The Oscar Ajoku Blog: Daily Vitamin Devotional

DAILY VITAMIN - Live A Maximum Life "And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow" (Luke 19:20-21)     Just like that fellow in our theme scripture, a lot of people are afraid to live as they ought to because they fear losing it all. I have met a couple of people who are reluctant to be in relationships because they wouldn't know how to handle it if the other person were to die or leave at some point. Some are afraid of certain things because of what they've seen others go through.     Sometimes, that's wisdom, but at other times it is the greatest stupidity. Unpredictability is often times the spice of life. You can't confiscate the present because of a future that may never be. In a Sci-fi thriller, you could do that, but not in real life, because that isn't true li...

DAILY VITAMIN - What Jesus Did For Us "Therefore, you are no longer a slave (bond servant) but a son; and if a son, then [it follows that you are] an heir by the aid of God, through Christ." (Galatians 4:7 AMP)      In Hosea 1, the prophet speaks of how God rejected Israel. He spoke of how He had decided not to show them mercy anymore nor claim parentage over them. However in verse 11, it is said "Then the people of Judah and Israel will unite and have one leader; they will return from exile together; what a day that will be- the day when God will sow his people in the fertile soil of their own land again." (TLB)     In the Old Testament times, that was prophecy, but now it is our reality. It has been fulfilled. Jesus fulfilled it; He brought that time that was prophesied to come. Galatians 4:3-6 says "And that is the way it was with us before Christ came. We were slaves to Jewish laws and rituals for we thought they could save us. But when the right ti...

DAILY VITAMIN - God Wants All Of You "Anyone who wants to be my follower must love me far more than he does his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, or sisters -yes, more than his own life- otherwise he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26 TLB)      A lot of us Christians sing about how we want more of God when in reality all we really need to do is give Him more of us. That is what the Christian walk is all about, affording God access to more of us. The scripture says that God has given us Himself in wonderful fullness (Titus 3:6); in other words, there's nothing of God that He hasn't given to you as an heritage, but to fully maximize it we have to also give Him all of ourselves.     Many years ago, the Lord taught me from Luke 18:21-22 what I needed to do most to maximize the life of God in me. It says "The man replied, "I have obeyed every one of these laws since I was a small child". "There is still one thing you lack", Jes...

DAILY VITAMIN - Predestinated As Victors "And those who are wise-the people of God-shall shine as brightly as the sun's brilliance, and those who turn many to righteousness will glitter like stars forever." (Daniel 12:3 TLB)     The entire Bible begins with victory for the people of God and ends with the same. The mid section may have portrayed some few challenges, but it always ends with victory. And this should excite you. Our theme verse says that the people of God will shine like the sun when all is said and done; that is, when others are being weighed, counted and found wanting, those who dedicated their lives to the exaltation of righteousness will keep blooming in the Lord throughout eternity.      Isn't that awesome? Well, that is what God has in store for you. And the greater part is that this doesn't have to begin in the next life, it can now. Jesus said that if anyone has lost family, properties or opportunities for the sake of the gospel, in ...

DAILY VITAMIN - The Leper's Faith "He looked at them and said, "Go to the Jewish priest and show him that you are healed!" And as they were going, their leprosy disappeared." (Luke 17:14 TLB)       Jesus told Martha that if she would simply believe in His words, she would see the glory of God (John 11:40). Well, that was what happened to these lepers. In Luke 17:5, the apostles asked Jesus to teach them how to have more faith, but it took ten lepers to answer them. In verse 6, Jesus assured them that if they'd only use what they had already, great things would happen; but however as children of God having faith would require obeying and doing it His way first (v.7-10). And then at that moment He showed them how.      Ten lepers approached them, seeking for Jesus' intervention. They were the most loathed of society. Nobody would dare come near them. Even the priests who were authorized to examine them also avoided them. Yet they came to Jesus, see...

DAILY VITAMIN - Walking In The Light Of Christ "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:7)      Jesus told the residents of Jerusalem that they wouldn't see Him again until they say welcome to him who comes in the name of the Lord (Luke 13:35). For many years I thought Jesus was referring to Himself - that is, His second coming; but He wasn't. He was referring to His person; and guess what? We carry His person in us. And so, even after Jesus died He was still very much present in Jerusalem healing as many as needed help through His disciples - thereby keeping His promise.      As the people embraced the disciples, they experienced the liberating power of the person of Christ (Acts 6:7). And He still does that today through us. That's what our theme scripture tells us- we are as much Him in the world today as He is. And who ensured that? He did. He said a...

