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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2016 From Pastor's Desk 2025 FROM PASTOR’S DESK 2025

We can change God’s mind_J.O.Lawal

Recommended Citation

Lawal, J. O. (2025, April 27). We can change God’s mind (Vol. 12, No. 52). From Pastor’s Desk.

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the transition week between the months of April and May 2025. And I pray that God will set you right wherever you may be wrong in life, so that all His good purpose for you may be accomplished without delay. Amen.

One of the things we learn in the bible is that true repentance can change God’s mind. But we do have Scriptures that tell us that God does not change His mind. In other words, once He determines to do something, nothing will be able to stop Him from doing it. What, then, are we going to do about such Scriptures? Are we going to set them aside as useless? Never! We cannot set aside any Scripture as useless. That is because no Scripture is useless. On the contrary, every Scripture is of God and is useful for our edification. (Cf. Num 23:19; 1Sam 15:29; 2Tim 3:16-17)

However, even though we truly have Scriptures that tell us that God does not change His mind, we also have other Scriptures that show us things that can make God change His mind. And one of those things that can make Him change His mind, as I pointed out before, is genuine repentance. For instance, God once sent Prophet Elijah to Ahab to judge him and his household for murdering Naboth, an innocent man. God said that He was going to wipe out all this king’s descendants and give their flesh to dogs and birds to eat. (Cf. 2Kings 21:17-24)

Now, as we see in the bible, Ahab was a very wicked and proud king. Besides, the woman he married, Jezebel, was even more wicked than him. And together they both brought a rule of terror on the people of God. Yet when this man heard the word of God’s judgment, he did not arrest Elijah, abuse him or keep malice with him. He did not even argue with him over the matter. Instead, he humbled himself, tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. (Cf. 1Kings 21:17-27)

Why did Ahab act like that? it was because he knew that he was wrong. He knew that there was no excuse for the killing of an innocent man. So, God was right to judge him as his actions deserved. All he could hope for, then, was mercy. And the only way for him to receive God’s mercy was to humble himself and acknowledge his sins. Otherwise, the judgment passed on him and his household was bound to come to pass.

Now did God, on this occasion, show Ahab mercy and forgive him or not? He did. The bible says, “Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.”” (1Kings 21:28-29NIV)

Did you see that? Because of Ahab’s acknowledgement of his sins, God postponed the disaster He wanted to bring on him and his household to the days of his sons. In other words, God changed His mind for a moment. And if Ahab’s sons too had forsaken his sins and humbled themselves before the Lord, the judgment pronounced on them would not have happened in their days. In fact, God may even have totally cancelled His plans of judging their household. But they did not turn away from the sins of their father. So, they were all eventually wiped out as God had promised. (Cf. 2Kings 9)

Well, the point we are making is that we can change God’s mind through genuine repentance. So, if God is meant to punish you for something wrong you are doing, you can make Him change His mind by genuinely repenting of it. But if you continue to walk in pride towards Him and refuse to acknowledge your sins or errors, your punishment may come sooner than you expect. And who knows how bad that would be for you. So, humble yourself now and repent of your sins. And may you find in you the strength to do so. Amen.

Have a lovely week.

Copyright © 2025, 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: 08146472876)

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FROM PASTOR’S DESK 2025 Pastor's Desk

Only few people | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: January 19, 2025 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 12, No. 38

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am glad to welcome you to another week of the month of January 2025. My prayer is that God will wake you up to recognize all the duties of your ministry and also strengthen you to begin to carry them out without delay. Amen.

Paul, in a letter to Timothy, says this to him: “…discharge all the duties of your ministry.” (2Tim 4:5NIV) Why does he say this to him? He says it to him because he is sure that he knows his ministry and the responsibilities that go with it. If Timothy does not know the duties of his ministry, then, he won’t be able to fulfil all of them on purpose. Yes, he may accidentally carry some of the duties of his ministry, even if he does not know them. But he won’t be able to deliberately and fully carry out duties that he knows nothing about.

Now if Timothy is not fully discharging the duties of his ministry, then, God will not be able to bless everyone He wants to bless through his ministry the way He wants to. And will God be happy about that? No, He won’t. So, He will have to find ways to wake him up to do all that he is supposed to do or find some other people that will do what he is supposed to do that he is neglecting.

In like manner, God is expecting every child of His in the church today to recognise the duties of his ministry and also begin to carry them out. Otherwise, He will not be able to bless people through them as He wants to. And where this is the case, He will have to seek ways to wake them up to do what they are neglecting or find some other people to do it.

