ojaysjoel blog

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16‭-‬18 KJV Devotion: Praise God we are His children by grace we received through Christ Jesus. Since believing in Christ we become a new being with hope unlike unbeliever who has no hope. We have joy because of this hope.   What's this hope? Like every other person on earth we will all go the way of man 2Samuel 14:14; because our outward man grows weak by the days, months and years and we will pass away but our inner man gets renewed daily. Praise the Lord. Our hope therefore is that though there are affliction, suffering, hunger, war, pain and persecution that we have t...

The Lord is ready to help all those who call out to him. He helps those who really mean it when they call out to him. Psalm 145:18 NIRV Devotion: Many people are not aware that the Lord is very near and always ready to assist and or answer their prayers at any moment day or night. Such people go to great lengths to find God in the process they become prey to the Wolfs in Cassock. The fake pastors, prophets will milk such persons dry.   When you pray and do not receive answer you should check yourself and see if you have actually asked in truth or you asked amiss ie for selfish end or there's a sin you hid in your heart. Do the right thing - return to God and He will take you back. Do not be deceived let the Bible be your prophet, study it and let Holy Spirit interpret it to you.    Your spiritual guidian must be a proven man of God not given to occultism, socery and fetishesm. He must not place any burden on you unless you willingly give. Do not shop for prophet.  ...

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Philippians 2:3 KJV Devotion: Most humans are naturally proud and vindictive this is what Paul noticed among the church in phillipians. He counselled them appropriately.   Nobody is an island we all live in a community starting from our family unit, church and place of work etc. In our interactions with other people there's bound to be one incident or another. You may have been cheated but do you have to strife? No, all you need to do is show love and be humble in demand for your right. Recognize the right of others while asking for yours.   Remember pride goes before destruction but in humility you will be lifted and recognized appropriately.   This counsel is difficult but for a Holy Spirit filled Christian it is possible. Dear reader do you have concerns, share your thoughts with us.  By Joel Olanrewaju.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 KJV Devotion: Psalm 20: 7 says "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God". There are lots of people out there who trust in their ability, wealth or the people they know. But many times they are disappointed just as described in the same psalm 20:8 "They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright".   The only dependable support in life is God, he always keeps his promises. He says in the book of Isaiah 41:10  "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness". For ages God kept and still keeps this promise to them who believe and trust Him.   Dear reader, when trouble comes who do you trust? Who do you...

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV Devotion: Paul was speaking to the Thessalonians when they wanted to know how long they should pray. You probably have asked same question in the past when you asked something important to you from God and it seems the answer is not forthcoming. I have asked severally, don't worry it is human to ask but the answer is given above - pray without ceasing ie pray perseveringly, pray till something happens. But I tell you the process is watch and pray then listen.    The answer may come in any form- dream, idea that crop up in your mind, a suggestion from a friend or man of God. A silence, yes no answer can be an answer. If there's no way or danger ahead God may keep silence it's left for you to interpret appropriately. This is why you must be filled with the Holy Spirit. Dear reader have you been praying on something, don't relent, your miracle is on the way. Share you thought with us. Hallelujah!    By JO.

So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages]. Isaiah 26:4 AMPC Devotion: The 26th chapter of Isaiah is a song, in this song verse 4 we are admonished to trust in the Lord not just a few days, weeks or years but for infinity (everlasting) number of years.  The composer of the song had experienced the everlasting power of God and wholy trust in Him. Based on that he says we should trust the eternal, Rock of Ages. There are many who had fallen by the wayside just because they were yet to receive answers to their prayers. It's total misconception about how God works, His thoughts are far different from ours just as heaven is far from the ground, but His thought towards us is perfect and timeous. His clock is different from ours, so if there's delay by human standard just wait, the eternal Rock of Ages will move at the appropriate time and it will be the best time for you. Dear...

“The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer. Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.” Psalms 6:9-10 (KJV) Devotion: Prayer is simply defined as a communion with God. It is a time that you fellowship with God through worship, praise, thanksgiving, and sharing your challenges and successes with Him (Luke 5:16). During this time, you also receive grace and instructions for the task ahead. Take prayer time seriously because that is the time for you to receive answers from God.  Beloved, just like the psalmist in the opening scripture, the LORD your Father is ready to hear you and receive your prayer. When He begins to move on your behalf, all your enemies will be ashamed. If you don’t know how to pray, follow the pattern given by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Matthew 6:9-13). When you follow the pattern that Jesus Christ gave us by faith, your prayer life will be effective. Hallelujah! Be an overcomer! ...

