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Tag: devotional

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Do you want to be made whole?

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Do you want to be made whole?

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: John 5:1-9

    Meditation verse:

    “When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time. He said to him, “Do you want to be made whole? (John 5:6).

    The word ‘whole’ means entire, all, unbroken, undamaged, in one piece, complete, or totally lacking no part. God’s desire for us is that we may be complete in Him, lacking nothing. (James 1:4). Jesus said in John 10:10, I came that you may have life and have it abundantly. 3 John 2 says “I wish above all things that you prosper and be in good health, even as your soul prospers. God’s desire for us is wholeness in spirit, mind, and body. However, several people do not experience this wholeness that God desires for us. Sicknesses and diseases can afflict the body. Emotional and mental trauma can afflict the mind. Marriages and other relationships fall apart, and finances can become depleted, leaving many people broken and struggling with a sense of unwholesomeness.

    Jesus asked the lame man by the pool of Bethesda a simple question: ‘do you want to be made whole’? Rather than giving a simple response ‘yes, I want to be made whole’, the lame man who had been lame for 38 years, began to analyze his condition. He said “sir, I have no man to help me and put me in the pool. I can’t help myself either, for before I enter, another man gets in before me”.  Did Jesus not know all of that before asking the question? 

    Jesus Christ is asking you the same question today. Do not analyze what you have or do not have, tell him “yes, you want to be made whole and show him the area you desire wholeness. Is it financial breakthrough, promotion at work, restoration of your marriage or healing for your body? Focus on God’s ability to turn the tides in your favor. Do not focus on your inability and the many ways you are disadvantaged. Do not limit the mighty hand of God. He may not intervene in the manner you expect. The lame man expected that the only way he could get healed was by getting into the pool, but Jesus had other plans for him.  Jesus said to him, “get up, take up your bed and go”. That speaks of taking a step of faith. Sometimes you may need to go even when it does not make sense. 

    Ecclesiastes 9:11 says, “I returned and saw under the sun that— the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all”. Time and chance happened to that lame man on that fateful day; time and chance can happen in your favor today.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Put on your oxygen mask

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Put on your oxygen mask

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Isaiah 54:11-14

    Meditation verse:

    “O you afflicted one, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay  your stones with colorful gems, and lay your foundations with sapphires” (Isaiah  54:11).

    “In the event of loss of pressure, an oxygen mask will be released from the panel  above your head, pull mask down sharply, the acting of pulling releases the flow  of oxygen, place mask over your nose and mouth, pull straps tightly and breath  normally. Be sure to put your mask on before helping others”. 

    I bet you cannot recall how many times you have heard these instructions during your air travels. An oxygen mask provides a method to transfer breathing oxygen  gas from a storage tank to the lungs. When you inhale through the mask, you  breath in oxygen from the reservoir bag. Your exhaled air escapes through vents  in the side of the mask and goes back into the atmosphere. Simply put, an  oxygen mask is a device for assisting you when you cannot breathe on your own.  Since it covers your mouth and nose, it is unlikely that you would be speaking to  anyone. In fact, if you have ever been in an aircraft where you needed to put on  your oxygen mask, you would notice how still and quiet everyone is.  

    There may come a time in your life, when you have tried all, you know how to  do to navigate a particular issue, but nothing seems to be working and you have  reached the end of the tunnel. You have nowhere else to go, nothing else to try  and nobody else to ask for help. At such times, it is okay to pause and put on  your oxygen mask. What does this mean? When you have done all that you can  do and do not know what else to do, then be still and simply do nothing.  

    Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the  nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”. Isaiah 30:15 says, “for thus says the Lord  God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness  and confidence shall be your strength…”. Psalm 23:1-3 says “The Lord is my  shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads  me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of  righteousness for His name’s sake”. In these scriptures, God is extending an  oxygen mask to you today. Pull sharply on the mask, put it over your mouth and  nose and breathe normally.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Lessons from women in the Bible: “Naomi, the broken-hearted woman”

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Lessons from women in the Bible: “Naomi, the broken-hearted woman”

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Ruth Chapters 1-4

    Meditation verse:

    “But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty  has dealt very bitterly with me” (Ruth 1:20).

    Naomi had suffered so much pain in the land of Moab. She had left Judah, her  home country with her husband, Elimelech and two sons Mahlon and Chilion to  the Country of Moab, due to famine that was ravaging the land. Whilst there, her journey of pain began. Her husband died. Her 2 sons married women of  Moab (Orpah and Ruth), then her two sons died. She was left with two Moab  women in a strange land. Then she decided to return to Judah and one of her  daughter in-laws, Ruth insisted on going with her. 

