2018: MY YEAR OF GREAT GRACE

2018: MY YEAR OF GREAT GRACE

Golden verse: Acts 4:33 “And great Grace was on them all”.

Passage of the year: Acts 4:23-37.

            I am happy to welcome you into the New Year 2018, hence, HAPPY NEW YEAR! It is a great joy to know that you & I have made it into this New Year and God has reserved great blessings for us this year, and we will be partakers of these blessings in Jesus name.

            The watchword for the year 2018 is “Great Grace” and as we go through the year, I want us all to go with those two words, when you are faced with challenges and great task, remember “Great Grace” and this year, great will be your testimonies in Jesus name.

            As we read from our text in the English Standard Version, it says “when they were released…” KJV says “’. We have been released & let go from the woes and evils of the past years, we are into a new year, many were our experiences in the past years, some good, ugly, promising and at times threatening. But we have been released, we have been let go, been let go, the Apostles returned to their brethren, who were co-pilgrims on the way to heaven, and that brings the question; you have been released, where do you go from here? Is it to the company of saints or you want to go back to the world and to sin? This calls for a decisive action, irrespective of how much you have deep in sin, there is a grace, so Great for your salvation. You might have struggled so much with sin in the past and you want to give up, the Lord is calling you to come and dine from his throne of grace and you’ll be sustained. Past years might have come with life threatening persecutions, but God is reassuring you that his grace will never fail you, you might think you are at a cross road now, but his grace is there to guide you. IRRESPECTIVE OF YOUR SITUATION, THERE IS SUFFICIENT GRACE!

We will consider three sub-topics;

1.      Released into God’s Great Grace.

2.      Responsibilities in God’s Great Grace.

3.      Riches of God’s Great Grace.

1.      RELEASED INTO GOD’S GREAT GRACE.

Acts 4:23 talks about the release of the Apostles from the council who were threatening them to stop them from preaching the Gospel. The council was held to limit even to stop God’s plan for the Apostles by creating fear, threats, and intimidation in them. They wanted to enslave their minds and hold them captives, but they could not because the Apostles were bold, empowered by the Spirit, hence, the council had to release them. This year, there is nothing to fear again, the threats coming from wherever is an empty threat. It cannot enslave you any longer for this year, it is the time of your release; you are released into a new year, into a new life, new promise, new height, new blessing, yes! You are released! When talking about your release, you have been released into:

R – Righteousness & Riches of God (Hosea 12:10).

E – Exploits & Excellence (Deut. 28:13).

L – Liberty & Life Abundantly (Ps. 116:16).

E – Expectations & Erudite Fulfilments ().

A – Abundance & Affluence.

S – Shine & Show forth the praise of God (Isa. 43:21; 60:1).

E – Endless Enjoyment & Enrichment.

            Now you can rejoice because it is a full release from regrets, evil, loss, and enslavement, accidents from Satan, sickness & sorrow and from all enchantments. The Great Grace comes with a full package for salvation, strength, and sustenance, deliverance, liberation and glory, for spiritual, career, business, financial, ministry, and all areas of life. This year, get set for you shall rejoice, doors will open unto you, and great blessings await you.

            To benefit from these blessings, there are responsibilities that come with every opportunities & that is why we will be considering the next sub-topic.

2.     

   RESPONSIBILITIES IN GOD’S GREAT GRACE.

When we say Grace, it is an undeserved favour, goodness or opportunity available through Christ Jesus. But with Grace, comes responsibilities if we will not frustrate the grace of God upon our life.

