By Ighomuaye Lucky. O
The general overseer and founder, God’s Greater Grace General Assembly Intl Incorporated, Benin, Rev. Sunny Akenbor has urged christians not to allow the present economic reality to make them lose focus on God but should be a catalyst that would spur them to Christ.
He gave the admonition while speaking on the theme: “From prison to palace” during the church service in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
Taking his bible readings from the book of Genesis 27:19-20, Exodus 1:7-14, Judges 6:11-18, and other significant sessions of the bible to drive home his message, he said that God has called them out to be a solution to problem in their various homes, communities, states and in the nation and not to join the bandwagon of complainants.
Rev. Akenbor while emphasizing on the book of judges 6:11-18, said most believers are like Gideon who was called upon to deliver his people from the hands of their oppressors, yet he went about complaining and asking God questions.
“Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press, to hide it from the Midianites.
“The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, ‘The Lord is with you, you mighty warrior.’
“Gideon answered him, ‘But sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our ancestors recounted to us, saying, “Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?” But now the Lord has cast us off, and given us into the hand of Midian.’
“Then the Lord turned to him and said, ‘Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian; I hereby commission you.’
“He responded, ‘But sir, how can I deliver Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.
“The Lord said to him, ‘But I will be with you, and you shall strike down the Midianites, every one of them.’
“Then he said to him, ‘If now I have found favour with you, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me.
“Do not depart from here until I come to you, and bring out my present, and set it before you.’ And he said, ‘I will stay until you return”, Judges 6:11-18.
He further reminded believers that as long as they are progressing, there would always be those who will be bittered about their progress noting that it didn’t just start today but from the time immemorial.
“And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.
“Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
“And he said unto his people, behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:
“Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.
“Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.
“But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.
“And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:
“And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour”, Exodus 1:7-14.
While stressing that God is going to take His children from the prison to the palace like in the case of Joseph in the bible, he said that there are two types of prisons, physical and spiritual.
He said the spiritual prison, one might be seeing walking about freely, but one can’t be said to have made meaningful progress in life.
He further encouraged christian faithful to keep their trust in God as He has assured them that He will not leave them empty handed.
“And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave, you will not go empty-handed.
“Every woman is to ask her neighbour and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters”, Exodus 3:21-22.
