Blessed be the Lord Who has carried us through the 21-days exercise and empowered us to have dominion over the challenges of the year. We are set to possess our possessions and enlarge our tents.
We are set to regain our hope and lead a victor’s life this year.
HOPE means ‘a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to occur. Hope is an energy booster and life-giver; kindles light in the darkness and assists the obscure to navigate to success. It parries death away and employs faith to move mountains. It is a close confidant of love, and cannot be dismissed while the church is one this earth (1Cor.13:13, Matt.9:1-2).
On the other hand, one of the most appalling states one can experience is the opposite of hope called HOPELESSNESS in which there is loss of interest and expectation in life leading to despondency (low spirits) and despair (complete absence of hope) which breeds fear and death (via depression and suicide).
There are certain things that can generate hopelessness in the unguarded/ill-equipped mind viz (i) Magnitude of the challenge: intensity, extensiveness, duration, experience (eg Jn.11:21-23, 32,39) (ii) Comments and attitude and actions of neighbours (Job 2:11-13, 3:1-11, 13:4) (iii) Scientific discovery ie knowledge of the inherent potentials (cp. 1Tim.6:20) (iv) Personal limitations (Jn.5:5-7) (v) Fear, unbelief or negative emotions (Heb.4:2, 2Tim.1:7).
But understanding the season (it is the Day of the Lord), and the Person that we are dealing with-the Almighty, and the power vested on the church will make ALL FEARS to expressly vanish (Eccl.3:1-4, Isa.45:5-7,18-19,22-23, 44:1-8, Gen.21:1-3, Exo.14:11-13, 16:13,15, Jos.6:20, 1Kg.17:1-6).
Fear is really the manifestation of a lack of confidence or faith in God. Accommodation/acceptance of fear is synonymous with diminution of faith in God’s capability (Heb.11:6).
The Church has authority from the Master to neutralize all manifestations of the Kingdom of darkness (Lk.10:19) and has the support of the resurrection power of Jesus Christ (Eph.1:17,19-20) coupled with the backing of the mighty angels of God (Heb.1:14, 12:22). The man with palsy didn’t allow the gravity of the condition to tamper with his faith, he believed, and the supernatural power of the Lord swung into operation to heal. (Matt.19:26, Acts 14:8-16).
Now, with the testimonies that have followed our corporate 21 days exercise, it is evident that the Lord has resumed with us. It is now expected that we arise and shine for our light is come. (Isa.60:1)
HSCF: