Good-life Daily Devotional

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi Mark 7:21, "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders." MARK 7:17-23       The human heart (center of consciousness) is a container that can contain two or more spirits like in the case of a demon possessed person.It is like the central processing system of a computer that can easily taken control of by a super virus leading to system collapse . The born again spirit does not posses the capacity to do evil. It has God's nature and is governed by love.           Man is a three-part being : a Spirit with a soul living in a body. (1 Th. 5:23). The word "spirit" can also describe a mental disposition .The mental faculty controls the physical world.    Our thoughts lead to our actions or behaviour and this leads to our character and finally our destiny . Therefore, we determine our destiny by the kind of thoughts we entertain. Our daily prayer should be that  our "mental

        Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi       God does not need a brand name to approve of your membership for you to be blessed of Him, neither does he need anybody's approval before saving you from trouble. "Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the Sabbath day circumcise a man."JOHN 7:21-24     The covenant of circumcision was given to Abram in Gen. 17:9-14. In v. 14, the penalty for violating this covenant was capital punishment as a demonstration of its importance. The bible in Rom. 4:3-13, says Abraham was declared right with God by faith before he was circumcised. It was Abram's faith that saved him at least twelve years prior to his circumcision .      Religious folks put their focus on the outward act of obedience instead of the inward act of faith that caused Abraham to be obedient. This was the major reason for disagreement between Jesus and the religious leaders of His time.

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi  Mark 8:30-33, "...But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: forthou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men."        This is proof that good advice doesn't always translate into right advice. Peter's good advice  was Satan -inspired. This scenario  is a parallel of the serpent's speech to Eve in the garden of Eden (Gen. 3:15) and God rebuking the devil.In both cases, Peter and the serpent were mediums through which Satan expressed his wishes. He still does same through false teachers who use the witchcraft art of clairvoyance to foretell events. Many have fallen victims to the mesmerism of these so-called seers.        All visions from God align with the scriptures.We are not ignorant of the devices of the enemy (2Cor,2:11) through God's word we know that we are engaged in a spiritual warfare not against people but Satan disguised

 By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi John 10:10 "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). AMP        The Greek word translated "life" here is "zoe" and it means life in the complete sense, a life of fruitfulness and abundance  , Jesus came to save us from hell and give us this "zoe" or God-kind of life in abundance ( having more than enough of every good thing) . The life in Christ is different from the physical life, it is a life satiated with God's goodness. We do not need to wait until we get to heaven  before we enjoy this kind of life        This life is presently at work in the spirit of every born-again person.It is however, hindered by the natural or sinful character. This supernatural or Zoe life is made possible when we deny ourselves of any thoughts(Gal.5.19-21) emotions, or actions that are contrary to the Word of God,

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi John 9:34 "They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out."         Religious folks have a problem with pride  manifested in the "I-know-it-all" attitude as revealed in this statement. They are so blinded by their arrogance and presumptuousness that they couldn't believe anyone who hadn't been through their "Disciples training school" could ever teach them anything.          The Pharisees were an exclusive sect with extreme devotion to the Mosaic law and commitment to living an isolated life. They are by- products of Jewish returnees from the Babylonian captivity, and were influenced by the pagan customs of the Babylonians. It was set up to give the Jewish state an identity and cultural  foundation upon which moral codes premised on the Mosaic laws where instituted .       They were patriots and religious zealots. However, over time the Pharisees d

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi Matthew 17:24-27 "........Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money; that take, and give unto them for me and thee."  What an extraordinary miraculous breakthrough! Jesus provided the money for their taxes, and it was the exact amount needed, and it was from the first fish caught by Peter .One breakthrough from God will wipe your tears away.Get ready for it.           This event is a confirmation that God also supplies needs in a miraculous way, it's worthy of note that God isn't into money counterfeiting neither does He bless through fraud. He didn't create money in the fish, but rather he had the fish miraculously find and swallow the exact Roman coin needed by Peter. In ancient times coins where thrown into the river for goodwill. It's a mistake to just pray and then wait on G

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi John 8:56 "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad."          Abraham had the revelation of the truth of the day when man shall be justified by faith and not by  self-effort (Rom. 4:13), and he believed it and was justified by faith (Rom. 4:3-4, 9).He was ecstatic by the good news.Trying to satisfy God through self- effort always falls short of perfection in worship and leads to guilt and misery .Some persons have quit church because they can't meet up with the standards due to their short comings.But that shouldn't be so with God, all that He desires is the faith of Abraham. Hebrews 11:6 says, "But without faith it is impossible to please him." It was Abraham's faith that pleased God. Faith is one's total reliance on God  for existence' it is like being in an airplane at 30.000 feet above sea level , at that point , one's life is in the hands of the pilot till the plane touches g

