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  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Be intentional about your relationships

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Be intentional about your relationships

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

    Meditation verse:

    “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.” (2 Corinthians  13:1).

    There is power in interdependence. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 states that “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie  down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be  overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken” Mathew 18:19-20 says, “Again, I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning  anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or  three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them”. Psalm 133:1 says  “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”.  

    Life was not designed to be lived in isolation. When God created the first man, He saw that it  was not good for hm to be alone. He created woman as a companion for him. And then as  humans evolved, we began to do life with one another. A famous saying goes this way, “if you  want to go fast go alone, but if you want to go far go together”. Another one says that if you  enjoy alone, you will suffer alone”. 

    Be deliberate about building mutually beneficial covenant relationships this year. A lot of your  blessings are tied to your relationships. God mostly channels his blessings to us through the  people in our lives. If you are struggling to building relationships and connecting with people,  ask God to help you extend the cord of your life, so that you can be more accommodating of  others. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you relational and communication skills. Ask Him to help  be more patient, forgiving and less critical of others. The Holy Spirit is the greatest teacher, and the bible says He will teach you ALL things.

     

    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: Return to your default position

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Return to your default position

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: 2 Timothy 3:1-17

    Meditation verse:

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

    The default position of an object is its preselected option. It is its factory fitting;  the way that object is meant to be. As a child of God, your default position is in  1 Peter 2:9. “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,  His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you  out of darkness into His marvellous light”. You are royalty, destined to reign. 

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

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

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

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: STOP LOOKING BACK

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: STOP LOOKING BACK

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Genesis 19:1-26

    Meditation verse: 

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

    Remember Lot’s wife? She looked back towards Sodom despite being warned  not to, and she became a pillar of salt. Looking back can represent thinking of  the past with regret, fear, or longing. One of the ways the enemy tries to keep  you down is by constantly reminding you of your past failures, errors, wrong  choices, sins, and setbacks until you become imprisoned in it. He wants you to  focus only on what is wrong with you, until you lose your faith in God and in  yourself. 

    “Selective Attention” is a concept in psychology that states that as humans, we  selectively attend to what supports what we believe and selectively ignore what  does not. Selective attention amplifies what we attend to, in size, frequency,  amplitude and emotional tone. It determines what we physically orientate  towards and move towards even when trying to avoid it. This is one of Satan’s  strategies. If he can get you to believe that you are a failure, then you will only  notice the ways you have failed. You will ignore your victories and who you are  in Christ Jesus. You must resist him until he flees. 

    God urges us to forget the former things and focus on the new. You cannot turn  a new chapter of your life if you keep reliving the former one. Apostle Paul  understood this when he said: “…but one thing I do, forgetting those things  which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead” (Phil  3:13). No matter how messed up you are right now, what lies ahead of you is  more important because of the finished work on the cross. 

    So, what should you do today? If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and  Saviour, remember that your past sins are forgiven, look forward to a more  glorious future because of your hope in Christ. If you have not yet accepted Him,  pause now, and confess your sins to Him. Ask Him to forgive you and come into  your heart as Lord and Saviour. Then believe that you are forgiven. It is as simple  as that.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: The different dimensions of God’s mercy

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: The different dimensions of God’s mercy

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: PSALMS 145:8-9

    Meditation verse:

    “The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy” (Psalms 145:8).

    God is merciful and compassionate. Psalms 89:14 says, “righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne. Mercy and truth go before Your face”. What this implies is that it is in God’s nature to be merciful. He cannot but be this way. God’s mercy is a resource, you can depend on for every situation in your life. There are different dimensions of His mercy which are expressed in different ways.

    His mercy can bring favour and promotion upon your life. Psalms 102:13 says, “You will arise and have mercy on Zion; for the time to favour her, yes the set time has come”. 

    By His mercy, you receive blessings you do not qualify for. “So, then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy (Romans 9:16). 

    By His mercy, you are preserved each day of your life. “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

    By His mercy, you receive what you do not even know you need. “And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So, He began to teach them many things” (Mark 6:34).

    By His mercy, all your sins are pardoned. Because of his mercy, you do not get the punishment you deserve. “The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities” (Psalms 103:8-10).

    By His mercy, you are comforted. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

    God’s mercy triumphs over judgement (James 2:13). It can deliver answers to difficult and long-term issues. His mercy can make up for your weaknesses. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16). Have you boldly approached His throne of mercy for that difficult situation?

