The Oscar Ajoku Blog: Daily Vitamin Devotional

DAILY VITAMIN - We Don't Want Titles, We Want Impact "Then who are you? Tell us, so we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you have to say for yourself?" (John 1:22 TLB).       The religious leaders wanted to know whom John the Baptist was, but in the following verse he told them what he was sent to do. We see the same thing happen to Jesus. Matthew 13:55 tells us that the Jews wouldn't believe in all Christ did because they assumed his identity didn't correlate with it. They said "How is this possible?...He's just a carpenter's son, and we know Mary his mother and his brothers.." (TLB). He might not have had an admirable identity to them, but they couldn't deny His works.      Jesus could have been anything He wanted to be on earth. Not only was He God and had the power to have chosen to be anything He wanted, but He also had the influence to have naturally done so. In fact, at some point the people decided to carry out

DAILY VITAMIN - Never Doubt! "Ye believe in God, believe also in me" (John 14:1)       Nothing moves God to do great things than the unwavering faith of a man despite having no sight of hope anywhere near. Believing, even when there is no tangible reason to, is a bolstering tool in the making of a man before God; while on the other hand, doubting because appearances suggest there are reasons to is a reproach to the making of such a man.        In Matthew 14, the scripture says that having seen Jesus walking on water, Peter asked to come meet Him. At His Word, Peter began to walk afloat on water; but as soon as he took notice of the enraging coastal wave, he began to sink (v.27-31). As soon as he became more conscious of the conditions than of God's reassuring Word, he began to fall from the reality that had been given to him. And Jesus pointed out the problem - He said "Why did you doubt me?"        Many people are doubting God rather than believing Him

DAILY VITAMIN - You Have An Enviable Heritage "Behold, I and the children God hath given me are for signs and wonders..." (Isaiah 8:18)        In the sight of God you're blessed, and He says it shall be translated in the material world before the eyes of men too. He says you shall be envied and never pitied; because you will always be on top. For instance, you can't pity the light, you can only envy it. Everything desires to be like it; it breaks through all boundaries and evades all protocols. And it can't be held back. The same thing about the salt. It can't be pitied by the soup, because it gives life and taste to the soup. And that's exactly who God says you are- a light and a salt (Matthew 5:13-16). A sign and a wonder that keeps the world staring and wondering.      Now, let's see how Jesus exemplified this reality. Matthew 13 says that when "he returned to his hometown.... and taught there in the synagogue and astonished everyone wit

DAILY VITAMIN - The Spirit And The Wheel "When the cherubim stood still, so did the wheels, for the spirit of the cherubim was in the wheels" (Ezekiel 10:17 TLB)       The revelation of Ezekiel regarding the spirit and the wheel is the perfect description of how we can walk in the Spirit. Recall that having been born again now, not of corruptible seed, but of the incorruptible, which is the Word of God, we now live in the Spirit. Our life source has moved from the blood to the Spirit of God; and as such we no longer participate in the sin of Adam, but only of the righteousness of Christ. Glory to God!       Moreover, we are told by Paul to not only give ourselves to live in the Spirit, but to also walk in Him (Galatians 5:25). For centuries, even till now, many still struggle with what it means to walk in the Spirit. Paul gave us a clue when He told us to live as the children of light that we are everyday of our lives (Ephesians 5:8). But even that still appears ambig

DAILY VITAMIN - The Believer’s Mandate "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season: reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine" (2 Tim 4:2)       The believer has a responsibility to spread the Word to as many as the Lord sends his way. He is the sower of the Word, assigned to the harvest field of the earth, to propagate the expected return for the Kingdom. And like any worker during seed time, no condition should impede him/her if (s)he really desires the anticipated harvest.      Paul writes that both at times when we feel like it or not, we must preach the Word. In his First letter to young Timothy he made this known. He said "Until I get there, read and explain the scriptures to the church; preach God's Word" (1 Tim 4:13 TLB). It is our duty to preach the Word to the world, thereby drawing them into Christ and His Church where we must continually nurture and culture them with the Word of faith. It is the very seed that sav

DAILY VITAMIN - Highly Positioned In Christ "Truly, of all men ever born, none shines more brightly than John the Baptist. And yet, even the lesser lights in the Kingdom of Heaven will be greater than he is!" (Matthew 11:11 TLB).      According to the theme verse, John the Baptist exceeded the glory of the Patriarchs, and we who are one with Christ shall exceed him. Glory to God! This means that experiences the men of old couldn't access have been freely given to us. Our realities are now congruent with God's. We are walking in His light, and living in His glory.     Now it all makes sense; what the scriptures spoke of us. Ephesians 2:6 says that "we are seated in Christ in heavenly places". It says we have been lifted from the grave into the heavens. Our conversations and life now come from there. In other words, we are no longer at the bottom. We are above and beyond. It is the entire science of redemption- Christ coming down so that we may go up.

