On behalf of the entire Abundant Life family, I welcome the Guest Minister – Pastor Tolu Oshonowo, all invited Ministers of God – my co-laborers in His Vineyard and all brothers and sisters who have gladly accepted our invitations and are rejoicing with us on the 9th year Anniversary of the inauguration of this Parish. We praise and honor the Almighty God who has made us to celebrate the 9th year Anniversary.
Beloved children of God, God promises that the glory of the second temple in Haggai’s generation will eclipse the glory of Solomon’s first temple. Hence, even though this small beginning of RCCG: Abundant Life Chapel looks like nothing now, God has big plans for it in the future. God sees what Israel could not see, so He gave them a glimpse of what is to come. This glimpse is just enough to encourage them, enough to fuel their faith to persevere. This window into the future is designed to help us believe that God will use this Church beyond the limitations of our vision. God likes using us beyond our limitations because He gets the glory for it. God’s promises to us are true and we can count on Him to keep every promise He has ever made. I appeal to you to believe that God will use us beyond our limitations.
Sisters and brothers in Christ, God is telling us members of the Abundant Life Family. “Don’t give up, don’t let “reality” damage your faith and don’t let what you see in this world cause you to take your eyes off of what God can do”. 2 Corinthians 5:7 tells us “We live by faith, not by sight”. We need to hear the words of God in Haggai 2:5 “my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.” Haggai 2:8 “The silver is mine and the gold is mine” and Haggai 2:7 “I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD Almighty”. The Bible gives us a host of people who rose above their circumstances because of their attitude of faith. The faith they possessed in God’s power was so strong that they moved on to victory. David killed a giant with a sling and a rock (I Samuel 17), Gideon and 300 men attacked and put to flight 135,000 Midianite soldiers with trumpets and torches (Judges 7:8). These were not normal and should not have happened but did happened. Facts are not always important; but the attitude of faith in our God. Paul said in Philippians 4:13 that “he could do all things through Christ who gave him strength”.
Children of the Most High God, we must not allow what we see to overwhelm what we believe. We must not allow our present reality to cause us to take our eyes off of what God can do. We must take our financial responsibilities seriously. If we believe in the ministry of this church, then we need to financially support it. We need to continually work at inviting people to worship with us. If each of us focus on bringing just one family to church we could double our attendance in one year and move to a new Church Building.
Brethren, we need to pray as workers in God’s field. We must be people of prayer, Bible Study, Night Vigils and Sunday Worship Service. We must get out and do what God has in mind for us – winning lost souls for Him. God has given us the job to do in the Church, at our place of work, at home and in our community. The time has come to be strong and work hard because God is with us.
May I seize this opportunity to thank all great men and women of God of the Abundant Life Family who had worked relentlessly with me to keep the work of God going in this Ministry for the nine years of the existence of Abundant Life Chapel. You are really wonderful and I am very proud of you. My father in heaven will pay you abundantly and we shall not be found wanting in His Kingdom.
Happy Anniversary.