            The entry point to obtain grace is Jesus Christ, he has made available the grace for salvation, and Paul says in Titus 2:14, “the grace of the God that bringeth salvation has appeared unto all men…” though this grace is available to all men, we have a duty to receive the grace into our life, the scriptures says “as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God.” That power comes by Grace, it is free and available, all you need to do is; you repent of your sins and invite Jesus into your life by the word. Repentance means that you pray to God in Jesus name and in the prayer you recall those sins you have committed in the past and confess to God that you are sorry for committing those sins, you renounce and determine not to return to those sins, you ask for grace to live the life that pleases God. Having repented, you invite Jesus into your life to be the Lord and saviour of your life, the one in control of your life, tell him to be your guide and director, promise to follow his will and way, thank him thereafter for answering your prayer. Hence, if you have done this, you are welcome into God’s Great Grace. It is the condition that links us to the unlimited riches in God’s grace, however, to enjoy maximum benefit from the Grace, there are some responsibilities that call for dutifulness, and these responsibilities are categorised into four, spelling out the word “DUTY.”

D – Distribution to the needy: There are many around us who have one need or the other, we are to meet their needs if we have that which they need. Needs are in various forms, some need salvation, if you are saved, help them too, some need prayers, friendship, care, materials, food etc. this year, do good to as many, give and great shall be given unto you by God.

U – Unrelenting effort and faithfulness at work: The scripture says “the hand of the diligent shall be made fat.” Many miss out of God’s blessing because they fail in this aspect, several times, God set open doors before them in answers to prayer but their attitude to work has hindered them from seeing those blessings manifesting, some even manifested but their unfaithfulness or lazy attitude caused the collapse of the great opportunity. This year, God is expecting us to be faithful, sincere, and trustworthy in that which we are doing, and we should give an unrelenting effort, that is, we should be diligent and consistent and God will set open doors before us as a result of this.

T – Tarry in the place of prayer and the word: This year should be a year of faith. Believe God for great testimonies, tarry in the place of prayer till you see it been fulfilled and this year, great will be your testimonies and the word will work wonders in your life in Jesus name.

Y – Yield to God: This year God will be opening doors of Grace unto you and will be telling you to go through him, he expects you to be yielded, submissive, and obedient. Those doors may not seem attractive but as you enter in, you will have testimonies for they lead into the riches of his grace and that leads us to the third subtopic.

3.      RICHES OF GOD’S GREAT GRACE.

Speaking of God’s great grace is speaking of the unlimited riches of God made available to us and touches every aspect of our lives; spiritual, physical, emotional, financial, career, business, just mention or think about, they are all covered by this great grace of God, that is why Paul had to pray the prayer for the Philippians in Philippians 4:19 that “but my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory…” this year, God has all-encompassing blessings for you ranging from:

-          Discovery of purpose, place, problems that have prevented progress, to deliverance from those limitations for a peaceful, progressive and prosperous life.

-          Release from the captivity of sin, Satan and sorrow to repositioning as saints sited together with God in heavenly places.

-          Salvation from sin, to strength for saintly living and sustenance in holiness & purity.

-          Sanctification to saintly service unto God.

-          Revival to recovery & restoration of all that was lost.

-          Healing of sicknesses to healthy living & freedom from sicknesses and diseases.

-          Provision of all desires to protection of life & all that God provides.

This year will be the best year you ever experience because where you have been struggling to make ends meet, now you will no longer struggle but you have grace that makes available the riches of God. Just to elucidate on some these riches of grace, let us spell it out from the letters in RICHES.

R – Revival, Renewal & Recovery.

I – Impartation, Inspiration, & Inward witness.

C – Cleansing, Celebration & Crowning.

H – Holiness, Hope and Happiness

E – Emancipation, Empowerment & Exaltation.

S – Salvation, Success & Soaring high.

The riches of GRACE are inexhaustible. If there is any good thing you can think about, it is covered and provided in this great grace. To know that the grace is so full, see some of the packages that comes with grace:

G – Gladness & Glory.

R – Radiance, Riches & Righteousness.

A – Anointing, Authority & Answered prayers.

C – Comeliness, Comfort & Commendation.

E – Enriching, Empowerment & Eternal life.

Always remember that this is a year of great grace and live in the assurance that there is great grace available for you. As you go through the year, your life shall continually be a testimony of great grace. Enter into the great grace through prayer.

Happy New Year!