TheNewsGuru

Tag: In His Presence

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Your life work

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Your life work

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: ACTS 9:6-16, 18:3

    Meditation verse:

    “Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God…” (1 Cor 1:1).

    The work that we do can be divided into three basic categories. A ‘Job’ which you do because you need to pay your bills and which you may or may not like doing. A ‘Profession or career’ which is work that you undergo training to fulfil such as a doctor or lawyer. And then a ‘Calling’ which is work that you are born for. It is your life assignment and is at the core of who you are (your gifts and talents). It is therefore referred to as ‘your life work’.

    Do not confuse your job or career with your calling or life work. Your calling is a gift from God, and you can never retire from it. It is a place where you can attain full expression and actualization of yourself. Your calling provides you with a platform to empty yourself so that you can die empty. For some people, their calling becomes their career, whilst others pursue their calling alongside their careers. Whichever it becomes for you, remember that you will give an account of your calling to God when all is said and done on this side of the divide. So, there are eternal rewards that await you.

    You will retire from your job or career someday. And there are no eternal rewards to be reaped. It is targeted at fulfilling your own needs. You are the centre of focus, and you will reap ephemeral rewards like money, status, and fame. But your calling fulfils the needs of others. God is the centre of focus, and He will give you eternal rewards. Which do you give more of your time, energy, and other resources’? Your Job, profession, or life work? Choose wisely!

     

    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: Envisioning a new reality [2]

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Envisioning a new reality [2]

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Genesis 13:14-17

    Meditation verse:

    ““And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward”. (Gen 13:14).

    How can you begin to envision a new reality for your life?

    Set some time to be alone and be still in God’s presence. Habakkuk said he would stand his watch, set himself on a rampart and wait to hear what God would say. He was intentional about his desire and then God answered him and said: “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it” (Habakkuk 2:2). If you take the time to wait in God’s presence, He will show you a new reality and vision for your life. “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15).

    Learn to quieten the brain. Taking time to be away from noise and distraction Engage in activities that enable you to calm your thoughts and focus your mind.

    This helps the unconscious brain pick the quieter intuitive signals in our head that provide us with deeper insights, creativity, and solutions to problems. Your mind is a pool of ideas, visions, and dreams.

    In the place of prayer. 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. In the place of prayer, God through His Holy Spirit instructs, teaches, and guides us. When Daniel needed to receive interpretation for the King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, he and his three friends; Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego prayed and at night the vision was revealed to Daniel.

    By journaling. A journal is a private space where you can be honest with yourself. Journaling enables you document patterns in your life which can serve as pointers for your future. “Journal writing, when it becomes a ritual for transformation, is not only life-changing but life- expanding” (Jen Williamson).

     

    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: Envisioning a new reality [1]

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Envisioning a new reality [1]

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Genesis 13:14-17

    Meditation verse:

    “for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever” (Genesis 13:15).

    To envision is to build up an image of a desired future. It is about catching a revelation of new possibilities. Envisioning is imagining or visualizing a future possibility. Our brains are hard wired to focus on bad news: threats, risks, and danger. Left on its own, our imagination will default to what could go wrong, to compensate for this natural tendency, we must actively use our imagination to focus on positive outcomes and possibilities. Envisioning is a spiritual as well as a psychological concept. The power behind it is: “we become what we see because we are teaching the brain to move towards what it has seen. The brain captures a picture of what you have seen and creates a hunger for it within you. This hunger becomes the motivation that drives your actions. The more you envision, the greater the hunger. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.

    When God was leading the children of Israel to the promised land, He repeatedly told them that the land was beautiful and good, flowing with milk and honey. He was creating a hunger in them that would enable them take possession of the land, despite opposition from its previous inhabitants. It is difficult to keep pursuing what you are not hungry for; what you have no desire for, because you are likely to give up at the slightest challenge. Abraham envisioned his greatness before it happened.

    Several years ago, before I began my speaking and teaching career, I caught a vision of myself standing before a group of people, teaching, and inspiring them. The odd thing about this vision was that it was very different from my reality at that point in time as I had very little confidence to stand before a crowd. But as I envisioned it, my brain caught a picture of it and invariably, my life began to move towards what my heart and brain had captured. If you can envision something you can build it, irrespective of who you are. If your imagination can capture it and you are willing to pay the price for it, you can accomplish it.