Unfortunately, even though God is doing all He can to wake many of us up to begin to do all the duties of our ministry, we are often unwilling to do so because of fear, laziness, distraction, greed or ignorance. Therefore, often, He also has to call upon others to pick up and do what we are refusing to do. This is why, in many Christian assemblies, it is the same few people that are committed to the word of God that are also often committed to attending prayer meetings, visiting others, giving and even taking care of their church meeting places.

For instance, in a letter to the Corinthians, Paul says this to them: “I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you.” (1Cor 16:17NIV) Did you see that? These three men were evidently elders of the church in Corinth. That means they must have had a lot of responsibilities to shoulder at the time. Yet, as large as the Corinthian church must have been at the time, it was still these three men that supported Paul with their resources in order to make up for what the whole church should have done.

Now is that a good thing to be happening in any church of God? No! Should only few people be bearing the burdens that all the members of an assembly are supposed to be bearing? No! Is it not possible for those few people to become tired or discouraged at some point and not want to do anything again? It is possible. And we have had people who became discouraged and stopped attending their church meetings altogether because they were overwhelmed by the burdens they were bearing.

Then even if such people do not become discouraged, will they not be the only ones that will get rewarded by God for what their entire churches are supposed to be rewarded for? They will be the only ones. That is because God will never reward anyone for what the person has not done for him. Apart from that, the growth and development of an assembly in which only few people are responsible for everything being done will be slow. You can now see why we have several assemblies in our land that have been around for years but are still babies in fruitfulness and usefulness.

In any case, I am sharing these things with you to let you know that it is not a good thing for us as an assembly to leave what all of us are supposed to be doing for God for only few people. And if this has been the case, then, we have unconsciously been limiting the growth and usefulness of our assembly and perhaps also filling some people among us with discouragement. So, we need to repent and pick up our duties in praying, giving, visiting others and so forth. Then our church will begin to grow and increase in usefulness as it should and we also will not lose our reward to others.

Have a splendid week.

Copyright © 2025, 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: 08146472876)

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Your hard work or His generosity | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: January 08, 2025 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 7, No. 35

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“”But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’” (Matt 20:13-16NIV)

Those were the words of a landowner that our Lord Jesus Christ speaks of in a parable of His. According to the parable, this landowner had gone out very early one morning to hire people to work in his vineyard. And when he got his first set of workers, he agreed to pay them a denarius at the end of the day’s work. So, they went into his vineyard and began to work. (Cf. Matt 20:1-2)

Then, some hours later, he went out again to get more people to work in this same vineyard and told them that he would pay them something fair at the end of the day’s work. So, they also went to work in his vineyard. (Cf. Matt 20:3-5)

However, as this man could clearly see, the people he had brought in to work for him were not enough to get the day’s job done. So, he kept on going out to bring in more people to work for him till the very last hour of the day. And at the end of the day’s job, when it was time to pay his workers, he instructed his foreman to pay everybody the same thing, including those who worked for only one hour. This, of course, infuriated those whom he had hired during the early hours of that day. They felt that it was unfair of him to pay them, who had worked hard all day in the hot sun, the same wages as those who only worked for one or three hours of the day. So, they began to grumble against the man. (Cf. Matt 20:5-12)

Now were they right to grumble and protest against this landowner? Judging from a human point of view, we might say that they were right to do so. But judging from God’s point of view, they were not right to protest or grumble at all. Why?

Well, as we see in our opening text, the man paid them exactly what they had agreed to collect from him when he was going to hire them. So, he did not cheat or defraud them at all. He only gave them what they had bargained for.

But in dealing with others who worked for him that day, especially those who worked only for one hour, he did not pay them according to their labour but according to his generosity. Why did he act like that? We are not told in clear terms in the account. But it could be that he was impressed by their perseverance in waiting until they got a job.

As the account goes, before he brought these men into his vineyard to work that evening, he had asked them why they were standing in the market place all day long doing nothing? And they had told him that it was because nobody gave them a job. So, it was not because they were lazy and unwilling to work that they stood for a whole day in the market place doing nothing. Rather, it was because nobody gave them a job to do.

Now these men could have gone back home in the afternoon of that day, since nobody was going to hire them. But they did not. Instead, they decided to wait until the very last hour of the day to see if anyone would still eventually hire them. And their perseverance paid off. Someone came and hired them, even though he knew that they would only be able to work for one hour. Not only that, that person decided to pay them a whole day’s wages when they done working for him. And that shows us that it pays to persevere in doing the right thing.

