Good-life Daily Devotional

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi James 2:19 – "thou believest that there is one God, thou doesth well; the devil also believe, and tremble".       Much of what the world believes about  is not from the bible. 1 John 4:1 tells us that there are many errors taught by false prophets and the spirit of Anti Christ. What are Demons?  They are called “Foul (Greek 'akathartos' meaning unclean) Spirits” and “Devils” (Matt 4:24, Mk 9:2 ) They are not the spirit of dead persons :the dead are either in hell or heaven :Ecc9:5, Lk16:27-31 Satan is the leader or prince of demons and is also called Beelzebub (Mk 3:22)        Demons believe there is a God and they are afraid of Jesus' judgment against them (James 2:19) They are able to do miracles in order to deceive (2Thes2:9 )  Most cultures recognize the existence of these spirits and some persons seek their help by making sacrifices to them (1 Cor 10:20-21, Deut 32:17)         Demons are seducing( Gk planos: impo

Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi 1John 3:15 "Whosoever hateth  his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal  life abiding in him."     The English dictionary defines 'hatred' as extreme dislike. The gospel is centered on God's love for humanity despite man's disenchantment at His method of handling our affairs. The common thinking is that an all- powerful ,loving , benevolent  and all -knowing God should always come to our rescue whether we believe in Him or not.       If God were to prevent the consequences of every action from manifesting then He will be acting contrary to his office as a judge. Every misfortune on earth is as a result of human rebellion against God’s will. Some of the consequences of our actions affects the innocent including unborn children. God has given us wisdom to know good and bad and yet many choose bad and expect a good result. Children suffer because of the wrong choices of their parents and vice versa.

Rev Michael Benson Ajayi  Ephesians 1:11  "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated  according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the  counsel of his own will:"         God’s plan for us is summarized in 3jn1: 2 " Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in  health, even as thy soul prospereth. " Jesus said in John 10:10.."I  am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more  abundantly."         It is not His plan for us to live a life of barely getting-by but of a life of abundance . It is by His providence that our supplies are guaranteed.  He is not bound by the prevailing economic situation. He created the universe and the laws governing it. He is above every ruler-ship ,dominion and works all things according to His will  (Ephesians 1:11).      He is omnipotent (all-powerful ),  omniscient (all-knowing )and omnipresent (all-present ) and can do an infin

Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi Psalm42:5-6" Why  art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me?  hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his  countenance. O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore  will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites,  from the hill Mizar."        The word 'Jordan' is a word in the Hebrew which means to descend , to go downwards, to fall , and  Hermonites means 'Peaks '  and Mizar is a word which means petty in size or number.  These three words are an expression of the three phases in human life, namely,  the peak of one's achievement, the period of a downturn and when there is little progress. We may not be able to stop these circumstances  from taking place but we can control how we respond to them.       The Christian life is full of ups and downs by virtue of the fact that as humans our carnal nature often interfers with God's will resulti

 Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi Genesis. 49:3 -4 "Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:Unstable as water, thou shalt not  excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst  thou it: he went up to my couch. "         The theology that says the first-born child going through  life's  difficulties is a victim of the curse of the first born is unfounded in scripture and counter-productive. Those who teach this site Gen.49:3-4 to buttress their claim. For there to be a curse, there has to be a justifiable cause for it. It is important that a clear distinction be made between a curse and the trials of life. The word  'curse' is the Hebrew word 'Arar' which means to be: hated ,despised as in Genesis 12:3" ..and curse him that curseth thee:.... "  God does not hate the first-born child but loves them (John3:16). When and how a child is bor

Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi      2kings 14:5-6 "And it came to pass,  as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, that he slew his  servants which had slain the king his father. But the children of the  murderers he slew not: according unto that which is written in the  book of the law of Moses, wherein the Lord commanded, saying, The  fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be  put to death for the fathers; but every man shall be put to death for  his own sin."           The theology that says God places curses on children because of the sins of their parents and ancestors is unfounded . This theology is derived from a misinterpretation of Exodus 34:7 "Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. "         The con