    Life happened to Naomi without warning and life can happen to us when we  least expect. We must be prepared for change. Another lesson from this story is  that certain adversities are a set up for a greater glory in our lives. If hard times  had not befallen Naomi in Moab, she probably would not have returned to the  land of Judah, where Ruth would become a link in the messianic lineage of Jesus.  After gleaning in the fields to provide food for herself and her mother-in-law,  Ruth ended up as the wife of a wealthy field owner, Boaz and gave birth to a  son, Obed. Obed became the father of Jesse, who became the father of King  David, the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.  

    Not every adversity is meant to undermine you. Your light affliction, which is but  for a moment, is working for you a far more exceeding and eternal weight of  glory (2 Corinthians 4:17). James 1:2-4, says, “consider it pure joy, my brothers, and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the  testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so  that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything”.  

    There can be purpose in pain if you are willing to learn from it and grow. Pain  reveals your authentic self to you. Pain can build you up, strengthen you, give you clarity and position you for your next level. God knows what you are going  through, and He knows how to get you to the other side. Nothing takes Him by  surprise. He always has a redemption plan in place. When man fell, He already 

    had a redemption plan in place which was manifested in the fulness of time in  the person of Jesus Christ. He already had a plan for Naomi and Ruth back then  and He already has a plan of restoration now for whatever life has thrown at  you. So, cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares. Keep your eyes on Him.  You are being perfected; all things are working together for your good.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Lessons from women in the Bible: “Gomer, the redeemed woman”

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Lessons from women in the Bible: “Gomer, the redeemed woman”

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Hosea chapters 1-6

    Meditation verse:

    “Come and let us return to the Lord; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has  stricken, but He will bind us up” (Hosea 6:1).

    Gomer was a harlot; even The Almighty referred to her as such, so she was well  known. Yet, God offered her a candle of light to enable her to begin her journey  of redemption from being a harlot to being a wife and mother. Gomer became  the wife of God’s prophet, Hosea but she returned to prostitution; she messed  up her God given opportunity, disappointed her husband and disgraced her family, but Hosea kept going back to her, referring to her as Gomer (my  beloved). Hosea emptied his pockets to keep buying Gomer back from the arms  of other men. God chose her as an illustration of His relationship with the nation  of Israel.  

    Perhaps you have strayed from God’s love many times, messed up your chances,  and returned to a life of sin; now you feel lost and beyond restoration. Like  Gomer, God will not give up on you. He is calling you by your name and saying “I want you back. I already paid the price for your redemption, come back to Me,  come back home”. That voice of condemnation that whispers ‘it is too late’, belongs to the devil, God does not condemn you.  

    Why not heed His call today. Return to the arms of your Father; focus on what  Jesus Christ did for you on the cross of calvary. Just as Gomer emptied his  pockets, Jesus emptied His life to buy you back from Satan’s grip. There remains no more sacrifice. Jesus paid in full. It is finished.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Lessons from women in the Bible: “Elizabeth, the aged bloomer”

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Lessons from women in the Bible: “Elizabeth, the aged bloomer”

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Luke 1:1-24

    Meditation verse:

    “Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five  months, saying, “thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked  on me, to take away my reproach among people.” (Luke 1:24-25).

    “My best years are over” “I’m now too old”, “I have wasted my life”. Do any of  these words sound like you? Who says you are too old? Too old for what? Where  is the evidence? Elizabeth whom the bible described as “well advanced in age,  conceived and bore the fore runner of the saviour of mankind. Sarah gave birth  to Isaac, the promise child in her nineties. Grandma Moses, an American folk  artist, successfully began a painting career in her seventies. Her paintings  became very famous. Who says your best years are behind you? 

    Isaiah 66:9 says, “shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?” says  the Lord. Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?” says your God”. Whatever it is that you are desirous of birthing; be it a natural baby or destiny  baby, your time of conception and delivery will come. God’s promise over your  life will be fulfilled at the appointed time. There is a set time in God’s calendar  for every promise; His calendar is different from that of man. He has time in His  hands. With the Lord, one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as  one day” (2 Peter 3:8). In His time, He makes all things beautiful, with God  nothing will be impossible.  

    Hold on to your dreams, do not give up. You are not too old; you still have plenty  of time. Your life is not wasted, your best years are ahead. Get excited at what  lies ahead of you. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the  Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” 

    (Jeremiah 29:11). He is the same yesterday, today and forever. If He did it for  Elizabeth, He can still do it again. All things are working together for your good.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Lessons from women in the Bible: “Michal: “The critical wife”

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Lessons from women in the Bible: “Michal: “The critical wife”

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: 2 Samuel 6:1-23

    Meditation verse:

    “Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul  came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious was the king of Israel today,  uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the  base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” (2 Samuel 6:20).

