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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Wait for your time | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: December 01, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 29

“Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart and he slumped down in his chariot. Jehu said to Bidkar, his chariot officer, “Pick him up and throw him on the field that belonged to Naboth the Jezreelite. Remember how you and I were riding together in chariots behind Ahab his father when the LORD made this prophecy about him: ‘Yesterday I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, declares the LORD, and I will surely make you pay for it on this plot of ground, declares the LORD.’ Now then, pick him up and throw him on that plot, in accordance with the word of the LORD.”” (2Kings 9:24-26NIV)

There is an adage in Yoruba, which when translated in English, says, “Until a child is holding the sword of judgment firmly in his hands, he wouldn’t be making certain enquiries about what was responsible for his father’s death.” And that is often the case in judging wickedness. Until someone has some measure of authority and power at his disposal, it does not matter how unhappy he is with the wickedness going on under his watch, he may not be able to effectively deal with it or judge it.

Now such was the case with Jehu, an Israel’s army general that was later anointed by God to be king in place of Joram, son of Ahab. As we see in our opening bible text, on the day that this man began to judge the wickedness of the house of Ahab, he reminded his chariot officer that both of them were with their master, Ahab, when the prophecy came that he and his family would certainly pay for the innocent blood of Naboth that they had shed. That indicates they too were not happy about the wickedness and bloodshed that characterised the reign of that man.

But could they do anything about the wickedness of his household at the time they were serving him? No! Why? It was because they did not have the authority or power to do so. And why did they not have the power or authority to do so? It was because it was not yet their time to have it.

However, the moment Jehu was ordained by God and also instructed by Him to make haste to judge the house of Ahab, he lost no time at all in doing so. Why? He knew that he had God’s authority and backing on this one and was bound to succeed. And he did succeed.

But then, you know that it was possible for some people who knew Jehu while he was still serving Ahab to have castigated him for not doing anything about his master’s wickedness or to even have associated him with his master’s wickedness. And that would be because they did not understand that even if someone is a lover of justice, there are things he cannot judge unless he has the authority and power to do so. And if he should dare to judge such things without having the power and authority to do so, he will most likely pay very dearly for it.

So, if you know any godly person that seems to be acting weak or docile in his position of authority, don’t be quick to judge them. That is because they may just be dealing with situations that they have no power, authority or wisdom to handle. And will God, then, be happy with you for condemning or judging them for something He has not given them abilities and opportunities to handle? I don’t think so.

Solomon says, “Don’t be surprised if you see a poor person being oppressed by the powerful and if justice is being miscarried throughout the land. For every official is under orders from higher up, and matters of justice get lost in red tape and bureaucracy. Even the king milks the land for his own profit!” (Eccl 5:8-9NLT) Did you see that? A lot of times, the number and ranks of those involved in making justice impossible in a place may just be too much to imagine. And without God’s backing, favour and authority, if you try to maintain justice in such a place, you may just end up perishing in a den of lions. (Cf. Dan 6)

Therefore, if you are passionate about maintain justice for God and man where you are, and you should be, if you are truly a child of God, then, be sure God has already delivered to you the authority, power and people to do so. Otherwise, wait for your time. Yes, wait until God bestows on you the authority and power to judge wickedness and maintain justice where you are, for that is only when you will succeed in doing so. And if you are wondering what you should be doing before that time, then, I will tell you this: First, be praying that God will hasten His handling of the authority and power that you need to judge wickedness and uphold justice to you. Second, continue to use your position now to promote whatever measure of righteousness it permits you to promote.

And may God strengthen you and make you alive, well and ready when the time comes for Him to use you to set right whatever is wrong in your world.

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

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Fire in my Bones

End the culture of unfaithfulness | Pst J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: September 01, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 16

“Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’”” (Luke 16:1-2NIV)
Why do we have such a high rate of unemployment in our country today? Is it basically because the successive governments we have had have been irresponsible for many years? Not exactly! Truly, our governments have failed mostly in providing the basic infrastructures that could aid the birth and growth of many businesses and organisations and, as such, reduce the rate of unemployment in the land. But these governments are not to blame for everything. Our own culture of unfaithfulness also has a lot to contribute to what we are now experiencing.

What is my point? It is that many of us cannot be trusted with anything that does not belong to us. We just do not have in us a heart that wants to faithfully handle whatever is entrusted to us. So, we are not fit for any kind of employment in which there is no well-established system to monitor us and also punish us accordingly for any kind of unfaithfulness. Otherwise, we are going to ruin any business or organisation we are employed to work in.

