Good-life Daily Devotional

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi Matt 13:14” In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:"'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving’’       The theory of determination or determinism which says that our belief in God has been predetermined runs contrary to the principles of the Christian faith and portrays God as both good and evil and unjust. It is the same when one says God’s favour isn’t fair.      And very often those who preach this doctrine erroneously quote the aforementioned scripture.         This theory doesn't take cognizance of our rights to choice. In mark 11: 23-24 the scriptures says”.. whatsoever you desire when you pray…”…if determinism was the case , we shouldn’t have any desires and should not be held accountable for our actions and decisions since they have all been predetermined .     Going by this theory, some  people were never given the opportunity to believe in the gospel because of Isaiah's

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi   Luke 15:20 "And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him."       Isa 54:9.says".. I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee."KJV this scriptures says God does not hate the sinner. Jesus Christ received on His person all the punishment and anger meant for all sinners including those yet unborn.And seeks to reconcile man back to God. Like the case of the prodigal , He longs to receive the sinner into His household of grace.        The only authentic solution to sin is a unilateral forgiveness . Man is imperfect and we can't attain perfection in God through an imperfect path. Man -made religion which is man's idea at being saved is fraught with imperfections. He is longing to cleanse and receive the repented sinner who comes to Him for forgiveness. God is more interested in having a one-of-a-ki

 Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi Matt 10:28 "Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell”.(NLT bible)       The word 'fear' as used in this test is the Greek word ‘phobeo’ which means: to be in reverence of. We demonstrate reverential fear for that individual that we hold in high esteem , it also a way of showing our love for that individual . Our reverential fear for God is an act of worship that demonstrates our love for Him .                                                                                                                        God is love and there is no fear in God's love 1John 4:7,8,18  It isn’t God’s will for us to live in terror and constant dread of Him 2 Timothy 1:7 says, "God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."   God does not want us to live in fear or be intimidated by life's circumst

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi Matt 21:31” Which of the two did the will of the father? They replied, The first one. Jesus said to them, Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the harlots will get into the kingdom of heaven before you.” AMP Luke 13:23-24 "Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able to enter.         Many self-righteous folks will seek to enter the kingdom of God and shall not be able to enter not because God refused salvation to anyone.    God "is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Pet. 3:9).  "The grace of God that brings salv ation has appeared to ALL men . . ." (Titus. 2:11) It is the will of God for all of mankind to be saved. Jesus said the process will be so easy such that commercial sex workers would have a fair chance just as much as anyone else.

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi  Matt 23:23 “ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you give a tenth of your mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected and omitted the weightier (more important) matters of the Law — right and justice and mercy and fidelity. These you ought [particularly] to have done, without neglecting the others.” AMP Bible        Jesus clearly opposed the hypocritical display by the religious folks of His time. Man-made religion seeks to please God based on human standards  as demonstrated in the detailed measuring out of ten percent of spices brought in as tithe. As with all religions, the actions may be appropriate but the motives are usually ill-conceived . The place of holiness in our actions cannot be overemphasized. However, God is against the idea that says our  actions could produce a right relationship with God ,because it places the burden of salvation on man.       This is contrary to the principles of salvation by grace thr

 By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi  John 14:27AMP  "Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]"        The English dictionary defines  "peace" as an absence of civil disturbance or hostilities, or a personality free from internal and external strife. The biblical concept of peace is larger than that and rests heavily on the Hebrew word  shalam  which means "to be complete" or "to be sound."    T he pursui t of peace is the driving force behind all endeavours but reality has shown that material possessions cannot guarantee lasting peace, as a matter of fact the reverse is the case . Peace is the product of casting our worries upon the Lord through prayer and thanksgiving. Prob

