The annual Cross Over Service to usher in year 2014 begun with much anticipation from congregants at the Living Comfort Ministries (a non-denominational charismatic Church) located at 4750 N Sheridan Rd. Chicago Illinois 60640 USA.
Reverend Dzifanu Agbenya, (Aka The Messenger) the senior pastor , with assistance from his lieutenant pastors, Pastors Joseph Ngulube and Augustine Mambu commenced the service with thanking God for the journey through 2013. He praised God for the lives of the members, their families, their jobs and their health and remarked “it’s been a wonderful journey with its vicissitudes yet in all, God has been faithful and so thanked God for His goodness”.
He further declared that “the battle is the Lord's and encouraged the congregation to leave it unto the Lord to fight on their behalf for their ultimate victory in 2014. Reading a scripture from the Jude chapter 1 v 9: He prayed the Lord to “rebuke every accusing finger against his people and challenged members and visitors to put the Lord Jesus at the war front in the year 2014 for their victory.
Using the analogy of a builder, Rev Dzifanu Agbenya stated that “one cannot build a land without first clearing it of debris and shrubs, then digging and then ultimately laying the structure. Now to be able to effectively do this, one will need some form of equipment since it is illogical and impossible to use the bare hands to accomplish it. In the same way: he continued, “We need His strength”. Many believers may have cried in the year 2013, done their best to save their unpleasant situation only to realize that their human effort was not enough to yield any meaningful results, some may have failed miserably in certain areas in 2013, some have trusted in human beings, rather than God, some have gotten close to giving up on life itself, some have gone through some form of pain without any consolation however, he announced that there's peace, comfort and consolation which is available from God to everyone in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Drawing from a scripture in Exodus 15:22-23, Rev. Dzifanu explained that the bitter waters of the year 2013 are changing to sweet waters in 2014. He posited that there is a longing in all of us to get to our God-given destination, however in the course of the journey, there may be some bumps and curve balls thrown at us, we become thirsty and having found some water to quench our thirst, it turns out that the water is bitter, far from the expectation we had in mind, however what may have looked like a useless and senseless situation, he assures that, God is able to turn it around for our good. He further stated that the year 2013 for some may have been an experience of hunger and thirst and when it was as if the troubles could change into joy by locating water, it turned out to be bitter. He added that a situation like that can lead to your hopes been dashed, disappointment setting in, a feeling of abandonment and humiliation and rejection yet he declares that " the year 2014 will be sweet, that even if you were called " MARAH" ( bitter) an embodiment of poverty, pain , sickness, joblessness, retrogression and all forms of limitations, the Lord Jesus is transforming the situation into sweetness, laughter, joy, wealth, riches, fame, divine health, healing, multiplication, fruitfulness and abundance.
Speaking on the theme for the year 2014, " ENLARGING MY TERRITORY" with the scriptural verse taken from 1 Chronicles 4:9-10; Rev Dzifanu explained that " Jabez might have been going through a lot of pain as a result of his socio-environmental situations and so he decided to seek the face of God for a change. He did not want to manifest grief which was associated with his name , so he confessed that" whatever conditions - pain, toil, sickness that has engulfed you in the past year will no longer impact your life, whatever others knew about you in the year 2013 will not and should not follow you into the year 2014. He said “just as God answered the prayers of Jabez and turned his situation around, so will God answer our requests in the year 2014”.
In conclusion, Rev Dzifanu Agbenya led the congregation through prayers and proclaimed thus : " I am crossing over into 2014 knowing that my territory is enlarged by God. I am exercising my right as a child of God by taking possession of what rightfully belongs to me. I lay hold on God's promises for my life in 2014. I am the blessed of the Lord, my family is blessed, and my territory is enlarged in Jesus' name". In His benediction, he asked the Lord to lead us into His “rest” in the year 2014 and beyond.
By Mack O Larbi African Spectrum Newspaper USA Reporter/ Public Relations 630 205 7077
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