HOPING AGAINST HOPE

 HOPING AGAINST HOPE  

By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi

 "Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be."  

  And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:" Romans 4:18-19

   The just shall leave by faith . Faith is our total unreserved dependence in God , this requires unalloyed loyalty to his Holy Spirit . Faith is described in Hebrews 11:1 as "... the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." An example of this is the making of ice using an ice making machine . Liquid water in containers is the evidence that ice will be produced. We do not need to see the ice to believe . 

    Likewise, the word of God and the required action demanded by the word is proof that a miracle will come to pass. The word of God is perfect and contains the components for the creation of anything .The universe is sustained by the word of God . The word of God is Spirit therefore, one has to have spiritual perception to receive the miracle contained in God's word .

   It is this spiritual perception that gives birth to hope . Hope is an earnest expectation .This hope is not dependent on physical circumstances . Just as the making of ice does not start with ice but a shapeless water likewise , we should not expect our circumstance to be appealing before we can trust in God . 

Hope gives no room for shame . We cannot be promised say a billion dollars by a reliable source and be ashamed of being recipients of the money . The scriptures says in Romans 5:3-4 ." ... we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:" 

 " And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Romans 5:5.  Being  in a state of gratitude and love for God and man is an indication of hope in God at work. 

    Abraham was not moved by the physical circumstances of the health status of Sarah and himself but hoped in hope against the hope of failing. 

  Shadrach , Meshach and Abednego were not discouraged by the fact that their deliverance did not come when most  persons would have expected it to. It came at the worst state of their circumstance :right in the middle of a superheated furnace ( Dan 3:20-26) . Just when many persons may think all hope is gone , you will be "...saved by hope but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? " Romans 8:24

Prayer : Heavenly father forgive me of my sins against you I believe Jesus Christ died and was raised again for my salvation I receive him as lord and saviour and receive the Holy Spirit and power to overcome temptation. Amen.

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VICTORY IN THE FACE OF APPARENT DEFEAT (2)

 VICTORY IN THE FACE OF APPARENT DEFEAT  (2)

By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi

"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; " 2 Corinthians 4:6,8-9

   "Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire." Daniel 3:26 Bible 

    God's way of doing things is diametrically opposed and mutually exclusive to the world's view. There will always be stiff opposition against promoters of God's righteousness in the world. 

  Jesus Christ said preachers of truth shall hated with some killed by persons who think that by so doing they are pleasing God. It is under such such circumstances that we have the opportunity of seeing the power of God manifested through our victorious faith.

   Shadrach , Meshach and Abednego were condemned to die by incineration by the highest authority in the land for refusing to succumb to a corrupt system of government epitomised by idol worship . 

  The kings decree prescribed a death sentence to anyone who refused to bow to his corrupt god. Imagine being faced with a similar situation were you are told to compromise your faith in God for survival. The truth remains that Satan does not give anything for free. Whatever you get from false religious devotion will cost you your peace with God. You will not enjoy the wealth gotten from error due to the constant fear of losing it . This fears  results in being restless. The corrupt knows no peace. 

  In Christ we find rest even in times of crisis . All fear is gone , haven overcome the fear of death which is Satan's greatest weapon of choice through which many are in bondage. (Hebrews 2:14-15). Fear torments. The born again believer has already died and is resurrected in Christ so he does not fear death but sees it as a means to a glorious . "And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power." 1 Corinthians 6:14

  This was the understanding  these three Hebrew boys had  when they said  "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." Daniel 3:17-18

    Those who allow themselves to be intimidated by the fear of death by Satan cannot make good progress in their walk of faith . The more deadly a situation is , the  more profitable are its potential when properly harnessed , example of this is space shuttles with astronauts sitting on tonnes of explosives while fighting gravity and launched in to space .

 God waited for the worst thing to happen before showing up for the Hebrew boys. It may seem we have failed but eventually we shall win. Shadrach , Meshach and Abednego were promoted and succeeded in changing the corrupt system of governance in Babylon. Dan.3:29-30 

 Prayer: Heavenly father forgive me of my sins against you I believe Jesus Christ died and was raised again for my salvation I receive him as lord and saviour and receive the Holy Spirit and power to heal the sick. 

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VICTORY IN THE FACE OF APPARENT DEFEAT (1)

 VICTORY IN THE FACE OF APPARENT DEFEAT  (1)

By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi 

" And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:"  Revelation 2:26

Daniel 6:26-27

" I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.

He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.'

   Believers in Jesus Christ are mandated by God to advance the message of God's righteousness in all the nations earth. We are to use our skills, talent , experience wherever we find ourselves to spread the message of God's righteousness. Jesus Christ told the disciples to say " repent , the kingdom of God is at hand meaning , the righteousness of God within reach . 