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi "Matt 15:2 "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!" NIV       legalism which is the observance of mundane laws and customs is a hindrance to true worship. The  actions of these religious folks was an absolute misplacement of priorities.      There is beauty in every person but unfortunately folks cut up in the habit of fault- finding are usually overwhelmed with details of other peoples' shortcoming that they deprive themselves from seeing the beauty of God's grace in humanity (Matthew7:4-5) . Most marriage, business relationships would be stronger if we refuse to allow ourselves get preoccupied with our partner’s faults. More energy should be channeled towards building  better friendships and less on discovery of each other's errors.          Fault- finding is the by-product of seeking to be righteous by self-effort instead of by faith through Jesus Chris

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi  Luke 11:11 - "If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?"         The statistics of victims of parental abuse is well over 50% , from verbal, physical , emotional , sexual abuse to the worst of them all , spiritual abuse [ curses , visits to mediums and exposure to paranormal activities like magic].This leaves a lingering bitter impressions on us and forms part of the molding block of our character. As  a result we are full of fear instead of godly faith and prone to believe  lies than truth.        Victims of abuse struggle with the inability to  trust God's ability to provide for us because , have been trained to trust in self instead of God and not to believe in true love while accepting abuse as a normal way of life.              Our salvation by Jesus Christ was not out of pity but as an unreserved act of unconditional love (John 3:1

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi   Luke 15:18 ‘ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.’           You cannot get to your desired direction if you are heading in the wrong direction at supersonic speed. Most times in a bid to get to the our desired direction we change our mode of transportation but not the direction. This is why we find it hard to commit to a godly relationship. Speed does not determine a change of direction , but the right navigation does ,unfortunately modern Christianity places more emphasis on speed instead of navigation.It preaches deliverance not repentance. You can not build a godly character through this type of thinking.             True repentance does not require a person trying to justify one’s    actions, but   humbly appealing to God’s    mercy.  We are to put all of our faith in a Saviour and not on self-righteousness  ( 2 Chr. 7:14). Repentance requires godly sorrow and a change of

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi    God's perspective on greatness is diametrically opposed and mutually exclusive from that of man . Moses was taken from his position as a prince in Egypt to being a shepherd boy. Likewise, despite his status among the prophets John the baptizer ended in prison Luke 3:20, "....he shut up John in prison." Much of apostle Paul's writings{ over 60% of the new testament}were written from behind prison walls. His ordeals are summarized in  2 Cor 11:27" In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness".KJV. Paul's ministry witnessed more pain than pleasure He worked great miracles through Christ and yet struggled with ill-health Gal.4:13-14      It is the misunderstanding of what greatness is that is responsible for the confusion in the world today, there is such an overwhelming craving for relevance and recognition . The desire for recognition is such an addiction

 By Rev,Michael Benson Ajayi John 4:19, "The woman said to him, Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet."      This woman like everyone of us had secrets which formed her disposition towards others. There are things about us which if brought to the open may be damaging to us and in the process of trying to  conceal them we end up living false lives like this woman.   She pretended to be on a quest for spiritual enlightenment while the truth was that she needed a man in her life, but was haunted by the fear from her past failed relationships.In other to look relevant, she acted as though everything was ok. There is so much pretense in the house of God.  Until we deal with our inner fears we can not experience the freedom that is Jesus Christ..     Very often we encounter heavenly messengers with the relevant tools needed to bring us out of life's challenges but for the fear of our weaknesses being discovered we try very hard to stay off the searchlight like this woman

Stay off strife By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi Luke 12:58" As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled to him on the way, or he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison". NIV     Nations spend more now on prosecuting senseless wars than on agriculture and job creation , that's why the world's economy has been on a downward spiral  for the past three decades.Same with homes were spouses aren't at peace, t hey spend more on seeking for alternative sources of recreation than they earn and suffer financial crisis as a result. Internal conflicts cripples a nations's finances.          Jesus had just spoken about relationships before He gave this parable of delivering ourselves from the judge. The message is that we should do everything within our power to avoid strife (Rom. 12:18). However, the consequences of failing to settle the differences are more tha

  Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi            God wants the best for us .His plan is for you to live the good life . You can live that, peaceful, joyful, honourable life of abundance This requires our working with Him through His word like a skillful builder faithfully follows the designs on a building plan to put up an architectural marvel . The word of God says in Mark 4:26-29.  "And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come''.       God's word the seed (Mark 4:14) which when planted into the soil of the human heart grows.  Just as a seed doesn’t release its potentials until it is planted into the ground, God’s Word wil

