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Tag: devotional

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: There is nothing new under the sun

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: There is nothing new under the sun

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: ECCLESIATES 1:1-18

    Meditation verse: 

    “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God  is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but  with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to  bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). 

    There is nothing new under the sun. Whatever it is that you are going through,  someone else has gone through it before you and survived”. Ecclesiastes 1:9-11 says, “That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be  done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which it may  be said, “See, this is new”? It has already been in ancient times before us. There  is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of things  that are to come by those who will come after”. 

    There is no challenge that is unique to you. Are you currently struggling with  financial difficulties? Several others are too. Are you going through marital  difficulties? Several marriages have gone through similar issues with some  emerging stronger. Are you in debt? Someone has been there too and is now  financially secure. Is yours a sickness or disease? Several people have recovered  from illnesses, even terminal ones. Several years ago, I suffered a failed surgery  and needed medical treatment abroad. The hospital I was taken to was  recommended by someone who had just been discharged from it and as I was  being discharged, I passed on the address to another person who needed  medical intervention. Are you struggling with sin? Every temptation is common  to man and God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear.  

    Jesus Christ sympathizes with your weaknesses. He was tempted in all points as  we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He became sin for you, so that you can  be free from sin. He became poor, so that you can be rich. He bore your  sicknesses on the cross and by His stripes you are healed. You are complete in  Christ if you have trusted Him as your saviour. Stop feeling sorry for yourself.  That situation is not unique to you, and you will not be defeated by it. God has  made a way of escape for you. Walk in the consciousness of this truth as you get  set to begin a new month.

     

    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: Are you suffering from short cord syndrome?

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Are you suffering from short cord syndrome?

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: ISAIAH 54:1-3 

    Meditation verse: 

    “Enlarge the place of your tent and let them stretch out the curtains of your  dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes”  (Isaiah 54:2).

    Some people live in such a way that the ‘tent’; of their lives have very little room  for others. These people live in their own world. They are mostly alone with very  few or no friends. They live life on a unilateral lane, moving only from their  homes to their place of work and back to their homes. They have very few strong  relational ties with their own family members and may not even have a spiritual  family that they fellowship with. They are not willing to put in the effort required  to make and keep friends. These kinds of people are said to be suffering from  “short cord syndrome” (SCS).  

    People with SCS are usually very critical of others. They disconnect from people  at the slightest offence and burn every bridge in their lives. They have succeeded  in ostracizing themselves from every relational tie. As a result, when afflicted,  they suffer alone. Interestingly, people with SCS live in denial. They see nothing  wrong with the way they live and tend to believe that others are to blame for  their short cords.  

    Are you suffering from SCS? You can be set free through a personal relationship  with Jesus Christ. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come  that they may have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10, NIV). Jesus Christ can  help you extend the tent of your life to accommodate several people- He can  give you the wisdom needed to understand others, put love for people in your  heart and teach you relational skills so that you can connect easily with people.  He can direct you to a church family you will enjoy being a part of.  

    Do you have a personal relationship with Him? Here’s a prayer you can say now: “Dear Lord, I am a sinner in need of grace Thank You Jesus for dying to set me free from sin. Please forgive me for all my sins and come into my heart. Be my  Lord and Saviour. Fill me with Your Spirit and enable me to extend the tent of  my life for others to come in. In Jesus name, Amen.

     

    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: It is okay not to know

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: It is okay not to know

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: PSALM 32:8-11 

    Meditation verse: 

    “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are  revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words  of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29).

    You do not know everything; else you would be God. And since you do not know  everything, you may make mistakes, misunderstand others, take wrong  decisions and act in ignorance. Your assumptions and perspectives to issues may  be incorrect. You may utter the wrong words and offend others. If this is so, why  are you living in self-condemnation? Why do you constantly guilt-trip? 

    God understands your humanity. “As a father pities his children, so the Lord  pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; he remembers that we are  dust” (Psalm 103:13-14). God does not condemn you, rather He justifies you. It  is the devil who accuses you and keeps you in a state of self-condemnation. The  bible refers to Satan as the ‘accuser of brethren’ (Revelations 12:10). But faith  comes by hearing “and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you  free” (John 8:32). 

    So, it is okay not to understand everything; it is okay not to know certain things. It is okay to make mistakes and fail sometimes. But when you do, learn the  lessons you need to and move on quickly. Do not remain stuck in your errors. A  verse in the famous song by Cristy Lane goes like this: 

    I’m only human, 

    I’m just a woman 

    Help me believe in what I could be and all that I am 

    Show me the stairway, I have to climb 

    Lord for my sake, teach me to take one day at a time. 

