The Oscar Ajoku Blog: Daily Vitamin Devotional

  DAILY VITAMIN - What The Devil Wants from You  "The thief's purpose is to steal, kill and destroy." (John 10:10 TLB) Satan has a sole plan for mankind, whih is to wreck the plan of God for them. Therefore, what is God's plan for man? To reveal His glory through them. The mandate of the chosen Christ is  the mandate of all men (Isaiah 60:1-3). Recall Jesus said that as the Father sent Him, He sends us (John 17:18); while John explains better by saying as He is even now in glory so are we in this world (1 John 4:17). And His Spirit upon us is the guarantee for this (Isaiah 61). So what is the devil's MO? Jesus said it is to steal, kill and to destroy. Note, that this doesn't always involve a loss of life, because spiritually speaking living is different from breathing. The cessation of breath isn't the definition of death. Adam breathed but in God's eyes was dead alongside all men till Jesus restored us to life. Death is actually the loss of purpose an

  DAILY VITAMIN - What God Wants from You   "You are the world's light--a city on a hill, glowing in the night for all to see." (Matthew 5:14 TLB) There is a way God sees you--and that is simply as He sees Himself. In John 8:12, Jesus called Himself the light of the world as He also alled us as seen in the theme scripture. So you are light. We all are. When God saw the earth covered in darkness, He ushered in light by His Spirit, but it didn't end there. He perfeted the process by sending man. Man is the light of God on the earth to annihilate every darkness. That's what you are and what I am. However, no one buys a new lamp only to have it buried underneath a bed. So, we as lamps of the divinity have a singular responsibility to shine. This Isaiah emphasized in Chapter 60 of his book. In verse 1, he tells us we got light enshrined in us because God's glory is upon us. Then in verse 2, he tells why God gave us light. He said darkness ravages the earth and iron

  DAILY VITAMIN - Receive His Forgiveness "So overflowing is his kindness towards us that he took away all our sins through the blood of his Son, by whom we are saved." (Ephesians 1:7 TLB) When Jesus died for us, He did two distinct things for us. First, He redeemed us. This involved the cleansing of all our past sins; making us whole and anew in the sight of God. He gave us a clean slate as new creations, with an identity free of darkness and full of the light of God. Second, He made available the forgiveness of sins. Remember the propitiation through faith in His blood declared His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past (Romans 3:25), but He also says that if any man yet sins, we have an advocate with the Father... (1 John 2:1). So now even when we fall short, we can still receive forgiveness of sins free of guilt. Yes, His blood was the price and it's been paid for. He made provision for our weakest moments. Thus, if you ever fall short, never be afraid

  DAILY VITAMIN - There Is Deliverance In The Lord "But Jerusalem will become a refuge, a way of escape. Israel will reoccupy the land." (Obadiah 17 TLB) Do you feel oppressed or distressed? Know that there is help in God. The Bible says in Mount Zion, deliverance comes. Mount Zion here presents us with a picture of God's constant presence. Remember, He dwells there (Psalm 48:2). And we are told that there He breaks the bow of the oppressor (Psalm 76:2-3). Yes, in His presence, every root of affliction is cut off. So, what do we do in times of trouble? We take refuge in the Lord. He doesn't just save us from impending dangers, He liberates us from already existing ones (Psalm 34:17-22). Recall that He said even lawful captives will be delivered (Isa 49:25). So it doesn't matter how you got there in the first place, you just need to return to the Lord with all sincerity and camp with Him; and as you continually spend time with Him, the chains begin to come off on i

  DAILY VITAMIN - Walking In Holiness "For God has not called us to be dirty-minded and full of lust, but to be holy and clean." (1 Thess 4:7 TLB) John tells us that he that believes in Jesus as the Son of God is born of God (1 John 5:1); and we know that such a man cannot sin (1 John 3:9), but the question is why? It is true that the day we got saved, the Spirit of Christ came into us, and because the first fruit (Jesus) is holy, we the lumps became holy entities. However, the why is really because such a man born of God yields himself genuinely to God. The Bible calls him a servant of righteousness (Romans 6:18); and he does righteousness as proof of his rebirth (1 John 2:29). 1 John 5:18 says that whosoever is born of God sins not, but keeps himself, and the wicked one touches him not. The words "keeps himself" is a call to responsibility toward holiness; similar to what Paul said in Romans 6:19. So while we have been reborn in holiness, we must appropriate this

