The Oscar Ajoku Blog: Daily Vitamin Devotional

 DAILY VITAMIN - When Sin Becomes A Choice "Sin need never again be your master, for now you are no longer tied to the law where sin enslaves you, but you are free under God’s favor and mercy." (Romans 6:14 TLB) The Bible says that those in sin are blinded by the devil (2 Cor 4:3-4). If so, then the question becomes: Why do Christians still willfully sin? And the answer is because they are making the choice to.  John said that the born-again man cannot sin (1 John 3:9); and Paul tells us that is because the power of sin has been broken in our lives. He wrote "Of course not! Should we keep on sinning when we don’t have to? For sin’s power over us was broken when we became Christians and were baptized to become a part of Jesus Christ; through his death the power of your sinful nature was shattered." (Romans 6:2-3 TLB). And in verse 6, he explains better. "Your old evil desires were nailed to the cross with him; that part of you that loves to sin was crushed and f

  DAILY VITAMIN - Receive Wisdom (1) "If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him; he will not resent it." (James 1:5 TLB) The scripture tells us that silver has a depot, and that gold has a place people can have access to it; yet it says there is a path that no one knows. The fowl don't know it, the depths don't have it, and in spite of the number of brilliant men that have died thus far death still hasn't had its hand on it. It says the content of this path makes the greatest gems insignificant because it is surpassing in value, price and glory. And then tells us that God knows the path, because He is the path. He is the place where wisdom can be found (Job 28). Job 12:13 says "To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his" (NIV). Little wonder the theme scripture tells us to ask it of Him, because it comes from Him

  DAILY VITAMIN  - Jesus Knows All You're Going Through "Because He Himself [in His humanity] has suffered in being tempted, He is able to help and provide immediate assistance to those who are being tempted and exposed to suffering." (Hebrews 2:18 AMP) Who else will you trust in times of need than He who has been in that same situation at some point? That is why Jesus is our perfect advocate. He knows how we feel, because He has also felt it. The scripture says He is constantly touched with the feelings of our infirmities (Hebrews 4:15); and why is this so? Because it is He "who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity." (Hebrews 5:2).  And why should we trust Him? Because though He "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). That is, it didn't surmount Him. He overcame it all. And so in Him we can find the strength to overcome it

 DAILY VITAMIN - You Will Rise Again “I deserted you for a brief moment, but I will take you back with abundant compassion." (Isaiah 54:7 CSB) What can be said to a man that is extremely jaded to help him? You may be feeling down and out based on your present experiences, but God has something for you this morning, and I'm sure it changes your approach towards life forever. In Isaiah 54, God speaking to the fellow who believes his life is over because of the series of bad breaks he is having says, "Sing..." Isn't that amusing? Not if you read on to see why He is telling them to. He said "Enlarge the place of thy tent...for thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left..." (v.2-3). He is literally telling us that an increase is on its way. He's making room for more. You may have thought you were done for, but God is about to give you double consolation (Isaiah 61:7). He said though it seemed like He forsook you for a moment, but He is abou

DAILY VITAMIN - Receive Strength "He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless." (Isaiah 40:29 NLT) You may be feeling jaded and weak in your spirit. You feel like giving up on God. Perhaps you're even starting to believe that there is no more hope for you; well, I have good news for you. God wants to strengthen you. He will and He can. The Bible says He gives power to the faint and might to them without strength. So it means God knows some of us might grow faint in times of adversity; and He says it is because we are depleted in spiritual strength (Proverbs 24:10). And this exempts nobody; for He says that even the young ones that are meant to be filled with might and vigour will grow weak too (Isaiah 40:30).  But thank God for His unspeakable gift; He didn't leave us without a witness. He showed us how to receive strength afresh. He says that as we wait upon the LORD, our strength shall be renewed, and we shall be renewed, and we shall soar so high as th

  DAILY VITAMIN - Maximizing Trials "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds," (James 1:2 NIV) Both apostles James and Paul admonished us to take advantage of every trial. Just as we read in our theme verse, Paul reiterated the same to the Roman church. He said "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to be patient." (Romans 5:3 TLB). He said it is because this will help us learn to be patient. And patience grooms spiritual strength and mental endurance in us which will grow our hope and faith in God (v.4). So, the thing the devil wanted to use to bring you down is what God uses to build us up. Little wonder why He lets us pass through some tribulations. Consider the case of David and Joseph. It is paramount for the building of character essential for what is to come. " for when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow. So let it

