TheNewsGuru

Tag: In His Presence

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Your time of manifestation will come

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Your time of manifestation will come

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Luke 1: 1-80 

    Meditation verse: 

    “So, the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the  day of his manifestation to Israel” (Luke 1:80). 

    Manifestation is the act of showing something or someone. The bible speaking  of John the Baptist, stated that he grew and became strong in spirit and was in  the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel. What this scripture helps  us understand is that there is a time for your manifestation and there are a  people you are meant to manifest to; this is the multitude you are sent to serve.  You are not called to serve everyone, stop running after everybody. 

    Understand too the importance of timing and stop fretting. Ecclesiastes 3: 1 says  “to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven”. Your  day of manifestation in the place you are called to serve will come; whether you  are called to ministry, business, or public service. Your efforts will pay off  someday. That seemingly painful experience is the desert ground that is  preparing you for your day of manifestation, like John the Baptist was in the  desert preparing. 

    So, what should you do? Trust your processes and keep becoming. Keep doing  what is in front of you. Today’s work is not wasted; it is stored work. In the  appointed time, God will make it happen. The day of your manifestation to your  people will come sooner than you think.

     

    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 business till I come

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Do business till I come

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Luke 19:11-27 

    Meditation verse: 

    “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name  of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all  things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the  end of the age” (Matt 28: 19-20).

    The business of soul winning is dear to God’s heart and today’s reading is a  beautiful illustration of God’s expectation and reward system in His soul winning  enterprise. Before the nobleman’s departure, he gave each of his ten servants  money and commanded them to trade with it while he was away. All ten  servants but one traded with their money and yielded profit(s). The unprofitable  servant was punished and referred to as a “wicked servant”.  

    God has given you excellent resources; talents, spiritual gifts, money, and time.  He expects you to utilize them in winning souls for Him and expanding His  kingdom. Before His departure from earth, Jesus Christ commanded you to do  business for Him until He returns, and He will ask you to give account of your  stewardship at His second coming. “Blessed is that servant whom his master,  when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him  ruler over all his goods. But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘my master is  delaying his coming’ and begins to (do otherwise), the master of that servant will  come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not 

    aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the  hypocrites” (Mathew 24: 46-51) 

    The bible declares that he who wins souls is wise. You must be a witness for  Christ wherever you are and in whatever you do. You are called to be faithful to  this course until Christ comes to take you home, where you will reign with Him  in eternity.

     

    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: Get rid of those toxic thoughts

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Get rid of those toxic thoughts

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: 2 Corinthians 10:5-7

    Meditation verse:

    “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts (Proverbs 4:23,  GNT).

    Your thoughts are powerful; they can make or break you. Proverbs 23:7 says  that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. You cannot rise above the level of your  thoughts. Toxic thoughts are harmful thoughts that poison your life. They  activate the body’s fight or flee response- trigger fear, rejection, and low self esteem. They keep your brain out of learning modes of reflection, critical  thinking and problem solving. Here are four toxic thoughts to watch out for. 

    Self-defeating Thoughts: “I can never be good at this”. “That will never be me”.  “I have tried everything, I’m just not good enough”. These are thoughts and  feelings of worthlessness that you hold about yourself. They prevent you from  making the effort required to succeed, because you believe that no matter how  hard you try, you will never succeed. Keep faith and keep trying.  

    Guilty Thoughts: “I wish I hadn’t done this”. “I regret doing this, now I everyone  hates me”. Do you constantly condemn yourself because of your past mistakes?  Guilty thoughts will keep you rooted in one spot. You cannot move forward if  you have one leg stuck in the past. There is no error too big for God to forgive.  Ask for forgiveness and move ahead.  

    Escapist thoughts: “I will not be this way, if you had not done that”. Do you  constantly blame others for your shortcomings? You need to take responsibility  for your actions.  

    Comparing Thoughts: “I am not as friendly as she is, so nobody likes me”. Do you  often compare yourself with other people and feel you do not measure up? If  you do, you are being unwise. Accept and celebrate your uniqueness. 

    Get rid of toxic thoughts from your heart, using the word of God. “For the  weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down  strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself  against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the  obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

     

    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.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: It’s all part of the process

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: It’s all part of the process

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: JEREMIAH 18:1-6

    Meditation verse:

    “And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so,  he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make”  (Jeremiah 18:4).