Just think of the number of businesses, organisations, companies, government institutions and so forth that used to be great in the country but that were wrecked through the unfaithfulness of their managers and employees. So, many who would have invested in our economy by building businesses or organisations that would employ many are afraid of doing so. Even government leaders are afraid of embarking on certain projects that would benefit the people. Why? It is because it is hard to find people who will faithfully manage or work in another person’s business and not ultimately ruin it.

So, today, if you want to start any business, people will tell you that if you are not going to be readily available to manage and nurture it yourself, you had better not start it. Otherwise, you will regret it. And this true to a very great degree. Even if it a house you want to build, and you do not plan to be there, those close to you will advise you not to try it. Why? It is because you will not likely find any contractor, even if the person is your own blood, that will manage the building faithfully and see to it that the correct items are used and that the correct thing is done.

You can now see why the rate of employment in our land is high. People who have money to invest in businesses or organisations or systems that will solve unemployment problems in many ways don’t want to do so. That is because they don’t want to lose their investment to the unfaithfulness of their would-be workers or employees. And unless we renew our minds along this line and begin to treat other people’s things faithfully, just as we would expect them to treat our things, many of us will never in this life find any real job that will make enough resources available to us.

Then, even if we find a good job for ourselves, as long as we are unfaithful in handling our duties in it, we are bound to lose it at some point. It is either we are sacked by our employers or sacked by the business or organisation itself after we have ruined it. As we see in our opening bible text, the only reason that rich man the Lord speaks about was going to sack his manager was his unfaithfulness in managing his business. And even he went on to act more unfaithfully in managing the business after he learnt that he would be sacked. So, he never had the good of his master’s business at heart; all he was concerned about was himself and his welfare. (Cf. Luke 16:3-8)

Now, of course, this man’s master commended him for being a smart person, one that knows how to get himself out of trouble. However, that did not change the fact that he was an unfaithful person that was not fit for any form of job or favour. And if we are like him, we too, as I pointed out before, are not fit for any kind of real employment. We are not even fit for any kind of financial favour to run our own business or organisation.

Why? It is because, as our Lord Jesus shows us, if we have not learnt to handle what is small in a faithful way, we cannot handle what is big in a faithful way. Also, if we have not shown ourselves as being able to handle what belongs to someone else faithfully and responsibly, only a foolish or reckless person will invest us. (Cf. Luke 16:10-12). Therefore, as I mentioned earlier, if we want to greatly reduce the rate of unemployment in our land, we all must begin to develop a culture of faithfulness. And we can start by handling whatever job or business we are doing for others or ourselves at the moment faithfully and diligently. Then God, who is the true rewarder of all faithfulness, will see to it that our faithfulness does not go unrewarded by opening doors of greater opportunities, resources and positions for us.

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

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Fire in my Bones

Learn to get adequate good counsel | Pst. J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: August 25, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 15

“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Prov 15:22NIV)

Why was Solomon a great and mighty king? Was it because he was all-wise and all-knowing? No! Indeed, God, as we are told in the bible, blessed this man with wisdom, insight and a breadth of understanding that was as measureless as the sand on the seashore (1Kings 4:29). But that is not to say that he knew everything and needed nobody’s counsel or advice to succeed in life or as king. Only God knows everything and needs nobody’s counsel or advice to do anything (Isaiah 40:13-14).

But man is not God. Man is man, however wise or knowledgeable he may be. So, he is limited in many ways and will, from time to time, need the counsel and support of others to thrive in life or to escape from trouble. And one of the things that will show that he is wise and understanding is his recognition of the fact that he does not know or understand it all – he needs the wisdom, knowledge and understanding of others too to perfect his own. Otherwise, he is a fool, even if he or some other people think of him as wise.

So, Solomon, in his wisdom, says to us in our opening bible text, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” Have you ever failed at anything you were so sure you would succeed at? If you have, do you know why you failed? Well, even if you do not know why yet, Solomon is telling us here that one major reason people’s good plans or projects fail or fall apart is that they do not get adequate counsel or get counsel at all.

See, when we allow others to counsel us about what we want to do or about a problem we want to solve, whether through their direct words of mouth, books or audio or video recordings, we are able to see the loopholes, errors, impossibilities, possibilities or opportunities we are perhaps overlooking. And this enables us to make better informed decisions. But when we act like we know it all and do our thing, then, the surprises we get may end up being what will drive us to seek the counsel we ought to have sought before.

