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Tag: God

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: God will always make a way of escape

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: God will always make a way of escape

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: 1 Corinthians 10: 1-13

    Meditation verse:

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

    It is often said the only thing that is constant in life is change. What this means  is that we have little control over certain events, and so life can suddenly  happen. Things can happen suddenly that disrupt the normal course of our lives.  However, no matter how badly disrupted our lives and plans become, God can  never be taken by surprise. He always makes provision for you to overcome any  disruption. You may however fail to see the provision due several reasons some  of which are:

    If you keep focusing on the problem: Yesterday is not ours to recover, but  tomorrow is ours to win or lose. Look to God and ask Him to show you the route  of escape to that problem. Psalm 123:2 says “behold, as the eyes of servants  look to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her  mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He has mercy on us”.

    If you refuse to step out of your comfort zone and move forward: Due to fear of  the unknown, we stay rooted in the same spot even when God has shown us  what to do to navigate the problem. God had to rebuke Moses; “why are you  crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! (Exodus 14:15, NLT). God had  already guaranteed them a safe passage to the promised land. Yet as they  approached the red sea, with Pharoah and his men behind them, they were  afraid and kept crying out to God. They choose to keep their eyes on the problem  instead of on God.

    If you desperately hold on to old plans, you will not be able to create a new way.  When things fall apart, something new can rise to replace it. Collapse does not  only mean devastation, but it can also mean opportunity. Life is a lively process  of becoming. If your previous plans have been disrupted due to an unexpected  occurrence, make new plans. Until you try, you may never know.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Do not look back

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Do not look back

    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).

    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. This month ends today, get excited about what God has  in store for you in the new month, which begins tomorrow. You cannot open a  new chapter of your life if you keep reading the previous one.

    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, and  he is saying to you this day, “do not remember the former things, nor consider  the things of old. Behold I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you  not know it? I will make even make a road in the wilderness and rivers bin the  dessert”

    Isaiah 55:11 says, “so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth. It shall  not return to Me void. But it shall accomplish what I please and shall prosper in  the thing for which I sent it”. Once God speaks, it is as good as done. So, get  excited about tomorrow.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • The God who wounds us [1] – By Femi Aribisala

    The God who wounds us [1] – By Femi Aribisala

    “You know Me as a doctor, but I also want you to know Me as a nurse.”

    “You are the Lord that health me” is a popular Christian song. However, in singing this song we omit the vital beginning of God’s healing process.

    Before the Lord heals us, He wounds us. It is the same God who heals us that wounds us. Therefore, perhaps we need to write another song that says: “You are the Lord that wounds me.”

    God takes full responsibility for our wounds. He says: “Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; nor is there any who can deliver from My hand. (Deuteronomy 32:39).

    If God is not responsible for the sufferings in our lives, then He is not in total control and cannot really be God. But He is God, and there is no other God besides Him.

    The challenge then is how can we come to terms with a good God who inflicts pain on people?

    Good God

    The first question we need to ask is “What is good?” What is good is whatever glorifies God. What is good is whatever brings us into a greater knowledge of the love of God and makes us trust God all the more. Whatever brings us down on our knees to call upon the name of the Lord is good.

    Adversity does this very well. Therefore, God created sickness so that we may know that He is our healer. (John 9:3).

    So, we must not only thank God when things are going well. We must equally thank Him when things are going badly. Good things are good for us, and bad things are good for us. Heads we win, tails we win. All things work together for our good. (Romans 8:28).

    Edifying wounds

    Have you ever intentionally wounded a friend or beloved? You told him something hurtful out of love because you wanted him to deal with it. I had to tell a precious lady that her favourite son who came from London to see her in Lagos had died from an okada accident.

    Think about it. You might have to tell your best friend that her boyfriend is a womanizer. Or you stop giving your friend money because you want him to learn to live within his means.

    Solomon says: “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” (Proverbs 27:6). Kisses can be deceptive. Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss. (Luke 22:48).

    Since God is good and always good, then our God-given sufferings must be good for us. For it is not so much that we suffer as that our good God suffers us. Moses testified to Israel:

    (God) humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 8:3-4).

    Blessing of suffering

    Jacob was so scared of meeting his brother, Esau, whose birthright he stole, that he had an all-night vigil with God. When he asked God for a blessing, God blessed him by wounding him. God dislocated his hip.

