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Tag: devotional

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: What are you known for?

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: What are you known for?

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Acts 9:36-43

    Meditation verse:

    “For I know that he whom you bless is blessed and he whom you curse is cursed” (Numbers 22:6).

    Your reputation, whether good or bad will always precede you. And depending on which it is will either bring you honour or shame. Proverbs 22:1 says “a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favour rather than silver and gold. A good reputation can open doors for you. It can cause men to favour you. It can lift you to the highest pedestal in your life. It can even save your life. a bad reputation on the other hand can cause you great harm.

    There was a certain disciple in Joppa, named Tabitha, also known as Dorcas. This woman had a reputation for doing good works and charitable deeds. Then she became ill and died. Guess what, the people of Joppa refused to bury her. They laid her in an upper room and made frantic efforts to locate the apostle Peter who was in a nearby city. When Peter arrived, the people showed him the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them. And of course, she was brought back to life.

    In Numbers 22, Balak King of the Moabites, was afraid that the children of Israel would defeat Moab. So, he sent for the prophet Balaam saying “please come at once, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.” Balaam had a reputation for prophesying with precision.

    What are you known for? What footprints are you leaving on the sands of time? How are you affecting the lives of those around you? Are you adding value or causing harm? Who exactly do people say you are? Why not create a reputation for kindness, good works, excellence, diligence, or generosity. Why not become that person who is known for adding value to those around. If your presence is not felt, your absence will not be missed.

     

    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: Do not despise small beginnings

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Do not despise small beginnings

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Zechariah 4:1-14

    Meditation verse:

    “Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would increase abundantly” (Job 8:7).

    Every big thing you see around you started small. An oak tree is a very tall tree between 40 and 80 feet and is said to surpass 300 years. 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. An oak has breadth, depth, width. But it started as a tiny seed planted in the ground. Every magnificent building was erected by first laying a single block. Great men and women who have achieved great things in our world came into being when a tiny egg was fertilized by a single spermatozoon.

    Zechariah 4:10 (NLT) says, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumbline in Zerubbabel’s hand”. Ecclesiastes 7:8-10 says “the end of a thing is better than its beginning; the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools. Do not say, why were the former days better than these? For you do not inquire wisely concerning this”. Your present condition is not your destination. Where you are today is not where you would be tomorrow. Everything that God made must grow. Genesis 8:22 says “while the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.” God is saying to you today “do not put a full stop to what is a comma. Keep going. Keep working at what you are doing. Stay faithful and do not relent.

    Proverbs 16:33 (NLT) says “we may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall” Ecclesiastes 11:5 says as we do understand the path of the wind or how the bones grow in a woman with a child, so we do not understand the working of God. Psalm 75:6 says that promotion does not come from the East, West, or South. Romans 9:16 says that it does not therefore depend on man’s efforts. Increase comes from God.

     

    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: 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).

    Happy International Women’s Day!

    By the time you reach midlife as a woman, 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 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: Stop undermining yourself

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Stop undermining yourself

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Numbers 13:1-33

    Meditation verse:

    “There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight (Numbers 13:33).

    What is the measure of your worth in your own eyes? How do you see yourself? Do you know that you can undermine yourself and sabotage your chances of success? It is often said that if you want to see the person holding you back, look at the mirror. Your biggest limitations are the ones within you: fear, anxiety, self-doubt or limiting beliefs, all of which have their roots in your mind.

    Your mind is powerful. It is the seat of your thoughts, beliefs, emotions, dreams, and perceptions. If the mind is skewed or unhealthy, you have a big problem at hand. “Your thoughts influence your emotions, your emotions influence your decisions, your decisions influence your actions. Your actions influence your outcomes in life and your outcomes again influence your thoughts”. It’s a vicious circle.

    When asked to spy the land which God was giving them, the children of Israel saw themselves as grasshoppers. Their thoughts had a huge influence on their beliefs which evoked fear in them, leading them to say: “we are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we” (Numbers 13:31). Only Joshua and Caleb believed differently. They ended up being the only ones amongst the spying lot to enter the promised land.

    Be careful how you think because your life is shaped by your thoughts. “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). Your internal beliefs about yourself have a huge influence on your external success. Your thoughts determine your behaviour or reaction to circumstances. How you behave will eventually become your habits and your habits will eventually determine the course of your life. Your mind can be your greatest tool for success or your biggest destiny derailer. So, get rid of that grasshopper mentality today. The greatest disability of a man is in the mind and not the body. Guess what, whether you believe you can or believe you can’t, you are right.

     

    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: Find and feed your multitude

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Find and feed your multitude

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: LUKE 9:10-17

    Meditation verse:

    “But He said to them, “You give them something to eat.” (Luke 9:13a).