  DAILY VITAMIN - Stand Strong In The Lord "O Lord, you alone are my hope; I've trusted you from childhood." (Psalm 71:5 TLB) A lot of us admire how David's life turned out, and many times even desire we could be him; but if we knew what we had to go through, we wouldn't envy him one bit. He faced a lot of challenges, but he overcame them all by staying strong in the Lord. Remember what he said in Psalm 42:5: "My soul don't be depressed; hope in God." However, in Psalm 71, which is one of the easiest prayers you can engage in when at your lowest to get back on your feet, we see how he dealt with hardships: he talked with God until his faith was resurgent. First, he asked to be free from the confusion depression brings (v.1); and made a decision to trust God in spite of how things appeared (v.14), and at the end admitted that God had made him a wonder (v.7) because He had increased him on every side (v.20-21). And now I'm asking you to do the same

  DAILY VITAMIN - One Decision Away By Faith "For salvation that comes from trusting Christ--which is what we preach--is already within easy reach of each of us; in fact, it is as near as our own hearts and mouths. For if you tell others with your own mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord, and believe in your own heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:8-9 TLB)   Some centuries ago, there was a young eloquent teacher named Apollos who admonished people after the doctrine of John the Baptist; that is, preaching repentance as the prerequisite for salvation (Acts 18:24-25). He would go ahead from town to town telling people to return back to God or face His wrath as the old prophets did. But even with this, no matter how hard the people tried to desire God more they couldn't, because though they had the zeal, they lacked the life and knowledge that made it possible. Something Apollos would learn afterward; that repentance isn't the pivo

   DAILY VITAMIN - Show Yourself Approved "In fact, in everything we do we try to show that we are true ministers of God." (2 Cor 6:4 TLB) The scripture tells us that the grace of God shouldn't be in vain in our lives, but to be used toward edification for the glory of God (v.1); such that regardless of what we may have to go through, we might remain strong for the Lord. And we are told this we can do by: 1. Pureness; for to him of a pure mind all things are pure (Titus 1:15), and he that comes to you with a pure conscience always will find God (Heb 10:21-23, 1 Peter 4:16) 2. Knowledge; for only by the knowledge of His will can we walk worthy of God unto all pleasing (Col 1:9-11), and they that know their God well will be strong and full of exploits for Him (Dan 11:32). 3. Long suffering; for those who are reproached for His Name has the Spirit of God laid His glory, and by committing themselves to Him have their souls kept (1 Peter 4:14,19). 4. Kindness; for he that is k

 DAILY VITAMIN - The Gift Is For All "For he longs for all to be saved and understand this truth" (1 Timothy 2:4 TLB) Everything Jesus did, He did for all and with all in mind. In other words, Jesus didn't die for the Christians alone; on the contrary He died for the whole world, but those who receive this gift of salvation become Christians (Christ-like) (John 3:16). The Bible says that it is for everybody the Lord calls (Acts 2:39), and our theme verse tells us that left to God He would have all called and saved. Consider what the Psalmist wrote: "HE received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them." (Psalm 68:18). He didn't leave anyone out of this package; all are eligible. Little wonder, John tells us that He was the sacrifice not only for our sins but for all as well (1 John 2:2). However, though all are eligible, only those who receive this gracious gift can access it (John 1:12). That's why even thoug

 DAILY VITAMIN - With Faith, Great Things Happen "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so God can heal you. When a believing person prays, great things happen."  (James 5:16 NCV) When we read the theme scripture in the King James Version of the Bible, we sometimes believe that the writer was referring to the prayer of the saint as effectual and dynamic with power; but that isn't what he meant. Considering his illustration of Elijah as a simple man like we are, coupled with this version of scripture in use, we can be sure he was speaking of the prayer of a saint with unwavering faith--a believing person. Anybody can pray, but the ones who pray into results must do so in faith. Elijah was a simple person but he had an uncommon degree of faith; and when he did those wonders, he did them with wavering, knowing that a doubleminded man receives nothing. So, James was only reiterating the Lord's words that when we believe, we put power in the place of pray

