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Tag: devotional

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Count every day as significant

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Count every day as significant

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Romans 14:5-10

    Meditation verse:

    “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems everyday alike.  Let each be fully convinced. In his own mind” (Romans 14:5).

    Psalm 118:24 says, “this is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and  be glad in it”. Ecclesiastes 11: 5-6 (NLT) says “just as you cannot understand the  path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God who does all things. Plant your seed  in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will  come from one activity or another, or maybe both”. Jeremiah 10:23 says “O  Lord, I now the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct  his own steps. Proverbs 16:1 says, “the preparations of the heart belong to man,  but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord”. What do the above scriptures tell us?

    Each day you wake up alive, be grateful to God. Count it as significant because  God created it to be, and then expect the best from it. You do not know how the  day will turn out. It is not yours to understand. What is expected of you is to give  yourself fully to it, toiling from morning to evening in whatever tasks your hands  have found to do. Make plans for the day but remember that the final outcomes  of the plans you make is determined by God, so be sure to commit your plans to  Him and keep an open mind.

    God’s word is full of wisdom and life transforming insights for daily living. I have  learnt to esteem everyday as important to my existence here on earth. I have  learnt to esteem everyone that God sends to me as significant to the accomplishment of my assignment on earth. I have learnt not to label any event  in my life as a coincidence or happenstance. I have learnt to esteem every  experience in my life as working together for my good and a significant part of  where God is taking me to. I have learnt that destination is more important than  the journey. Ecclesiastes 7:8-9 says, “the end of a thing is better than the  beginning”. I am therefore persuaded that everything will be alright in the end.  If it is not alright now, then it is not the end.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Dcns 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: A heavenly perspective

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: A heavenly perspective

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Hebrews 11:1-16

    Meditation verse:

    “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but. Having seen them  afar off were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were  strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13).

    I watched a Christian documentary several years ago. In it were scenes of  different individuals in desperate situations. There was the story of a teenage  mother with a 2-year-old son who had lived a rough life and had no income of her own. She was suffering from sickle cell and had been bleeding for two  months. And she was asking why God would do this to her. In another scene a  plane full of passengers was shaking violently and about to crash. And the movie  focused on a man shouting hysterically “help us oh God”. Several other scenes  were shown were people in desperate situations cried out to God.

    Hebrews 11: 13-16 (NIV) says “All these people were still living by faith when  they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and  welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and  strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a  country of their own… They were longing for a better country- a heavenly one.  Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city  for them”. These people died without receiving all that God promised them, but  they never lost their vision of a better place- Heaven.

    The Christian life and our walk of faith is not always a bed of roses. Bad things  happen to sinners and believers alike. We live in a fallen world where loss and  pain abound. God did not promise us a hassle-free life here on earth, what He  promised us was a better place in Heaven. Too many Christians become  discouraged, frustrated, and eventually give up, when we feel God did not show  up as we expected Him to. We must keep our eyes on Him and adopt a heavenly perspective. Life may be hard now, but someday, we will be in a place where  there will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain. For the former  things would have passed away (Revelation 21:4). Hold on to this hope today  and never lose sight of it again.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Dcns 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: Don’t get scared by your experiences

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Don’t get scared by your experiences

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Daniel 3:8-30

    Meditation verse:

    “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more  exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

    To be scarred means to be deeply affected or marked by mental or physical pain  or injury. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had just passed through a horrible  experience. They had been bound and thrown into a fiery furnace heated seven  times more. But they came out unhurt and untainted by their experience. They  did not even smell smoke; meaning there was nothing on them that showed  what they had just gone through.

    Scorned, betrayed, and sold into slavery by his own blood, Joseph had every  reason to be scarred. He was accused of rape and thrown into prison. He was  forgotten in prison by someone he had helped. He could have turned into an  angry and vengeful person. But when he found himself in a position of authority,  he refused to let his past define him, he said “you meant evil against me, but  God turned it around for good” (Genesis 50:20).

