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THEME: LET THERE BE LIGHT
MINISTERING: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE
BIBLE TEXT: ISAIAH 38: 1-9
DATE: 19TH SEPTEMBER 2023
Bible Text: Isaiah 38: 1-9
1. In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the Prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.
2. Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and Prayed unto the LORD,
3. And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in Truth and with a Perfect Heart, and have done that which is Good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
4. Then came the Word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying,
5. Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy Prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.
6. And I will deliver thee and this City out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this City.
7. And this shall be a Sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he hath spoken;
8. Behold, I will bring again the Shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the Sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the Sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.
9. The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his Sickness:
I appreciate you all for your Contributions.
I will however go fairly deep into the Bible Text.
1. The Weight of a Prophesy depends on who is the Prophet.
Prophet Isaiah was not an Ordinary Prophet – He was one of the Greatest.
I. He was the one who told us in Isaiah 1:18 – Come, let us reason together saith the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.
… That was a Great Prophesy!
He was the one who Prophesised about the steps that must be taken for you to have Salvation – That no matter how sinful you are; you can become a Saint.
Also see; rccg-september-2023-holy-communion-service
II. He was the one who said in Isaiah 1: 19-20 – If you are Willing and Obedient, you will eat the Good of the Land.
Any Land! Whether America or Nigeria – It doesn’t matter what they said the Economy is saying; if you are Willing and Obedient to God, you will eat the Good of the Land.
That tells you that in every Land, there is Goodness.
And if you want to be Partaker of the Land, Isaiah told you what you must do – If you do God’s Will, there is no way that you can die Poor.
But then he says that if you go contrary to God in Verse 20 (Isaiah 1:20); he said there is no Hiding Place as His Sword will find you.
III. He was the one who said in Isaiah 3:10 – Say ye to the Righteous, it shall be well with you.
I kept on telling you my children all over the world that no matter how Successful we are now; we have not started.
Why? Because Isaiah said it that our tomorrow will be alright.
So, no matter how well it is now; there is something better coming!
Also see; special-sunday-service-with-pastor-dr-mensa-otabil-message-for-20th-august-2023
IV. He was also the one who said in Isaiah 3:11 – Woe to the Wicked, it is going to be ill with them.
There is None of us here, so Young that we have not seen the Wicked ones in Power and now no more – Because the Prophesy is there.
V. The same Isaiah was the one who tells you how you could make Progress.
In Isaiah 40: 28-31; after telling you about God, how Impossible is it to Understand Him Completely; he said that if you wait upon the Lord, He will constantly Increase your Strength.
You can move from Walking to Running to Flying.
VI. Isaiah was the one who said in Isaiah 41: 10-13; that you have Nothing to Fear because God said I will Hold your hands.
He said that all those Forces that seems to be ganging up against you; He said that you will search for them and you will not find them.
VII. Isaiah was the one who said in Isaiah 43: 1-7 – Among several things that He said; He said even when you are walking through Fire, it won’t burn you.
If that Statement is not true, People like me will not be sitting infront of you today as I Pass through some Fire!
VIII. And then, He was the one who Prophesised in Advance that you are going to be Healed.
He said it in Isaiah 53: 1-5 – He was the one who Prophesised that by the Stripes of Jesus Christ, you shall be Healed.
IX. And that Prophesy became fulfilled of course when the Lord Jesus Christ died on the Cross.
In Isaiah 54: 15-17; that no Weapon formed against you shall Prosper.
X. In Isaiah 60: 1-3; he Prophesised what is happening today.
When he said – Arise, Shine; your Light is come.
He said that at a time when Gross Darkness is covering the world, that will be the time for you to Shine.
And when you talk of Darkness covering the world – They arrested one of my Pastors in United Kingdom (UK).
What was his offence? He spoke at a Gathering and said: Ladies and Gentlemen.
And they arrested him because some People lodged a Complaint that he left them out – What of those of us who are neither Male or Female?