Therefore, before you make any major decision in your life, get counsel, adequate counsel. Meet or listen to as many people that are informed or highly experienced about the matter that you can listen to. But then, you must also understand that it is not every counsel that is good for you. Some counsel is bad and dangerous enough to destroy you. So, you need to be able to distinguish a wise and good counsel from a bad and destructive one.

Some people have all kinds of counsellors around them and that are ever ready to give them free counsel. But because they lack the wisdom of the Spirit to recognise what counsel will do them good and what counsel will destroy them, they are often embracing the wrong counsel and making life harder for themselves. And when they are done failing at something, they would say, “But I sought people’s counsel on this before I did it.”

Now what such people do not know is that success or salvation does not come just by taking counsel from people but also by taking the right counsel in its right amount from them. What was the difference between Solomon and his son, Rehoboam? It was the ability to distinguish a right counsel from a wrong and destructive one (1Kings 12). And if you want to possess and increase in this ability, give yourself to the word of God. That is because it can be trusted to make even a simple and naïve heart wise enough to distinguish what is good and profitable from what is bad and destructive (Ps 19:7).

At any rate, learn to seek and to take the right measure of counsel for every major step you are taking in life. That may just be the difference between success and failure for you or between salvation and destruction.

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

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Fire in my Bones

Where does it lead? | Pst. J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: August 04, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 12

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” (Prov 16:25NIV)

When the prodigal son first came to his father to ask for his own share of the man’s property, he felt he was doing the right thing. Yes, he felt that running his own life and affairs without the guidance or control of his father was the right way for him to become the kind of great man he had always dreamt of becoming. So, he asked for his independence and got it. And before long, he was on his way out of his father’s house to some foreign land, where he would be the lord and master of his own life. (Cf. Luke 15:11-13)

But some years later, it became all clear to him that what he thought was a good and wise decision was nothing but a bad and foolish one. The way he thought would lead to a great experience of liberty did not lead to it at all. Instead, it led to an experience of poverty, hunger and shame. And if he had not humbled himself and accepted the reality about the inability of the way he chose to lead him to a life of prosperity and rest and gone back home, he would have perished in that way. (Cf. Luke 15:13-24)

Therefore, that a way of doing things seems right or popular to us does not mean it will lead us to our desired haven. If that way does not agree with the will of God for our lives, it can only lead us to an experience of defeat, confusion, shame, poverty, illness or death. And that is the point Solomon is communicating to us in our opening bible text, saying, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”

But how do we know what way is right and what way is wrong? How do we know that this way we are taking to gain riches, fame, power, health, affluence or pleasure is right or wrong for us to take? For some people, if a way feels right for them to take, then, it must be right. So, they will take it. And for some others, if they can see a sizeable number of people taking a particular way to getting what they want, then, it must be the right way to take.

That, of course, explains why, for example, we now have many young and even old people getting involved in internet fraud, which is popularly known as ‘Yahoo’, as a way to becoming rich in life. It is also the explanation for the involvement of many in prostitution, money rituals, drug trafficking and other terrible things people now do as a way to come out of poverty and become rich, powerful or famous.

But, first, we need to know that that something feels right does not mean it is right. As we are told in the bible, in the day when there were no kings in Israel, everyone did what seemed right in his sight. That means these people did not set out to do evil or what was bad. They had a mind to do what was right or what looked right to them. But because most of the things that looked right to them were actually wrong, they ended up experiencing confusion, chaos, insecurity, death of all kinds and even a civil war that almost extinguish a whole tribe. (Cf. Judges 17-21)

So, our feeling or conscience is never the true judge of the right or wrong way to take in life. God is the true judge of these things. And if we want to know whether a way is right for us to take or not, we should consider what He is saying to us about it in His word. That will be our wisdom and salvation from dangerous and destructive paths. (Cf. 1Cor 4:4)

Also, that many people are taking a particular way to have safety, prosperity, good health, a great position in life or a home does not mean it is right. The bible says do not follow a multitude to do evil (Ex 23:2). And that is because God is not going to spare people who do evil just because they are many. He did not spare the people of Noah’s day that were sinning because they were many; instead, he spared the family of Noah, who were just eight in number. And He did not spare the multitudes that were sinning in Sodom and Gomorrah on the day that He rained down fire on them. Instead, it was Lot and his daughters that were spared – only three people. In fact, Lot’s wife did not make it out alive. (Cf. Gen 7&19)

Therefore, if you follow the way of witchcraft, sorcery, theft, prostitution, adultery, murder, drunkenness, kidnapping or any other evil way men may follow in order to solve your financial, health, marital, academic or political problems, just because many people are following it, the same fate that awaits them awaits you, even if you are a child of God. That fate is destruction. And it may not look like you will get destroyed today, tomorrow or even in ten years’ time. But you can be sure that any way you follow that is inconsistent with the will of God will not lead to life but pains, sorrow, shame or death for you.

