Good-life Daily Devotional

    By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi  "So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own."Luke 14:33 NLT “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in o field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field. “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it! Matthew 13:44‭-‬46 NLT     Discipleship requires the  total dedication of oneself to the cause of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ and it comes with a price. It is likened to the business of treasure hunting requiring the sale of a less valuable item for a most valuable one. The job of a disciple is likened to that of a jeweler. It is highly priced. A thing of great honour .      Discipleship requires placing the assignment above every other calling . Jesus Christ said " So you cannot become my discip

By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi  ' And Hezekiah  king of Judah sent to  the king of Assyria to  Lachish, saying, I have  offended; return from  me: that which thou  puttest on me will I bear.  And the king of Assyria  appointed unto  Hezekiah king of Judah  three hundred talents of  silver and thirty talents  of gold. And  Hezekiah gave him all  the silver that was  found in the house of  the Lord, and in the  treasures of the king’s  house." 2 Kings 18:14-15     The bible says in verse  13 " Now in the  fourteenth year of king  Hezekiah did  Sennacherib king of  Assyria come up  against all the fenced  cities of Judah, and took  them." The king of Syria understood the power of economy over politics . He who controls the economy of any community or nation has overwhelming advantage over the politics of the community or nation.    He took control over the banking system and the borders. His goal was to have God's people as slaves and turn to idol worshiping.   This  s

By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi   “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone.  He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.  The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more.  The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more.  But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.  “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money.  The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’  “The master was full of praise. ‘We

   By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi  “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." Matthew 6:24 NKJV “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.  If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. John 15:9‭-‬10 NKJV  A dedicated follower of Jesus Christ is known as a disciple , this should be the ultimate goal in soul winning . God does not  want our churches full of members but with disciples . These persons are world changers driven by a passion to establish God's kingdom on earth . Disciples are followers of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ said " For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you." John 13:15 NKJV     A disciple must love the lord above all others . Jesus Christ said " He who loves father o

   By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi  "While Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch of Syria, some men from Judea arrived and began to teach the believers : “Unless you are circumcised as required by the law of Moses, you cannot be saved.” Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them, arguing vehemently. Finally, the church decided to send Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem, accompanied by some local believers, to talk to the apostles and elders about this question."Acts of the Apostles 15:1‭-‬2 NLT    The believer in Jesus Christ is an embodiment of the righteousness of God. The scriptures describes the Christian as a living epistle . The scriptures say  2Cor 3:3 "Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart."     The epistles are about God's righteousness, his peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. Whenever the gospel is challeng

  By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi  "Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools, or you will become as foolish as they are." Proverbs 26:4 NLT  " Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing." 1 Peter 3:9 NLT    The believer in Jesus Christ is described as a peacemaker ,the Bible says we should pursue after peace . We are called into the ministry of reconciliation. The church is expected to be a  promoter of peace .     The world is waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God. Those who are led by the spirit of God are sons of God. Peace is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and they who a led by the Holy Spirit bring peace along with them.      Strife hinders peace and God's people are to avoid getting involved with strife as much as possible . The bible says " Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so stop

   By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi  "Lord , if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive?" Psalms 130:3 NLTBible  "Who can say, “I have cleansed my heart; I am pure and free from sin”? Proverbs 20:9 NLT   Self-righteousness is when a person thinks in himself or herself  that he or she is good or righteous by personal effort or good deed. This is what the various religions in the world seek to achieve .You cannot make yourself righteous , that's why religious folks always struggle with guilt. You are not suppose to be guilty if you are righteous.  The Bible says we are not as good as we think . Self-righteousness is synonymous with the proud : those who have fallen from grace .      True righteousness is only attained by faith in God. The scriptures says  "In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”Galatians 3:6 NLT  Righteousness is not a title a person can achieve by any personal effort . It i

    By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi  'Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT   " And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:20 NLTBible      The Bible teaches that troubles are part of life (Psalm 34:19, Eccl 7:14) and following the path of righteousness comes with strong opposition . Regardless of the believer's situation, the scriptures says all things would eventually work out for our good (Rom.8:28) He will not allow us to be tempted beyond our strength . God has anointed you for whatever  challenges you are faced with and will not abandon you .      We should be content with whatever situation we are in . The scriptures says " Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”Hebrews 13:5 NLT Love for money results in depression , murmuring , rebellion , f

