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Tag: devotional

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Who are the people around you?

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Who are the people around you?

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Exodus 32

    Meditation verse:

    “Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us…” (Exodus 32:1).

    The people you surround yourself with can either help or derail you from your destiny. It is often said that if you want to know how far a person will go in life, check out the people they surround themselves with. The people around you affect your life because they counsel you, speak into your life and make ties with you in business or some other area of life. The bible is replete with examples of individuals who deviated from God’s purpose for their lives because they listened to counsel from people.  

    In 1 Samuel 15, King Saul defeated the Amalekites, but spared the king and took the best of the spoils, even though God had instructed him to destroy everything. When the prophet, Samuel confronted him, he said “they have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.” As a result of his disobedience, God rejected him as king and tore the kingdom from his hands. Samson lost his sight and anointing because he listened to Delilah (Judges 16). In today’s reading, Joshua listened to the people’s demand to make a golden image for them to worship. 

    Proverbs 11:14 states that “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” However, you must weigh the counsel from others against God’s counsel or His word. If it is in line, then follow it, but if it contradicts God’s word or His purpose for your life, you should reject it. When Jesus told His disciples about His sufferings, death, and resurrection, one of His closest disciples, Peter, took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” (Mathew 16:22). But Jesus turned and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matt 16:23). In this new month, be very selective of the people you let into your space.

     

    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: Woman thou art loosed

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Woman thou art loosed

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: LUKE 13:10-17

    Meditation verse:

    “But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “woman you are loosed from your infirmity.” (Luke 13:12).

    By the time you reach your middle years, you may have gone through several life experiences, some of which may not be so pleasant. The challenges of life can constrict your life or cause you to bend over. Many of us are constricted by the trauma of failed relationships, broken dreams, abuse, hurt, unforgiveness, neglect, infidelity, bottled up emotions, unmet expectations, financial hardship, grief, deceit, divorce, regrets, and several other disappointments. This constriction has diminished our expectations out of life or caused us to give up in certain areas of life.

    Some of us have been disconnected from who we were supposed to be because of the things we have gone through. We are angry, frustrated, beaten, overburdened or weary. And we are now bent over by the very many battles we have fought over the years. Being ‘bent over’ is a dangerous posture to adopt; you only see what is beneath you. When you are bent over, you cannot see ahead, your pace is slow, your abilities are diminished, and you would require much effort to accomplish anything worthwhile. The woman in today’s reading had been constricted and bent over by her infirmity for eighteen years. When Jesus saw her, He had compassion on her. He said to her “woman, you are loosed from your infirmity and laid His hands on her, and immediately, she was made straight. He can do the same for you today.

    Are you bent over because of an abusive marriage, a cheating spouse, betrayal from a sibling, death of a loved one, unemployment, financial hardship, failed relationships, or neglect from those you expected to be there for you? God wants to make you straight today. Irrespective of how long your condition has been, He is saying to you “woman/man, thou art loosed. What does it mean to be loosed? It means to be set free from the burden of your past. It means to be delivered from the consequences of your mistakes, failures, and wrong choices as well as from the consequences of the actions of other people. Why not cry out to God today. His touch is only a prayer away.

     

    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 raft story

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: The raft story

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Mark 2:21-22

    Meditation verse:

    “No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse.” (Mark 2:21).

    The story is told of a monk who embarked on a long journey on foot. He came across a river and wondered how he would cross over. He tried walking across, but it was too deep; he couldn’t swim either. Eventually, he built a raft and successfully crossed to the other side of the river. He then said to himself “this must be very useful to me; I have to hold on to it”. He strapped it to his back and continued his journey. A short while later, he came across a very thick forest, with rows of trees. As he attempted to walk through, the raft behind his back kept getting stuck between the trees, making it impossible to go through. After several attempts, he realized that the raft was now the obstacle holding him back, so he took it off.

