From Strength to Strength
They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God- Pm. 84:7
One unique thing about God is that he is a God of New Beginnings. Praise God! The year 2017 is gone, and a brand New Year 2018 is here Hallelujah!
As I always do every year during the church end of the year 15 days prayer and fasting, I asked the Lord for the year 2018 theme for Chosen Generation. The Lord spoke to my heart that the year 2018 will be our year of from Strength to Strength.
Strength is about being strong and having the capacity to end. It also means the power to resist force or attack. God spoke to my heart that nothing would be able to weaken or stop us as a congregation this year. But instead, we shall go from strength to strength, from victory to victory and from glory to glory!
Our God is a strength, and he is the strength giver! The Bible says in Isa. 26:4 “Trust in the LORD forever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength”. God gives strength in every area of life both physically and spiritually to his people (Ps 29:11). When God’s strength comes upon a man that man ceases to operate in his strength and abilities, but the strength and abilities of God and he can handle anything life throws at him successfully. This strength, therefore, is God’s power or abilities called dunamis. God’s will is for us to go from strength to strength (Exod. 1:12, Deut. 33:25 & Isa. 41:10).Through the strength of God, Isaac was able to go from strength to strength and got to his Rehoboth. Isaac tired out the Philistine who set out to frustrate and weakened him (Gen. 26:18-22). David a man that never lost a battle was in a long war with the house of Saul. David waxed stronger and stronger while Saul with all the armies and arms of Israel at his disposal waxed weaker and weaker. David revealed the secrets to his superman life when he says “…the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Ps. 27:1b). As individuals and as a congregation, I prophesy that in the year 2018 we will not lose any war, we will not be a victim but a victor by the strength of God in Jesus name.
In the year 2018, for us to go from strength to strength we have to put on the strength of God consciously. The children of Israel did not put on this strength, and they suffered and became captive to their enemies. God reprimanded them and commanded them to put on this strength (Isa 52:1a). Paul walked in the consciousness of this strength and had undeniable proofs of signs and wonders and profound revelation of God. Paul ascribed his success in life and ministry to the strength of Christ. In Phil4:13 Paul says “I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.”As Christians, for us to go from strength to strength in 2018, there are things we have to do. Some of them are;
- We must have God as our ally. Isa. 26:4
- We must be filled with the Holy Spirit. Eph. 3:16
- We must be at God’s house. Ps. 84:7, Ps.20:2
- We must thirst for the knowledge of God. Prov. 24:5
- We must be prayerful. Jm. 5:16
- We must walk by faith. Joel. 3:10, Mt. 9:29
- We must be joyful. Neh. 8:10, Joel 1:12
- We must abhor sin. Judges 16:6-20.
On behalf of the pastorate of Chosen Generation, I welcome you to the year 2018 our year of from strength to strength.