By Bisi Daniels

 

Miracles, even jaw-dropping ones, are common in the Redeemed Christian Church of God and that should make leaders and members happy. But not everybody is happy about its psychological effects on some sections of the congregation.

A barren woman God blessed with a baby would naturally worry about testifying on the same stage with another woman God has blessed with triplets after 20 years of marriage. Congregational cheers for the latter is often louder.

But to some people, even that is nothing compared with the miracle of a woman who had no womb but was delivered of a set of twins by shocked doctors in the United Kingdom.

For yet some others, who have witnessed miraculous healing from terminal diseases and miracles of people brought back from the dead, childbirth is a smaller miracle.

At the November Holy Ghost Service at the Redemption Camp, a lady testified of how her breasts were about to be removed to save her from cancer, but was miraculously healed before the surgery.

It was a very emotional testimony, but how does it compare to testimonies on the same altar of how handkerchiefs anointed by Pastor Adeboye had been used to raise the dead?

That is the problem – the natural human tendency not to be moved by less powerful testimonies than those already known.

That is unacceptable to Pastor Adeboye, who believes God should always be praised properly and with excitement, irrespective of miracle size. He often carries a tambourine, ready to praise God.

Why not? He has seen God do many more marvelous things than he can share.

He said: “There are some of my testimonies I don’t share often because when I share them, some people look at me as if I must be crazy. I have seen God in action; He can do far more than humans can imagine.”

 

The Adeboye miracle

In the multiplicity of miracles, it is even easy to forget that the General Overseer himself is a miracle, who was made to join RCCG to serve God through the miraculous healing of his child.

As Vice President Osinbajo puts it, “The life of Daddy (Pastor Adeboye) in itself is one big miracle! For a man born to financially-challenged parents in the remote village of Ifewara, Osun State, who had no shoes at 18 years old, who was not a Born Again Christian until the time he was a mathematics teacher at the University of Lagos, becoming the leader of a church with a strong presence in over 192 countries, and with over 32,000 parishes in Nigeria alone, is indeed, a miracle worth knowing.

“For this same man to remain infectiously humble, in spite of his enormous power, influence and popularity is also a miracle in itself.”

 

The school fee problem

Born into debilitating poverty, his mother had to beg the principal of his secondary school at the end of every year to allow him drop out to end the pain of paying fees.

Pastor Adeboye told the story during a sermon at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, last week:”I gained admission to Ilesha Grammar School in Osun State, Nigeria and I was to pay a deposit of £2 but my parents could not raise that amount. One way or the other, God provided.

“I got into the school and after the first year almost everything in our house was gone. By the time that I managed to finish the second year, my mother went to beg the principal: ‘Now he has done two years, could you just give him a testimonial so that he can go and teach?’

“For one reason or the other, the principal said ‘let him do one more year.’

In those days, they had what they called the Modern School and I could be given a certificate after that.

“My mother came home, told my father and they sold everything in their cocoa farm and in the house. So I was able finish the third year.

“My mother went back to the principal to say, ‘Now, he has done three years, let him leave.’

“But the Principal said if I could only do one more year, they would give me G4 (Government Certificate 4).

“My mother left the place in anger, got home to discover that there was nothing to sell again to keep me in school.

“But then God brought somebody. A native of my village came from London and everybody went to meet him.

“While everybody was rejoicing, he turned in my direction and said, ‘Hello little boy,’ and we began to talk. He said I spoke good English and I said I was a student of the Grammar School.

“When he asked the year I was in, I told him I was supposed to go to Form 4 but there is no money. Luckily, he arranged to pay for the fourth year.

“After the 4th Year, mother went back to the Principal and said now he has done four years let him go.

“The Principal said: ‘What kind of woman are you? Out of five years, we have already done four.

“My mother started weeping and I wept that day like I had never done before. But one way or the other; I finished secondary school because God was determined to bring my family out of the pit of poverty.”

