Tag: In His Presence

Read: Exodus 10:1-29

Meditation verse:

“Now the Lord said to Moses, ‘go into Pharoah, for I have hardened his heart  and the hearts of his servants, that I may show these signs of Mine before him”  (Ex 10:1).

God may choose to harden the heart of men against you so that He may display  his miraculous signs in your life. He wanted to display His awesome power  before Pharoah as well as build up the faith of the children of Israel ahead of  their journey to the promised land, so He said to Moses: “Go in to Pharaoh; for  I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants, that I may show these  signs of Mine before him, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and  your son’s son the mighty things I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have  done among them, that you may know that I am the Lord.” (Ex 10:1-2) 

Not everyone you ask for a favour, will oblige you and not everyone who refuses  to oblige you is doing so from a point of wickedness. Proverbs 21:1 says: “the  king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it  wherever He wishes. God can cause a man to favour you in any situation, He can  also cause a man to withhold that favour from you. “For it is God who works in  you both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Phil 2:13). Certain rejections  and disappointments are a set up for God to do the miraculous in your life. If  you fully understand this, you will fret less in the face of disappointments. You  will hold your peace when those you expect to come through for you fail to do  so. 

If you are currently nursing a grudge because the one you expected to be of help  to you in your time of need, deserted you, do yourself a favour and let go of that  grudge. The help of man is useless anyway and cannot be compared to the might  of The Almighty. (Ps 60:11). If you have exhausted all your options at this  moment, why not boldly declare: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What  can man do to me?

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.

Read: 2 Timothy 3:1-7

Meditation verse:

“For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise  for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet  who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”  (Esther 4:14).

Some days ago, I read the expository notes based on today’s reading, which  gives a detailed description of the times we are in. It read, in the last days:

“People will be lovers of themselves. They will be self-centred and selfish.  They will ignore the crying needs of the desperate and dying. They will  focus upon their own pleasures, rather than on God and others. They will  put their own will before God’s will. They will seek their desires without  considering others and go after what they want whether it is unwise and  hurts others. People will love money. They will covet more and more of it  and the things it buys. They will indulge and hoard instead of meeting the  needs of the poor and lost of the world. People will be unholy, indecent,  and shameless. Given to the basest passions, blind to modesty, purity, and  righteousness. They will seek sexual pleasure in that which is abnormal. 

There will be little affection between a husband and wife. There will be  little affection for the home. A spouse will be little more than a person to  pay bills or keep the home front. Men and women will be unfaithful.  Homes will be reduced to just places to change cloths and sleep. Husbands  and wives, living as strangers. Children will be disobedience to parents,  rebelling and refusing to do what parents say. Showing disrespect,  rejecting parental instructions, and dishonouring parental example.  People will be brutal, savage, and untamed. They will not just murder, but  they will mutilate, torture, kill at random, kill by twos, threes and by  thousands. The home, society and civilization will crumble. The last days  will see an increase in brutal and savage behaviour”.  

There is a war of evil against good going on and it is ravaging our homes,  communities, and nations. What are you and I doing about the pervasiveness of  the times? Are we speaking against these ills or are we silent? Mordecai cautioned Esther not to keep silent. Use whatever platform you have and speak  up. “Whoever says to the guilty, you are innocent, will be cursed by peoples and  denounced by nations” (Proverbs 24:24). God is counting on you and me.

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.

Read: ACTS 15: 36-41

Meditation verse:

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as  Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

As Paul and Barnabas prepared to depart for their second missionary journey, a  sharp contention arose between them. Barnabas wanted Mark, his cousin to  come along but Paul insisted that they had no business taking someone who had  deserted them the first time. Chances were, he would abandon them again. Barnabas however refused to give up on him. He took him and left for Cyprus,  whilst Paul chose Silas and sailed through Syria. Mark was to become a useful  part of Paul’s ministry. “…get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me  for ministry” (1 Timothy 4:11).  

Barnabas which translates to ‘son of encouragement’ (Acts 4:36) had a  reputation for recognizing potential in others and giving them a second chance.  When Paul arrived Jerusalem following his conversion, he tried to join the  disciples, but they would have none of it. They were suspicious of the one who  had persecuted them. Barnabas it was, who took Paul to the disciples,  convincing them that he was now a genuine believer in Christ. Interestingly,  Paul, who was given a second chance, refused to extend the same hand of  fellowship to Mark. 