    You are only human, make this song your prayer 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: Just do it

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Just do it

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: John 2:1-10

    Meditation verse:

    “His mother said to the servants, “whatever He says to you, do it” (John 2:5).

    If you are going to reach your highest potential, you must operate on the  principle of bold obedience in your walk with God. This simply means that you  obey even when it does not make sense. Faith is not in your head; it is in your  heart. 2 Corinthians 4:18 says, “while we do not look at the things which are  seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are  temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal”.

    God would sometimes ask you to do things that does not make sense to the  natural man. Imagine asking for wine and being told to fill jars with water.  Imagine needing money for tax and being told to go to the sea and cast a hook  to collect a piece of money from the mouth of the first fish that comes up  (Mathew 17:27). Imagine fishing in tested waters all night as an expert  fisherman and catching nothing, then being told to cast your net into the least  likely side of the river (Luke 5:5). Imagine been told to roll away the stone from  the grave of a man who had been dead several days and stinking, so that he  could be brought back to life (John 11:39).

    God knows the end of every matter from the beginning. He declaresthe end and  then sets things in motion from the beginning. The blessing is not the first call.  The first call is usually a test and calls for complete obedience, not half  measures. If you obey, then the second call which is the blessing will follow. If  you do not obey, you will miss the follow up call. And the sooner you obey, the  faster you will discover what God has in store for you.

    What is God stirring your heart towards? Are you struggling to obey because it  looks foolish? The foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of men. God’s  ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts. Do yourself a world  of good by responding quickly. Remember, obedience begins only when you take the first step.

     

    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: Your trade versus your ministry

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Your trade versus your ministry

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: ACTS 9:6-16, 18:3

    Meditation verse:

    “Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God…” (1 Cor  1:1).

    The work that we do can be divided into three basic categories. A ‘Job’ which  simply pays the bills. A ‘Profession’ which is work that we undergo training for.  A ‘Calling’ which is work that is at the core of who you are and is a vital part of  your identity. Let’s look at some differences between the last two.

    Profession involves prolonged training, or a formal qualification and you get to  decide which profession you want and undergo training for it. Calling on the  other hand is divinely inspired. God decides your calling and equips you with  special gifts to fulfil it.

    Your profession is targeted at fulfilling your own needs. You are the centre of  focus, and you will reap ephemeral rewards like money, status, and fame. Your  calling fulfils the needs of others. God is the centre of focus, and He will give you  eternal rewards.

    Your profession is specialized work, and you gain mastery by continuous  training. With calling, the Holy Spirit inspires and teaches you. It is a place where  you can attain full expression of yourself because your calling is at the core of  who you are. Whilst you will not be required to give an account of your  profession on the last day, you will certainly give an account of how you fulfilled  your calling.

    To which do you allot more time, energy, and other resources? Choose wisely.

     

    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 footprints are you leaving in the sands of time?

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: What footprints are you leaving in the sands of time?

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: JUDGES 11 & 12

    Meditation verse:

    “So, teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Ps  90:12).

    Jephthah the Gileadite, was one of Israel’s judges and a mighty man of valour.  Today’s reading gives an account of how he led Israel to victory against the  people of Ammon and Ephraim. He judged Israel for six years before he died.

    Three other judges led Israel after Jephthah: Ibzan, Elon and Abdon,  consecutively. However, very little was said about them. Their records merely  stated that they had many children and donkeys, nothing about any legacy left  behind; no wars fought, no territories conquered. Yet all three judged Israel for  longer periods of time than Jephthah. The next great account was that of  Samson who judged Israel after Abdon.

    We were put on this earth for a particular assignment. We were saved to serve.  We have a responsibility to make our lives count in our service to God and  others. When your time is up and your story is recounted, what would be in your  records? That you had great wealth and many children? Or that you touched the  lives of others in profound ways?

    What exploits are you doing with the gifts that God has given to you? What  service are you rendering to your generation? What footprints are you leaving  in the sands of time? This is a call to reconsider our ways. It is time to begin to  recalibrate your legacy.

     

    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: Get moving

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Get moving

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Exodus 14:1-31 

    Meditation verse: 

    “Then the Lord said to Moses, “why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to  get moving!” (Exodus 14:15).

    God had told the children of Israel through Moses, that He would deliver them  from the oppression of the Egyptians and take them to the promised land. He repeatedly told them how beautiful and rich the land was; a land flowing with  milk and honey. But He did not give them the details of how they would get  there or what obstacles they would encounter. As they began the journey, it was  one issue after the other. Every time they encountered a hurdle, they completely forgot God’s promise to get them to the promised land. They murmured against God and complained to their leader Moses. 

