Noah. And though this man did not get drunk deliberately, he got drunk nevertheless and lay naked in his tent, unconsciously exposing himself to disgrace. Only God, then, knows the number of people who daily subject themselves, their families and other people in their lives to public shame because of drunkenness. (Cf. Gen 9:20-23)

Also, as we see in our opening text, the instruction that Absalom gave to his men was for them to wait until Amnon was high in spirits from drinking wine or drunk before they would strike him. Why? It was because he knew that killing the man, who was most likely a soldier himself, when he was in his right frame of mind may be an impossible task for them. So, he asked them to wait until wine took charge of him before attacking him. And because they followed his instruction, they succeeded in carrying out their wicked plot.

Why am I sharing all this with you? First, it is so that you will begin to watch closely where you go and the company you keep. Second, it is so that you will never again give yourself to anything that makes you lose your self-control or your ability to think clearly and judge wisely. These two things, of course, represent God’s wisdom for your safety. So, take them very seriously, and there are some miracles of protection you may never need in life.

Copyright © 2021, 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)

Series: Youth for Jesus, Number: Vol. 3, No. 36

“The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” (James 3:6NIV)

Self-control is a major virtue that everyone who does not want his life ruined before it even gets started needs to possess. And one area of our lives in which we need to cultivate self-control is that of the way we use our tongues. In other words, we need to learn to control what we say with our tongues. Otherwise trouble will never be far from us.

To say the fact, one major reason some people will never have any moment of peace in this life is that they do not know how to control their tongues. They just say anything that comes into their mind and in exactly the way it comes into it. It is true that we may not always be able to control what thoughts come into our mind. But we surely can control what we do with those thoughts. I mean that we can determine which among the thoughts of our hearts we give expression to with our mouths and which ones we are going to remain silent about. And that is because it is not everything we think in our hearts that will do us or others good, if we should express it with our mouths.

Unfortunately, some people don’t even think at all before they open their mouths to speak. Once they are angry, depressed, happy or excited, they will just say anything that enters their mind, without considering how it may affect them or others. So, they end up putting themselves, others or even generations of people in some difficult situations or in some path of destruction.

Look, for example, at the case of one Herod of bible days (Mark 6:17-29). This man on a particular birthday of his gave a banquet for his high chiefs, army commanders and the leading men of Galilee. And was anything wrong with that? No! But when the daughter of his wife, Herodias, got him excited with her dance, he did not know when he, on oath, promised to give her anything she wanted, even up to half of his kingdom. And who does that? Even if that young lady was the most tender person in the world, was she capable of managing a household, not to talk of a kingdom? Had she been proved worthy of managing her own life, not to talk of managing an entire half of a kingdom that probably took several years of hard labour, diligence and wisdom to build?

Yet because this Herod got carried away in his moment of excitement, he made a promise to that girl that her mother took advantage of to get rid of John the Baptist, a righteous man that she considered to be her enemy. And because of his oath, there was nothing he could do about it. So, even though he did not deliberately kill John the Baptist, he would someday have to take responsibility for his death before God. But how did he find himself in this mess? It was through the careless use of his tongue.

Now there are several other examples both in the bible and in life of how people got themselves into trouble and set whole lives on fire because they could not tame their tongues. You yourself may even be able to speak of cases in which you got into trouble or lost some good things because you did not use your tongue wisely and carefully. Did you learn anything from such cases? If you didn’t, then, take advantage of these words that are coming to you now to learn the relevance of taming your tongue.

See, as apostle James makes very clear to us in our opening bible text, it is true that the tongue is a very small part of our body. However, it is also a fire that is capable of setting someone’s entire life of fire and devouring it. And the truth is that it has devoured many lives. I am saying there have been lives, homes and even nations that have been set on fire and ruined because of some people’s careless or foolish words. You may even know some of them. And if you don’t want to set your own life or other people’s lives on fire with your tongue, if you don’t want to shut the door of God’s favour against yourself or continually get trapped in problems that are never meant to be yours, you need to begin to consciously and consistently control the way you use your tongue.

