FROM THE BISHOPS DESK. YOU HAVE EVERY REASON TO CELEBRATE Dearly beloved, I bring you greetings in the name that is above every other name, Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God and our soon coming King. What a joy to be alive and well on this Testimony Sunday. Let me assure you that you will not leave this service the same way you came in Jesus name. Beloved, it is possible that you may have had expectations that seem to have been delayed, but I challenge you to rejoice all the same, because I know that God is waiting on the wings to touch you in a special way today. Settle it in your heart that you too will celebrate, and there is nothing the devil can do about it. First and foremost, understand that God expects you to celebrate on a daily basis, whether you see the miracles or not. The scripture in Philippians 4:4 says ‘’Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say rejoice’’. The truth is that you have several reasons to celebrate, but often times you don’t seem to realize it. The greatest reason any believer has to celebrate is the fact that the Creator of the universe dwells in you. Christ in you is the hope of glory. I found out that often times we miss out on this point. We want to celebrate only when we have taken delivery of that new car, new house or new job. There is nothing wrong in celebrating new things, but have you ever realized that you are a ‘living testimony’ yourself? Have you considered the fact that you are special to God? Think about it – He by-passed millions on the Earth just to zero in on you and make you His child. If nothing else, that should make you celebrate. Let me share this scripture with you. HABAKKUK 3:17-18 {KJV} ‘’Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herds in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.’’ When you truly meditate on this scripture, you will suddenly realize that it is God alone who upholds all things by the word of His power. Whether the fig tree blossoms or not, He is still the creator of the universe. It does not change who He is. Do you realize that if the fig tree does not blossom today, it will certainly blossom tomorrow? In other words, God is still God in-spite of changing times and seasons. Beloved, in like manner you may not have built a house yet; you may not have gotten married or gotten a baby yet, but the fact remains that you are alive and well and the Greater one lives in you. That is enough reason to celebrate. The truth is that if He was able to get you saved from sin, then He is not through with you yet. If He gave you salvation, then the others that are yet to materialize are settled. Beloved, the fact is that many of us have not fully comprehended what took place when we invited Jesus into our hearts. We have not really come to the understanding of the mystery of salvation. It is something you really have to sit back and meditate over. There is so much inside your salvation. It is not just the forgiveness of sins. There is so much investment, so much treasure that when you understand, there will be no cause for sadness even if other needs in your life are delayed. I challenge you to stop, think and take a look at yourself again. Take away your eyes from your challenges, and focus on who you are in Christ and the exceeding riches of His grace towards you. Learn to wake up every morning and rejoice at the break of another day. Celebrate each day and expect good to happen to you because head or tail; you win. Whichever way it falls; you win. You are a winner all the time. All things are working together for your good. The only person who does not have a reason to celebrate is the unbeliever who has not yet had the salvation experience. Beloved, if you are blessed with everything in life and you don’t have the presence of God, your joy is just but for a moment; it is temporal and will never last. Let me use this opportunity to ask you to think about God’s greatest gift to mankind – Jesus Christ. He is a gift to everyone who receives Him as Lord and Saviour. My prayer is that you will not leave this service today without having a life changing encounter with Him. When the time comes and an altar call is made, I encourage you to rush out and give your life to Him and you will be glad you did. As you go into this week, remember that, He who hath begun a good work in you will surely perform it. God has no abandoned projects. My God will exceed your expectations. You will surely testify. I bless you in Jesus name. Maranatha! In His Royal Service Dr. Mike Okonkwo The Presiding Bishop
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 07:07:12 +0000
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