 

The miracle continues

At 77, the Adeboye miracle continues in the power of his ability to do chain ministrations around the world and his ability to anoint mantles for thousands of people for miracles, without having to lay hands. After the November Holy Ghost Service, which followed ministrations in many countries abroad, he has been to Abuja, Abonnema and Port Harcourt, River State; University of Ibadan, and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife to lead long sessions in a month of fasting of the church.

If one thought he should be resting after that, the 77-year-old cleric is preparing for this year’s Holy Ghost Congress to hold early December.

 

The praise equation

So common have miracles become in the church that, a certain degree of complacency may be setting in among some sections of its faithful.

For a church which believes in loud, rapturous praise of God, the response to some testimonies is not loud and spontaneous enough.

At the November Holy Ghost Service, Pastor Adeboye expressed his concern over the development. It may just be human nature but he insists that God deserves thunderous praise for all miracles – big or relatively small.

He said, “I have said it again and again and I’m saying it one more time; because God is doing so many miraculously things in our midst; there may be tendency for us to begin to take all these miracles for granted.

“The testimonies for tonight are such that I thought every one of us will be up and shouting and praising God.

“Don’t get so much accustomed to miracles that you forget the One who is doing these miracles.

“If just one of these miracles should happen elsewhere; I know how the people will be ecstatic with joy.

“Because we see these miracles again and again; we are beginning to show less enthusiasm in our response.

“Let me hear somebody shout Hallelujah! I know my Daddy – He can do anything. I have seen miracles and signs beyond human expectations.”

 

At the November Holy Ghost Service at the Redemption Camp, the services in Abuja; Abonnema and Port Harcourt; in Ibadan and Ile Ife, which drew large congregation, many more powerful testimonies were shared and many people gave their lives to Jesus Christ.

In Abuja, there was so much overflow that it became obvious the venue has to be expanded before the next Holy Ghost Service there.

As always, the sermons were spiced with prophecies from the Word of Knowledge, while time was allocated for congregational prayers.

The following are some takeaways from the sermons at the various venues preached by the tireless General Overseer, and transcribed by the Discovery Media Crew.

 

November Holy Ghost Service at the Redemption Camp

This is for someone who is on the verge of losing hope.

According to Job 14: 7-9, “At least there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail. Its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump die in the soil, yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant.

No matter how desperate your situation is, nobody has the right to write you off. And when they do, don’t lose hope and don’t write yourself off

You may not be living your dreams yet or your potential has not peaked yet but that doesn’t mean you can’t get there.

God has the final say!

When the enemies are attacking or writing you off, they forget the God factor – the ability of God to save you and restore you.

When Nebuchadnezzar threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into a fiery furnace, he didn’t factor in God’s power.

It is not over until God says it is over.

So long as you are in connection with God, there is hope. Your JOY will come.

 

RCCG Holy Ghost Service in Abuja.

There are many types of storms: health, family, marital, financial and spiritual storms.

In the story of some disciples of Jesus caught in a storm, He was in the boat with them.

You can be a Christian and still have a storm

But like what the disciples did, waking Jesus, who was sleeping in a section of the boat, wake the Jesus in you when you hit a storm.

Jesus is in you, so in the face of a storm call on Him by praying.

Stir up the gift of God in you.

Embark on thanksgiving, which also entities you to call on God.

When God arises, enemies scatter.

Rebuke the storm, without doubting what you ask for.

If you obey God and do His will, whatever you decree shall be established.

If you believe what you decree, the size of your faith may not matter because God doesn’t forsake His own. He will back you up.

But to do all that you have to give your life to God.

 

Region 5 Kalabari Gospel Crusade, Abonnema, Rivers State

 

 

 

 

 

There are many instances in the Bible, like the cases of Rachel and Sarah, where lives of people turned around because God remembered them.

When God remembers, your prayers are answered.

He begins to open doors unto you

When He remembers you, He puts an end to your fruitless efforts

When God remembers you, He puts an end to your reproach

When He remembers you, your greatness begins!

But there are two categories of “Remembering.”

He remembered Rachel, and miracles began to happen.

But in 1 Samuel Chapter 15; when the same God said He remembered the Amalekites, it was time for vengeance.

