Tag: In His Presence

Read: 2 CORINTHIANS 12:7-10

Meditation verse:

“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made  perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

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. 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. By affirming God’s strength,  he accepted the reality of his weakness, refusing to let it stop him. 

There may be challenges or weaknesses in your life that have lingered on for  years and you desperately need God’s intervention. Are you sitting around,  waiting for God to make them disappear? He may decide to allow you to live  with it. He has already been made His grace available to you. Grace is an enabler  that propels you forward even in difficult situations, so, appropriate His grace.  You appropriate God’s grace by repeatedly declaring it over that situation and  walking in its consciousness. If for instance, you recognize that you have a  temper and are prone to outbursts of anger, you need to live in the  consciousness that God’s grace is available to help you exercise self-control.  Rather than giving in to angry outbursts when faced with an upsetting situation,  why not declare: ‘Lord, Your grace is sufficient for me, Your strength is here to  help me stay calm. I depend on it and surrender my will to yours.’  

“Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Rom 10:17). The  change you desire may not happen instantly, but as you continue speaking God’s  word over that situation, you will ultimately experience victory. This same  principle will work for a recovering alcoholic, a sex maniac or a drug addict who  has surrendered his will to God. If you are battling with fear, self-doubt or low  self-esteem, the grace to forge ahead is in you. Tap into it and press forward.  Make decisions and act, despite your struggles. Do not let them stop you, for  when you are weak, then you are strong in the power of Christ.

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: ISAIAH 49: 14-16

Meditation verse:

“Even to your old age, I am He, and even to grey hairs, I will carry you! I have  made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you” (Isaiah 46:4).

Have you ever felt like God has forsaken you? As seen in today’s reading, though  a woman may forget or neglect her own child, God will never abandon you. All  the promises of God in Christ are yes and amen in Him, to the glory of God  through us (2 Cor 1:20). If you are in Christ, God’s pronouncements concerning  your life, are as good as done.  

The famous spiritual poem Footprints in the Sand written by Mary Fishback  portrays an individual who dreamed of having a conversation with God whilst  walking along the beach:  

Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene, I  noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to me and  one to my Lord. After the last scene of my life flashed before me, I  looked back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed that at many times  along the path of my life, especially at the very lowest and saddest  times, there was only one set of footprints. This really troubled me, so  I asked the Lord about it. ‘Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,  you’d walk with me all the way. But I noticed that during the saddest  and most troublesome times of my life, there was only one set of  footprints. I don’t understand why, when I needed You the most, You  would leave me.’ He whispered, ‘My precious child, I love you and will  never leave you. Never, ever, during your trials and testing, when you  saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.’ – Mary  Fishback 

In your most vulnerable moments, God is with you. When you feel like giving up,  He is there by your side. Even when you do not feel like it, He is with you. “Yea,  though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For  You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).

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: EPHESIANS 1:3-13

Meditation verse:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it  is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Grace is the unmerited favour that you receive through faith in Jesus Christ.  There’s nothing you can ever do to earn it. Your entire redemption journey is all  by the grace of God. Your salvation came by grace: “For the grace of God that  brings salvation has appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11). After your salvation, you  can serve God acceptably by grace. It is His grace working in you that enables  you to do of His good pleasure. The spiritual gifts you receive after your  conversion are based on grace. The power to witness to others is by grace. 

By grace you continue to overcome your limitations, weaknesses, temptations,  and sinful nature for God’s grace is sufficient for you and His strength is made  perfect in your weakness. Your ability to do good to others is based on grace:  “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having  all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” (2  Corinthians 9:8). 

You have become who you are only by grace. Every accomplishment and success  in your life has only been made possible by grace: “But by the grace of God I am  what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I laboured more  abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1  Corinthians 15:10). You do not get the punishment you deserve because of His  grace. Grace is your enabler in time of need. It is the grace of God upon your life  that guarantees your overall wellbeing. Therefore, approach God’s throne of  grace this day to receive help in any area you are currently struggling in.

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: Romans 8:31-39

Meditation verse:

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or  persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Romans 8:35).

Do you ever give thought to the intensity of God’s love for you?  

Ephesians 2: 4-7 says, “but God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love  with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive  together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together,  and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages  to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward  us in Christ Jesus”. Romans 8:38-39 says, “for I am persuaded that neither death  nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things  to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to  separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”. 

What do these scripturestells us about the love of God? God loves you intensely,  totally, and unconditionally. There is nothing that you did or will do that will  change or alter His love. He loved you from the beginning and will love you  forever. Perhaps you have asked God for something, and He did not do what you  wanted Him to do the manner and time you thought He should have done it. Or  perhaps you are disappointed that He allowed you to go through what you went  through and did not show up the way you figured He would. God’slove is eternal  and complete. It is not dependent on situations and circumstances. You cannot  judge His based on your fleeting emotions.  

Never again doubt the love of God because He does not cater to your every  whim. Never again insult His grace and mercy towards you. Ephesians 3:17-19  says, “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted  and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the  width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes  knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. God’s love  surpasses human knowledge. It cannot be judged or understood by human  comprehension. It can only be comprehended by faith. So, accept it wholly and  experience it by faith. “For the just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4).

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 Corinthians 5:12-21

Meditation verse:

“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” (2 Corinthians 5:15).

The life of a believer is one of service. The bible says that God who has reconciled us  to Himself through Jesus Christ, has given us the ministry of reconciliation. The ministry  of reconciliation, which is winning non-believers over, to become reconciled to God requires us to live a life of service and sacrifice. People do not care what you have to  say until they know how much you care. And no one exemplified this principle like our  Savior Jesus Christ. He came to earth, stripped of the glory He enjoyed with the Father before the foundation of the world. With death staring Him in the face, He laid aside  His garment, grabbed a towel, knelt on the floor, and began to wash the feet of His  disciples.  

Paul the apostle also understood this principle. He said “for though I am free from  all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews  I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under  the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law,  as without law (not being without [f]law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that  I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win  the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save  some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you”. 

What about you and me? We have been given the ministry of reconciliation too. How  are we carrying it out? We cannot change this lost world or reconcile them to Christ,  without first showing them to the love of the Father. Romans 5:5 says that the love of  God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Grab a  towel this season and let the world experience the love of God through you. The  ministry of reconciliation will only be impactful if done with a complete loss of  distinction. Real ministry is not elitist. 

And what better time than now for us to lay aside our tittles and garments, grab a  towel, and serve. Let’s feed the hungry, visit the prisoners, pray for the addicts, cloth  the prostitutes and give to the widows. As we minister to their physical needs, we let  them know about the Savior who died for them to give them a new life. For indeed,  He is the reason for the season.

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:

“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? 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 is by tarrying in the place of prayer.

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: 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 say, “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 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 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 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 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’s only a few weeks to the end of the year, but there are visions that can still be birthed, businesses that can be created, books that can be written 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 benefits and blessings. 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 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: 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).

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 would 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).

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.