   Daniel was a prophet , teacher of God's word and politician in a very corrupt government that was given to worshipping o man-made idols (gods) . We have a responsibility to enforce God's righteousness wherever we find ourselves .This will come with stiff opposition that could be life threatening. Daniel was thrown into the lions den for standing for truth and God delivered him .  

  The word 'overcometh' in Rev 2:26  is the Greek word 'nikaō' : it means , subdue (literally or figuratively): - conquer overcome prevail get the victory..God promises to help you despite being faced with the possibility of defeat (Isaiah 41:10). Faith in God has nothing to do with with whether the circumstance is pleasant or not. Jesus Christ demonstrated this on that old rugged cross , the devil thought he has defeated him but he had another thing coming. Jesus Christ's death and resurrection marked the end of Satan's dominion over God's children .

. Faith guarantees victory in the face of defeat Do not be intimidated by the enemy , God is not with them ( Psalm 94:20) despite their false religious devotion. He will deliver you.

   Eventually, Daniel prevailed and the laws of the land was changed in favour of God's people . Righteousness prevailed through one man who took a stand for God in the face of defeat. 

   Regardless of  what would have happened Daniel had victorious faith ,therefore, whether dead or life he knew that one with God is majority. The bible says in 1 John 5:4 "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.'

  The irony of Daniel's situation was that the king knew that Daniel was a servant of the living God. He prayed for Daniel  (Dan 6;16) He was religious but did not know God. Religious folks are easy tools in the hands of the devil.

     Prayer : Heavenly Father forgive me of my sins against you I believe Jesus Christ died and was raised again for my salvation I receive him as lord and saviour and receive the Holy Ghost and faith for signs and wonders 

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YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOR THE BETTER TODAY.

A BETTER LIFE IS POSSIBLE 

By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi

God wants the best for us , His plan is for His goodness and mercy to be part of our lives daily. However, it would require our working with Him through His word  that would lead to our seeing the manifestation of His will in our lives.  The word of God says in Mark 4:26-29. "And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.  But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

 The  Word of God is a seed (Mark 4:14) which when planted into the soil of the human heart grows.  This process involves two main processes.
First, God’s Word has to be planted like a seed in our hearts. Just as a seed doesn’t release its life until it is planted into the ground, God’s Word will not set us free until we get it in our hearts. 
Second, the man who sowed the seed slept and rose day after day. It takes time for a seed to germinate. You can’t plant a seed one day and expect to see it growing the next day. Just because there’s nothing visible above ground doesn’t mean the seed isn’t growing. If you dig it up every day to see if anything is happening, it will be destroyed . That's what murmuring leads to :the death of dreams. Do not allow natural circumstances override your commitment to God's word. 

A farmer has to leave his seed in the ground and believe that it is growing even though he cannot see it. Likewise, you have to have faith that the seed of God’s Word will do what it was designed by God to do: produce its fruit in its time. 
    When we meditate in God’s Word, we are undergoing effortless change! We may not see ourselves growing, but we are-just like that planted seed is growing under the ground even though the farmer can’t see it!

Effortless change is possible and it is happening all around us even as you read this now,  your hair and finger nails would have grown . We receive effortless change by taking the seed of God’s Word and sowing it in our hearts. Then the Word will produce all the change we need.

The  orange tree does not travail to produce an orange, it just comes naturally and effortlessly. It may take  time, but it comes effortlessly. Likewise, it is natural for all true born-again believers to be like Jesus. This can only happen when we plant the seed of God’s Word in our hearts .

Growing means to change to an improved version. Plant make constant changes as they grow . For the plant, it’s effortless; it just grows, and the change is evident to everyone. Your life should be just like that—green, growing, changing, and evident to the world. The plant never resolved to do anything. It just grows and produces fruit because of what it is. The Word of God is the same. When planted, it just produces—effortlessly.

Prayer, fasting, and giving offerings are no substitute to God's word in your heart.  Prayer and fasting are like water and fertilizer to a seed. A seed needs those things. But it is the seed that has the miracle of life in it.

The only effort on your part is to put God’s Word in your heart and protect and nurture it. Then God’s Word will produce the change.  