    A multitude followed Jesus as He went to a deserted place in the city of Bethsaida. When evening came, His disciples urged Him to send the multitude away to find food and shelter, but Jesus said to them ‘you give them something to eat’. You are a bundle of experiences, wisdom, abilities, skills, and knowledge which you have gathered over the years and your life this far is an asset. There is a multitude out there waiting to drink from your wealth of experience. These are the people you have been called to serve. This is the multitude you are meant to feed. You were not called to serve everyone on earth. You cannot be everything to everybody. There are about seven billion people in the world. You are called to serve only a tiny dot of this seven billion.

    So how do you identify the multitude your multitude? Your life experiences whether good or bad can lead you to them. What trials have you overcome? What processes have you gone through and succeeded? The things that happen to us in life are hardly random, they are usually part of God’s plan to get us to where He wants us to be. God will hardly waste a life experience. If you allow Him, He can enable you use it to feed your multitude. People are helped better when they can relate to your personal experiences. The bible says that God comforts us so that we can comfort others with the same comfort wherein we were comforted. (2 Cor 1:4).

    What is your story? Are you a cancer survivor? Are you a victim of rape or domestic violence, a parent with an autistic child or a rehabilitated drug addict? A thriving single parent, divorcee or at home mother? Are you a successful entrepreneur or high-flying executive? How have you benefitted in life? What have you learnt? Your experiences can help you identify the multitude you are called to serve. You can feed them with your mess to message story which is a powerful tool to transform someone’s life. Your life is a bundle of energy which people must experience when they meet you. Identify and feed your multitude. You have enough to feed them with. You are the light of the world. Light up your section of the world.

     

    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 is okay to sometimes ask for help

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: It is okay to sometimes ask for help

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Luke 18:1-8

    Meditation verse:

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

    I had been battling a bad case of flu for some days. I had taken pain killers and done all I could to alleviate the pain, all to no avail. On this night, I lay in bed with my head throbbing and throat sore whilst my husband and son were having a conversation close by. The noise of their voices thundered somewhere deep in my brain and suddenly I got up and screamed for help. I had prayed, taken pain killers, and tried to bear the suffering, there was nothing left for me to do. So, I screamed “I need help, please help me!” The desperation in my voice caught their attention and everyone swung into action looking for ways to help reduce my suffering. My husband put water into an electric steamer and suggested I do an inhalation. Fifteen minutes later, the pain had greatly subsided.

    It is okay to ask for help when you have done all you know how to do in an overwhelming situation. Hold up the red flag until someone comes to your rescue. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, one will lift his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone?

    Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken”.

    Are you unemployed and in need of a job? Are you in a financial mess? Reach out to your family or social networks. Are you in an abusive relationship? Seek help. Are you sick? Here’s what the bible proffers: “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven” (James 5:14-15).

    Do not be ashamed to ask for help. Refuse to suffer in silence. In the parable of the persistent widow, the judge would not answer the widow for a while; but afterward he said within himself, “Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.” (Luke 18:5). If your request is turned down by someone, turn around and ask another person. Keep going until you receive the help you need. Sometimes, help is only a stone throw away and you would never know unless you try.

     

    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: Dealing with grief

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Dealing with grief

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: John 11:1-37

    Meditation verse:

    “Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21).

    Part of being human is facing difficulties. Sometimes these difficulties are swift and severe. Other times they can be an accumulation of small events. Failed businesses, failed relationships, financial difficulties, death, loss, or separation. Life is happening every day, affecting our mental health in various ways and leaving us drained emotionally.

    The untimely death of a loved one is one of the deadliest blows that life can throw at any time, and this can alter our lives in more ways than one. Death is no respecter of persons, whether it is the loss of a spouse, parent, sibling, friend, or an unborn child. The pain can become extreme and leave you numb. It can cause you to withdraw into a shell or to lash out at others and apportion blames. You may even begin to question God’s love for you or His existence.

    In today’s reading, Mary and Martha were overwhelmed with grief as they struggled to deal with the demise of their beloved brother and the reality of Jesus’ “abandonment” in their hour of need. Jesus had failed to show up when they pleaded with Him to come heal their brother and Lazarus died before Jesus arrived their home. It was a known fact that Jesus loved Lazarus. In fact, all three siblings were close to the Master, He had visited them, and they had personally attended to Him, why then did He let their brother die?

    Are you grieving today or struggling with a painful loss? Are you wondering how God could have allowed it to happen, even though you have faithfully served Him? He is not responsible for your loss. We live in a fallen world where we are up against all kinds of evil. When Jesus saw the grief that followed Lazarus’ demise, He groaned in the spirit and wept. Similarly, He sees your pain now and He is full of compassion for you. Your time of grief will not go on forever. Your harvest of rejoicing is coming. God can give you beauty for ashes. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).

