Good-life Daily Devotional

By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi Matthew 17:20 -21 "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. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."        The word 'unbelief' is the Greek word ' apaistia' and it means disobedience. The disciples were surprised at the outcome of their prayer.  They thought they had no role whatsoever to play in the outcome of a miracle like many Christians often assume .They thought prayer was an incantation that moved God to act on our behalf regardless of our commitment to the laws of faith .               They were sent on a mission trip and came back rejoicing at their success in casting  out demons .However,  the difference between this situation and the former was the absence of the word. Faith to heal the s

Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi  Mark 11:23 "For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith".       The word 'doubt' is the Greek word ' diakrino' and it means : to separate thoroughly, to withdraw from, or oppose; to discriminate ,hesitate ,contend ,stagger, waver. To better understand what doubt is,   imagine a man with   high fever admitted in a hospital but hates injections .Though he agrees to be treated but would not accept injections but the doctor insists to give him for quicker recovery but the man hesitates, withdraws, opposes, contends with the doctor, wavers at the treatment plan and staggers away and separates himself from the doctor while complaining about the pains from the fever and his fear of needles . He eventually dies of the fever

Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi   Rev.13:16 -17"And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right  hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or  the number of his name."        The scriptures speaks of a time when the world's governments will unite to form a one-world government ( this is the idea behind digital money) , that shall be presided over by a maximum ruler , he shall be scary to behold (Dan.8:23) and supernaturally endowed by Satan with the ability to perform false miracles signs and wonders (Rev.13:4).  The scriptures says in 2Thess 2:9 "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, " and he will claim to be Christ's incarnate and mislead many.              Leaders in the world's armed forces and paramilitary organizations and the chief executive officers of mult

Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi  Matt 24:40-41 KJV “ Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”    The word   ‘taken’ is the Greek word   ‘paralambano’ it is a clause from two words ‘para ‘ which means to draw near and ‘lambano’   which means to seize or remove , it means   to receive near to assume an office . The scripture describes an event reminiscent of a Sci-Fi movie, where believers     would literarily be removed from the earth into heaven.   It is likened to the event of   Noah’s era .      The scriptures says   Matt 24:37-39   "When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day.   In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn't realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be

By Rev, Michael Benson Ajayi             The antichrist does not believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ and Fatherhood of God. The scriptures says in 2John 1:22" Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son." also 2Jn1:7 says "For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist." .      Many religions deny the deity of Christ and in the end times they shall come under one umbrella and shall be led by a brutal totalitarian leader nicknamed 'the Beast'. The concept of the Son having a Father can be easily understood through the concept of invention, for instance, Charles Babbage is considered the Father of the modern computer after his invention and concept of the Analytical machine in 1837. This does not mean that the computer was born of a woman and has a mother. The word ‘son’ means;concept , in

Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi Mathew 24:21 -22"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And except those days  should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened."                       The word tribulation, is the Greek word 'thlipsis' and it means 'to be put under extreme pressure ,to suffer affliction and be in anguish, burdened, trouble. Bible scholars have been studying the scriptures in other to have an understanding of the events of the end times,  the crisis in the middle east and the imminent threat of a world war have further reinforced their belief that we are in the end times. The church of Christ shall be at the center of the crisis bothering on the end of the ages. This period shall be characterized by a rebellion against biblical principles and ethics as witnessed in the world's media.       There is a s

Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi Matthew 24:42 AMP "Watch therefore [give strict attention, be cautious and active], for you do not know in what kind of a day [whether a near or remote one] your Lord is coming."                Matthew 24:30-36 gives us a chronological order of the event popularly known as the "rapture" to most Christian marking the beginning of the period of the reign of the antichrist on earth. It is a period of an oppressive ,totalitarian rule of the earth by Satan through an ungodly leader.  The scriptures says "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other...."           In John 14:1-3  Jesus spoke of going to the father that He may create

 Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi  Zech 2:4 NIV  “and said to him: "Run, tell that young man, 'Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of men and livestock in it”       The prophet Zechariah’s prophesy spoke of the growth of Christ’s kingdom through a very unusual manner. The scriptures says “Jerusalem will be a city without walls “ the word Jerusalem refers to the church of Christ, Heb 12:22-24 NKJV says  “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,  to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. “   it is described as a city (a place of excellence) and the phrase ‘without walls ‘ is the Hebrew word ‘perazah’ which means an open country , it’s from a ro

Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi John 4:36 "And he that  reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice  together."           This scripture underscores the purpose of the born again Christian on earth : we are expected to use our God-given skills, talents, experiences and resources  as instruments for winning of souls into God's kingdom. There are no exemptions to this divine call. The scriptures says in 1cor 7:17 "But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. ..."         Start from where you are , you must not wait until you have been to a bible school, though that is important in sharpening teaching skills. Paul started preaching immediately after his conversion experience  (Acts9:20) remember, it is God working through you,  Philippians 2:13 AMP says "[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi Matthew 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your  Father which is in heaven."          There is more than enough resources to cater for everybody's need and despite the enormous human and natural wealth, gross poverty has remained a reoccurring decimal in our world due to the inequitable distribution of  these resources . A 2018 report shows that some individuals in the US possess three times the amount of money in the nation's treasury (Arise TV business news).Its no surprise that so many are homeless and destitute in such a rich country, the same applies in NIgeria. There is a dearth of men and women of integrity and compassion  to whom resources will be given for distribution to those in need.        The primary purpose for the establishment of businesses is for the harnessing of the earth's resources for man's use and to build relationships that guarantees sustainable p

Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi   Mark 11:25-26 "And when  ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your  trespasses.But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses."            Forgiveness is a sine qua non for a healthy spiritual growth. Offerings (miracle seeds) are no substitute for forgiveness, it is for this reason that Jesus prayed for the forgiveness of those who crucified him (luke 23:34) ;we are beneficiaries of God's grace by reason of  Jesus' prayer.  The martyr ,Stephen also did likewise ,Acts 7:60 says "And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to  their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep"  unity and peace with God was of more value to him than ego and vengeance ;unlike the so- called 'dangerous prayers and fasting ' of hate and vengeance practiced to

By Rev,Michael Benson Ajayi  Mal 2:17 “You have wearied the Lord with your words. "How have we wearied him?" you ask. You have wearied him by saying that all who do evil are good in the Lord's sight, and he is pleased with them. You have wearied him by asking, "Where is the God of justice?"  Mark 4:18-19 KJV “ And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,  And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.”      Merriam- Webster English dictionary defines palliation as “to reduce the violence of a disease; also to ease (symptoms)  without curing the underlying  disease .”  new age theology has crept into the church ;it teaches that truth is relative –This means ,sometimes evil could be good as long as the majority approves of it and it makes you happy . This doctrine is equivalent to saying 1+1 is not always 2 but something else. Th

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi  Eccl 5:13-15 “ There is another serious problem I have seen under the sun. Hoarding riches harms the saver.  Money is put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one's children. We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can't take our riches with us.”     This scripture is a reminder of the reality all humans must face; our riches will be of no use to us at death and in the afterlife :this is the vanity of parsimony. Parsimony is the extreme unwillingness to spend money or use resources. Nothing frustrates the spread of the gospel like parsimonious, religious Christians. These persons have more love for material wealth than they do for the Lord. They have built their security around money and find it hard to experience true love. You must be able to hate money to love God –we cannot love both equally-and our love for Him i

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi  Prov 11:25 NLT“The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” Isa 58:10-11  TLB "Feed the hungry! Help those in trouble! Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you shall be as bright as day.  And the Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy you with all good things, and keep you healthy too; and you will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.”      You can never go wrong with being generous Religious devotion is incomplete without a culture of liberality. Fasting, prayer and quoting long verses of the scriptures with their hidden meanings is no substitute for a culture of liberality and generosity.        The universe is divinely programmed to assist those given to a culture of liberality; Jesus said Luke 6:38 TLB “ For if you give, you will get! Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi Matt 5:42 TLB  “ Give to those who ask, and don't turn away from those who want to borrow.” Luke 12:33-34 TLB  “ Sell what you have and give to those in need. This will fatten your purses in heaven! And the purses of heaven have no rips or holes in them. Your treasures there will never disappear; no thief can steal them; no moth can destroy them.”     These scriptures do not in any way suggest the believer’s confinement to a life of penury for that will be contrary to God’s will ; He delights in the prosperity of His servants. The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich and does not add sorrow.  This was demonstrated in the life of Prophet Abraham ,he was blessed of God and became rich as a result  .His son Prophet Isaac was also a businessman who invested in agriculture, he enjoyed God’s blessings and Gen 26:12-13 TLB says  “that year Isaac's crops were tremendous-100 times the grain he sowed. For Jehovah blessed him.  He was soon a man of