Good-life Daily Devotional

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi   "  The Lord gave the word, great was the company of those women that published it". Psalm 68:11      The  word 'company' in this scripture is  the Hebrew word ‘tsaba', It is feminine in gender and means "a mass of women organized for warfare (an army ) Women played very important roles in Jesus' earthly ministry and He always  protected the rights of women. In one  instance a woman was caught in adultery and she was judged by the elders and sentenced to death.No mention was made of the man she had the affair with (John8:3-11) he was apparently exonerated by the male dominated judiciary. Jesus declared the woman free from the condemnation and she was saved from certain death by stoning  according to the law of Moses.This was one of the reasons why many women followed Jesus Christ              It was a woman who first made contact with the Messiah after His resurrection , and this further reinforces the

Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi  Prov. 18:22 “Whosoever finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favour of the Lord”          Marriage is God's plan for a godly family .  The Christian family is a microcosm of God's family with the husband representing the heavenly Father , the wife :Christ and the children :the body of believers. God's family is a homogeneous indivisible entity.   God places much premium on the family because it is how nations are formed. Stability in a nation starts with stable families: the result of a godly man being married to a godly woman. Sad families produce bitter citizens and an unstable country therefore, nation building and stability begins at the family level.          A godly woman is gracious and honorable (Proverbs. 11:16)  honours elders ,this is usually the first thing you' will notice about a godly woman ,  she recognizes the blessing in greetings and salutations (Luke 1:41)       She makes her husband proud ,. Proverbs

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi  Gal 5:24 AMP “ And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires.”    Rom 6:2 AMP  “ Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?       To better understand  these scriptures : imagine the case of a man charged for murder  and while in prison ,he received news that he was a recipient of an amnesty program designed by the federal  government to mark the nation’s independence .  He was released but refused to put off his prison uniform. He had gotten accustomed to the old way of living in bondage and this affected his reintegration in to the society.  The life of the sin is similar to being in prison, there are many persons in the church bound by the old way of living and this is behind the rise in all manner of evil addictions that have torn families and wrecked communities. Bondage is a state of the mind, one can be living in

Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi  Gal 3:28 "There is neither Jew or Greek, there is neither bond nor  free, there is neither male nor female, For ye are all one in Christ Jesus.'         The theology that says that women are inferior to men is illogical and not scriptural given that we came from the womb of a woman. These teachers often misrepresent the scriptures in 1 Tim 2:11-13 which says “ Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman   to teach , nor to   usurp authority over the man , but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve”.KJV . this scripture is not saying it is a sin for a women to teach a man , if that was the case then female lecturers in universities and teachers should quit teaching , female medical doctors and nurses should not instruct     male patients on drug usage and mothers should not instruct their grown sons on life’s issues, and female police traffic wardens should not give  instructions

Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi Ephesians 4:15 "But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:"          The spiritual growth of the born again christian is not a reference to an aging process of the spirit but an acquaintance with the workings and dynamics of the spirit -world.The born again spirit is a clone of the Holy Ghost. It was not when we became born again that our spirits began. Just as the wind did not come  into existence when you felt it for the first time on your face. We have been in existence in the heart of God before the world was formed. The scriptures says in Ephesians 1:4 "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:" Our physical manifestation as sons of God began the day we gave our lives to Christ.              Like growing children, we are expected to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus

Rev Michael Benson Ajayi 2Thess 3:7 -10"For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for  we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; Neither did we eat  any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night  and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: Not  because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto  you to follow us.  For even when we were with you, this we  commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat".        The word 'work ' is the Greek word 'ergazomai' it means; to toil (as a task, occupation, etc.), effect, be engaged in ,commit, do, labour for, minister about, trade . Being busy with work cures gossip and other social ills in the church and is the surest part to nation building and advancement. Hard-work is not a curse but an attribute of godliness.        It is not a crime for preachers to be solely dependent on parishioners for provisions but the demerits of that

Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi   Luke 2:11 “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”  NIV   The search for the cure for sin is the reason for and behind the existence of the various religions. Salvation from sin has to be logical and its validity beyond all reasonable doubt . It should be universal, easy  to  apply , pure (undefiled);  peace-loving, courteous (considerate, gentle). yield to reason, full of compassion and good fruits; all encompassing  , wholehearted and straightforward, impartial and unfeigned (free from doubts, wavering, and insincerity)     ( James 3:17 Amp) .    There cannot be forgiveness for sins except there is atonement with a worthy sacrifice. Unfortunately, the sinner’s offerings are an abomination to God. His or her best efforts at being good is not acceptable before God . According to the law of Moses  , a high priest is to make sacrifices every year to atone for the sins of the sinner. The high priest will fir