All of this is why you should take God’s word about every matter of life seriously, for only His word leads to a sure experience of life in this world and throughout eternity (John 12:50).

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

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Fire in my Bones

Share your prosperity as well – July 14, 2021

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Series: Youth for Jesus Number: Vol. 4, No. 9

“When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends, saying, “Here is a present for you from the plunder of the LORD’s enemies.” He sent it to those who were in Bethel, Ramoth Negev and Jattir; to those in Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa and Racal; to those in the towns of the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites; to those in Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athach and Hebron; and to those in all the other places where David and his men had roamed.” (1Sam 30:26-31NIV)

As we see in Scriptures, God’s people must learn to bear one another’s burdens. In other words, they must learn to be there for one another in their moments of trials or pains. That is because it is one of the things that show that we see ourselves as members of the same body of Christ and also love one another. (Cf. Gal 6:2; Phil 2:1-4)

To say the fact, there have been people that left the fellowship of the brethren because they were abandoned or ignored in their moments of need. And even now, there are people who are no longer taking their fellowship with other people of God seriously because they have been offended along this line. Certain trials of life came upon them, and they expected the people of God in their lives to show concern, even if they could not help. But no one was there for them. Everybody was just busy with their own thing.

So, with time, those people began to see their devotion to Christian fellowship as a waste of time and to seek fellowship elsewhere, where they would be loved, wanted and cherished. And this, in fact, is the reason some people joined some secret cults or help societies. They wanted in their lives and around them people who would not leave or forsake them in their hour of need. While, of course, it is only God can play that role in our lives, it is people that He often uses to do so. And when His own people that are supposed to be readily available to be used by Him to comfort one another in this sense will not make themselves available, others that have inferior things or nothing at all to offer are bound to fill in the gap.   

Therefore, wherever we are, as children of God, we must not get so carried away by our lives’ affairs that we forget to care for other children of God in our lives. We must not be like Cain, whose mantra is ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ We are our brethren’s keepers. And we must take this very seriously, for God will hold us accountable someday for the roles we play or fail to play for their fall, shame or destruction, if any of this should happen to them.

But then, it is important to also note that it is not only our burdens that we should want people to share with us or bear for us but also our prosperity and increase. See, one of the reasons some people of God no longer give themselves to supporting others in their moments of need in any serious way is that they have experienced diverse manifestations of ingratitude from those have helped or supported in the past. You too may know one or two people that you supported at some point in their lives but who, when things began to go well for them, would not let you know about their progress or totally severed their relationship with you. And it is people like such that often kill in us the desire to help or support others.

It is true that God’s children are not to help others or support them because they want their praise or gratitude. Otherwise, they would not have the praise and reward of God for any degree of help they are giving. (Cf. Matt 6:1-4) However, that is not to say that it is wrong for people to show us gratitude for being there for them in their moments of need. It is not wrong but right. In fact, God Himself wants us to learn to be grateful, not just to Him but also to those that He is using to help or comfort us. Otherwise, we will be shutting the door of more or greater help or support against ourselves.

So, if God has used anybody to share your burden or bear your burden in the past, remember to share your prosperity or increase with them in the day of your comfort (Gal 6:6). It will make their hearts leap for joy and also encourage them to help you or others in the future, should they need their help. David once demonstrated his understanding of this, as we are shown in our opening Scripture. He and his men went against certain raiders that had taken their families and possessions away, defeated them and brought back a great plunder. And instead of just taking everything for themselves, David decided to send some of the plunder to the elders of the different towns that had accommodated and supported them, when they were roaming around as fugitives.

Now that is what it means to be grateful. I am saying that to be grateful means to be willing and ready to share your joy, comfort and prosperity with others who have also shared in your burdens or borne them for you. And have you been doing this? Have you really been sharing the good things of your life with the people that have been there to share the bad ones with you? If you have not, you are wrong and need to repent. Otherwise, it is not only yourself that you will be shutting the doors of future help against but also some others that you may not even know.