See, doing the right thing may not immediately yield us a good result. But if we don’t give up on doing it, God will surely make it pay off, even in what we might call the last hour. So, don’t turn away in anger, discouragement or disappointment from doing that right thing you are doing. Don’t give up on it because nobody is paying attention to it or showing any interest in it or in you. Just keep on doing it and trusting God. And when the time is ripe, He will do for you what will let you know that doing the right thing is never a waste of time.

In any case, why does the Lord share this parable with us? He shares it with us to show us how God rewards people in life and in His kingdom. And how does He reward them? First, He rewards them according to their labour. Second, He rewards them according to His kindness and generosity. And it is the one that they desire out of these two, then, that will determine how He rewards them.

In other words, if you want Him to reward you on the basis of your hard work and diligence, then, He will do so. The only thing is that you may not like what you will get. But if you want Him to look beyond your labour and reward you according to His kindness and generosity, then, you can be sure that what you will get will be beyond what your years, months, weeks or days of hard work can ever bring to you.

Which, then, is it going to be this year? Will you want God to reward you according to your hard work or according to His generosity? As for me, I will want Him to reward me according to His kindness and generosity.

Cheers!

Copyright © 2025, 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: 08146472876)

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Faultfinders | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: October 23, 2024 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 7, No. 24

“Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words.” (Mark 12:13NIV)

Who sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus? The religious leaders of the Jews. Why did they send them to Him? Well, as Mark tells us, they sent them to Him in order to catch Him in His words. In other words, they did not send them to Him to learn and drink from the wisdom of God at work in His life, neither did they send them to Him to be healed of any disease or sickness. Rather, they sent them to Him in order to pick something that He would say that they would use to condemn Him and His ministry. So, they are faultfinders.

In like manner, we have in the church today people who have become like those religious leaders of the Jews. They too attend church meetings, not to learn or be blessed but to pick something that the preacher might say that they may use to condemn him before the brethren or in the media. How, then, can such people grow in the things of God? They cannot grow. In fact, instead of experiencing spiritual growth and development, what they will ultimately experience, if they do not change their ways, is God’s judgment.

So, let me say this to you: if you should ever find yourself in a situation in which instead of going to a church meeting to learn, all you are out for is to pick something that the leader of your assembly might say that you will use against him, you had better leave that assembly. I mean that if you can no longer go for a church meeting to wholeheartedly talk to God and learn from Him, without looking out for something someone will say or do that you will use to abuse or discredit them, you had better sit at home or find somewhere else to go.

Why? The reason is that you are already bitter, though you may not know it, and have become a weapon that Satan may someday use to destroy someone’s reputation or to cause division in the body of Christ. And people who destroy the church of Christ in that manner can only expect God to destroy them as well. (Cf. 1Cor 3:17)

As we further see in the Scriptures, those religious leaders of the Jews did not stop looking for something that Jesus would say that they would use to condemn Him until they eventually killed Him. So, if it has become a culture for you too to attend church meetings only to look out for something someone would say that you would use to condemn them before other members of the church, before your family members, before your friends or in the media, you are a potential killer. And someday, if God does not stop you on time, you will kill somebody.

Mind you, it is not only in the church that we can be like that, looking for something someone will say that we will use to condemn them. We can be like that in our workplace or school. We can be like that in our neighbourhood. And we can even be like that among our family members.

That, of course, is why you cannot have a normal conversation with some people without getting into trouble at some point. That is because they are faultfinders. They are men and women that have trained their eyes and ears only to pick out errors in whatever others are doing. So, if you have them as friends, family members, close neighbours or colleagues, they will most likely ruin all other good relationships you already have or that you might have. That is because they will not stop showing you why you need to be angry with certain people, even if you can see no reason to be angry with them.

Well, my point is that you should avoid being a faultfinder. That is because a faultfinder is a trouble maker and destroyer. So, he will never have God’s praise but His judgment. And who can stand God’s judgment? No one!

Then don’t celebrate faultfinders or make a faultfinder a close companion or one that you discuss important matters of your life with. Otherwise, they will drive joy and peace of mind away from you through their evil speaking. And when they have nothing else to ruin in your life, they will begin to ruin you. That is when all the evil things they have provoked you to say against others will be exposed by them. Where, then, will you hide your face?