    What served you yesterday might become a stumbling block tomorrow. What is your own raft? What old mindset, habit, relationship, desire, goal, or behavioral pattern are you still holding on to that no longer serves your interest? Sometimes, you may need to do away with the old, to make progress in life. Isaiah 43:18-19 states: “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? The bible says, new wine cannot be put into old wineskins, else the wineskins will stretch and burst, and the wine will be spilled” (Mark 2:22). Is it possible that your old way of doing things is the cause of the stress and stretch you are currently experiencing in your life?

    Notice that it was the Monk who held on to the raft, nobody put it on his back. Therefore, when he realized he needed to get rid of it, he had to do so by himself. Similarly, you need to decide the things that are preventing you from moving forward and get rid of them by yourself. It is often said that if you want to know the person holding you back, look in the mirror. Decide today to change that bad habit, get out of the abusive relationship, or change that attitude. No one else can do it for you. And just as the Monk progressed on his journey with ease, after he got rid of the raft, your progress will become evident to all.

     

    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: What is in your hands?

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: What is in your hands?

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Exodus 4: 1-17

    Meditation verse:

    “Then the Lord asked him ‘what is that in your hand? A shepherd’s staff, Moses replied (Ex 4:2).

    Often, God will use what you already have in your hands to provide what you need, especially in the place of the assignment He has called you to accomplish. The bible is replete with such instances.  When God wanted Moses to go and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, He told Moses to use what he already had in his hands: the shepherd’s staff. David used what he already had in his hands to defeat goliath. When a certain widow cried out to Elisha for help, after her creditors threatened to take her two sons as slaves, Elisha used what she already had; ‘a flask of olive oil’, to make provision for her (2 Kings 4:2).

    However, we often despise what we have in our hands. We believe it is inadequate or insignificant. To Moses, the staff was ‘just a stick’, but to God, it was the instrument for performing the miracles needed to convince the hard-hearted Pharoah to let the people go. To the widow, her flask of olive oil was “nothing at all, but to Elisha it was enough to fill all the jars she could lay her hands on (2 Kings 4: 1-7). To Jesus’ disciples, what they had to feed the multitude was “only five loaves of bread and two fishes”, but to Jesus, it was all that was needed to feed five thousand (Luke 9:12-17).  In each case, they did not think much of what they had.

    Similarly, you may feel inadequate or insignificant. You may feel you have nothing much to offer to the world. But what you have in your hand is always enough for God to use. He can work with whatever you have, no matter how small. He can take that little qualification, skill, talent, or ability and make something great out of it, if only you will surrender it to Him. Quit feeling intimidated. Ask God to open your eyes to see what you have, then step out in faith and put what God has put in your hands to good use.

     

    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: Never too old to begin

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Never too old to begin

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Psalm 92:12-15

    Meditation verse:

    “They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing” (Psalm 92:14).

    Anna May Robertson Moses was an American housekeeper born 1860. Popularly known as Grandma Moses, she began painting in earnest at the age of 78. Her paintings became very famous. They have been exhibited, marketed in greeting cards, and sold all over the world. And she was awarded two honorary doctoral degrees for her works.

    Colonel Harland David Sanders founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken popularly known as KFC did not achieve his remarkable rise to success until his 60s. Up until that time he was relatively unknown. He is quoted as saying “I made a resolve then that I was going to amount to something if I could. And no hours nor amount of labor nor amount of money would deter me from giving the best that there was in me”. He became an icon when he sold his company at the age of 75. And he was given the tittle, Colonel by the state of Kentucky.

    What do these examples tell us? That it is never too late to start leaving your footprints on the sand of time and scriptures support this fact. Job 8:7 says,
    “though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would increase abundantly”. Haggai 2:9 says, “the glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts”. Psalm 92:14 says, “they shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing”.

    Who says it is too late for you to live a life of significance? Who says that your best years are behind you? Who says that you are too old? Not God. If His word did not say it, then do not accept it. But if His word says it, you had better believe it.

    Believe in yourself too. Discover your gifts, identify a need and be the solution. Go out there and try it out. Be seen and heard. Life is about breaking our personal limits and outgrowing ourselves to live our best lives for the good of others. “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. (Mathew 5:14-16).