DAILY VITAMIN - God Wants Your Mind "And be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind" (Ephesians 4:23)      God is very much interested in your mind as much as He is in your spirit. Many people are saved, but they can't appropriate the reality of their salvation in their everyday lives. They claim to feel God, but they don't know Him. God resides in our spirits, but with the consciousness of our mind we learn to know Him.       Romans 12 says "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. 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" (v.1-2).       God understands the value of the mind, and so does the devil. He knows it can either impede or promote your fellowship with the Spirit. Little wonder why Satan tries so

DAILY VITAMIN - Unusual Wisdom "For it won't be you doing the talking - it will be the Spirit of your heavenly Father speaking through you!" (Matthew 10:20 TLB)       The Bible says of Jesus that "the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him; the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel and might; the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord" (Isaiah 11:2 TLB). Jesus literally walked all His days in the power and operation of the Sevenfold Spirit of God.      Many a times when we study the Bible characters under the Old Covenant, and see how God worked mightily through them, we "wished" we were like them. When we see Daniel's unusual insight to every issue at hand, and Joseph’s brilliance, we desire to be them; failing to understand that in Christ we have more than that by the Spirit who works it out of us. In Christ, our least light shall by far exceed their greatest (Matthew 11:11). 2 Corinthians 3:11 says that under the law their gl

DAILY VITAMIN - The Benefit Of Being A God-Associate "Say ye to the righteous that it shall be well with him..." (Isaiah 3:10)       Being associated with God automatically qualifies you for blessings. Check through scriptures and you'd find this out to be true. From Abraham to Isaac to Jacob, down to the woman from Shunem. In 2 Kings 8:1-6, we are told of how she was given a hint about the future that saved her and her house from the impending danger- the same miracle Joseph enjoyed because of his ties to baby Jesus; and even when she returned, she recovered all she had missing out on just for being acquainted with God and His prophet.      But you are not just acquainted with Him. You don't just know Him; you are an associate of the God-kind - a colleague of the divine. You are a kind of Himself. The perfect resemblance of His person in Christ. You may not have been living like it, but that's who He says you are -and expects you to be. He says "You

DAILY VITAMIN - You Also Have The Power To Forgive Sins "If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven. If you refuse to forgive them, they are unforgiven." (John 20:23 TLB)        Many years back they brought a sick young man to Jesus Christ, and He assured him that his sins had been forgiven (Matthew 9:5). The religious leaders thought it was blasphemous that a mere man would assure others he could forgive sins. But, oh, how they forgot that He wasn't a mere man. And right before their eyes, He confirmed this truth by healing the young man with a simple command. They shuddered with great fear at the sight of this- unable to comprehend how God could give a man such authority (v. 8).       But know this, God didn't stop with Jesus; He still does so with us who believe in Him. Jesus said "He spoke to them again and said, 'As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you'. Then he breathed on them and told them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit

DAILY VITAMIN - The Essence Of Having "As for the rich in this world, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on uncertain riches but on God who richly furnishes us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good deeds, liberal and generous (1 Tim 6:17-18 RSV)          What I'm about to tell you now is the greatest discovery of all time. Many mighty people never knew this, and so were drowned before they could even swim in the very ocean of glory. It will teach you how to live better. The prophets knew it; the wise men were aware of it; and till date God still inspires us to accept it - and that is the truth that the essence of having has always been-and will always be-giving.           A seed is useless if it's never going to be sown. Its value lies in its cultivation. Jesus said unless it falls to the ground, it abides alone. In other words, until what you have leaves your hands into another, it may never be multiplied into abundan

DAILY VITAMIN - Miracles Abound Within You "..I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13)      A man with God, they say, is always majority. This is because beyond whether or not he has the numbers physically, he naturally dictates the events of life. As said in the Revised Standard Version of Job 22:28, he decides on a matter, not the the circumstances presented; and whatever he proclaims as so, shall be so.      In 2 Kings 6, we see an illustration of this under the Old Covenant. Elisha was a walking miracle. He was in every place he went a miracle waiting to happen. First, we see how he brought forth steel out of river (v.6). Even science can't explain that till date. Later on, we see how he single-handedly delivered Israel from the Syrian' plot, leading its entire cavalry to his capital in surrender. And we cannot forget the miracles he performed in Naaman, the Zarephathian widow and how he never lacked even in a famine and so

DAILY VITAMIN - Put God First "And he will give them to you if you give him first place in your life and live as he wants you to" (Matthew 6:33 TLB)      Where we place God in the itinerary of our lives is where we place ourselves in His itinerary. That’s what that scripture says. How you value Him is synonymous to what value we expect and receive of Him. In short, you can't be greater than the position you give God in your life. Meaning that if you give Him first place, you can't be anything lesser than first in life; and if you give Him last place, you can't be anything greater than last in life.       This is what the scriptures meant when it said they that are first shall be last, and they that are last shall be first (Mark 10:31). Peter had just asked about what would happen to them who forsook all to pursue His good pleasure, and Jesus said in this world they shall have manifold times all they thought they had lost and in the world to come everlastin

