By Boluwatife Oparinde
Night of destiny and encounters with many lives rededicated, surrendered and restored back to God at the Opening Session of the 2023 International Youth Conference and Thanksgiving Service, Ikeji 1 Conference center (comprising of Ondo and Ekiti States).
The conference, holding at Joseph Ayo Babalola Memorial International Camp Ground, Ikeji Arakeji, Osun State, attracted multitudes of youths at the commencement in the evening of Wednesday, 23th August, 2023.
With series of thanksgiving, testimonies, adoration to God and choir ministrations, the conference began on a good note and promises to be filled with exciting and impactful activities till the end.
In his Welcome Address, the Director of Youth Affairs, Pastor Samson O. Gbuyiro, who exhorted the congregation on the topic "Speak for Your Servant Hears" from the text 1 Samuel 3:8-11 exposited that the text relays God's visitation to Samuel in Shiloh, identifying the youths as the Samuel of this generation.
Pastor Gbuyiro clarifying that the voice of the Lord is what differentiates the gathering of the Lord away from other gatherings, told the youths that for attending such conferences as this, their greatest desire must be to hear the voice of the Lord.
"What should be our greatest desire is for everyone of us to prepare our minds in our various locations to hear the voice of the Lord. Just as the Lord spoke to Samuel in Shiloh, everyone of us here today must make it a desire to look up to the Lord to hear His voice individually," the cleric stated.
He also said that, "it is necessary that we hear from the Lord because until God speaks to us, nothing can happen. Until God speaks to us, nothing will change. Until God speaks to us, nothing will work."
According to the CAC Youth Director, the fulfilment of the promises of God regarding one's life are dependent on the person's ability to hear from God, urging the participants to be alert so they could hear when God speaks.
"If you come to this place and you don't hear the voice of the Lord, if the Lord doesn't speak to you, those things you are trusting God for until you hear from God. The word of God carries the capacity to heal. The word of God carries the capacity to deliver," he said.
Pastor Gbuyiro noted that the voice of God gives direction, and "until you hear the voice of the Lord, there wont be deliverance. There would be no liberation until we hear the voice of the Lord. Anywhere God is set to do something, men and women must prepare their minds to receive something from the Lord."
The Director concluded with an altar call for salvation.
The opening session also featured the first lecture of the conference delivered by the JABU Chaplain, Pastor J. O. Oluwasanmi, and a prayer session by Pastor S. A. Olaiya.
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