Tag: devotional

By Oke Chinye

Read: 1 Samuel 9 &10

Meditation verse:

“So, when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, ‘there he is, the man of whom I spoke to you. This one shall reign over My people” (1 Sam 9:17).

Israel wanted a king and God had chosen Saul. Now the donkey of Saul’s father, Kish, got missing and he sent Saul to search for it. After three days of searching without any result, Saul said to his servant that it was better they returned, else his father would become worried. But the servant advised that they go to a town to see a seer (Samuel) who could tell them where to find the lost donkey. When they got to the town, Samuel had just arrived and was about to go to the high place for the feast. As they approached Samuel, God told Samuel that Saul was the man He had sent him to anoint as king.

The story of how Saul was anointed king teaches us very important lessons about the ways of God. Firstly, God will always bring His plans to pass, and most times it may not be in the way we expect Him to. Secondly, seemingly ordinary acts of coincidence in our lives may be part of God’s plans to fulfil His purpose in us. And in the cause of fulfilling this purpose, He orchestrates the events of our lives so that we can cross paths with the people who are relevant to our purpose. Thirdly, disappointments, failures and frustrations may sometimes precede a breakthrough. If Kish’s donkey did not get lost, he would not have sent Saul to look for it and if Saul did not go in search of the donkey and fail in his efforts at finding the donkeys, he would not have met Samuel.

Lastly when we have exhausted all our options, then God shows up.

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: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Meditation verse:

“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure” (2 Corinthians 12:7).

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 it. 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 situations or challenges or defects in your life that you have been praying for God to intervene, but these have lingered on for years. God in His sovereignty does not always answer us in the ways we desire. He may sometimes permit an uncomfortable situation to remain in your life, to fulfil a particular purpose in His overall plan for your life. For Apostle Paul, it was to prevent him from being puffed up, since he was such an anointed servant of God. What is your thorn of flesh? An infirmity? A reproaching situation? Financial difficulty? A difficult spouse or child?

Whatever it is, be rest assured that if God is permitting a difficult situation to remain in your life, He has already made His grace available to you for that situation. Grace is an enabler that propels you forward even in difficult situations; all you need do is appropriate His grace. And you appropriate God’s grace by repeatedly declaring His strength over that situation and walking in its consciousness by constantly saying: “Lord, Your grace is sufficient for me, Your strength is here to help me in this situation. 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). As you continue speaking God’s word over that situation, you will be strengthened. Apostle Paul said he takes pleasure in needs, in persecutions and in distresses. Do not let the thorn in your flesh stop you from becoming all you were created for. “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.

By Oke Chinye

Read: ROMANS:1-39

Meditation verse:

“O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption” (Psalm 130:7).

God is Almighty, all knowing and full of mercy. With Him is abundant redemption. 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 or frantically search for an alternative plan. He knew man to be flesh with futile imagination, so He already had a redemptive plan in place which He unfolded in the fullness of time in the person of our saviour Jesus Christ. His plan was that His son would come into the world, take on the nature of man, suffer and die on the cross; bearing our sins and rise on the third day to redeem mankind from the grip of the enemy.

Wherever you are today; whether overwhelmed with sin, burdened by difficulties, loss, grief, or guilt, God has a back-up plan in place for you. He does not condemn you. 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” (Psalm 103:13-14). If 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 the One who is plenteous in mercy, and with whom is abundant redemption? Just as He redeemed Israel from all her iniquities, He will redeem you from all your sins, errors, mistakes, and failures. He will redeem all the wasted years. Here’s His promise over you:

So, I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; and My people shall never be put to shame. Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel. I am the Lord your God and there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame. – Joel 2:25-27

God will not change His mind over you. And you shouldn’t either.

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: Acts 7: 1-57

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” (Romans 8:28).

When faced with a confusing array of challenges, it may be worth your while to remember that God is in control of all things, and in all things, He is working out His perfect plan. Though it may not seem like that to you at that moment. Look at the summary of the sufferings of the patriarchs and the nation of Israel in today’s reading and see how God was working out His perfect plan all the time.

• Vs 2: God called out Abraham to a foreign land.
• Vs 6-8: God told Abraham about the promise and gave him the covenant of circumcision, then he begot Isaac and Isaac begot Jacob and Jacob begot the twelve patriarchs amongst whom was Joseph.
• Vs 9: Joseph was sold to slavery into Egypt by his envious brothers.
• Vs 10: But God was with him, and he found favour with Pharoah who made him governor over all.
• Vs 11: A great famine came over all Egypt and Canaan.
• Vs 13: Jacob sent his sons to Egypt for food.
• Vs 14: Joseph was revealed to them, and he sent for his father and all his relatives.
• Vs 17: When the time of God’s promise drew near, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt.
• Vs 18: A king who did not know Joseph arose and dealt treacherously with them.
• Vs 20: Moses was born and got raised by Pharoah’s daughter.
• Vs 29: Moses fled after killing the Egyptian and dwelt in Midian.
• Vs 30: After 40 years, God appeared to him in a burning bush and commissioned him to go set His people free.
• Vs 37: He led them out of Egypt through the wilderness and after 40 years, they eventually got to the promised land. And God’s promise was fulfilled.

God is never late with His promises “for a thousand years in His sight are like yesterday when it is past” (Psalm 90:4). Irrespective of what you are going through today, do not give up. God is at work in your life and in the fullness of time, His perfect plan and promises over your life will surely come to pass.

By Oke Chinye

Read: Ecclesiastes 11:1-6

Meditation verse:

“As you do not know what is the way of the wind, 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).