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi Mark 6:52, "For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened."        Rebellion against godly authority results in one developing a hard heart.Imagine what happens when using a sponge to collect water from a container and squeezing its content into the mouth to quench a thirst and a stone being used to do the same ,this should give us an idea of what a hard heart is like before God. The word 'hardened' is the Greek word 'poroo' meaning;stone, to petrify,render stupid or callous,be blind.       These disciples had become over-familiar with Jesus Christ that they began to follow Him blindly and became callous .This attitude rendered them insensitive to the wisdom of God.Serving God had become to them a common routine without meaning . Serving God in this manner makes one stupid and its devoid of miracle working faith. Those with a hardened hearts always seem to be busy but they end up unfulfilled .

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi. Matthew 14:29, "And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus."       Peter found himself in uncharted territories, it was scientifically impossible for a man to walk on water. He knew for this to be possible ,he had to surrender to a law that transcends physical science. His response to Jesus' invitation was what activated the transcendental power of creation that suspends the galaxies in their mean positions. Jesus Christ is the personification of the Word of God in the physical with infinite authority over all creation [John1.3] This is where the power came from for Peter to walk on the water.         Whenever God speaks , His word carries the self regenerating power needed  to confirm that word.We release this power by believing in God's word and acting on it.This is the same power that raised Christ from the dead and God wants us to be well  acquainted with His power. This

 LIFE CHANGING PRINCIPLE   Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi  Matthew 12:37, "For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."        The heavens and the earth came into existence  by the spoken word of God (Heb. 11:3).The universe was made by and responds to words.  When we speak words in faith,we activate either life or death (Prov. 18:21) and it will affect people, things, and circumstances. Therefore , you can alter the trajectory of your life by what you constantly say about yourself.          We can activate the power that is in faith by our words. Every word counts. There is no such things as an "idle" or 'ordinary' word which will not work for us or against us. Our words can either demobilize the devil, or become a tool in his hands against us (Prov. 6:2).         Faith-filled words can change situations . Jesus marveled over faith in the authority of the spoken word (Mt. 8:8, 10). Believe in the power of your words.

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi John 5:4 KJV  “ For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.”        The pool of Bethesda was the very opposite of what it’s names means which is the ‘house of grace’ in the Greek . Imagine the scenario; a hospital that only heals the first patient that walks into the doctor’s office. The scriptures says the place was full of sick persons , all waiting to be the first to jump into the water after the angel  troubles the water.         The word angel is the Greek word ‘aggelos’ which means a messenger, pastor. These folks were at the mercy of the pastor much as it is today in many religious settings where people are made to go through harrowing experiences all in a bid to receive healing or deliverance from satanic powers because they fail to embrace the concept of the simplicity of the gospel .         R

Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi Mark 11:13 :20AMP And seeing in the distance a fig tree [covered] with leaves, He went to see if He could find any [fruit] on it [for in the fig tree the fruit appears at the same time as the leaves]. But when He came up to it, He found nothing but leaves, for the fig season had not yet come...."In the morning, when they were passing along, they noticed that the fig tree was withered [completely] away to its roots."     This incidence was a demonstration of the interplay between the humanity and divinity of Jesus  Christ, the first fruit amongst those called sons of God . He was fully God and human as it was in the beginning like the first Adam. The scriptures says in 1 Tim3:16 AMP...we confess, is the hidden truth (the mystic secret) of godliness. He [God] was made visible in human flesh, justified and vindicated in the [Holy] Spirit, was seen by angels, preached among the nations.."     It wasn't fig harvest season yet the tree appeared