  DAILY VITAMIN - Maintain Your Faith "But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory." (Hebrews 3:6 NIV) The day we believed in and confessed the Lordship of Christ we were saved; however having been brought into the faith we have a responsibility to God and to ourselves to maintain this faith. it is like in a race, you don't stop until you cross the finish line. And so until you see and pass the finish line, you are under obligation to keep going fast and hard; no compromise whatsoever. That's what our theme scripture says. it tells us that now that we are Christ's house, to stay that way, we have to hold fast to the faith to the end steadfastly (v.14). Now, it cause Mark 13:13 to make more sense: Only those who last to the end shall truly be saved.  So, get this please; the day we got saved, that was the beginning. The journey just begun, and the movement must c

  DAILY VITAMIN - Know What You Have "What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us." (1 Cor 2:12 NIV) The Bible says eyes have not seen, nor ears heard neither has the heart conceived all the Lord has prepared for His beloved (1 Cor 2:9). But while many can't see this because the devil misleads them to keep them from the light (2 Cor 4:4-5), we know this. Our eyes see it, our ears hear it and our hearts perceive it by the Spirit of God. He reveals it to us, and He does so in the face of Jesus (2 Cor 4:6). That's what the scripture says; God reveals them to us by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 2:10). And the Spirit does this by revealing Christ to and in us. Recall that in Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col 2:3). All there is to know about God and who we are in Him are replete in Christ. And when we have received Christ, His Spirit pours this into our hea

  DAILY VITAMIN - God Is Not Done With You Yet “so now I have determined to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid." (Zech 8:15 NIV) God has great plans of goodness in store for you. Yes, God won't just bless you, He will ensure you stay blessed. In 1 Peter 5:10, it is said that He will strengthen us, settle us, establish us and then perfect us all. He doesn't just begin a  plan, He makes sure to complete it; and even when it comes to blessing you as a fruit of your obedience to Him, He will always see to it that it is perfected. Philippians 1:6 says He will perfect the good work He has begun in your life: vis a vis, He's not done with you yet. And that means if He has taken you to a high place, He is taking you higher. If He has made you great, He is making you greater. He is giving you more, and making you better. And you can be sure of this because it is affirmed that our paths only get brighter by the day (Proverbs 4:18).  So believe Him, He's j

 DAILY VITAMIN - Invest In Good Deeds "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9 NIV) The Bible instructs those who are righteous to rejoice, but the real question is, why? It goes on to say why: "it shall be well with them: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings" (Isaiah 3:10). They like all men will reap what they have sown, and because they have sown good deeds, they will receive good returns (see Proverbs 21:21). It is a natural law of life.  God says that seed time and harvest will never cease (Genesis 8:22); so whatever is sown shall also be reaped--good for good, and evil for evil. Little wonder why Paul tells us never to grow weary in doing good, and to constantly do good to others (Galatians 6:9-10); for in due time we'd reap a harvest of goodness in return. To elaborate on the importance of this, let's consider Dorcas. She is described in scripture as a woman &qu

  DAILY VITAMIN - Live Your Best Life Now "...therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live." (Deuteronomy 30:19) Today, the 24th of May, is kind of like my birthday. I turn 30 this year, and so do a lot of people; and while I don't always go out to celebrate each year,  I do something else. Something better if I may say---I ponder. I ponder about about all my life was made to be,  and if I am living that way.  If I'm right with how I've lived thus far,  then I deserve an accolade,  but if not,  then I've only just wasted time. I'm a proud believer of the truth that we are living on borrowed time, and that each moment is meant to bring out a part God hid within us to change the world positively. Like paint in a old container. There will no be beautiful canvas except it is opened first of all,  and then used. In the same vein, Life is our canvas, we are the paint and God is the artist. He uses us to create better worlds,  but we have to want

 DAILY VITAMIN - Accessing God's Favour (2) "For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as [with] a shield." (Psalm 5:12) The scripture tells us "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). And in the seventh verse David confessed "LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, [and] I was troubled." In other words, God always reserves favour for His people, and that favour is the only way in which life can be easy for us when others complain it's hard; however as we saw in the last devotional it takes faith to possess it. Yes! And this because we are already creatures of favour. Romans 5:2 in the The Living Bible tells us we have been brought into the place of highest privilege. A place where you can have anything you ask of the Father as Jesus supposed (John 16:23-24). We h

 DAILY VITAMIN - Accessing God's Favour (1) "And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians." (Exodus 12:36 NKJV) Our theme scripture tells us that Israel had so much favour with Egypt that they went out of captivity a hundred times richer than they were when they had first settle there. How did this happen? Favour. Remember when a man's ways pleases God, even his enemies will be good to him. That's what God's favour does; and it was what Israel experienced. The good news is that God designed us to live that way every day. He calls us signs and wonders (Isaiah 8:18), meaning "Jehovah will save His people," he said. We are meant to access this favour every second of the year. And how do we do that? To find out, we'd have to learn from those who did. First, David. The Bible records David's words in Psalm 40. "I waited patiently for the