By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi  John 9:35 "Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the  Son of God?"         By seeking for this man Jesus brought him into God's spotlight . Jesus sought this man out when others had forsaken him.He seeks for those who have been forsaken by society because they are precious in His sight.  The acceptance of Jesus is worth more than everything this world has to offer .This is what launches a person into prominence with overflowing joy amidst difficulties. When our sufferings in Christ abound, then the consolation of Christ abounds much more.Those who for fear of persecution refuse to tell people about the gospel, do not enjoy prominence  (Jn. 9:22).They chose the company of the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees, which is their lot.        Even though the born again christian is saved and delivered from life's challenges that were the consequence of the power of sin, we

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi  J ohn 10:2-3 "But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth themJOHN 10:1-21         The safety of the sheep is tied to its ability to hear and recognize the voice of the shepherd. God's people hear His voice. God's people doubt the truth of this statement based on their experience. They don't think they can hear God's voice. However, the Word of God is true - not ours . God is speaking to you right now, the challenge is being able to recognize His voice. It is our new born-again spirit that hears God's voice. Although God has spoken and still does speak in an audible voice at times, very few people experience this. God speaks to our inner person , the subconscious i.e the (spirit) and our inner person hears Him. The problem comes when we aren't sensitive to, or controlled by, our spirit but are wal

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi Matthew 18:14 "Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish."Matt18:12-14     True love is a rare commodity in today's world . It is against this backdrop that the message of God's unconditional love for us when preached seems unreal , most people would say if God so loved us ,why does he allow so much sufferings in the world .         As difficult as it may sound the irrevocable truth still remains that we are the objects of God's love. God's plans for our salvation was not driven by a sense of pity for us or of moral obligation to save us. He saved us because of His infinite love for us (Jn. 3:16).God loves people. He even loves those who rebel against Him.         Jesus said in (Lk. 15:7), "I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance."Once we e

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi  Matthew 18:4 "Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." MATTHEW 18:1-5; MARK 9:30-37; LUKE 9:46-48             Jesus used a little child to illustrate humility. Babies have a purity and humility that is many times missing in adults, they  certainly are not selfless. A child comes into the world totally self-centered, desiring what he wants whenever and wherever he wants it. It is the parents duty  to train children out of this selfishness to avert its consequence in their adulthood.         One of humility's dominant characteristics is a God-dependency and not a self-sufficiency. The truth of humility being the key   to greatness or success was not new  to the disciples however Jesus gave it a new meaning through His selfless disposition .           This path of self-denial to greatness is exactly opposite to the world's path of exalting self at other's ex

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi  Matthew 17:20 "And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."        Matt 17:9-20; Mk 9:9-27; Lk9:37-42       The disciples' unbelief in this instance was not a disbelief in God's power to produce deliverance, but rather a human kind of unbelief that came from an insensitive heart that yielded more to factual or circumstantial evidence than to what it believed in God's word. Just as it takes a little spark to set a large forest ablaze ,likewise only very small amount of faith as "mustard seed"is sufficient to remove a mountain, if no unbelief is present to hinder it.          Unbelief is like a fire extinguisher that quenches the fire of faith .Unbelief is a lack of trust for God. Jesus was disappointed that

 By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi  Gen.22:2 "And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of."           The word 'Isaac' is the Hebrew word 'tsachaq' which means to 'laugh outright.' Abraham had waited for the birth of this son of promise for about twenty-five years and his birth brought laughter to the Abraham's household. Isaac was a symbol of pride and a trophy of Abraham 's love and unalloyed faith in God.        Abraham's loyalty was tested when God requested for the sacrifice of Isaac. Abraham's choice as the patriarch of those who shall be saved by grace through faith was informed by his understanding of the importance of sustainable development  in the propagation of godly ideals. The scriptures says in Gen 18:19 "For I know him, that he will command his children and his

  By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi  1 Peter 1:8 AMP "Without having seen Him, you love Him; though you do not [even] now see Him, you believe in Him and exult and thrill with inexpressible and glorious (triumphant, heavenly) joy."       The world is going through one of the most trying times due to the activities of the ungodly. There is virtually no part of the world that isn't faced with social upheavals. This was prophesied as part of the signs of the end times in Matthew 24. Jesus said Matthew 24:6-7 AMP "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened or troubled, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in place after place;"     This is also in fulfillment of the prophesy in Haggai 2:6-8 which says there shall be an escalation of human crisis and cataclysmic activities in the days leading to the Lord's ret

Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi        Luke 9:48 "And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great."        Failure is the inability to succeed at a task, it leaves a person with a sense of neglect and a low self esteem. In the preceding verses of Luke 9, Jesus Christ had given a hint of His betrayal and transition and this automatically elicited a leadership tussle among His disciples . They had all left  their various businesses and jobs to follow Jesus .They also understood the need for a reward system to guarantee their promotion in society.          They were driven by  the desire to prove themselves superior in the missionary business . This is what motivates the modern church . We want to build the biggest, grow the fastest, gather the largest, spend the highest, shout the noisiest while in competing with the

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi  Luke 12:19-20 " And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?"           The level of security the world over is at its lowest ebb with terror groups on the increase . There is a growing apprehension about the safety of businesses, marriages, finances as a result of the growing in insecurity worldwide.         Fear, uncertainty, anxiety about the future is the aftermath of  the systemic rejection of God's word. The word of God is light which repels darkness from the hearts of men. In luke.12:16-18 Jesus's parable is a reflection of the failing world's security system . This system revolves around the concept of the acquisition of wealth for security against the rainy days . Rather than give out his est

By  Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi  Luke 14:28 "For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost,  whether he have sufficient to finish  it?   Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish  it, all that  behold it begin to mock him,   Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish."       The building of a house involves a lot of technical details which mustn't be compromised upon if a durable structure is to be achieved. Master -builders allude to the fact that the most critical aspect in the building of a house is  the foundation stage. Any error at that stage may require starting the building process all over again. Most foundational errors are as a result of hasty conclusions.              Human life is like a building and it is very common to see a lot of  abandoned projects by God's people. Most times such inconclusive ventures are said to have been caused by demons, w

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi  Matthew 6:10 AMP "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."                The first statement in what is popularly known as the 'lord’s prayer' (Matthew 6 :9) is the phrase "our Father " meaning God is the father of all, He is not more of a Father to any one person than to another as human religion would want us to believe. Nobody has the monopoly of access to God. Therefore, all prayers , petitions, thanksgiving and supplication should be made directly to Him.               We have equal access to the Heavenly Father on equal bases with same opportunities. The knowledge of our relationship with the Father exposes us to the power of His Kingdom. The word 'kingdom'  is the Greek word 'basileia' it means ; properly, rule, a realm, bases, and it owes its origin from  another Greek word 'basis' which means to walk ; a pace ("base"), therefore, when Jesus pra

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi 1 Peter 4:17-18 NKJV   “ For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?”        This scripture underscores the importance of social reforms in the development of any nation or community ; it is a process that begins with the church. There can be no true governance outside the perimeter of God’s elect. The need for societal reforms is necessitated by the fact that our individual prosperity is meaningless without the prosperity of our communities . It is against this backdrop that the church should pursue a vigorous and holistic approach towards social justice and equity in the wider society. The scriptures says in Jer 29:7 “ And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare."            We are related directly or indirectly therefor

 By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi  Luke 12:15 AMP "And He said to them, Guard yourselves and keep free from all covetousness (the immoderate desire for wealth, the greedy longing to have more); for a man's life does not consist in and is not derived from possessing overflowing abundance or that which is over and above his needs.".         The world measures a person's success by his or her material wealth and it also determines our social status amongst our peers and society. This is the driving force behind the criminality in society. The world loves a person as long as they can receive some material wealth from such a person and everybody wants to feel loved.            The scriptures says in Proverbs 14:20 AMP "The poor is hated even by his own neighbor, but the rich has many friends." The rich are not short of friends most of whom do not truly love them but are attracted to their wealth. This is one of the reasons why an over -attachment to

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi    John4:6 "Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. "        God took on human flesh in Christ ,a phenomenon not too difficult for an all- powerful personality to do. This was in fulfillment of the prophesy in Genesis 3:15 "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." The word 'seed ' refers to the human sperm . This is only found in men but God demonstrated His omnipotence by causing a woman to get pregnant without the male's sperm. This is proof that  women are not as weak as commonly assumed . God’s thought was that "If humanity fell from God's grace through a woman likewise humanity will be saved by God’s grace throu

By Rev.Michael. Benson Ajayi        Luke4:7 "If thou  therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him,  Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is  written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."       Jesus stripped Satan off all power over humanity through the power of the cross, the scriptures says in Matthew 28 : 18 "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying,  All power is given unto me  in heaven and in earth". The powers governing all spiritual realms are under the control of Jesus Christ .He is the supreme head of all mystical societies and occult groups.              The scriptures speaks of His preeminence   in  Colossians 2:9-10 AMP "For in Him the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily form [giving complete expression of the divine nature]. And you are in Him, made full and having come to fullness of life [in Christ you too are filled with the