INTEGRITY: YOUR MOST VALUABLE ASSET

INTEGRITY: YOUR MOST VALUABLE ASSET

  

   April 12  2024

  

 By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi 

Num 24:10-14 “King Balak flew into a rage against Balaam. He angrily clapped his hands and shouted, "I called you to curse my enemies! Instead, you have blessed them three times.  Now get out of here! Go back home! I promised to reward you richly, but the Lord has kept you from your reward."  Balaam told Balak, "Don't you remember what I told your messengers? I said, 'Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the Lord.' I told you that I could say only what the Lord says! “

      Prophet Balaam like every servant of the lord had his weaknesses, there is no servant of the lord who has not erred (Ecc.7:20) it is what makes the mercy of God indispensable to our existence. But in this case Balaam had a choice to turn against God and be rich beyond his wildest dream or remain with the truth and face the consequences.  He chose  the latter  against the expectations of the king and popular opinion .

          Our integrity will be tested with money and other inducements but the conviction that a person’s greatest asset is not intellectual achievements, beauty or how much money he or she has but his integrity before God and man, this makes it easier to overcome temptations. The greatest and most valuable currency in the world is not the Euro, Dollar or British pounds but integrity. It is a nation's’ greatest export ,more valuable than the mineral resources of any nation. Through , the missionary activities in Switzerland and the Bahamas , a culture of integrity has been imbedded in the citizens that has enabled them to develop a very high level of integrity in their financial system . These countries do not have much in mineral resources in comparison with some African countries but they have been able to export integrity as a resource and the rich and mighty would prefer their monies kept in these countries than anywhere else in the world.  A friend of mine narrated his experience in Switzerland: he had gone shopping and forgot his wallet with some large amount of cash in a shop and was amazed that the money and wallet was delivered to his hotel room by the police in company of the shop owner. These countries may not be completely devoid of sins but they have been able to prove a point to the world about the virtues of financial integrity. Preachers in Africa especially Nigeria are being ridiculed for compromising on their integrity and falling for financial inducement by persons of questionable character . 

        A man of integrity serves without expecting a reward. I once asked members of my congregation how many preachers would love to pastor a church without offerings and tithes? as proof to my commitment to the work I said we were not taking offerings and tithes for two months. I did this sincerely, without no alternative source of income and the result was remarkable still enjoyed till date. Every preacher of the gospel should device means on how to train themselves on integrity like Daniel (Dan.1:8-15) and Abraham (Gen.14:18-22). Not too many persons will reject an offering from the president of a great nation. It takes great love for God to develop integrity. Balaam refused to speak falsely in God’s name .Some modern day preachers would have had an emergency vision because of the financial gifts from the king. It does not pay to give up your integrity for money or the praise of men; doing so is counterproductive and could lead to the loss of one’s family and wealth.

   One of the signs of a true servant of the Lord is that he or she does not minister the gospel for money or fame (Isaiah 45:13), he or she is ever contented with life :they know that integrity and righteousness is a shield against disaster, it attracts goodwill and favour from God and men ;it is the greatest gift we can bequeath to our children. It is your most valuable asset; a guarantee to a glorious marriage and security against poverty.   Titus 2:7-8 NIV Says “In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. “ 

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 power to walk in integrity in Jesus name.

Free prayer/counseling +2348098536911,+2348035536911 email:michaelbensonajayi@gmail.com

TEACHING THE GOSPEL DISRUPTS THE DEVIL'S PLANS

 TEACHING THE GOSPEL DISRUPTS THE DEVIL'S PLANS

April 05, 2024

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi

   "Some people may contradict our teaching, but these are the wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. These teachings promote a godly life. Anyone who teaches something different is arrogant and lacks understanding. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, division, slander, and evil suspicions. These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy." 1 Timothy 6:3‭-‬5 NLT

   The consequences of the merchandising of the glorious gospel of the kingdom of God are not farfetched. The essence of the preaching of the gospel is more about transformation of the frail  human  character into God's divine nature . This is only possible through the preaching of the truth of the gospel devoid of human sentiments. 

    Modern church growth school of thoughts teaches that a successful Christian ministry is measured by the size of one's congregation and how much was gotten from donations , while this could be true for business marketing principles ,it not true with regards to the preaching of sound gospel. For example John the baptist , Elijah , Apostle Paul did not boast of these. Paul was rejected in Asia and left broke , the Bible says  "As you know, everyone from the province of Asia has deserted me—.." 2Tim1:15 

In Mark6:27 Prophet John was arrested imprisoned and beheaded with his flock scattered .By modern church growth and prosperity formulas , these men would be judged failures but not by God's standards . Jesus Christ said "Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

Lk 12:15 NLT. This is the opposite of teachings by most modern prosperity teachers . 