    Michal, David’s wife, had been married to another man before ending up in  David’s house. David had sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, saying,  “Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred foreskins  of the Philistines. And Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband, Paltiel  the son of Laish. Then her husband went along with her to Bahurim, weeping  behind her. Abner said to him, “Go, return!” And he returned” (2 Samuel 3:14- 16). Perhaps this was the reason why she harboured a grudge in her heart for  David or perhaps it was simply because she was King Saul’s daughter; there was  no love lost between her father and David. Whatever was responsible for her  resentment, it cost her dearly. After criticizing her husband for dancing before  God in an “undignified manner”, God shut her womb and she had no children  up till the day of her death.  

    Bitterness, anger, resentment, and envy are like cancers tearing at the fabrics of  our lives. If you remain bitter, critical, resentful or harbour a grudge towards your spouse, with whom you are supposed to be one, you are endangering your  destiny. When a woman’s heart is bitter towards her husband, her eyes are  blind, and she is incapable of seeing anything good about him and would end up  resenting even the things that are right about him. How could anyone be  criticized for dancing and praising God? Who determines the way God should be  praised? 

    If you are currently harbouring a grudge towards your spouse, due to a past  wrongdoing settle it before it undermines your future. If you are currently a  bitter, angry, and critical woman because of your past, ask God to heal your  heart and give you a new beginning. Shake off the dust of your past. Every day is a fresh opportunity to start anew. Take hold of today’s opportunity.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Lessons from women in the Bible: “Abigail: The wise wife”

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Lessons from women in the Bible: “Abigail: The wise wife”

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: 1 Samuel 25:1-44

    Meditation verse:

    “Then David said to Abigail: “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, who sent you this  day to meet me!” (1 Samuel 25:32).

    In the next few days, we will be highlighting lessons we can learn from some  women in the bible. Their lives will teach us powerful lessons as we identify with  their trails, battles, mistakes, and triumphs. There’s something for the older  woman, the bitter, the broken hearted, the desperate and the lost. We will gain  insights, strength, encouragement, and motivation to forge ahead on our own  paths.  

    We begin with Abigail, whom the bible describes as intelligent and beautiful in  appearance. She was also a very humble woman. Her husband Nabal was  wealthy, but he was harsh, insensitive, and unwise. When king David sent his  men to Nabal to give them some of his supply, Nabal treated the men with  disdain, saying “who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many  servants nowadays who break away each one from his master. Shall I then take  my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give  it to men when I do not know where they are from?” David was infuriated when  the matter was reported to him, and he determined to kill every male connected  to Nabal. His men had provided security for Nabal’s shearers and sheep in  Carmel, and he had expected Nabal to be more gracious. 

    When the matter was reported to Abigail, Nabal’s wife, she made haste and took  two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five  seahs of roasted grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes  of figs, and loaded them on donkeys and set off to meet David. “She fell at his  feet and said: “On me, my lord, on me let this iniquity be! And please let your  maidservant speak in your ears and hear the words of your maidservant. Please,  let not my lord regard this scoundrel Nabal. For as his name is, so is he: Nabal is  his name, and folly is with him! But I, your maidservant, did not see the young  men of my lord whom you sent. Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord lives and  as your soul lives, since the Lord has held you back from coming to bloodshed 

    and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now then, let your enemies  and those who seek harm for my lord be as Nabal. And now this present which  your maidservant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who  follow my lord. Please forgive the trespass of your maidservant…” 

    Through her wisdom, discernment, and ability to act quickly, Abigail prevented  the wiping out of every male linked to her husband. She could have said “that’s  his business”, when the matter was reported to her, but she knew her husband’s  weakness and how to make up for it. She was also not willing to let his  shortcomings undermine her entire household. She also knew her own strength  and how to deploy them to her advantage. Through her persuasive words, she  won King David over. Sadly, her wisdom did not rub off on her husband.  

    At the end of the day, we are all responsible for our own actions; and life does  not always spare us the consequences of our acts of indiscretion. Whilst Abigail was making up for her husband’s errors, he was busy making merry and getting  drunk, oblivious of what was going on. In the morning, when the wine had gone  from him, she told him all that happened. His heart died within him, and he  became like a stone; and died after about ten days.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Do your best and leave the results to God

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Do your best and leave the results to God

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: MARK 4:26-29

    Meditation verse:

    “And should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow,  he himself does not know how” (Mark 4:27).

