ojaysjoel blog

Bible reading: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. James 1:5 KJV Devotion: Our God is so good that He gives us everything that we need to live a happy and righteous life. God knows that the world we live in is so complex that it takes wisdom of God to navigate through successfully. In Proverbs 2:6  we know that God gives wisdom "For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding" and has shown us how to get it. He says in the book of James that we should ask and he will give us according to our opening scripture of today. When we get wisdom we live righteously because wisdom is a buckler to us, this will bring everlasting happiness to us spiritually and physically, Proverb 2:7 & 3:13. Dear reader do you want to be happy forever? Get wisdom. Do you have any concerns or testimony? Please share it with us.    -JO.

Stay blessed as you sing this hymn or recite it severally if you don't know the tone. Hymn 214 - Come to the Saviour make no delay  9.9.9.6.D Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Matt. 11:28 1 mf Come to the Saviour make no delay;       Here in His word He has shown us the way;       Here in our midst He's standing to day.       Tenderly saying, "Come"       Joyful, joyful, will the meeting be      When from sin our hearts are pure and free;       And we shall gather, Saviour, with Thee.       In our eternal home, 2  "Suffer the children!" Oh, hear His voice!       Let ev'ry heart leap forth and rejoice,       And let us freely make him our choice       Do not delay, but come. 3  Think once again, He's with us today;       Heed now His blest command,...

John 2:5, “His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do [it].” John 2:1-11. Devotion: Mary knew Jesus as no one else did at this point. The Bible supplies no details of the childhood of Jesus except his trip to Jerusalem at twelve years of age, but it is certain that Mary knew Jesus was no ordinary man. Her request of Jesus to provide the guests with more wine reflects her belief that He could do things others could not.  Her instructions to the servants were, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” This shows that she not only knew Jesus could work miracles, but she knew His way of doing things did not always conform to conventional thought. Sure enough, Jesus told the servants to fill the pots with water and then take it to the governor of the feast.  Have you been doing what He(Jesus Christ) asks you and me to do. In Matt 28:19. He says "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy G...

"Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this? Job 12:9" Devotion : Job was sure about his standing with God in that he did not believe that God could harm him. Hence, he turned the statement above into a question about the integrity of God. He knew he was going through a trial and that God had allowed that to happen.    In the New Testament, Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for forty days and overcame all the temptations sent by the devil.    Dear friend, do you know that you could be tested or tempted? God tests us but the devil tempts us. Note the difference and share your thoughts with us!

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life —is not from the Father but is from the world. 1 John 2:15‭-‬16 ESV. DEVOTION: There are many definitions of love, I found this attractive - strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties eg maternal love for a child. This is yet another - unselfish loyal and benevolent (see BENEVOLENT sense 1a) concern for the good of another: such as fatherly concern of God for humankind.  These two definitions demonstrate affection that is not based on sex or selfish interest. Both are from the superior eg a mother or father to the children. This is the love God has for you and me.    Should we not rather reciprocate the love instead of worldly love which is after worldly/material gains. Worldly love distances us from God, it leads to selfishness, gree...

"Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.  1 Timothy 3:12" Devotion : God gave the same guidelines to those who desire to be bishops, pastors, cathechist, church worker in whatever category. God is keeping a watchful eye on the family, which is the fabric of society; when the family progresses society progresses, and vice versa. Unfortunately we have many christians with one wife but having extramarital affairs these later days. This is the reason for the scandals we read about involving Christian leaders. What do we do to stop it? We need to teach the congregants more and prayerfully chose the Deacons and Deaconesses even among the monogamous Christian families in our churches. Any Christian who is able to put his own house or home in order and at peace does the same for Christ in the church is qualified. God will not lower His standard because of you and me. Are you ready to serve Him?   Dear reader, God is still appointi...

  Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Devotion: Dear reader who has given his/her life to Christ or wants to rededicate his/her life why focus on mundane, perishable things on earth. It's better to -  Matthew 6:19 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal"   I urge you to focus on Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. Remember where Matthew 6:21"where your treasure is, there will your heart be also". If you do this ie seek the kingdom of God first all the things the unbeliever runs after will automatically be added to you.Matt 6:33.   Dear reader do you have any concerns please let us know. Share your testimony with us.  -JO

“For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.” Isaiah 54:10 (KJV)   The Almighty God has very good plans for His children, and He wants His children to be aware of them. Mountains and hills are the creation of God; they cannot be easily moved (2 Peter 3:10). It will take a great deal of effort even if you want to remove them to obtain a level plain. On the contrary, the kindness of God and His covenant of peace toward us abide forever. He has promised to show us kindness and keep His covenant of peace with us because we are His children.    Beloved, any time you find yourself in any kind of difficulty, remind yourself of this promise of God for your life and begin to thank and praise God for His Word. As you praise Him for His sure Word, your difficulty or burden becomes lighter and soon disappears, because God comes in to sho...