By Rev Michael  Benson Ajayi        Gen 22:8,13 KJV " And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.... And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son."         Abraham demonstrated the most audacious act of faith by attempting to slay his son in obedience to God's voice and when asked by his son Isaac about the sacrificial ram his answer was profound "God will provide himself ". This statement was an indication that he understood , that God didn't  just want to provide things for us rather He wants to give himself to us. Once you have Him , you have everything. This is what Jesus meant when He said "seek ye first the kingdom"(Matt6:33)         Seeking the kingdom requires aligning yourself with God and that gives you acce

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi              Scientifically , it is impossible to grow any crop by planting its seed in a soil devoid of organic manure and moisture but with God all things are possible to the person in agreement with Him.  In Genesis 26: 12 Isaac defied the laws of agricultural science by growing crops out of a nutrient -free and moisture -free soil. It was a season of severe  famine and supernaturally he received in the same year one hundred fold against the conventional fifty percent increase  prescribed by agricultural scientists under good conditions .              Isaac became the sole producer of food in the country and enjoyed a monopoly and profit in his farming business. This is what happens when we walk in the consciousness of the blessing upon our lives. Your case is different , you are crowned with favour all year round  "You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the wilderness become

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi   1Chronicles 29:12 'Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.      In addition to hard work and striving for excellence ,faith is an indispensable element in attaining success and a fulfilled life, it is for that reason that a commitment to work with God is part of the lifestyle of the successful , and they are synonymous with the following : #1.They hunger for God 's kingdom and His way of living through Christ .Psalm 37:4 Mathew 6.34 #2.They are committed to sharing the gospel . Mk 16.20 #3.They recognize the importance of prophetic spiritual authority and submit to it( Gen. 24.40, 2 Chronicles 20.20  #4. They dissociate from persons who delight in mocking God. Psalm1.1-3 #5. They live in obedience and humble themselves through a fast psalm35.13 , Job36.11, Isaiah1.19 , James4.6.10.  #6.They honor their earthly

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi 1 Peter 2:9KJV " But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:      The word 'marvelous' as used in this scripture is the Greek word 'thaumazo' meaning 'to have in admiration' and the word darkness is a word which means 'shadiness'. God's plan is for you to experience prosperity in a world bedeviled with economic woes and confusion caused by shady dealings .Your prosperity will make you become the center of attraction wherever you are. 1Peter 2:9 says God wants to show you off to the world as trophies of grace, signs of His benevolence.         Jacob experienced this in the hands of a treacherous master Laban who did everything possible to undo Jacob but instead he thrived, flourished and made gainful progress in adversity. The scriptures says in Gen 30:43KJV &quo

 By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi Rev 12:11KJV " And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death"       Faith  is a risky proposition. It require placing your safety in the hands of another.  Trusting God for your livelihood is a risk worth taking because it always pays off with extraordinary results .The word 'overcame' in the above scripture is from the Greek word 'nike'  meaning 'a means of success'. This means  those who depend on the provisions of the redemptive power of the blood of Jesus as their means of success would have a favourable condition in the times of famine.     The  blood of Jesus did not only save us from hell but also from poverty.To doubt this brings a person under a self-afflicted curse of stagnation (Jer.17:5-8) the reverse is the case for those who trust in the power of the blood of Christ : Verse 8 says  "They're like trees replanted in

By  Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi. Hag 2:7-8 NIV "I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the Lord Almighty. 'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the Lord Almighty."           The earth belongs to God and when man continues to lay claim over its resources by refusing to acknowledge God, the result is the instability witnessed on a global scale.           God controls the world's economic system in a manner that only favours His children. We are not panic due to the state of the world's economic .It is subject to the authority of God's word and the name of Jesus Christ..     We are not bound by seasons but determine seasons.The scriptures says in Amos 9:13TLB "The time will come when there will be such abundance of crops that the harvest time will scarcely end before the farmer starts again to sow another crop,.." Ours is a life of abundance.        The tim

