The year 2024 began in a joyful mode for members of The Fountain of Life Church, TFOLC, as they all trooped out in joy and celebration at the January 7 Sunday service.
While speaking on the theme for the year, Signs and Wonders, the Senior Pastor, Jimmy Odukoya told the congregation that God’s grace is the source of the sign and that grace is based on His unconditional love towards them.
According to the cleric, “You do not earn salvation. The favour you have, you don’t deserve it. Our sins have been taken away not because we are not sinners, not because we are good people, not because we are not evil, not because we are not flawed. Our sin was taken away because of His blood.”
Speaking from Genesis 4:15, Ephesians 2:3–9, and Romans 5:8–10, Pastor Jimmy made it clear to his listeners that they could become signs and wonders only by the grace of God and not because of anything special they have done.
He said, “It is even by the grace of God that we can become signs. What allows us to be a sign is not because we are special in any way or more faithful than anyone but simply the grace of God.
“When you think of a banner or billboard or sign, it is designed to catch one’s attention.
“The purpose of the sign is to provide information; the banner is not in itself the information; the banner is the messenger and not the message.”
The clergyman referred to Matthew 5:14–16, John 1:4-5, Ephesians 2:10, John 12:49-50, John 5:19-21; 30 and Psalm 39:13, to explain that the message and not the messenger is the focus of every sign, and that light is meant to shine so that people can see it and praise God, not for selfish motives.
“A lot of times when God decides to make us His banner or sign, we quickly forget that our purpose is not to bring glory to ourselves; we are simply messengers and not the message.
“If all they see is us and not the message, then we have failed in our purpose as signs; the star of every sign is the message, never the messenger.
“The light that you have didn’t come from you, you simply have light because of the grace of God’ it is His life in you that produces light,” he further explained.
Pastor Jimmy, therefore, urged the congregation to focus on their design and purpose and not allow competition.
In his words: “God has designed everyone for a purpose, there is no need for competition because we are all designed for different purposes by God.
“Just because you are not on stage preaching does not mean you are not fulfilling a purpose.
“Your purpose can be encouraging someone that needs it. God does not judge based on how big your purpose is, He judges you according to the purpose that He has assigned for you.”
Earlier in the service, Pastor Tolu Odukoya-Ijogun, while encouraging the church from Matthew 6:31-32 which was the promise for the week said that God is aware of every need of His children, adding that they should not be afraid.
She challenged the congregation to consciously act in faith and accept God’s Word as true even if it seems contrary to reality.
Pastor Tolu admonished the church from Matthew 6:25 to trust in God’s word and not let fear hinder the manifestation of miracles.
She said: “Worry is the child of fear and in this Kingdom, we do not operate in the frequency of fear. We operate on the frequency of faith. If you worry, that means you are afraid, choose faith over fear.”