    Jephthah was the son of Gilead, but his mother was a prostitute. His half brothers drove him away. So, he fled from them and settled in the land of Tob,  where a gang of scoundrels followed him. When the Ammonites were fighting  against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to him to request that he be their commander, to fight the Ammonites. Through his leadership, the Lord gave  Israel victory (Judges 11). Esther the orphan became queen in place of Vashti  (Esther 2). Moses, a shepherd who fled into exile for committing murder, led  God’s people out of Egypt. He was eighty years old. (Exodus 7).

    Irrespective of what your past experiences have been, don’t get scarred by  them. Your past does not define you; it prepares you for your future. Do you  know why the front windscreen of your car is bigger than the rear-view mirror?  It is because what is ahead of you is more important that what is behind. Quit  reliving your past experiences. Stop talking about the pains of yesterday. Look  ahead and move on to what God has in store for 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). If God has. said it, then it is settled.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Dcns 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’s all part of the process

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: It’s all part of the process

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Jeremiah 18:1-6

    Meditation verse:

    “And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so,  he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make”  (Jeremiah 18:4).

    Most processes of development that result in change from one form to another are difficult and uncomfortable. The purification of gold, the emergence of  pearls from oysters, the emergence of a butterfly from a larva and the birth of a  baby from a pregnancy are not easy processes. See how the stomach of a  pregnant woman stretches and enlarges as her baby grows inside her. She  passes through so much discomfort until her baby is born. Even the process of  birth is painful. Change is a difficult process. Enlargement is uncomfortable. To  develop into a better version of yourself, you will pass through some very  difficult or painful stuff. It’s all part of the process. Comfort can only be found in  the status quo.

    In making the ornament, the clay is first marred in the potter’s hands. After a  very messy process, a beautiful vessel emerges. God sent Jeremiah to the  potter’s house to make him understand how we are in His hands. “…Look, as the  clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel” (Jeremiah  18:6). God can do with you as a potter handles clay. He can rearrange the details  of your life to beautify it and sometimes this can uncomfortable.

    When you pray for God to bless you and enlarge your coast, why do you assume  that the process or the journey will be easy? Why do you assume that it will  happen instantly? The purification of gold takes some time, full term pregnancy  takes nine months. God is working behind the scenes of your life to perfect that  which concerns you. He has information which you do not have. “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”  (Ecclesiastes 11:5). Give yourself a break and stop fretting. It is all part of the  process, and it is working out for your good.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Dcns 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 family altar

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Your family altar

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: 2 Chronicles 20: 1-13

    Meditation verse: 

    “Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood  before the Lord” (2 Chronicles 20:13).

    There was an emergency in Judah. The people of Moab, Ammon, and Mount  Seir came to battle against Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. When they told the king  that a great multitude was coming against him, he feared, and set himself to  seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So, all the cities of Judah gathered to ask help from the Lord.

    I recall reading this passage and pondering over the thirteenth verse: “Now all  Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the  Lord”. It had already been mentioned earlier that all Judah gathered to seek the  face of God. Why was it important to emphasize the fact that the men, their  wives, children, and little ones stood before the Lord? The answer came to me  as a revelation. When a man stands before God with his wife and children beside  him, God honours that commitment and answers them speedily. Psalm 133  states, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together  in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the  beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of  Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded  the blessing—Life forevermore”. The picture of the family coming together in  unity and fellowship strikes a chord in God’s heart.

    The family unit is the smallest church, with the man as the priest. The  importance of the family coming together daily to pray cannot be ignored. In the  family altar, God is worshipped and glorified, the faith of each member is built  up and issues are resolved. “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain  who build it” (Psalm 127:1). A famous quote says: “a family that prays together,  stays together”. By honouring God in the place of your family altar, you are  inviting His Lordship over your home and ushering in His presence and in the  presence of the Lord, “there is fullness of joy and at His right hand are pleasures  forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). Joshua said “…but as for me and my house, we will  serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). Do you have a family altar in your home?

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Dcns 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 wonder of worship

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: The wonder of worship

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Psalm 103:1-22

    Meditation verse:

    “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24).