  By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi   " Soon the people began to complain about their hardship, and the Lord heard everything they said. Then the Lord ’s anger blazed against them, and he sent a fire to rage among them, and he destroyed some of the people in the outskirts of the camp."Numbers 11:1 NLT "    " And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death." 1 Corinthians 10:10 NLTBible To murmur means to make a low toned continuous background sound . The key word is 'continuous' .       God is not angry over complaining about a thing once or twice but when it becomes ten , twenty times until it becomes a daily routine then it becomes harmful to you and those around you. Murmuring is the opposite of gratitude . It is a lack of gratitude of what God has given us Num21:4:5, Num11:4-6,18 it is a manifestation of self-righteously judging others ( Matt14:4-10) Jesus Christ was against the false religious leaders for their consta

    By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi  "The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads.'Psalms 145:14 NLTBible  "Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand."Psalms 37:24 NLTBible      The Lord loves you and has made provisions for you . Despite his discipline , he  never abandons the righteous but comes to their rescue.  The scriptures says " Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand." Isaiah 41:10 NLTBible   The righteous will be faced with troubles because of our belief and in each situation the Lord  comes to our help . The bible says " The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed." Psalms 34:17‭-‬18 NLT     The Lord never loses sight of the r

   Rev Michael Benson Ajayi  "Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong."Psalms 37:1 NLT "But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong. They don’t have troubles like other people; they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else."Psalms 73:2‭-‬5 NLTBible     The lives of the proud from onlookers  seems peaceful and prosperous .The psalmist thought he was missing out on the good things of life. This is the reason behind the lukewarm  attitudes towards prayers , studying God's word and participation in church meetings by many believers . The proud  would have us believe they breathe in a different brand of oxygen and theirs is better. This is a sign of inferiority complex . For all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory (standards) it is this short

     Rev Michael Benson Ajayi  “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.  For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”  Matthew 18:19‭-‬20 NLTBible    There are situations where one needs to pray with others before a breakthrough can be achieved . Job's friends were instructed by the lord to give their offerings to Job who prayed for them . They were arrogant and presumptuous and portrayed a "holier than you " attitude towards Job during the latter's travail. They frustrated job by their judgemental counsel. They needed Job's forgiveness and his prayers to overcome pride and receive restoration  (Job 42:1-10)    Whenever the lord rebukes us of our pride it is best to ask a mature believer to pray for us to overcome pride . Our breakthroughs are  connected to this act of humility . The bible says " Confess your sins to each other and pray for

    Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi  " Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!" Romans 12:16 NLT   "Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father. Talk to younger men as you would to your own brothers. Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters." 1 Timothy 5:1‭-‬2 NLT  1) COURTEOUS: The spirit of Jesus Christ in the born again Christian is  meek and seeks to serve. Jesus Christ said 'I came to serve and not to be served'. The believer respects elders, treats women as princesses and queens and men as kings and princes and priests in the house of God .God's people are described as kings and priests  Rev.1:6 says " And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.' Everyone deserves r

   By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi  " So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven." Matthew 18:4 NLTBible   And Samuel told him, “Although you may think little of yourself, are you not the leader of the tribes of Israel? The Lord has anointed you king of Israel."1 Samuel 15:17 NLTBible      King Saul was anointed Israel's first king by an act of grace, he did not merit it in any way . He was of the smallest tribe and least recognized family . He saw himself as unqualified for the exalted office until pride was found in his heart and he was removed from circulation and replaced with a little known David      God uses the least likely of persons to do the extraordinary. The bible says " God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at

   By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi  "  I looked up again and saw a scroll flying through the air.   “What do you see?” the angel asked.“I see a flying scroll,” I replied. “It appears to be about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide.”     Then he said to me, “This scroll contains the curse that is going out over the entire land. One side of the scroll says that those who steal will be banished from the land; the other side says that those who swear falsely will be banished from the land.        And this is what the lord of Heaven’s Armies says: I am sending this curse into the house of every thief and into the house of everyone who swears falsely using my name. And my curse will remain in that house and completely destroy it—even its timbers and stones.”     Then the angel who was talking with me came forward and said, “Look up and see what’s coming.”  Zechariah 5:1-5      The word 'curse' as used in this text is the Hebrew word âlâh it means an oath of covenant , an imprecation: -