     

    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: When men say ‘no’ to you

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: When men say ‘no’ to you

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Exodus 10:1-29

    Meditation verse:

    “Now the Lord said to Moses, ‘go into Pharoah, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants, that I may show these signs of Mine before him” (Exodus 10:1).

    God may choose to harden the heart of men against you so that He may display his miraculous signs in your life. He wanted to display His awesome power before Pharoah as well as build up the faith of the children of Israel ahead of their journey to the promised land, so He said to Moses: “Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants, that I may show these signs of Mine before him, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son’s son the mighty things I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that you may know that I am the Lord.” (Ex 10:1-2).

    Not everyone you ask for a favour, will oblige you and not everyone who refuses to oblige you is doing so from a point of wickedness. Proverbs 21:1 says: “the king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes. God can cause a man to favour you in any situation, He can also cause a man to withhold that favour from you. “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Phil 2:13). Certain rejections and disappointments are a set up for God to do the miraculous in your life. If you fully understand this, you will fret less in the face of disappointments. You will hold your peace when those you expect to come through for you fail to do so.

    If you are currently nursing a grudge because the one you expected to be of help to you in your time of need, deserted you, do yourself a favour and let go of that grudge. The help of man is useless anyway and cannot be compared to the might of The Almighty. (Ps 60:11). If you have exhausted all your options at this moment, why not boldly declare: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

     

    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: Calling the things that are not as though they were

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Calling the things that are not as though they were

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Genesis 1:1-31

    Meditation verse:

    “…in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did” (Romans 4:17).

    Hebrews 1:1-3 says “now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible”. This is a spiritual mystery which the physical mind may find difficult to comprehend. In the physical world, we make stuff with materials that we can see and touch. Not necessarily so in the spiritual world. You can call things into existence from that which is invincible to the human eye.

    In the book of Genesis, the bible records that in the beginning, the earth was without form and void; darkness was upon the face of the earth. Nothing was visible to the physical eye. But God saw what the earth could become. He saw light, dry land, grass, trees, fruits, birds, animals, and man. And then He began to call them forth into existence. You have the DNA of your Father, and you too can create according to the working of the Holy Spirit in you.

    A popular quote is “if you can think it, you can do it”. In order words, if you can see it with your spiritual eyes, you can create it in the physical world. This is the powerful concept known as “envisioning”. The power behind it is: “we become what or receive what we see because the brain wills the body to move towards what it has seen. The brain captures a picture of what you have seen and creates a hunger for it within you.

    Stop waiting the see the evidence with your physical eyes before you believe. Call forth by faith with your mouth, the things you want to see in your life. Then believe that you have them and you will. It’s only a matter of time.

     

    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 winning team (2)

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: The winning team (2)

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: 1 Corinthians 12: 17-20 

    Meditation verse:

    “If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were  hearing, where would be the smelling” (1 Corinthians 12:17).

    A winning team consists of members who do not have similar skills, abilities, or  temperament, but diverse talents. Leadership except; John Maxwell said: “Great  things happen when all the players on the team take the role that maximizes  their strengths” Research shows that the most successful teams are made up of  a diverse mix of behaviours. Each member respects the other’s uniqueness,  whilst playing in his/her own strength. In a marriage team, the man and woman have different strengths, and none is inferior to the other.  

    Everyone is a valuable member and contributes towards the accomplishment of  the goal. When one fails to do its part, the whole team suffers because there is  a vacuum. For instance, in a football team, if the attacker or goalkeeper is  absent, there is a problem. Ephesians 4:16 says “from whom the whole body,  joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective  working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the  edifying of itself in love”. And it’s always about teamwork. The language is ‘our,  not ‘me or my’. When one person wins, everyone ones, when one person loses,  everyone loses. Benefits are also to be shared just as responsibilities are shared. 

    A winning team must have a leader. A ship without a captain is a rudderless one.  The leader determines the climate, culture, and vision of the team. He or she ensures that the vision is followed, that tasks are carried out and sees to the  wellbeing of everyone. In a marriage, the leader is the husband, in a church, the  leader is the pastor, in a work setting, the leader maybe the manager or CEO. 