  DAILY VITAMIN - Fill Your Heart With Grace "So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your spiritual strength comes as a gift from God, not from ceremonial rules about eating certain foods--a method which, by the way, hasn't helped those who have tried it" (Hebrews 13:9 TLB) A lot of people think they can be given to God's will by following a set of legalistic rules; but it is not true. The Bible says it is not by power, nor by might, but by His Spirit; because only grace can do this (Zech 4:6-7). Not of him that wills nor runs, it is of the gracious God (Romans 9:16). That's why we are instructed to establish our hearts with grace. And we do that by understanding that we can only please God by faith and walking in the leading of the Spirit, because of what Jesus has perfected on our behalfs. Remember, it is He who makes you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight through Christ (Heb 13:21). His favo

 DAILY VITAMIN - Approach God With His Word  "God is not a man that he should lie; He doesn't change his mind like humans do." (Numbers 23:19 NLT) The Bible tells us that God expects us to plead our case before Him that we might be justified (Isa 43:26); however a lot of us fail to get the best out of it because we don't know how to. What God expects we do is to bring His Word with us  in prayer. And that never fails because He honors it.  Consider Jacob. He went to God with the Word (Gen 32:9-12), and it resulted in His change of story experience. The name Israel wasn't just a symbol of the change of nomenclature, it was a change of his entire experience. SO, let's do the same. If you need wisdom in a particular area, remind Him that He gives wisdom to all who are good (Eccl 2:26). If you are experiencing some sort of memory loss, remind Him that your memory has been declared blessed by Him (Pro 10:7). If you are sick, remind Him that He promised to restore h

  DAILY VITAMIN - Desiring God "His purpose in all of this is that they should seek after God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him--though he is not far from any one of us." (Acts 17:27 TLB) In our theme scripture, the word "feel" represents desire. The original Greek translates to reach out or to grope. Before we become Spirit-filled, that was the best we could do--feel toward Him, and it is still what we have to do intentionally despite our new status till our last breath. Long story short, if would seek HIm with great desire, we would always find Him. Remember what Jesus said: those who hunger and thirst after Him will be satisfied (Matt 5:6). Desire is a major ingredient in getting God's attention. Whether in prayer or through fasting and fellowship, desire must be in place to see result. Until our heart is given to it, answers may not be given. Recall that it is the heartfelt prayer of the righteous that avails much (James 5:16). That is, whe

  DAILY VITAMIN - Count On God Alone "But I stand silently before the Lord, waiting for him to rescue me. For salvation comes from him alone." (Psalm 62:5 TLB) The world may have many options, but we the children of God have only one option. One that works. And all we have is God, and so all we do must be according to His pleasure and will. Others may put their hopes in other devices, but ours is only upon the LORD. That's what David practiced and teaches us to; and he said it's because He ONLY is our rock and salvation. He ONLY is our true defense, glory and strength (v.6-7) And so therefore, we must trust in Him and rely upon Him first (v.8). You see, this is important because no man can help except God helps you first (Psalm 60:11-12). It is His help that makes other things count and successful. And then he tells us not to try and do it our own way--that is finding shortcuts that may eventually cut us short, because they always do (Isaiah 50:10-11). And not on our

  DAILY VITAMIN - Stay On Path With God "And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans." (Romans 8:28 TLB) Please just drink from that scripture some more. It is telling us that things may not seem great presently; your past may not have been terrific, nor your background appealing, but with God it will work out for your good. That is, you'll end as God already declared you to--better than your yesterday. Nothing can change it; not your current circumstances nor your future challenges because what God has done, He does in terms of forever (Eccl 3:14). However, please pay attention: this isn't for everyone. Though the KJV makes it seem like it is for all He has called in the name of Christ, but the NLT shows that it is to those who stay on the path of God's leading. Those who are living in line with His purpose for them--doing all He requires of them; because as long as you stay on path doing all God s

