Sunrise july 2014

SUNRISE SUMMER 2014 £2.50 Where Sold

The Magazine of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, United Kingdom PUBLISHED BY RCCG CENTRAL OFFICE, UNITED KINGDOM

WALES & SCOTLAND

Pastor E.A Adeboye

Host

SUNRISE The Magazine of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, United Kingdom

SUNRISE Magazine ISSN NO: 2042-6542 EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief: MODUPE AFOLABI, Managing Editor: YINKA ODUWOLE, Editor: ANDREA ONDUKU Photography (RCCG Events): KUSH Designed by: XANDY DAEHNHARDT Printed by: WWW.CHURCH-PRINT.CO.UK Published by: The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), United Kingdom. facebook.com/rccguk twitter.com/rccguk youtube.com/rccguk All communications to: Sunrise Magazine, RCCG Central Office, Redemption House, Station Road, Knebworth, SG3 6AT. Disclaimer: The publishers, editors, contributors and related parties are not responsible in any way for the actions or results taken by any person, organisation or any party on basis of reading information, stories or contributions in this publication. Views expressed by contributors to Sunrise are not necessarily the official position of the mission.

Tel: + 44 (0) 208 171 1030 Email: info@sunrisemagazine.org.

Web: www.sunrisemagazine.org

FROM THE GENERAL OVERSEER

JESUS “Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature, old things have passed away behold all things have become new�.

2 Corinthians 5 v 17

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f there is any single word that symbolizes Jesus, it is the word CHANGE. Everything about Jesus Christ spells change. From the moment He was born into this world; change, change, change. Even the calendar changed; from the moment He came they began to talk about years before Christ and the years after Christ. When He came by virgin birth, He changed all the rules concerning childbirth. That is why menopause or no menopause means nothing to Him. That is why you can hear testimonies of women aged 50+ giving birth to babies. From the moment Jesus came, walking on water, He changed everything about the law of gravity. The law that says everything that goes up must come down has nothing to do with Jesus. When you encounter Jesus, you go up and you will stay up. From the moment He came, you can boldly say I shall be above only and never beneath.

From the moment He came and He changed water into wine, it became clear that if you are linked to Him, you will never be ashamed.

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Everything about Him spelt change.

Jesus never leaves a man the way He met Him. In John 5 v 2-9, He met a man who has been sick for thirty eight years, He changed everything; He put an end to his sickness, He put an end to his bondage, He put an end to his loneliness, He changed his level. The one who used to sleep among sick people was changed when Jesus met him, He changed his level. Jesus met a man who was possessed by 6,000 demons, living in a tomb but Jesus will never leave you the way He met you. He met this man thoroughly insane, living in a grave yard but by the time He left him, He was totally free. His destiny that was truncated had been restored. He was on a new level.

In Luke 7 v 11-15, Jesus met a woman who was a widow and had just lost her only son. She was on her way to the burial when Jesus met her. He changed everything and her direction to the grave yard changed. Sorrow became joy and tears became laughter.

In Mark 5 35v 43 Jesus came to Jarius’s house but people told Jarius ‘its already too late’. Jesus said no, when I come on the scene, too late becomes not too late.

The focus of Jesus is not your circumstances, His focus is on you. He can do anything and all power belongs to Him. If anybody says there is something Jesus cannot do, I will say the fellow is a fool. He can cure the incurable, He can raise the dead, He can make the lame to walk. He can make dry bones to rise again and He can bring water to come out of the rock.

However, as powerful as God is, there is something you can call a spiritual insulator. We all know how powerful an electricity can be, if you touch a naked wire; you are dead! However the moment we wrap a piece of rubber round it, a child can play with it. The power is still inside but the rubber won’t let it come out. God can do anything, but Isaiah 59 v 1-2 says sin is an insulator. It says the hand of the Lord is not shortened that He cannot save. His ear is not heavy that He cannot hear but iniquities put a separation between individuals and God. That is why Jesus came; to remove the insulator. He came to wash away sin; that the power of God might be able to penetrate. He came to change the root; He knows if He can change you, everything else about you will change.

Let me tell you the truth; if you truly encounter Jesus, you will lose your old friends because they won’t understand you anymore, because you won’t talk like they talk anymore. You won’t drink what they drink any more, you won’t even dress the way they dress anymore.

