2016 – OUR YEAR OF TAKING NEW TERRITORIES
We are at the threshold of a new year by the grace of God and it is time for us to lift up our heads and to consider what God has for us on his time table.
The New Year represents new opportunities, newchallenges new associations new relationships among others
We have a great opportunity to experience God in a new way and to live our lives more deliberately with our ultimate goals in mind.
We will also meet new challenges and fight new battles and so must be prepared to do things differently in order to be continually victorious.
We serve a God of new beginnings and he is giving us a new lease of life to become what and who he intended us to be.
New territories represent all that God has in store for us as individuals,families and as a ministry. Taking new territories must bring the very best out of us and make us a blessing to others. Taking new territories must make us grow and become mature in serving God Taking new territories must literally transform us and reposition us to carry out the Great Commission of our Lord which is to take the gospel to all nations.
We must take new territories in our minds by beginning think like Caleb who said ‘We are well able to take the land” (Numbers 13 v 30)
In this year we will by the grace of God seek to develop our minds and our attitudes and move from grass hopper mentalities to giant -killer mentalities. This will mean waiting on the Lord for direction to do big things for the Kingdom. In this year we will not be satisfied with the marginal growth we have been experiencing we will lift up our eyes by first lifting up our minds. We cannot take new territories if we do not conquer our minds. God will do more that we ask or think about (Ephesians 3 v 20) so this must be a year of thinking big.
To take new territories we must also begin to move up (Deut 2 v3) we indeed have roamed around certain mountains long enough and it is time for us to move northward or upwards. This means doing things excellently with a desire to please our Lord whose standards are higher than that of men .As we seek to take new territories we must stick to the very best in terms of preparation and the impact of our service must be lasting. The days of being satisfied with mediocre performance must be over We must move upwards .We must also move upwards in terms of our Christian conduct and ethics We must remember that we are accountable to God and do all things with his glory in mind (Colossians 3 v 17).We must remember we have a charge to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth (Matthew 5 v 14-16).We must also remember that Jesus is coming for a spotless bride (Eph 5 v 25-27)that upholds divine standards in service and also conduct.We also need to excel in our giving as we take a cue from the church in Macedonia (2 Cor 8 v 1-7)
In this New Year we are trusting God to plant the soles of our feet on new geographical territories and take these territories for our Lord (Joshua 1 v 1-5)
Branches must expand in depth and also in reach .We must plant the flag of Jesus in new places as we set up new branches of the church .The earth is the Lords and we must make him known everywhere to everyone. Departments must grow and outreaches must increase so that the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our God and his Christ. We must be more visible in our communities as we show them the love of God in practical ways.
In taking new territories we must be ready for new challenges and we must have the attitude of winners .For every tribe that Joshua had to conquer God provided a strategy and he will guide us as we take these new territories There will be times to go round in silence and times to blow the trumpet and times to shout. There will be times to retreat strategically and times to fight from the front but in all these we must be led by the Holy Spirit and we must know that we are part of a victory parade (2 Corinthians 2 v 14)
The call to bring in the harvest sounds louder now than ever before and we must go out with the gospel of peace and salvation more aggressively and passionately than we have ever done before (John 4 v 35). This calls for prayer, planning and performance. We can only take the territories that we plant our feet on .We must therefore put on the shoes of the gospel and let Christ be known everywhere he will lead us.
Taking new territories will be characterized by strengthening of our existingchurches, opening of new churches, venturing into new areas of Kingdom activity, increased community based activity and excellence in all that we do.
We have come to the point where we need to take some big steps of faith to conquer the lands that God has already given to us. He has promised to be with us and also not to fail nor forsake us. It is therefore time to courageously move in the direction of growth and excellence .Let us remember that we will take these new territories together.
Have a very blessed and productive year of taking new territories for our King
Rev. Fitzgerald Odonkor
Head Pastor – Harvest Chapel International
President – Harvest International Ministries
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