  DAILY VITAMIN - The Best Has Been Reserved For You "But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Cor 2:9 NKJV) God says "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11). His mind is always fluttering around your welfare, and how to best present it to you. From the beginning He perfected it and purposed to bring to pass in its time. I found something interesting in Isaiah 4. Verse 2 tells us that there are those whose names are written down to escape the destruction. It means the reason why you escaped the hardship that ravaged your country and survived the accident, the illness, or the hunger and tribulation is because God has your name written down. Remember what He said about Israel in Isaiah 43:4: He will give others in your place. Many have suffered

 DAILY VITAMIN - The Church Is Blessed "In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all." (Isaiah 2:2 NIV) The scripture shows us that the blessings of the church shall run the world. Psalm 58:6 says "Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!" (NIV). The Bible also says it shall be a city without walls, giving shelter to all who have been distressed. It says its products will bring deliverance to the world. Recall that saviours shall proceed out of Zion (Obadiah 21). Saviours who will judge the evil world. That may sound difficult to understand, but Jeremiah elucidates further. He says it shall be a place of praise and unending joy, producing the nobles and governors of cities (Jeremiah 30:19-21). My dear, the church is not an ordinary entity. It's a place where giants are born (Ps

 DAILY VITAMIN - You Cannot Be Moved "They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever." (Psalm 125:1) To fully understand what a statement means, you must first understand what the individual words that make it up truly mean. And in our theme verse, God says those that trust in Him--those who depend and rely on Him--will stand strong forever as Zion, and will never be removed. First things first, the city of Zion is an eternal city. It's a city that resides in us once Christ comes into us; and is the reason why we live in heaven even while on earth. It is the symbolism of God's presence, and His presence is forever. Secondly, the word "removed" means to be moved twice. For instance, before a car can be removed from a garage, it must have first been moved to or placed in a garage. So, what it is really saying is that as long as you trust in God, He has established you. It may not have manifested in its materia

  DAILY VITAMIN - Live The Way God Demands of Us "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;" (1 Peter 1:15 NIV) Don't deceive yourself, there's a life God demands of us. Romans 2:9 tells us that whether we are Christians or non-believers, if we do what the sinner does, we'd get what the sinner gets. It says "There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;" (NIV). Don't fool yourself thinking you can live in sin, attend church and end up in heaven. No! You don't. Scripture says "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." (Gal 6:7 NIV). He judges us according to our works not according to our faith (Rev 22:12). Before we became saved, we were judged by faith, thus when we believed He brought us into the Kingdom family. But now that we are saved, He judges us by what we do with that faith. Remember Hebrews 6:10. "God is no

 DAILY VITAMIN - Understanding The Mercies of God "Praise the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever." (Psalm 136:1) God is merciful; and the great part is that He wants to show you mercy. The Bible says His desire to show mercy increases daily. Lamentations 3:22-23 says "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, ... for his compassions never fail. ... They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (NIV).  He renews it every moment.  Despite this, a lot of people don't receive a touch of mercy because they don't believe He yearns to show them mercy. And they think this way due to the misconception that God is an angry God who loves to punish people, basing this premise on the Old Testament. But the facet of God we see most times in the Old Testament was due to the characters of men in those periods. Even Jesus said God gave them laws according to what He saw in their hearts. In Mark 10:5, Jesus said "It was becau

  DAILY VITAMIN - Charity Begins At Home "Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." (1 Tim 5:8 NIV) Jesus' ministry emphasized this very much. You can feed the whole world but it means nothing if your own home stays hungry. In Mark 7, He spoke about how a man must give to his hungry parents even if that was meant to be a gift to the temple, because God delights in this (v.10-13). He goes further to show us the extent of his delight to begin from his people. When the Syrophoenician woman came to Him, He told her "First, I should help my own family" (v.27). Though He answered her petition, it doesn't still take away the relevance of those words. The family is the first world God gave to a man, and it is where he must first replenish and multiply. And this family include both the biological and spiritual. That's why speaking about charity, Paul tells us to

 DAILY VITAMIN - Trust God Only "They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever." (Psalm 125:1) Things may be hard some days, but those are the days when you've got to trust God the most. Only He can help you. You may have people with connections, but even these folks will fail you. Growing up, the LORD taught me an important lesson. He said no man can help you if God won't help you. The intention might be there, but no man has the real power to help without God's permission, whether they are aware of it or not. This is basically why the butler couldn't help Joseph in jail. The day he left jail, he had the heart to, but no one can define where the heart goes in time except God (Jeremiah 10:23). The Bible says the heart is in His hands and He turns it where He wills. Joseph was expecting help from man, but God taught him the same lesson; and in two years after the disappointment was glaring, God turned the same