Who have you given up on because of one offense or the other? Ephesians 4:32  says “and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as  Christ forgave you”. Why not forgive that person today and restore that broken  relationship. You never know how useful they could become in your life. God  works even through conflicts and disagreements to fulfill His plans and 

purposes. You do not know the purpose of God concerning that relationship you  have given up on. Your ability to forgive is also essential for your own healing  and restoration. If you want to live a wholesome life, you must be willing to  forgive those who hurt you totally and completely. There is incredible power in  the words “I forgive you, let’s move on”!

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.

Read: Galatians 6:7-9 

Meditation verse: 

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will  also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

The law of sowing and reaping is clearly highlighted in the bible. Scriptures  makes us understand there is always a reaping time for whatever is sown and  what is reaped is like what is sown. Genesis 8:22 says “while the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night  shall not cease”. Galatians 6:7-9 says “do not be deceived, God is not mocked,  for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh, will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit, will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. Newtons third law of motion states that “for every action in nature, there is an equal and opposite reaction.  

Knowing the above to be true, would the seeds you are currently sowing in every  area of your life yield the desired fruits? Would you be happy with the harvest, when the time comes for you to reap what you have sown? You cannot plant  seeds of a kind and expect to reap fruits of a different kind. If you do not like what you have reaped or are reaping in your marriage, check what you are  sowing into the life of your spouse. If you do not like what you are reaping in  your finances, check what you are sowing. If you dislike what you are reaping in  your body, check what you are sowing into it. Check every area of your life and  change your seeds if you need to. “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a  bad tree bear good fruit” (Mathew 7:18). It’s as simple as that.

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.

Read: 2 Timothy 3:1-17

Meditation verse:

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own  special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of  darkness into His marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

The default position of an object is its preselected option. It is its factory fitting;  the way that object is meant to be. Your default position as a child of God is in 1  Peter 2:9. You are royalty, you are destined to reign as a king. Your life is meant  to reflect the marvellous light of God and proclaim His goodness. This is your  default position.  

When a device becomes infected by virus or overloaded with data, it slows down  or crashes. It then needs to be returned to the manufacturers for cleaning and  resetting to its default position. In a similar manner, your lived experiences can  cause you to crash out of your default position. Circumstances of life, oppression  from the enemy, the cares of the world, the foolishness of the times as well as  the environments we find ourselves in can cause us to become infected or  overloaded, leading to a crash out from our default setting. The bible speaks of  a time when iniquity will abound, and we are currently living in those times.  

A device infected with virus will not work until it is restored back. A Christian  infected with sin and overloaded with the cares of this world can not reflect the  marvellous light of God. He or she cannot reign as a king. If your life is currently  not in its default position, if you have abandoned the faith, God wants to reset  and restore you back to your default setting. A device cannot reset itself. It  needs to be sent back to the expert. You cannot reset yourself. Why not cry out  to God to restore you back to your default position. You are a chosen generation,  a royal priesthood, a peculiar person. This is who you are, this is you preselected  option. 

“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of  His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover  whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also  justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Romans 8:29-30).

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.

Read: 1 Corinthians 13:1-8

Meditation verse:

“For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if one died for  all, then all died” (2 Corinthians 5:14).

As the world celebrates love on this day, let’s remember that love is not just a  feeling. It is an action. It is a strategy for obtaining peace, mending broken  relationships, overlooking offences, and building better relationships with  others. Where words fail to bring the desired results, love will succeed. Love  covers a multitude of sin and answers to several life issues.  

John 3:16 says “for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,  that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. In 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, Paul the Apostle said, “for the love of Christ compels us,  because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all,  that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died  for them and rose again”. Let the love of God be your focus of celebration this  day. Let it permeate your whole being. Let it determine your choices, attitude,  perspectives, speech, character, and actions, not just for today but all the days  of your life.  

Here’s the God Kind of love: 

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is  not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked,  thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all  things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:  4-7). 

This type of love is not self-seeking, manipulative, or exploitative!

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.

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 recall battling a bad case of flu some time ago. 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. 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 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.

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 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.

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 the late Jane Marczewski, whose stage name was 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. 

Jane battled cancer with grace and gratitude. Her sheer positivity in the face of  such hopelessnesstaught me a remarkable life lesson. 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 knows 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. Sadly, she passed on a short while after that  appearance. 

I recall checking her online after watching the show 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. She was just 31 years old when she  died. 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 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.

Read: James 5:13-18

Meditation verse:

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man will bring much good” (James  5:16).

The bible is replete with commands on not just how to pray, but 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.  

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. 

Luke 18 highlights 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 (Daniel 6:10).  Apostle Paul spent countless hours fasting and praying (2 Cor 11:27). 

Are you in constant touch with God through prayers? Spend quality time this  year tarrying in prayers. Prayer is a safe space where God through His Holy Spirit  instructs, teaches, guides, and corrects us.

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.