CYC: WHERE ARE WE NOW?

Dear Crusaders,

May God’s grace be with you forever. I am really excited for us this season of our lives. Though some things keep bothering me but I thank God that He has sworn to help us even when we feel we have failed.

It is amazing that a lot of things have happened, and I’m talking about CYC. GOD really loves us so much. I can bet my life on that. There is faith, and there is hope and there is love.

We had our first meeting on the 8^th of March, 2015 after the first service and it was great. We agree that it was not all organized but GOD was present still. The thing is, as excited as I was, I was downcast when I got home. I felt like I had failed because there were so many things I should have said that I did not say. Things that should have happened that did not happen. If not for God, I would have felt like there was no hope to correct my mistakes.

But God is bigger than ALL and everything we would ever face. That in spite of my spirit being downcast, there is hope. Now if the heart of kings are in the hands of God, then the heart of all of us are in His hands. Thank you Lord.

So in that moment of me being downcast, the Holy Spirit spoke to me saying “Do not worry, I am aware of what you are going through and you are doing my will” God kept using his word to heal my sad heart.

Here is another word the Holy Spirit spoke to me that crowned it all. I was so encouraged after HE spoke these soothing words to me: Please read below, I’ll explain…. (Nehemiah 1:1-13)

“The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah:

In the month of Kislev in the TWENTIETH year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, ² Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

³ They said to me, “THOSE WHO SURVIVED THE EXILE AND ARE BACK IN THE PROVINCE ARE IN GREAT TROUBLE AND DISGRACE. THE WALL OF JERUSALEM IS BROKEN DOWN, AND ITS GATES HAVE BEEN BURNED WITH FIRE.”

⁴ When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. ⁵ Then I said:

“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, ⁶ let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. ⁷ We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

⁸ “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, ⁹ but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’

¹⁰ “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. ¹¹ Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”

I was cupbearer to the king.”

DID YOU SEE THE YEAR THEY WERE IN?!!!!!  (In the month of Kislev in the TWENTIETH year) And CYC is 20 years. Can you beat that?!!!! That’s amazing people. So so amazing!!!

The above words were directed to me and I felt the burden lifted off my shoulders. In my case, the wall of Jerusalem is CYC. Israel – The Youths. Nehemiah of course, represents the Executive team.

Here’s what I learnt after, a house that is being built does not look organized at the beginning. So right now, CYC is not organized at all. Everything is not in any particular order but there is a plan. There are planks, rubbles, stones and unwanted items at the site. This explains where we are as an association. We’ve got our foundation in Christ sorted but the building is being built and God has to show us what He is building if not, we would give up easily. We labour in vain if God does not help us to build CYC. The youths around will not have a place to be themselves in Christ if God does not lead them to CYC. So our confidence is in Christ. I also want you to know that what we do might not be favourable to everyone but if it God leading us to do them, we’re fine.

Our sufficiency is of God.

So if you are being asked “What is CYC about?” We can confidently say that we are Christians, we are Youths and we are Crusaders because we fight for the truth.

If you are asked “Where is CYC now?” We can say that we are being built up into the image of Christ reconciling every youth and answers can be found in the scripture above.

I pray that God blesses you as we love one another through Christ who strengthens you. Christ died and he rose, so we died also and are alive in Him.

With all of my heart I love you, my brothers and sisters, my friends.

God bless us. God bless the youths.

Okenwa Igbokwe

Twitter: @okenwaigbokwe

Instagram: @okenwaigbokwe

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