Good-life Daily Devotional

  By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi     "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." Proverbs 25:11 KJV Bible    True beauty is determined by your speech .The words you speak could either make you appear ugly or beautiful. A woman known for speaking positive words always appears more beautiful than those who speak negativity. This is the reason for the loss of sexual attraction among many married persons . Your life is the sum of the effects of the speeches you have consciously been making about yourself , immediate family , your church , extended family , friends ,community and nation . It is impossible to keep speaking negatively about ones immediate family, church , extended family, community and country and be a happy person making sustainable progress.  Negative speaking is retrogressive resulting in stagnation.      The universe operates by the law of inputs and outputs. If you want a good output then consciously make good inputs especially when nobody

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi  "Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread."Psalms 37:25 NLTBible    “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead?  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." Matthew 7:9‭, ‬11 NLTBible       God owns the resources on earth and beyond and as a responsible father he has made provisions for his precious people. The resources come as  either finished or  unfinished goods and services. What this means is that some would need to go through  a process of preparation (like preparing an egg sandwich ) before it is  delivered to us .     Some others like the air we breath come ready for our use. In some instances we would be required to play active roles in the processing stage (as in a tailor taking our measurement to make a well fi

 By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi “Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people. “Do not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is threatened. I am the Lord . “Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives. Confront people directly so you will not be held guilty for their sin." Leviticus 19:16‭-‬17 NLTBible     The English dictionary defines gossip or gossiping as : casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details which are not confirmed as true.        It defines slander as : the action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person's reputation.        Nations  have gone to war against each other on account of gossip or slander . It is for this reason that God frowns at it.      It is an abomination against God to raise a false report against a child of God. The scriptures says “You must not pass along false rumors. You must not cooperate with evil people by lying on the witness stand."Exod

 By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi  "How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!" Psalms 133:1 NLTBible    The cry for global peace is at an all time high with far reaching effect on the the stability of nations the world over . It is impossible to attain lasting prosperity in the absence of peace and unity.     The success of any enterprise to a very large extent is a function of the social network of those involved in it. Businesses tend to thrive faster on a well knitted business network.     The business of spreading the Gospel of the kingdom of God is facilitated by a well knitted network of body of believers. The church spreads faster when united. Disunited families struggle with untold poverty. The enemy knows this that is why he sows seeds of discord through willing persons to frustrate the process of winning of souls through the preaching of the Gospel   "Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?  "Amos 3:3 NLTB

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi  'The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? "Psalms 118:6 NLTBible     Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm. It is different from the natural instinctive fright needed for survival . Fear can lead to bondage   , the Bible says " Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying." Hebrews 2:15 NLT Bible . The fear of humans results in life threatening trauma " Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety."Proverbs 29:25 NLTBible       This results in spiritual ,  emotional and physical weakness resulting in major financial crisis as a result of dwindling creativity . Fear is a major cause of impotency amongst men .     Fear quenches zeal for advancement and creates a defeatist attitude. A defeated soul always has an excuse for not taking positive life-changing actions needed for success

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi    Acts    1:8 " .. ye shall  receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come  upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me  both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in  Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the  earth." Acts 1:8     The word 'power' is the Greek word 'dunamis'. It means:  strength power, ability inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth, power for performing miracles , moral power and excellence of soul    ,the power and influence which belong to riches and wealth "      Our daily demands requires physical, spiritual and emotional strength and with the passage of time we lose strength , it is for this reason that we need to be revived with strength . The anointing of the Holy Spirit is self regenerative and accessible to the believer . We do not seek for power anywhere outside the source of all power ,glory and dominion : the Holy Sp

  By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi  "for anger gives a foothold to the devil." Ephesians 4:27 NLTBible    "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat " Luke22:31   The word 'desired' in the above text is from the Greek word exaiteomai , it means  :to ask from, demand of to ask or beg for one's self, to ask that one be given up to one from the power of another " this is the language of prayer . It is known as making a petition .     Satan cannot attack any human without seeking the legal rights from God. Man was created in the image of God and shares in the authority of the Godhead . However, when Adam rebelled against God he handed his rights and privileges to Satan and this has been recovered through the vicarious atonement of Jesus Christ on the cross of calvary .      Notwithstanding, whenever a person contravenes or rebels against God's commandments , they indirectly surrender themselves

