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Tag: In His Presence

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Tame your imagination

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Tame your imagination

    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” (Romans 8:28).

    Some weeks back, I was scheduled to do a CT scan as a follow up to an ultrasound scan, I had done to investigate the severe abdominal pains I was experiencing. I did the scan and when I went back to collect the result two days later, I was informed that the person who carried out the CT had left a message for me that I was to wait and see him before collecting my result. Now, this was not the usual practice as he was not the doctor I was seeing. I was supposed to just collect my result and go back to my doctor.

    Instantly, my mind went into panic mode and my imagination went wild. “Why did he want to see me?” “Maybe he had seen something really bad, and he wanted to break the news to me himself”. As it turned out, the reason he wanted to see me was that the CT scan result was good, it did not show the problem which the ultrasound scan had revealed, and he wanted to repeat the ultrasound scan just to be sure. He repeated the ultrasound, and I was given a clean bill of health to the glory of God.

    Our imaginations make things seem worse because the brain prefers to focus on what could go wrong. Why did I not think instead that the reason he wanted to see me was because my report was so good, and he wanted to tell me himself. Why did I not even think that probably there was an error with the first scan, so he wanted to repeat it. All of these were likely possibilities, but my imagination preferred to hold on to the worst option.

    You must be intentional about taming your imagination. The brain is a pattern matching organ. If you spend your time focusing on what is dreadful, bad, frightening, or disastrous, guess what? The brain will begin to search for these types of occurrences and bring them into your reality. In every situation, therefore, stay positive because even if the enemy meant it for evil, God would bring good out of it. He moves in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform.

     

    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: Whatever He says to you, do it

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Whatever He says to you, do it

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: John 2:1-10

    Meditation verse:

    “His mother said to the servants, “whatever He says to you, do it” (John 2:5).

    God longs to guide you in every area of your life. He longs to speak to you, and He can speak to you in a variety of ways. Psalm 32:8-9 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you”. He may speak to you through scriptures; a particular scripture may light up before you as you study His word. He may speak to you through messages from trusted and anointed men and women or through counsel from other people. Whichever way He instructs you, be sure to do exactly what He says and promptly, rather than what you think is best.

    At the marriage at Cana, the wine got finished, so the organizers had a problem at hand. The problem was presented to Jesus and His mother told the servants to do exactly what Jesus commanded. The key to receiving your miracle lies always in your obedience, and this is where we miss it as Christians. God sometimes instructs us to do things that seem foolish to the human eye. But you must remember that his ways are sovereign.

    Imagine asking for wine and being told to fill jars with water. Imagine needing money for tax and being told to go to the sea and cast a hook to collect a piece of money from the mouth of the first fish that comes up (Matt 17:27). Imagine fishing in tested waters all night as an expert fisherman and catching nothing, then being told to cast your net into the least likely side of the river (Luke 5:5). Imagine been told to roll away the stone from the grave of a man who had been dead several days and stinking, so that he could be brought back to life (John 11:39).

    What instruction has God given to you lately? Where do you sense His leading? Are you struggling to obey because it looks so unlikely? God’s ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts. Do yourself a favour and respond quickly. The miracle is always in the obedience and obedience begins only when you take the first step.

     

    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: Enter the Ark

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Enter the Ark

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Isaiah 26:1-4
    Meditation verse:

    “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3).

    I recall having a conversation with a lady some weeks back about the insecurities of the times. As we mused about the current difficulties, she said that her husband had told them that as a family they were all inside Noah’s ark. I laughed, but as I recalled our conversation moments later, I couldn’t help agreeing with her. The bible records a time when there will be so much iniquity and lawlessness in the land that God instructed Noah to build an ark and enter it with his family, because He was going to destroy the earth with flood waters.

    The ark in biblical times was a symbol of YAHWEH’s presence. Amid the present insecurities, we need to enter the ark with our loved ones and shut the door. We enter the ark by daily abiding in God’s presence through prayers, worship, and consecration. Psalm 91:1-7 says, He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.