Copyright © 2024, 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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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

When you decide to break free | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: April 17, 2024 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 6, No. 49

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. But when you decide to break free, you will shake his yoke from your neck.”” (Gen 27:40NLT)

Those were Isaac’s words to Esau, when he was earnestly seeking to be blessed by him. As the story goes, it was actually Esau that Isaac had wanted to give the Abrahamic blessing to. And he wanted to give it to him because of he was his firstborn and also because he loved very much, more than his brother Jacob.

But Rebekah, the mother of both of these young men, wanted the blessing for Jacob and not Esau. And that was also because she loved him very much, more than his brother Esau. So, she stepped into the situation, taught Jacob what to do to steal that blessing and also gave him all the support he needed to succeed in doing so. (Cf. Gen 27:1-29)

Now did Jacob succeed in taking his brother’s blessing or not? He did. In fact, he was so successful in doing so that when Esau came back and began to plead with their father to give him a blessing too, even if it was a left-over blessing, his response was, “I have made Jacob your master and have declared that all his brothers will be his servants. I have guaranteed him an abundance of grain and wine—what is left for me to give you, my son?” (Gen 27:37NLT)

Did you see that? How did Isaac make Jacob Esau’s master? By words of mouth! So, words are powerful. Through words we can make slaves of men. Through words we can also make masters of men. Therefore, we, especially those of us in position of authority over others, must be careful how we use our words. Otherwise, even on the basis of deceit, we can elevate people to great positions in life or bring them down to the lowest of positions in life.

Through words, Isaac put the entire generation of Esau under Jacob. And even though he was deceived to do so, it did not change the fact regardless of how hard Esau and his descendants worked, how high they rose in life or how wealthy they became, they would always behind and under Jacob. What a sad story!

Unfortunately, there are many all around the world that are operating under circumstances similar to Esau’s today. They too have been perpetually placed under the control of some people or made inferior to some people in life, just because certain individuals that they may not even know at all spoke some words of power years or centuries ago. So, it does not matter how hard they labour or try to excel in life, they will never rise above those placed over them. Then, if those placed over them will not do well in life, for one reason or another, they too will not be able to do well in life under natural circumstances.

You can now see why the people in a certain place may never rise above certain individuals there, regardless of how hardworking, wealthy, influential or educated they may be. You can also see why the people in some households or families may never rise above certain family members under normal or natural circumstances, regardless of how hardworking, wealthy, influential or educated they may be. They have been placed under some limitations in the realm of the spirit. And unless those limitations are removed or destroyed, things will never change.

How, then, can such people be set free to be all that God wants them to be and do all that He wants them to do in life? The very first step towards their freedom is recognizing that they are operating under some powerful spiritual limitations. If they do not recognize this, they will not see any need to escape from such limitations. How, then, can anyone know if they are operating under a spiritual limitation, if nobody shares any story along that line with them? It is by divine revelation. So, if you want to know why you are being limited in life, if you sense that you are being limited, ask for divine revelations.

The second step towards breaking free from any spiritual limitation you may be operating under is deciding to break free. As we see in our opening text, even though Isaac had put Esau under Jacob by the word of his of mouth, he still told him that whenever he decided that he had had enough, he himself would break free from his brother’s control. And these words came to pass during the reign of King Jehoram of Judah. (Cf. 2Chro 21:8-10)

In like manner, whenever you decide to break free from whatever spiritual limitations you may be operating under, whenever you decide that enough is enough, you will begin to take steps towards breaking free. And will that automatically make you break free? No! That also depends on the kinds of steps you are taking.

If the steps you are taking are in the natural realm or in the realm of sorcery or divination, you will only make matters worse for yourself. It is only a matter of time. But if the steps you are taking are consistent with the will of God, then, you will indeed break yourself and perhaps others too free from all forms of family or communal limitations you may be operating under.

Now one of such steps that you should take is that of praying. You should begin to pray earnestly that God will destroy every limiting influence over your life, so that you can rise to be all He wants you to be. And He will answer you. Another step you should take is declaring the word of God concerning your life. His word says that you are no longer under the dominion of the devil but now in God’s kingdom (Col 1:13). His word always says that you were not redeemed by Him to be a slave of any man (1Cor 7:23). So, keep boldly saying that you refuse to operate under any satanic limitation, in the name of Jesus. And before you know it, your experiences of growth and advancement in life will begin to change and to conform with God’s purpose for your life.

Cheers!

Copyright © 2024, 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 2024 Pastor's Desk

Protests are not enough | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: March 03, 2024 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 12, No. 44

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am pleased to welcome you to another month of the year, the month of March 2024. My prayer is that God will bring us times of refreshing in every part of the country in the month and also preserve you and your family to fully enjoy the times of refreshing that He will bring to us. Amen.