Look at what the bible says to us about this: “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.” (1Peter 3:10NIV) Did you see that? If you want to enjoy your life and see many good days, what do you need to watch? The way you use your tongue! And may God enable you to tame your tongue to be blessing to you and others and not a curse of fire that will burn down your life and every good thing you have.

Copyright © 2021, 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)

Series: Youth for Jesus , Number: Vol. 3, No. 34

“The LORD said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.”” (Josh 7:10-12NIV)

The bible is very clear about the fact that God hates stealing. In other words, He does not want us to take anything that does not belong to us or that is not given to us by its owner and add to our own things. And it does not matter how we do this, whether it is force we are using or tricks, stealing is stealing before God.

Now stealing, apart from the fact that it exposes us to the danger of eternal judgment, is also able to expose us and even those in our lives to all kinds of afflictions here on earth. For instance, look at what God says to Joshua in our opening text. He says he and the people he is leading are vulnerable to destruction. But why? It is because one of them stole certain items that God had given them instructions to destroy. (Cf. Joshua 7:1)

Just think about that. The things the man, Achan, stole were not anybody’s properties. Rather, they were just items that God said that they should destroy. So, he must have said to himself, “Since these are mere items and not people, they cannot report to anybody that I took them or rise up to fight us back. More so, they are not anybody’s properties. Why, then, can’t I take some of them and keep for myself?” And that was exactly what he did. He took some of those things devoted to destruction and made them his own.

Unfortunately, what Achan did not know was that it was God he was stealing from. And the presence of those items he had stolen in the camp of his people, not just in his own house, turned God against them and made them vulnerable to destruction. So, when they went out to fight their enemies, enemies that were not as powerful as the ones they had initially conquered, they could not stand before them. Instead, they were soundly defeated. And as Joshua prayed about the matter, God told him that they had stolen items devoted to destruction and added them to their own possessions and that unless they got rid of those items and destroyed them, He would not be with them and they would remain vulnerable to defeat and destruction. So, the man had to do what he had to do – he found Achan, made him confess his sins and made sure that he, family and the things he had stolen were utterly destroyed. And that was the salvation of that nation. (Cf. Joshua 7)

Now perhaps the reason you too do not have peace in your life and are constantly defeated is that you have taken what belongs to God or to other people and added them to your own. Whatever your reasons may be for taking them, the fact remains that those things are not yours and so should not be in your possession. And because they are not yours, they can open the door for God’s judgment or demonic afflictions to come into your life, if you are not shown mercy. So, if the Lord is leading you to return such things, you should by all means do so. And if He is not, you should ask that He should, in His mercy, destroy whatever wrong influence those things have brought into your life or relationships.

Then it may be that what you need to experience progress or soundness of body is to pay what you have refused to pay certain people for the work they did for you. See, from what we are shown in Scriptures, other people’s properties that we have wrongly taken or added to our own can cry against us. And when they begin to do this, God’s judgment will certainly manifest against us. What forms this will take is not what I or anybody can say. But it is never going to be something you want or wish for. So, inasmuch as it is still within your ability to pay up what you owe, do so and free your life from unnecessary limitations or troubles. (Cf. James 5:4)

As we are shown in the bible, God, at two different times, punished two very powerful kings for taking the wife of Abraham to be theirs. But these two kings acted in complete ignorance. I mean that they acted on Abraham’s lies. Yet God was ready to destroy them and their households, if they would not return the man’s wife. But in what way were they wrong? They were wrong because they did not make enough findings about the woman before taking her in. Their lust for her beauty would not allow them to do so. And they got punished for that. (Cf. Gen 12 & 20)

Therefore, we can also get into trouble for ignorantly, foolishly or carelessly adding to our own what does not belong to us. That is because we may not be able to tell what sort of grief we are bringing to the owner of what we have ignorantly taken for ourselves. So, we need to be very careful in all our dealings with people in order for us not to unconsciously add to our own things that do not belong us and open the door for wrong influences to work in our lives. Then we need to learn to pray to God to continually open our eyes to see those things that don’t belong with us and that we need to send out of our lives and to recognize every satanic trap that may lead us into adding to our possessions things that don’t belong to us. And may His hand of mercy continue to keep us safe from every trap to steal and get into trouble, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Copyright © 2021, 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)