The Governor of the Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, clad in an all-white Niger Delta attire, was at the March Holy Ghost Service of the Redeemed Christian Church of God but that was no big news; and it gave nothing away about what he was going to say because the presence of other State Governors and even Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was a common sight at the services.
But when he took a turn during the hour of testimonies, the congregation paid him special attention.
Without any introduction, he went straight into his testimony, which announced him.
“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
“Brethren, I went into governorship elections in Bayelsa State on the 16th of November.
“Thereafter, I was alleged to have lost the elections.
“I promptly rejected the results and started a judicial process in Nigeria
“During the process, I visited this church on the 11th of January, during the programme of The Great Turnaround.
“After the service, I went to see Daddy GO (Pastor Adeboye) at around midnight.
“He prayed for me and said, “go and when you receive it come back to the church.”
“The judicial process continued until the 13th of February, about 24 hours to the swearing in of the alleged winner.
“Brethren, a miracle was accomplished. The Supreme Court declared me the winner of the elections.
“I have come to return the glory to God and to Him alone.
“I want to thank Daddy GO; I want to that all of you who stood with me in prayers.
“Today I am the Governor of Bayelsa State.”
Soon after he was sworn in, the Governor had described his accession to the Bayelsa Government House as “miracle” but he did not explain. On Friday, he made it open to the Glory of God.
The Other Bayelsa Miracle
That was the second major testimony at the Redemption Camp from the Bayelsa Government House in less than a year.
In December, last year, the former First Lady, Dr. Rachael Dickson shook the large congregation with excitement when he mounted the altar with her set of quadruplets.
In 2016, Nigerians rejoiced with the first family of the state, when, she gave birth to quadruplets in the United States, after many years of childlessness.
That Friday, on the altar of The Arena, the three-kilometre-by three-kilometre auditorium at the Redemption Camp, she told the world her story to the glory of God.
She testified: “Praise the Lord! My name is Rachael Dickson. I want to thank God for taking away my shame and reproach for 15 years; for 15 years, we had been waiting for the fruit of the womb.
“In 2013, when Daddy (Pastor Adeboye) visited Bayelsa state, he prayed for me, and in 2015, I was here for the Holy Ghost Congress. In 2016, the shame and reproach were broken with four children – one boy and three girls. I have come to give this great God of Heaven and the God of Daddy GO all the glory and all the honour. Thank you, and God bless you.”
Let there be Light
Pastor Adeboye’s sermon, the third in the Series “Let There Be Light” was kept short to allow ample time for congregational prayers.
Reading from Judges 15: 9-16, he recalled how Samson was bound by his people and delivered to the Philistines to prevent a major attack but as the Philistines were jubilating over him, “ the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon Samson, and he snapped the ropes on his arms as if they were burnt strands of flaxy.”
He said because God is Light and indeed, the Father of Light, so the prayer, “Let there be Light” also means “Let God Arise.”
The consequences of the Almighty God arising on behalf of an individual, he explained, are many:
•When God arises and focuses on an individual, certain things happen instantly:
•The yokes of the enemy or death are destroyed with the speed at which the ropes used to tie Samson snapped.
•With that touch of God, whatever the individual touches prospers. For example, after the encounter with God in the Burning Bush, the ordinary staff of Moses, became the staff of God, which was used to part the Red Sea.
•When the Light shines on you all your enemies scatter or are destroyed.
•All plots against you by the enemy – both internal and external – are aborted, and long after the enemies are scattered you will be rising.
•When the Light shines on you as God arises for you, all your internal enemies, who masquerade as relations and friends will be humiliated and come to bow before you like the brothers of Joseph, who sold him into slavery, did.
•When the light shines on you your promotion becomes very rapid and nobody can stop your upward movement and nobody can stop your upward movement.
•When God’s light shines on you, you laugh last and laugh best.
The night ended with congregational prayers on prayer points he had read out. Expectedly, he anointed handkerchief for people who waved them as he prayed from the pulpit.
The 3-day programme had started on Thursday with a service conducted by youths and young adults from various regions of the church. Praising them later for their performance, he said he was moved to tears by the sermon of one of them.