Clad in full regalia for the occasion, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome started off by proclaiming that the month of July is a special month and one which he is excited about.
Pastor Chris went on and spoke about the significance of the month of July. He said “Apart from marking the end of the first half of the year, it is the seventh month of the year... and seven is a special number – a number of completion” .
Reading from the bible, Pastor Chris asked the teaming participants from all around the world, to turn their bibles to 2 Chronicles 20:22 and before reading this scripture , he says “what the month is like, what you are going to do, and what God is going to do for you; what you can expect of him and what He expects of you”.The bible says in 2 Chronicles 20:22: “And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.”
Pastor Chris explains that Judah , the smaller portion of Israel after their split into two separate nations, was attacked by other three nations, Ammon, Moab and Seir. And Jehoshaphat king of Judah prayed to God that He should not permit the enemy to take away the land He gave to them.
Pastor Chris went on to say that just because God gives us something does not mean that Satan would not try to destroy it or take it away from us. He would try.
Pastor Chris says just like he tried using Ammon, Moab and Seir to take away the land from Judah, but Jehoshaphat was wise in gathering all of Judah together and demanded that they ‘pray to God’.
Pastor Chris made mention of the fact that when they prayed, God spoke to them. God told them not to be afraid but to go out against them the next day. He also told them where the enemy was camped and gave them a strategy. “This is amazing, really, how God responds. He told them everything they needed to know about the enemy”, Pastor Chris declared.
With the same scripture in focus, Pastor Chris emphasized that regardless of what we have done before now to improve our conditions, whether it’s been prayers or declarations; that this month, we would have to take another step. He said; “this next step is that we would have to activate the power of God, because when we prayed God already answered. But how to activate the power of God is what many Christians don’t know.”
Pastor Chris spoke specifically on how to activate that power -“when they began to sing and to praise.....when they began to sing was when the victory started.”
Just like Jehoshaphat did, he went out to war and put singers in front of the army – musicians in front the soldiers! It looked stupid! But that was the strategy which God gave him!
Pastor Chris tells us that, “in the evil day of battle, when trouble strikes and there’s pain, you can think about putting the singers in front. The Bible says as they began to sing and to praise, God set ambushments against the enemy; and they threw swords on each other and destroyed themselves.”
He says by the time Jehoshaphat army got there, they were all smitten.
Having explained the direction of which he was going with the theme scripture, Pastor Chris went on to declare that THE MONTH OF JULY IS A MONTH OF PRAISE!!
He instructs, saying “you are going to praise God in this month of July, and as you do just like the children of Judah did, He would set up ambushments against your enemies, and He would perform miracles for you.”
He continues, “you’re going to activate the power of God where you are, you’re going to praise him, you will sing. This month you will sing, you will sing and you will sing.”
Wow! Unmistakeably was the emphasis on singing in this Month of Praise. Pastor Chris re-iterated saying, “...don’t wait for the song to come, make it. Make the song, sing it. When you feel like it and when you don’t feel like it. When you’re happy and when you’re not happy, sing it.”
Pastor Chris said that though Judah went out to war, it wasn’t a happy thing but they were happy because God had spoken to them.
Drawing from a scripture in the New Testament, Pastor Chris spoke about Paul and Silas; when they were thrown in prison in Acts 16:25-27.
The Bible says:
“25: And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and SANG PRAISES UNTO GOD: and the prisoners heard them.
26: And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
27: And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.”
Pastor Chris threw some light on the attitude that Paul and Silas had while in prison. He says “they sang praises, not songs of regret. They sang praises. The power of God was activated; the power of the Holy Spirit was brought to bear. That same power lives in you. ”
Pastor Chris went on to say “The problem is many don’t know how to activate that power that is in them to make it work for them. This month of July, you are going to praise Him, it’s the month of praise. You will sing praises to God; you will speak in tongues – joyous tongues. Not weeping tongues; because there are weeping tongues, but there are joyous tongues as well!”
Pastor Chris instructs that in the month of July, joyous tongues of praise and thanksgiving should be spoken, and this is what should be done! He assures that when this is done, miracles will be seen and that the power of God will move on behalf of everyone that heeds to this spiritual instruction.
Breaking forth into other tongues and keeping at it for several minutes, the excitement in the declaration of the message of the month could be seen on the Man of God. He further declared that he was stirred in his spirit.
What a glorious communion it was as the bread was broken and the wine drank in one accord by all participants in various parts of the world. All done in remembrance of the Lord, Jesus Christ
With glorious and inspiring Words in prayer, Pastor Chris spoke forth blessings, eternal in nature and then brought the meeting to an end proclaiming “HAVE A WONDERFUL MONTH OF JULY!!!”
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