    Worship is the feeling or expression of reverence for a deity, in this case GOD. It  is the fervent esteem or adoration paid to God. When you worship, you adore,  adulate, honor, praise oridolize Him. True worship is a lifestyle. It is spontaneous  and continuous; it cannot be rehearsed. It is all encompassing expressed in our  emotions, attitudes, thoughts, desires, words, and actions.

    Worship is humanity stripping away every pretense and revealing her deep need  for a divine God. Worship is the meeting place of humanity in all weakness and  divinity in all power and might. It is therefore a strategy for warfare. Worship  guarantees victory over the battles of life. In 2 Chronicles 20, the people of  Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir came waged war against Judah. Jehoshaphat  and the people of Judah began to praise and worship God. God set ambushes  for their enemies, and they began to destroy one another. God took over the  battle, so Judah did not need to fight. Worship is a warfare strategy that  neutralizes the bitter taste of fear and hopelessness. When you are confused,  worship. When you are afraid worship. When in lack, worship. When you are at  the end of the rope, worship.

    The subject of our worship; God, is a wonder, and He does great things that are  past finding out and wonders without number (Job 9:10). Psalm 103:3-6 says,  “Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems  your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender  mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is  renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who  are oppressed.

    When we worship, God leaves His throne and comes down to inhabit our  worship and praise. And guess what, He does not come empty handed, He brings  provision, healing, and deliverance. Exodus 23:25-28 says “Worship the Lord  your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will  give you a full life span. I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into  confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their  backs and run”. Psalm 22:3-5 says “But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of  Israel. Our fathers trusted in You; they trusted, and You delivered them. they  cried to You, and were delivered; they trusted in You, and were not ashamed”.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Dcns 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: Not everyone will get you

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Not everyone will get you

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: 2 Timothy 1:15-18

    Meditation verse:

    “But when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me” (2 Timothy 1:17). 

    Certain people will be drawn to you, others will be repelled by the very essence of who you are. There are about seven billion people on earth and each one of these is different. No two individuals are the same, even identical twins. We are all wired differently, with our own abilities and personalities. Your personality type is your preferred and natural way of living and relating with the outer world; in terms of how you process information, make decisions, relate with others as well as your approach to life. Some people are extroverts, others are introverts. Some people prefer a structured approach to life, other prefer a more spontaneous and flexible approach. Some people are logical, preferring to deal with hard facts, others see the big picture.

    If this is the case, why would you expect everyone to like and accept you? Why would you feel rejected when you do not fit into certain groups? Not everyone will get you. Certain personality types will naturally gravitate towards you, others will not. You would be naturally drawn to certain groups of individuals and environments, and you will be repelled by others. Pause for a moment and write your name on a sheet of paper, then using your other hand write your name again. You will discover that when you used your preferred hand, you could easily write down your name and the letters were clear. Using the other hand was difficult and clumsy. You will also discover that you were more comfortable in the first instance.

    You have a preferred way of doing things. There are people you would naturally gravitate towards and vice versa. There are environments you would flourish in and there are others you would struggle in. Once you acknowledge this truth, your life will be easier and your relationships better. Rejections will become easier to accept. So, understand this, not everyone will get you and you will not get everyone.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Dcns 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: Winning the battles of life

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Winning the battles of life

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: 2 Chronicles 20: 1-30

    Meditation verse:

    “And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah” (2 Chronicles 20:3).

    Life is a lively process of becoming; change is therefore one thing you should expect. Some of these changes will be in the form of battles that you will need to surmount every now and then. Today’s reading highlights some important strategies for winning the battles of life.

    On hearing the news that several nations had come up against him; King Jehoshaphat set himself to seek God’s face and ask for help. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 41:1). He is always willing to intervene in our situations. A verse in the famous song by Alan Jackson says: “what a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear, what a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer”. Turning to Him for help is always a good place to start.

