ojaysjoel blog

‭Luke‬ ‭12:15‬ ‭KJV‬ [15] And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. https://bible.com/bible/1/luk.12.15.KJV  Devotion: Many people like to accumulate material things even when they don't actually need so much. I'm my country, Nigeria one politician once boasted that he had 55 different types of SUV, and that was 20 years ago. I can conclude that the SUVs are dated by now and that he had probably acquired several new ones. One wonders what he was doing with so many when one day like all human being, he will die and leave them all behind for someone who did not work for them.  We often forget that life does not consist of material possession but of good that we do while on Earth. Recently a lady spent millions of dollars on birthday celebration. In the party she allegedly changed her clothes more than 30 times according to online reports. All these will soon pale into insig...

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13" Devotion : I cannot do this or that is definitely a language used by those in the world. It is not a language of the children of God: Jesus Christ has given the children of God the power to succeed in all things.  The "can-do spirit" is the doctrine every Christian must be taught; the utterance of every Christian is transformed upon coming into contact with the doctrine of the "can-do spirit". When you declare to yourself that you can do it, the Holy Spirit takes your words and gives you the inner strength to accomplish whatever you have purposed to accomplish.  Dearly beloved, what do you seek to achieve? The grace of God is available to you in Christ Jesus to accomplish that task. Hallelujah! Share your comments here!

‭Matthew‬ ‭7:1‭-‬2‬ ‭KJV‬ [1]  Judge not, that ye be not judged. [2] For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.  Devotion: At first glance, it’s easy to misinterpret Matthew 7:1 as a pass to disregard accountability for sinful actions, a license to turn a blind eye to wrongdoing. But when we take a closer look, Jesus' words in this parable aren't an endorsement of moral indifference.   The Greek word "κρίνετε" (krinete), translated as "judge," means “to form a condemning opinion about someone without knowledge.”  Jesus isn't advocating against fair and righteous judgment (John 7:24). We know this because, in this same chapter of Matthew 7, Jesus tells His followers to judge (Matthew 7:16).   Jesus cautions against judging others unfairly, we should instead lean on the Holy Spirit to practice good judgment. This verse isn't a call for us to abandon discernment, though; rather,...

"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 of...

‭Romans‬ ‭8:26‬ ‭KJV‬ [26] Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  https://bible.com/bible/1/rom.8.26.KJV Devotion: The culture of this generation do not permit weakness, you just have to be strong all through. You cannot declare inability, artificial intelligence (AI) is ready to assist with whatever you're confronted with.     But there comes a time when your are overwhelmed, you're in anguish and sorrow, it is so serious you do not know what to do or pray to God at that moment. At that moment the Holy Spirit which I will call God's intelligence (GI) will take over if your are in Christ. The GI will just step in and start praying for you what you cannot pray at that point.  Hannah was in that position of sorrow and anguish because of her barrenness and mocking that only her lips was moving. The priest Eli thou...

‭1 Samuel‬ ‭3:10‬ ‭KJV‬ [10] And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.  Devotion: Most of us Bible readers know the story of young Samuel, who was given out to the Lord at young age as living sacrifice to the Lord. He lived with Eli the priest and he was naive he could not discern the voice of God when called. He mistook the voice of God for the voice of Eli until Eli told him just say "Speak; for thy servant heareth."  Many of us have been praying to God for several years but we fail to listen to God's response. We often complain that our prayer was not answered when it had in fact been answered several years back. Prayer is communication with God, when we speak to God we hastily leave His presence and don't often listen to God's response.    Therefore when you pray to God, conclude by saying Lord speak to me and listen attentively, a) stay quietly in His presence to hear the ...

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:33‬ ‭KJV‬‬ [33] But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  https://bible.com/bible/1/mat.6.33.KJV Devotion: There are many people out there struggling day and night yet they cannot make ends meet. They work so hard that one needs to pity them yet it comes to naught. Why is it so? It is because they seek other gods other than God of heaven. The verse of the day says "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." To enjoy good life you have to check the foundation which is Christ, for you to achieve much give your life to Christ so that time of refreshing will come to you(Acts 3 vs 19-20). Now many of us gave our lives at one time or the other but are we still in Christ? Coming to church always is not equal to giving life to Christ or staying in Christ. To enjoy the goodness of God you must remain in Christ and not backslide, you must live...

‭Matthew‬ ‭6:9‭-‬13‬ ‭KJV‬ [9] After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. [10] Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. [11] Give us this day our daily bread. [12] And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. [13] And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.  Devotion:  Prayer is powerful because of who is listening, not because of who is speaking or what they’re saying. You get to pray to your Father, the powerful God who wants you to embrace His love today.   The Lord’s Prayer begins by addressing “our Father in heaven.” A Father who holds all power and authority. A Father who loves you greatly. Unlike earthly fathers, our heavenly Father loves us perfectly—Jesus’ nail-scarred hands prove the depth of His love for us.    In this passage, Christ teaches us how to approach our loving Father in ...

