……aspires to build auditorium as large as Ibadan
… says pastors who bring comedians to church have low vision
By Gbenga Osinaike
General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye has traced the tremor that happened in Ijebu Ode, South West Nigeria several years ago to an encounter he had with God at the Redemption Camp.
Adeboye who was addressing multitude at 2018 convention of the church on Wednesday August 8 said few years after he became the General overseer of the church he had a rather strange encounter with God at the redemption camp during which the ground where he was praying shook and caused a vibration that was felt as far as Ijebu Ode which is about 60 kilometers to the camp.
It would be recalled that on 28th July, 1984 at about 12 hours 13 m UT an earthquake with an epicentral intensity occurred in the southwestern part of Nigeria, an area that has always been believed to be seismically inactive. The event according to findings was recorded only by a temporary monitoring station at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Zaria, a distance of about 640 km from the epicentre. Two subsequent tremors that were reported in Ijebu-Ode in early August, 1984 were however not recorded at Ahmadu Bello University.
Scientists had argued that the tremor came about as a result of the existence of large fracture zones trending generally in the NE-SW direction across the country.
The report reads, “The recent earthquakes in southwestern Nigeria could therefore be evidence to support the existence of the Pelusium megashear system or similar fracture zones that penetrate deep into the continental crust of West Africa. There is therefore a need for more adequate coverage of the area by seismic stations to permit a precise location of future events and detailed data analysis which would help in identifying area where large scale crustal adjustments might be taking place.”
But Adeboye said the tremor came about when he was having an exchange with God asking him to equip him with power.
He said, “One of these days I will mark out that spot so that some of us can see. That particular day I was having a rather hot exchange with God. I was alone with God and I was praying earnestly and talking to the Lord to equip me with power. I said he if he does not give me power he should take me home. I said to him that I don’t want to be ordinary. In the cause of praying the earth where I stood shook violently that the vibration was felt at Ijebu Ode.”
He then pleaded with the congregation not to limit their request whenever they are praying to God who owns the heaven and the earth. “God is capable of doing mighty things. We should not limit ourselves in our requests.” He said
Earlier he had noted that the church has grown this much because of the power of vision noting that many Christians in this generation embarrass God with their request. “How can you be asking God for small things when you are talking with the maker of the entire world. Some people would be praying for fairly used car when they can pray for a brand new bus that would enable them to help many more people. One of my sons was always chartering an aircraft to bring people to camp every year from Portharcourt. But I challenged him that he could believe God for an airline. We should learn to request for big things from God.”
He recalled that when the church had its first auditorium it was then the biggest in Africa. “People thought we had arrived then and they requested that we fence the place. I just laughed. Two years later the place was expanded and we have since been moving. Now we are in Shimawa a three kilometer by three kilometer auditorium and I can tell you we have not started. Until we have an auditorium as large as Ibadan then I would say we have started.”
He then took a swipe on pastors who bring comedians to their churches to entertain church members describing them as people of low vision
He said, “It is amazing that some people invite comedians to the church. When people don’t have vision or when they have low vision they invite comedians into the church to entertain their members when Jesus says my house shall be called the house of prayers we turn it to house of jesters.”
While praying that God would give his listeners the spirit of excellence he urged them to aspire for something great and desire the place of excellence in life. “By now many of you should be aspiring that you will heal the sick. Your handkerchief should be healing the sick. We should aspire to excel in all our endeavours.” He said.
The RCCG General Overseer who preached on the spirit of excellence told the congregation that there is link between dominion and excellence. Drawing his message from the book of Daniel 6v1-3 he said it was because of the spirit of excellence that Daniel was able to distinguish himself. “One of the ways you know the spirit of excellence in a person is that he keeps getting better and better. A man of excellence always wants more and more”
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