If you encounter Jesus, everything will change, if you don’t leave your friends, your friends will leave you. If you encounter Jesus, He will bring about change. If you say you have encountered Jesus and there are no changes, it is a pastor you encountered or maybe an evangelist, not Jesus.

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When you encounter Jesus, He will change you from a civilian to a soldier. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 2 v 3-4 that He has chosen you to be soldier. If you really encounter Jesus; you will no longer be running from forces of darkness, because if you encounter Him, He said in His word, ‘these signs shall follow them that believe, in my name they will cast out demons’. You will be the one driving them out; they won’t be the ones frightening you.

When you encounter Jesus, He will not only change you, He will turn you into a change agent. When He changes you, He expects you to change your city. In John 4 v 1-42 we read of a woman who had been married five times, divorced five times and the sixth time she didn’t even bother about marriage. When she encountered Jesus, Jesus changed her and she changed her city. How can you say you have been born again for ten years and your village or your town remains the same? No matter how tiny the light is, the light will shine in darkness and darkness will not overcome it. He changes you, so you can change your country. When you have a genuine encounter with Jesus, you are more than enough to change this nation. When He changes you, He wants you to change the world. But, most importantly He wants to change your final destination. Every sinner is heading for hell. Psalm 9 v 17 says the wicked shall be turned to hell but Jesus came and said no, let’s move you towards heaven instead.

God won’t force you to change; He won’t force you to go to heaven. You don’t have to go to heaven. There were two thieves on the cross, nailed with Jesus Christ, both of them were heading for hell. Jesus stood in their midst and one began to ridicule Him saying: ‘I thought they say you are a prophet, why don’t you deliver yourself and deliver us here’? The second one said, ‘you are on your way to hell and you are still talking like this’? He turned to Jesus and said “I don’t know if it is too late but if you get to your kingdom, if you can remember me, I will be grateful”. At that very moment change came. Jesus said you are destined for hell but I will take you to heaven.

Jesus means change, but He won’t force you.

Jesus means change! He will change the sick to the healed. He will change the bound to the freed; He will change failure to success. He will change sorrow to joy and change hell to heaven.

If you decide to have an encounter with Jesus, you must be willing to come under a new management.

Jesus said come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest, but you must take my yoke upon you. Before you encounter Jesus; your affairs were managed by Satan and yourself. When you give your life to Jesus, when you encounter Jesus, there can be only one master left and His name must be Jesus.

By: Pastor E. A. Adeboye

GOD GLORIFYING

Test imonies

FROM

Healed of Eye Pain! - Sister Temitope Olanrewaju “When I was coming to this Centre (ExCeL London) today, I felt a pain in my eye and I told God that I did not want to go back home with a complaint. But I was happy that when Daddy G.O. was preaching, my case was the first to be mentioned. And I actually got my healing instantly. (The eyes) are no longer itching. Praise the Lord!”

Brother Delivered from Mental Illness - Sister Kemi Kupolokun “After the last Festival of Life, my brother received healing from mental illness. There is no history of mentail illness in my family; all of a sudden in June, one day, he went mental. It was said that the plan of the enemy was for him to be thrown into a mental institution. But a few months later - in October, after FOL - we saw God’s work in his life. To the glory of God, he celebrated his 30th birthday on Christmas Day completely healed, like nothing had happened to him earlier in the year.

Also, my mum has been restored for the second time from Myeloma, which is a sort of cancer of the blood. God has been indeed faithful.”

Child with Learning Disability Begins Recovery - Sister Olakitan Olatunde “I delivered my second son by emergency caesarean section last year because of some issues. After delivery, I was informed that my son had bleeding in the brain and the path mainly affected is the one responsible for cognition and motor function. I was told he also had stroke and was partially deaf. I believed God that he is completely healed and trusted God for a word confirming that tonight. Daddy G.O.’s second word of prophecy said that exactly: ‘A lady is here whose retarded child’s journey to total health has begun tonight.’ Praise the Lord with me!”

Healthy Baby after Miscarriage - Brother & Sister Folarin “Praise the Lord! I just want to thank the Lord for what He has done in my life. Last year April, I came to Festival of Life with sadness because I just had a miscarriage. But when our Daddy G.O. was preaching, he said ‘There’s somebody here - next year, you’ll come with your baby to celebrate with me.’ And I said, ‘God, I hold on to this testimony because I know you can do it.’

