By Ighomuaye Lucky. O
The vision bearer of God’s Greater Grace General Assembly Intl Incorporated, Benin, Rev Sunny Akenbor, has said that it is only God’s remembrance that can bring about God’s rewards in a man’s life.
He said this while speaking on the theme:”Oh God, remember me” during the Sunday church service in Benin City, the state capital.
Rev. Akenbor said when God remembers someone, that marks the of his stagnation, suffering, pains and anguish.
Akenbor said if God has not remembered someone, no matter what efforts expended on what one does, there can be no meaningful impact, stressing that, Joseph, despite his ability to have interpreted the dreams of the Baker and the Butler in prison, he was forgotten and kept in the prison for additional two years.
Reading from Genesis 40:23, being one of his bible references, Akenbor stated that the chief cupbearer forgot Joseph and did not remember him, even after being restored to his position in Pharaoh’s service.
He said this event marked the beginning of a two-year period until the cupbearer later remembered him when Pharaoh had his own prophetic dreams.
Recall that the Butler and the Baker, each had a dream, Joseph interprets them: the butler’s dream foretells his restoration to Pharaoh’s service within three days, while the baker’s dream foretells his execution on the same third day.
Joseph’s accurate interpretation comes true, and the butler is reinstated, but he forgets to help Joseph, leading to a further two years of imprisonment for Joseph.
Akenbor said God finally remembered Joseph when He struck Pharaoh with a complex dream which only Joseph through the help of God could unraveled, indicating that, Joseph set time has come.
The vision bearer of the church added that, God Himself remembered Noah when it was time because He was the one who ordered him and his family including the animals into the ark and when it was time for them to be out after the 40 days and 40 nights rain, He also remembered to bring them out, stressing that, God in his infinite mercy, knows the best and appropriate time for Him to step in for His children and that, He can never abandon them in their distress situations.
“But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded”, Genesis 8:1.
The clergyman opined that prayers and good works are some of the activators of God’s remembrance and which believers in Christ must key into.
He said God doesn’t joke with ones good works as He usually compensates them for it, adding that, because of Abraham’s good deeds, He spared Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah, emphasizing that, as believers, we must not be weary in well doing as we will surely reap them if we faint not.
“And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt”, Genesis 19:29.
On the part of prayers, he said Hezekiah was a living testimony of what prayers can do in a believer’s life.
He said when the news of his death came to him, he cried to God in prayers and bonus years (15 years) were added to his years.
“In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”
“Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
“Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord.
“I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David”, 2 Kings 20:1-6
The fire brand man of God further admonished christian faithful to always cry to God in their difficult times and not to remain mute and complacence noting that, a closed mouth is a closed destiny.
“During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God.
“God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them”, Exodus 2:23-25.
He assured believers in Christ that God henceforth will always remember them and will certainly cause those they have helped in one way or the other that forgotten them to remember them for good.