01 Feb It Will Not Fall On You Like A Bag Of Cherries by Dr Mike Okonkwo
When the year 2015 was coming to an end, the God who knows the end from the beginning, spoke into the year 2016 and declared it our year of all sufficiency. Little did anyone know that things will go this way. The more you look, the more convinced you might be to agree with the world and panic in search of a solution; but God has spoken, He has declared the end from the beginning, so do not panic. Stand firmly on the word of God. Be assured that God who has spoken is able to do all that He has promised.
However, like I always say, it will not fall on you like a bag of cherries; you have a part to play. When He said He will provide all your needs, it is not by dropping money from heaven, otherwise it will be counterfeit. Rather, it is by showing you the hidden riches of secret places.
“And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.” Isaiah 45:3 (KJV)
Did you see that? There are hidden riches of secret places; there are resources yet to be tapped. God is able to open your eyes to areas yet untapped that will bring incredible wealth your way.
God never leaves himself without a witness. Years ago, I stood on this pulpit to encourage entrepreneurship. I knew that the white collar jobs were the in-thing, but I also knew, by the Spirit of God, that the time is coming when jobs will not be all over the place; but many people took it with a pinch of salt. Then in 2012, the Lord gave us a topic for the Mike Okonkwo Annual Lecture which was: “Dependence of the Nigerian Economy on Crude Oil: Any Alternatives?” The topic seemingly bore no relevance as the oil prices was good and formed the major part of our national income. At that lecture, the Lord took us back to Agriculture as an alternative that is not only viable but grossly neglected.
Unfortunately, many of us listened but took it lightly and did nothing with it; but today, the reality is staring us in the face. Like the adage says, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, but the second best time is now, the same is true, the best time to diversify was many years ago, but the next best time is now. I have come today to challenge you NEVER to take the word from this pulpit for granted again.
God is always giving us advance information so that we can be prepared. Information is power only when it is applied. For too long, we have taken the words for granted; but that must stop. Don’t just be a hearer of the word; be a doer.
Since the very first Saturday of the year, we have taken a close look at the economy. We had the Business Summit that reviewed the economic landscape, reviewed the budget and we had a very robust discussion on the way forward for us as Kingdom citizens. Various areas of opportunities were thrown up by experts, but the question is: what are you doing with the information you received.
In the last two weeks, we narrowed down to the agricultural and IT sectors. We received information that startled some of us; but to many was not new. The question is: What are you doing with it? January has come to an end; January 2016 is gone and gone forever. No matter how much you fast and pray, it will never come again. Don’t sit down and cry over split milk. If you have not done anything in January; it is not too late to start; wake up from your slumber and get to work. God has given us the word from this pulpit. He has constantly assured us that this is our year of ALL SUFFICIENCY; so you need to align with it. You need to get to work. You need to ask God for specific directions. He said He will bless the work of your hand: what work are you doing for Him to bless? Your hand cannot be empty and expect success; No. God has to bless something.
The question is what are you doing? Sit down and be still in the presence of God. Receive instructions from His mouth. Let Him guide and direct you and as you do, eyes have not seen, neither has ears heard and it has not even come into mind what the Lord will do for you. I have no shadow of doubt in my spirit that this year will be glorious for you. The light of God will shine all around you. You will end this year rejoicing. I will hear your testimonies. I bless you in Jesus’ name. Maranatha!
In His Royal Service
Dr. Mike Okonkwo, The Presiding Bishop
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