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By James Quansah, Pastor
THE YEAR 2023, according to the Gregorian calendar, is almost here with us. In today’s Christianity, a new year is heralded by many church activities, practices and programmes. One of these things is annual church themes which most Pentecostal/Charismatic churches have blindly imitated and accepted in the Body of Christ.
For example, in 2022, a local church might have written, “2022 My Year Of Hope,” Another church might have written, “2022 My Year Of Increase.”
Currently, new themes for 2023 have already begun emerging. Clearly, these themes are not without problems in terms of their applications in the lives of believers. For example, a church that says, “2023 My Year of Joy” seems to suggest that it had nothing to do with joy in the previous years and will have nothing to do with joy in the subsequent years.
One thing we must all understand is that to the Christian, everyday is a day of joy, breakthrough, transformation, prosperity, success and so on. This implies that Children of God are encouraged to live by the promises, assurances, beliefs or principles of the living Word of God always or daily. In other words, we are to live a life of joy, hope, increase, transformation, peace, faith, glory, supernatural, abundance, or favour always.
We do not live a life of “hope” or “faith” one year and change it to “glory” or “increase” another year. It is, therefore, doctrinally and ministerially erroneous to emphasize a portion of God’s Word to be lived yearly.
True children of God are commanded to live, do and obey the Word fully and always for the glory of their Saviour. Therefore, for children of God saved by grace, living by the beliefs, hopes, promises of the Word of God always and being led by the Spirit of God is a lifestyle.
There is no doubt that most of these yearly themes are not prophetic or Holy Spirit-inspired at all. That is why often times these themes do not make any impact in the lives of believers. May the LORD God Almighty open our understanding to appreciate the truth of this teaching.
James Quansah is the Executive Director of Christ-Conscious Leadership Centre (CLC) and lead Pastor of End-Time Christ’s Commissioners (ECC), Kumasi, Ghana. James is also a journalist by profession. He is married with four children.
