ANOTHER YEAR OF DIFFICULT CHALLENGES
I thank my readers, supporters and critics as well as those who do not believe in my calling; our communities for supporting one another. “There is no me without you.’ It’s a time to begin again and move on. I therefore bring to you all a very special greetings of the New Year. A greeting of love, favor, compensation and establishment; I say to you, “Rejoice, you are highly favored, the Lord is with you………..” [Luke 1:28]. This salutation brings uncommon surprises. May the year 2010 be fruitful and brings uncommon surprises, with great accomplishment. You shall prosper, multiply and enjoy good pleasure of the Lord. We thank God for a New Year, New Beginning and New Season. He who has brought us in shall see us through. Do not be afraid, for the Lord is our strength, defense and sufficiency. As we begin the year, we should remember that the God of heaven is our God. He says, “Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed, neither be disgraced for you will not be put to shame. You will forget the shame of your youth and will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore….for a mere moment I have forsaken you but with great mercies, I will gather you.” [Isaiah 54: 4, 7]. We shall build on the gains of difficult challenges we faced last year and attempt the path of reconstruction and rebuilding towards restoration. That is by no means another difficult path and challenge.
It is easy to forget the past and the uncountable goodness of the Lord. We seem to remember the unanswered prayers, the thing God did not do for us more than those He did. We remember the difficult moments we passed through but forget God’s surpassing grace and mercies as well as His sufficiency in our trails. We remember those who offended us and forget those we offended; remember the few moments we were turned down but forget the numerous times of pre-approvals and the many people God put on our ways to help us. Little surprised King Solomon in his prayers of dedication of the temple said, “Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His promises [1 Kings 8:56]. He fulfills and satisfies those who trust and depends on Him. It may not happen how and when you expect them but God’s ways are perfect. His delays are neither denials nor refusals but a challenge to accept His timing and ways.
As we enter into the New Year, we should never forget where the Lord God picked us from; how He has led us in His great hands from year to year and not one of His promises had ever failed. Even when we may have disappointed Him severally, His compassion has never failed but is renewed every morning. It is a time we rededicate ourselves to the ideals of God and worship Him with the whole of our hearts, giving Him our all. He died for us on the cross so that we do not have to die, but live and fulfill His purpose for us; He deserves our all. No one can sincerely give to God anything without first giving self, less its hypocrisy. Let us therefore be responsible, accountable and steadfast; exercising integrity of heart and uprightness, to God and humanity. As we go through the year, the winds may be strong and terrible; the storms furious but faith in God will see us through the stormy sea of change.
2009 was a year of difficult challenges; the American Nation swore in the first African American President on January 20, 2009. It’s a new era in human history that the White House job is being performed by a black man; in the midst of two wars, failed global economy and government gross insensitivity to the people’s concerns. That had brought a wind of change not only in the presidency but in the way we respond to our challenges, using common sense above book knowledge, in our judgments and in pursuing our goals as well as in conquering our fears and that of the world around us. It also affected the ways we treat other nations and people around our world; the world feels the renewed leadership and friendship and crown it with a Nobel Peace Awarded to the American President Barrack Obama. This was uncommon, unusual but befitting and encouraging the path of peace in our world.
The year 2009 also witnessed another milestone in a democratic process where the will of the people through an electoral decision hands over the leadership of the City of Houston, 4th largest city in US to a former Financial Controller and a proud lesbian. This is a great victory for the homosexuals and they come from every nook and corner beyond the State to celebrate another battle won. The devil wins many battles but God wins the war.
It quickly reminds the Christian community that forty six years ago, a woman and her child fought and banned prayers and the use of bibles in public school system throughout US. Since then the Church in deep slumber and loss of focus [money theology] has not been concerned enough or been able to retrieve or revert that decision. Another axe head had fallen into the river of worldliness and surprisingly not even the choice apostles and prophets or believing unbelievers in the corridors of power could retrieve the sinking axe head. What a shame!
Funny enough many Christians do not see these things as abnormal. Those who dare ponder on them fear being accused of insensitivity and politically incorrectness. We accept the verdict then and we can as well ‘allow the sleeping dog lie.’ However unknown to us not every laid dog sleeps and most dogs that bite do not often bark. It’s Hugh news that a man has bitten a dog. Many unusual events happen but there’s no end. We still could recall that in 2009, “a pregnant man” gave birth. The esteemed king of pops, Michael Jackson died of drug overdose. The unbeatable golf king, Tiger wood fell from fame to fire and became an object of infidelity. A television top show host, an African Queen and Princess, Oprah Winfrey formally opened a model school in South Africa and while the ovation is still high she announced to retire from the Top show as from 2011. Houston Police chief has thrown in a towel following the newly elected lesbian mayor promising to replace him. A state governor abandoned his high office and wonderful family to seek after a juicy sweetheart just across the waters. Another assembly senior man was reported to be advancing sex in a public restroom. Some of the elected high office holders adverted paying taxes but luck ran out of them. A Mega Church Pastor and leader of American Pentecostals confessed he had addiction for male partners. The American Presidency received a slap on the face when an elected member called the President a lair during the State of the Union address. The white House tight security was broken during a State Dinner by a couple of TV show stars and so on.
It appears believers seem to have forgotten that being a Christian is synonymous with enlisting in the Lord’s army. We are supposed to be Soldiers for Christ, fighting Great Wars of human freedom and liberty against worldliness and satanic vices. But this simply knowledge has eluded many believing unbelievers; we’ve become civilians disguised in military outfits. Could it be that while the church in lost of direction is busy pickling crumbs of tithes, sown money seeds and tangible offerings, building financial empires, the enemies ambushed her and captured the pickets and check points deploying men and women with alternative lifestyles in strategic places. Early Christians knew they faced fierce battle every single day and did not fear martyrdom, insensitivity or persecutions.
As we begin the year 2010, Christians should wake up from slumber and trace back the ancient path, reshaping our vision and redefining our goals. We have gone too far from the ideals of our Master and Lord Jesus Christ. We should live in corporate unity and fight a common foe – Satan. The battle before us is not the prophesy of riches and prosperity but against spiritual wickedness in high places. We should be vigilant and stand sentinel against the sneaky devices of the devil. No doubt the statement that faith without action is nothing.
Since we know that we have a God who never disappoint or fail, we should build our confidence in and around Him and His promises. He never failed yesterday and shall not fail today or ‘morrow. It’s a time for us to appreciate and trust God because the more assurance of His promised fulfilled, the more we should be ready to give our lives embodied in our time, talent and treasure [3T’s]. This then should be our year of responsibility, accountability and restoration. It’s a year of great demand and rebuilding challenges. The children of Israel never forgot their deliverance from the Egyptian slave masters. They remembered that no man could have delivered them except for Jehovah-God. Throughout their wilderness journey, He led and guided, supplied their needs and protected them; intervened mightily in Red sea and Jordan and performed uncommon miracles that have become part of Israel’s history and experience with God. The path shall be a tough one but the pursuit is worth the pains. Have a great and fruitful year.
Reach: Evangelist Ogbonnaya, Godswill at: weefreeministries@yahoo.com or P. o. Box 720035, Houston, Texas, 77272.