Brothers and sisters, God has shown you his mercy. So I am asking you to offer up your bodies to him while you are still alive. Your bodies are a holy sacrifice that is pleasing to God. When you offer your bodies to God, you are worshiping him in the right way. Romans 12:1 NIRV Devotion: It is not uncommon to see worshipers of gods in the Oriental world and Africa to fully dedicate their lives to their gods(idols). In fact children are initiated as early as age five to worship and serve these gods and they live all their lives in the shrine. Sometimes they are not allowed to marry and those who marry continue to live in the shrine. They are made a living sacrifice to their gods.  It is not worthy that these people serve these idols faithfully and they dedicate all their life to serve these wooden gods, graven images which in actual fact cannot save them. In contrast many confessed children of God who find it difficult to live a life of total obedience to God even though this God ha...

The Lord is not slow to keep his promise. He is not slow in the way some people understand it. Instead, he is patient with you. He doesn’t want anyone to be destroyed. Instead, he wants all people to turn away from their sins. 2 Peter 3:9 NIRV Devotion: There's a misunderstanding among many that our Lord Jesus Christ will not come as promised. This has made many to backslide or totally depart from the way of God. Many had gone back into their old ways because of this erroneous believe. Let it be known that though He tarries, He will surely come at the appointed time only known by God. He delays His coming so that you and me can get prepared for Him because he loves us and will not like to see us lose our lives to Satan.  The present generation is the reason for the delay because the people's faith is cold, many pursuing their self interest, there are lots of people living in disobedience. Jesus will not come until the word is preached everywhere so that nobody will say I have n...

Nehemiah 3:2  And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And next to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri. (Please read Nehemiah chapter 3 : 1-end). Devotion: The children of Israel was in captivity for several years but came time when God used king Arterxerxes to release them. They returned home and begin to build the walls of Jerusalem. It took courage and determination of Nehemiah to get the work started. He called on the people of the city in Nehemiah 2:17  "Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach".   Remember Peter denied Jesus but he returned and rebuild his life. He did great exploits for Christ. Saul persecuted the church but he met Christ and he rebuilt his life in Christ. He worked harder than most of the Apostles.  I don't know how far you may have derailed from Christ but since there's l...

"And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. Luke 8:54" Devotion : The ruler of the synagogue, Jairus, had a daughter who was very sick. He pleaded with Jesus Christ to come and heal his daughter. Whilst Jesus was on the way, the daughter was reported dead but Jesus told Jairus to believe that all things are possible to he who believes.  When Jesus Christ and Jairus got home, all the people were wailing but Jesus comforted them, saying that the child was not dead but sleeping. The people stopped wailing and laughed at Jesus Christ's words of faith. Jesus turned all of them out of the house except Peter, James, John, and Jairus. He turned them out to maintain his faith in God, and called the little girl to life.    As believers in Christ Jesus, try as much as possible to maintain your faith by moving only with those who have the same faith as you; get rid of all the people in your life who are bent on creating doubt in you, so that y...

But make sure that in your hearts you honor Christ as Lord. Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you about the hope you have. Be ready to give the reason for it. But do it gently and with respect. 1 Peter 3:15 NIRV Devotion: Can one be confident and humble at the same time? I think confidence comes along with some element of pride but not for you and me as obedient children of God.  This is what Peter under inspiration of God tells us to do. He says have deep knowledge of God, His son Jesus Christ and be ready to defend your faith anywhere any day. A disciple must have deep knowledge, be well versed in the word of God because Satan the enemy also have knowledge of the word but negatively uses it to confuse the world.  A deep rooted disciple cannot be confused by the half-truths being preached all over the place. He cannot be confused but he will rather disprove the lies with confidence and yet be humble. This is our calling to know and preach the truth of the w...

The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. [Deut. 28:6; Prov. 2:8; 3:6.] Psalm 121:8 AMPC Devotion: Good morning dear reader, before you go out of the house today I want you to consider this verse - "The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore". It is a promise, a covenant between God and you.  Please know that He (God) who made the promise keeps his word and He never fails. But there's a caveat, read Deuteronomy 28: 1,6 it says  "And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, ......Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out".   In essence you must obey the Lord your God then God will fulfill His part of the promise. Do examine and re-examine yourself and backtrack to God if perchance you have wondered ...