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

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Fire in my Bones

Learn to deliver on time | Pst. J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: June 23, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 6

“Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.” But when Amasa went to summon Judah, he took longer than the time the king had set for him.” (2Sam 20:4-5NIV)

One of the things everyone who wants to continually increase in relevance in their job must learn is how to work with time or deliver on time. Every task has the right amount of time to be invested in it. And it is important that we know this and function accordingly. Even the devil, according to the bible, knows that he does not have all the time in the world to mislead humanity and bring them to ruins. So, he is not ready to lose time at all. Instead, he and his demons are daily working hard and fast to destroy sinners and to also lure God’s people into error through immorality, greed, envy, bitterness and so forth. (Cf. Rev 12:12)

Therefore, if you are given any task, whether by your employer or by a client, don’t handle it as though you had all the time in the world to do it or as though it were the only task for you in life. Instead, first find out or determine the required amount of time to invest in it. Then proceed to handle it with the aim of finishing on time or even earlier. That way, you can always make yourself ready to take on something else and increase in usefulness. Also, that way, you can avoid losing your place of relevance in your job or trade to others, who perhaps are willing to do anything to have it.

In our opening text, for example, we are told of how Amasa, the general of Israel’s army, did not finish the task given to him by King David on time. What was this task? It was to muster the army of Judah together to snuff out a growing rebellion before it got out of hand. But this man failed to deliver on time. And why did it take him so long to get this task done? We are not told.

Mind you, gathering the army was not even the main job at hand. The main job was to quell a rebellion. And if it was going to take him ages to gather the men, when exactly would the real thing be done? It is clear, then, that Amasa did not work with an understanding of the seriousness and urgency of the matter at hand. Therefore, he ended up losing the job to another person, Abishai, who knew what it takes to deliver on time. Also, by failing to deliver on time, he gave Joab, another general, who desperately wanted his office as the commander of the army, a reason and an opportunity to murder him in cold blood and take his place. (Cf. 2Sam 20)

In like manner, if you too will not learn to finish every task that is given to you on time, it won’t be long before you lose your relevance or place. Understand that your employers or clients won’t forever endure your slothfulness or excuses for not getting their jobs ready on time, regardless of how good you are at what you do. At some point, they will do whatever they can to find a replacement for you, instead of allowing you to ruin their work.

Besides, there may just be around you individuals who are waiting for you to slip up a little, so that they may use the occasion to get rid of you and take your place. And if you allow slothfulness or distraction to keep putting you behind schedule in handling your job, you may someday become their victim. So, wake up and be diligent.

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

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Fire in my Bones

Why they may not want to help you? – June 02, 2021

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Series: Youth for Jesus|Number: Vol. 4, No. 3

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.” (Luke 15:13-16NIV)

One of the excuses people who are living in poverty often give is that no one is willing to help them or give them anything. And it is true that many today who are in a position to support or lift those around them usually don’t want to do so. Why? A lot of times, it is because they are ignorant of the mind of God about greed, selfishness and generosity. But it is not every time that people do not want to support others because they are greedy, selfish or ignorant of the gains of generosity. There are times that they do not want to do so because they just cannot trust those they want to help with the help they want to give them.

For example, almost twenty years ago, a beloved elderly woman that I met in church tried to help me start a business by freely providing me with books to sell. She did that because she felt that the business, if managed well, would soon enough put me in a position where I would have access to more resources to function well in life. And I was so sure that I would do well with it since it was something I really loved to do.

But loving to do something is not synonymous to knowing how to do it and prosper with it. Many have gone into certain businesses or professions because of their love for them. Yet they failed and got frustrated out of them because they did not have what it takes excel in them.   

Well then, though I loved that business, I did not pay enough attention to what those who were helping me to handle the books were doing. I also did not settle down to create a system that would ensure that the business was progressive and protected. Therefore, before I knew it, the books were all gone and there was no money to pay the person that helped me with them.

Now, for a while, I tried to avoid the woman that helped me set up the business, giving her all kinds of excuses for not showing up to pay back her money as scheduled. And later, when I could see that what I was doing was getting me nowhere, I went to meet her and told her the whole truth. Did she get angry with me? No! Rather, she appreciated the fact that I opened up about the whole matter. She also encouraged me greatly not to give up and cancelled by debt. But did she give me more books to start all over again? No! Even if she had offered to give me, I would most likely have rejected the offer, out of fear that I might disappoint her again.

Consider, then, how this woman would likely treat any other person that came to her after my case for financial support or help? Would she readily agree to support them? I don’t think so. And would she not think twice before she would commit her hard-earned resources into the hands of someone that may prove to be unprofitable? Certainly, she would.