    Surely, He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you.

    “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:1-4). We are currently living in such times. So, enter the ark with your household and shut the doors behind you.

     

    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: He will never leave you

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: He will never leave you

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Psalm 34:1-22

    Meditation verse:

    “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:19).

    The story is told of a construction worker named Jim who was such a passionate lover of Jesus Christ. Every day at work during his lunch break at 12 noon, he would go to a quiet place in the construction site to pray whilst the other workers proceeded to have lunch and chat with one another loudly. And he would always begin with “hello Jesus, this is Jim”. One morning there was an accident at the construction site, Jim was badly injured, and he was rushed to the hospital. At exactly 12noon, as Jim lay on the hospital bed, he heard a voice say, “hello Jim, this is Jesus”. Jim could not keep his appointment with Jesus at his corner in the construction site by 12 noon, so Jesus came to him to keep the appointment at the same time.

    If you draw near to God, He will draw near to you (James 4:8). If you seek Him with all your heart, you will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). God rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). We are not promised a life free of troubles, so do not think that God is far away from you anytime you are in a difficult situation. John 16:33 says “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” And Isaiah 43:2 says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you”.

    “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrite spirit” (Psalm 34:19). He will meet you at your point of need. Today, He will meet you right where you are.

     

    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: He is able to keep it

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: He is able to keep it

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Psalm 91:1-16

    Meditation verse:

    “For this reason, I also suffer these things; nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day” (2 Timothy 1:12).

    When you have a valuable item, you would want to keep it safe. So instead of leaving it to lie around the place, you take it to a safe deposit box and custody it there. Similarly, you take your money to the bank to keep it safe.

    The enemy is the thief that comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). He wants to steal your peace of mind, your health, the joy in your marriage, your finances, the destiny of your children, your job and even your life. God can safeguard whatever is entrusted into His hands. Psalm 127: 1-3 says “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward”.

    Are you currently anxious because you are on the brink of losing that which is precious to you? On your own, you are unable to safeguard anything, no matter how hard you try. And no other power can help you. Instead of struggling why not commit that difficult marriage, stubborn child, ailing body, failing health, unsaved loved one, financial situation or whatever it is unto the hands of God? The wording of a famous song says, “I am safe whatever ills betide me, in the hollow of His hands”. You can be sure that the One who neither sleeps nor slumbers will keep whatever you have committed to Him.

    “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall [b]direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones” (Proverbs 3:5-8).

     

    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: When the gap becomes a wilderness [2]

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: When the gap becomes a wilderness [2]

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: ROMANS 8:18-39

    Meditation verse:

    “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God” (Psalm 42:11).

    When you are going through a wilderness experience and you feel your dream slipping away, what should you do at such times?

    o Examine your life. Unbelief, disobedience, or rebellion can lead to a wilderness experience. The children of Israel consistently doubted and rebelled against God (Ps 78:17- 18). “Therefore, their days He consumed in futility and their years in fear” (Ps 78:33). Eventually, a whole generation was wiped out and never entered the promised land. You would need to ask the Holy spirit if there is doubt or disobedience in your heart.

    o Lean on the One who has control. If there is no unconfessed sin in your life, be still and know He is God (Psalm 46:10). Wait on Him, for in the place of waiting your weariness will be turned to strength. “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength” (Isaiah40:31). Relax in the knowledge that the One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it. David spent seasons of his life in the wilderness, either tending to sheep, running from King Saul or from his rebellious son, Absalom. Through it all, he trusted God.

    o Recall God’s faithfulness in the past: Icons of God’s faithfulness in our lives are all over the place. A restored health, miracles of provision, an act of deliverance, a fruitful marriage, or a divine breakthrough. Amid a wilderness experience, David recalled God’s faithfulness “O my God, my soul is cast down within me. Therefore, I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, and from the heights of Hermon, from the Hill Mizar… The lord will command His loving kindness in the daytime and in the night His song shall be with me” (Ps 42:6-8). I look back at ‘my near death’ experience as a symbol of God’s faithfulness as well as an assurance that His purpose for my life will be accomplished. If you don’t reflect on God’s faithfulness in your past, you may never be able to trust Him with your future.

    o Focus on the now: Work diligently at whatever your hands have found to do today (Ecclesiastes 9:10). There is no wall between the sacred and the secular world. It is all sacred. Whatever God has fired you to do in the now, do it well. “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17).