    Most processes of development that result in change from one form to another are difficult and uncomfortable. The purification of gold, the emergence of  pearls from oysters, the emergence of a butterfly from a larva and the birth of a  baby from a pregnancy are not easy processes. See how the stomach of a  pregnant woman stretches and enlarges as her baby grows inside her. She  passes through so much discomfort until her baby is born. Even the process of  birth is painful. Change is a difficult process. Enlargement is uncomfortable. To  develop into a better version of yourself, you will pass through some very  difficult or painful stuff. It’s all part of the process. Comfort can only be found in  the status quo.  

    In making the ornament, the clay is first marred in the potter’s hands. After a  very messy process, a beautiful vessel emerges. God sent Jeremiah to the  potter’s house to make him understand how we are in His hands. “…Look, as the  clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel” (Jeremiah  18:6). God can do with you as a potter handles clay. He can rearrange the details  of your life to beautify it and sometimes this can uncomfortable. 

    When you pray for God to bless you and enlarge your coast, why do you assume  that the process or the journey will be easy? Why do you assume that it will  happen instantly? The purification of gold takes some time, full term pregnancy  takes nine months. God is working behind the scenes of your life to perfect that  which concerns you. He has information which you do not have. “As you do not  know what the way of the wind is, 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). Give yourself a break and stop fretting. It is all part of the  process, and it is working out for your good.

     

    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: Personalize your worship

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Personalize your worship

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Psalm 34

    Meditation verse: 

    “I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise will continually be in my mouth”  (Psalm 34: 1).

    Worship can become a chore, especially when you have been in the faith for  quite some time. It can become something you offer to God because you must.  At such times, the heart can be distracted. Many Christians do not even have  personal worship times. They only engage in corporate worship during Sunday  services.

    Personalized worship is a lifestyle; it comes from deep within. When worship is  personalized, there are no limits in terms of space, time, or activity. To  personalize something means to tailor to meet an individual’s preferences,  needs or specifications. When your worship of God is personalized, you call Him  names that depict who and what He means to you, personally. You recall  moments of your intimate encounter with Him. You sing songs that express how  you have experienced Him, and you use words that reveal your deepest  emotions towards Him. Personalized worship is a love offering.  

    One of the reasons God described David as a man after His own heart was that  he knew how to personalize his worship of God. He knew how to express his  deepest feelings and yearnings in the place of worship. One time he said, “As  the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul  thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalm 42:1-2). Another time he said, “Bless the Lord, o my soul; and all that is  within me, bless his holy name” (Psalm 103:1). Indeed, most chapters in the book  of Psalm were expressions of personalized worship to God.  

    There is a place for corporate worship as well aa a place for personalized  worship. The bible says, “but the hour is coming, and now is, when the true  worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking  such to worship Him” (John 4:23). God is looking for you. Why not personalize  your worship of Him, 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.

  • [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 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: What has God said to you?

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: What has God said to you?

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: PSALM 119:89-106 

    Meditation verse: 

    “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

    When God gives you a word of promise, He expects you to do something with it. He gave it to you as a guide so that you do not grope or stumble in darkness. The bible states that God’s  word is a lamp to our feet. Your feet are for going forth. When you take hold of a lamp in a  dark room, you do not juststand still. You put the light in front of you and move forward. That  way, you do not grope in the dark, stumble, fall or end up in a wrong place. Similarly, with  God’s word, you will not stumble through life or miss your way entirely. But you must run  with the word, for it to light up your path.  

    It took several years before I understood this principle. Towards the end of each year, I would  take out time to wait on God in fasting and prayers. I would ask Him for a theme based on a  scripture to guide me in the coming year and He was always faithful. One evening, I sat at my  desk looking at all the themes that God had given me in the past years and wondering why  they had not yielded the resultsI expected. It suddenly dawned on me that God had expected  me to order my plans and activities for each year based on the word He had given me. I had  however sat still, expecting a magic wand to make things happen.  

    For instance, the year He gave me “purposeful advancement towards a life of significance”,  did I in the cause of the year, come up with a plan on how I would advance into significance  in key areas of my life? Did Iseek out enough opportunitiesto show case my gifts and talents?  Purposeful means intentional, planned or thought off and to be significant, you must show  up. When He said, “grow unto perfection”, did I increase the time I spent studying His word?  Did I ponder on what childish things I needed to do away with to become mature?  

    When God gives you a specific word, it is because He wants to accomplish something specific  in that area of your life, but unless you act based on the word, nothing happens. What has  God said to you? What have you done or what are you doing with what He has said to you? If His mouth has spoken, then His zeal has already perfected. This month, run with the word  that He has given to you.

