Ecstatic congregants at the Restoration Temple of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), Osu, waved away the year of pandemic and ushered in 2021 amidst thunderous shouts of praise and worship to the Lord for his goodness.
And when Rev Ashford Smith, head pastor of the Restoration Temple declared 2021 as the Year of Fruitfulness with a call on congregants to crossover and possess, it was clear that a new dawn has just begun, one in which every member must determine to be “fruitful and multiply.”
With his foundation text taken from Deuteronomy 11:31, Rev Smith charged the congregation to expect a shift in the New Year and possess that which God has given them.
“When the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, they moved from slavery into freedom,” he said, adding, in this New Year, “you will not marry and not give birth; you will not start a business to collapse.”
He said the pandemic, the death of loved ones, the job losses and challenges of 2020 must remain in the past, saying, “you will crossover to possess; God will grant you power of possession; what you lost in 2020 you will occupy in 2021.”
It was a two-hour 31st night packed with praise, worship, prayers, anointing and testimonies all in strict adherence to the Covid-19 protocols.
Sitting apart in white apparels with multi-coloured nose masks, the congregants were not unaware of the danger of the times but they were all the more convinced that with the protocols observed, God will move in a super natural way through his word.
For a year that has been a difficult one for many, being present on the 31st night and saying thank you to God was the biggest show of gratitude any Christian will do.
Beyond their presence, some shared incredible testimonies of how God had saved their lives and those of their loved ones from surgeries; while others were grateful to God for passing their exams with flying colours and granting them access to their preferred school choices. In a year, where attending to the sick at the hospital became the norm for most families, there was one family who never had to step foot into a hospital, even though in 2019 they were in and out of the hospital for most part of that year.
For these great testimonies and many more, Rev Ashford Smith entreated the congregation to be thankful to the Lord for how far He had brought them and be expectant of the new possessions he will grant them in the coming year.
With 15-minutes to the new year, the congregants were led into a powerful prayer session, with congregants asking God to lead the way in 2021.
The 12 midnight hour which signaled a transition into 2021 was ushered in with great shouts of praise drowned beneath nose masks of the many congregants.
There was communion and anointing service to crown a glorious 31st night of worship and praise to the Lord at the Restoration Temple.