   By Rev Michael Benson.    "You will be driven from human society. You will live in the fields with the wild animals, and you will eat grass like a cow. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way, until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.’ Daniel 4:32 NLTBible   What was the crime of this king , the Bible says    "As he looked out across the city, he said,  ‘Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.’ In the pursuit of self exaltation he embarked on infrastructural development while the citizens languished in poverty . Development is incomplete without an increase in human capacity.   Daniel 4:30 NLT This man began to ascribe glory to himself. He taught he was responsible for the air he breaths, the ability to keep his heart beating twenty hours a day , he thought he was responsible for the b

    By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi  " Jesus also taught: “Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces.  And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets."Mark 12:38‭-‬39 NLTBible     Persons who grew under oppressive guardians or parents suffer an emotional injury that results in an unhealthy desire to be honoured in their adult lives. If untreated it will result in broken homes and inability to keep a relationship. These person like to be in churches were they are given excessive  attention , exert undue control ,worshiped and praised regularly. It is symptomatic of a low self esteem. Pastors who allow this eventually fail in Christian character.     Many religious leaders especially in Africa desire worship by members and these members are conditioned psychologically to desire honour . It is one of the reasons behind oppression

  By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi  John 1: 1 In the beginning the Word already existed.     The Word was with God,   and the Word was God.   He existed in the beginning with God.  God created everything through him,  and nothing was created except through him.  The Word gave life to everything that was created,  and his life brought light to everyone.   John1:1-3  14  So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.  John 1:14    Old testament rules demanded that the wages of sin be paid with blood. An animal exchanged its innocence for the sins of the guilty . But a dilemma is the situation where the priest and his sacrifice  fell short of God's standard because of sin. In this case a person's sins remains with them since there was no priest qualified to offer the sacrifices for sins. There was therefore , need for a vicarious atonement.      The Bible says P

  By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi   Jesus Christ was manifested to fulfill the demands of the law and to fulfill prophesy .  The law makes provision for substitutionary sacrifice . It says without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins .  THE INNOCENT GOAT DIED FOR THE PEOPLE'S SINS . " Aaron will then present as a sin offering the goat chosen by lot for the lord. '     The other goat, the scapegoat chosen by lot to be sent away, will be kept alive, standing before the lord. When it is sent away to Azazel in the wilderness, the people will be purified and made right with the lord.   “Aaron will present his own bull as a sin offering to purify himself and his family, making them right with the lord. After he has slaughtered the bull as a sin offering,  Leviticus 16:9-11   The psalmist says in Psalm 9:12 "When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble." JESUS CHRIST IS THE SEED OF THE WOMAN ACCORDING  P

   By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi  "And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country.  And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.  And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.  And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost." Acts 12:20‭-‬23 KJV      Happiness is a word used interchangeably with joy in the scriptures and true joy is a gift of the Holy Spirit and is given to those who obey God.      In acts 12 king Herod  was struck by an Angel because of pride , he took the glory that was meant for God only . Some  reasons for pride includes intellectual achievements ( 1 Tim6:3-4, Eve demonstrated pride while

    By Rev Micheal Benson Ajayi   "I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me. Then I pray to you, O Lord . I say, “You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life. " Psalms 142:4‭-‬5 NLT     Good relationships are to be treasured as long as they last. Relationships will be tested and often times the crisis in our relationships may not be caused by us . Therefore, it is improper to always blame yourself whenever a relationship fails resulting in your abandonment.  Adam and Eve teamed up against God . Was God at fault for giving man so much freedom and resources.? Was God to blame ?. No. This should tell you that your best effort at demonstrating love will be rejected and treated worthless by someone you love.      Do not always blame yourself for someone's choice to reject you. You may not be meant to be together at that moment  . Jesus Christ was abandoned by all