    In response to Jehoshaphat’s plea, God gave him a command “You will not need to fight in this battle, position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of God”. In the place of prayer, the Holy Spirit instructs and directs our hearts. There will be times when you will need to take action to overcome that battle, other times you would need to be still and allow God deal with the issue. The miracle is always in the obedience; do exactly what He has commanded, no matter how foolish seems.

    God always inhabits the praises of His people. So, praise Him, even during the challenge. Jehoshaphat appointed singers to go out before the army as they went to war. Do not wait to see answers to your prayers, before praising God. By praising Him, you are declaring His authority over that situation. Why not rise and begin to declare God’s authority over your issue. Praise the Lord, right now.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Dcns 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: His grace is sufficient for you

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: His grace is sufficient for you

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

    Meditation verse:

    “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness…” (2 Corinthians 12:9a).

    The exact nature of Paul’s infirmity is unknown. But whatever it was, it must have been uncomfortable because he pleaded with God on three occasions to take it away. He seemed desperate to get rid of. When God in His infinite wisdom refused Paul’s appeal, he did not let the ‘thorn in his flesh’ prevent him from fulfilling his ministry. He recognized God as His true source of strength and knew he could depend on His power to remain effective and useful. By affirming God’s strength, he accepted the reality of his weakness and refused to let it stop him.

    There may be challenges or weaknesses in your life that have lingered on for years and you desperately need God’s intervention. If you have been waiting for a long time for it to change, has it occurred to you that God may decide to allow you to live with it? He would already have made His grace available to you. Grace is an enabler that propels you forward even in difficult situations.

    You may need to appropriate God’s grace in certain situations. You appropriate God’s grace by repeatedly declaring it over that situation and walking in its consciousness. If for instance, you recognize that you have a temper and are prone to outbursts of anger, you need to live in the consciousness that God’s grace is available to help you exercise self-control. Rather than giving in to angry outbursts when faced with an upsetting situation, why not declare: “Lord, Your grace is sufficient for me, Your strength is here to help me stay calm. I depend on it over my weakness. I surrender my will to yours.

    “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Rom 10:17). The change you desire may not happen instantly, but as you continue speaking God’s word over that situation, you will ultimately experience victory. This same principle will work for a recovering alcoholic or sex addict who has surrendered his will to God. If you are battling with fear, self-doubt or low self-esteem, the grace to forge ahead is in you. Tap into it and press forward. Make decisions and act, despite your struggles. Do not let them stop you, for when you are weak, then you are strong in the power of Christ.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Dcns 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: Becoming guilt-free

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Becoming guilt-free

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Romans 8:1-17

    Meditation verse:

    “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit (Romans 8:1).

    Guilt and self-condemnation are two of the strongest weapons the enemy uses to hold you captive. The bible refers to him as the “accuser of brethren” (Rev 12:10). Irrespective of what you have done in the past, if you have sincerely asked God for forgiveness, accepted and confessed Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you are totally and completely forgiven. There is therefore now no condemnation. The blood of Jesus has washed you clean, and you have become guilt-free. Jesus said to the woman who was accused by the scribes and Pharisees of committing adultery; “neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:11).

    Don’t let your past poison your future. If anyone needed to feel guilty, it was Saul of Tarsus who later became Paul the Apostle. Saul zealously persecuted the Christians. He held the coats of those who stoned Stephen, the first Christian martyr (Acts 7:58). After his encounter with God, he refused to let his past hinder. No other human impacted Christianity like Apostle Paul.

    Decide to move forward today. Resist the devil and his accusations and he will flee from you (James 4:7). Realize that you are completely forgiven and move on to a life of faith, holiness, and obedience. Ever wondered why your car has a very big windshield in front, but a small rear mirror? What is in front of you is more important that what is behind you. Your future is what matters and God has great plans in store for you. The plans He has for you are plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). Why not embrace that hope today?

    However, if you are still indulging in sin, why not repent today before it is too late. No one is guaranteed tomorrow. Cry out to God for mercy. Free your soul from condemnation. When there is no condemnation in our hearts and minds, we are free to live victorious lives.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Dcns 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.