    Above all, remember, that God has a purpose for allowing us to go through a wilderness experience. “For we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). That hold up or delay is working together for your good.

     

    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: When the gap becomes a wilderness [1]

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: When the gap becomes a wilderness [1]

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Numbers 14:26- 35

    Meditation verse:

    “They bruised his feet with fetters and placed his neck in an iron collar. Until the time came to fulfil his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character” (Psalm 105:18-19, NLT).

    The dream that God has placed in your heart will require seasons of preparation and training. The greater the dream, the longer and more strenuous the training. The fact that God has revealed your dream to you is no guarantee that He will immediately unleash you to begin to live it out. There may be a gap period between when He reveals your dream to you and when He gives you the go ahead. The gap period is a time of preparation. Biblical characters like David, Joseph, Paul and even our Lord Jesus Christ did not start their ministries immediately. There was a gap between David’s call and his first work experience in the court. Joseph moved from his dream to the pit, from the pit to Potiphar’s house, from Potiphar’s house to prison, before he was exalted to the palace. Every step of the way, in character and competence, he was being prepared for his dream. Saul had a three-year gap before he began his ministry as Paul, the Apostle. Between ages 12 and 30, Jesus immersed himself in scripture, worked with his father, Joseph on his trade and looked after his mother, before He began His ministry at age 30.

    Similarly, you may undergo a period of preparation before you launch your dream. Your gap period will require preparation in three main areas: Preparation of Character, Preparation of Competence and Preparation of Circumstances. Sometimes the gap period may linger until it eventually becomes a wilderness experience. The journey to the promised land was supposed to take a few days, but the Israelites spent forty years in the wilderness. The wilderness is a place where water is scarce, where a traveller walks alone devoid of protection and where wild animals live. Such a traveller is bound to experience fear, doubt, and loneliness. The bible often depicts the experience of God’s blessings or presence with the ‘imagery of water’: streams and rivers “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly… He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water…” (Ps 1: 1-3). A wilderness experience is therefore a season where you experience bareness, distress, doubt, and alienation from God. In a spiritual wilderness, God feels far away, distant, absent, and unresponsive (D. W. Ekstrand). You hear nothing, see nothing, and know nothing. At such times, you feel your dream slipping away and fear it may never happen. What do you do if you find yourself in such a place?

     

    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: Do not consider the things of old

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Do not consider the things of old

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: ISAIAH 43: 16-21

    Meditation verse:

    “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old” (Isaiah 43:18).

    To remember means to have in or be able to bring to one’s mind an awareness of someone or something from the past. Synonyms of the word include recall, recollect, think of, think back to, look back on, call to mind, keep in mind and muse on. To consider means to think carefully about something or look attentively at it. God’s instruction in today’s message is ‘do not to remember the former things, nor consider the things of old’. When you are instructed not to consider or remember the past, it means that it is not important anymore either in the present or in the future. After God gave the command to His people to forget the former things, He said “Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth. Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19).

    The opposite of remember is forget, overlook, or disregard. The opposite of consider is dismiss or ignore. God is saying that He is going to do a new thing in your life which will spring up suddenly for all to see. You are however to forget whatever happened in your past: your mistakes, errors, failures, lost opportunities, regrets, shortcomings, and weaknesses. You are to overlook them, disregard them, ignore them, not look back at them, not call them to mind, not recall nor recollect them. Why? Because they will not determine what He is about to do. They will not be factored into the new thing. They are not important and will not play a part in what God is about to do. They are not part of the ingredients to be used in cooking this new soup.