What is the point I am making, then? It is that you should not just be praying and looking for help or support to rise in life; you should also be preparing yourself not to waste whatever help God eventually sends to you. You may think your problem is that there is no one to help you or lift you. But that may really not be your problem. Your problem may be that you don’t yet have what it takes to handle that sum of money or job that God will want to make available to you. And if He should go ahead and give it to you, you may end being another prodigal son.

If we take the story of the prodigal son literally, what was his problem? Was it that he left his father’s house to go and stay on his own? No! On the contrary, it was that he lacked the wisdom and financial intelligence needed to manage the wealth he was given. So, he ended up wasting everything and shutting many doors of favour against himself. As the account goes, when he got into trouble, nobody but his father wanted to help him? Why? It was because they knew him to be irresponsible with money.

In like manner, there are many like the prodigal son today who are living in abject poverty, even though they are being well-paid at work or had in the past been blessed with well-paying jobs or great financial support from some friends or family members. Some even won huge sums of money in lotteries and so forth or inherited great wealth from their parents. Yet they are now swimming oceans of poverty that they created themselves. So, nobody is interested in helping them or associating with them. And unless they seek God’s face for favour and submit themselves to be taught how to be responsible with one’s resources, skills or education, however little these things may be, they may end up dying in that condition.

So, if you sense that people don’t want to help you or support you, even though you are praying for God’s favour, it may be that they just don’t trust you. You, then, will have to show that you can be trusted with more resources, a better job or a higher position by making the most of what you have and where you are now. Show everybody how much you can accomplish with the little resources you have or with the low state you are in. And God, who is watching you and who alone has the power to lift up, will consider you and move people and situations to lift you up in due season, if you don’t give up and would also keep yourself humble (Luke 16:10-12; 1Pet 5:6).

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

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Fire in my Bones

They stayed at a distance | J.O. LAWAL

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: May 05, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 3, No. 51

“When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”” (Ex 20:18-19NIV)

After God had safely led the children of Israel out of Egypt, their house of bondage, He told Moses to get them ready for a meeting with Him. And part of the instructions he was given was that the people should not come near the mountain of the meeting or go up it until they heard a long blast of a ram’s horn. Otherwise, death would be the penalty. (Cf. Ex 19:10-13)

However, when God eventually stepped on the mountain of the meeting, Mount Sinai, and the people saw His terror, they no longer desired to relate to Him directly anymore. In fact, they would not even go up the mountain again with Moses. They just stayed at a distance from God and His mountain and missed that fellowship experience that would have changed their lives forever. (Cf. Ex 20:21)

Now someone may ask, “Why did God appear to the people in that manner? Why did He have to show them His terror and make them sick with fear? He could, at least, have appeared to them in a gentle and yet majestic way. Then they would not have been so afraid of Him that they would not want to have anything to do with Him again.” Good questions! Good thoughts! But we are not in a position to choose for God how He is to manifest Himself to us. Rather, He is the one to determine how He will manifest Himself to us. Otherwise, His purpose in manifesting Himself to us will not be accomplished.

What I am saying is that God has reasons He manifests Himself to people. And it is the reason for which He wants to manifest Himself to them that will determine the means He uses in manifesting Himself to them. If we, then, do not want to miss the purpose of His manifestation, we need to look beyond the means He is using to Him. In other words, we should not get carried away by the awesomeness of the means He using to reveal Himself to us or get frightened by its terror. Instead, we should fix our gaze on Him. That way, we will be able to experience what He wants us to experience through His manifestation of Himself to us.

In the case we are considering, God chose to reveal Himself to the Israelites the way He did so that they would also know Him as a God to be feared. They had known Him as their saviour and deliverer, one that they could call upon anytime and any day for mercy and help and who would answer. But they also needed to know Him as one who must not be taken lightly, as one who could destroy them, as He destroyed their enemies, if they would not obey Him.

Unfortunately, they did not want to know God that way. They did not want to embrace Him as a God of terror and justice. So, they would not meet with Him or have Him talk to them directly anymore. Instead, they asked Moses to be the intermediary and mediator between them and Him. And that was how they lost the opportunity of knowing God personally and intimately and have their lives changed forever by their knowledge of Him.

Now there are many today like these Israelites, who do not want to have any intimate relationship with God. These ones have no problem accepting Him as a God of goodness, favour and mercy. And they have no problem accepting Him as a saviour and deliverer. But they have problems accepting Him as a God of justice and terror. What they want is a God that is good and kind and who will not punish sin or wickedness. They will be comfortable with that kind of God. But that kind of God does not exist. The true God must not just be loving, kind and merciful but also just and righteous. That is because it is not only His love and mercy that will change our lives and make them right but also His justice and discipline. And until we are willing to embrace His love, mercy, justice, discipline and whatever else He stands for, our lives will never be what they are meant to be.

