Pastor Taiwo Odukoya @ Sunday Service.
The joy of witnessing a new year cannot be quantified especially when God has been good to one. This is the experience of members of The Fountain of Life Church, Ilupeju, Lagos, during the January 1 Sunday service, which was also the first Sunday service for the month and the new year, 2023.
From the praise and worship, to the prayer session, the promise for the week from Hosea 14:5-6 which was shared by Pastor Ladipo Babatunde and other activities of the day, it was obvious Fountaineers were filled with joy of the Holy Spirit.
In his message for the day, Pastor Taiwo Odukoya while building on the message he begun at the watchnight service, said that the highest thing humans can give one is sympathy which is short-lived. He further said that believers should not remain in despondency but to arise and go to the giver of life and light so that they can shine.
Speaking from Isaiah 60:1-3 and Ephesians 5:14, the clergy noted that Christ is that Light that can lift anyone from death and give them life. He however said that it takes arising to obtain the light. “Don’t look for light in men, they can’t sustain you. They will disappoint you in the long run. The best of men will disappoint you,” he said.
Pastor Taiwo Odukoya further noted that God doesn’t take pleasure in His children trusting in other men for sustainability; noting that God will disappoint such believers. “The world has no stability. So what are you still waiting for? Arise, shine. Stand up and stand right,” he stated.
According to the clergy, every covenant child of God has the Spirit of God in him or her and this makes the light of God to stream through them. He therefore urged his listeners never to be sorrowful of situations but to wake up and shine the light that God has bestowed on them. “Wake up! Your light has come. Nations will be attracted to your radiant light and kings to the sunrise-glory of your new day. It’s a new day and a new dawn for you,” he said.
LOOKING UNTO JESUS
Pastor Taiwo Odukoya @ Thursday Showers
Reading from the book of Hebrews 12:1-2, the Senior Pastor of The Fountain of Life Church, Headquartered in Ilupeju, Lagos, Taiwo Odukoya, told his congregation to look away from life’s distractions and troubles and to keep their focus on Jesus Christ. He said this at the last Thursday Showers service in the year 2022.
In his words of exhortation, the clergyman noted that Jesus Christ is the one who guarantees that every believer whose focus is on Him (Christ) would finish the Christian race well. “He guarantees that you will finish well because He is the author and finisher of your faith,” he said.
He went on to explain what the word ‘look’ means in the scripture read. According to him, the Bible admonishes that believers should look away from the things that make them distracted from the Christian race; to turn their attention away from them and put their attention and focus on Christ.
He went ahead to give an example in the life of Abram as recorded in Genesis 13:14. Abram had just seemingly lost the best part of an inheritance to his nephew, Lot, just so as to avoid any more family feuds. While thinking all was lost, God commanded him to look up! This was the beginning of Abaram’s restoration.
It was also on this premise that Pastor Odukoya urged his listeners to look away from the problems; the hazard, the fear and worries seemingly surrounding them, and to look to Jesus! “You look away to look. This means that you stop worrying and start trusting; by looking unto Jesus, He guarantees your glorious destination.”
