Good-life Daily Devotional

     By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi             Mark 7:11 AMP  “ But [as for you] you say, A man is exempt if he tells [his] father or [his] mother, What you would otherwise have gained from me [everything I have that would have been of use to you] is Corban, that is, is a gift [already given as an offering to God], ”           The religious Jews of Jesus ’  time often used flattery to exploit their followers. They disregarded the importance of the care for the elderly ,insisting that provisions meant for them be given as offerings to the temple thereby encouraging the neglect of the weak and elderly. The Pharisees profited from this act of the dishonor of one ’ s parents.In some churches members are told to give money meant for medical care of a sick parent as 'miracle seeds' for their healing.Claiming it is more profiting to give to a chur...

By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi John 8:1 AMP  ‘ She answered, No one, Lord! And Jesus said, I do not condemn you either. Go on your way and from now on sin no more. ’                This theatrical display of self-righteousness was probably the height of provocation by the religious folks of Jesus' time who sought to discredit Him before the public.He was seen as a threat to the Jewish religious bigots whose traditions thrived on inequity and injustice. For example, from the above scripture, nothing was said of the woman ’ s male companion; definitely adultery requires two or more sexual partners. This is typical of all man-made religion: they are often, exploitative, illogical and inhumane.                Jesus Christ was very consistent with his mission to save the weak, the scripture says in John 3:17 Amp  “ For God ...

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi Mark 8:35 KJV  “  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. ”               Deprivation is a key component in the making of a disciple of Christ .Our relationship with the world's social system does affect our spiritual development (James4:4). The human spirit has infinite capabilities but is limited in function by reason of its attachment to the human body.         The disciple of Christ is likened to a soldier (2Tim 2:4) who for the purpose of efficiency and effectiveness in the war-front is not  expected to be entangled with civilian affairs. He lives a regimented life by reason of the goals he seeks to accomplish. A soldier has to be fit to carry his weapons; likewise the Christian has to be fit emotionally , physically...

Rev Michael Benson Ajayi  Matt 16:20 KJV  “ Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ ”        It was expected that the disciples would have been encouraged to make Jesus Christ known while He was yet with them  but the contrary was the case as revealed in the above scripture. There are two major reasons behind this . First, it was to fulfill the prophecy in John 1:10-11 KJV  “ He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. ”             Value is a function of the cost expended in the pursuit of an ideal. We only place value on objects that cost us something to acquire. Adam was freely given wisdom in the Garden of Eden which he never truly valued rather, it was that which cost him his relationship with God that he had more value for (Ge...

Rev Michael Benson Ajayi KJV Mark 14:3..6 "And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head."    ..."And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.”            The word ‘good’ as used in this text is the Greek word  ‘kalos’ and it means ‘beautiful’, valuable or virtuous (for appearance or use, and thus distinguished)’ .  This verse of scripture demonstrates the importance of aesthetics in the presentation of the message of the kingdom. The English dictionary defines beautiful as “possessing qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, think about, etc.; delighting the senses or mind:”   Beauty is attractive that is why Satan uses this attribute of creation in propagating sin . Be...

  By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi John 12:24 KJV ” Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”         In this parable Jesus Christ explains that the death of some  things in our lives is necessary for improvement in life. The corn of wheat is typical of the gifts (knowledge, experience, talents, skills, material resources) we have received from God and like the corn of wheat they have the potentials for growth embedded in them and  they will remain unfruitful  until planted according to the master's instructions . The power for multiplication resides in the earth and is activated the very moment the corn of wheat makes contact with the soil. The immediate outcome is usually not pleasant as the scripture says: the corn of wheat must first die. Serving God comes with great losses and pain .     ...

  BY Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi Matt 11:30  KJV  ” For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”          The Greek word for “burden” is the word ‘phortion’  and it means “an invoice” (as part of freight), figuratively: “a task or service”: Jesus Christ is saying to the disciples that His service is light or easy. Whenever the lord gives an assignment, He foots the bills; all invoices are easily taken care of. There, are those who believe that serving God is a sentence to a life of penury and perpetual misery based on what they have observed in the life of some believers. But contrary to this view, the truth still remains that God’s work is easy. It is what it is: God’s work not man’s work. It becomes difficult when it becomes your work. It is like a surfer surfing the waves, the surfer simply rides the waves, it isn’t his responsibility to create waves. Most preachers teach church members to create...