“A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.” Ecclesiastes 7:1 (KJV) A name is a word or phrase that refers to or that can refer to a specific person, place, thing, or a type or group of things. If a good name exists, so does a bad name. Parents are encouraged to choose meaningful names for their children. They are also expected to train their children in the right way so that they can bring glory and praise to their parents (Proverbs 15:20). Dear beloved, do things that are worthy of praise; be kind to people so that you can carve a good name for yourself (Philippians 4:8). A good name will open doors of opportunity for you; therefore, don’t compromise your Christian values and principles. Death is an opportunity to end all the toils of life and enter into eternity with the Lord; hence, it is better than one’s birth. Always do things that will bring you a good name and you will influence your generation for Christ. Hallelujah! Be...

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26" Devotion : The promise in the opening scripture was fulfilled by our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. On the cross he declared, "It is finished", John 19:30. When a person receives Jesus as his Lord and Saviour, he is given a new heart and a new spirit. His stony heart is replaced with a heart of flesh.   This is a total transformation called being born again: the spirit of the person is reborn and this gives a person an obedient heart to understand and obey the Word of God. The Holy Spirit who is the seal of salvation is also given to the person who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ.   What the Christian should aim at is to always appreciate God and strive to please Him. He also has the best chance to succeed in life, since he has God as his Father, who will direct him along the path ...

Seek the Lord and His strength; yearn for and seek His face and to be in His presence continually! 1 Chronicles 16:11 AMPC Devotion: The verse above is from the song of David that he sang when he retrieved the Ark of the Covenant from Obed Edom. David was very happy, he saw this return as complete victory not because he deserved it but because he was steadfast in seeking God and God was merciful to him(David).   Some of us only seek God and praise Him only when we are in trouble and shortly after victory, we go back to our routine life we abandon prayers, fellowship and bible reading. This is why some miracles are not permanent. Remember only one leper went back to Jesus to thank him and his miracle was permanent. (Luke 17:15, 17-19  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save thi...

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Ephesians 2:8" Devotion : Grace is the unmerited favor of God: it is a special ability given to the born again Christian to get things easily from God and to get things easily done. Grace cannot be purchased or borrowed; it is a gift of God. It is a gift that the Lord Jesus Christ gave to all men, especially those who believe in Him (John 1:17). Grace was given to all men to give mankind the opportunity to be saved; that is why the Law of Moses has been abolished.    The Law of Moses would have put many people to death if grace had not been given to mankind. The law gave instant justice to sin without room for repentance, but grace gives mankind the room to repent and be saved.   After being saved you can ask for more grace to accomplish a particular task, but without the saving grace God will not listen to your prayer because you are not His child.     Dear beloved...

What time I am afraid, I will have confidence in and put my trust and reliance in You. Psalm 56:3 AMPC. Devotion: Children are wonderful beings because they always trust their parents especially caring and loving parents. Whatever problems they face they rush to their parents for protection.  The same is replicated by chicken they trust the hen to protect them during Hawk attack. She keeps them under her wings and protect them.   We have a loving and caring God, who protects us from all evil and pestilence psalm 91, all we need to do is have confidence in Him. There are people who do not place their confidence in God but in gods. They rush to gods, made by human hands, gods who cannot protect itself and they perish, Psalm 20 vs 7 & 8   We children of God should have unfailing confidence in our father - God and go to Him all the time both for protection and guidance. Dear reader who do you run to when you're afraid, when afflictions knock on your door? Please share you...

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Psalm 105:1 ESV Devotion: We have a saying in Yoruba land that if you appreciate and thank someone for past gift or blessings you will get another. I believe it's a good thing to thank your benefactor for past blessings from Him.  It should not end there while we should be appreciative of past good deeds to us we have duty to tell others about our benefactor. The Samaritan woman went to the city to tell others about Jesus Christ. In John 4:39 we know that "many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did". Dear reader, you and I have been saved from the guilt of sin by Jesus Christ, we should go out there to proclaim His good deeds in our lives and bring our neighbours to His Salvation.   How many people have you brought to Christ this year. Please make it a point of duty to bring more, may God do His work ...

