You Will Sing Songs of Victory, by Pastor Samuel Obafaiye

You Will Sing Songs of Victory, by Pastor Samuel Obafaiye

Just like there are many kinds of prayers in the bible (intercession, thanksgiving, supplication, etc. so also are different kinds of songs (hymns, spiritual songs, psalms: within these we can have songs of lamentation, songs of hopelessness (Jephtar daughter), songs of victory, etc.). For the remaining days in this month, you shall only sing songs of victory in Jesus name.

There was this story of a parakeet that was in its cage singing quietly, its owner thought of cleaning its cage and so he came with a vacuum cleaner. As he began to clean the bird’s stage, he got a phone call. As he was about to pick his call, he heard a funny sound. The bird has been vacuumed in.

He quickly switched off the vacuum cleaner, opened the cleaner, brought out the dust bag and opened it. Luckily the bird was still alive but covered with dust. So he ran to the bathroom and opened the tap to wash off the dust from the bird.

The he put the bird back, but he noticed that the bird began to shiver, it was feeling cold. So the owner brought a hot hair dryer and began to blow the parakeet to dry.

The following day, the friend of the man that called in on the phone yesterday came to visit him and asked him about his bird. The man replied that the bird only sat and starred in emptiness now, it doesn’t sing again.

– You are here today, your story this year may be like that bird, it may be that life has sucked you into dust somehow, it may be that you have gone under water you could not turned off, it may be that you have been exposed to extreme heat.

All these situations may have taken your song, smile and cheerfulness away, so that you now just sit and starred at nature. Before this year ends, your smile and song shall return in Jesus name.

– I have come to understand that in life, regardless of how successful, powerful or even spiritual one might be, one will still have an issue they are hoping will be solved.

I may not know what that your issue might be, one thing I know is God can give you victory. May you sing songs of victory in Jesus name.

– I have also come to understand that in life 2 things that trouble us mostly as Christians are trials and temptation. Interestingly or sadly, these are the two things that make most Christians to miss heaven (think of it deeply). They either give up in trials or give in to temptations.

These I have called the hardest 2T’s of a Christian. But I have come to introduce you to another T called Triumph. You shall be triumphant in any trial or temptation in life in Jesus name.

In James 1:2,12; James the Apostle wrote to Jewish believers who were scattered abroad to admonish them as touching trials and temptation. He made them to understand that one cannot run away from them. It is only when and if.

James 1:2-3

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trials of your faith worketh patience.

He also made them to know that those trials are of different kinds: they can come in small, medium or big. They can be related to finance, relationship, health, etc.

James said these trials don’t just come for nothing, but to test our faith and develop our perseverance.

He then told them that their attitude should therefore be of joy once they know why the trials have come. Though times of trials are essentially not sweet and palatable. But we must demonstrate our hope and trust in God and therefore must not give up.

So that in verse 12, James told them that there is blessings for those who endured their own trials and temptations. There will be an assessment on how we reacted and to behaved during such times, if our attitude is approved of God, the reward will be the crown of life.

James 1:12

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

– How many here wants a crown of life? My advice to all of us is please endure! I say again endure!

1 Peter 5:8-9

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

The song “Hold the Fort” we sang today is so sweet, soul lifting, encouraging and very inspirational. But for the people the sentence was first directed to, it was for them to sacrifice their lives.

General Sherman detailed General Corse and 1500 soldiers to secure a Fort that holds rations and ammunition for a million soldiers.

General Hood asked General French and 6000 soldiers to attacked the Fort and take it. General French was able to bypass General Sherman unawares and take on Corse and his men. The fight was brutal. The Fort was too important to give up, Corse men were greatly outnumbered. But they fought with all their might.

General Sherman later found out what had happened and then sent reinforcement to Corse, by this time General Corse had been shot thrice, his assistant who was a Colonel was also wounded, and 750 men had died. Corse men received a signal that says “Hold the Fort, for I am coming” W.F. Sherman.

That was sufficient for them to stand their ground. It took 3 hours for the reinforcement to arrive; General French had no other choice but to withdraw from the Fort.

You may want to ask, why did Corse men had the courage to fight and not run away? It was because their Division HQ was coming. It will be a match for the enemy that had 6000 soldiers.

– Your life may be the Fort the enemy is fighting for.

It may be your relationship.

It may be your finance. It may be your studying. It may be your joy.

Whatever it is, Jesus is waiving a signal to you. Hold the fort, for I am coming, He says.

Jesus is greater than our greatest enemy. What will you do? Stand your ground or run away?

In Psalms 137:1-6, the bible talks about when the Israelites were at a time in captivity in Babylon. They had hung their harps and were singing songs of lamentation. But lo and behold their captors asked them to sing songs of victory they normally sang in Zion for them.

The Israelites replied that how could they sing the triumphant song in a foreign land. God had to send Prophet Jeremiah to them to unhang their harps and sing and be merry, as the days of their captivity were already numbered.

– You are here, you are not able to sing, because you are experiencing a situation that is foreign, unfamiliar any difficult. God will take you back to your Zion in Jesus name. That situation won’t last long.

– You have hung your ‘harp’, the instruction says go and retrieve it and sing joyous melodies to God. Then see how He will deliver you quickly from that Babylon experience.

– There is someone listening to me, I am asked to tell you that in 70 hours’ time, help will arise for you.

– To another person, in 70 days’ time, that issue will have been sorted.

Prayers

  1. Father, help me to endure until my victory comes.

  2. Father, let my mouth be filled with songs of victories.

  3. Father, let my heart be filled with melodies of triumph.

The sermon, You Will Sing Songs of Victory, by Pastor Samuel Obafaiye, was delievered on December 4, 2016