‭Matthew‬ ‭9:37‭-‬38‬ ‭KJV‬ [37] Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; [38] Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. Devotion: Jesus trained the disciples and sent them out to preach the word to the unbelievers of the time. He illustrated the enormity of the work using grain field full of ripe for harvest grains. The field was large but the workers were few and if urgent steps were not taken the farmer would lose most of his grain.    The farmer is God and the field is the world in which you and me live; just look around you you'll see many people who though bear Christian names yet know nothing about Jesus. They do not know, because nobody told them or took time to nurture them with the word to maturity so they go back into their past lives. There are regions of the world where preaching the gospel is totally forbidden and we must find a way to reach.    When...

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.  Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.  ‭James‬ ‭5:7‭-‬8‬ ‭KJV‬ Devotion: We live in a world of fast and now, none wants to delay, a computer generation, in fact moving on to Artificial Intelligence age (AI). With AI one can almost solve any problem instantaneously. But our God does not count time like we do, for a thousand years before God is like a moment. (2 Peter 3:8) Apostle James, penned these words under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to a community of new Jewish converts to Christianity, dispersed throughout various regions. These early Christians faced many trials, including persecution and opposition, because of their newfound faith. James’ call to wait patiently and endure was more than mere words on a page; they were...

 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 1 Corinthians‬ ‭3:7‬ ‭KJV‬‬. Devotion: As workers in the vineyard of God our job is to be knowledgeable in the word of God, be filled with Holy Spirit and go out to do the job. That people will be converted or not is not in our power but of God. This is well explained in the Bible version below. ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭3:5‭-‬9‬ ‭MSG‬‬ [5-9a]  Who do you think Paul is, anyway? Or Apollos, for that matter? Servants, both of us—servants who waited on you as you gradually learned to entrust your lives to our mutual Master. We each carried out our servant assignment. I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plants, but God made you grow. It’s not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow. Planting and watering are menial servant jobs at minimum wages. What makes them worth doing is the God we are serving.  There...

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. ‭Hosea‬ ‭10:12‬ ‭KJV‬. Devotion: In the old testament there were years when Israel derailed and did not follow God of their father Abraham. Prophet Hosea lived in such a time and God through him called on callous minded Israel to return to God. God called on Israel to live in righteousness so that they would receive mercy. He also called on Israel to seek God. Our Lord Jesus Christ echoes the same calling in Mathew 7:7 when he says "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" to do this we have to establish a good relationship with God.   Everything begins with our relationship to God. Jesus made it possible for us to have a restored relationship with God. We can talk with God, spend time in His presence, and ask Him to help us because, as believers, we are called Hi...

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: 2 Corinthians 9:8 KJV. Devotion:  Paul was aware of the weakness of the Corinthian church so as evengelist he decided to forgo his rights to receive from the church, instead he earned his living. He used this as example of self sacrifice. (1 Cor 9: 1-15).   ‭In 2 Corinthians‬ ‭9:6‬ the ‭bible says "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully." Your giving should be generous because if you sow sparingly your harvest will be little but if you sow much your harvest will be plentiful. In nature, all things being equal, if you sow into twenty heaps you get back 20 tubers of yam and if you sow 200 you get 200 tubers of yam. So it is in the spiritual realm, the more time you put into Bible study the more knowledgeable you become, the more time invested in evan...

For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. Psalms 139:13 KJV Devotion: Let no man say you are worthless, not enough, inadequate, dumb, ugly, and so on. Let no man’s negative words about you affect you or move you. As the opening scripture says, it was God Who made you from the inside and out. It was God Who knit you together in your mother’s womb!  Dear reader do not join the group of people who try to remake themselves by trying to alter their nose, breast, backside and even colour of their skin through bleaching. The end result is almost always a disaster and it shows lack of trust in your maker. Some others to have tried to change their sex but most regret it later in life.  Therefore I urge you to bless the omnipotent God who created you for who you are. Your beauty should not be based on outside looks but how beautiful you are inside. The love you radiate to others, the kindness and goodness to others define your beauty.  Beloved, let...

 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah‬ ‭29:13‬ ‭KJV‬ Devotion: In the old testament the Israelites worshipped God but did not have direct access to Him. Only the prophet did, he would enter into the inner sanctuary and communicate with God on behalf of the people. A chain was tied to his waist to pull him out in case of death inside the sanctuary. In other words the people sought God through others, they could not find God themselves.  Prophet Jeremiah was given the revelation to tell Israelites that a time will come when they will not need anyone to communicate with God on their behalf because they will seek God and find Him. This prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus came and we both the physical and the spiritual Jews were liberated.   In John 14:26  Jesus says "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance...

