Want victorious joy in 2023? Cleric gives guidelines in New Year message
Femi OGUNLANA
Rev’d Dr Sunday Oyeniran of Caretaker Baptist Church, Ogbomoso, has highlighted the footsteps to follow to experience triumphant joy as a new year begins.
In his new year sermon Sunday titled, “Divine instructions for the Year 2023,” Rev’d Oyeniran highlighted 5 instructions that must be followed to attain joy and peace in 2023.
With text from Joshua 3: 1-17, he emphasized these should be taken as secret of joy in the year.
Noting the Book of Joshua records an important stage in the Israelites’ journey from Egypt to the wilderness and to the promised land, and that the journey from Egypt spanned three stages including the Red Sea becoming dry land, arrival at Jordan River and crossing of Jordan on dry land, the cleric assured, “Without any doubt we have moved from Egypt to the Jordan and l assure you we will cross this Jordan and move to our Promised Land.”
The cleric added, “Nigeria’s year of elections always come with problem, this is another election’s year, l assure you we will overcome this year too, we bar blood from being shed this year,” saying, “As we are moving into our promised land in the Year 2023, what are the instructions from God?”
According to him “brethren” must follow five instructions to qualify for divine, triumphant joy which included “Walking with God in the journey of Year 2023.”
Making emphasis on this he said, “If you go alone you may die alone, if you go alone you may suffer alone, if you go alone you may be defeated alone.
“Don’t go alone, let God be your alpha and omega (reading from Joshua 3:6, 11).”
He added the “Israelites always went with the Ark of Covenant, and that is why they recorded victories after victories. Give time to God. If Jesus had not gone with the disciples their boat would have capsized due to a huge storm and the madman of Gadarene would not have been healed.”
Rev’d Oyeniran gave other instructions as walking in obedience to God’s word cum divine instructions (Joshua 3: 3-6, 14), walking humbly before the Lord Almighty (Chronicle 7: 14a), walking uprightly and consistently with God (Psalm 84:11) and living a holy life. (Joshua 3:5).