Tag: devotional

By Oke Chinye

Read: Psalm 136:1-26

Meditation verse:

“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

I came across a quote some time ago and it has stuck with me till date. It read: “when you are always thankful to God, your tank will always be full”. God inhabits the praises of His people and wherever God dwells, blessings are sure to abound. The bible instructs us to give thanks to God in every situation. This implies having a lifestyle of thanksgiving, which is the hallmark of a fulfilled life. King David was in the habit of giving God thanks. Not a few of his psalms had thanksgiving as their theme. In Psalm 95:2 and 100:4, he encouraged us to enter God’s presence with thanksgiving and praise. In Psalm 100:4, he instructed all to be thankful unto God. Little wonder God referred to him as “a man after His own heart”.

Be deliberate about ending this year in a thanksgiving mode. Your thankfulness to God should not depend on the circumstances of your life, nor should it be based on what is currently going on around you. It is a spiritual imperative that you continuously give thanks to the one whose knowledge of your circumstances is supreme and who declares the end of a matter from the beginning. God is good to those who fear Him, and whilst He is not the author of all the bad things that may happen to you, He may permit certain trials for your benefit. When you thank Him in every situation, you position yourself to receive all He intends for you to have or learn all He wants you to learn. This way, you emerge stronger, wiser, and victorious in all things.

When we murmur or grumble, we are displaying a lack of faith in the God who controls the affairs of the whole earth. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Developing and maintaining a heart of gratitude to God is the best way to end the year. Why not say this prayer today; “thank You Lord for keeping me from January till December. I believe that the plans you have for me are good. I choose to give You thanks always and in everything, because no matter how this year has gone, You will cause all things to work out for my good according to Your purpose, Amen”.

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.

By Oke Chinye

Read: Genesis 19:1-29

Meditation verse:

“But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26)

As the curtains slowly close over this year and we get set to enter the new year, what is your state of mind? Gratitude, peace and serenity or confusion, frustration, and regret? What posture are you currently adopting? If you feel grateful, you will be looking up to God with praise and thanksgiving in your heart. If you feel confused and frustrated, you will be looking around you, searching for answers to why this happened or why that did not happen. If you feel regretful, you will be looking back in regret, dissatisfaction, or longing.

In today’s reading, God had decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. He sent two angels to warn Lot to flee with his family. The instruction was “escape for your life, do not look behind you”. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. Looking back is dangerous; it stalls your movement, hinders your progress, and keeps you rooted in the same spot. When you keep looking back, you are identifying with what is behind including your mistakes, fear, errors and all. Stop looking back at what should or should not have been, what is ahead of you is more important. The past is gone, quit reliving it and get excited about the prospects of the forth coming new year. You cannot open a new chapter of your life if you keep reading the previous one.

As this year rolls to an end and we get set to enter the new year, what posture should you adopt? Look up to God in gratitude, faith, and anticipation. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “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”. Psalm 121:1-3 states, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber”. These are God’s promises over your life. So, get excited about the forth coming new year.

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.

By Oke Chinye

Read: Daniel 3:8-30

Meditation verse:

“And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counsellors gathered, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them (Daniel 3:27)

To be scarred means to be deeply affected or marked by mental or physical pain or injury. Scars hardly fade away. They remain visible for a long period of time or forever. In the book of Daniel chapter 3, 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 because they refused to bow to king Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image. But they came out unhurt and untainted by their experience. The bible states that they did not even smell of smoke; meaning there was nothing on them that showed what they had just gone through. Scorned, betrayed, thrown into a pit, and eventually 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).

Irrespective of what your experiences were this year, 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 the pains of yesterday. Look ahead and get set to move on to what God has in store for you.

This is God’s promise to you as the year rolls to an end. “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). Your light affliction which is but for a moment, is working for you a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. May you finish this year strong.

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.

By Oke Chinye

Read: Luke 18:1-8

Meditation verse:

“Pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, NIV).

Prayer is an intimate two-way communication between you and God. It is you talking to your Father as well as listening to Him speak to you. The bible is replete with commands on how to pray, when to pray, what to pray for and the benefits of praying. Psalm 95:2 enjoins us to begin our prayers with thanksgiving. John 14:13-14 tells us to ask in the name of our Saviour Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 instructs us to pray without ceasing, whilst James 5:16 states that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man will bring much good.

Jesus Christ understood the importance of being in constant touch with His Father during His time on earth. Before every important event, He took time to be away from the crowd that constantly followed Him, to pray. Before He began His ministry, He went into the desert where He prayed and fasted for forty days and nights (Matt 4:1- 2). Before choosing His twelve apostles, He went out to a mountainside and spent the night praying to God (Luke 6:12-15). Before treading the path of Calvary to His death, He agonized in prayers in a place called Gethsemane (Matt 26:36-45). He prayed so much that once after praying, His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray.