DAILY VITAMIN - How To Worship "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1)       In 2 Chronicles 2:6, Solomon termed the temple "a place to worship him". Remember, he was talking about the Jewish temple he would eventually construct in the heart of Jerusalem; and so when he said worship, he meant the Jewish traditional way of burning incense before Him. But Jesus came and showed us a better way. He taught us how to worship. He said "the hour cometh, when you shall neither in this mountain, nor yet in Jerusalem, worship the Father...but they that worship God must do it in truth and in spirit" (John 4:21-24).      Worship is not a physical exercise; it's spiritual service. And this is because it is personal. It goes from you to God regardless of place. And so having gifted us with His Holy Spirit, He affirms t...

DAILY VITAMIN - Be Ready "So be ready all the time. For I, the Messiah, will come when least expected." (Luke 12:40 TLB)     The Lord's return isn't as far as many assume. The scriptures say it shall come unexpectedly, and suddenly, as a thief in the night. You do know how that works right? You go out for a night out with a few friends, get back at ten, plan how the next day is going to be, and how you've got to drive to the suburbs to deliver some documents by seven in the morning. But then you sleep for the night, and by the time the alarm wakes you up, you realize that your car has been the object of a heist at your place.     You planned a necessary car trip, but by dawn you have been stripped of the car by some criminals. What was there is now gone. That's something similar to how Christ shall return. He said you shall look for Him and not find Him; and then you shall look and see Him; and He exemplified this with the story of the ten virgins. He ...

DAILY VITAMIN - You Can Live Above Mistakes "...and they began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling his affairs so that they could complain to the king about him. But they couldn't find anything to criticize! He was faithful and honest, and made no mistakes." (Daniel 6:4 TLB)      There is something consistent with God's people, and that is the capacity to live free of mistakes and errors. A lot of us think it is impossible to live free of errors. That may be statistically accurate based on human analysis; but that's not what the scriptures teach. The Bible says that the Jewish leaders sought for ways to entrap Jesus, but each time He was always a step ahead of them. They brought questions that seemed difficult to catch Him unawares, hoping He would flop at them so they could accost and criticize Him before the people, but it was them who kept failing and flopping in their attempts. The devil also came in search of something he could accu...

DAILY VITAMIN - Born To Reign - So Reign! "And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth" (Rev 5:10)     The Bible speaks of Jesus as the Lord who sits and reigns in heaven forevermore. And I know it's true. Praise God! Now, that same Bible says that as He is [connoting both yesterday, now and through eternity], so are we in this world (1 John 4:17). That alone should tell you about who you are- or at least should be -in Christ.     The scripture says He brought us into a Kingdom, and made us priests unto the Lord: and we shall reign on the earth, as seen above (TLB). Note the two most important words there- 'made' and 'reign'.      First, it shows that God isn't waiting to make us anything; He already made us everything we could be in Christ; we simply have to manifest their realities every day of our lives. Also, that it's past tense proves that it is exactly how He had always seen us. Even when you did...

DAILY VITAMIN - 3 Factors Essential For A Fruitful Everyday Christian Life (2) "Run from anything that gives you the evil thoughts that young men often have, but stay close to anything that makes you want to do right. Have faith and love, and enjoy the companionship of those who love the Lord and have pure hearts." (2 Timothy 2:22 TLB)      Last time, we considered the first important factor for being fruitful every day of our lives as Christians, now we'll look at the last two: 2. Keep a Clean Mind Always: The scripture says to the defiled all things are defiled, but to the pure all things are pure (Titus 1:15). Our experiences are a product of our mentality. You can't have a rich Christian life with a poor mentality. They are beyond related. Little wonder why Jesus said that a good man out of the good treasures of the heart brings forth good things (Matthew 12:35). That is, like they say, you can't give what you don't have. In practical terms, for ex...

DAILY VITAMIN - 3 Factors Essential For A Fruitful Everyday Christian Life (1) "And let our's also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful." (Titus 3:14)     Scripture says "Bodily exercise is all right, but spiritual exercise is much more important and is a tonic for all you do. So exercise yourself spiritually and practice being a better Christian, because that will help you not only now in this life, but in the next life too." (1 Timothy 4:8 TLB).     Christianity doesn't end in believing; that's just the beginning. In fact, Christianity will only remain a mere religion until a lifestyle that appropriates its beliefs is exercised. It is said that Christianity is a way of life- a culture; well, that's true! By observing the plethora of sanctimonious people in certain regions, you'd realize that anybody can act religious, but only those willing to exemplify the mind of Christ can truly walk effectivel...

DAILY VITAMIN - God Doesn't Need You To Impress Him "But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things." (Luke 10:40-41)      If there's one thing you should know, it is that you can't impress God. There's nothing you can do that He hasn't seen before. In fact, God doesn't need you to impress Him; He wants you to cling to Him. That's what He meant in Micah 6:7-8. He has no need, only a will; and that will is to have us dwell completely in Him.     In the theme scripture, you will realize that Martha was trying to impress Jesus. She had a big dinner all planned, and was making preparations; but when she realized no one was trying to help her make it work - especially her sister Mary, she got into a fit, became very fu...