I kept reminding God that if you fail me, that means you’ve failed Daddy G.O.!’ Then, two months later, I got pregnant. Last month (March), my due date passed. And I kept telling God, ‘I know you will not fail, because if you fail me, you have failed our Daddy G.O.’ On the 27th of March (2012), I was at home and they called from the hospital that they want to induce me.

I said, ‘God, thank you.’ The next day - 28th - I gave birth to a live and healthy baby. Praise the Lord! And my baby’s name is Oluwadabira Enoch Folarin!”

Jesus Healed Me of Kidney Disease - Sister Bukola Onasanya “Praise the Lord! I was admitted into Milton Keynes Hospital on the 22nd of February (2012). (Before then) I was hale and

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hearty - nothing was wrong with me. I was swallowing a bit and so went there. After all the tests, they said I have kidney problem called Nephrotic syndrome. They did a biopsy and after a while, said I need to have treatment. So, I was there for a while. I was swallowing, I couldn’t pee, I was sick! After about 3 to 4 weeks, they said I was not responding to treatment; so, they sent me back home. But while I was in the hospital at night - on the 2nd of March - (and I didn’t even know it was Daddy G.O.’s birthday that day), I remembered that it was the first Friday and they would be doing the Holy Ghost Service in Nigeria.

So, I called my friend and said ‘Are you praying for me? Are you watching the Holy Ghost Service? Is Daddy on?’ He said ‘Yes’ and put it on speakerphone. Daddy was prophesying that we will live in perfect health; I claimed the prophecy. Also, Daddy prayed on people’s handkerchiefs. When I was sent home from hospital, my friend brought the handkerchief and I placed it on myself. My family was praying for me. The next day, I started getting well. At my next weekly check-up at the hospital, the nurse saw me and said ‘Who is this? Is this Olu?’ I said, ‘It’s me.’ She said ‘It’s not possible!’ I said ‘It is me. Jesus has healed me!’ I give God the glory. I just give Him praise and I thank Him for our Daddy G.O.” Years of Barrenness Came to an End - Dr & Mrs Fatumo “We bless God for His faithfulness in our lives. We got married in 2007 and before FOL 2011, we had been waiting on God for the fruit of the womb, all to no avail. Several medical tests with top gynaecologists could not explain the reason for our childlessness. In February 2011, my gynaecologist decided that I would have to undergo some surgeries for him to be certain that my uterus and tubes were alright. The surgeries were scheduled for July 2011. My husband and I decided that the date for the surgeries was just too far, and decided that if God cannot do it, then let it remain undone. We properly positioned ourselves to attend FOL April 2011 which was tagged ‘The King of Glory’. During the praise and worship, I danced like never before. When it was time for Daddy G.O. to mount the pulpit, I asked God to personally send His servant to me.

And God did. It wasn’t long in the course of the message that Daddy G.O. prophesied that, ‘There is someone here; I am believing God that by April 2012 FOL, your child would have been 3 months old.’ I shouted ‘Amen!’ because I was sure that the word (of knowledge) was for me. In the course of his preaching, Daddy G.O. also shared the testimony of how 4 women who were waiting for the fruit of the womb sat on his chair after his visit to a friend in the United States and 3 of them conceived. My husband and I ran to the pulpit after the programme just to struggle to sit on the chair. But we couldn’t sit on it. And I said to my husband, ‘If only I can touch the chair, I know I will be made perfect and will get pregnant.’ After the FOL, I got pregnant and we’re here with our baby in our hands - Sharon Ayomide Oluwadarasimi Oluwajomiloju Segun Fatumo. Hallelujah!

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Happy Birthday to

PASTOR (MRS) FOLUKE ADENIKE ADEBOYE @ 66

Mummy, Congratulations on your birthday.

May you continuously be blessed in wisdom and love in Jesus' Name.

We love and appreciate you.

RCCG UK 13th July 2014

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JESUS: The Unchangeable Lord

BY JOSEPH AMAEZE

“Who do people say that I am?” That is the question Jesus asked His disciples in a quest to discover whether they knew whom they had been spending the past three years with. In response, some of them said He was either John the Baptist, Elijah or one of the other prophets. Peter accurately answered that He was Christ (the Messiah), the son of the living God. Excitedly, Jesus declared that Peter had just received a revelation from God about whom He was (see Matthew 16 and Mark 8).