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi 2 Corinthians 3:6 AMP  "[It is He] Who has qualified us [making us to be fit and worthy and sufficient] as ministers and dispensers of a new covenant [of salvation through Christ], not [ministers] of the letter (of legally written code) but of the Spirit; for the code [of the Law] kills, but the [Holy] Spirit makes alive".           Under the new testament , every member of the body of Christ is a priest.We have direct access to the Heavenly Father.  In the old testament , it was the exclusive duty of the levites. They served as mediators between the congregation and God and were presided over by a great high priest.         The old testament prophet Jeremiah  spoke of an era when everyone would be opportuned to know God's will. Jeremiah 31:31-33 AMP says "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant ...Not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers ..... But this is the covenant

   Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi Isaiah 40: 29 "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength."           Life is a battle for survival  requiring enormous strength to pull through.The scriptures refers to it as wrestling. This is more so, because the life of the Christian runs contrary to what obtains in the world. It's like running against runners in a marathon race.            The perspective on life of the born again believer is mutually exclusive and diametrically opposed to the world's.  The world's system thrives on pride and deceit,  Romans 3:4 says every man is a liar.The world's culture is characterized by rebellion and it is powered by Satan: the prince of the power of the air.  The scriptures says in Ephesians 2:2 "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this  world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that  now worketh in the children of disobedience:"

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi  Luke 3:6 “And then all people will see the salvation sent from God.'" The word ‘Salvation’ used in this scripture is the Greek  word  ‘soterion’  and it means defender or defense. It is likened to a legal counsel sent to defend a person in a court of law.       Sin is the contravention of God’s holy laws  and all it takes to be a sinner is to break one law . James 2:10-11 “For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God's laws.  For the same God who said, "You must not commit adultery," also said, "You must not murder." So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law”  therefore going by this principle nobody can have access to heaven through any of the world’s religions including religious Christianity which requires obeying laws instituted by founders and church elders .        The only cure to the problem of sin is a unil

 By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi       Genesis 34:1-2 NLT "One day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the young women who lived in the area. But when the local prince, Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, saw Dinah, he seized her and raped her."           The word "Dinah " is a Hebrew word which means judgment, plea, strife .Dinah was Jacob's daughter : a product of the rivalry between two sisters in a polygamous relationship. Polygamy is premised on gender inequality and could lead to bitterness ,low-self esteem and bitter rivalry.It is impossible to love two wives equally.          Whenever a system considers one section of society inferior ,it is bound to lead to unpleasant agitations, for example those making a case for polygamy while claiming to be promoters of the ideals of gender equality are faced with two fundamental questions, firstly, why did not God give Adam more than one wife? And why doesn't polygamy permit a woman t

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi   Ps 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” KJV This is a verse from what is often referred to as the shepherd’s psalm. It chronicles the relationship between Jesus Christ and the church. The word  ‘mercy’ as used in this text is the Hebrew word  ‘checed’  and it means ; kindness;  piety: reproof, or beauty:  favour, good deed,  pity.           The relationship between the lord and His church is likened to that between a good shepherd and his sheep. The sheep plays no role in its daily provisions: all it does is follow the shepherd.            The shepherd’s love for the sheep is unconditional even when they go astray , he never stops showing care for them . Jesus illustrated this in the parable of the shepherd who left his ninety -nine sheep to save one that went astray (Luke 15:4). God’s love for us is not subject to seasons and circumstances: it is cons

By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi Proverbs 24:16 "For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief."         One of the realities of the Christian life is that righteous  men do fall short too. The scriptures says in Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;  " We can never  be too careful enough to avoid falling  . The best plan for success is prone to failure that is why the cooperate world has force majeur  (the act of God) as an element to be considered in contractual agreements. It is because of the possibilities of failures that insurance companies exist.            Disappointments are part of life and should not be always considered as a  curse, especially when you are  convinced that you have put in your very best into a project, be it a marriage, relationships ,ministry or business, because some disappointments are as a result of some other person's bad decisions and not ours.

Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi         Man is social in nature and loves to move in groups,  this gives a sense of self-worth, love  and security. It is for these reasons that friendship is a necessary part of our human development,  and if well harnessed, it could lead to the furtherance of the building of human capacity.              Friends play a great role in our spiritual development and can be a ready source of inspiration .A person's spiritual state can easily be measured through the spiritual temperature of one's closest friends, for example, persons who find it hard to forgive and are afraid of giving offerings and ceremonial tithes are most likely to have close friends who do likewise .         The impact  of friends on one's life  is the same as that of the chain-links of a bicycle chain, therefore, a person could be said to be as strong as the weakest member  of one's cycle of close friends . Through friends we receive wisdom and strength. The scri

Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi Matt 24:24    “for there shall arise false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect”.           This prophesy by Jesus Christ about the events that shall take place prior to His second coming is being fulfilled as evident in the proliferation of miracle workers the world over .They claim to have solutions to all of life's problems .This is popular in underdeveloped nations were basic social amenities are lacking due to bad governance thus making citizens vulnerable to divination.         Divination is the art of foretelling the future through supernatural means ,diviners are also able to tell the past. This is made possible through demonic entities that have been in operation for thousands of years and have records of past events about  families, communities and are able to predict the future . Demons are intelligent and influence people's actions, circumstances and