    The blessing lies in the fact that his limp will always remind him of God. That will ensure that his mind stays on God.

    “So, rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm. Who knows if He will turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him.” (Joel 2:13-14).

    There is a bullet in my leg, and it forever reminds me of the salvation of God from murderous armed robbers. There is a hole in Jesus’ hands, which testifies to the love He fulsomely expressed by dying for our sins and taking upon Himself the punishment due to us.

    Accordingly, “(Jesus) said to Thomas, ‘Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.’ And Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” (John 20:27-28).

    Wounds of correction

    God wounds us lovingly to correct us:

    “Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; therefore, do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole. He shall deliver you in six troubles, yes, in seven no evil shall touch you.” (Job 5:17-19).

    If God wounds us and the wound yields no correction in us, He will stop wounding us. He says in Isaiah: Why should you be stricken and punished anymore (since it brings no correction)?” (Isaiah 1:5).

    God sent the Israelites into captivity to teach them a lesson because He loves them. As He was sending them to serve in a foreign land, He was also making redemptive promises to them:

    “Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth. And I will cause the captives of Judah and the captives of Israel to return, and will rebuild those places as at the first.” (Jeremiah 33:6-7).

    Healing wounds

    When God wounds, there is healing in the wound. He says of Egypt: “The Lord will strike Egypt, He will strike and heal it; they will return to the Lord, and He will be entreated by them and heal them.” (Isaiah 19:22).

    When we are wounded, we realise it does not matter that much because we have a God who heals us. This is the God who promises: “I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds.” (Jeremiah 30:17).

    Wounds are good for us because when we are wounded, we get attention. When we are wounded, God attends to us. I would rather be wounded and attended to than not wounded and not attended to. It is great to see what God does to us in our adversity.

    As children, we sometimes pretended to be sick to get our mothers’ attention. That is what happens with God. When we are wounded, He gives us a lot more of Himself. When we are wounded, it is God who nurses us back to health.

    Redemptive wounds

    When I noticed a swelling in my groin, God told me it was a hernia and said I should go and see a doctor. But I resisted and insisted that He should heal me. But He refused.

    It took me nearly 2 years to obey God’s instruction. When I finally obeyed, the doctor rubbed salt into my wound by saying I have to have the hernia surgically corrected. But I thought it was anomalous to be called into a healing ministry and still have to undergo surgery.

    When I was discharged from the hospital, God told me to read psalm 41:1-3, which says: “The Lord will strengthen (you) on (your) bed of illness; (He) will sustain (you) on (your) sickbed.”

    Then He said:

    “Femi, you know Me as a doctor, but I also want you to know Me as a nurse.”

    CONTINUED

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: You are a part of God’s reformation agenda [1]

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: You are a part of God’s reformation agenda [1]

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Mathew 16:18-19

    Meditation verse:

    “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build My church,  and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it (Mathew 16:18).

    Your life on this earth is not just about you, it is also about others. You should  not live to fulfill your needs alone; your life must impact the lives of other  people. You were saved to serve. Part of God’s reformation agenda in these last  days is to equip His church to take over every sphere of society. He said, “…I will  build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”. The gates of hell are not justspiritual domains inhabited by Satan. The gates of hell represent  bad governments, decaying institutions, satanic policies and agendas that are  anti-Christ or contrary to God’s plan. God is deliberate in raising His church to  take its place in society.

    God is raising up His people as authorities in every field of human endeavor;  thought leaders, intellectuals, consultants, reformers, educators, and  politicians. The church is permeating the secular to make it sacred. It is God’s  plan to tackle the pervasiveness of the times. You are a part of God’s reformation  agenda. There is a sphere of influence in this world that you are meant to  operate in and there are people within the sphere whose lives you are destined  to impact. Your sphere of influence has been allotted to you by God to fulfill your  assignment.

    Many people are operating outside their sphere of influence. Some are  extending to the sphere of others. Yet, many are clueless and not operating  within any sphere. In 2 Corinthians 10: 13-16 (NIV), the Apostle Paul said: “we  however will not boast beyond proper limits but will confine our boasting to the  field God has assigned to us. A field that reaches even to you … For we do not  want to boast about work already done in another man’s territory”. You must  know the sphere or field of authority that God has assigned to you because your  God ordained assignment is located within it.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • Living in the consciousness of God – By Femi Aribisala

    Living in the consciousness of God – By Femi Aribisala

    “We must put God in remembrance”.