As we all can see, our country has been plunged into a terrible season of famine. That is why even though many are working hard and smart, it is getting harder and harder for them to survive. What we need, then, is divine intervention, not more hard work, not more protests.

Now don’t get me wrong. Hard work is important and has its place in life. Therefore, the word of God admonishes us to be hard working and not lazy. Then protests too have their own place in life, that is, when they are not motivated by a spirit of rebellion or geared towards making an already bad situation worse. For instance, when Korah, Dathan, Abiram and On protested against the leadership of Moses and Aaron, God judged them and all the people with them with a strange kind of death. The ground opened its mouth and swallowed all of them. Why? They were out to destroy the leadership of the anointed of God among them and turn the entire nation away from the will of God. (Cf. Num 16)

However, when the five daughters of a man called Zelophehad protested to Moses that their father’s house should not be neglected in the sharing of the inheritance, simply because he did not have a male child, God did not rebuke or punish them. Instead, He granted their request. Why? It was because they were not seeking to tear apart the leadership of Moses or to stir up the people against him. Rather, they just wanted him to know that it would be unjust for their father’s house to be set aside in the sharing of the Promised land. (Cf. Num 27:1-7)

So, it is not wrong to protest against something that is not working or right where we are. Otherwise, those in authority or in a position to change things may just assume that everything is fine with everybody. For instance, during Elisha’s time, there was a famine in Israel that turned some of the people to beasts, beasts that were already eating their own children. And the king, living in the comfort of his palace, would not have known anything about what the famine was doing to his people, if one of the women that were already eating their babies had not come to protest to him. (Cf. 2Kings 6:24-30)

But then, even though the protest of that woman woke the king up, it only made him realise that he had been far removed from the plight of his people. It did not solve the problem. In fact, the king had no solution to the problem on ground, for it was beyond his intelligence. So, all that he could do was wear a mourning cloth and threaten the most recognized prophet in the land at the time, Elisha. Why? He thought it was because he was not interceding enough for the land that things got as bad as that. (Cf. 2Kings 6:30-31)

Therefore, even where protests are in order, they cannot give leaders solutions to the problems of their land or of their people. If they do not know what to do to help their people, then, then protests won’t solve whatever problem that is on ground. As I pointed out earlier, the protest of that woman did not end the famine in the land of Israel. But it woke the king up to the need for divine intervention. And did God intervene or not? He did by addressing the root of the famine the land was having and giving them overnight prosperity. (Cf. 2Kings 7)

In like manner, God can deal with all the roots of the famine we are now experiencing in our country and also give us overnight prosperity. And we don’t need to wait until people start eating their own children or until there are bloody protests everywhere before we who know Him begin to call on Him for His urgent intervention. But how many of us still believe that God can really turn things around for our good in this country? It is those who still believe that will not stop praying to Him until miracles of deliverance happen for us. They are also the ones that will taste and enjoy the deliverance that is coming. And may your heart be strengthened to be numbered among them, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a splendid March 2024.

Copyright © 2024, 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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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Make sure they can’t reach you | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: February 21, 2024 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 6, No. 41

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“So he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And when they had saddled the donkey for him, he mounted it and rode after the man of God. He found him sitting under an oak tree and asked, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” “I am,” he replied.” (1Kings 13:13-14NIV)

The bible text above gives us a little part of the sad story of a man of God that was deceived by an older man of God. As the account goes, the younger man of God had been sent by God on a particular day to prophesy against King Jeroboam and his altar of idolatry. And when he did, great signs accompanied his prophecy, great signs that baffled and, at the same time, impressed that unfaithful king. So, he decided to entertain and reward him. (Cf. 1Kings 13:1-6)

But was that what God wanted? Did He send His prophet to him so that he could entertain and reward him or so that he could repent of his wickedness? Evidently, He sent him to him so that he could turn him away from his wickedness.

