Adeboye reveals secret to God’s closeness, as 51 yr-old woman gives birth to first child

 

File photo of Pastor Enoch Adeboye

By OLAYINKA LATONA

As the annual national spiritual exercise of the Redeemed Christian Church of God RCCG, reached the third day, the church’s General overseer, pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye has revealed one of the secrets behind his closeness to God.

Noted by members of the church and others for his unique simplicity and humility, pastor Adeboye described sanctification as one of the secrets that has kept him in his work with God.

Speaking on the sermon theme: ‘Power of Sanctification’, the revered cleric said: “Listen to me because one of my children Somewhere said to me: ‘daddy, we are not praying that you die soon. I said even if you pray, God won’t answer. He said,” but you are getting older, tell us some of your secrets. This is one of the secrets I am telling you now and that is sanctification”, he said.

Recalling the early years of his conversion and how people embraced the complete gospel of the Lord, pastor Adeboye took the thousands of worshipers in both the new and old auditorium of the camp through the benefits of living a sanctified life.

Highlighting the three steps of faith, he said immediately after his conversion he had told God he would not want to be an ordinary Christian and that he yearned greatly for the power of God but that he realise that it is far better to have the fruits of the Holy Spirit than its gifts.

In his words: “I began to appreciate what Jesus said, that by their fruits you shall know them and not by gifts. I soon discovered, as it is written in Matthew 7: 15 -21 that Jesus Christ said by their fruits you shall know them not by their gifts.

“You can have all the gifts, perform all the miracles and then on the last day, God will say, depart from me, ye, that workers iniquity is possible to be world evangelist, doing mighty things and then on the last day, God said He did not know you.

He explained that sanctification is the process God takes away the stony heart from man and gives him a heart of flesh. And that this experience comes before the baptism of the Holy  Spirit.

Adeboye however, lamented that in today’s Christianity, there is no emphasis on sanctification. Stressing that sanctification It’s a matter of the heart, and it is difficult to measure.

In his words: “People get saved and then are baptised in the Holy Spirit without experiencing sanctification. Salvation is like the foundation, while the Holy Ghost baptism is like the roof. Sanctification, on the other hand, is the wall of the building. People have the foundation and then the roof without the wall. That is where the disconnect is in today’s Christianity.

“When you are saved it won’t be long for people to notice. Your name will change. People will begin to call you a child of God. Suddenly you will find that your friends who have been calling you worldly names will now begin to say, leave him alone oo. He is now a child of God.

“When you’re born again, it won’t be long before you begin to attend church. Your responsibilities will change. You begin to witness for God. I am talking about how it was when we were younger.”

Pastor Adeboye’s encounter with Prof. Chike Obi

“I remember when I got born again. It was on a Sunday night.  On Monday morning as I got to my office at the University of Lagos. I met my head of department, the world-renowned Professor of Mathematics, Chike Obi. As I was about to begin to speak, he looked at me and said Adeboye you look cheerful this morning. Did you go to a party last weekend? I said no sir.

“I said I had gotten an invitation to the greatest party of all, the wedding of the lamb of God.

51 years old woman gave birth to first child

…….as RCCG maternity delivers 37 babies

Deacon and Deaconess Sunday Osasumen of Province 16 region 13, Edo state also testified how God terminated 17 years of barrenes: “we have been trusting God for the fruit of the womb since 17 years, but to no avail. During the cause of this waiting period, I enter menopause and the doctor said I am having hot flush, that it is the last stage of fertility, my system winding up. The doctor advised me to go home and rejoice. He said, though it can be recalled.

“I went home to my God and intensified my prayers. Behold, the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob visited me and the greatest gynecologist in the whole world answered my family on the 13th day of December 2023 and gave us a baby boy. After menopause, hot flush, at the age Pastor Enoch Adeboye, yesterday, disclosed that 37 babies were delivered at the Redemption City Maternity during the ongoing 72nd convention programme as of Wednesday evening.

He stated that 37 babies, 23 boys and 14 girls, had been delivered at the church’s maternity at the camp.