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...