For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Psalm 30:5 KJV Devotion: According to the word of God there's day and night, it was, it is and so shall it be. When the hour of night comes darkness covers the earth but when morning breaks the sun appears and there's bright new day, new opportunity, new grace, another chance.  The same is the life of a person sometimes we pass through the dark tunnel of life but with prayer and endurance we appear at the other side with new opportunities. This is what the psalmist expressed in the verse above.  We can express it in other words according to psalmist in psalm 42 : 11, we may be going through the valley but surely the hilltop awaits us if we persevere and pray and have zeal to do good work for God. Then we will praise God. Dear reader do not lose hope, you will soon have testimony. Share your concerns with us.   -JO

Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:24 Devotion : If you feel like giving up on prayer because you don't seem to be getting answers to your prayers, the opening scripture is exhorting you to continue, for your miracle is at hand.  Prayer is communion with our heavenly Father; it is a time to receive from Him. If it seems we are not receiving it means we are not applying the principle of prayer or living in disobedience.  Jesus said when we pray we should believe that we have received it and we shall have it; it means at the point of prayer we should receive the answer in our heart and we shall see it physically (Mark 11:24).   Also, if you are delighted to pray and enjoy fellowship with your heavenly Father, you will never cease to pray. So be glad to pray till your joy is full.  Dear beloved, do you feel like giving up on prayer? Make this month your month of prayer and enjoy praying. Glory to...

Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain Mercy. Matt 5:7 Devotion: One of the key teachings of Christ to his disciples is showing mercy to others. In our world of today people tend to be aggressive and do not consider others.  We as children of God must make the difference others are seeking for. We must remain true to the teaching of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.   We do not have options it is a must for you and me to be merciful to others, any confessing Christian who is not merciful has question mark on his Christianity. How do we practice this? Buy forgiving and showing mercy to someone who hurt, cheat and is rude to us. We can be more patient with someone and we can be compassionate with someone going through though times. Dear reader did you show mercy to someone recently? Share your testimony with us.  -JO

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17" Devotion : The Psalmist was a shepherd and he knew where to find quality pasture and still water for his sheep. The sheep were in safe hands as long as the shepherd provided for them.    David, the Psalmist, saw the LORD as his shepherd from the personal relationship he had with God. As long as the LORD was David's shepherd he experienced supernatural provision, protection, deliverance and salvation.    In the New Testament Jesus Christ is the good shepherd (John 10:11). If you acknowledge Him as your Lord and Savior and have an intimate relationship with Him, you will experience His salvation, deliverance, provision, and protection. You will lack nothing if Jesus Christ is your shepherd because He is good and His mercies endure forever.   Dear beloved, in what way do you see Jesus Christ as your good shepherd? Share your comments here!

Can two walk together, except they be agreed? – Amos 3:3 Devotion: Faith works where there is unity of the spirit man, his soul and flesh. All must agree to work together before Faith moves the mountain.  Disunity of the Spirit and Soul with the Body is the reason some prayers are hindered no matter how much we exercise faith. To get over it takes time, knowledge of the word of God and serious prayers. We have to nourish the Spirit with the word of God by diligently reading it and praying for Holy Spirit to assist us to retain the word in our Soul (heart and Mind) Then exercise our faith and our flesh will cooperate with the other two - Spirit and Soul. Have you exercised faith on any project and fail, do not despair just get yourself together and try again. Share your thoughts on this with us.      -JO

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. Psalm 23:1 KJV Devotion: Who's a shepherd? Marriam Webster's dictionary says - a person who tends sheep, a pastor. It also defines it as a transitive verb - to guide or guard in the manner of a shepherd.  Now we have idea of who a shepherd is and what he does. He can even go on to kill wild animals eg Lion, Tiger, Bush dogs etc if they attack his herd. David killed a lion 1Sam. 17: 34-35.   A shepherd will not abandon his herd even just one of hundreds he will search for it. Matthew 18:12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?  A shepherd provides food, water and rest for his sheep (psalm 23:1-6)  These are the things, the way and manner your Shepherd cares for you. But who is that your Shepherd? Mine is Jesus, if you have not established a relationship with Jesus better do to...

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 1 Peter 5:6" Devotion : Jesus indeed is the author and finisher of our faith; He humbled himself unto the father and even unto death on the cross. God witnessed this, resurrected Him, and gave Him a name which is above every name in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.    King David humbled himself in service to his father, Jesse, and God chose and anointed him king over Israel. Moses humbled himself and was appointed by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.   Dear reader remember it is better to be humble so that God will promote you "A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit." Proverbs 29:23, rather than be proud and be demoted  "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall", Proverbs 16:18.   I am sure you don't want God to break you "And I will break the pride of your power; and I w...