 Prayer; Heavenly Father forgive me of my sins against you ,I believe Jesus Christ died and was raised again for my salvation , I receive him as Lord and saviour and receive the Holy Spirit and power for victorious living. .Amen 

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NOT CURSED WITH POVERTY

 

YOU ARE FREE FROM THE CURSE OF POVERTY

May 16, 2022

      

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi 

Hebrews 7:4-10 “Consider then how great this Melchizedek was. Even Abraham, the great patriarch of Israel, recognized this by giving him a tenth of what he had taken in battle.  Now the law of Moses required that the priests, who are descendants of Levi, must collect a tithe from the rest of the people of Israel, who are also descendants of Abraham.  But Melchizedek, who was not a descendant of Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham. And Melchizedek placed a blessing upon Abraham, the one who had already received the promises of God.  And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed. The priests who collect tithes are men who die, so Melchizedek is greater than they are, because we are told that he lives on.  In addition, we might even say that these Levites—the ones who collect the tithe—paid a tithe to Melchizedek when their ancestor Abraham paid a tithe to him. For although Levi wasn't born yet, the seed from which he came was in Abraham's body when Melchizedek collected the tithe from him”

   The believer in Jesus Christ is saved by the same principle of faith by which Prophet Abraham got saved. He existed before the law of Moses therefore, it was not by the observance of the laws of Moses ( Tithing inclusive ) that Abraham was saved . The believer in Jesus Christ was in the loins of Abraham when he was declared righteous by God , just as the Levites of the tribe of Levi were not yet born when Abraham demonstrated loyalty to God outside the laws of Moses by giving a tenth part of his wealth to Melchizedek . He received the blessing from God before he gave the tithe , therefore , it was not the tithe that brought about the blessing but the other way round .Tithe was a proof of his faith in the blessing for faith without work is dead .

        We tithe as an acknowledgment of God’s ownership of our resources and His blessing upon us , it is also a demonstration of our love for his work on earth. We do not tithe as prescribed by Moses however ,the Apostle Paul by the leading of the Holy Spirit shows us  how Abraham gave his tithe . The scriptures says  1 Cor 16:1-2 NLT “Now regarding your question about the money being collected for God's people .. You should follow the same procedure.. you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned…” You determine how you give and it is not by compulsion but necessary. A church is only as obligated to a church member as much as they are obligated to the church; we should not expect so much from a ministry we do not help to build through our resources (Luke6:38)  ,  everyone has something (time, money, skills etc) to give for the furtherance of the gospel.

    ERROR IN THE INTERPRETATION OF MALACHI 3:8-10 . God did not place a curse on the people for not tithing: that will be contradicting himself  , Gal.3:13 says we are redeemed from the curse of the law of Moses (tithing inclusive) . The original text reads  Malachi 3:8 “ ye cursed with a curse for me you have robbed , the whole nation of you” meaning the issue about tithe leads to worshipers cursing each other as a result of the improper approach  (read Malachi chapter1 ) to tithing .it was used as a means of robbery through threats by the clergy as it is today . Preachers have often used this scripture to extort money from worshipers and as a result many do not give cheerfully but under fear and compulsion, this should not be . The born again Christian was in the body of Abraham just like Levi when he gave tithes to Melchizedek  , therefore , we already possess the blessing of tithing even when we fail to tithe  . This is no excuse to be selfish ,the Lord is against stinginess ,  worshippers who habitually complain about giving are found to be selfish towards their immediate and extended families. This is a major reason behind marital failure. Ask the lord for the enablement to give as he prospers you ,wisely and cheerfully and not out of fear or compulsion or seeking praise from men. Ask your pastor to show you how to partake in the Abrahamic tithing also request prayers for divine assistance . This is a sure way to develop faithfulness in our relationships ( Deut.14:23)

Prayer :Heavenly Father , forgive me of my sins against you , I believe Jesus Christ died and was raised again for my salvation , I receive him as Lord and savior and a  receive the Holy Spirit and  grace to be a distributor of wealth in Jesus name.   

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THE OR-ELSE FACTOR

THE OR-ELSE FACTOR 

By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi

 "Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him." 1 Kings 1:5 

  "Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured." Proverbs 13:18

    Animal trainers recognize the importance of using stimuli in getting an animal  to behave in a desirable manner . One of them is the use of a reward system to encourage the animal to respond in an acceptable way.

  Pain is used to prevent the animal from behaving in an undesirable manner .king David had a son who was not trained in  distinguishing of good  from evil . He was pampered from childhood . Children with such an upbringing tend to become selfish adults  Adonijah usurped power against God's plan and was destroyed .

   God does not want us to suffer destruction from self ambition. For that reason the Bible contains or-else factors ( rules and regulations ) to guide our actions for our good.

    Any organization without rules and regulations is doomed to fail. The British premier league is very popular to football fans worldwide . This is made possible by the rules and regulations in the British FA .