    “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.” (Genesis 17:1).

    Which is more challenging, to follow Jesus or to walk before Him? We are required to do both simultaneously. But there is no question that it is more difficult to walk before God than to follow Him.

    When we follow Jesus, we can still be up to no good, in the mistaken belief that He would not know exactly what we are doing unless He looks back. Thus, Judas followed Jesus while, at the same time, stealing money from the common purse.

    But if we walk before God, we must walk in the consciousness of Him. We will always be aware that He is right there behind us, watching our every move, scrutinizing our every action, and recording our every word.

    Many a child would be better behaved if their father went to school with them, or if he came to the playground with them. Children do not use bad language in front of their fathers. They do not fight, curse, or steal in their father’s presence. 

    Accordingly, Joseph rejected the advances of Mrs. Potiphar, saying: “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9).

    David impregnated another man’s wife and had Him killed. When he discovered that God saw everything, he pleaded in contrition: “I did this evil in Your sight.” (Psalm 51:4). Had he known beforehand that the eyes of the Lord are everywhere; it would have made his transgression even more objectionable.

    Therefore, a repentant David lived thereafter in the consciousness of God. He prayed: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14).

    One foolish answer to God’s omnipresence was to try and run away from Him. The Prodigal Son collected his inheritance prematurely, and he decided to move away to a far country where he would not have his Father breathing down his neck. Jonah decided to take a boat headed for Tarshish: “from the presence of the Lord.” (Jonah 1:3).

    These people did not seem to know what we know now as believers. They did not know that God is our life. They did not know it is in God we live and move and have our being. And so, when the Prodigal Son moved away from his Father, he died. He only came back alive when he returned back home.

    We must learn from this. We must remain in the consciousness of God. To lose consciousness of God is to die a living death. If this happens, we become dead men walking.

    God says to Ezekiel: “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the room of his idols? For they say, ‘The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land.’” (Ezekiel 8:12).

    The psalmist asks: “Who is the man that fears the Lord?” (Psalm 25:12). The answer is that man who is haunted by God. That man who fears God. Job said: “When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me, my couch will ease my complaint, then You scare me with dreams and terrify me with visions.” (Job 7:13-14).

    The truth is that the abiding consciousness of our life must be God. We must look at everything in relation to God. If we are haunted by God then nothing else matters. We are anxious for nothing. We are barricaded from all other fears if God is our fear.

    David says: “I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” (Psalm 16:8). God has promised to keep in perfect peace the one whose mind is stayed on Him.

    One of the security men in my school stole the cell phone of one of our teachers during the children’s circle time. What he did not know is that his theft was captured on CCTV. God has a worldwide CCTV camera. He is the watcher of men. He puts all humanity under divine surveillance.

    Thus, Job complained to God: “What is man, that You should exalt him, that You should set Your heart on him, that You should visit him every morning, and test him every moment? How long? Will You not look away from me, and let me alone till I swallow my saliva?” (Job 7:17-19).

    Adam was such a fool, hiding from God behind a fig leaf of all places. How can we hide from God? God, Himself, is our hiding place, therefore, we cannot hide from Him. We cannot even hide our thoughts from God. He says: “I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.” *Ezekiel 11:5).

    David says: “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘surely the darkness shall fall on me,’ even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.” (Psalm 139:7-10).

    A lot of the time, we talk about God as if He is not there. Jacob says: “God is in this place, and I did not know it.” Therefore, we must never forget about God. God says: “Put Me in remembrance.” (Isaiah 43:26)

    Malachi says: “Those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name. ‘They shall be Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘on the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.’” (Malachi 3:16-17).

    However, most of the time we forget God. We forget Him when we fight. We forget Him when we are angry. We forget Him when we sin.

    The psalmist says: “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” (Psalm 9:17). God Himself complains: “Can a virgin forget her ornaments, Or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number.” (Jeremiah 2:32).

    But when do we remember God? When we have a need. When we are in trouble. When we are afraid. When we are sick. When we are at death’s door. When we enter a plane. When we come to church.

