By Ighomuaye Lucky. O
The general overseer and founder, God’s Greater Grace General Assembly Intl Incorporated, Benin, Rev Sunny Akenbor, has reiterated absolute hope and confidence in God even in the face of daunting and hopeless situations, saying, He is ever present in times of needs.
He gave the assurance while speaking on the topic”Zero hour miracles” during the church service in Benin.
Rev. Akenbor while reading from the book of Luke 7:14 gave the account of an incident that occurred when Jesus encountered a funeral procession leaving the city, and upon his command, the dead man sat up, began to speak, and was returned to his grieving mother.
“Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!”, Luke 7:14.
Akenbor said the child was the only source of hope and aspiration of the widow but was snatched away by the cruel hands of death but God showed up in her zero hour and she got her groove back.
Akenbor said a zero hour is different from an eleventh hour because in an eleventh hour, there is still a possibility for a turnaround but in the case of a zero hour, everything has been written off.
He said the zero hour is where God always prove Himself to be God.
He added that in the case of Lazarus, he was already buried for four days and his case has been concluded by men and even his close relatives also confirmed it by saying that, the stench from its remains could be very offensive. So, the situation is a no-no.
“Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
“Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
“So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
“When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”. The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
“Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go”, John 11:38-44.
Also, Peter case was already concluded and he was waiting for his execution but when the church prayed, miracle happened.
“So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
“The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance.
“Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.
“Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him.
” Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision.
“They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.
“Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.” Acts 12:5-11.
He said the persons mentioned, their own matter have been finalized, written and sealed but God stepped in signaling a clear instance of a zero hour intervention.
The clergyman urged believers in Christ never to doubt or give up on God no matter the circumstances that confront them because He has the ability to turn things around.
He reminded the congregation that God who could make Abraham and his wife smile at their very old age, is still very much on the throne to make them smile too.
“Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”, Genesis 17:17
The fire brand man of God further admonished christian to always keep their hope alive even when the situation seems unpleasant.