    Your control over life’s occurrences, whether good or bad is very limited. Jesus  gave a parable about a man who scatters seed on the ground and goes to sleep,  expecting a harvest. This man has no knowledge of how the seed grew into a  plant and bore its fruits. In a similar vein, Ecclesiastes 11: 5-6 states, “As you do  not know what the way of the wind is, or how the bones grow in the womb of  her who is with child, so you do not know the works of God who makes  everything”. God’s understanding, control and ownership are unsearchable,  while yours are grossly limited. 

    If this is the case, what should your attitude to life be? Be sure to put in your  best in everything you do and having done that go to sleep like the Sower in  Jesus’ parable, leaving the results to God. Increase comes from God and  whatever He is involved in will grow. In every endeavor in life, there is a seed  time and a harvest time. It is only a matter of time.  

    Here’s God’s command to you: 

    “In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand;  for you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike  will be good” (Eccl 11:6). Are you going to obey this command today?

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Do you know who you are in Christ?

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Do you know who you are in Christ?

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Isaiah 61:1-4

    Meditation verse:

    “…They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord  for the display of his splendour”. (Isaiah 61:3).

    Today’s reading refers to you as an ‘oak of righteousness’. The oak is a very tall  tree between 40 and 80 feet and is said to surpass 300 years. A very interesting  feature of the oak tree is the root system. It pushes downwards as deep as the  height of the tree and branching out wide. It can withstand very strong storms  like tornados. Even when stripped of the leaves, they survive because of the  strength of their root systems. Its branches spread out wide. An oak tree has  significant depth, height, and width. 

    So, when the bible refers to you using the symbol of an oak tree, what are the  implications? As a child of God, you should have: 

    Depth: This speaks of a solid relationship with Jesus Christ. Your spiritual roots  must be deeply embedded in Him. 

    Height: This speaks of your growth and maturity in Christ. You must grow in  grace and knowledge of God. 2 Peter 3:18 says, “but grow in the grace and  knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now  and forever. Amen. 

    Breadth: This speaks of impact and influence. You were created for a purpose. Mathew 5:14-16 says “you are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill  cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a  lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine  before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in  heaven”. There is a multitude that you have been called to serve. You need to  find them and feed them.  

    Sometimes, circumstances of life cause us to forget who we are. So, we live  broken, defeated, and fearful. Gideon was a mighty man. However, he was living  in fear, threshing wheat in the winepress because of the Midianites. When an  angel appeared to him and said “the Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor, 

    He queried God’s presence in His life. And the angel said to him “go in this thine 

    might and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. He was hiding  from the same people, whom God had already given him victory over.  

    Do you know who you are in Christ? Are you living a victorious life in the place  of your assignment or are you cowering in fear and defeat. In this new month,  God is saying to you “mighty man/ woman of valor, go in this thine might. How  will you respond?

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: The many voices that speak to us

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: The many voices that speak to us

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: John 10:1-30

    Meditation verse:

    “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27).

    There are many strange voices speaking to us that we need to be aware of.  Voices are powerful because they shape our lives. But listening to the wrong  voice can impact your life negatively. What are some of these voices that speak  into our lives? 

    Your past mistakes: One of the ways the enemy tries to keep you down is by  constantly reminding you of your past failures, errors, wrong choices, sins, and  setbacks until you become imprisoned in it. That silent voice of accusation  belongs to the devil. He wants you to focus only on what is wrong with you, until  you lose your faith in God and in yourself.  

    Your imagination: Our imagination always makes things seem worse because  the brain prefers to focus on what could go wrong. Your imagination can speak  into your life can causing you to focus only on what is wrong or can go wrong.  

    The voice of others: Different people will speak to you based on their opinion of  you and what their intentions are. Those with good intentions will speak good  words, whilst those with evil intentions will speak negative words. Be very  careful of the voices you permit into your life.  

    Your thoughts: take heed to the thoughts you allow to take root in your heart  for as a man thinketh in his heart so is he.  

    Your experiences: Our experiences can take on a voice and begin to speak into  our lives. For instance, if life has dealt you many bad blows, you begin to expect  nothing good in life. That is your experience taking on a voice and speaking into  your life. Failing a few times does not make you a failure. You only experienced  failure for a season in your life, you can also experience success in a different  season of life. 

    The danger with some of these voices is that while what they speak might seem  true because they mirror the realities of life, they are nit the truth. The only truth  is what God says about you in His word and that is the only voice you should  only to constantly speak into your life. John 10:2-5, NLT, says, “but the one who  enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the  gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his  own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he  walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They  won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his  voice”.  

    In this new month, silence every strange voice currently speaking into your life  and speak God’s truth over your life instead.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.