In today’s reading, He reiterated the importance of continuous prayers with the parable of the persistent widow. Bottom line: ‘keep praying even when it seems not to be yielding any result. This way, prayer becomes a way of living so that you are constantly in God’s will for your life irrespective of what circumstances dictate. The biblical characters who lived exceptional lives prayed continually. David prayed in the morning, at noon, in the evening (Ps 55:17) and in the night (Ps 42:8). Even whilst on his bed in the early watches of the day, his heart was stayed on God (Ps 63:6). Daniel’s custom from his early days was to get down on his knees three times a day to pray and give thanks before God (Dan 6:10). Apostle Paul spent countless hours fasting and praying (2 Cor 11:27).

Are you in constant touch with God through prayers? Why not spend the remaining few days of this year tarrying in prayers. In the place of prayer God, through His Holy Spirit, instructs, teaches, guides and corrects us. A great way to end this year and begin a new one.

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.

By Oke Chinye

Read: Revelation 21:9-21

Meditation verse:

“And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles” (Luke 6:13)

This is the 12th month of the year. The number ‘12’ is a number of significance appearing in several places in the bible. It signifies perfection. When He was about to begin His ministry, Jesus Christ our saviour called and chose twelve men as apostles to bear witness to His ministry and spread the gospel to the entire world. These were the foundational members of His ministry. Jacob had twelve sons, each of which represented the twelve tribes of God’s chosen nation, Israel (Genesis 49:28). The apostle John describes the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God as having a great and high wall with twelve gates and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (Revelation 21:10-14). The city was perfect in her beauty.

The number 12 also signifies the blessings of overflow and abundance. After Jesus blessed the five loaves of bread and two fishes, five thousand people were fed. And the disciples gathered and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the meal which were left over by those who had eaten (John 6:13).

The number 12 signifies the blessings of restoration and wholeness especially from difficult and long overdue cases. The woman with the issue of blood had carried the flow of blood for twelve years when she came from behind and touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. And Jesus said to her “be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour. (Mathew 9:20-22).

Lastly, the number 12 signifies completion. Psalm 65:11 says, “You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance”. Ecclesiastes 7:8 says, “the end of a thing is better than its beginning”. In this 12th month of the year, may you experience the blessings of perfection, abundance, wholeness, and restoration in every area of your life. Amen.

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.

By Oke Chinye

Read: Luke 2:1-20

Meditation verse:

“For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).

“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” – Luke 2:8-14

Over two thousand years ago, an angel of the Lord stood before certain shepherds in a field, proclaiming the birth of a child as ‘good tidings of great joy’. But what was so special about this birth? It was the arrival of the much-awaited Messiah, Jesus Christ, who would save mankind from destruction and death. It was such great news that a multitude of heavenly host burst into singing and rejoicing. The essence of Christmas is the celebration of the birth of the saviour of mankind, Jesus Christ.

In every celebration, the celebrant is the object of focus; there can be no Christmas without Christ. How do we celebrate this day? Are we so focused on the pomp and pageantry that we fail to remember that Jesus Christ is the reason for the season? Here is God’s word for you as you celebrate this day and season in commemoration of His arrival on earth: “but above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body: and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him (Colossians 3:14-17). Merry Christmas!

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.

By Oke Chinye

Read: Luke 24:1-7

Meditation verse:

“Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “why do you seek the living among the dead? (Luke 24:5).

Whilst on earth, Jesus told His disciples about the death He would suffer and how He would rise after three days. He told them several times to prepare their minds. Yet, on resurrection morning, certain women amongst those who had followed Him closely, went to look for His body in the grave. They did not remember the words that Jesus had spoken to them until two men stood by them in shinning garments and said “why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here but is risen. Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee…” (Luke 24:5-6). Then they remembered His words.

Why did they forget what Jesus told them about His death and resurrection? Or was it that they simply did not believe Him? Whilst we may marvel at their unbelief, are we not also guilty of ignorantly seeking the living among the dead in our everyday experience as Christians? Do we not forget all of God’s promises to us in His word? Promises such as: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5), “fear not, for I am your God, I will strengthen you, yes I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10)? Yes, we forget, and we fret, get depressed or run helter-skelter when we face challenges.

Whatever has been your experiences or circumstances this year, do not let it cause you to doubt the life transforming power of God’s word. Do not stay in the place of doubt. Do not let delayed promises cause you to give up on God or bow down to the gods of this world by seeking for solutions in places where you would need to compromise your faith. That would amount to seeking for the living among the dead. Hold God to His word like your life depends on it because it does. You are not a foreigner to the covenant of God’s promises, you are a partaker. You are not devoid of hope, Christ in you is the hope of glory. God has given you everything pertaining to life and godliness, according to His divine power (2 Peter 1:3). You are destined to live a life of victory, not of defeat. Keep believing.

