Enoch Adeboye, general overseer
of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), on Sunday morning led the
congregation to thank God for saving the life of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo
in a helicopter crash in Kogi State yesterday.
He recalled that the word of
prophecy came during the church’s Holy Ghost Service on Friday that no matter
how hard the enemy would try there would be no mourning in our families this
year.
“Would you please join me in
thanking God that there is no mourning in our family this morning,” he said,
inviting the congregation at the headquarters at the church at Ebute Metta,
Lagos, and others who participated from various perishes of the church around
the world to pray.
On Friday night, he had said:
“The Lord has asked me to tell someone tonight that it doesn’t matter what the
enemy might try there will be no mourning in your family this year.”
He had also called for prayers
for the forthcoming general elections.
Calling for congregational
prayers during his sermon, Adeboye said: “Pray for mercy for Nigeria. Pray for
mercy before the elections, pray for mercy during the elections and pray for
massive mercy after the elections. Nigeria needs mercy.”
He urged people to cast their
votes and ensure the votes are counted before they leave polling centres if the
security situation permits.
Earlier, his wife, Folu, who is
also a pastor of the church, had prayed for peaceful elections during a
congregational prayer for all nations. RCCG has a visible presence in 198
countries.
Preaching a sermon on Isaiah 60:1
– 3, under the theme, “Swimming in Glory 2,” the General Overseer reiterated a
message he preached in January, that one can only arise and shine in light or
Jesus and not in Satan, who represents darkness.
When he made an altar call for
people to come into light, hundreds responded in the old and new auditoriums at
the Redemption Camp.
The night’s sermon dwelt on one
word from the text, “Arise,” which he said is not an advice or plea but a
command from God for us to move ahead from whatever position we are in.
Taking the various positions one
after the other and what the command means, he said arise to someone who is
dead means come back to live; to someone to who is mentally dead is come back
to your right senses; and to someone who is materially or financially dead is
be debt-free.
“Arise materially means for loses
to be restored,” he continued. “Arise to those who are dead spiritually is to
come out of sinful life; arise from physical death, which symbolizes
hopelessness is to refuse to lose hope in life.”
He illustrated this with the
testimony of his uncle, who lost hope in life and planned to commit suicide but
had an encounter with God during a church service.
He recalled: “There was this
uncle of mine. He was very poor, so poor he could not afford decent clothing.
One day he asked his wife to use her wrapper to make buba and soro with which
he had planned what to do.
He had decided that enough was
enough. So, he made up his mind he was going to die but that he was going to do
so in style. He planned to go to church where he would sing and dance so much
that everybody would notice him, and then come home and commit suicide so
people would say, “Oh, we didn’t know he was celebrating his departure.”
Fortunately, my uncle was struck
by the words of the preacher that fateful Sunday. When the preacher told of how
Shedrack, Meshach and Abednego said, ‘We don’t know how God will deliver us but
we know He will,’ my uncle changed his mind.
He said: “Aaah, I don’t how God
can bring me out this storm, but I refuse to die.”
And the Prince of Peace spoke
peace to his storm.
The day he was sharing his
testimony, he had just purchased fourteen cars for his company.”
Continuing, he said arise to one
who is sleeping means to wake up. He likened sleep to an invitation for the
enemy to sow into one’s life; and could also mean unfulfilled dreams.
“Arise to someone sitting down
means stand up. Sitting means resting too soon, or complacency or even
retrogression.
“Arise to someone who is standing
means jumping into action; keep moving or for one to take steps to fulfill
their potentials.
“Arise to someone who is walking
means start running; arise to someone who is running means to accelerate or do
greater things.”
He recalled how he started
serving God with zeal soon as he gave his life to Christ. He said at the
University of Lagos, where he was teacher, he started prayer and Bible studies
in his office during break periods with a small group of his staff, but his
office soon became so small that they had to move to a classroom.
He said the numbers continued to
grow with such rapidity that the late Chike Obi, who was his head of department
complained it was difficult to get typists to work for him during Adeboye’s
prayer meetings.
“Arise to someone who is already
running means begin to fly, which also means for the Holy Spirit to take one to
a height in life never imagined, a height one would know only God could make
possible.”
Illustrating this point, he said
earlier in life, the best he could do was to fast for three hours, and when he
saw a small girl testify that she got a miracle after dry-fasting for three
days, he was amazed. But by the Grace of God he can now fast for 40 days
without food.
Finally, he said arise to someone
who is already flying means move from glory to glory. He cited the example of
Peter, who became increasingly powerful, performing miracles.
The general overseer rounded up
the sermon with congregational prayers with 10 prayer points he gave.
Much earlier youth pastors from
among the children from the headquarters of the church preached to the large
congregation.
Testimonies shared by some
members of the church that night included miraculous healings, raising the
dead, and children for the barren.
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