Stories are liberating; they teach valuable lessons and fire our emotions. I believe so much in the power of stories because they inspire us into action. The story is told of a monk who embarked on a long journey on foot. He came across a river and wondered how he would cross over. He tried walking across, but it was too deep; he couldn’t swim either. Eventually, he built a raft and successfully crossed to the other side of the river. He then said to himself “this must be very useful to me; I have to hold on to it”. He strapped it to his back and continued his journey. A short while later, he came across a very thick forest, with rows of trees. As he attempted to walk through, the raft behind his back kept getting stuck between the trees, making it impossible to go through. After several attempts, he realized that the raft was now the obstacle holding him back, so he took it off. The Monk’s story teaches us some valuable life lessons:

• Firstly, life is an uncharted course; what you meet at one stage is not what you may meet at the next. So, preparation is key in the journey of life. Be proactive, keep an open mind and be discerning of times and circumstances.

• To every problem, there is a solution which may be easier than we think. Most things are not as difficult as they seem if we give it some thought. Our imaginations always make things seem difficult. The Monk dissipated so much energy trying to navigate the trees, before realizing that the raft behind his back was the stumbling block.

• In many situations of our lives, God has already made a way of provision, we just need to ask Him to show us.

• Unnecessary baggage will slow you down in life. The Monk did not come across another ocean, so strapping the raft on his back was a wasted effort. What are you still lugging around that no longer serves your best interest? As the year rolls to an end, lay aside every weight. “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7).

By Oke Chinye

Read: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Meditation verse:

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2Timothy 1:7).

Some other weights to get rid of as you prepare to enter the new year include:

Debts of any kind: Be sure to clear all debts, whether financial debts, forgiveness of an offence or restoration of a broken relationship. Romans 13:8-10 says “owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself”. Love does no harm to a neighbour; therefore, love is the fulfilment of the law”.

Wrong mindset: “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). Your mind is powerful. It is the seat of your emotions, moods, thoughts, and beliefs. If the mind is skewed or unhealthy, you have a big problem at hand. Your thoughts influence your emotions, your emotions decisions, and your decisions influence your actions. Your actions influence your outcomes in life. Be careful how you think because your life is shaped by your thoughts. Bet rid of fear, self-doubt, low self-esteem, and other limiting beliefs.

Excuses: If you want an excuse for not doing something, especially the things that will build our faith and help us grow in our walk with God, it is so easy to find one. We can come up with so many excuses for not doing our personal devotions and bible studies each day or not fellowshipping with others, and these excuses will sound genuine. But truth be told, people always make them for what they consider most important. The apostle Paul said, “but I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I should become disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:27).

Lack of clarity: Without a clear idea of where you are going, how can you even speak of travelling? “If you do not know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else” (Yogi Berra). Write down your vision for the new year, make it plain, lay aside the weight and travel light.

By Oke Chinye

Read: Romans 12:1-17

Meditation verse:

“Examine yourself as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Christ is in you? – unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

It is about two weeks to the end of this year. As 2020 comes to an end and we prepare to enter a new year, it is a good time to do some self-evaluation. How did you fare in your walk with God this year? Are you satisfied with your progress in the areas of personal devotion, worship, thanksgiving, bible study, fellowship, service and giving? If not, what things do you think hindered you and how can you ensure that you do not carry the same baggage(s) into the new year? Romans 12:1 says “therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us”. What weight do you need to toss aside to ensure that you travel light into the new year? Here are a few suggestions:

Sin: Romans 6:1-2 says, “what shall we say then, shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”. Sin in any form is a weight that not only has the power to slow down your progress but can also waste your life. “Therefore, strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed” (Romans 12:12-13).

Wrong association: If you continue to hang out with the wrong crowd you will eventually end up in the wrong place. “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? …Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord” (2 Corinthians 6:14-17).

Laziness: Lazy people want much but get little. But those who work hard will prosper” (Proverbs 13:4, NLT). If you desire worthy accomplishments, you cannot travel with this baggage. There is a price to pay for success, the price is hard work. “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration” (Thomas Edison).

By Oke Chinye

Read: 1 Cor 12: 17-20

Meditation verse:

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

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

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

A winning team must have a leader. A ship without a captain is a rudderless one.

The leader determines the climate, culture, and vision of the team. He or she ensures that the vision is followed and that tasks are carried out, and sees to the wellbeing of everyone. In a marriage, the leader is the husband, in a church, the leader is the pastor, in a work setting, the leader maybe the manager or CEO.

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

By Oke Chinye

Read: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Meditation verse:

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

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

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

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

Team members must be united in purpose: “Can two work together except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3). A house divided against itself will not stand. Jesus Christ understood the importance of this unity, so in praying for His team (disciples and believers), He said, “Lord make them one as you and I are one” John 17:21. In Genesis 11: 6, God said that because the people spoke one language, nothing they set their heart to do will be restrained from them.

By Oke Chinye

Read: Colossians 3:1-4

Meditation verse:

“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2).

Do you ever think about Heaven and how wonderful it would be to live there? In John 14:2, Jesus Christ said “in my Father’s house are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you”. We get a sneak peek into what this place will look like in the book of Revelations. “A great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass” (Revelations 21:10,18-21).

If someone comes to you today and says, “I have a mansion in France with six large bedrooms, overlooking the beautiful French Mountains and I have decided to give you the keys as your birthday present, next month”. What would your reaction be? Would you be able to contain your excitement? I bet you would tell everyone you know about it. You would keep counting the days as you eagerly look forward to when you would hold the keys in your hands.

Someday, when your time on earth is done, you will take ownership of a mansion much more exquisite than a French mountain home. How excited are you about this? Who have you told? What are you doing in anticipation of owning a mansion in Heaven? Do you even think about this? We are all pilgrims on earth; our time here is limited whilst our time in Heaven is for eternity. If this is the case, why do we not live-in anticipation of this great occurrence? Why are we so focused on earthly things? The bible clearly states “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4).