By Ighomuaye Lucky. O
The general overseer and founder of God’s Greater Grace General Assembly Intl Incorporated, Benin, Rev Sunny Akenbor, has said when God gives one a task, He gives the ideas and the wherewithal to bring them to fruition.
He disclosed this when speaking on the theme: God of completion” during the Sunday church service in Benin City.
Rev. Akenbor said God is not the God of an abandoned projects adding that, when He starts a project in anyone’s life, He sees to the end of it.
Akenbor noted that from the portion of the bible read, King Solomon was neither an architect nor an engineer but under the inspiration of God, he was able to build the house of God to specification.
“In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, he began to build the temple of the Lord.
“The temple that King Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits long, twenty wide and thirty high.
“The portico at the front of the main hall of the temple extended the width of the temple, that is twenty cubits, and projected ten cubits from the front of the temple.
“He made narrow windows high up in the temple walls. Against the walls of the main hall and inner sanctuary he built a structure around the building, in which there were side rooms.
“The lowest floor was five cubits wide, the middle floor six cubits and the third floor seven. He made offset ledges around the outside of the temple so that nothing would be inserted into the temple walls.
“In building the temple, only blocks dressed at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built.
“The entrance to the lowest floor was on the south side of the temple; a stairway led up to the middle level and from there to the third.
“So he built the temple and completed it, roofing it with beams and cedar planks. And he built the side rooms all along the temple.
“The height of each was five cubits, and they were attached to the temple by beams of cedar”, 1 Kings 6:1-10.
He added that not everyone that sees you prospering and breaking new grounds is really happy at your progress as they are capable of feigning smiles and happiness in your presence but their hearts are desperately wicked.
The preacher said when the house of God was built by Nehemiah, there were obstacles but the children of Israel while building the structure, they were very much alert, watching, praying and working, indicating that, as children of God, you must commit your projects unto God hands in prayers while continuing with the physical work on the site.
“When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?”
“Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!
“Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.
“So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.
“But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry.
“They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it but we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
“Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the labourers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.
“Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.
“Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.
“Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.
“When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.
“From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armour. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other”, Nehemiah 4:1-17
The general overseer of the church also pointed out that there are catalysts that can engender seamless completion of a given project such as supporting the growth and development of the work of God in the church adding that, when you do God’s own, He will not allow yours to be abandoned too.
“Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways.
“You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”
“This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways”, Haggai 1:5-7.
He reminded believers that the accomplishment in any forms can only be possible through the grace of God and not by their own powers expertise.
“Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
“Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shouting, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
“Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, the hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you”, Zachariah 4:6-7.
He also reminded the members of the congregation of the act of planning, stressing that it is very fundamental too.