April 2020 – Exceeding Power & Strength

WELCOME TO APRIL 2020 
OUR MONTH OF EXCEEDING POWER AND STRENGTH
‘The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills’ (Habakkuk 3:19).

The world appears to be collapsing all around us; plans are getting disrupted and thwarted. There is so much misery and disease everywhere and everyone seems to be hopeless, with no solutions forthcoming. Nevertheless, I want you to know that this month, you can boldly affirm ‘the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Psalm 27:1).

God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. God told Apostle Paul, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Corinthians 12:9). The power of God is strongest and revealed best when we are at our wit’s end; when we are completely puzzled and perplexed. Through the strength of the Lord, we can ‘quench the fury of the flames, and escape the edge of the sword; have …our weakness… turned to strength; and… become powerful in battle…’ (Hebrews 11:34 NIV).

God’s strength is expressed by the dynamic working of the Holy Ghost in us. Paul prayed ‘that He (God) would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man’ (Ephesians 3:16 NKJV). The Holy Spirit fortifies, strengthens and energizes us; He teaches us all things and grants us inner resilience to withstand life’s challenges.

God’s strength is revealed when we wait upon Him. Isaiah 40:31 says, ‘But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] will gain new strength and renew their power. They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; They will run and not become weary, they will walk and not grow tired’ (AMP). Waiting rejuvenates us; it empowers us and helps us to re-strategize.

God’s strength is revealed when we depend upon His Word. The word of God is our greatest source of strength and life. Psalm 119:116 says, ‘Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live…’ Our Lord Jesus Christ, when tempted with physical food for sustenance said, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’ (Matthew 4:4 NLT). The word of God is active and complete; in it lies the solution to very problem. Paul encouraged Timothy, ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work’ (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

God’s strength is especially demonstrated when all men have failed us. The great Apostle Timothy testified to this when he said in 2 Timothy 4:16-17 that, “At my first trial no one supported me (as an advocate) or stood with me, but they all deserted me…But the Lord stood by me and strengthened and empowered me…and I was rescued from the mouth of the lion (AMP). Psalm 118:8 also affirms to us that, ‘It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.’

As we go into the month of April, it seems to me that the storms may still continue to persist and some situations may get even worse in certain parts of the world. However, I have a strong conviction that God will provide a way out and that after the storms, there will be perfect calm.

We must be aware that these happenings are heralding many events that will take place as the end of the world draws near. It is therefore important for us to continually cling and run to the Lord, who is our refuge, as He is the only one that can take us victoriously through these situations.

I want to encourage us at this time to keep moving, keep praying and keep trusting in God. He is our ever-present help in trouble and by His power we can scale all walls.  His strength will help us overcome our weaknesses, win over our worries and overcome all life’s challenges.

Please join me on my Telegram channel (https://t.me/revdprofgregeharbor) where I give inspirational messages daily as well as on my other social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram and Facebook) where I drop messages from time to time. You can also join our online services on Sundays via Facebook live, YouTube, our Church website and Mixlr.

It is your faithfulness in standing with us in prayer and your support that get this global message all over the world. We love you and we are praying for you. Have a lovely month ahead. Stay strong and stay safe.

With affectionate love,

Rev. Prof. Gregory and Rev. Mrs. Ayodele Erhabor