   True Christianity is more about a godly character than membership of a congregation and adornment with religious paraphernalia. We are warned not to preach for money but  promote righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost " Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God." 1 Pe 5:2 NLT. 

   We are commanded to avoid preachers who do not spend quality time in the teaching of the gospel . Do not hate but pray for them. The bible says about those who do not teach the gospel  " Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark." Isaiah  8:20 NLT and "And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them."Romans 16:17 NLT

The preaching of the gospel should be at the centre of every Christian activity . 

   Twisting the gospel for personal gains brings about a  curse ( Galatians 1:8-9, 2,Peter 2:1_2) 

  False teachers shall be popular in the last days " Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons."1Tim 4:1 NLT Bible.  Satan blinds men's eyes to God's word. Luke8:12; 2Cor4;4) 

 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 power to teach the gospel with signs and wonders following in Jesus name. 

+2348035536911 + 2348098536911 e-mail michaelbensonajayi@gmail

THE POWER FOR PROSPERITY IS IN THE WORD

 THE POWER FOR PROSPERITY IS IN THE WORD

April 4 , 2024

   By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi 

" But his delight is in the law of the Lord , And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper." Psalms 1:2‭-‬3 NKJV

   " Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all." I Timothy 4:15 NKJV

   At new birth , the born again believer in Jesus Christ is likened to a new born baby full of potentials for success and prosperity because we are created in God's image . Babies are fed 'milk' and as they mature 'meat' . These are the two levels of spiritual growth , babes are much dependent on others for sustenance while mature Christians are more responsible (. Heb.5:14-15, 1 Cor 3:1,2 .Jn16;12) There are things the lord will not give a babe until they attain maturity . God prospers according to a person's spiritual maturity . 

   The bible says "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." Joshua 1:8 NKJV

 The anointing for the miraculous is contained in God's Word .God does not give a person different powers .There is only one Power :the Holy Ghost also known as the Spirit of the Word -Jesus Christ ( 2Cor.3:17)

The word 'meditate' in Joshua1;8 is the Hebrew word 'hâgâh.'       It means to moan, growl, utter, muse, mutter, meditate, devise, plot, speak . And the word success is the Hebrew word śâkal.    It means to be prudent, be circumspect, wisely understand, prosper. Meditation means to be possessed by the Word :the lion of the tribe of Judah. You begin to operate strategically like a lion (growl) plotting to catch its prey.

  Meditating on God's word empowers a person to be at the right place at the  right time with the right persons while doing the right things. This is the formula for progress    The 'word' makes a person act wisely in every aspect of life . It is difficult keeping up with the competition  against  a person who is full of the word. 

  The Word saves us and gives us spiritual rebirth ( PS 19:7, 1Pe 1:23, 2 Pe 1:4) through the Word we know we are free from curses, satanic covenants and witchcraft . The Word gives us strength, Wisdom, Truth and faith for extraordinary breakthroughs ( 2Tim3:15-17, Rom10:17, Ps119:99,100, Jn17;17) 

   The Word heals us (Ps107:20) protects us from sins ( Ps119:11) Gives us joy and peace ( Ps119;165) builds a strong character in us ( 2Tim3:16-17)  it cleanses us from filthy shameful tendencies ( Ps119;9;Jn15:3) 

  The Word of God guides us , it is a light to our path (Ps119;105,130) 

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 power for stability in the face of turbulence  

+2348035536911, +23498536911 e-mail Michaelbensonajayi@gmail.com

SHOW LOVE FOR THE LORD BY KEEPING HIS WORD

 SHOW LOVE FOR THE LORD BY KEEPING HIS WORD

April 3, 2024

By Michael Benson Ajayi

  " All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."II Timothy 3:16‭-‬17 NKJV

  The word 'work' is the Greek word ' ergon ' it means : business, employment, that which any one is occupied, that which one undertakes to do, enterprise, undertaking , any product whatever, any thing accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind , an act, deed, thing done: the idea of working is emphasised in opposite to that which is less than work .

    Through the Word of God we attain our best in all our endeavours. The Word of God is the manual for human existence. The manufacturer of a product attaches a manual to enable users get the best out of it likewise humanity is God's product that comes with a manual : the word of God contained in the Holy Bible ( Prov1:1 Mssg Bible) 'A manual for living , learning what's just right and fair.." 

  The bible was written by divine inspiration , authors who existed in different era and location ,in some cases thousands of years apart, unknown to each other were able to write texts with accurate correlation to other.  

