The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, (RCCG), Enoch Adeboye, again on Sunday said the current COVID-19 outbreak will end soon.
He also said only those “whose time has come” will become fatalities of the pandemic that has killed thousands across the world and is presently ravaging parts of Nigeria.
Newsmen reported how Nigeria recorded its 97th COVID-19 case late on Saturday, and how a review of official data shows that the number of confirmed cases rose by 340 per cent in a week.
According to the latest breakdown by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Lagos State leads with 59 cases, followed by 16 in Abuja, Ogun – 3, Oyo – 7, Edo – 2, Bauchi – 2, Enugu – 2, Osun – 2 while Ekiti, Kaduna, Rivers and Benue states have one case of the infection each.
While one death has been recorded, at least three patients have so far been discharged after they fully recovered from the disease.
Also, between Tuesday and Saturday, the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari; the Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai and the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Frank Okiye tested positive.
Top politicians, including several state governors, are on self-isolation after coming in contact with those infected.
On Friday evening, Nigerian musician, Davido, announced that his fiancee, Chioma Rowland, tested positive for Coronavirus.
Across the globe, over 600, 000 persons have been infected with over 25, 000 deaths recorded.
Adeboye, who addressed his congregation across the globe via a live broadcast on Sunday, with the topic, ‘Peace, be still’, said only those whose time had come would be fatalities in the current plague.
“There is no reason to fear, only those whose time has come will go (die),” the former lecturer said. “Also, if He is in your boat, your boat can never sink. But if He is not in your boat, who can you call upon when trouble comes? It is only in the family of God that there is security when trouble comes.”
Adeboye had last Sunday revealed how God told him earlier in the year that the world would experience a ‘compulsory holiday’, hence his earlier call to church members to undertake a 50-day fast in January.
“I am also on a compulsory holiday. I was supposed to be in four nations this April for ministers’ conferences and Holy Ghost services but now I cannot go. All I do now is wake up in the morning, eat a good meal and enjoy the day. Is that not a good thing,” he said in his latest televised broadcast, Sunday.
He also took a swipe at those “who criticised him for saying God knew about the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak urging the congregation to “just pray for them”.
Reading from Mark 4, 35-41, Luke 5, 1-7, Prov 1, 24-27, Psalms 35 v 27, Adeboye said the present siege over the world would soon be over after God intervenes and lessons have been learnt by mankind that God is in control.
He dismissed insinuations in some quarters that the present siege could be a biological weapon released ‘in error’ by unnamed nations.
“So don’t fear. Enjoy the compulsory holiday. I am enjoying mine. When God has proven His point in both the big and small nations and He intervenes, the plague will stop,” Adeboye said.
“The Bible says by His stripes, we are healed. Before he went on the Cross of Calvary, Jesus took 39 stripes…that means Jesus ensured our healing from every known disease and even took an extra stripe to take care of others that were unknown including coronavirus,” he also said.
The church, like many others across the nation, has stopped physical services, and resorted to online services in line with the directives of many governments to halt mass gathering.
The directives were given as a means of curbing the coronavirus which has shown no sign of abating.