"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." Few days back(January 2024) one preacher said online that one should not pray in the name of Jesus. That one should just call on God without giving reverence to the name of Jesus. He was...

The year is still new, as you begin to navigate it, you don't want it to end like last year, do you? Certainly No, so then what do you do? Cling to God's Promises, have faith in God and trust that he will do that which he promises.  What do you think about?  The thoughts you fill your mind with are crucial because what you cling to influences your worldview.   If you choose to dwell on God’s promises, you start to recognize God’s blessings during uncertain times. Trusting that God will redeem your present pain equips you to walk forward in faith and keep on fighting.   Isaiah 12:2 reminds us that we belong to a God who is faithful to keep His promises. This God rescues us and fights for us. So when we belong to God, we have nothing to fear—all we need to do is cling to God and wait on Him to act.   So as you walk forward today, reflect on some of God’s promises, and let them transform the way you think:   God will sustain you. (Psalm 55...

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 Devotion: Everything in this world and in heaven will pass away, but only the word of God remains (Matthew 24:35). When God makes a promise to you, it shall remain and stand even when all else has failed. When God says that His kindness will not depart from you and that His covenant of peace will not be removed, even if the mountains and hills are destroyed, His promises shall remain. Beloved, as you receive God’s promise in the opening scripture, know that His peace and kindness shall never depart in your life. He is Your Heavenly Father to Whom you can always cry out, “Abba, Father” and have a place of safety and refuge. Whatever the Father has promised you and your family, no power, force, situation, or any man can ever cancel that! The promise remains forever your but your si...

[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. ‭Isaiah‬ ‭41:10‬ ‭KJV‬. Devotion: Where are you? In the valley or languishing, do you feel lonely? The Israelites felt the same, they thought God had abandoned them and were sore afraid. But God reassured them that He was with them and that He (God) would strengthen them.  This day I urge you not to be dismayed, do not fear for God is right there beside you to encourage and strengthen you in whatever you're going through. I want you to remember God do not promise to help you when you do what you like but only when you walk in His will. Therefore if you are going through things check yourself, ask am I in God's will. If not return to God immediately. The Jews always ask for forgiveness whenever they go astray, this is why God reassured them in 2 chronicles 7:14.  Dear reader, be rest assured th...

‭Psalm‬ ‭27:4‬ ‭KJV‬ [4] One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. Devotion: The House of the Lord is a beautiful place to be both in the physical structure and spiritual realm. Fortunately God does not live in the house built with human hands rather God lives in our hearts. Therefore the argument that it is impossible to live in the presence(Church) of God in the present day world is not needed. We all have to work, travel or do so many things outside the church building.   In the time past the house of the Lord is a large compound and can accommodate farming and animal husbandry, therefore whoever was living in the compound was living in the presence of the Lord.   In the present day world living in the presence of God is daily Bible study, daily communication in prayers with God, being filled with Holy Spirit and al...

‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:16‬ ‭KJV‬ [16] For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.  https://bible.com/bible/1/2co.4.16.KJV Devotion: Paul wrote this letter to his friends, the congregants in the young church in Corinth because he knows their feeling and what they went through. Members were beaten, threatened, imprisoned for Christ but they were not broken (2 Corinthians 4: 8-9). They went through all these so that they will grow in Christ though their mortal bodies suffer waste.   The same with you and me today, we maybe lucky not to suffer beating, imprisonment for spreading the word of God. Sometimes we are despised by colleagues, "friends" and relatives when we stop doing things eg wild parties, drinking alcohol, gambling or altering the books in the office. That should not deter us from continuing to live right in Christ.  As we grow old our bodies become weak, we are not sharp like before but as we grow i...

"Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. Mark 14:38" Devotion : Before Jesus Christ went to the cross He went with the disciples to pray in the garden of Gethsemane. He took with Him Peter, James, and John to assist Him to pray whilst He went farther. He came back on three occasions to find them sleeping. He told them to watch and pray lest they enter into temptation.  The same goes for us who are born again in Christ Jesus. The only way to prevent or overcome temptation is to watch and pray. Jesus was able to overcome the temptation of the devil because He watched and prayed (Matthew 4:1-11). There is now no excuse because the Holy Spirit has been given to us to help us pray; He is also ever ready to help us to fully take control over the flesh.    Let us therefore cooperate with the Holy Spirit so that He can teach us how to watch, pray, rule over the flesh, and overcome all kinds of temptations.    I...