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.

By Oke Chinye

Read: John 5:1-8

Meditation verse:

“For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had” (John 5:4).

It is a few days to the end of the year, but there are visions that can still be birthed, businesses that can be created, books that you can begin writing as well as souls that you can still save. Some years back, I was getting set to close my office for the year when I got a stirring within me to host a workshop which turned out to be very impactful and life changing. Had I not obeyed, I would have missed the opportunity of being a blessing and deprived those who attended the benefits they derived. The Holy Spirit can cause a stirring within you which could be in the form of an uneasy feeling, a restlessness that you cannot explain, a strong impulse or a deep desire to do a particular thing. What you do after the stirring is important. An activity on your part must immediately follow the stirring for you to accomplish whatever it is that God designed the stirring for.

Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had – John 5:2-4

There had to be an activity immediately after the stirring of the pool for the miracle of healing to take place. Someone had to quickly jump into the water. The emphasis was on the immediacy of the action. The Holy Spirit is a gentle spirit who will not force His will on us. When He stirs our hearts and we fail to respond, He leaves us alone and the loss is always ours, not His. When the wine finished at the marriage in Cana, Jesus’ mother said to the servants “whatever He says to you, do it” (John 2:5).

Towards what do you feel God’s pull this day? Why not jump into the pool immediately. And as you do, may you receive wholeness in that area of your life where you need it most.

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.

By Oke Chinye

Read: John 2:1-11

Meditation verse:

“A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!” (John 2:10, NLT).

There was a wedding celebration in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. Whilst the celebration was still ongoing, the wine supply ran out. The problem was presented to Jesus. Initially Jesus said His time had not yet come but eventually He turned six pots of water into the sweetest wine anyone had ever tasted. The master of the feast, upon tasting the wine, said to the bridegroom, “everyone sets out the good wine at the beginning of the feast, but you have kept the best wine until now”.

Today’s message is a prophetic word for you in these remaining few days left in the year. Jesus Christ, the Chief Bridegroom and Master planner of your life has kept the best part of this year until now. Wherever you have experienced lack, setbacks, emptiness, frustrations, and loss this year, set out your six empty waterpots of stone because the tides are about to be turned in your favour. If you have invited Jesus Christ into your life, just as He was invited to the wedding celebration, He will fill your emptiness and lack with sweet wine. Psalm 65:11-13 says, “You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance. They drop on the pastures of the wilderness, and the little hills rejoice on every side. The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered with grain; they shout for joy, they also sing”.

Do not cast away your confidence. Everything will be alright in the end, if it is not alright now then it is not the end. God is saying ‘do not put a full stop to what I put a comma’. The year will end on a high note for you. “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” (Ecclesiastes 7:8-10). So, wait until 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.

By Oke Chinye

Read: Joshua 3: 1-17

Meditation verse:

“And they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it (Joshua 3:3).

The children of Israel were about to cross over the Jordan to the promised land after forty years of wandering in the wilderness. The officers went through the camp and instructed the people to move only when they see the priests and Levites bearing the ark of the covenant of God. They were to set out from their places only after they had seen the ark, so that they would know the way to go.

The ark of the covenant was a symbol of God’s presence: Yahweh’s presence: His strength and Almightiness.

Today, you do not have the ark with you or the Levites who bear it. But you carry the presence of God inside you, in the person of The Holy Spirit. You are the bearer of the ark. A lot of times, we move ahead with our plans without ‘seeing the ark’, and then we get frustrated, disillusioned, or bitter when things do not go as planned. As we prepare to enter a new year, why not wait till you see the ark? What does “waiting till we see the ark” imply?

It means tarrying in God’s presence and seeking His face concerning His plans for your life in the new year. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths”. I have formed the habit of ending each year by tarrying in God’s presence, and most of the projects I embark on as I enter the new year are insights gotten from seeking His guidance.

You also need to study and meditate on God’s word. His word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105). As you study, a particular text may light up before you; it is the Holy Spirit giving you insight.

You can also seek counsel from trusted servants of God. “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it” Joshua 3:3. Ark bearers also symbolize men and women who carry God’s anointing. They can pray with you, seek God’s face on your behalf and counsel you. Proverbs 11:14 says “where there is no advice, the people fall, but in the multitude of counsellors, there is safety”. Wait till you see the ark before moving ahead. When you do this, “your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, ‘this is the way, walk in it’. (Isaiah 30:21).

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.