     

    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: Lessons from the marriage at Cana

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Lessons from the marriage at Cana

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: John 2:1-10

    Meditation verse: 

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

    At the wedding in Cana, Galilee, where Jesus and His disciples had been invited  to, the wine got finished and there was a problem at hand. The host, whose  party it was should have been the one to handle the issue, but Mary, the mother  of Jesus knew exactly who could solve the problem. She went to Jesus and simply  said “they have no wine”. She did not go into any long explanations. Even when  Jesus answered and said “woman, what does your concern have to do with me?”  She remained resolute in her belief that Jesus would handle the situation, so she  said to the servants “whatever He says to you, do it”.

    Who is your first point of contact in times of trouble? Do you run to Jesus first  for the solutions you seek or is He the last resort? How often do we run around  looking for solutions in the wrong places? Ordinarily, the host of a party is the person to seek for the needs of the guests, but Mary knew that would be a waste  of time. She knew that Jesus was both compassionate and capable, and there  was nowhere the problem would linger with Him around. When you approach God for answers and there is a delay, do you remain resolute, or do you lose  faith immediately? When He instructs you on what to do concerning that issue,  do you do it exactly as He instructs or do you tweak it to suit your own plans or  that of someone else.

    God is never late; He saves the best for the last and in so doing, the answers we  seek may be delayed. We then interpret the delay as denial and lose faith in Him.  Mathew 21:22 says “and whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will  receive”. If you do not believe, you will not receive. Jesus touched the eyes of  the two blind men and said, “according to your faith, let it be to you” (Mathew

    9:29). If you believe and expect the best, you will get the best, if you believe and  expect the worse, that’s what you will receive. So, choose wisely.

     

    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: It may sometimes seem foolish

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: It may sometimes seem foolish

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31  

    Meditation verse: 

    “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is  stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25).

    Consider the following scenarios: 

    • Abraham packing all his things at over ninety years and leaving his  homeland to a place he knows nothing about.  
    • Noah telling people that God was bringing flood waters to destroy the  whole earth and then proceeding to build an ark the size of three hundred  cubits in length, fifty cubits in width, and thirty cubits in heights.  
    • Young Joseph telling his parents and older brothers that they would bow  before him and then ending up locked up in prison.  
    • Daniel stubbornly refusing to stop praying to his God and then ending up  in a pit surrounded by hungry lions.  
    • The son of a carpenter whom everyone saw growing up, starts telling  people He is the son of God and then ends up being crucified between  two notorious criminals.

    However, these stories did not end this way. Abraham went on to be the father  of many nations. The floods came and consumed the whole earth, but Noah, his  family and two of each type of animal entered the ark and the doors were shut.  The young lad Joseph, went from prison to the palace, and became the Prime  Minister of Egypt. The hungry lions did not touch Daniel all night, his God was  then pronounced as the only true God in the province. And guess what? Death  could not hold the carpenter’s son captive. He arose on the third day and has  been saving mankind since then. What do all these characters have in common?  In fulfilling their destines, they all had to do something that seemed foolish to  the world. 

    The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger  than men. Conversely, what seems wise to the world, is foolishness in God’s  sight. Do not interpret the events of your life based on what seems right to you.  Do not reject the counsel of The Almighty because it appears foolish compared to the ways of the world. God says, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor  are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the  earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your  thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). It is better to look foolish before men but be wise in  God’s sight, than to be wise before men, but appear foolish before God.

     

    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: The rule of first

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: The rule of first

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Mathew 6:25-34

    Meditation verse:

    “But seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things  shall be added to you (Mathew 6:33).

    Whatever it is that we consider most important in life is what will always come  first. And whatever comes first, we would always prioritize and make time for.  This is the rule of first. This rule also states that we commit our resources: be it  time, attention, money, energy, commitment or focus to what comes first in our  lives. Whatever comes first to us, we preserve, nurture and service.

    It therefore follows that whatever you put first in your life will be the master of  your life. “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one, and  love the other or else, he will hold on to one and despise the other. You cannot  serve God and be enslaved to money” (Mathew 6:24, NLT). The amplified  version stretches it further by saying “you cannot serve God and mammon  (money, possessions, famer, status or whatever is valued more than the Lord)”.

    God is not against your prosperity. Psalm 35:27 says He delights in the prosperity  of His saints. In John 10:10, He says he came that we may have life and have it  in abundance. 3 John 2 states “Beloved, I pray that you may [prosper in all things  and be in health, just as your soul prospers”. However, God understands the rule  of first and so He wants you to put Him first before any other thing. Mathew  6:33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all  these things shall be added to you”.

    Here’s the difference. When you put these other things first, you miss out on  God’s best for you, but when you put God first, you get His best and in addition,  He adds the best of these other things to you. Given both options, which would  you choose? Choose wisely.

     

    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.