Beloved this is the season of Jubilee; the season to celebrate God’s faithfulness. Exactly nine years ago on the 13th of September, my family then comprising my wife and two children relocated to Minnesota from Baltimore. Little did we know Peace, our third child, was waiting for us in this state. Two days later, Strong Tower Parish was registered with the State of Minnesota and the first service was held same day. We had a congregation of four adults and four children! Those were the days of “small things”; and despise, we do not them (Zec. 4:10). We thank God who has taught us to number our days so that we might apply our hearts to wisdom (Ps 90:12).
We appreciate God for our lives and for His goodness unto us. We also appreciate you for standing by us, His servants, in spite of all our imperfections so that the work could grow to where we are today. We moved here with no brother or sister, but God has given us a family in you. I pray that none of you will lose their reward in Jesus mighty name.
We can afford to celebrate because our new day is here. Care less about your yesterday, today is breaking forth for you in a new dimension of His favor in the name of Jesus Christ. And gone with yesterday is all the stress. The Egyptian you saw yesterday you will see them no more forever because of the new day. Let me add that today is not just a new day; it’s the beginning of beginnings for you and I in the name of Jesus Christ.
We should neither be drowned nor carried away by the failure or success of yesterday. While you might lack the power to undo your past because it’s gone, and perhaps the present since it’s here, you have an input into your tomorrow. And you should celebrate that. Apostle Paul said in (Phi 3:13) “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.” Every serious minded believer should know there’s a better tomorrow. Reason God’s word encourages us to “give thanks in all things because this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thess. 5:18).
Our tomorrow in the city of Strong Tower Parish starts with the 9th year. I was privileged to speak at the 6th anniversary of a church last year and you needed to see how celebratory and appreciative they were. We have gone past that by His grace, so nothing but unfettered praise will do! Some have not learned or are hesitant to celebrate milestones. David the one after God’s heart is not one of such. He said in (Ps 103:1-2) “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.” This is the fitting refrain for what God has done with us since our humble beginnings nine years ago. He, only, has been our shield and buckler. Even when the enemy came like a flood, His spirit has raised a standard. He has made our head stronger than that of the wicked one and has caused our soul to escape as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers. Blessed be the Lord who has not given us a prey to their teeth. C’mon bless the Lord all ye His people! Halleluyah!
Every year you witness, there’s a purpose for it. You are preserved for a purpose. Just as God preserves an individual for a purpose so also He does the church (Ps 91:16) “With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.” The longer your life is, the more He wants to show you. Reason His word says in (1 John 3:2a) “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be” There’s yet something to become as a preserved child. You are not just existing, but alive and preserved for a reason. And this reason is wrapped in prophecy. Every church should be guided by a word from heaven called prophecy. (Ps 119:105) says “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
Note these about prophecy: Every prophecy is an expression of the heart of God for that season for the concerned. Prophecy stands for what to expect from God and builds up expectation. For instance, Simeon was expectant of the Messiah in (Luke 2) because prophecy had revealed His coming. It also makes us know what must not happen. That is if God is going to do this, then this can’t happen. You know what to accept and reject. Finally, prophecy shows you what you should look like at the end of the season the particular word covers
According to God’s counsel for us, the 9th year is the “Year of the Unlimited Power of God.” “Why is this significant?” you may ask. Everybody on the face of the earth is looking for power one way or another. That includes you. You go to work because you seek financial or economic power. When in power you are in control. Power puts you in a position to be recognized and the level of your power determines who listens to you. If I called a meeting of Congress today with all this anointing, for example, nobody but my wife and children will show up!
It is impossible for the church to win without power. Even cars are power based; reason its engines are rated on “horsepowerage”. How stable you are and even your value is dependent on your power. Everything runs on power; heaven and earth inclusive. (Heb. 1:3a) says “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power” Indeed without power nothing is in place. I see everything that concerns you coming “in place” because of His power.
(Ps 110:-3a) tells us that His “people shall be willing in the day of thy power” There is the day of His power. Not necessarily “a day” but it could be a season, many years, or even a time in your life. That day for us is this 9th year. His people are the first beneficiary of the day of His power. The day is designed to bring about a noticeable change in the lives of His people. All you have to do in the day of His power is take a look at His people. And you’ll see the consequence of His power. I pray that the evidence of the presence of His power will be seen upon you as a covenant child of this ministry in this 9th year in the name of Jesus Christ. You will miss out on nothing.
There are diverse kinds of power in the kingdom but one is a prerequisite for the others. In America, for example, before you can be voted for, you first have to be able to vote. Similarly, there’s a power you must possess to be qualified for other levels or kinds of power. (John 1:12) reveals: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” The first time you meet Jesus, the first thing you receive is the power to become the son of God. Reason a former thief, adulterer, murderer, or idolater, can become His son! You can’t walk in the power of God until you have received the power to become the son of God. Otherwise you are a prey to the enemy. Truly receive Him today and the power of “sonship” is yours.
Another kind of power is that which (Matt 10:1) tells us about. “And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.” This overwhelms the devil; and demons can’t mess with it.
The next kind is the power that is most needed in difficult times such as the one we are currently in. There’s no gain expressing the difficulty of prospering in difficult times. That however hardly precludes the possibility of prospering in such times. Walmart and Sounds of Music which morphed to BestBuy prove this. The question then is how do I prosper in difficult times? Simple! You need the power to get wealth. God is no magician. He doesn’t give wealth; He gives power to get wealth. And this power is divinely given as (Deut 8:18) shows. And I submit to you that till today God’s still giving that power; not limited to the Old Testament. The advantage of divine power is: it is all encompassing. (2 pet 1:3) teaches how to live life and live godly. “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:”
The power to get wealth comes in manifold shades. One shade is Wisdom power. No matter how prayerful or anointed you are without wisdom of say the Oracle software, you couldn’t operate it. You therefore need wisdom power in this regard to be successful. Daniel got into power in his days by wisdom. God’s wisdom elevated him.
Creative power is another important shade. As a business owner you couldn’t be too creative. It keeps you ahead of the pack. You couldn’t run your business successfully for long on yesterday’s ideas; if you don’t run out of business, it will run out of you!
Initiative power is the third shade. You couldn’t go wrong by taking initiatives. You actually get noticed when you are always beating everybody to change.
Creation power is the fourth shade of the power to get wealth. Repackaging the gospel in a way that wins contemporary souls speaks to the ability to create. When you can create you can be elevated.
The last shade is the power to “lay down.” There’s wisdom in the ability to surrender all to God who can and does give all in return. Hoarding what you have received limits you but a liberal soul is made fat. My prayer is that in this 9th year, may my life and yours enjoy and produce the various manifestations of the power to get wealth in the name of Jesus Christ.
By now you should not be ignorant of what power you need to have but perhaps you’re unsure how to access this. (Ps 110:3) gives a clue “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power” To be “willing” is the first step to reward from God. (Isa 1:19) says “If ye be willing and obedient; ye shall eat the good of the land.” And we know that “it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Acts 1:4-8) reveals another way to access power: The more of the spirit the more the power. And you receive the spirit by asking for Him. (Luke 11:13) tells that to us: “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” Once you connect with the spirit, power follows; and with power comes transformation.
May the power of God that is sufficient to bring all things your way be upon you in this 9th year in the name of Jesus Christ.
Congratulations on our 9th year.
Yours in this Divine Assignment
Pastor Emmanuel. S. Olowokere