‭Isaiah‬ ‭43:18‭-‬19‬ ‭KJV‬ [18] Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. [19] Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.  Devotion: Good day out there, the topic this morning is both spiritual and physical. In the physical we all have a past where we made wrong decision that hurt us badly. We are now in the present but some people have refused to leave the past, such a person cannot think right and move forward. They keep referring to the past either it was glorious or not, the past is gone forever you need to step up to the present and make new decisions for a better future.  In the spiritual, we all have a past that is probably not pleasant to disclose except to Jesus. Once we confess it to Jesus and stop dwelling on it, the past is gone forever. Unfortunately there are many people who fail to forgive themselves even when God had forgiven th...

"Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Psalms 91:8" Devotion : The children of God who read this Scripture should be consoled over the acts of the wicked: surely there is a reward of the wicked. What is this reward of the wicked? The reward of the wicked is not something that is pleasant at all; it is described as the chaff which the wind drives away (Psalms 1:4).  The following happens to the wicked: God is angry at them every day; the wicked will be destroyed; evil shall slay the wicked; they are even estranged from the womb (Psalms 58:3); they flee when no man is pursuing them; the wicked will finally be turned into hell (Psalms 9:17). As you can see, there is no peace for the wicked.  Any wicked person reading this article should quickly turn from their wickedness and receive Christ Jesus as Lord and personal Savior. If they do this they will be forgiven and they will become the children of God. Hallelujah! Share your thoughts here! KJV ...

“Arise, shine, for your light has come,and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. ‭Isaiah‬ ‭60:1‬ ‭NIV‬ Devotion: In Genesis 1:2b - 3 "and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." In other words the world was filled with darkness until God intervened.   In the days of prophet Isaiah, Israel the chosen of God as we read in Isaiah 59:7-8  "Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace." Above shows darkness all over the place and it is hardly different from what we are experiencing in the world of today. There's war everywhere, moral decadence, ritual killing, kidnapping etc everywhere. All point to...

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2 KJV Devotion: We live in a world filled with different types of peoples different cultural values, background and different level of education. Therefore opinions vary according to level of education, culture, religiousity and believe. One can be easily distracted from a set of believe eg a born again Christian can easily back slide if care is not taken.   To stay focused on Christ one needs to do the following: 1) keep reading the word of God daily so as to get new knowledge about God as Holy Spirit interprete the word to you. 2) keep talking to God daily in prayers, praise God and ask for wisdom and understanding. 3) keep listening to the word of God when genuine men of God teaches it. Do not take to yourself anything not biblical. 4) practice that which you have read and understood from the Bible. ...

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 https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.143.10.KJV Devotion: This is the 3rd working day of the year so it is apt to seek God's will in whatever you want to do this year but in reality seeking God's will is a life long thing for a follower of Christ. It is not written anywhere the specific method to know God's will but there are simple steps one can take and arrive at the destination. Please know that the destination is heaven with Christ so while on Earth you're not going to arrive and say it is done.  The first and most important step is to give your life to Christ as Lord and Saviour, to believe and obey his commandments. The second step is to seek to know God more by reading the Bible daily, this will help you to know and understand the principles of God, what God likes and dislikes. It will help you to live in God's will.   The next step is to communic...

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 KJV Devotion: You know that love is true when a person is willing to sacrifice anything just for you! For instance, a mother or father’s love for their child. Parents are willing to put behind their own needs and wants just to be able to give their children better lives first.  Unfortunately, many people today are searching for true love, unaware of the truth that there was One Who gave everything in love for mankind’s sake.  Beloved, it is unavoidable to sometimes feel unloved, uncared for, overlooked, and devalued by the people you care about the most. Whatever is the case for you, meditate on the opening scripture.  We have a wonderful God Who loves you so dearly that, even if you haven’t done anything good, He was willing to die for you because He loves you. Don’t ever believe the devil’s lies because the truth is clear—you are much loved by the Father through Chr...

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. James 1:22‭-‬24 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/jas.1.22-24.KJV Devotion: Good day to you out there. Over the yuletide and new year period you probably heard a lot about Jesus and his good news and is time to start work now. Well that is great but you need to go a step further - DO WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS.  Over Christmas we learnt that God is Love and that Jesus loves you and me, now it is our turn to love just as Jesus loves us and live a life of obedience as Jesus obeyed His father God.    We can only be Christian (follower of Christ) if we live and do things like he did. So whatever we have learnt from the Bible or heard from a teacher of the word let us put it into use. The ordinary perso...

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Genesis 1:1 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/gen.1.1.KJV Devotion: Today is the first day of 2024, it is symbolical because it is the beginning of another year. You probably attended church service and praised God for the past year while commiting this unto God which is very good. God is a God of second chance, a new beginning and it is worth it to take this opportunity to reestablish a new relationship with God.   Thank God if you did not mess up last year and if you did it is not the end of life; you only need to take the second chance to reestablish a new and good relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It is a simple matter if you understand that Jesus was there when God created the universe. In John 1 verses 1-3 we learn that "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that ...