DAILY VITAMIN - God Rules In My World "...to the intent that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever He will, and sets up over it the basest of men." (Daniel 4:17)       It has become a regular sermon, even in church, that the devil is the god of the world. But is that so? The fact that many people believe that doesn't make it right. Paul spoke about how the prince of the air and the god of this world has blinded the men of sin (Ephesians 2:2, 2 Corinthians 4:4). Hope you noted the word "this"? Paul used "this" to indicate the ungodly world and times. Remember, we are in the world but not of the world as Jesus said; however while we are in it, the devil isn't our god over it, God is. And Jesus affirms that.       When the devil came to tempt Him, asking Him to bow down to him [believing himself to be god of the world], Jesus said to him "Be gone Satan; for thou shall worship the Lo...

DAILY VITAMIN - God Wants You To Be Transformed "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:18)       When a lot of people hear God's Word being preached, or read it, they use the term "I was touched" very often. But guess what? God doesn't want you to be touched - because that's emotional and thus temporal, He wants you to be transformed. The Word of God is not designed to touch us; it is full of capacity to transform us. Praise God!      Psalm 119:130 says that as the light of the Word engulfs us, it transforms us from simple minded people to people of understanding. While our theme verse tells us that as we behold Christ through the mirror of the Word, we are transformed from glory to glory by the Spirit of God. You see, on Mount Sinai Moses was touched by God and as a result glowed; but his glow wasn't p...

DAILY VITAMIN - Solomon's Secret "And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly" (2 Chronicles 1:1)      The Bible tells of Solomon's exploits. It gives a concise exposition of his wisdom, wealth and all-round wellness. He was a great man before God and men. But wouldn't you like to know how he got here?      1 Chronicles 28 shows us the simple principle Solomon followed as revealed by David his father to get to the heights he attained. Verse 7 begins with David reminding the people of what God had told him, saying "And if he continues to obey my commandments and instructions as he has until now, I will make his kingdom last forever" (TLB). And then in verse 9, he goes further to tell Solomon how he can achieve this. He said "...Worship and serve him with a clean heart and a willing mind, for God sees every heart and understands and knows every thought. If you s...

DAILY VITAMIN - God Has A One Person Agenda " Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for I called him when he was but one, and I blessed him and made him many." (Isaiah 51:2 AMP)     All through scripture we are told of the God who is interested in- yes -one person. It is His eternal campaign - causing a change in one person because that's always enough to create changes for thousands to come. An exponential increase He specializes in.    The opening scripture tells us that He called Abraham as one man, and blessed him, and through him the world has been blessed. That's why you must never let the numbers outweigh the intention and purpose of God in your heart. It doesn't matter if only a few bunch come to listen to the gospel when you preach it, or if you're the only one present in a Bible class organized for thousands. It doesn't still devalue His plan for you. Every meeting God puts together is always for one person. A thousand pe...

DAILY VITAMIN - The Mighty God In The Midst Of Trouble "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)      The valley of death has always been perceived to be a place of anarchy and torment; a place of brimstone and decay. Ancient mythologies support this claim. However, David said that even if he found himself there, he'd still return unscathed. He said that even in its midst, no one and nothing will be able to harm him because God is with him.      In the book of Isaiah, God reveals what David must have known that made him speak that way. He said "When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up- the flames will not consume you" (Isaiah 43:2 TLB). It might have sounded like a joke to t...

DAILY VITAMIN - Never Hide Your Testimony "I will give You thanks in the great congregation: I will praise You among much people." (Psalm 35:18)     God always wants us to acknowledge what He has done for us before others. He wants us to glorify Him before them, so that they can also tap into that same grace and glorify Him as well. When Jesus healed the ten lepers, and only one returned, Jesus sternly enquired why the nine never returned to show themselves (Luke 17:17-18). Jesus did that not only because acknowledging the good things He has done for us perfects them in our lives and create a bias for more, but because our words of testimony are how He also draws others to Himself (see John 4:28-30).     So, it's really a great disservice whenever we try to hide it. Furthermore, when the hemorrhagic woman touched Jesus to gain her complete restoration, the Bible says "But Jesus told him, 'No, it was someone who deliberately touched me, for I felt healing...

DAILY VITAMIN - Be Careful What You Listen To "So be careful how you listen; for whoever has, to him shall be given more; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him." (Luke 8:18 TLB)      According to our theme scripture, some things you listen to can cause you to lose certain precious others; while some you listen to can add to them. What you hear affects your life greatly because it has the power to configure your mind and colour your heart, and as a result greatly influence your way of thinking as well as your mode of living. Someone once said that whatever a man will be in five years will be determined by what he reads, whom he associates with, and what he listens to. Little wonder we are cautioned to be very careful as to what we listen to.      So, let me ask you this question: What have you been listening to? How your life has turned out thus far is a function of that. David tells us that he became wise...