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi Deut 8:18NKJV "And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day."     Apostle Paul declares in Rom.1:16"..the gospel is the power of God to salvation for all that believe." The word salvation is the Greek word soteria which means to be rescued, saving,health.       The power to prosper and be in good health  is contained in God's word and meditating on the scriptures daily breaks the stronghold of poverty over our lives (Joshua1:8) .         God's plan for you to prosper in every way (3John2:1). The scripture says He takes pleasure in the prosperity of those who preach the gospel  (Psalm 35:27). He does not want us to attribute any of our successes to our strength but His enabling grace at work through us to confirm the promises He made to the patriarchs of the Jewish nation. Deuteronomy 8:18 says &q

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi Matthew 6:19-21, "...For where your treasure is, there will your heart will be also." .        Possessing more than enough  money is not necessarily a proof that one is blessed of God(Rev.3:17). Money is a creation of man intended to facilitate trade and is neither good nor evil . It is the unending pursuit of money at the detriment of a healthy lifestyle that is the root of all evil, it is  erroneous to put the love of money above God (1 Tim. 6:10)! This is idolatry, and this is what Jesus is addressing.A simple test of one's love for money is how often you think or talk about money in comparison to God.We talk most about what we cherish mostly. Nothing destroys marriages like the love of money. It drives God-fearing suitors away.          It is for this reason that the lord established a system whereby prosperity is a by-product of putting God as top priority to avert the tendency to have an unhealthy craving for money. As Matthew 6:33 s

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi "Jesus said to him, Go your way; your son lives. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken to him, and he went his way." JOHN 4:46-54       There was no physical contact between Jesus Christ and the child. Neither was any of His disciples sent with the boy's father to affect the cure where the boy was. Verse 53 says  all He did was speak and the son was instantly healed, hallelujah.         The boy's father had traveled a distance of over 20 kilometers  to meet with Jesus. Therefore, it was the words from Jesus that stired up hope in this man through which the power of God was released to heal his son distance away. Jesus' spoken word has so much power that no barriers (such as time or space) has any affect on it whatsoever.          Part of our upbringing is the ability to recognize  our physical limitations and accept them as a way of life.This is opposed to God's word which created the boundless physical universe

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi [NLT] Matthew 7:11 "So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him."         Good parenting skills requires that children's needs are met promptly and they are protected from harm . God is the embodiment of loving care. (1Jn.4:8) His love for us transcends the highest imaginable standard known to man . Therefore , we should be confident that He will respond to our yearning better than our earthly parents can .      It is also worthy of note that God operates with boundless resources , therefore, there is nothing beyond His capacity to meet our needs.He is the creator , there's absolutely nothing too hard for Him to do except telling lies.He is very trustworthy and will always give us the things that we need without reservation. He says after all , all things are yours. 1Corinthians 3.21.Can you imagine that all you've been yearning fo

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi . John 5:16-27, ".....And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him because he had done these things on the sabbath day."       The Jews were miraculously fed with manna while in no-man's land during their exodus from Egypt to the promised land .In Exodus 16  Moses commanded them to gather twice as much manna on the sixth day because there would be no gathering on the seventh day.  This was a prelude to the observance of the seventh day as a  Sabbath day in the ten commandments given to Moses on Mt. Sinai on the two tablets of stone (Ex. 20:8-11).               The Sabbath day was a memorial of the day of rest on the seventh day of creation. Man and beasts of burden too time off work to rest during the week according to Exodus 23:12, our minds and bodies need regular rest for efficiency and productivity.Under the new testament , we are not condemned by God for not observing the Jewish traditional Sabbath day but reminded

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi John 6:28, "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?"JOHN 6:24-29     Mankind  throughout history have been seeking for ways to do the works of God. Man was created with a part in us which subliminally seeks for a superior authority. We were created to worship and be worshiped . Undeniably, everyone has a consciousness within them of the reality of God (Rom. 1:18-20), and a desire to be right with Him. However, just as with the religious folks in the above verse, very few agree with the Lord as to how to perform this duty .                   Many people today like these religious folks are willing to do something to obtain salvation, but they are not willing to commit themselves to Jesus and accept His gift.This is one of the reasons why its hard for many to commit to a lifetime relationship.Our attitude to divinity determines the texture of our relationships.False worshipers become false lovers.