    The final straw was when the red sea was before them, whilst the Egyptians chased behind with all the forces in Pharoah’s army. This time around, they  completely lost it. “They cried out to the Lord and said to Moses, “Because there  were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why  have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that  we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For  it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die  in the wilderness” (Exodus 14:11-12). And God spoke to Moses, “why are you  crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!”. In order words, God was asking  them “have I not promised you that I would get you to the promised land? Why  do you still doubt my ability? Since God had given them His word, why did they  not simply enquire from Him how they would get across the red sea? 

    What has God promised you? And what are the hurdles you are currently faced  with that is instilling some doubt in you? God in His wisdom does not give us the details, but if He has spoken it is guaranteed. “God is not a man, that He should  lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or  has He spoken, and will He not make it good? (Numbers 23:19). And Romans  11:29 says, “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable”. So, instead of  murmuring or doubting, simply ask “What next God?”, then get moving with the light He gives you, no matter how dim it may seem. He always gives just enough  light for the step we are on.

     

    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 God of a second chance

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: The God of a second chance

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: ROMANS 8:28-39

    Meditation verse:

    “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to  those who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28).

    God is the God of a second chance. Romans 11:29 tells us that the gifts and  calling of God are without repentance. This means that He will not change his  mind concerning what He has called you to do. It is irrevocable whether you  choose to do it or not.

    If you have strayed away from God’s plan, He is able to bring you back on course.  Because His calling is irrevocable, He always has a redemptive plan for us. When  the first man fell in the garden of Eden, God did not have to scratch His head  and worry over what to do next. He already had a redemptive plan in place  which he unfolded in the fullness of time in the person of our saviour Jesus  Christ.

    There is no pondering over a ‘what next’ with God. He is a God of a second  chance, so He already has a back-up plan in place for you as you journey through  the life that He has called you to. The bible says He pities those who fear Him as  a father pities his children, for He knows our frame; He remembers that we are  dust (Ps 103:13-14). What merciful and loving God, He is.

    Do you feel that you have wandered too far away, because of the wrong  decisions and choices you made in the past? Why not return to him today. He  already has a redemptive plan in place for you. His call upon your life is  irrevocable. He won’t change His mind over you. And you shouldn’t either.

     

    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 miracle is in the obedience

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: The miracle is in the obedience

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Luke 17: 11-19

    Meditation verse:

    “So, when He saw them, He said to them, ‘go show yourself to the priests.’ And  so, it was that as they went, they were cleansed”. (Luke 17:14).

    The story of the ten lepers highlights the importance of obedience and faith. As  they cried to Jesus concerning their situation, am certain they expected Him to  say: ‘be healed’ or ‘you are cleansed from your leprosy’. But Jesus said ‘go show  yourself to the priests’ and that was it. Had they not obeyed Jesus’ command  they would not have received their miracle.

    I have often pondered on this story and wondered what our reaction would be  in today’s church. Wouldn’t we be utterly disappointed? ‘He didn’t even touch  us, how does showing ourselves to the priests count for anything? Have the  priests not seen us all this while?’ These are just a few of the complaints that we  would have muttered.

    God does not owe us an obligation to answer our prayers in the way or manner  we desire. Oftentimes, we expect Him to act in a particular way, and when He  gives a command or stirs us in a direction that does not match our expectations,  we then struggle with obeying or fail to obey. If our eyes were to be opened to  behold the miracles and blessings that we have missed due to our disobedience,  we would be greatly saddened.

    We must learn to trust God completely and commit to obeying his leading,  whether it makes sense to us or not. The miracle is in the obedience.

     

    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 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?

    Jesus asked the lame man by the Pool of Bethesda a simple question: ‘do you  want to be made whole’? Rather than giving an equally simple response ‘yes, I  want to be made whole’, this 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? Of course, He  did.

    Many Christians are like this lame man. We desire wholeness in different areas  of our lives: financial breakthrough, promotion at work, restoration of our  marriages and healing for our bodies. But rather than focus on God’s ability to  do the impossible, we focus on our inability and the many ways we are  disadvantaged. For instance, we desire a breakthrough in our work and  businesses, but spend the time moaning over our lack of contacts and networks.  We limit the mighty hand of God and His ability to help us.

    God 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. 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. God’s ability  to intervene in our situations is beyond human comprehension.

     

    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.