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” Lamentations 3:22‭-‬24 ESV Devotion: I had opportunity to study the Dove during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in 2020. I was jobless and restricted home. The dove laid only two eggs (always two) and sat on it to incubate it. It was behind a glass window I never open. From the room I watched them daily.  They take turns to sit on the eggs. The other will go and fetch food. They were so faithful that they never miss the appointed time to bring food and change roles.    Then I saw single doves living alone; I was made to understand that the partner was dead so it must live alone till death.   Such is our God, He is ever faithful once we give our lives to him and He becomes our Lord and Saviour. God fulfills His promise to us daily no matter what because Great i...

All has been heard; the end of the matter is: Fear God [revere and worship Him, knowing that He is] and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man [the full, original purpose of his creation, the object of God's providence, the root of character, the foundation of all happiness, the adjustment to all inharmonious circumstances and conditions under the sun] and the whole [duty] for every man. Ecclesiastes 12:13 AMPC Devotion: King Solomon was a wise man and he reached the correct conclusion in the verse above. There's hardly anything to add.    We love our parents and fear them because they love us, we don't want to make them unhappy by our conduct. The same way we should fear God. If one is truly a child of God then one should Revere God considering that he's our maker who loves us; we do not want to grieve him.   Dear reader, consider it your duty to God to fear him by living a life of total obedience and worship God. This is all he demands from you and me....

Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Devotion: A Christian must have a target to make heaven and that by fire by force. The reason is that we cannot afford to disappoint God because once confessed our trust in Him he accepts us and will not want to lose us to Devil.    Therefore it will be good to make our decision to walk the path day or night, come rain or sun or snow. May God help us as we walk in it.   This song from Christ Apostolic Church Gospel Hymn book is apt, let's sing it regularly to remind us of our target.        Various 26 - I'm pressing on the upward way 1.    I'm pressing on the upward way    New height I'm gaining every day    Still praying as I onward bound    Lord, plant my feet on higher ground Chorus:    Lord, lift me up and let me stand    By faith on heaven's table land    A higher plane than I...

Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: Thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. Psalm 143:10 KJV Devotion: David again demonstrated his humility before God in this psalm. I like him perhaps because he is humble enough to recognize himself as ordinary human. David was prone to sin and he did regularly but he was humble and asked for forgiveness. 2Samuel 12:1-20.   There was a fellowship member who never asked for forgiveness of sin. He claimed he did once and hence no need again. He told us that the Apostles did only once. But I asked him if he was an Apostle to which he said no. I know that we cannot live in Sin and ask that grace abound, NO. Nevertheless we are human being and we live among human beings so occasionally we do sin either consciously or not. We need to recognize this and ask for forgiveness and ask God to teach us not to sin again. To fill us with the Holy Spirit so that it will guide us to sin no more.   Dear reader, when you fall into s...

“I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.” Ecclesiastes 3:17 (KJV) How you set up your heart will go a long way to help you act in wisdom. King Solomon put his heart in order by acknowledging that God is the great judge who will judge the righteous and the wicked. Every human being lives in time; time is used to fulfill every purpose and every work (Ecclesiastes 3:1–8). As a child of God, spend the time to know who you are and the purpose of God for your life. You can know who you are and your purpose on earth through the Holy Scriptures and fellowship with the Holy Spirit.   Beloved, after knowing your purpose, go ahead and fulfill it. Use time wisely to shape your purpose and be a blessing to others (Ephesians 5:15–17). For example, if God’s purpose is for you to be a doctor or a farmer, spend time to develop your skills and become a better doctor to save lives or a farmer to grow crops tha...

There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; And there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. Proverbs 11:24 KJV Devotion: Yesterday we said God is a giver, I believe that if we are truly children of God through Christ His son then we should emulate our father God in giving.   It is good to give than to receive because he who gives receives more. Let remember the story of the child who gave his lunch of 5 loaves of bread and 2 pieces of fish to Jesus to feed 5000 men without counting the women and children (John 6: 9-13). In return he got back 12 baskets far more than he can eat in a month. When you sew a single seed of corn, it will produce 400-520 seeds that's a lot from a living God.  Last year I gave out 2500 Nigerian money and within 4 hours a friend from who I did not expect anything called for my account number and transferred 100000 into it. That's is 40 times over what I gave out. When you keep holding to what you have you would not have a...

