Pastor E. A Adeboye. All photos in this story by Segun Komolafe

By Bisi Daniels

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Pastor Enoch Adeboye has prophesized that there will be change of governments in many countries around the world this year.

Grouping Nigeria with the rest of the world in his annual prophecies this time, he said, “This year, there will be change of governments in many places all over the world; some of the changes will be peaceful while other will not be peaceful.”

“Happy New Year, Daddy”, Pastor Folu Adeboye greets one of the church elders

Ministering during the Church’s Cross-over service at the Redemption Camp on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, he also said there will be a spike in the occurrence of natural disasters because sin has become more rampant and God is angry.

“Unless we pray very, very hard, the Earth this year is going to behave like a child that is having convulsion,” he said. “There will be earthquakes in many places where it never happened before and volcanoes that have been dormant will erupt.

The Choir

“The Lord said that whatever we saw last year (2019) is nothing compared with what is coming in year (2020).

“And the reason is that sin is becoming far more rampant than before. Things that in the past were not even mentioned are now being celebrated and God is angry.”

The congregation

But he said if we should pray, and which is one of the reasons we should evangelize rapidly, God will help.

The General Overseer, however, prophesized joy for individual Christians, particularly members of RCCG, who participated in the church’s annual Holy Ghost Congress earlier last month.

Former Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State and his wife

For this group, the year 2020 “is going to be a year of series of joy because it is going to be a year of series of victories.”

He said although that also implied series of battles, victory is assured because the battles are God’s battles.

Concluding the day’s prophecies, which he explained would be continued on Friday, he said God had assured him that those who are his children will have their prayers answered rapidly.

Pastor Folu Adeboye (G.O’s wife), right, leads other women in songs

In the sermon before the transition to 2020, which was transcribed by the Discovery Media Crew, he disclosed that he was a bit shaken when God gave him the theme, “The Battle is Not Yours” but as he continued to seek His face and observed things unfolding, he was assured. He therefore charged the congregation repeatedly, “Don’t be afraid.”

He said the battles some people face is the Lord’s because they are the children of God, bought with the precious blood of Jesus and therefore highly valued by Him.

Such people, he explained, are Very, Very Important people to God; they are members of His family and choice friends; and those who touch them, touch the apple of God’s eye.

Since the battles of God’s children are His, he explained that what individuals are expected to do are:

To trust in God; to be strong and courageous, without being afraid; and to praise and eulogize God for Him to arise and for His enemies to be scattered.

Pastor Adeboye, his wife, Folu and other elders

Earlier Pastor Adeboye shared a testimony of how in preparation for a similar service in the early days of the Redemption Camp, he had told God in an intimate conversation that although he wanted the congregation to do more of praise singing, there wasn’t really much for the church to praise God for.

He recalled God telling him to write down favour He had done, including sleeping and waking; journey mercies to and from the Camp; provision of food for his family, etc. He said he soon started praising God that night.

The evening began with a Holy Communion Service, continued after a short break, with prayers, praise and worship, drama, in which the wife of the General Overseer, Pastor (Mrs.) Folu Adeboye featured and more songs. The usual altar call, made shortly before the year 2020 started counting, was well responded to, with children, the youth and elderly people running to the altar for salvation.