    We must put God in remembrance. We must keep talking to Him in our minds. We must keep making melodies to Him. The psalmist has a unique definition of a wicked man. He says:

    “God is not in all his thoughts.” (Psalm 10:4).

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

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

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: PSALM 32:8-11 

    Meditation verse: 

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

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

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

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

    I’m only human, 

    I’m just a woman 

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

    Show me the stairway, I have to climb 

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

    You are only human, make this song your prayer today.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • The thief in the night – By Femi Aribisala

    The thief in the night – By Femi Aribisala

    “He steals our bad habits, addictions, and sicknesses”.

    Our God is a God of miracles. But sometimes He chooses to heal. Miracles are instantaneous: but healing is a process. Miracles are clinical, but healing is relational.

    With healing, we get to know the Doctor. We experience His loving-kindness. We realize He is a comforter. We then know we have a High Priest who is deeply touched by the feeling of our infirmities. When we are afflicted, the Lord is afflicted as well. He bears our griefs and carries our sorrows.

    If we understand that the purpose of life is to know God, then whatever it takes to know Him must be acceptable to us. If we accept that our final preferred destination is the salvation of our souls, then however God chooses to attain this in His wisdom must be acceptable to us.

    Way of tribulation

    Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6). That way is the way of tribulation and affliction. It is through the fire and through the water that God brings us out to His place of abundance. (Psalm 66:12).

    Jesus does not promise us a rose garden in this world. Instead, He prepares us for affliction. He says: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

    The psalmist concurs: “The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken!” (Psalm 34:19-20).

    Time and againe, Jesus identifies Himself as someone who catches unawares the unrighteous in their wickedness. He says: “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” (Revelation 16:15).

    But there is another way by which Jesus comes as a thief.  When He does, He surprises not the unrighteous but the righteous. Jesus comes as a thief to those who hunger and thirst after righteousness in order to take away our iniquities by stealth.

    Jesus is the thief who steals our bad habits, addictions, and sicknesses.  He robs us of them in the dead of night without our being aware of it.  We just wake up one morning to find we do not have the strength to be quarrelsome anymore.

    Or we discover out of the blue that we have lost our passion for pre-marital sex.  Or the Lord himself asks us about our chronic asthmatic condition and, suddenly, we realise to our pleasant surprise that it has been months since we had any attacks.

    As usual, Jesus, the thief in the night, had stolen it away.

    “The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.” (2 Peter 3:10).

    Wrestling with God

    As a young believer, I woke up one morning to discover a lump at the centre of my ribcage.  I panicked and quickly went to see a doctor.  He gave me a whole set of multi-coloured tablets and informed me he would have to do a culture test to determine precisely what was inside the lump.

    I went home and started taking the tablets.  Then I changed my mind and foolishly threw them all away.  I reminded myself that Jesus had revealed himself to me as the Great Physician when He healed me miraculously of bullet wounds.  If He healed me then, He would heal me now, I reasoned dogmatically.  So, I went to the Lord in prayer and asked Him to heal me.

    In spite of my prayers, the lump in my chest grew even bigger and it became uncomfortable.  Whenever I touched it, it was painful.  I prayed and prayed, and nothing happened.  Then one Sunday morning, I decided to really wrestle with God.

    Immediately I woke up, I “confronted” the Holy Spirit: “I will not let You go today unless You heal me.”

    Jesus says the kingdom of God suffers violence, so I decided to take my healing by force (Matthew 11:12).  I told the Lord: “I know You are a healer, so I am telling You now.  I am going to church this morning and I am not coming back without being healed of this lump in my chest.  I just want You to understand that.”

    Balm of Gilead

    When I arrived in church, the first thing I did was to go down on my knees and talk again to the Lord: “Father, I am here by appointment to receive my healing.” I sat down in expectation, convinced something had to give. When the praise-worship started, I entered into it with alacrity, clapping and singing to the Lord with all my strength.

    Suddenly the praise-worship leader, Valentine Obi (now CEO of eTransact), stopped the choir mid-stream. He said: “There is somebody here who is looking to the Lord for healing. The Lord says He is going to heal you today.”

    I could not believe my ears. Can you imagine it? My case had become so important to the Lord He stopped the praise-worship of an entire church, just to give me a personal message.  I felt very special.