Rev Michael Benson Ajayi 1Cor.7:5 "Defraud  ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye  may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again,  that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency."       This scripture shows there is a correlation between faith and a persons' sexual habits. Jesus speaking to His disciples in Matthew 17:15-21 said fasting and prayer was a requirement in the development of faith for victorious living , this was said after they unsuccessful attempt to drive out an evil spirit  (Matthew 17:20) .       The process of fasting includes abstinence from sex for a short period of time by mutual consent by married persons. Consensual sex  is the most powerful physical  experience one could ever experience : it unites the spirit, soul and body to form a new personality (1Cor.6:16) it is a major cause of multiple personality syndrome when abused and a major gateway for evil spirits into the human soul.It

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi “Many evils confront the (consistently) righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.  He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken Psalm 34:19-20    The word 'persecute' means to harass, afflict, hunt down, or put to death, especially for religious or political opinions. The world unfortunately celebrates and rewards evil more than  good and this is the reason behind the increase in wickedness in the world. Any person who opposes this trend stands to be persecuted . Despite the prevalence of these anti-Christ ideologies, there still exist a remnant who refuse to be overwhelmed by the tidal wave of societal decay and maladjustment.     These persons have made an irrevocable commitment to be agents of the kingdom of God and beacons of hope in a hopeless generation and as in every marathon race, any one who runs against the traffic is most likely to meet with strong opposition.       Followers of Jesus Christ will suffer

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi Ephesians 4:16 AMP "For because of Him the whole body (the church, in all its various parts), closely joined and firmly knit together by the joints and ligaments with which it is supplied, when each part [with power adapted to its need] is working properly [in all its functions], grows to full maturity, building itself up in love."         The  Christian community functions like the human body with each part adapted to specialized functions and yet working in harmony as one homogeneous entity.  The scriptures says in 1 Corinthians 12:20 AMP "And now there are [certainly] many limbs and organs, but a single body".  The Holy Spirit is the life giving source of the church of Christ; also referred to as heirs of the  kingdom of God .         John 3:5 says" ... Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."  the body of Christ is not ordinary like the human flesh, it is spiri

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi Zechariah 7: 9 "Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts,  saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions  every man to his brother:"         The Israelites in Zechariah's time where plagued with prolonged economic instabilities, marital crisis, insecurity  and overwhelming fear and their plea for help landed on deaf ears because  they neglected true justice, mercy and love for one another.  These are the threefold cords that the scriptures speaks of in Ecclesiastes 4:12 "And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken." Whenever a family or community is driven by unfeigned  passion or love for each other, mercy for the repentant offenders and an impartial justice system, it becomes impenetrable against the onslaught of the enemy.This is what leads to stability in families.        The combination of stable families that produces a stable community, local government area, sta

Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi 2Cor.2:14" Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place."      The word' savour' as used in this text of scripture is the Greek word 'osme' and it means fragrance , odour, and the word 'triumph ' is the word Greek word 'thriambeuo' which means : to make an acclamatory procession, to conquer or to give victory. What this implies is that the message of grace emits a fragrance that results in victorious living.          Words have odour that either makes us attractive  or repulsive.  Proverbs 24:26 says  "Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer." the child of God who has patterned his or her speech after the word of grace has kissable lips. Cosmetics makes lips appear beautiful but does not determine how kissable a lip is: it the love that a person has for another that leads to passionat

 Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi Philippians 2:14-15 NLT "Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.".         The English  dictionary defines complaining as :finding fault, express displeasure and arguing is defined as; dispute, making claims, giving reasons. The above scripture isn't referring to the momentary complaints we make, rather, it is referring to a life of obsessive or habitual complaints and arguments.           Fault- finding gives Satan express access in to a marriage, business, relationship and ministry and it on shifting of blames to other persons other than oneself resulting in contentions and bitter rivalry that sometimes turns deadly.         It is born out of selfish ambitions: a result of comparing oneself with others.James 3:14-16 NLT says "But if you are bitterly jealous and th