     

    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: What you are doing today is important

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: What you are doing today is important

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Psalm 78:70-72

    Meditation verse:

    “From following the ewes that had young, He brought him, to shepherd Jacob His people and Israel, His inheritance” (Ps 78:71)

    Today’s work, not matter how insignificant it may seem, is not a wasted effort. Whatever you are doing today is preparing you for tomorrow’s assignment. It is storing up experience, skills, knowledge, and talents for future use. It is enabling you create a reputation in a sphere of influence. And when you become known for something, you will be sought after when that skill is needed. Little wonder the bible says: “whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10a).

    David spent his early years shepherding sheep, without knowing that he was in training for his future responsibility as king where he would shepherd God’s people. (1 Sam 16:11-12). At the appointed time, God took him from caring for sheep to caring for His people. The role of a shepherd is critical. The flock is dependent on the shepherd for provision, guidance, and protection. So, when God was looking for a king to care for His people and not just to rule them, David was the right person. God had tested him with sheep, and he had done a fantastic job. As king, he did a fantastic job too. “He shepherded the people according to the integrity of his heart and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands” (Ps 78:72).

    Several years ago, I began to develop a deep hunger to acquire knowledge, so I invested a huge amount of time and resources building my knowledge base. I studied God’s word like my life depended on it and I went on to acquire two master’s degree in Psychology. I had no idea that God was preparing me for the assignment of building and equipping lives, using the wisdom in His word. Yesterday’s work is ‘stored work’. So, approach whatever you are doing now with all the seriousness it deserves and work at doing it excellently. “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities” (Luke 16:10 NLT).

     

    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: As it was in the beginning

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: As it was in the beginning

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Genesis 1:1-31

    Meditation verse:

    “Then God said, “let there be light”, and there was light” (Genesis 1:3).

    The first book of Genesis offers an interesting insight for us, whenever we find ourselves in an overwhelming situation or when we are enveloped by a sense helplessness, confusion, and lack of clarity. Genesis 1 states that In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God began to create. The first thing He created was light and He saw that the light was good. He then divided the light from the darkness. He called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night.

    If you are a child of God, you are a carrier of the Holy Spirit. And because the Holy Spirit is in you, you can call forth light to shine into the chaotic and dark situations that you encounter. Job 22:28 says “You will also declare a thing, and it will be established for you; so light will shine on your ways”. You have the power to call forth order amid chaos. “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven (Mathew 18:18.

    What is that circumstance before you? A difficult spouse? Joblessness? Dead marriage? Difficult child? Financial difficulty? Overwhelming odds? With God on your side, no situation is ever as bad as it seems. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit (Proverbs 18:21). You have God’s power on your side. You have authority in Jesus’ name to stop disorder and permit order. You can call those things that are not into existence through the power of the Holy spirit in you.

    Ask God to open your eyes to understand your authority as a believer. “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what the hope of His calling is, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:17-18). Then open your mouth and call forth light into that dark situation. “Let there be light!”

     

    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: God’s mercy prevails over judgement

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: God’s mercy prevails over judgement

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: 1 Samuel 3:11-18

    Meditation verse:

    “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face” (Psalm 89:14).

    The Almighty is a God of mercy and compassion. Several scriptures highlight this quality of God. Lamentations 3:22-23 says “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness”. Romans 9:16 says, “so then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. Hebrews 4:16 says “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need”. This means that you must be willing to approach and ask God for mercy to be a partaker of it.

    In today’s reading, we see how God revealed to Samuel the judgement that was to befall the house of Eli. As Samuel revealed this to Eli, one would have expected him to immediately cry to God for mercy, instead he said, “it is the Lord, let him do what seems good to Him” (1 Samuel 3:18).

    Hezekiah on the other hand knew the benefit of asking God for mercy. When he fell sick to the point of death, God sent the prophet Isaiah to say to him “set your house in order, for you shall die and not live” (2 Kings 20:1). But Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall and cried to God for mercy, weeping bitterly. God responded immediately by sending the prophet back: “return to Hezekiah and say, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears. Surely, I will heal you” (2 Kings 20:5). And God added fifteen years to his life.

    God’s mercy will always prevail over judgement. “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face” (Psalm 89:14). No matter how estranged from Him you feel today, run to the mercy seat of your Father with outstretched arms. His loving arms are already stretched to receive you. “A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench” (Mathew 12:20).

     

    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: Let no one despise you

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Let no one despise you

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Numbers 12:1-16

    Meditation verse:

    “This Moses whom they rejected, saying, ‘who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer…” (Acts 7:35).