He sent His Kings to ‘the city of the Amalekites and wiped them out: Kill males, kill females, kill animals, kill everybody!

God remembered the evil they had done!

When God remembers: it is Good News for those who are His own, but it is bad news for the enemies.

If you are not on the side of God; that GOD remembers you can mean serious trouble.

There are two sides to God: One side says: “God is LOVE’; the other side says “God is a consuming fire”.

What you get when God remembers you depends on what side of God you are on!

 

Region 5 Port Harcourt Holy Ghost Rally 2019.

God can help anybody; He can help the poor, because He is Rich!

He can help the weak, because He is Strong!

He is the Almighty; He has all the Might!

He can help the down-trodden because He is the Promoter.

He can pick even the beggar from the dunghill and promote him to dine with Kings!

He can also help the high and the mighty.

If He is the Most High, then He can Help the high go higher – He can make you go higher still.

One unmistakable thing about Divine Help is that it will always be on time! God is never late!

God can send help from unexpected sources; He can send a total stranger

In Matthew 17:24-27 He brought money out of the mouth of a fish – That is God!

So, when we say God is going to Help you, don’t begin to think of how He will do it. Just know, He can use anybody, including unexpected sources.

But He can only help you if you would let Him help you by giving your life to Him.

 

2019 University of Ibadan Campus Holy Ghost Rally

In a layman’s language, a divine encounter is actually a head-on collision between God and man; between divinity and humanity.

It is an impactful meeting that that can never be forgotten, said Pastor Enoch Adeboye.

When light collides with death, resurrection must take place; nobody remains dead in God’s presence, except the appointed time of the fellow has come.

When the Source of Joy collides with sorrow, weeping must come to an end.

For example, a couple had an only son who died at 14. When I heard about it, my heart went out to them so I told my people to bring them for us to cry to God together….

That month, the woman conceived and later delivered a triplet – two boys and a girl. I saw them only last week and my heart leapt for joy.

When the One who is called the All-in-All collides with someone who has been abandoned, loneliness must come to an end. When Jesus Christ is in you, He does not abandon you.

When the One who dwells in Heaven collides with the one who dwells on earth, reproach is removed…

Naaman had an encounter with God and his reproach (leprosy) disappeared

When the Author of Destiny collides with truncated destiny, it is restored.

Sometimes, when enemies see the potentials (star) of an individual, they gang up to truncate their destiny but an encounter with God puts the enemies to shame.

God wants to have an encounter with you but He will not force you; it is up to you to say Lord, “I surrender.”

 

Special Miracle Service, Obafemi Awolowo University

 

There could be Physical Captives. The Bible tells us of a woman who was bent double and has been like that for 18 years.

There are many sicknesses and diseases the best of doctors cannot not handle.

There could be those who are mentally captive; not necessarily mad people but those whose mental capacity has been tampered with.

Some people are materially captive; the Book of Haggai 1:6 shows that it is possible to earn wages into the bags of holes.

And then the big one: there is the Spiritual Captivity.

When we talk about demons operating in the lives of human beings, oh, there are various categories:

There is one called oppression, which is as if the person is carrying a heavy load that he/she can’t put down.

Then there is depression, which is sometimes associated with sadness.

But it is not just ordinary sadness; it shows there are certain forces pushing the fellow down, making him/her incapable of pulling self together to do anything.

There is suppression, where the person is already down and the enemies are making sure that he/she doesn’t rise.

Regression is when the fellow goes two steps backwards anytime he tries to take one step forward.

But the worst of all is what is called possession.

That is when the enemies have taken over completely and are now dwelling inside the victim.

The mad man of Gadara is an example of this. According to Bible scholars, he was possessed by six thousand demons – they had taken absolute possession of him before Jesus intervened.

For all these cases there is a Deliverer. His Name is the Lord of Hosts; the Controller, the Commander-in-Chief of all the Host – The Host in Heaven, the Host on Earth, the Host underneath the Earth.

The Holy Ghost Congress holding this month with the theme, “The Great Turn Around” is expected to draw people from all over the world to the Redemption Camp of the church. Pastor Adeboye promises it will be a Congress like no other.