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t is possible for people to walk with Jesus for any length of time, witness Him perform miracles, hear Him teach and fellowship with Him, without actually knowing who He is. To those who have a personal revelation of Him and enjoy a close spiritual relationship with Him, He is their risen lord and living saviour.

The Bible says that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8), but what does this mean? Well it simply means that He doesn’t change. However, in terms of current location, Jesus is not a broken man nailed to a wooden cross but He is now elevated to the right hand of God in Heaven (Ephesians 1:20-22).

Who is Jesus?

1. Jesus says He is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6) and that no one can gain access to God without first passing through Him. Jesus is the way or the doorway through which a person must pass in their quest for God. Today, many are searching for God, but not all have discovered Jesus because they have been misdirected to false or counterfeit doorways that only

lead them into more misery and oppression; one such doorway is the doorway of religion. There is a popular saying that there are many ways to God but this is a lie of Satan who is otherwise known as the father of lies there is only one doorway to God and the name above it is Jesus Christ. Jesus says He is the truth, meaning that anything that contradicts Him is a lie. Jesus is referred to as the word of God that took on the form of humanity and came to earth to dwell amongst us (John 1:1-11) and the Bible declares that, that word of God is true (John 17:17). Since Christ derives His origin in God the father He cannot lie. When Jesus says that He is the life, He is referring to eternal life. Jesus submitted Himself to death on a cross, as a sacrificial means of reconciling sinful man to God, and all those who accept His sacrifice as their pathway to reconciliation with God have access to eternal life.

2. Jesus says He is the resurrection and the life and that anyone who believes in Him even if that person were dead they would live again (John 11:25). The Bible

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confirms that when Jesus was crucified on the cross He overcame death and destroyed the power of Satan over death (Hebrews 2:14). Furthermore, Jesus says that He now holds the keys of death and Hades - the domain of death - (Revelation 1:18). This means that dead people, things and situations come back to life when they encounter the eternal life flowing through and from Jesus.

3. Jesus says He is the bread of life and He promises that anyone who comes to Him shall never hunger and that anyone who believes in Him shall never thirst (John 6:35). Jesus is the source to everlasting satisfaction. Jesus warned about covetousness and the pursuit of things when He said that the measure of a person’s life is not the sum total of their earthly assets (Luke 12:15).

Elsewhere, Jesus points out the futility of a person who acquires worldly accolades and goods at the expense of his or her soul. Unless a person discovers contentment and fulfilment in Jesus they will remain unfulfilled.

4. Jesus says He is the First and the Last, the Alpha and Omega, and the Beginning and the End (Revelation 1: verses 8, 11 and 17). In describing Himself as the First and the Last, Jesus is communicating to us His eternal unchanging nature and the fact that He is unique and irreplaceable. He has no substitute and there will never ever be another Jesus. He is the first and last Jesus, full stop. There will never be another saviour or redeemer to reconcile the souls of fallen men to the righteous God. Though many Christians are being moulded in His image Jesus remains the standard by which God judges perfection. This is why the Bible calls Him the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) and sets Him as the example that we are called to focus on in our spiritual development. When He describes Himself as the Beginning and the End, He is referring to creation as we know it. The Bible tells us in the Beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth (Genesis 1:1) and that Jesus was there at the beginning with God and that He (Jesus) created all things (John 1:1-3). This means all creation starts in Him and finishes in Him. Part of creation is time and it likewise starts and finishes in Him emphasising His eternal, timeless nature.

5. Jesus says He is the everlasting one who dwells in eternity (Revelation 1:18) and that though He died, He is alive forevermore. To be eternal means He is timeless and outside the control of time. This is possible because of God’s omniscience (all knowing) and omnipresence (unrestricted presence). God functions outside time and space and like His son, Jesus, He has no past or future enabling Him to plan and complete events before they actually occur in human experience. That is why the Bible says He knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10) and foretells things that have not yet come to pass. This is the same nature possessed by Jesus who was the

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express image of God the father. What this tells us is that we need not fret about life because as Jesus reassures us (Matthew 6:8) God our father already knows what we need even before we ask for it. Nothing takes Him by surprise concerning us.