For instance, why was Moses, whom the Israelites chose to represent them, different from them? Why did he end up becoming a man that God Himself commended as faithful in all His house? He too was a man like them. He too saw the same things they saw, heard the same things they heard and was as afraid of God as they were. But he had a burning desire to know God personally and intimately, regardless of the means He might use in making Himself known to him. Also, he was ready to embrace God in all His fullness, to embrace whatever was revealed to him about Him. So, he approached the thick darkness where God was in order to meet with Him and fellowship with Him. And that experience was not like anything he had had before in his life – it changed his life and ministry forever. (Cf. Ex 20-34)

If we too want our knowledge of God to change our lives forever, we must be willing to know Him in His fullness and regardless of the means He is using to make Himself known to us. And we must be willing to accept whatever He reveals to us about Himself, even if it is something shocking and awesome to bear. That is because, as I pointed out before, it is only as we embrace Him in all His fullness that our lives can be perfected. So, stop relating to God at a distance and stop looking for intermediaries between you and Him, especially since you are not coming to Him in the same manner as did the Israelites (Heb 12:18-24). Instead, freely and boldly draw near to Him through Christ Jesus and embrace all that He is showing you about Himself. And you will be amazed at how your life will be transformed from whatever it is now to all that it is meant to be.

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

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Fire in my Bones

What kind of light are you walking with? – J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

April 21, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 3, No. 49

“Make certain, then, that the light in you is not darkness.” (Luke 11:35-36GNT)

Light is anything that makes things visible. In other words, light reveals the true state of things. However, how well we see whatever we are observing is dependent on the quality of light we are using. For example, we know that even though both the sun and the moon give light, the quality of light they give differs. There are things that you can see very clearly under the light of the sun that you cannot see clearly or see at all under the light of the moon. So, if you do not want to make a poor or wrong judgment about those things, you won’t rely on what the light of the moon is showing you about them. Instead, you will wait until you have the light of the sun or some other better lights to examine them.

Furthermore, as powerful as the light of the sun is, it cannot see through our bodies and show us what is inside them. So, we cannot rely on it to examine our bones, intestines and so forth. We need some other kinds of lights to do this. And that, again, is telling us that it is the quality of light we hold that will determine what we see about whatever we are examining.

That being the case, as good, powerful and relevant as all these natural and artificial lights that we daily use can be, they are not sufficient for us to make those decisions that will make life meaningful and worth living for us. For instance, they cannot show us who to marry or who not to marry, what occupations to embark on or not to embark on, what people to keep as friends and what people not to keep as friends, what the future holds for us or what it does not hold for us and so forth. We need a higher kind of light to be able to see these things and make sound decisions about them.

What, then, is that higher light that we need? Is it the light of education or that of religion or that of superstition or that of philosophy? Indeed, education, religion, superstition and philosophy offer people some measure of light that can help them to make sound decisions in some areas of their lives and not get wounded. But the kinds of lights these things offer are also limited in many ways in what they can make people see. There are times that they even cast shadows, leaving people doubtful about what is right or wrong or them to do. And there are times that they do not give light at all about what people need to do about the situations of their lives.

All of this is why people, even with their possession of the light of education, religion, superstition or philosophy, often make foolish and harmful decisions that are capable of destroying them and every good thing they have. And we have examples all around us. We have examples of people who are highly educated but who the light of education they possess could not help them in getting it right in their marriages, finances and so forth. Then we have examples of highly religious and superstitious people that the light of religion or superstition could not help them with their marriages or finances or lead them out of their bondage to certain bad habits that are secretly destroying them.

So then, it is not enough to be confident that we possess some form of light in us to walk through this life; it is equally important that we are certain that the light we have is one that will not fail us when we probably need it the most. And that is exactly the point our Lord Jesus is making in our opening text, when He says, “Make certain, then, that the light in you is not darkness.” That is because if what you call light is darkness, then, you can expect it to fail you, when you need it. But if what you call light is light indeed, then, you have no cause to worry at all, for it will lead you to that place you are meant to be in life and also keep you from stumbling or going astray.

Now the only light that is truly light and that will never fail us is the word of God. As the bible puts it, it is the true light that lights every man that comes into the world (John 1:9). This light does not have darkness in it at all (1John 1:5). So, it does not confuse people or cast shadows of doubts on their paths (James 1:17). Instead, it shows them things as they really are, so that they can make wise and upright decisions about them. And this is the higher light you and I need to possess, embrace and walk with in this world, if we do not want to stumble and fall, and if we do not want to waste our lives pursuing shadows.

