2022: THE GREAT COMMISSION

TEXT:

Mark 16:15-16 KJV
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Compliments of the season!

With the pages of 2021 having finally and conclusively attained its epilogue and nature through divine ratification unveiled the prologue of another prospective twelve new calendar months, Year 2022, we cannot but appreciate our all-knowing and all-sufficient God for His Divine Providence which has made us partakers of His heavenly benefits and privileges in the New Year before us. May His Name be glorified forever as I wish you all a HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR 2022 in Jesus’ Name, Amen!

Beloved, It is imperative I state here that our great Church, St. Joseph’s Chosen Church of God has never been this busy with programs and activity packed in most recent past as it was in Year 2021. All the Regions, Ministries and Fellowships operating under the Church umbrella were positively stretched to the fullest by the HIGHER GROUND vision, guiding light and challenge. And from our feedbacks and testimonies, it is evident that our Church and all individuals, who whole-heartedly keyed into the message, vision and guiding principle on HIGHER GROUND, operated in a dimension and grace superior to the preceding years of the Church. Yes! The vision was a catalyst that precipitated numerous positive outcomes and activated sufficient and enabling graces that accomplished great tasks in the year under review.

It is also noteworthy that, before, during and after all the Regional Conventions and Fellowships and Ministries’ Meetings, there was no reported case of any accident, ugly incidence or misfortune concerning our programs or any delegate that attended these Conventions and Fellowship/Ministry gatherings. This is what we enjoy under the Covenant fold of the God of St. Joseph’s Chosen Church; we say “may His name be glorified forever.”

Having walked closely with God for decades, not just as a staunch adherent to His divine will, precepts and principles, but as a Minister of the Gospel, an Apostle, a Prayer Warrior and a Televangelist, and for few years running, as the Spiritual Leader of our great Church, I can confidently attest to the fact that our God’s divine nature is unwavering, having no variableness or shadow of turning. He is an unchangeable God in an ever changing world.

Beloved, as the age closes bye with every hour drawing us closer to our Lord’s glorious and triumphant appearing, it is evident that “only the Spirit of God can enable the people of God to understand and obey the true voice of God in a season”. It is of the essence that I remind us that our walk in St. Joseph’s Chosen Church of God is a walk with the Voice of God and the Holy Spirit.

Our God has never left us in the dark concerning situations both in our nation, Nigeria and the Church at large and even concerning our personal lives and families. I make bold to say that it is the most reassuring and revitalizing of all human experience; that is, to receive divine instructions from your Creator from time to time. Before the commencement of every New Year, the Lord our God speaks to us on what to expect for the incoming year and dispensation in order for us to be well guided as His Covenant Children and to know what will happen in the world we live in. And even today and this year 2022, our God is still speaking.

As a Church, for long, we have consciously or unconsciously nosedived into lukewarmness, by de-emphasizing the passion of Christ which is domiciled in decongesting the kingdom of darkness and advancing God’s kingdom agenda especially through soul-winning which is best summarized in evangelism. To correct our misplaced priority in this regard, the voice of God to the Church this year is for us to wholeheartedly with a flaming resolve and an unmitigated commitment reach out to the lost world for Christ and bring them back to the salvation fold which we are presently enjoying. The lost must know that, only a living Savior could rescue a dying World. That is why in this New Year 2022, God is calling the Church back to “THE GREAT COMMISSION”.

Yes! Our theme, vision, guiding principle and mandate for 2022 is “THE GREAT COMMISSION”.
You will recall, in my speech to all the Regions during their Conventions, as a build up to our guiding light for this year, not knowing that God was already behind the scene, and also controlling the scene He is behind, I did reiterate that:
“The mindset or set goal and objective of the Church Authority as it concerns Regional Conventions, is for it to serve as a veritable platform for Regional integration, a channel to propagate the gospel of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and an avenue to embark upon an aggressive soul-winning crusade tailored towards membership drive and Church expansion.”.
Beloved! “THE GREAT COMMISSION’ is not an option to be considered, neither is it an afterthought, but rather, it is a command to be obeyed. Evangelism or soul-winning is not a professional job for a few trained men or women, but it is instead an unrelenting responsibility of every person that belongs to the company of Christ putting their faith in action. It is time to present Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit to the world, that men should come to put their trust in God through him for the emancipation of their souls.
THE GREAT COMMISSION, will always remain the bedrock of our faith, the oxygen sustaining our calling and the heartbeat of our ministry, it is what God has called us to do and this we must do. That is why our Church motto remains “THE GATEWAY TO HEAVEN’. This year 2022, we have to intensify all our efforts in spreading the Gospel, the Christian belief in salvation and the benefits of eternity with Christ. If we must better the future, we must disturb the present positively to be sure of a better tomorrow. A Congregation that is not deeply and earnestly involved in the worldwide proclamation of the Gospel, does not understand the nature of salvation and the love and passion of the Father for lost souls..
The mission of the Church is to seek and save them that are lost, to let them know that it is not safe if they are not saved, that playing with sin is toying with judgment. The terror of hell is better imagined that experienced. Beloved, we are not diplomats but prophets and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum. The World should know that Jesus’ second coming is as certain as His First coming and God’s word is timeless, it speaks to every generation.
This New Year 2022, St. Joseph’s Chosen Church of God has been given a divine mandate and a marching order to loosen her sit belt and “GO YE” into the world and make disciples of all nations and fulfill our divine calling as a Body of Believers. Having attained HIGHER GROUND in 2021, in this New Year 2022, the world should know the nature, potentials and capabilities of our covenant keeping God. As Christians, we must advance to be recognized.

