Pastor Enoch Adeboye, general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) was ambushed during an early morning prayer walk on Wednesday.
The story, narrated by him on Wednesday night, was one of the many highlights of the third day of Congress, holding at the Redemption Camp of the church, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
According to the pastor, he was trying to look for a quiet place in the Camp, which is fast becoming a big town, at about 4am, when some people ambushed him for blessing.
The high demand for meeting the pastor has often denied him privacy.
“If you see a man of over 75 years old walking alone at night, you must know that he is doing that on a purpose, but the people won’t let me,” he recounted. “I tried to veer along a path into the bush, and was relieved to be alone to pray, but they traced me there.”
He said finally, he was able to be alone with God, who assured him during the Wednesday programme every yoke of bondage would be broken.
He did not explain how he was able to free himself from the people who were following him, but the deliverance service later that day and early Thursday, was attended by millions of people.
Another major highlight of the day was the demographics of attendance, which confirmed the spread of the church around the world – now in 196 countries- and the popularity of the Congress.
There were delegates from several African countries and many representatives from the Europe and the Americas.
The congregation shouted with joy when representatives from countries like Mongolia, Macao, Bangladesh, Thailand, Bahrain, and Peru were announced.
So also was the congregation excited by the recognition and praises of RCCG by some of the foreign delegates and representatives.
Pastor Mensah Otabil, a renowned Bible teacher, whose powerful ministration was another highpoint of the night, described Pastor Adeboye as, “the foremost Christian influence in the world at the moment,” and praised for his integrity, holiness and leadership qualities.
Much later, the Senior Pastor of the Family of God Church in Indonesia, who led a delegation of 21 from that country to the Congress, said through an interpreter that God directed them to come and see the great work he is doing in RCCG, which he described as the “people’s church of the world.”
He hopes to “catch the annointing of Pastor Adeboye and the church that makes the impossible, possible.”
In another goodwill message, Apostle Omobude, leader of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, congratulated RCCG for the Congress and its other achievements.
Mr. Otabil, noted for the depth of his messages, was cheered by the congregation as mounted the pulpit. Ministering, he said the greatest restorer is Jesus Christ, who like in the example of Zachaeus, does not only save a person but also restore that which was lost.
He explained that what one loses in the sinful world is the glory of God, which Jesus came to restore. Glory, he said, has weight, it is the presence of God and the manisfestion of his power.
Then citing the incidence on the Mount of Transfiguration , where the glory of God so transformed Jesus, that Peter and John could not look at him, he glory brightness the individual, even his clothes and his environment.
He made the point that before the cruxifiction of Jesus, he was able to transfer the glory he carried to others, such that anyone who worshipped and obeyed God could receive His glory.
The deliverance
Pastor Adeboye’s turn, the last of the day, which is also the highest point came after testimonies by people who had been blessed by God.
A youngman, John Odega, fulfilled his promise to God by rolling seven times on the stage over the cure of prostate cancer, after he sat on a bed Pastor Adeboye had used which is on display at the Open Heavens International at the Camp.
Many couple testified about how God blessed them with babies after many years of waiting.
Pastor Adeboye described his session as a serious one because people were going to fight for their freedom from bondage. He explains that fighting the devil, who attacks at many points, is complicated by the fact he is an invisible enemy, who could even deceive an individual into thinking that they are invincible, while he (the devil) attacks the persons relations.
He likened life in bondage to a person with hands and legs bound in prison, a situation which restricts his coast and limits his progress.
But he said with deliverance, God’s glory with all its power is restored for a turnaround and progress; enemies become disappointed , some disappear and some others become servants.
He listed seven reasons why he believed people were going be delivered that night.
After that he made an altar call to enable sinners in the congregation to receive salvation before leading a prayer session he described as warfare, which was preceded with praise singing for God to arise.
The session ended at about 12.40 am, as people went away singing songs of victory.