In any case, because God had already known the heart of this wicked king, He instructed the prophet He was sending to him not to eat or drink anything in that land or to return by the way he came there. And he obeyed the voice of God. In fact, he told Jeroboam that even if he offered him half of his wealth, he would not take it. So, he left the place without eating or drinking and by another route. (Cf. 1Kings 13:7-10)

However, an older prophet in that city went after him, found him where he was probably resting and brought him back to his house to eat and to drink. How did he do that? How did he make a man than rejected the king’s wealth to accept just a round of meal from him? He lied to him. He told him an angel of God had appeared to him and had told him to bring him back home to refresh himself. But where was this older prophet when God was speaking to the young man? Did God not see him in Bethel before sending this young man from the land of Judah? (Cf. 1Kings 13:11-19)

Surely, God had seen him in Bethel before passing over him to someone else. Why? We are not told. But the fact that he lied to another man of God, one who only showed him respect as an older prophet, says it all. Unfortunately for that poor young prophet, it was still this same old lying prophet that God used in prophesying his immediate death. What a shame! (Cf. 1Kings 13:20-32)

Well, you can see that it is not a new thing for older believers to deliberately deceive or mislead younger and unsuspecting ones. So, even if someone introduces himself to you as an older and more experienced believer, if you do not know what he has been doing with his life, don’t make the mistake following him. And even if you know what people have been doing with their lives, inasmuch as whatever they tell you is not in line with the body of truth given to us in Scriptures, don’t accept or act on it. Follow people only to the degree they follow Christ. Otherwise, you may end up being devoured by the devil, as that young prophet was devoured by a roaring lion.

But here is a thoughtful question for us to consider: Why was that old prophet able to find and deceive the young prophet and bring about his untimely death? The reason was that the man was resting in the wrong place. He was supposed to be long gone before that old prophet would even hear anything about him, especially since he did not personally witness his ministration against King Jeroboam and his altar of idolatry. Why, then, did he choose to relax very close to a place where he had just been tempted with great wealth to disobey God?

Of course, God did not tell him not to relax in Bethel or anywhere close to it. He only told him not to eat or drink there and not to return by the same way he had come there. But common sense should have told him that the longer he stayed in that place or around there, the greater the possibility of his being tempted to sin against God. So, having completed his job, he should have wasted no time in removing himself completely away from the reach of Bethel and her sinful people. And it was because he did not do that but put himself within the reach of temptation that he was found and destroyed by it.

In like manner, God may not have said that you should not live or make friends with certain people. But if the chances are high that your being near them or with them will put you in trouble, make sure they can’t reach you, not to talk of affect or influence you. Yes, be completely unavailable to them and whatever nonsense Satan may want to use them to drag you into. And may you continually be filled with adequate wisdom to know where is not a resting place for you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Fire in my Bones General Post Youth for Jesus

Title: Borrowed to do good

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: January 17, 2024|Series: Youth for Jesus|Number: Vol. 6, No. 36

“The LORD had seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free, was suffering; there was no one to help them. And since the LORD had not said he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.” (2Kings 14:26-27NIV)

Who did God use in saving the people of Israel from their suffering, as we are told in our opening text? It was their King, Jeroboam son of Jehoash. And what kind of man was he? Here is what is said about him in the bible: “In the fifteenth year of Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel became king in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.” (2Kings 14:23-25NIV)

So, Jeroboam was an evil and sinful man. Yet God used him in saving His people from their suffering. What is that telling us? It is that it is not only good people that God can use to save, help or lift us. He can use bad and wicked people too. To say the fact, there are times that God may not find any good person in a place to use to save or help the oppressed. For instance, David says this in a Psalm of his:“The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.” (Ps 14:2-3NIV)

Did you see that? It is possible for God to look down from heaven on a particular town, city or country and not see anyone who is not corrupt or who is devoted to doing good that He can use to build that country. What, then, would be the fate of those suffering in that country, if God were to wait until He finds or raises up a good and righteous person to help them? They may have to suffer for a much longer time.

However, because He is a compassionate God, even if using a wicked and ungodly person is what will bring urgent relief and comfort to the oppressed that are crying out to Him, He may decide to use him. And this is one of the reasons He commands us to be submissive to anyone that is in a position of authority, whether he is a good person or a bad one (Rom 13:1-5). He knows that we often resent those who are evil, believing that they are incapable of doing anything good.

So, we may not want to give them the respect and honour they deserve, if they happen to be in a position of authority over us.But the fact that someone is evil does not mean that God cannot borrow them to do good. God can borrow them to do good and He does sometimes borrow evil people to do good. That, of course, does not change the fact that they are evil and will ultimately be judged as such, if they never repent from their evil till they die. But if they are the only tool available for Him to do certain good things He wants to do for mankind, He may not hesitate to borrow and use them.

