Enoch Adeboye, general overseer
of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), over the weekend led thousands
of church members and others to call on God to defend the country from enemies
waging war against her.
Shortly after honouring God
through praise at the beginning of his sermon of the July Holy Ghost Service of
the church at the Redemption Camp in Ogun State, he called on the congregation,
which included people at viewing centres around the world, to pray for the
defence of the country afflicted by tragedies and sorrow.
“Father, the Lord of Host; arise
and defend Nigeria. Put an end to all the tragedies, sorrows, accidents and
deaths in this nation,” he led the congregational prayer.
He continued the call for God’s
intervention in his opening prayer that followed: “Father, today in every home
where there is sorrow; let the Comforter comfort them in Jesus Name. In this
country, let there be no more tragedies, killings, accidents and crises.
“Prince of Peace, please let your
peace reign in Nigeria. Arise Oh Lord and defend Nigeria. Defend all the
nations that the enemies are waging war against.”
In recent times Pastor Adeboye
has been commiserating on social media with families that suffer tragedies. He
wore a solemn look as he prayed on early Saturday morning during the service
with the theme Stronger Than Your Enemies – Part 7: (Permanent All Round
Victory)
The theme runs through about
six-hour long service of special prayers, praise and worship, testimonies and
sermons, which draws people from around Nigeria and watched in over 160
countries where the church has branches.
The agents of death
In his own sermon, the first part
of which was devoted to the need for salvation and a call to the altar, Pastor
Adeboye pointed out death as a common enemy of everyone, and the war it wages
through it agents – sickness, poverty and bondage.
Drawing a link between sin and
the agents of death, he concluded: “So if you want freedom and victory tonight,
then you need to get Jesus Christ quickly so that His blood can wash away your
sins.”
Tens of people responded to the
altar call.
Pastor Adeboye’s sermon on total
and complete victory, which followed the altar call, dwelt on the story of
Naaman, read from2 Kings 5: 1-14
“When we talk of complete
victory, all round victory; it simply means that there is no area of your life
whereby you are suffering any defeat again. It simply means that there is no
reproach in your life,” he said and noted that Naaman had a reproach in his
life that reduced his success or victory in other areas of his life to nothing.
“He was at top of his career,
wealthy, famous and loved by the King but he was a leper. This reduced all that
he had to nothing.”
The rich man who ate from the
trash bin
Recalling an experience in the
early days of the church at its headquarters in Ebutte Metta Lagos, he said
people have various forms of reproach they try to hide.
He said, during a service what
God told him to announce, he was afraid to repeat: That there was a very
wealthy man in the congregation who ate from the trash bin and needed
deliverance.
Later, during the testimony of
the man he couldn’t share in public, he confirmed to Pastor Adeboye that there
was no meal he couldn’t afford, but that after eating the choice meals, he
would steal into the trash bin at night and eat from the leftovers in it.
The choice for Naaman as a case
study was, as he said, because when God finished with him; his body was like
that of a newborn baby – his victory was complete, absolute, permanent and he
was never a leper again.
“The journey to this victory
started within his house. There was one maid there who was brought in from a
foreign country who wished the General could visit a Prophet in her native land
as there was help at hand there.
“Watch from the story very well;
the girl spoke to the wife of Naaman (she didn’t do anything about it). But
while speaking to her, others heard, told Naaman about it. Naaman told his King
about it, his King wrote a letter to the King of Israel. The King of Israel got
the letter, tore his dress and somehow someone told Elisha about it. Note the
linkages.
God works in mysterious ways
“God works in mysterious ways. I
don’t know how God will do it tonight; He will do it in a mysterious way for you
and connect you to the helper of your destiny as He did for Naaman.”
He said Naaman was connected to
the one who will give him permanent victory, but he nearly destroyed the
plan of God for his life – the Man of God told him to go down to River Jordan
and wash in it seven times but he got angry.
Describing Naaman’s big problems
as pride and anger, Pastor Adeboye, urged people to put anger and pride in
check in order not to rob themselves of God’s blessings.
Still on the Naaman story, he
recalled that as Naaman was going away furiously in a rage, one of his servants
stopped him to advise him. “If you know anything about the Military; even when
Generals are not angry before you talk to them you must take a salute for
permission. However, this man was in a rage, but because of God’s special plans
for him, a servant was able to stop him and advise him.”
“When God has made up His mind to
help you, nothing can stop Him,” Pastor Adeboye stressed.
Forced trip to Akure
He illustrated this with another
testimony! He had gone to preach at the University of Ife, as it was called
then. But during the trip back to Lagos, God ordered him to turn left to Akure,
instead of turning right. He said he obeyed, not knowing what he was going
there for.
But on arrival in Akure, he was
told to visit a home he was reluctant to go to. The host was in the bathroom
and his wife who received him was shocked to see him.
When her husband emerged, he
asked in nervous energy, “What are you doing here?”
“God sent me to you,” Pastor
Adeboye responded.
“Me?”
“Yes,” the visitor confirmed.
“Ha! Okay, from now on it is
Jesus all the way, no divided loyalty,” the man promised.
Pastor Adeboye said the man was
seated on the altar as he narrated the story that night,
The Naaman story, he pointed out,
also shows how important it is to pay attention to details. “If God is talking
to you; for your victory to be total, pay attention to details. Naaman was told
to wash in River Jordan seven times and not five or six times. He
dipped himself in River Jordan six times nothing happened; it was the 7th time
that he came out clean.
“The Bible says that if you
hearken diligently to the Word of God to do all the things that He commands you
that is when things will happen.”
Giving thanks
Concluding the sermon, he said
one of the important things to do for one’s victory to be permanent is giving
thanks after God’s intervention.
“After Naaman received his
victory, he returned to say thank you. He returned to Elisha in 2 Kings 5:
15-19. The man of God said congratulations.
“The reason why most of us never
had more than one breakthrough in life is because we never testify about what
God did for us. We won’t witness what God did for us to others.
“The elders have a saying that if
a child is grateful for what he received yesterday, he will receive another
one; and the person who is ungrateful is like an armed robber that stole your
valuables.
“If that is to be true then I
regret to say that there are many armed robbers among the Christians. Many cannot
say thank you to Jesus Christ. He has healed so many people but they would not
come out to testify so that others can listen to them.”
Pastor Adeboye closed the sermon
with his traditional blessing of the congregation, relished by all: “The
Almighty God will bless you permanently. He will support you permanently.
Whatever the enemies may want to toy with in your life will go. He will uphold
you to the end. This month, He will link you up with Helpers of your Destiny.
“The Lord will bless your offerings,
sanctify them and use it for His Glory. From now on, you will never lack. Your
victory will be permanent.
“As you go, the Lord will go with
you. You will find favour with God and men. On your way, Miracles will follow
you. At home, Miracles will be waiting for you. In Jesus Name we prayed …
Amen!!!”
As usual, there were testimonies
from people God had touched. The most moving was that of Mr. Ola Erokin. For 24
years after marriage, they were trusting God for the fruit of the womb, until
last year when Pastor Adeboye gave a word of knowledge that someone who was
troubled over children should “relax because your case is settled”.
Within a few months, Erokin said
“things began to change” and in April 2018, they had their first child – after
24 years of waiting.
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