Bible verse: For thou hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.  I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Marvellous are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well. Psalm 139:13‭-‬14 KJV Devotion: You may be going through a condition, maybe it is health issues, job loss, your children, family issues or is it financial problems.   Then you see no reason to pray, no reason to praise God, remember the psalmist when he found no other reason to praise God, praised Him for His wonders.    In Gen 1:26a ... "God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness". Remember you are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God and he will not suffer your feet to slip (Psalm 121:3), not leave you nor forsake you (Isaiah 41:17). These are enough reasons to praise God. Whatever the situation PRAISE GOD.  Dear reader have you praised him today? Share your testimony with us here.       -JO

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13" Devotion : The Word of God is truth; whosoever called on the name of the Lord was saved.  Apostle Paul called upon the name of Jesus Christ and was saved, as did Timothy, Philemon, Luke, Mark, Prisca, Aquila, etc. Jesus Christ will not reject anyone who calls on Him from a sincere heart.    Jesus Christ does not discriminate; He gives attention to the poor, rich, sick, healthy, servant, master, president, laborer, man, woman, child, etc.  I called on the Lord and he answered my prayers.   Dear beloved, have you called upon the name of the Lord? Share with others how you felt after calling on Him!

   I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.1 Corinthians 1:10 NIVI Devotion: In Genesis 1:26, we read, “And God said, ‘let us make man in our image.” This shows that unity is important to God. Paul talked about it, denouncing disunity in the strongest terms, and made a strong case for unity, among the Corinthian Church of his day. The question, “Is Christ divided?” NO, yet we know that doctrinal matters have so divided the Body of Christ that the multiplicity of denominations within Christendom is at the highest.    Paul enjoins the Corinthian Church to shun all forms of divisions and maintain the same unity as found in the Godhead, who called them “unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord” (verse 9 &10). God Himself also testified to the efficacy of unity in Genesis ...

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28" Devotion : God's purpose or the purpose of God is the unique design of God for your life; in other words, the reason for God bringing you to the planet Earth.  His purpose varies from person to person, so whatever you are going through is designed to work together for your good as a child of God.  God loves every child of His but it is not every child of God who loves God; the one who loves God is prompt to obey God and submits to His authority. These are the ones for whom all things work together for good.  The children of God who are disobedient and do not submit to authority will not have all things working together for good.  Dear reader, is everything working together for your good? Share your testimonies here!

But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. Amos 5:24 KJV  Devotion: These days it is common to meet people who confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour but whose live says otherwise.  Many are proud of their Christianity but their conduct says they are not. Are you one of such?   In Amos 5:24, God says we should let His righteousness ( justice, right way of doing things, living right and compassion) flow and flourish in every area of our lives both at home and abroad where nobody sees us.  In relationship with others let love fill and flow through every part of our lives. We must speak truthfully to others, stand up for those being cheated and show compassion to others. Dear reader how can you adapt these principle to your daily living. Share your thoughts with us.     -JO.

"And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD. 1 Chronicles 28:20" Devotion : King David was old and crowned his son, Solomon, king over Israel. King David was instructed by God not to build Him a temple because he was a man of war and had shed blood. Rather He chose Solomon to build the temple.  David was still glad to provide the materials for the house of God even though he was not the one chosen to build the house of God. He provided Solomon with all the information he needed to build the temple; he even encouraged Solomon to do the work without fear or dismay, for God was with him.  The story about David and Solomon depicts a responsible father son relationship; King David trained and raised Solomon to take over from him.  Solomon, on the oth...

Devotion: Sing along with me if you're ready  Hymn 746 - All to Jesus I surrender 8.7.8.7.&.Ref. Behold we have forsaken all, and followed Thee.  Matt. 19:27 1 mf All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give, I will ever love and trust Him In His presence daily live, f I surrender all, I surrender all, All to Thee, my blessed Saviour I surrender all. 2 All to Jesus I surrender, mp Humbly at His feet I bow, Wordly pleasures all forsaken, cr Take me, Jesus take me now, 3 All to Jesus I surrender, Make me, Saviour, wholly Thine, cr Let me feel the Holy Spirit, Truly know that Thou art mine, 4 All to Jesus I surrender, Lord, I give myself to Thee, Fill me with Thy love and power, Let Thy blessing fall on me. 5 All to Jesus I surrender, Now I feel the sacred flame, f Oh, the joy of full salvation, Glory, glory to His name! Amen. SharedFrom : CAC Mobile Share your testimony and views with us. Stay blessed.