So, let us go for the word of God, my friend, which is already fully documented for us in the bible and begin to shine what it says on our lives and our paths. And as long as we are walking and living in its light, we will never stumble and fall or fail to be the people we are meant to be in our homes, marriages, businesses, neighbourhoods and our society as a whole.

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

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Fire in my Bones

Are you learning from history? – J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones
fire in my bones


Date: March 31, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 3, No. 4

“Joab sent David a full account of the battle. He instructed the messenger: “When you have finished giving the king this account of the battle, the king’s anger may flare up, and he may ask you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you know they would shoot arrows from the wall? Who killed Abimelech son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn’t a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?’ If he asks you this, then say to him, ‘Also, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.’”” (2Sam 11:18-21NIV)

The message above, which was sent by Joab, Israel’s army commander, to David would never have been set forth the way it was, if David had not been bent of getting rid of Uriah, one of his most dedicated captains and whose wife he impregnated. But that is already history, which we can do absolutely nothing to rewrite. That being the case, the best we can do for ourselves is to see what lessons this history teaches and how we can adequately and appropriately apply them to our lives.

Now one main thing that stands out from what Joab said to the messenger he was sending to David is the fact that he would certainly rebuke them for letting some of his valiant men die because they would not learn from the mistake of the past. And he went on to specifically speak of an instance that David might cite, which was that of Abimelech son of Gideon, who, though was a valiant warrior and schemer, was killed by a woman because he moved too close to the wall of a tower he had wanted to capture. (Cf. Judges 9)

So, Joab had learnt from the mistake of Abimelech that it was wrong for them to move too close to the wall of the city they were fighting. He knew that doing so could get even the strongest among them killed. Why, then, did he allow some of his men to move too close to that city? It was because he wanted to get rid of Uriah in the process. So, it was not because he was not going to learn from the mistake of the past that he did what he did; rather, it was because he wanted to accomplish something evil.

Unfortunately, however, many today who won’t learn from the mistakes of the past are not up to anything cunny like Joab. They are just being foolish and dull. All around them are very perfect examples of people who made certain decisions about their lives, marriages, jobs, children, health and so forth and landed in trouble. Still, they are making the very same decisions that landed those before them in trouble. What do you call that? Stupidity! And they will someday pay dearly for it, if they are not paying for it already.

See, history is for us to learn from. And by learning adequately from it, our journey through life can be made easier and more enjoyable. But if, out of pride or dullness, we will not learn those things that are relevant to our daily living from history, we too will repeat the errors of the past and plunge ourselves into needless sufferings and pains.

One of the things I love about Joshua is that he was a man that took history seriously and learnt from it. For instance, when he was going to send men to go and spy the land of Canaan, especially Jericho, he did not send twelve men as did Moses. Instead, he sent only two. Why? Though we are not given any specific reason in the bible, we can infer that the man was acting on history. He was with Moses when he sent twelve men, one from each tribe of the Israelites, to go and spy the land. In fact, he was among the twelve men sent. But only two of them, he and Caleb, came back with a good report. The remaining ten men brought a bad report and polluted the minds of the people. And it was so bad that all the people ended up spending forty years in the wilderness because of their report, forty years for a journey that took those men just forty days. (Cf. Num 14)

So, when Joshua was going to send his own spies, he did send representatives from all the tribes. Instead, he sent only two men of faith, men that would not bring a report that would make their journey longer and more painful but that would bring a report that would stir their faith in God up. And that was exactly what happened. Those men brought a report that encouraged everyone to get ready to take what God had promised them. (Cf. Joshua 2)

In like manner, we too must not ignore history but learn from it. But we cannot learn from it, if we don’t know it. So, how much of the historical accounts that we have in the bible do you know? And what are you doing with the lessons they teach? Also, what is the history of that house or town you live in? What is the history of that office or organisation you work in? What is the history of that assembly you are fellowshipping in? What is the history of that family you want to marry from? Do you know it? If you know it, what can you learn from it or in what ways can it affect you, whether positively or negatively?

A man called Hiel ignored the history of the city of Jericho and of how Joshua cursed it and lost two of his sons for doing so (Joshua 6:26; 1Kings 16:34). I pray that you won’t have to first lose something very dear to you or even your life before you learn to pay attention to relevant histories and to adequately act on them, 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)