  DAILY VITAMIN - The Holy Spirit Is The New Testament In You "He is the one who has helped us tell others about his new agreement to save them...The old way, trying to be saved by keeping the Ten Commandments, ends in death; in the new way, the Holy Spirit gives them life." (2 Cor 3:6 TLB) The blood of Christ was the price for a better covenant; but what was this covenant? God fully resident in us, that we may be one with Him as new creatures fulfilling His will in Christ (Jer 31:31-34, Ezekiel 36:27). And this is established by virtue of His Spirit in us. Little wonder why in Second Corinthians 3, Paul tells the church that they are the evidence of his apostleship to them now that they have been converted by the Spirit, and not the several letters he had written which eventually make up our biblical New Testament. And so therefore, it is not just these written words in the Bible that transform us, but the Spirit of God at work in us through His Word. That's why the eunu

  DAILY VITAMIN  - Follow Up Every Soul Won "Where they helped the believers to grow in love for God and each other. They encouraged them to continue in the faith in spite of all the persecution, reminding them that they must enter into the Kingdom of God through many tribulations." (Acts 14:22 TLB) God doesn't just expect us to go out and win souls alone as instructed in Matt 28:19-20. He expects us to follow up on the converts consistently until they are established in the faith. Like flowers, we must tend to them until they fully bloom. That was what Paul was doing in our theme verse, and exactly what he was admonishing the Colossian saints of (Col 2:6-7). It said "as ye have been taught," by whom? By Paul himself. He was a man who followed up on every one converted soul until they were strong and established in the faith. Now since all these things are written for our learning, it means we are expected to do the same. So don't just go out to preach and w

 DAILY VITAMIN - God Can Do Anything "I am the Lord, the God of all mankind; is there anything too hard for me?" (Jeremiah 32:27 TLB) There is nothing impossible for God to do. In fact, it is stated clearly that with God all things are possible. So there's nothing you can ever desire of Him in accordance to His will that He can and will not do for you. David referred to Him as the God that performs all things (Psalm 57:2); and as a result as soon as we call unto Him, He sends help from heaven and delivers us from all our reproach (v.3). Paul calls Him the God who can do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think by His power at work in us (Eph 3:20). All we just need to do to actualize this dimension of God in our everyday lives is to stand strong in faith (Mark 9:23). Abraham did that, and in response received what was termed impossible for his family (Romans 4:17-21). When we wait on the Lord with unwavering faith, He opens up portals of impossibility breaking t

  DAILY VITAMIN - Keep Trusting God "Keep your eyes open for spiritual danger; stand true to the Lord; act like men; be strong." (1 Cor 16:13 TLB) The Bible tells us that God will help us. We must only refuse to be confounded by the things we see or hear; but to stay strong, looking towards the Lord with trust like a flint. You see, a flint is a flattened rock that faces upward. Now regardless of how it rains or heats upon it, it doesn't change its direction. It keeps facing up. Likewise, come rain or shine, keep your eyes on the Lord like a flint and you will never be ashamed (Isaiah 50:7). Remember all who trust in Him will never be put to shame (Psalm 34:22); thus He won't fail you either. Things may seem hard at the moment but trust Him to come through for you, and He will. Trust in His Word and He won't disappoint you (Psalm 37:3-5). The Lord has been mindful of us, the Word says, because we trusted Him, and will bless us for it (Psalm 115:9-12). Hence, keep

  DAILY VITAMIN - Justified From All Things "Everyone who trusts in Him is freed from all guilt and declared righteous..." (Acts 13:39 TLB) Do you know what Paul meant when he said that all who believe in Christ are justified from all things (KJV)? Well, he meant a complete brand new start. No past in sin anymore, only a present in God. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says that old things are passed away, all things are made new. In the days of Moses, under the law, there were certain sins that required yearly offerings to have them fully atoned for, but in Christ it has been made once for all (Hebrew 9:11-14). You see, before Christ redemptive work man was bound to pay for his past sins with his future, so he barely had one, but through Jesus we have one now. A bright one at that; thereby revealing that in Him there's nothing you've done in the past that hasn't been atoned for. He did it once and for all, and justified you forever in the presence of God. You may had done thos