1Timothy 6:6 "  But godliness with contentment is great gain."        The word 'contentment' as used in this biblical  text is the Greek word 'autarkeia' and it means ;self-satisfaction, competence,  sufficiency. This word has been wrongly interpreted to mean poverty by many  Poverty is a symptom of the curse Jesus delivered us from (2Cor8.9) therefore God is no way pleased with His children being poor.         The father is only pleased by our faith in His word.This is what the bible describes as godliness and it comes with great rewards.Hebrews 11:6 says  "But without faith it is impossible to please  him: for he that cometh  to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that  diligently seek him." and Romans 1:17 says"... The just shall live  by faith". Faith is the password or authorization needed to obtain anything from God. Therefore, whatever lack we suffer isn't from God but the limitations cre

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi   Phil. 3:9 "And be found him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the Law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith."        Our union with Christ Jesus, has moved us out of the place of guilt and God’s wrath into a place of innocence before God and a loving relationship with him. God declares us “Not Guilty” because Jesus has done all that is necessary to guarantee our salvation.It is like a bank guarantee: which covers a business transaction against failure due to financial shortage.If the businessman is not able able to pay the bills , the bank finances the project to ensure completion.That is what the blood of Jesus did for humanity. This is something religion can not do: under religion we remain perpetually under the bondage of sin and guilt and there is no guarantee for salvation.        God is the judge and He alone is the lawgiver,the scripture says in Ps. 50:6  "

Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi Isaiah 33:6 And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure.     The word 'stability ' is the Hebrew word  'emuwnah ' which means  firmness;  security; morally fidelity, steady, truly, truth, verily. This defines the character of the believer in Jesus Christ needed for a victorious life in the world.  Christian growth  is marked by major changes and demands ,thus , the older we get the more of a liability we become to our individual communities.        A teenager is more of a liability to his or her parents than a toddler, and more is expected of a teenager by his or her parents such as helping  out with house chores .therefore accountability comes with growth , Luke 12:48 says " But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to w

Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi John 13:34 -35 "A new  commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have  loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all  men  know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."          Love is the fulfillment of the laws of the old testament and  it is the driving force behind any action by God's people. The scriptures says in Matthew14: 14 "And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick." miracles are a demonstration of God's love for us. That's why demanding money before praying for the sick grieves the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not demand anything from the sick before healing them.  He instructed His disciples to demonstrate this same love by not charging fees for miracles. Matthew 10:8-9 says" Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead,  cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely giv

By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi  Exodus 12:13 "And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt."      The word 'token' is the Hebrew word 'owth ' which means a visible signal, a flag, beacon, evidence, miracle. The Israelites had been in slavery for four centuries and when the day of their emancipation was fully come, God sent His servant Moses as a sign to their slave master Pharaoh instructing him to let the Israelites go :and failure to do so was met with unpleasant sanctions, one of which was  a deadly plague.         Pharaoh was adamant and the plague was unleashed upon the land of Egypt. As an antidote to the plague the Israelites were instructed to kill a sheep and mark the lintel of their doors with its blood.  Ancient African culture recognized this miracle as tokens dipped in animal bl

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi Mark 10: 16" And  he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed  them."        The word 'blessed' is the Greek word 'eulogeo' which means to speak well of, to invoke a benediction upon,to prosper,to  praise. Therefore, to be blessed means to be well spoken of and praised by God  because of His love for us (Job2:3). Nobody can bring a charge against you before God ( Rom.8:33).   Whenever  a man is in love with a woman, he becomes blind to her flaws; that's how it is between the born again christian and the heavenly Father,  the scriptures says in John 3:16-17" For God so loved the world, that he gave his only  begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but  have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to  condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."   God isn't excited about the prospect of those who have rejected his l

Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi Hebrew 6:1-2 "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of  baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead,  and of eternal judgment."           The word 'perfection' in this text is the Greek word 'teleios' and it means :to be complete in labor, growth, mental and moral character, to come of age. What this implies is that the Christian  goes through a growth process spiritually, intellectually, morally and in character and finally comes of age in spiritual matters.         The scriptures describes the teachings on the need to repent from dead works,  faith towards God, the need for water and Holy Ghost  baptisms ,deliverance and impartations by the laying on of the hands,  questions on the resurrection of the dead and  eternal judgment as belong