General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye has said that Nigeria is on the return journey into normalcy from the COVID-19 pandemic which has necessitated the current lockdown. The cleric also warned Nigerians to postpone foreign trips by a month or two after the lockdown.
Adeboye in his Sunday service via a telecast said God is going to give Nigeria and the rest of Africa the victory before extending it to the rest of the world.
The cleric was clear on his warning repeating that “The return journey to normalcy has begun but please maintain good hygiene now and even after the lockdown is over.
“Please postpone any journey abroad that is not very important for at least a month or two because God is going to give us the victory in Nigeria and the rest of Africa before it is extended. So please may be a month or two, postpone your journeys abroad,” he warned.
The General Overseer said, “We are on the return journey, by the special grace of God it will recede but it will not be 100%.
“The flu came and it receded, Ebola came, it receded but they have not died completely, but let us give thanks to God almighty,” he said.
The cleric appreciating members of the church however didn’t want to disclose all the RCCG is doing in terms of relief being given to the needy.
“I don’t need to say all we have done. God says what the right hand does, the left hand should not know. We’ll continue to do our very best till this battle is over,” he said.
On the spiritual intervention of the church, Adeboye said, “In our big churches all over the world, prayers are going on 24 hours, we have been praying for mercy.
“Don’t also forget the prayer points I gave at the beginning of the year against fire outbreaks and flood. We have seen some fires but the big ones may come so we need to pray against it,” he said, advising his audience to live responsibly even after the pandemic.
Adeboye urged the people to be responsible and maintain personal hygiene.
“Clear your gutters against flood, there is very little we can do but we have to plead for mercy,” he said, reading from Psalm 30:1-5, the General Overseer added that, Joy is coming because after the night there will be the day.
Continuing in his sermon tagged Joy Cometh, the cleric listed four arrears the people should expect joy in their lives.
He started with the physical aspect of life when he encouraged the people that death does not have the last say.
“When Christ died, the enemy thought that was the end. It is the one in John 11:35 that has the final say,” he said, noting that Jesus did not speak to death because it is too small but he called Lazarus forth.
Another area he asked the people to expect joy is the area of their material life.
“Poverty does not have the last say, it is the all sufficient God that has the last say,” he assured as he read from Genesis 17:1 which he backed up with the stories of the widows in I Kings 17:8-16 and II Kings 4:1-7.
The General Overseer in his third point mentioned spiritual aspect of life as another area that children of God should expect joy.
“When Jesus died, the forces of darkness began to rejoice but darkness does not have the last say, it is light that has the last say.
“There has always been this battle between light and darkness but in Genesis 1:1-3 God said ‘let there be light.’ It does not matter how great the forces of darkness is against you, the Lord will give you victory,” he prayed.
Marital aspect of life was the last on his list of areas joy should be expected. According to him, bareness does not have the last say, it is the one who made you that has the last say,” he said.
Reading from Genesis 1:28, he said, “’Be fruitful and multiply’ is the first thing God said to man.”
Also reading from John 1:1-3, Genesis 18:9-14 and Genesis 21:1-7, Adeboye prayed for those trusting God for the fruit of the womb, he encouraged them that only God has the final say and they must be hopeful.
He however paused his sermon to show a few minutes video of past celebrations of those God had blessed with children at the Redemption Camp to encourage families seeking the face of God. He however prayed for people in this category of need and assured them only God has the final say.
Meanwhile at the end of the sermon Adeboye asked Nigerians to be careful and live responsibly as the country is on the return journey of recovery from the pandemic.