6. Jesus says He opens and no one shuts and that He shuts and no one opens (Revelation 1:7) and He is able to do this because He has the keys of David’s House (Isaiah 22:22). This again points to Jesus Christ’s authority in relation to earthly dominion. This is why Jesus has the keys of David’s House – in the spiritual sense – and is able to open doors that no one is able to shut and shut doors and no one can open them. The doors are access routes to places of authority in the earth and this indicates the role that God has called the Church to play in this season of human history. Because Christ has the keys, the Church has access to places of authority and wherever Jesus gives the Church access to, Satan and his agents are powerless to obstruct or prevent it. Jesus obtained the keys after His death and resurrection, when He disposed Satan of them. The places of authority in the Earth are the modern day kingdoms more commonly known now as sectors, industries and professions where Satan’s agents still dominate in the natural realm because of the Church’s ignorance or reluctance to possess its inheritance. The key to accessing doors of promotion is submitting to His word and not being ashamed of publicising His name.

7. Jesus says He is gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, (Matthew 11: 28-30) and promises that all who come to Him will find rest (relief, respite and refreshment) for their souls. This tells us that an arrogant person cannot genuinely be a member of Jesus’ family because Jesus by His own admission was humble. In the Bible, Apostle Paul invites us to imbibe the humility exemplified by Jesus (Philippians 2: 4-9); even though He (Jesus) was of equal status with God, by virtue of His nature and origin, Jesus humbled Himself to God’s will and that humility led to His death on the cross.

Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever meaning that He is unchangeable in nature. He has never and can never change which is good news for all those who are putting their trust in Him. When Jesus returns it will be in His full Heavenly regalia and glory to take possession of the kingdoms on earth; He will be returning for His family – the Church and anyone who is not part of that family will face God’s wrath.

The clock is ticking and the time is now.

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RCCG Workers’ Rally April 2014

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eld at ExCeL London, the Workers’ Rally provided a forum for all workers in RCCG to be encouraged and exhorted by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of The Redeemed Chris an Church of God.

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Festival of Life, London April 2014

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he Festival of Life attended and viewed by tens of thousands of people is a free event hosted by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God. The evening was glorious with praise, worship, music of different genres, drama, various speakers and ministration by Pastor Adeboye.

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RCCG UK 2014 NATIONAL MINISTRY CALENDAR MINISTRY ACTIVITY

DATE(S)

RCCG WORKERS’ RALLY WITH THE GENERAL OVERSEER - CARDIFF

THURSDAY 17th JULY

FESTIVAL OF LIFE (FOL) - CARDIFF

FRIDAY 18th JULY

RCCG WORKERS’ RALLY WITH THE GENERAL OVERSEER - SCOTLAND

THURSDAY 24th JULY

FESTIVAL OF LIFE (FOL) - ABERDEEN

FRIDAY 25th JULY

RCCG UK SPORTS DAY

SATURDAY 2nd AUGUST

RCCG UK PASTORS’ INDUCTION COURSE (PIC) - MANCHESTER

SATURDAY 23rd & SATURDAY 30th AUGUST

CALLED BY HIS/HER SIDE - MANCHESTER

SATURDAY 30th AUGUST

RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL NATIONAL CONFERENCE

SATURDAY 6th SEPTEMBER

CATALYST WEEKEND

FRIDAY 12th – SUNDAY 14th SEPTEMBER

RCCG FEMALE MINISTERS’ RETREAT (SOUTH ENGLAND & MIDLANDS AND NORTH) SOUTH ENGLAND: 26th- 28th SEPTEMBER; MIDLANDS & NORTH: 3rd – 5th OCTOBER COVENANT PARTNERS’ RECEPTION WITH THE GENERAL OVERSEER - LONDON

THURSDAY 9th OCTOBER

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM)- LONDON

FRIDAY 10th OCTOBER

GRADUATION CEREMONIES – CRC/SOD/NABET - LONDON

SATURDAY 11th OCTOBER

FESTIVAL OF LIFE (FOL) PARTNERS’ RECEPTION WITH THE G.O. - LONDON

MONDAY 13th OCTOBER

RCCG WORKERS’ RALLY WITH THE GENERAL OVERSEER - LONDON

TUESDAY 14th OCTOBER

FESTIVAL OF LIFE (FOL) - LONDON

FRIDAY 17th OCTOBER

UK ORDINATION SERVICE - LONDON

SUNDAY 19th OCTOBER

WONDERS OF PRAYER DAY - LONDON

SATURDAY 8th NOVEMBER

ELDERS’ NATIONAL WEEKEND (IN PARISHES)

FRIDAY 14th – SUNDAY 16th NOVEMBER