     

    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 how long, but how well

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Not how long, but how well

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Psalm 90:1-17

    Meditation verse:

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

    I first learnt of Jane Marczewski, whose stage name is Nightbirde when I watched her perform her original song titled: ‘It’s OK’ on ‘America’s Got Talent’ (AGT). When asked about the inspiration behind the song, she said it was based on the happenings of her life within the last year. Turns out, this young lady was battling terminal cancer which had spread to her lungs, spine, and liver. And she had been given a two percent chance of survival. I recall weeping as I watched her on that stage.

    It was not just her battle with cancer that made me weep, although that was tough to hear. Nor was it her display of strength in showing up on the AGT stage, whilst battling with a debilitating disease as cancer. It was her sheer gratitude and positivity in the face of such hopelessness and pain that really got to me. As she stood on that stage looking frail from all that she was going through, she said the following words: “It is important that everyone know I’m so much more than the bad things that happened to me”. “You can’t wait till life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy”. I have been given a 2% chance of survival, but 2% is not 0%, that is something, and I wish people know how amazing that is”. And she said these words with the most amazing smile.

    I checked online to learn more about her. I learnt that she had battled cancer for some years now and her husband had left her in the face of her battle with the disease. Sadly, Nightbirde passed on a few days ago (Feb 19th). She was 31 years old. Her life was short, but she touched millions of people across different continents with her song, courage, and message of faith. I learnt profound lessons from her life and story. Firstly, it’s not how long we live that counts but how we touch the lives of others in our journey through life. Also, there is always something left to hold on to and be grateful for, amid the loss, pain, chaos, or adversity we experience in life. Nightbirde taught us all that there’s always a 2% left that we can be grateful for no matter what life throws at us. And 2% is not 0%, it is something”.

     

    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: Do not walk alone this month

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Do not walk alone this month

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Judges 18:7-31

    Meditation verse:

    “.. and they struck them with the edge of the sword and burnt the city with fire. There was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no ties with anyone (Judges 18:27-28).

    The people of Laish dwelt in isolation. They were far from the next city, Sidon, so they had no ties with anyone. They did not even have rulers in the land to guide them. When the people of Dan were seeking for a land to capture and inhabit, Laish naturally was their first choice, because it was an easy kill. When they invaded the land and burned it with fire, no one came to their rescue. The people of Laish had lived a simple quiet life all by themselves and as a result they had suffered alone.

    Do not walk alone this month, do not stand alone. Life was designed for companionship and fellowship. Life is not meant to be lived in isolation. The bible states that “two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, one will lift his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. …Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Eccl 4:9-10,12).

    The people of Laish dwelt alone and paid dearly for it. Building ties and friendships come with their own challenges, but the benefits are enormous. Propose in your heart to build mutually beneficial associations and networks in your place of work, church, community, and all around you. Add value to those in your networks and in your time of need, you will not be alone like the people of Laish.

     

    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: Arise, take up your bed and go

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Arise, take up your bed and go

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Luke 5:17-26

    Meditation verse:

    “He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” (Luke 5:24).

    ‘Arise’ is an action word. It connotes a getting up or a shifting from an original position and naturally, effort will be required. The paralytic in today’s passage arose immediately he heard Jesus’ command. He could have hesitated in doubt or tried to analyse the “practical reality” of his situation. After all, he had been bedridden for a while and the joints of his limbs may have gone stiff. Instead, he chose the path of faith and action by an immediate response to the Master’s command. Note that Jesus instructed the paralytic to take up his bed, rather than leave it behind. His bed was what he had been lying on for years. It was that on which he had remained motionless for a while; that on which he had been bound all the time.

    In 2 Kings 7:3-8, four leprous men sitting at the entrance of the gate of Samaria contemplated their options; go into the city and surrender to the Syrians or remain seated outside the gate and die of starvation. They chose the path of action and went into the city with their leprosy. To their utmost surprise, the city was empty. God had caused the Syrians to hear the noise of a great army and they had fled in haste leaving their supplies behind. By acting, despite their condition, the lepers had their needs met and served as contact points for God’s provision to an entire nation.

    It’s the beginning of a new month, where do you need to rise to? What act of faith do you need to take? And what is the bed that you need to take along? Your bed may be the fears, doubts, failure, lack, sickness, condemnation and lies of the enemy. There are times when you will need to rise in faith in that condition where you are, instead of waiting for God to remove it first. Just arise and go in that condition, limping all the way even if you must. The key to receiving your miracle lies in stepping out and acting. You may also be a contact point for someone else’s miracle and God may be waiting for you to take that bold step. Perhaps, you tried in the past but got discouraged by the challenges you encountered. Let the word of God come alive in your heart right now and cause you to take a step of faith to move out of that situation. God will not stir up your spirit unless He has already gone ahead to make provisions for you.

     

    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.