     

    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: Recognizing and dealing with the ‘but’ in your life

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Recognizing and dealing with the ‘but’ in your life

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: 1 Kings 10:14-11:1-25

    Meditation verse:

    “But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharoah: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites”. (1 Kings 11:1).

    King Solomon had great wisdom and wealth. “All his drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Not one was silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon. For the king had merchant[e] ships at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys. So, King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. Now all the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. Each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, Armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year” (1 Kings 10:21-25). 

    But King Solomon loved many foreign women. He clung to them in love and when he was old, they turned his heart after other gods; “and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David” (1 Kings 11:4).  Solomon’s lineage suffered severe consequences because of this. God tore the kingdom out of the hand of his son. He also raised up adversaries against Solomon. 

    No matter the height you have attained in life, it will take just a little foolishness on your part to bring you down. Sexual immorality, pride, ego, and anger are some common sins with a great potential to destroy you and everything you have built, in a matter of seconds. Several great men have sacrificed their greatness on the laps of strange women. Refuse to be numbered amongst the lot. 

    We are a few weeks into the new year. If there is a ‘but’ in your life, deal with it rather than denying its existence. Ask God to help you deal with it before it is too late. “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live”. (Romans 8:13).

     

    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 knew 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 with his parents, begins to tell 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 of them have in common? In  fulfilling their destines, they did 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: What you are doing today is important

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

    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 Samuel 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” (Psalm 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 transforming lives, using the wisdom of His word and  an expert knowledge of human behaviour. 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 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: 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.  

    It’s the first day of a new month. 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). Open  your mouth and call forth light into that dark situation. “Let there be light!”

     

    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: Increase comes from God

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Increase comes from God

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: 1 Corinthians 3:1-15

    Meditation verse:

    “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase”. (1 Corinthians 3:6).

    We were created to work and not to be idle. Ephesians 2:10 says, “we are His  workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared  beforehand that we should walk in them”. As soon as God created the first man,  he gave him an assignment; to till the garden, be fruitful and dominate the earth.  You were put on this earth to fulfill your own assignment and take dominion  over the earth. There will always be work for you to do. Ecclesiastes 9:10 says  that whatever your hand finds to do, do it well. The size of a task is immaterial,  your responsibility is to always give it your best. The outcomes and results you  get whilst accomplishing a task are up to God.  

    The Apostle Paul said he planted, and Apollos watered but God was the one who  gave the increase. In order words, the results of their efforts were in God’s  hands. This is an important insight for anyone feeling discouraged by the  outcomes of their efforts in whatever task they are doing. If you have toiled in a  particular endeavor but have seen minimal results, keep toiling. Proverbs 16:33  (NLT) says “we may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall”  Ecclesiastes 11:5 says as we do understand the path of the wind or how the  bones grow in a woman with a child, so we do not understand the working of  God. Psalm 75:6 says that promotion does not come from the East, West, or  South. Romans 9:16 says that it does not therefore depend on man’s efforts. 

    Increase comes from God. Keep working at the tasks you have been given.  Commit to whatever your hand finds to do. Stay faithful and do not relent. “Now  the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in  him” (Hebrews 10:38). Do not cast away your confidence, for in due season, you  will reap if you do not lose heart (Galatians 6:9). Be rest assured that whatever  God is involved in must grow. So, commit your work to Him and you will succeed.

     

    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 a loving Father He is

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: What a loving Father He is

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Mathew 14:25-33

    Meditation verse:

    “And immediately, Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him and said to  him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:31. 

    Peter had come out of the boat and began to walk on the water towards Jesus.  What a life defining moment it must have been for him. But then he took his  eyes of the Lord and looked at the boisterous wind. And then he began to sink.  As he cried out to Jesus, “Lord, save me”, Jesus immediately reached out His  hand and caught him. And then He gently added “why did you doubt?”.

    What a gracious and loving Father we have. Psalm 103:8-14 says: The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He  has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to  our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His  mercy toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so  far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his  children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. 

    Your heavenly Father does not condemn you. That voice of accusation and  condemnation belongs to the devil. The bible refers to him as the accuser of  brethren. Irrespective of how much you feel you have messed up in life, reach out to Jesus today and say, “save me oh Lord”. He would reach out and save you immediately as he did with Peter.

     

    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.