By Anthony
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Before the first rays of the July sun had fully settled over the city, the sanctuary of the Acts of Restoration and Compassion Church came alive with an atmosphere of worship, gratitude, and expectancy as members gathered for the First Sunday and Mid-Year Thanksgiving Service, marking the beginning of the church’s prophetic theme for July: “The Month of Unexpected Victories.”
The service opened with an intense session of heartfelt worship that ushered the congregation into God’s presence. Voices rose in passionate adoration as believers acknowledged God’s faithfulness through the first half of the year, creating an atmosphere where many were visibly moved by the Holy Spirit.
The church choir followed with a deeply touching ministration, rendering songs of thanksgiving in several international and indigenous languages. Their presentation beautifully conveyed one profound message: that no language on earth is rich enough to adequately thank God for His countless mercies, protection, and wondrous works in the lives of His children. The multilingual praise stirred the congregation into joyful celebration as many danced and wept before the Lord.
Before introducing the Lead Pastor, Pastor Emeka Success invited a member of the church to testify of God’s preserving power.
With deep emotion, the elderly woman recounted how her son narrowly escaped becoming one of the victims of the tragic building collapse at Alakija. According to her, her son had official business at the ill-fated building on the very day it collapsed. However, on that morning, he unexpectedly told her he simply did not feel like going anymore. Unknown to him, that seemingly ordinary decision became God’s instrument of preservation.
Holding back tears, she declared that had her son gone as originally planned, he would certainly have been among the casualties. She thanked God for His mysterious ways and confessed that words were insufficient to express her gratitude for preserving her son.
The testimony further heightened faith within the congregation, reinforcing the reality that God still delivers His people from dangers seen and unseen.
Taking the pulpit, the Lead Pastor, Rev. Chikwem, ministered from 2 Kings 6:24-25 and 2 Kings 7:14-25, delivering a deeply prophetic message that challenged believers to combine faith, generosity, and courageous action as they positioned themselves for unexpected victories.
Drawing from Abraham’s encounter with the heavenly visitors, he emphasised that some doors in life never respond to prayer alone but are opened through acts of kindness and generosity.
“There are doors attached to your destiny,” he declared, “that can only open through a simple act of compassion. A stingy man lacks the spiritual sensitivity required to recognise divine opportunities.”
He noted that Abraham was not asked to entertain the angels; rather, he discerned their need and willingly served them with eagerness and hospitality. That single act became the platform through which the long-awaited promise of Isaac was released.
The preacher further illustrated his point with the story of a man whose life was spared because he had shown kindness to a stranger years earlier, not knowing the same individual would later be contracted to assassinate him. Remembering the earlier kindness, the assassin abandoned the mission.
“Never underestimate any opportunity to bless someone,” the pastor admonished. “The person you help today may become God’s instrument of your preservation tomorrow.”
Turning to the theme of unexpected victories, Rev. Chikwem reminded the church that victories only exist because battles first exist.
“There are battles no one will fight for you,” he said. “Do not expect people to carry burdens God designed for you to confront personally.”
He referenced Zechariah, who faithfully continued serving God despite years of childlessness, and Job, whose enormous wealth disappeared within twenty-four hours. Yet both eventually experienced divine restoration because they refused to abandon God during difficult seasons.
Painting the grim picture of Samaria under Syrian siege, where famine became so severe that mothers even ate their own children, the man of God reminded worshippers that hopeless situations often become the very stage upon which God reveals His limitless power.
He noted that when the distressed women cried before the king, even the monarch acknowledged that only God could rescue them.
Rev. Chikwem also reminded the congregation that God’s love neither increases nor decreases according to human performance, but righteous living positions believers to enjoy His blessings while disobedience attracts painful consequences.
Speaking prophetically into the month, he encouraged members never to surrender to despair.
“When others conclude that your story is over,” he declared, “that may be the very moment God is preparing your manifestation.”
Using Jephthah as an example, he noted that the same people who rejected him later returned seeking his leadership and deliverance.
Encouraging members to maintain unwavering confidence in God’s purpose, he said, “You do not need everybody to believe in your dream. Believe what God has told you. Make up your mind that by God’s mercy your life will leave an indelible mark.”
He reflected on Elisha’s prophecy that abundance would return to Samaria “by this time tomorrow,” and noted that while one royal officer mocked the prophecy and died without partaking in its fulfillment, four neglected lepers chose to act in faith.
“They did not wait for perfect conditions,” he explained. “They moved first, and heaven amplified the sound of their footsteps that sent tge Assyrians fleeing.”
He urged believers never to remain inactive while expecting divine intervention.
“God will not support what you refuse to start,” he declared. “Heaven steps in when you step out. Every effort made in genuine faith produces results somewhere, even when you cannot immediately see them.”
The cleric challenged the congregation to continually pray, “Lord, do not allow another person to do what You have ordained me to do.”
According to him, the movement of the four lepers became the unlikely trigger for one of Israel’s greatest miracles, proving that unexpected victories often begin with ordinary acts of faith and obedience.
The powerful sermon concluded with fervent prophetic declarations over families, businesses, careers, ministries, and every worshipper, as Rev. Chikwem proclaimed divine preservation, open doors, restoration, supernatural provision, and unprecedented victories throughout the month of July.
The spiritually uplifting service transitioned into a joyful Mid-Year Thanksgiving celebration, coordinated by Pastor Godson Onaiwu, as members danced exuberantly before the Lord with songs of praise, thanksgiving, and heartfelt appreciation for His unfailing goodness through the first six months of the year.
The atmosphere was filled with celebration, renewed hope, and unshakable faith that the God who had preserved His people thus far would indeed crown the second half of the year with unexpected victories.