We have stayed too long in our comfort zones as Believers and devoted and invested so much energy, resources and time on things, programs and projects that may not necessarily yield eternal/everlasting dividends. Salvation that was freely given to us was very costly to God. The good news of the Gospel is too good to be kept to ourselves alone; the world should know that our God is working. God’s hatred for sin does not diminish His love for the sinner. They should also know that sin will add to their troubles, subtracts from their energy, and multiplies their difficulties, but right relationship with God; will ease the sting of grief in death. Yes. Faith in Christ is the bridge across the gulf of death. Our purpose on earth is not to get used to the dark, but to shine as light. We have to let the world to know that God loves everyone as if there were but one to love and no one is hopeless whose hope is in God.

The Evangelism Ministry has been saddled with a major responsibility this year, to play the role of “THE GREAT COMMISSION’ vision bearer, and to take the lead in galvanizing all our strengths, resources, talents and technical and spiritual know-how and to embark upon major outreaches, evangelical activities, crusades and revivals in a bid to reach the lost world for Christ. To this end, all hands must be on deck to partner with the Ministry to see to the full and successful realization of this Divine Mandate. All Regions, Zones, Districts and Branches, all Fellowships and Ministries, are to deploy their full arsenals and armories with so much pump and pageantries for outreaches, crusades and programs, tailored mainly towards soul-winning and fulfilling THE GREAT COMMISSION. We must occupy till He comes.

We are starting off the year with “21 Days Prayers and Fasting Program”, in line with our message for the year. In addition, the 60^th Biennial Church Conference will be coming up from the 15^th – 20^th February 2022, with the theme “REACHING THE WORLD FOR CHRIST”. The Conference theme on its own is instructive and also re-emphasizes and re­invigorates the high premium placed on soul-winning this year. All our sub-topics and even the Pre-Conference Ministers’ Seminar will be centered on Soul-Winning, Evangelism and THE GREAT COMMISSION. No stone will be left unturned.

Beloved, Salvation depends on what Christ did for us, while reward depends on what we do for Him. Work becomes worship when you work for God. Faithfulness is God’s expectation, while fruitfulness is His reward. If we are faithful in this divine directive and mandate, fruitfulness in all ramifications of our lives becomes inevitable this year. When you know the benefit of soul winning, evangelism will naturally become your life-style. Soul winning is a profitable venture, it enthrones believers, it terminates our sufferings, empowering us to bear the rule and enhances our ambassadorial privileges. When we take pleasure in God’s kingdom business, it brings us into favour with God, Psalm 102:14, it also makes us to partake fully in the ministry of reconciliation. 2Cor. 5:19.

Soul winning makes us wise, Prov. 11:30 “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life and he that winneth a soul is wise”. As you continue in your ambassadorial role In the ministry of reconciliation, your constant interface with God will automatically empower your mental ability and increase your wisdom, knowledge and understanding of the working of God and His love.

The greatest joy on earth is recorded when a sinner turns to God in repentance. When you make yourself a channel for God to be happy, you become a Candidate for divine blessings. You can never make our faithful God happy and remain in sorrow and distress. God takes pleasure when you bring souls to him and decongest the gate of hell.

Nothing brings Church growth like evangelism and soul winning… Acts 6:7

“and the word of God increased and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith”.

A Church that is passionate about soul winning will never stop growing in membership. Increase in evangelism and soul winning will eventually lead to increase in the number of Disciples in the Church.

A soul winner destroys the devices and the works of the Devil. That is why Satan hates Evangelism and Soul-winning, because of the havoc it does to his kingdom. The preaching of the Gospel disarms the devil and his agents because soul winning helps in the transformation of Society and Humanity. Soul winning gives you continuous access to God’s divine presence because you are in partnership with Him. Evangelism attracts God’s presence continually. It commits God to work with you to confirm His word with signs and wonders. Every soul winner is a potential sign producer and a miracle worker. Soul winning guarantees supernatural provision and unhindered access to grace.

“And they went forth and preached everywhere with the lord with them and confirming the word with signs following” Mark 16:20

And most importantly, soul winning qualifies you to receive a crown in heaven. 2Tim. 4:7-8

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord The righteous judge shall give me that day, and not to me only, but unto them also that love his appearing”.

This is after God has made you to shine like a star even here on earth. Daniel 12:3

“And they that shall be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever”.

Beloved, this year, God is calling you and I to kingdom enlargement and expansion for therein lay our supernatural enlargement in all ramifications of our lives. As we continue to work with God and for God and propagate the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, He will bless and satisfy us with good things regardless of the political and economic climate we encounter this year. He will see us through regardless of the weak security architecture in our nation; our God will fight our unseen battles and unknown enemies in Jesus’ name. Beloved! We have to trust and obey, for there is no other way. We have to be ready to contend for our faith and do the work of an Evangelist this year. All should adopt the principle of “ONE MAN, ONE SOUL” as a start off point and God will perfect all that concerns you.

As you continue to work for God, our God will work for you.

Once again,

I WISH YOU A HAPPY NEW YEAR! Remain blessed!

APOSTLE (DR) W. U. OMOREGIE JP, FCPDM Spiritual Leader.