   Nobody wants to watch a football match  without referees operating with or -else factors ( the red and yellow cards) . It is the players fear of being booked that makes the game beautiful. Relationships without rules end in disaster.

   Rules and regulations add value and virtue to our lives  . Without ' Or-Else Factors' an organization lacks value and virtue .

   This is what happens when the rule of law is disregarded by political leaders  ; it results in chaos . The deliberate abuse of the 'or- else factor ' opens the doors to impunity and an escalation of insecurity .

The bible says Ecclesiastes 8:11  "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil."

  Nigeria has witnessed an increasing deterioration in the electoral process due to the absence of the Or- else factor. The consequence of this if allowed to persist is a culture of rebellion against authority by citizens. Children rebelling against parents is becoming the order of the day because government is an integral part of the formation process of human character. 

  An example of the violation of the 'or-else factor' is found in  Judges 21:25 " In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes." There are countries that have been overrun by gangs ( E.g Haiti) due to the absence of the 'or else factor' in governance .

   The early church under apostle Peter's leadership used the 'Or -else factor' effectively and the bible says in 

Acts 5:11,13-14  "And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them." 

 "And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) ]There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one." Read Acts 5:1-16

 We should daily pray for orderliness in our communities and families. Miracles and prosperity are the reward of the or- else factor in our families.

Prayer : Heavenly father forgive me of my sins against you I believe Jesus Christ died and was raised again for my salvation I receive him as my lord and saviour and receive the Holy Spirit and power to embrace orderliness. 

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UNDERSTANDING GOD'S WILL FOR AN EXCELLENT RELATIONSHIP .?

 UNDERSTANDING GOD'S WILL FOR AN EXCELLENT RELATIONSHIP.

"For whoever does the things God wills is My brother and sister and mother!" MARK 3.35 AMP
The word 'Will ' is the Greek word " thelema " which means "a determination (properly, the thing), i.e. (actively) choice (specially, purpose, decree; abstractly, volition) or (passively) inclination:-- desire, pleasure.
God's ways are not our ways. As He reminds us in Isaiah 55:8-9 ;
  "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."
  This is simply saying that God's ways of doing things are often completely opposite to
what we would do, and thus, can be very confusing to our own rational and logical mind.
  In 1 Peter 4:2 , it tells us that we are to "live the rest of [the] time... [no longer for] the lusts of men, but to the will of God." The question is: How can we live according to God's will unless we know what it is?
The  Bible, reveals four different aspects to God's Will: which could be safely categorised as :
1) His Sovereign Will - God's ultimate redemptive goals and purposes that are often hidden from mankind.
2) His Revealed Will - God's will already disclosed through His Word, the Bible.
3) His Will For Humanity- Salvation: union with Christ and thus, freedom from sin.
4) His Will For Believers - Sanctification: purification of the body, soul and spirit.
   Understanding what the will of God for us eliminates what setbacks we may encounter during our times of trials and temptations.

God Sovereign Will. (His ultimate redemptive goals and purposes) Ephesians 1:9-10 says; "Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in
Himself; That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth: even in Him."

  This Scripture tells us that God's sovereign will is not only "a mystery," but also the redemption of all things. In other words, mankind does not understand how God is guiding the universe and the human race toward His ultimate goals.
Thus, much of God's sovereign will is still a mystery and hidden from us.
A case in study is Samson's passion for a women of less virtue as revealed in the  scriptures . We see God's military strategy to legally execute his judgement against the Philistines through what the ignorant may have termed Samson's  excesses. Judges 14:3-4 MSG

  "His parents said to him, “Isn’t there a woman among the girls in the neighborhood of our people? Do you have to go get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me. She’s the one I want—she’s the right one.” (His father and mother had no idea that God was behind this, that he was arranging an opportunity against the Philistines. At the time the Philistines lorded it over Israel.)"
Could some marriages be like that of Samson, though not popular to many but strategic in bringing about the manifestation and fulfillment of God's purpose for a particular people.?  The purpose of a marriage could be for the birth of a special child who will change the world's perspective about God. An example is king Solomon , a product of a murderous and adulterous relationship between king David and Bathsheba (2Samuel.11)

 Regardless of the situation God works all things according to the counsel of his will (Ephesians 1;11) and all things work out for the good of the saints in Jesus Christ.(Rom8:28) God turns ugly situations into masterpieces. 

Prayer : Heavenly father forgive me of my sins against you I believe Jesus Christ died and was raised again for my salvation I receive him as my lord and saviour and receive the Holy Spirit and stability in my dealings. Amen.

+2348035536911, +2348098536911 email. Michaelbenainajayi@gmail.com