  By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi  "And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him." 1 John 3:22 NLT      Prayer is the legal interaction between God and his creation . Animals, plants, demons, Satan pray to God as well as humans ( Christians and non Christians ) God is the father of us all and we depend on him for life.       In the book of Job Satan sought permission from God to strike job likewise before he attacks any human he must seek the legal grounds and present it before God .     In the new testament book of 1 Corinthians chapter five Satan was given the license to afflict the young man engaged in a sexual relations with his father's wife . The Bible says in the new testament book of 1 Timothy 1:20 NLT "Hymenaeus and Alexander are two examples. I threw them out and handed them over to Satan so they might learn not to blaspheme God.". This is proof that Satan has a role to play in the church until the rap

   By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi  "So my people come pretending to be sincere and sit before you. They listen to your words, but they have no intention of doing what you say. Their mouths are full of lustful words, and their hearts seek only after money."Ezekiel 33:31 NLTBible     The oxford English language dictionary defines  Crisis as a time of intense difficulty or danger , a time when a difficult or important decision must be made.     There are three major reasons for crisis 1) misunderstanding 2) conflicting interest 3) oppression and hostility as in the case of wars .       God's people were rebuked for their pretentious worship:  it was not sincere . but driven by the love for money . A preacher once said the fastest way to grow a church in Nigeria  is to promise people money during evangelism . I have had many occasions were  I have been asked if I will pay for church attendance. This is what the state of the church was in Ezekiel's time. With this mindset it

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi " While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he had married a Cushite woman. They said, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he spoken through us, too?” But the Lord heard them. (Now Moses was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth.)Numbers 12:1‭-‬3 NLTBible    "One day Korah son of Izhar, a descendant of Kohath son of Levi, conspired with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, from the tribe of Reuben. They incited a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 other leaders of the community, all prominent members of the assembly. They united against Moses and Aaron and said, “You have gone too far! The whole community of Israel has been set apart by the Lord , and he is with all of us. What right do you have to act as though you are greater than the rest of the Lord ’s people?”Numbers 16:1‭-‬3 NLTBible     Moses was chosen of God to lead his people from Egypt to the promised

 By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi  The Israelites had a special ceremony in the Old Testament which took place every year on the day of Atonement : during which two goats were chosen by lots ,one to be sacrificed and  the other to become a scapegoat , then Aaron the high priest will assemble the people and lay his hands on the scapegoat's head.     This was interpreted to mean that the burden of sins of the nation has been transferred to the animal and  the goat was taken outside the camp and forced into the wilderness to perish  .    This is symbolic of a greater sacrifice when Jesus was led outside the city to be crucified,  God the Father placed our sins upon him and he became a scapegoat and our sacrificial lamb.  "For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,Ro

  By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi "Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18‭-‬20 NLT Bible     The ultimate objective of being a member of any Christian congregation is to be trained into being a disciple of Christ and to transform men into being disciples of Christ through the teaching ministry .    Every  believer in Jesus Christ is expected to be active in the teaching ministry. The teaching ministry is not only meant for so-called 'teachers' , I used the word 'so-called' because many persons have been taught to believe that there are specialists or experts in God's kingdom. There are no experts in God's kingdom but the Holy Gho

  By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi "But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God."Daniel 6:10 NLTBible     The Bible describes the church as the house of God and a temple where prayers are to be  offered for nations. Jesus Christ said "my house shall be called a house of prayer ".  It is through prayers that nations attain good governance and peace . When believers in Jesus Christ commit themselves to truly pray for the nation ,God intervenes . They are to pray for God's will to be done . Failure  to do so results in bad governance, poverty and insecurity .     It is because of the importance of prayers that families are expected to have prayer discipline , father's are to lead in prayers and should be known for their prayer discipline like Daniel was . His friends knew where

By Rev .Michael Benson Ajayi    Ex 26:33-34 NKJV  “And you shall hang the veil from the clasps. Then you shall bring the ark of the Testimony in there, behind the veil. The veil shall be a divider for you between the holy place and the Most Holy.”       The Ark was the symbol of God’s authority over His chosen people by reason of the covenant He made with Abraham.  It contained the Ten Commandments and was placed at the centre of the Tabernacle .It served as a constant reminder of God’s promises to them.        The Ten Commandments were rules on social justice and equity and they had authority over everyone. No one was above the rules, not even the high priest. They were an expression of God’s love for His people. Love is defined by its rules; flouting them compromises one’s safety.    We do not like to be told what to do; however, we need to . Modern day parenting and pastoring  encourages overindulgence and children raised under such environment grow up being  adults that  loath all

 By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi  "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation."2 Corinthians 5:17‭, ‬19 NLTBible    The word 'reconciling' is the Greek word katallassō it means ' to receive one into favour ' . We were at loggerhead with God and through his grace in Jesus Christ he has received us into a place where we now enjoy his favour and expects we do likewise to each other.      This is achieved through a principle of conflict resolution of 'no longer counting people's sins against them ' the word counting is the Greek word 'logizomai' it means to reckon all the reasons ,to gather, to infer' . This means the ultimate target in seeking for reconciliation should not be seeking for all reasons for not seeking

  By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi “At the end of every third year, bring the entire tithe of that year’s harvest and store it in the nearest town. Give it to the Levites, who will receive no allotment of land among you, as well as to the foreigners living among you, the orphans, and the widows in your towns, so they can eat and be satisfied. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all your work."Deuteronomy 14:28‭-‬29 NLTBible      Money is an amplifier of the state of mind of an individual . When the wicked increase financially , wickedness increases in the society likewise when the righteous increases in finances righteousness increases in the society .Money has always been Satan's bait of choice to bring mankind into his kingdom .      False prophets are known to promise people monetary gains if they agree to become members of their congregation. It is one simple way to know if a preacher is of God or inspired by Satan. True disciples offer converts righteousness, peace and j

 By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi " As all the men of Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones, wives, and children, He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s." 2 Chronicles 20:13‭, ‬15 NLT Bible      The men of Judah were threatened by a huge ferocious army , there was literally no way out of this problem . Their response to this threat was to involve their wives and children in a prayer session for deliverance .      This was an opportunity to teach the children how to depend on the Lord in times of crisis. Children need convincing that the Lord is always with them regardless. When children are exposed to family problems and cooperate prayers made concerning them , it gives them the opportunity to see the Lord fulfill his promises concerning our protection .    It is advisable to let children know about

  By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi   "But there are some Jews—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—whom you have put in charge of the province of Babylon. They pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They refuse to serve your gods and do not worship the gold statue you have set up.” Daniel 3:12 NLTBible    It requires very strong convictions to do what is right in the face of very strong opposition .Christianity has been under strong opposition throughout the ages, and we are in a world where sin is celebrated and rewarded . As part of his strategy to frustrate God's people , Satan has infiltrated the church with his ideologies and manifests through preachers who promote the pursuit of the low human nature rather than uncompromising Christian character .     The scriptures says "But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi "Some of the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters and called out the entire regiment. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it."Matthew 27:27‭-‬30 NLTBible     Name calling is abusive language or insults.  These soldiers where manifesting a characteristic of the lower human nature : pride . There evaluation of Jesus Christ was based on the dictates of their carnal senses . They had no clue whatsoever about who he  was .       The scriptures describes Jesus Christ in this light : " Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in t

  By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi Mark 12:41-44 NLT “Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts.  Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins.  Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions.  For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on."      This scripture shows Jesus’ interest in the way we give towards missionary work. He stood with His disciples before the offering box with a clear view of how much each person gave; showing us the importance of human agents in the receiving of offerings. Heb 7:8 NIV says  “… the tenth is collected by men who die;…” God's messengers are symbols of authority through which we demonstrate our love for Him.     One would expect Jesus to have told the poor widow to keep her

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi    By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi ' A wise child brings joy to a father; a foolish child brings grief to a mother." Proverbs 10:1 NLTBible   Children are the future and they can affect our lives positively or negatively. God's will is for us to have a peaceful retirement at old age it is for that reason that children should be taught to respect authority. A child with no respect for authority is known as a rebel and unwise .       A rebel cannot be trusted ,this is a major setback in business and seeking for jobs. The scriptures says " Trusting a fool to convey a message is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison!" Proverbs 26:6 NLT  They cannot follow through procedures, they lack appetite for knowledge .The scriptures says " A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool. Evil people are eager for rebellion, but they will be severely punished."Proverbs 17:10‭-‬11 NL

  By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi Gen 14:20 KJV “And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.”   Abraham had just defeated the entire armed forces of a whole nation- Sodom and her foreign allies ;an extraordinary feat  achieved through the help of 318 servants . It was nothing short of a miracle confirmed through the visit of Melchizedeck  the high priest of the most high God –an anti-type of Jesus Christ. He declared Abraham blessed after which as a demonstration of his faith in divine preservation Abraham gave him tithes  - a custom in ancient Mesopotamia where a tenth portion of one’s goods at harvest was given to God ( in reality you cannot give God anything because he owns everything)  through a priest as a demonstration of one’s love and acknowledgment of His ownership of the earth. This culture is still being practiced in certain parts of the world . It is the essence of libation by most African cultures.