    When the praise continued, I became even more intense.  Suddenly, Valentine stopped the choir a second time.  This time he said: “The Lord said if you are the person who is believing God for your healing this morning, come out so I can pray for you.”

    I made a dash for the altar and was surprised to find two other people there.  “What are they doing here?” I thought; convinced I was the only person the Lord could possibly be referring to. And so, Valentine prayed.

    After the prayer, I checked the lump in my chest. It was still there, and it was still painful. But it no longer mattered. What mattered to me was that the Lord had responded to my insistence that He should heal me in that service. That response was more than enough.

    Several days later, the Lord asked me one of those puzzling questions. “Femi,” He said, “what happened to the lump in your chest?”

    I really did not understand what He meant by the question, so I decided to take a look at it.  When I opened my shirt, I could not find the lump there anymore. You may well ask when and how it disappeared. The truth is I have absolutely no idea.

    Let there be light

    After I left the hospital, the Lord told me to read this scripture: “God blesses those who are kind to the poor. He helps them out of their troubles. He protects them and keeps them alive; He publicly honours them and destroys the power of their enemies. He nurses them when they are sick and soothes their pains and worries.” (Psalm 41:1-3).

    Then He said to me: “Femi, you know Me as a doctor. But I also want you to know Me as a nurse.”

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

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

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: ROMANS 8:28-39

    Meditation verse:

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

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

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

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

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

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: No God like Jehovah

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: No God like Jehovah

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: JOB 38-40

    Meditation verse:

    “To whom then will you liken Me, or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy  One. (Isaiah 40:25).

    God can do anything and everything. He oversees everything in Heaven, on earth  and underneath the earth. He laid the foundations of the earth and determined  its measurements. He created all things by the word of His mouth and  outstretched hands. His wisdom is unsearchable; He knows all things. His  understanding is infinite; He understands all things. His ownership and control  are limitless; He owns and controls all things.

    Everything answers to His command. The hawk flies by His wisdom. The eagle  mounts up at His command. He knows the time the mountain goat gives birth.  He shuts in the waters, so that they will not exceed their boundaries. He rules  the raging seas and stills their proud waves. He carves out rivers from rocks and  upturns mountains from their roots. God can furnish a table in the wilderness.  He hunts for prey for the lions and gives food to the ravens. Indeed, all creatures  look to Him for their food. He is a father to the fatherless and husband to the  widow.

    He determines times and seasons. He commands the morning and causes the  dawn to know its place. He causes the barren woman to be a joyful mother of  children. He is the tide turning God who can lift a lowly person to a position of  prominence overnight. Promotion comes from Him. In His hands are riches and  honor. He can cause men to favor or disfavor you. He holds the hearts of kings  in His palm and turns them to whichever direction He pleases. His ability to  restore life is beyond our understanding. Trees are burnt down and can grow  back, broken bones heal, dead tissues are restored. That is the life-giving power  of God.

    What is that seemingly impossible situation before you? What God cannot do  does not exist. It’s a new month, commit that situation to the One who can do  all things. For with Him nothing shall be impossible.

     

    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 God of processes and order

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: The God of processes and order

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Genesis 2: 1-25

    Meditation verse:

    “Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it” (Genesis 2:15).

    God had not yet formed man to till the ground, so He did not cause rain to fall on the earth. As a result, no plant or herb had grown on the field. After He caused a mist to water the whole face of the ground, He knew that plants would begin to grow on the earth, so He created man from the dust. Then He planted a garden eastward of Eden and put the man He had formed in charge of the garden to till it. “Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:15-17). He then realized that the man would be too lonely in the garden; he would need someone to keep him company and help him look after the garden, so He created the woman as a help mate for the man.

    The Almighty is a God of processes and order. He may withhold some blessings from you, until certain things are in place in your life. For instance, He may delay your promotion to that exalted position until your leadership skills are in place or certain habits that will derail you are eliminated. He may also delay the blessing of a life partner if you are still a boy at heart. God will always show up at the appropriate time. If you sense a delay of His promise in any area of your life, why not ask Him today what He wants you to put in order? It may be an offensive habit or trait that needs to be gotten rid of, or a skill that needs to be developed, or a lesson that needs to be learnt. God’s blessings make rich and add no sorrow to your life.

     

    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.