    People may sometimes question your position of authority over them, or leadership ability. They may doubt your suitability or qualification for an assignment. They may question God’s call upon your life, and it may be especially those closest to you. Moses had to deal with rejection from both the people he was sent to deliver as well as his relatives. Miriam and Aaron spoke against him saying “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” (Numbers 12:2). Jesus Christ was rejected in His own Country: Nazareth. They questioned the authority and wisdom with which He taught in the synagogue, saying “is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, judas and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us? (Mark 6:3). Jesus responded to their offence by saying “a prophet is not without honour except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house (Mark 6:4).

    If they questioned Jesus’ authority, why do you suppose that yours will not be questioned? Your calling was from God, why would you expect others to understand it? As a young pastor, Timothy, faced rejection until he received counsel from his mentor, Apostle Paul:

    “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” – 1 Timothy 4:12-16

    If you are struggling with the rejection and scorn in a position of authority or calling, quit trying to convince people and follow Paul’s prescriptions to Timothy. Give yourself entirely to the task, be consistent in season and out of season. Be an example in conduct and speech. And in the fullness of time, God will validate and confirm His call upon your life as He did with Moses.

     

    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: Who says you are not good enough?

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Who says you are not good enough?

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Jeremiah 1:4-8

    Meditation verse:

    “Then said I: Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth” (Jeremiah 1:6).

    “I’m not good enough”, “My best years are over” “I’m now too old”, “I have wasted my life”. Do any of these words sound like you? Who says you are not good enough? Not good enough for what?

    In the book of Exodus, Moses who was slow of speech spoke at the highest possible level of authority. He spoke to Pharoah to let God’s people go free. Little David killed giant Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. Jephthah the son of a harlot led a nation to victory in the book of judges. Impetuous Peter who denied Jesus became a great and powerful orator and Saul the murderer became Paul the greatest apostle of all times in the book of Acts.

     

    Who says you are too old? Too old for what?

    Sarah gave birth to Isaac, the promise child in her nineties. Grandma Moses, an American folk artist, successfully began a painting career in her seventies. Her paintings became very famous.

     

    Who says you have wasted your life? Who says your best years are gone? Mary Magdalene whom Jesus cleansed of seven demons in St Luke’s gospel, was the first person to see Him after His resurrection. The woman at the well in the book of John who had had five husbands, went on to evangelize a whole nation.

     

    Who has condemned you? Not God, and it is His opinion that counts.

    God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called. Stop condemning yourself. Stop undermining your own success. Do not let your feelings of inadequacy rob you of God’s plan for your life. Most of the biblical characters who did great exploits all struggled with a sense of inadequacy. Jeremiah said he did not know how to talk. Sarah laughed. Jonah ran away. David wasn’t even considered a candidate for kingship by his father. God does not delight in the strength of a man. He has time in His hands, and He can redeem anything. You are not too old, you good enough, you are adequate, your life is not wasted, your best years are ahead. Life is what you make it, always has been, always will be”. All things are working together for your good. Hallelujah!

     

    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: God will always make a way of escape

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

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: 1 Corinthians 10: 1-13

    Meditation verse:

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

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

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

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

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

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by 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: Where’s Johnny’s cap?

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Where’s Johnny’s cap?

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Psalm 103

    Meditation verse:

    “Bless the lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” (Ps 103:2).

    The story is told of a little boy, Johnny, who was drowning in a neighbourhood pool. As his mother screamed helplessly, a young man jumped into the pool to save Johnny. Moments later he emerged from the pool with a thoroughly shaken and wet Johnny in his arms. As the young man handed Johnny over to his mom, she said in irritation, “where’s Johnny’s cap”?

    The irony of this story is that as soon as Johnny came out alive from the pool, his mother forgot how desperate she had been for someone to save him moments earlier. Instead, she focused on his cap which had obviously fallen off his head as he fell into the pool. If truth be told, did he even need the cap at that precise moment? Some of us are like Johnny’s mom. We focus on some insignificant need that we believe has not been met, all the while overlooking the numerous blessings that God has bestowed on us. And just like Johnny’s cap, we may not even need it at this moment in time.

    Psalm 103: 1-5 says:

    Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

    God’s ways are not our ways, His thoughts are much higher than ours. If your expectation is yet to be met, relax in the knowledge that God knows the plans He has for you And He may be saying to you, ‘you do not need this at this time’.

    Focus instead on the many present blessings that you enjoy and thank Him for them.

     

    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.