    Lastly, a winning team is progressive and not stagnant. Yesterday’s wins are  not today’s victories. A winning team always looks for new grounds to  conquer. The reason why some marriages are dead is the lack of a vision. As a  husband/leader in your home, what are you working towards? What is your  vision for your wife and your family? Where there is no vision, there is decline  and eventually death: – dead marriages, dead churches, dead communities,  and dead nations.

     

    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 winning team (1)

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: The winning team (1)

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

    Meditation verse:

    “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor”  (Ecclesiastes 4:9).

    Humans were not created to live or work in isolation, but for companionship.  They were created for fellowship, integration, communication, and productivity.  They were created to live and work as a team. The bible says two are better than  one. Whether in marriage, work, social relationships, networks. Wherever  humans do life, they are not meant to do it in isolation. We’ve all heard the  phrase, ‘no man is an island’. Team or team working is not just a management  and business term, it is scriptural. Psalm 133:1 says ““How wonderful and  pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony”.

    A winning team will not happen by default, whether it is a husband / wife, work,  football, church department or government team. Certain characteristics must  be in place. There must be a goal, or vision for the team: There must be a clear  goal that every member is committed to. In the marriage team, the goal is to  build a home and raise excellent children who will excel in life. The vision is to  live together for better for worse, support and nurture each other. A team in the  office may have the goal of completing a project; a sales or marketing team  working to meet a set target.

    There must be singleness of purpose with no hidden agenda or selfish interest.  When a man goes out to have an affair with another woman, he is pursuing a  different agenda from the goal of the husband-and-wife team. When a man  beats his wife or makes her feel less than she is, he is pursuing a different vision.  When a woman keeps back some proceeds from housekeeping to buy a  handbag, she is pursuing a different agenda.

    Team members must be united in purpose: Can two work together except they  be agreed? (Amos 3:3). A house divided against itself will not stand. Jesus Christ  understood the importance of this unity, so in praying for His team (disciples  and believers), He said, “Lord make them one as you and I are one” John 17:21.

    In Genesis 11: 6 God said that because the people spoke one language nothing,  they set their heart to do will be restrained from them.

     

    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: Pray for those who despise you

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Pray for those who despise you

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Genesis 37:12-36, 50:15-21

    Meditation verse:

    “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to  those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute  you” (Mathew 5:44). 

    We live in a world full of broken and hurting people who sometimes take out  their frustrations on others. How do you react with people are unjust and  discourteous towards you? Do you know that a major reason why people are mean to others without cause is that they are unhappy or dissatisfied with their  lives? They despise you when they believe you have been greatly blessed in  areas they haven’t. In their discontentment, envy and bitterness, they lash out  at you. Why then would you choose to retaliate? You ought to pray for them. 

    The sad reality is that it may even be those of your household as we see in  today’s reading. Joseph the dreamer was blessed with an ability to interpret  dreams, but he was a very naive lad. In his naivety, he expected his brothers to  rejoice with him, when he revealed ‘his dream of greatness’ to them. But they  were already displeased by their father’s undue favoritism and show of affection  towards him, so they unimpressed. In their envy and bitterness, they plotted to  kill him but eventually sold him as a slave to a bunch of rich merchants  journeying to Egypt. The brothers’ action was intended to end Joseph’s dream  of greatness. Through his brother’s wicked deed, Potiphar’s wife’s accusation,  and the butler’s neglect in prison, he refused to succumb to bitterness or hate. When eventually faced with an opportunity to retaliate, he chose the path of  forgiveness. 

    Praying for those who spitefully use you enables you to forgive and act in love  towards them even when you don’t feel love for them. When you hate those  who despise you and repay their evil with evil, you are condescending to their  level and may miss out on the blessings that often come with God’s commands.  “Without forgiveness, life is governed by…. an endless cycle of resentment and  retaliation” (Roberto Assagioli). This is not intended to make you a doormat for  others to step on. Ask God for wisdom in every scenario and let the Holy Spirit guide your actions.

     

    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.