DAILY VITAMIN - Secret Input, Open Output "And your Father who knows all secrets will reward you" (Matthew 6:4 TLB)       The King James Version of our theme verse says that "...thy Father which seeth in secret himself will reward you openly". That's really quite interesting, isn't it? What it means is that while men may never recognize the good things you do, while it may be hidden from men as Paul suggested in 1 Tim 5:25, God will always recognize them. Nothing is ever hidden from Him. The scripture says He will not forget or ignore our works and labours of love (Hebrews 6:10).      But let's go further. He says that even when you do a kindness secretly such that no one else catches notice of it, He will and bless you for it. He says that even when you pray in your inner closet where no one can hear you, He will and answer you. I have seen a lot of people who give up because no one honoured them. I have seen a lot of ministers who refused to sp

DAILY VITAMIN - Understanding The Word "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God". (John 1:1)        The Word of God is Christ - the wisdom and power of God; the first cause of all things; and God's personal expression of Himself to men. With this, we can say that for every time we meditate on the Word, we inundate ourselves in Christ. For every time we practise the Word, we practise Christ. For every time we understand the Word, we understand the mind and the will of Christ. With the Word actively in us, we'd be walking in the very mind of Christ. His experiences become our experiences, and His expectations become our expectations.       Remember, the Spirit through the apostle Paul tells us to adopt the mind of Christ (Phil 2:5). He already had told us that we have this same mind (1 Corinthians 2:16). But you see, the first is said because even after being born of the incorruptible seed of God, this incorruptible mind of

DAILY VITAMIN - Overcoming Offences "So if you are standing before the altar in the Temple, offering a sacrifice to God, and suddenly remember that a friend has something against you, leave your sacrifice there beside the altar and go and apologize and be reconciled to him, and then come and offer your sacrifice to God. Come to terms quickly with your enemy before it is too late and he drags you into court and you are thrown into a debtor's cell, for you will stay there until you have paid the last penny" (Matthew 5:23-26 TLB)       We must be wiser than the enemy, for we are not ignorant of his devices. He is called the accuser of the brethren for a reason, and he will prosecute any offense incongruent with the standard of the Word until he can granulate the offenders to nothingness. The scripture says that offenses are inevitable but woe to the man who causes others to drown in its bitterness (Luke 17:1).       Our opening scripture tells us that when we offend

DAILY VITAMIN - No Limitations "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil 4:13)      There is no limitation to what you can do or become as a believer. I'm not trying to get you excited. That's what the scriptures say; and that's how Jesus lived. Knowing this to be true, Paul tells us we can do all things (Note: no exceptions; no limitations); and by seeing how he also lived, we know it's true.      It is said of Jesus that "the report of his miracles spread far beyond the borders of Galilee so that sick folk were soon coming to be healed from as far away as Syria. And whatever their illness and pain, or if they were possessed by demons, or were insane, or paralyzed - he healed them all" (Matthew 4:24 TLB). This portion of scripture gets me every time. Please highlight the words "whatever their illness" and "he healed them all". Those words are the backbone of the entire story of Jesus. They speak volume

DAILY VITAMIN - Walking After The Spirit "Wherever their/[the] Spirit went they went, going straight forward without turning" (Ezekiel 1:12 TLB)       Nothing gets you closer to the reality God always had planned out for you than letting yourself be guided by Him. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit is a teacher that shows us the right way to go in order to be profitable before the Lord and towards men (see Isaiah 30:20-21). And Jesus said He would guide us into all truth. But it's one thing to be guided and another to follow.       Galatians 5 cautions us not to ever be satisfied with just living in the Spirit, but to go further and walk in Him to experience a truly victorious life (v.25). Living in the Spirit is what we do naturally now that we are born again. We are born of God by the Spirit; and so our life force have moved from our blood to the Spirit. However, to walk in the Spirit is to lead our lives by His direction. And this is the only way we can actual

DAILY VITAMIN - Take Full Advantage Of Your Identity "I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the Most High" (Psalm 82:6)        If you were asked about yourself, you might say "I'm Kevin from Suffolk"; or "I'm John from Hawaii"; and if you're like me, you might say "I'm Oscar from Lagos". A lot of people say this and some things we don't even want to hear. Well, what you succeed in revealing to them is simply who you think you are, not who you really are.       There is a difference between your identity and your personality. Your identity is who you are or whom you were created to be, while your personality is who you think you are or whom you appear to be. There's a big difference there. You might be a doctor, a writer, or a surgeon; but that isn't you. That's just whom you appear to be on the earth. It doesn't mean you made a mistake; but you can't just identify yourself with t

DAILY VITAMIN - Living In The Light "Don't hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father" (Matthew 5:15-16 TLB)       Christianity is a visible practice. People saw Jesus' everyday life and commented that He had done all things well (Mark 7:37). So, in other words, they were visible proofs of whom He said He was. And it wasn't because He rode the most decorated or sophisticated mule, but because He went about doing good.       The Bible says that now that we are of the light, we must behave like those of the light (Ephesians 5:8). And you can't be in the light, and be a source of darkness to others. The Bible calls God the Father of Lights in whom there is no variableness. And so, we can't have God in us and be anything different from Him. God is good, and as soon as we are abiding in Him, we walk in the same light of goodness and godliness.      More so, Philippians