By Sam Eyoboka and Olayinka Latona

There were no extra-security measures in all the approaches to the Redemption City of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, last weekend, to support the palpable speculations that Nigeria’s number two citizen, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, was expected at the July special Holy Ghost service held under the theme; “That you may have life”.

Pastor Enoch Adeboye

Nobody was willing to confirm the source of the belief, yet everybody was cocksure the Vice President, who is also a pastor in the church, would be part of the gathering especially because the service coincided with the 30th anniversary of the church’s School of Disciples.

There was severe traffic at the Otedola Bridge, which helped to fuel the speculation that some very important dignitaries may be responsible for the situation. But that was not to be as everybody entered the camp and participated in all the events of the weekend which began with the Holy Communion service on Thursday night.

By Friday, it was a near full house and the mass choir thrilled the audience to spectacular sessions of praise and worship as the crowd, including a motely of traditional rulers and their entourages, heartily responded to high pitched drum beats and instrumentation that filled the well lit atmosphere with gyrations to shrug off the cold winds in the camp.

The General Overseer of the church, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, and one of his spiritual sons, Regional Evangelist J.T. Kalejaiye, outlined over a dozen nuggets for a prolonged life.

Taking the introductory sermon in what he described as an attempt “to give you fish, Daddy will come to teach you how to catch the fish”, Kalejaiye said, pointing out that there were three striking stages in human life: Formation (which was done by God), deformation (which was accomplished by Satan) and transformation (which has begun under the watchful eyes of Jesus).

He maintained that physical life is like a loan, but can be endured or enjoyed, can be terminated and can be prolonged, noting that the principles for prolonging life includes the following: You must keep God’s commandments; fear the Lord; honour your parents; hate covetousness; need the giver of life; and eat well. “Take your food as your medicine in order not to take your medicine as your food,” he emphasized.

Kalejaiye, who compared the ministries of Jesus and Satan, both of whom, he maintained, came to this world for specific missions, have numerous workers working day and night to actualize their separate assignments, stating that for the Kingdom of God to enthrone righteousness, the cardinal element in the war between the two kingdoms, “it is better for the disciples of Jesus Christ to be faithful than to be famous,” stressing that both kingdoms are striving to populate their separate kingdoms.

Turning to his immediate constituency, which has come under adverse criticism lately, Kalejaiye, who stated that he had won over 10,000 souls in the first half of this year, stressed the need for Christians to re-order their priorities, shifting emphasis from self glorification to being steadfast in the work of evangelism, challenging them to wake up from their current slumber, adding “Jesus desires to have you and has actually paid the price for your life.”

Shortly after the ministration, wife of the General Overseer and coordinator of School of Disciples, Pastor (Mrs) Folu Adeboye, led the crowd of worshippers to pray for the peace of Nigeria as well as all the nations of the world under the siege of terrorism and other violent situations including same sex marriages.

Pastor Adeboye, who was honoured along with a professor of agricultural engineering, Prof. Fola Aboaba, Chairman of Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, Elder Felix Ohiwerei, among others, by the School of Disciples, began tracing the history of the School of Disciples, saying that nobody becomes a Christian without going through the school. According to him, it was one of the innovations responsible for the current growth.

Quite naturally, he began his message for the day by building on the foundation that had earlier been laid by Kalejaiye by attempting to define life itself, saying that there were things in this world that people think they know but do not really know. “What is life? Suddenly, you discover that you can’t define some of the things you want to define. In higher mathematics or higher philosophy, when you come across something you cannot define, we go round it by defining it by what it is not. For example, we can say that life is the opposite of death and it is correct.”

Adeboye defined death as a permanent separation from people, places and things with emphasis on the permanence, stressing that it makes his teaching job easier when he assume the definition: ‘Life is the opposite of death,’ proceeding to outline things associated with death including sorrow, loss, loneliness, and identifying the agents of death to include sickness, poverty and hopelessness. He pointed out that restoration was the exact opposite of hopelessness. On the contrary, he argued that abundant life consists of joy, good health, healthy eating, good sleep among others.

Speaking on the theme of the programme, “That you may have life”, Adeboye, dressed in dark blue trousers and a white stripped short-sleeved shirt, urged anybody wishing for abundant life which includes joy, sound health, companionship, glorious hope and good sleep, must keep his tongue from evil, depart from evil, must do good always, seek peace always and pursue it; love God for He is life.

Drawing inspiration from various scriptural references, Adeboye continued by saying that those seeking long life, which is a matter of choice, must at all times love, fear and obey God, beware of curses, honour their biological and spiritual parents, live holy lives and avoid fruitlessness, stressing the need for evangelism.

He told the participants to “stay away from actions that would attract curses. When God saved you it’s for you to save others through evangelism,” noting that to understand life people need to know those things associated with death including sorrow, loss, loneliness among others.

In another development, the RCCG general overseer has advised members of the Nigeria Police Force to put their trust in God, adding that it is only in God that their safety and protection can be guaranteed.

He made the statement at a special prayer session tagged: “Divine Security” organised for Police officers and men at the church national headquarters in Ebute-Meta, Lagos. Appreciating the efforts of the Police in ensuring peace and stability in the country, Pastor Adeboye noted that policemen face a lot of challenges and attacks in the discharge of their duties.

He therefore admonished members of the force not to put their trust in any man but trust God who alone is able to surround them with the needed wall of protection. “Safety is of the Lord; no matter how determined your security forces are, they cannot stop demons because demons are not visible to ordinary eyes. Arms of flesh cannot protect one. Only the Almighty God,” he said.

Narrating his experience, Adeboye said: “Several years ago, I was asked not to go to my village because the evil forces want to use me as breakfast then. I stayed away for 13 years; but later I was home sick and a friend told me he would take me to one Baba in a village not far from Akure to fortify me and nobody will be able to touch me.

“The old man tried all his best, he ate my goats and other things and then he fortified me and I was getting ready to go to my village. Then this man called me and asked where is this my village that they said I should not come to and I mentioned it.

“The man exclaimed and I asked him why? He told me he was the chief herbalist of the village and that he inherited all things from his father. According to him, his father sent him to my village for postgraduate and therefore I should not go. But thank God that at last He protected me”.