    I received this word and the revelation therein at a time in my life when I was hard-pressed on all sides because I felt I was making very little progress in my work and ministry. So, I kept looking back with regret at the many opportunities I had missed out in the past. And then I received this word of comfort one morning. And God has sent this word to you this day as a word of comfort. Do not remember nor consider the things of old. For He will do a new thing and it will spring forth suddenly!

     

    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: Do not stay in the place of doubt

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Do not stay in the place of doubt

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: 2 Kings 7:1-19

    Meditation verse:

    “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6).

    The bible describes the one who doubts as a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind, and such a person should not expect to receive anything from God. People who doubt hardly ever begin any meaningful project, because they are constantly questioning the possibility of its success. They doubt themselves and everyone and everything around them. They believe the worse would happen because they are sceptical about everything.

    Amid a severe famine in Samaria, Elisha prophesied that there will be abundance of food by the following day. But an officer of the king doubted, and said “Look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” And Elisha said to him, “In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” (2 Kings 7:2). The officer was trampled at the gates of Samaria whilst others were rushing to partake of the abundance. Doubt separates you from your supply. It prevents you from being a partaker in it. The opposite of doubt is faith. Faith is: “confidence in what we hope for, assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1, NIV). The bible says: “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). You cannot activate God’s favour and help when you lack faith in Him.

    Do not stay in the place of doubt. Doubt is an internal giant and a dangerous stronghold that can keep you stuck in a rut. If you have a habit of doubting everything including yourself, ask God to help you. He knows your level of faith anyway. In Mark 9:23, Jesus said to the father of the boy who had the mute spirit “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”. He knew the man had little or no faith, and immediately the man responded honestly “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).

    “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (James 1:5-8). Rather than remaining in the place of doubt, come clean with God and ask Him to help your unbelief.

     

    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: It shall not happen

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: It shall not happen

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: 2 Corinthians 10:1-6

    Meditation verse:

    “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

    Most of our fears are based on things that are yet to happen and which may never happen. Isn’t it ironic that we fear that certain events will occur in the future and most times these fears are not founded upon any evidence? People who have a fear of flying fear that something will go wrong, and the aircraft will crash. And yet they have never been in an aircraft that crashed. People who fear the dark are afraid that some evil occurrence will come upon them whilst it is dark. Those battling with the fear of public speaking are afraid that they will mess up before a crowd. Those struggling with the fear of failure are unconsciously preoccupied with the thought that they will fail anyway no matter how hard they try. Those who are afraid of the future fear that something will go terribly wrong with them in the future.

    To fear is to be frightened of someone or something. At one time or the other we may entertain some degree of fear, but for some people fear becomes such a significant psychological threat, that they unconsciously sabotage their wellbeing and success in life in a variety of ways. Certain personality traits are prone to fear. Individuals with a high score on the trait, ‘Neuroticism’ which is a long-term tendency to be in a negative emotional state have high anxiety. They worry about things, are often depressed, self-conscious, easily intimidated, impulsive and are vulnerable to strong negative emotions or panic attacks. Naturally, for these kinds of people, fear of almost everything is a given.

    Fear can lead to what is known as a self-fulfilling prophecy, where what you fear the most comes to pass. This happened to Job when he said, “What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me” (Job 3:25 NIV). And the reality is that despite the best efforts of others, only you can set yourself free. Fight with the word of God. Memorize and internalise scriptures that will help you. There is a connection between your mind and your actions. As you feed your mind with God’s promises over your life, your fears will be transformed to courage. Watch your thoughts also, focus on what is positive.

    Next time you find yourself stopping in your track because of fear, ask yourself ‘what is the worst thing that can happen if I do not fear? This is what The Almighty says in Isaiah 7:7, “It shall not stand, Nor shall it come to pass” (Isaiah 7:7). “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15). You are an heir of God entitled to special privileges. You are part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a special person (1 Peter 2:9). You are not a fearful cringing slave, so quit acting as one. “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

    As you step out each today, boldly declare: “The Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6). Remember always that courage is equally as contagious as fear.

     

    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.