   The Word of God is eternally , true and never fails (1Pe1:25, Matt24:35,Ps119:160) The Word of God is life and above all of God's titles ( Ps138:2, Deut32:46-47) and Jesus Christ is the embodiment of God's Word , the Bible says " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."John 1:1‭, ‬14 NKJV Rev.19:11-13.

  The Word of God is alive  ,the universe was created by God's Word ( John 6:63, Ps33:6,9) and was written for our benefits and for the benefits of the unborn. ( Ps102:18; Jn19:35) it is our source of hope . The Bible says For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."Romans 15:4 NKJV   

It is our weapon against Satan and his demons . Satan left when Jesus Christ said it is written (Matt4:4-11) Heb4:12 says its a sword . 

   Taking heed and keeping God's word is the key to enjoying God's favour ( 2Pe1:19)  Obeying and keeping God's Word demonstrates we know and love Jesus Christ. The Bible says  “If you love Me, keep My commandments.  He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him." John 14:15‭, ‬21‭-‬21‭, ‬23 NKJV

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 power to make great progress  against all  odds in Jesus name. 

+2348035536911 +2348098536911 e-mail michaelbensonajayi@gmail.com

ANCIENT PROPHECIES ABOUT THE DIVINITY OF JESUS CHRIST

 ANCIENT PROPHECIES ABOUT THE DIVINITY OF JESUS CHRIST

April 2, 2024

By Michael Benson Ajayi 

 " And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.  And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him." Genesis 17:15‭, ‬19 KJV

  The new testament says Jesus Christ came to fulfill old testament prophesies about himself.   The scriptures says " And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

" Luke 24:44 KJV

  His earthly lineage was foretold to be the "seed of a woman" in Gen3:15  the Bible says "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law," Galatians 4:4 KJV

   He was described as the heir to the throne of David ( Isaiah9:6-7) and the bible speaks of " The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham."  Matthew 1:1 KJV  .He is the promised seed of Abraham (Gen18:18, Gal.3:16,19) 

   His rejection by the Jews was prophesied in (Isaiah9 :1-2) the Bible says " He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not." Isaiah 53:3 KJV

The old testament scriptures spoke of his persecution and Crucifixion . He was accused by false witnesses ( Psalm27:12 ; Matt26:60-61) He suffered for our sins " Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.  He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

"(Isaiah 53:4‭-‬5‭, ‬8 KJV. , Matt8:16,17) 

   His feet and hands were pierced which was not common with Jewish tradition when the prophesy was made  ( Zech12:10, Psalm 22:16, John 19:37; John 20:25-27)  and was given gall and vinegar psalm 69:21; John 19:29;Matt 27:34,38) and his side was pierced (Zech12:10 Jn19:34) and was crucified among thieves (Isaiah53:12; Matt27:38 )  and was sold for 30 pieces of silver ( Zech 11:12; Matt26:15;Matt27:3-10)  

  Prophet Daniel prophesied about the exact year of the death of the Messiah in 30AD (Daniel 9:25)  Daniel prophesied and taught that 483 years after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem had been issued, Jesus Christ the Messiah would be here on earth.

  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 power to take a righteous stand regardless of the circumstances in Jesus name. Amen 

+2348035536911  , +2348098536911

Email michaelbensonajayi @gmail.com

EXPLAINING THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS -GOD Part 2

 You shall flourish and be fruitful in a dry and thirsty land because of the anointing of God's favour upon you .

Good-Life Devotional : EXPLAINING THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS -GOD Part 2

April 1 , 2024

By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi

Psalm 40:5-7 KJV “ Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:  In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. (Heb 10:5-7)

  The Council of Chalcedon was a churchcouncil held from October 8 to November 1, AD 451 concluded that  , Christ is one person with two distinct natures, human and divine , in one person . The biblical doctrine of incarnation demands that the natures of God are not fragmented but treated as a whole in one person .This is best appreciated when we take an in-depth study of psalm 40:6-8 . The phrase  ‘thou prepared me’ is the Hebrew word  ‘Katartizo’ and it means: to complete thoroughly , repair , adjust . This word is derived from two words , the first ‘kata’ which means , ‘when they were’ and ‘artios’ which means complete. From these words we can deduce that the process of the incarnation of God was necessary and an adjustment needed to repair the relationship between man and God  in which case before Christ was conceived by Mary , He existed in the father as a complete man-God entity.

      This is similar to Adam’s incarnation in Eden, the scripture says “Let us make man in our own image “ (Gen.1:26) not ‘create man’. You make a thing out of an already existing material like a car from metals and plastic etc. Creation requires bringing into existence from non-existent materials. The blue print for Adam’s body already existed likewise that of Jesus . The difference between the two is that while Adam was bound by law (symbolized by the tree of good and evil) Jesus on the other hand was not bound by any law. He is the Spirit of liberty.    