Also, the fact that someone is evil does not mean that the person does not deserve our respect. The word of God tells us to show proper respect to everyone. So, even if someone is evil, as long as he is occupying a position of authority or advantage, give him the respect and honour he deserves. It is not because of him that you are doing that; rather, it is because God, who has permitted him to be in that position, has ordered you to do so. And by obeying Him, you will be making it easy for Him to borrow him to do you good, even though he is a wicked person. (Cf. 1Pet 1:13-17)

At least, as we are shown in Scriptures, one of the reasons God places people in positions of authority is that He may use them to do good to those under them. And all that He wants from those under such people is to be submissive to them, based on the measure of their authority. That way, even if they are wicked and unreasonable, He will have just reasons to borrow and use them to do good to those under them or to replace them, if they will not allow themselves to be used by Him.

But if those under authority will not be submissive to their leaders, in line with the will of God, even if all those who are leading them are good and righteous people, God may not be able to use them to make life sweet or safe for them. So, don’t look at the goodness or evil in the lives of those who have authority over you before you submit to them. Instead, submit to them because God has ordered you to do so. Also, don’t insist that it is only good people that God should use to do you good. Otherwise, you may have to wait forever for that to happen. Instead, respect God’s wisdom in determining whom He uses in helping or saving you. And as long as He is the one working, He will not offer you corrupt help or salvation, even if He has to use an evil person. Cheers!

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: Adjusted circumstances|FIRE IN MY BONES

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: January 03, 2024|Series: Youth for Jesus|Number: Vol. 6, No. 34

“By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.” (Ex 13:21-22NIV)

Who is the text above referring to? It is the children of Israel that Moses led out of Egypt. And what is the point being communicated to us about them in the text? It is that they functioned under adjusted circumstances in order to safely get to the land of rest that God was taking them.As we see in the text, when these Israelites came out of Egypt, God provided a pillar of cloud to be over them during the day and a pillar of fire to be over them during the night.

Why? First, it was to give them guidance. Why did they need guidance? It was because they did not know the way to the place God was taking them. Yes, they knew that God was taking them to a place of rest, a land flowing with milk and honey. But how would they get there? They did not know. They needed God Himself, then, to guide them moment by moment till they arrived there safely. And did He guide them or not? He did guide them by providing a pillar of cloud to lead them in the way they should go during the day and a pillar of fire to lead them in the way they should go during the night.

So, when these pillars moved, they also moved and moved in whatever direction the pillars went. And when these pillars stopped moving, they also stopped moving and camped wherever the pillars stopped. That was how God guided them all through the time they spent in the desert until they came into the promised land. So, they were never clueless or ignorant of the direction they should go. (Cf. Deut 9:15-23)

Now God, of course, does not guide anyone in this manner anymore. But He is still devoted to guiding those who commit their lives to Him in the path they should follow to be established in His rest and prosperity. How? Basically, He guides them through His word and by His Spirit. There are also times that He guides them through life’s circumstances, visions, dreams, angelic visitations, prophecies and direct revelations of Himself.

We, however, don’t have to wait for any of these before we daily receive God’s guidance. We just need to give ourselves to reading, studying and meditating on His word. And He, by His Spirit that He has put in us, will teach us what is best for us in life and guide us in the way we should go. That being the case, we too, like those Israelites of old, will never be clueless where others are or be ignorant of which direction we should be going in life where others are ignorant of it.

The second reason God provided the pillar of cloud by the day and that of fire by the night for those children of Israel was that they may be able to travel anytime without hindrance. That explains why the Egyptians who were pursuing them could not move at their pace or catch up with them. Though they were moving at the same time and in the same place, they were operating under different circumstances. Why? It was because God adjusted the circumstances of the time and the place to favour the Israelites. (Cf: Ex 14)

In addition to that, God provided the pillar of cloud by the day for those people to protect them from the intense heat of the desert. Therefore, they could move around freely in the desert without fainting. Also, He provided the pillar of fire for them by the night to give them warmth, so that the cold of the night would not make them sick. And what do you call that? Adjusted circumstances! Now does God still adjust or tune life’s circumstances to favour men? Yes, He still does. He still adjusts life’s circumstances, so that those He favours can be guided, protected or granted speed for accomplishment where others are terrified or clueless.

And all that we need to see Him adjust the circumstances of life that are bound to make others fail, perish or stagnate for our good is to humbly entrust our lives and all that concerns us to Him. That way, even if where we are now is a desert, a dry and weary land in which there is no water, God will adjust the circumstances there to favour us and see us protected and prosperous.A word of caution, however: Always be careful to function only within the boundaries of the circumstances God has placed you in life.

