OUR MONTH OF HEPHZIBAH
Welcome to the month of October, our month of Hephzibah, meaning “The Delight of the Lord”. We bless God for the precious gift of life, the salvation He has provided, and the miracles, signs, and wonders He continues to perform among us. We joyfully welcome the addition of a beautiful baby girl to the Okoro family. Our God is forever faithful! Hallelujah! We are also grateful for the success of our power-packed minister retreat.
As we reflect on the past months, we are thankful for God’s unwavering presence from the start of the year until now. It’s remarkable how quickly time has passed, from wishing each other a Happy New Year to now embracing the arrival of Fall. Only our Almighty God could orchestrate such a seamless transition through the seasons. We are in awe of His divine power and grace.
This month’s theme of Hephzibah reveals the boundless love of God for His people. In the beginning, when God created humanity, He blessed us, commanding us to “be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth” (Genesis 1:28). God’s original intention for us was to be abundantly blessed, to have dominion over all He had created, and to live forever.
In the book of Genesis, God gave a clear warning to Adam about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God said, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). However, man disobeyed and sinned, and the consequences were severe. As a result of man’s disobedience, God cursed him and expelled him from his original dwelling place. This separation from God led to a spiritual death, severing the relationship between man and the divine. Humanity was plunged into a perpetual state of darkness, separated from God. The prophet Isaiah articulated this reality in Isaiah 59:2 saying, “Your iniquities have separated you from your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” The spiritual death cut off the connection between the Creator and the created.
Praise be to God in the highest for His boundless love and mercy towards humanity. He loves us so deeply that He couldn’t let us stay in darkness and solitude. So, he sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins and to redeem us back to our original place of dominion and life. As it is written in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus came to give us life and that we might have it more abundantly. He called us out of the perpetual darkness and into His marvelous light. He purchased us with His precious, unblemished blood, as described in 1 Peter 1:19, “With the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” Accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior makes all the difference. It transforms us from the forsaken to the delighted. He changes our identity in Him and gives us a new name. We are now born again, born of the Spirit.
When the Spirit of God intervenes in one’s life, we can never remain the same. He will transform the individual, giving them a new identity and a new life. For instance, Jacob, who was known as a supplanter, deceiver, and vagabond, living in fear and trouble, had his name changed to Israel after he encountered the Lord. As recorded in Genesis 32:27-28, “And he said unto him, what is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And He said, thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel, for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men and has prevailed.” Similarly, the Spirit of God appeared to Abraham and told him of a covenant, informing him that his name would no longer be Abram, but Abraham, for he would be the father of many nations. Genesis 17:5 states, “Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham, for a father of many nations have I made thee.” Likewise, Sarai’s name was changed to Sarah, marking a new season in the lives of Abraham and his wife.In Genesis 17:15, “As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai but Sarah shall her name be.” Our Lord Jesus Christ also changed the name of Simon to Cephas, which translates to Peter, meaning “Rock,” as recorded in John 1:42, “And when Jesus beheld him, he said, thou art Simon the son of Jona, thou shalt be called Cephas, which by interpretation, A Stone.
In each of these instances, the intervention of the Spirit of God led to a profound transformation, with individuals receiving new names that signified their new identity and purpose. This underscores the power of the divine to reshape and reinvent the lives of those who surrender to His leading.
As we rejoice in this month of October, we can take comfort in the promise that God is changing our stories and bestowing upon us new names. His Word declares that “the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness and all kings thy glory and thou shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.” (Isaiah 62:2). Let us embrace this truth and trust in the transformative work of the Spirit in our lives. You will be called:
- Blessed instead of cursed. Psalm 1
- Healed instead of sick. Mark 5:34
- Wealthy instead of lacking. Psalm 37:25
- Married instead single. Gensis 1:28
- Fruitful instead of barren. Exodus 23:26
- Beauty instead of ashes. Isaiah 61:3
- Oil of unspeakable joy instead of depression. Isaiah 61:3
- Peace instead of battles. Philip. 4:7
- Successful instead of failure. Deut. 30:9
- Flourish instead of deteriorating. Psalm 92:12
- Life instead of death. John 10:10
- Head instead of tail. Deut. 28:13
- Above only and not beneath. Deut. 28:13
Beloved, hold fast to the Word of the Lord. This month, you are the delight of the Lord, and He will make you prosper in all aspects. There will be no more sorrow or any form of limitations to your breakthrough, for the Word of the Lord has spoken it. As Isaiah 62:4 declares, “You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married.” He will make all things beautiful for you because you are associated with Him.
However, if you are unsure whether you are associated with Him, it is time to seek this God while He is near and ask Him to come into your heart to transform you. He is ever ready to come into your heart and do the work of redemption if you allow Him. He has promised to show you the way, the truth, and the life. As John 14:6 states, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” He said He will give you rest, as Matthew 11:28-29 affirms, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” He will also give you eternal life, for as John 10:28 declares, “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” Furthermore, He will forgive you of your sins and remember them no more, as Hebrews 8:12 promises, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
I congratulate you if you have decided to be on God’s side and follow Him for the rest of your life. In this month of Hephzibah, my prayer for you is that you shall not be forsaken, your land and home shall not be desolate, you shall be blessed with the dews of heaven and your land shall be fruitful in Jesus’ name. Amen!
Have a delightful month and God bless you.
Pastor Mrs. Abimbola Daramola
We want to say happy birthday to our special October celebrants: Sis. Lade Ishola, Sis Carine, Bro. Segun Ajala, Sis. Susanna Aquah, Moyinoluwa Ojo, Grandma Talatu, Bro. Ayokunle Olugbenro, Bro. Igbedosa Ogbeide, Sis Tola Amarvi, Sis Josephine Ngwafeh, Inioluwa Bankola, Olaoluwapo Bankole, and Grandma Comfort Daramola (Late).
Happy Wedding Anniversary to Pastor & AP Adetona, DCN & Sis Runi, and Prince & Minister Wanda.
October Birthday
- Sis. Lade Ishola 10/01
- Sis. Carine 10/02
- Bro. Segun Ajala 10/04
- Sis. Susanna Aquah 10/04
- Sis. Inioluwa Bankola 10/10
- Moyinoluwa Ojo 10/11
- Grandma Talatu 10/11
- Bro. Ayokunle Olugbenro 10/12
- Bro. Igbedosa Ogbeide 10/14
- Sis. Tola Amarvi 10/17
- Sis. Josephine Ngwafeh 10/19
- Granma Daramola (Late) 10/20
- Olaoluwapo Bankole 10/23
Wedding Anniversary
Pastor & AP Adetona 10/29
Deacon & Sister Runi 10/05
Prince & Minister Wanda 10/27