"He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Isaiah 40:29" Devotion : God has proven beyond reasonable doubt that He is a giver. He gives power to the faint or weak and increases strength for the one who lacks might. He is always in the business of seeking whom He might bless.   In the New Testament He sent Jesus to give us grace (John 1:17): grace to give us favor and strength to accomplish His purpose on earth. He also gave us the Holy Spirit to teach and direct us. In like manner He is counting on us to help the weak among us and also give to the needy in the church and our society.     God is a giver and wants His children to be givers. Hallelujah! Dear beloved are you a giver? Share your thoughts here! KJV bible app daily devotional.

For whatever was thus written in former days was written for our instruction, that by [our steadfast and patient] endurance and the encouragement [drawn] from the Scriptures we might hold fast to and cherish hope. Romans 15:4 AMPC Devotion: Paul explained why the scripture was written to the Romans in the verse above. The bible was written by God's inspiration and it is the word of God Himself.    We have to read it daily to know and understand the mind of God concerning any topic or issue that agitates our mind. When read prayerfully the Holy Spirit will interpret it to us. Then when the interpretation is applied to our lives it makes the difference between us and non believers. Life becomes simple, supposedly big problems are resolved and there's peace of mind and deep joy.  These are some of the reasons to read the Bible daily and let the words therein guide us. Dear reader, when last did you read your Bible? Daily devotional is not enough, please read at least a chapt...

My brothers and sisters, you were chosen to be free. But don’t use your freedom as an excuse to live under the power of sin. Instead, serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13 NIRV Devotion: Praise God who gave us His son - Jesus Christ, by whom we were liberated from the laws of Moses to freedom. The days when people were stoned to death is gone forever; we don't have to kill animals to atone for our sins again because by the blood of Jesus shed on mount Calvary we are cleansed once and for all. Hallelujah.   But then shall we now live in sin because Jesus atoned for our sin? No, far from it. We are called to live a life of total obedience, to abstain from sin in whatever way but to live a life of love towards God and fellow human being.    Where love reigns sin has no place; you always want to please God because you love Him and He loves you. If you love your neighbour you will not do evil to him, you will serve him and he will reciprocate. This is our calling and we sh...

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Colossians 2:8" Devotion : One of the disciples asked Jesus Christ what will be the signs of the end time. Jesus told them the first sign is deception (Matthew 24:4).   The devil and his cohorts of darkness have been completely disarmed by Jesus Christ; the weapon they have now is deception: how to deceive mankind to reject the gospel and the saving power of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  They keep developing strange doctrines to confuse the masses. Some of the doctrines are "Jesus Christ is not God, He is just like one of the Old Testament prophets, He did not really die on the cross, there is no hell, there is reincarnation, etc." These are all strange doctrines to mar the truth.  Christians must therefore be on the alert to identify and reject these strange doctrines and philosophies. They should not even enter...

But I will sing about your strength. In the morning I will sing about your love. You are like a fort to me. You keep me safe in times of trouble. Psalm 59:16 NIRV Devotion: The psalmist defined what God did for him and therefore had reasons to praise God, to show gratitude for keeping him safe. He knew that he could easily get killed by devil but because God was the psalmist's fort he was kept safe. Dear reader, that you're reading this page this morning means God is your fort, your hiding place. It means God did not sleep while you went to bed last night, God kept watch over you and will still keep watch over you today.  I have reasons to praise God and I will sing songs praise to God.  CAC Hymn 075 - Oh for a thousand tongues to sing C.M. And my spirit hath rejoiceth in God my Saviour. Luk 1:47.   1 Oh for a thousand tongues to sing   My dear Redeemer's praise,   The glories of my God and King,   The triumphs of His grace!    2  Jesus the ...

Be like the Son of Man. He did not come to be served. Instead, he came to serve others. He came to give his life as the price for setting many people free.” Matthew 20:28 NIRV Devotion: An apprentice copies the ways and manners of his Master. We as children of God are disciples of Jesus Christ. We read about the first disciples of Christ in the bible, how they lived communal life with Him and emulated Christ. Jesus taught them these in Matthew chapters 5-7 (sermon on the mount).   The same those of us who confess Christ as our Lord and Saviour should learn His ways by reading the Bible and undergo discipleship under recognized Christian leaders in bible teaching church. That will empower us to live exemplary life like Christ; we can become like Him if we truly pursue it.   Dear reader, do you emulate Christ? It's time to live like Him, life of service to others, put others first, jettison the pride in you and be lifted by Christ. Do you have concern, let us know pl...