And He said to all, If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself, forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also]. For whoever would preserve his life and save it will lose and destroy it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he will preserve and save it [from the penalty of eternal death]. Luke 9:23‭-‬24 AMPC DEVOTION: Discipleship is a serious business that gives no room for slacking, no short courts but total obedience.  Many of us confess Jesus Christ is our Lord and Saviour but fail to fully follow HIM totally sighting different reasons.  The passage above says it all, I urge you to read it over and over again and be dedicated to every word of it. Jesus himself will assist you.   Remember, no need to loose earth and heaven because half measure means one did not enj...

Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I  even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19 AMPC. Something happens in the struggle, when your mind says it’s never going to work out, but in your heart, you know what God promised is on the way. Your mind says, “You’re wasting your time; there’s no use believing.” But you just keep on keeping on, doing the right thing, trusting God, thanking Him that’s it’s on the way. That’s sustaining faith. Don’t expect everything to be easy.  Don’t expect everyone to be for you. If it hasn’t happened yet, that doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen. The victory is on the other side of the opposition. It takes staying power, it takes a made-up mind, it takes someone that’s not moved by the circumstances.  We all go through valleys — difficult times in life. Don’t give up when it feels like you’re in the valley. God wants to bring you ou...

  For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.2 TIMOTHY 1:7 (AMPC) DEVOTION: It is easy to say, “Don’t worry.” But to actually do that requires experience with the faithfulness of God. When we trust God and then see and experience His faithfulness in our lives, it gives us great confidence to live without worry, fear, and anxiety.  That’s why it is so important to continue to have faith and trust in God in the very midst of trials and tribulations. With God’s help, we can steadfastly resist the temptation to give up and quit when the going gets rough.  God uses those hard, trying times to build in us patience, endurance, and character that will eventually produce the habit of joyful and confident hope. Always remember that when you are in a battle, you are gaining valuable experience that will bene...

"Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. Psalm 127:1" Devotion : It is a proverbial saying that hard work pays. According to the scripture above the only hard work that pays is the one approved by the Lord. It is only God who is an expert builder; remember that He is the creator who created the heavens and the earth. Therefore, He knows the best materials to use to build a strong edifice. Our life is also likened to a building, hence it takes God to build a God success life. There are many secured places that have been broken into by robbers; there are many lives invaded by the devil even though they were keeping a watchful eye. All these watchful equipment or people can go to sleep but the Lord never sleeps. The choice is yours- either you depend on Christ to build you up and keep watch over you or you depend on your own ability and fail. Dear reader, what did you learn from the messa...

Cast your burden on the Lord , and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22 ESV DEVOTION: The passage above tells us what to do so that our lives will be better. The question is why are people running in the other direction?   Please examine your ways and see if you have been running in other direction or towards Jesus. Repent of your backsliding and retrace your footsteps to Jesus he's waiting for you and me to carry our burden, to remove our yoke. Matt 11: 28-30. ESV. Dear reader do you have any concerns, share it with us.  -JO

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 2 Corinthians 9:6 ESV DEVOTION:  Good morning dear reader, it's time to start sowing for the year. You probably did last year and year before infact it is yearly process.  But have you paused to examine how you sowed. That year that you sowed bountifully how was your harvest. When you sowed sparingly what happened. The Teacher says in Ecclesiastes 11:1 cast your bread upon the waters .... it means give to those who cannot pay you back now that is bountiful sowing.  If you give to someone who can pay back that's contribution you get back what you contributed. If you give richly to a fertile land you get in return overflowing measure Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you...

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6 ESV  Devotion: praise God, this year of promises do not be anxious.   But be earnest in prayers - pray without ceasing.1 Thess 5:17 Pray without ceasing. Be diligent in your duties-Pro 12:24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.  Give thanks all the time and testimony- 1 Chro 16:8 Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.   Throw your bread into the waters -Eccle 11:1 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. This means giving where you don't expect a return.  When Anxious this year just remember to follow the steps above.  Share your testimony.    -JO

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18‭-‬19 ESV Devotion: Ability to rise up from a fall makes a difference between those who will progress or not, that is why God says we should forget the past because he wants to do a new thing.  We must be diligent to be able to receive the new thing, so we must change attitude, process and method. Remember we cannot be doing something in same way and expect different result. This year we must change so as to receive the new thing God is making.  God promised to make a way, it's not express way but very narrow way and it is for those who search critically in prayer and hardwork. You will burst into the road. This year God will water you but be ready to water others both spiritually and physically.  The prophecy will come to pass with prayers, diligence and...