   The renowned modern philosopher Dr. William Craig’s  view on Jesus’ incarnation is as follows “… the incarnation is a matter of addition—of God’s taking on in addition to the divine nature He already had another, distinct nature as well, a human nature, so that in the incarnation God the Son came to have two natures, one divine, which he had always had from eternity, and one human, which began at the moment of its conception in Mary’s womb.  Thus, he had all the properties of divinity and all the properties of humanity.” …. Since God doesn’t have a body, He does not have an animal nature.  But God is the ultimate rational mind.  Therefore God the Son already possessed prior to his incarnation rationality and personhood.  Therefore, in taking on a human body God the Son brought to the physical body of Christ precisely those properties which would elevate it from a mere animal nature to a complete human nature, composed of body and rational soul”  He also said that “the divine aspects of Jesus’ personality were largely subliminal during his earthly life.”

  His birth (incarnation)  through a virgin was part of God’s reparation strategy for women who were hitherto considered inferior after the fall in Eden , so if Satan could come through a woman, God can also do likewise thus balancing the equation and restoring the dignity of womanhood. One may ask , what was the state of the universe while this was ongoing ? There was absolutely, no difference, since God’s influence over space and time is infinite. God can be doing an infinite number of things at the same time and yet emerge as a human through a woman. 

 Prayer : Heavenly Father forgive me for 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 grace for an undeniable manifestation of your glory in my life  in Jesus name.

Free/Prayer counseling +2348098536911,+2348035536911,email:michaelbensonajayi@gmail.com

EXPLAINING THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST :GOD (part 1)

 The anointing of God's favour is restoring all that was stolen from you .

Good-Life Devotional : EXPLAINING THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST :GOD (part 1)March 31/ 2024

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi        

    One of the problems a Christian faces in theological debates is being able to logically explain  the birth and death of Jesus Christ who is considered in the Christian faith as God in human flesh (John1:14, Phil2:6-7) .If Jesus Christ is God who is above death and creator of the universe ,how can it be said that He was born as celebrated on Christmas day, died and resurrected like a human being as we claim during Passover (Easter)?   

      The Christian testimony declares that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh.He was truly God as well as man and conceived and delivered by the virgin Mary through a supernatural conception but a biologically natural birth.   Mary was therefore referred to as  “the Mother of God,” or God-carrier.”  Consequently, God came into the human race through Mary and by this she could be said to have given birth to God.

     The Christian position on the birth of God is contrary to logic , the qualities of  divinity in comparison to humanity are laterally inverted and mutually exclusive while humans are created, frail , limited by power, knowledge, space and time and dependent on the creator for survival ,on the other hand God is eternal , all-knowing , all -powerful, self-sustaining , necessary and all -present . It is therefore inconceivable to the layman for a person to be both God and human.  

     The inability to comprehend the mystery of the divinity of Christ gave birth to various theological schools of taught in a bid to escape this puzzle.These groups include the Adoptionists or the Eutychians  who denied the true divinity of Christ. They claim He  was just a mortal man adopted by God as His Son and ascended into heaven .There were also the Docetists (Gnostics) , they denied that Christ was truly human but an illusion in human flesh . Despite these differing views , early theologians where however, united in accepted the logic postulated by the early Greek philosopher Aristotle who claimed that all things have essences (natures)for instance,  a dog was different from a fish by nature. The human being is composed of a physical body and rational principle ( soul) .Likewise , God has a nature as early enumerated.

   The theology that says Jesus was partly man and partly God was inconsistent with the qualities of the messiah who was described as human and God, therefore ,in order to find a common ground between the various groups a meeting was called by a council of Church elders in Chalcedon in the year 451 and the following was arrived at in a joint communique 

  

"We. . . confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhood and also per­fect in manhood, truly God and truly man, of a reasonable soul and body; consubstantial with the Father according to the Godhood, and consub­stantial with us according to the manhood, like us in all things except sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhood, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, according to the manhood, one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-Begotten, to be ac­knowledged in two natures without confusion, without change, without divi­sion, without separation, the difference of the natures being by no means taken away because of the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not divided or separated into two Persons, but one and the same Son and only begotten God, Word, Lord Jesus Christ. . . ." God impregnated Mary by his Holy Spirit and that which was born of Mary has the nature of God ( omnipotent, omniscient , omnipresent ) and in human flesh. 

      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 grace to confront and conquer the works of darkness that have risen  against me in  Jesus name .

 Free prayer and counseling +2348098536911 (whatsapp),+2348035536911 email:michaelbensonajayi@gmail.com