Yes, if those circumstances are not favourable enough, you should talk to God about adjusting or changing them for you. But don’t ever try to run your life on the basis of the circumstances others have been placed in. Otherwise, you may have yourself ruined where they have excelled. Remember that the Egyptians tried to pass through the same Red Sea the Israelites passed through and at the same time. Yet all of them perished there.

Why? The simple reason was that though they were passing through the same place at the same time, the circumstances under which they were doing so were adjusted only for the Israelites and not for them. So, be discerning. Don’t foolishly copy or imitate anyone, just because you think you are operating under the same circumstances. You may just not be operating under the same circumstances. And if you copy them, where that is the case, you may end up having yourself to blame, if you are not shown mercy.Be discerning, then, my friend.

Categories
Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: Be thoughtful in appreciation|Fire in my bones

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: December 20, 2023|Series: Youth for Jesus|Number: Vol. 6, No. 32

“When Haman entered, the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?” Now Haman thought to himself, “Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?” So he answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honor, have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!'” “Go at once,” the king commanded Haman. “Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended.”” (Est 6:6-10NIV)

The bible passage above is clearly a familiar one to many readers of the bible. And it speaks of how the great King Xerxes appreciated and honoured a Jew called Mordecai. As the story goes, Mordecai once exposed certain officers of this king that had plotted to assassinate him. Why did they plot to assassinate him? We are not told in the account. But we are told that Mordecai found out about them and was discreet enough to expose them before they were able to carry out their wicked plot or escape. (Cf. Esther 2:21-23)

However, as the account also further reveals, Xerxes did not appreciate Mordecai at all for this act of kindness done to him. Yes, what he did was recorded in the book of the annals of his kingdom right before him. Nonetheless, he did nothing to appreciate him. Why? We would not know. Maybe he did not consider what he did as anything special at the time. Or maybe he was just in a prolonged bad mood. We wouldn’t know.But there came a time when Mordecai really needed this man to return the favour and spare his life and the lives of his people too.

That, of course, was when God, who does not forget people and who knows how to turn people’s mistakes or omissions around for the good of His people, brought about circumstances that drove this king to revisit the matter. And when he did, he himself was surprised that he did nothing to appreciate Mordecai for his act of kindness and faithfulness to him and the realm. So, he immediately began to think of how best to reward him.Well, as he thought hard about how best to reward Mordecai, that is, in accordance with his own status as an emperor, his most beloved official, Haman, came in. It was he, then, that helped this king in properly dealing with the matter.

Of course, he came up with what he came up with because he had arrogantly thought that the reward was coming to him. But the fact that he put himself in the picture helped in coming up with a sort of appreciation that the king himself could not resist or reject. It was just perfect for him.What, then, is the account teaching us? First, it is that we should learn not to overlook people’s acts of kindness to us. Instead, we should appreciate them on time, that is, when it will make the most sense.

Otherwise, we may end up having God drive us to do what we have neglected to do, in a more expensive or grand way. Looking again at Xerxes’ case: if he had appreciated Mordecai immediately after he saved his life, he may not have needed to go through the trouble of treating him like an emperor. Delayed appreciation, then, will most likely cost you more. So, don’t delay or defer giving appreciation to whom it is due. And even if, for some reasons, you failed to appreciate certain people you should have appreciated, you should still appreciate them the moment your error is brought to your notice.

Why? It is better late than never. Another important lesson from this bible story is the need for us to be thoughtful in appreciating others. Don’t be involved in giving useless or meaningless appreciation or gifts to people. Instead, always be thoughtful about what you want to do. Appreciating people is never mainly about money but about our thoughtfulness in doing it. That great king, Xerxes, did not spend money in appreciating Mordecai. But the kind of appreciation he gave to him was more than what anyone in his kingdom could hope for in a lifetime. He made him wear his royal robe, ride his royal horse and wear his royal crest on his head. Then he had him led through the royal city by his most dignified official, with the herald ‘This is how the king treats the man he honours.’ That, of course, changed Mordecai’s status in the realm for the rest of his life.

So, it is not mainly about how much we are able to spend in appreciating those who have done us good in life. It is mainly about being thoughtful. It is mainly about carefully considering the best way to appreciate them, in the light of what they have done for us and also in the light of our own status. And if we know how to think well about ourselves, as Haman did, we should have no problem coming up with truly nice and pleasant ways of appreciating people. Will you try this, then, as we come to the last days of this year, as we come to this season of thanksgiving and appreciation? And may God load you with sufficient wisdom, determination and resources to appreciate well all the people that deserve your appreciation at this time, in Jesus’ name. Amen.