So, if you get arrested for saying: Ladies and Gentlemen; that is Darkness!
And you have not seen anything yet – So get ready to Shine!
2. Isaiah was so well Known, so well respected because if a Prophet Prophesy anything in those days and it doesn’t come to Past; they stoned him.
Suddenly one day, Isaiah opened his mouth in Isaiah 7:14 – He said that God is going to Show you a Sign – A Virgin will conceived.
What? But they knew that if it is coming from Isaiah; you better Pay attention.
He is that kind of Prophet that can say anything and People will know that this is from God!
It is this kind of Prophet that went to Hezekiah and said – Your Majesty, you are dead. You are not going to survive this Sickness!
When he spoke; he spoke as an Oracle of God:
Number 24:4 describes an Oracle of God as someone who hears from God, who sees Visions of the Almighty.
But there are all sorts of Prophets in the world today:
I. I mean a Prophet that will say during Summer that the Sun shall Shine tomorrow.
II. Prophets who will come to you and say: Thus saith the Lord; you have two (2)) cars, you must give one (1) of them to me.
III. They will say this Particular Offering I’m raising – Give me a thousand Dollars ($1,000) and I guaranteed you that you will get a hundred thousand Dollars ($100,000) in return.
When Isaiah spoke, it was God speaking!
3. And when God speaks, it is Settled.
I. Psalms 119:89 – Forever Oh Lord, thy Word is Settled.
II. Psalms 33: 8-9 – Let the whole Earth fear before God.
Why? Because He speaks and it is done; He Commands and it stands firm.
III. Numbers 23:19 – God is not a Man that He should lie, nor the Son of Man that He should repent.
That means that He doesn’t Change His Mind – Once He has Spoken, it comes to Pass!
But then, we now come across the Prayer of Hezekiah.
What did this Hezekiah Fellow said?
He said: God, I want you to remember – Just in case you have forgotten; let me remind you:
1. I have walked in Truth and I am not an Hyprocite.
And he is making reference to the Word of God that is written on how God treats those who are Homest.
I hope those of us in America will Pay attention to that – Who are not “Political Christians”; who are Christians one hundred Percent.
It is written in Job 13:16 – When you wait in Truth for the Almighty God, God will be your Salvation,
As far as Hypocrite is concerned – He says that he won’t even be allowed to Stand before God!
Oh, what are you trying to say sir? – Who are Hypocrites?
Well, a Hypocrite is Somebody who deals with God as if He doesn’t know Mathematics!
If you don’t like the Deep Things that I’m talking, do what I’m taught.
There was an Old Man in Nigeria who left his Nation (Britain) to come and be a Missionary in Nigeria. He left home way back in 1956 and then God linked us together and I went to him to learn every two (2) weeks.
And he will say some things that are out of the way. But then God spoke to me: Whatever he has told you take whichever you like to eat now and that in which you don’t like, put it in the Shelve because you will need it later.
And as I grew, as the work of God Prospered in my hand; I suddenly discovered: Oh, oh, this is what the Old Man was saying.
I discovered then that he wasn’t wrong and that my Digestive System not Strrong enough.
I mean for Example – When he spoke to me and said: Don’t get “Too Involve” with Administration.
I said: What kind of Counsel is that? I am the General Overseer. I said that it was because this Man does not have a Church, He is just an Evangelist and Teacher. How can I Prove that I am the General Overseer?
Now, I will be long dead if I didn’t learnt that Lesson from him.
When I am in America, I’m under the Authority of the Chairman (NOTES: The Chairman of RCCG, The Americas is Pastor James Fadel) – Whatever he asked me to do, I do.
Sit down, I sit down. He is the one who said that we will have Morning Devotion today and it wasn’t in my Plan. But I have to say: Yes sir.
Otherwise, how will I survive with all these thousands upon thousands of Churches.
If I were to be a “Real Administrator”; as soon as I came here this Morning Morning and they introduced me to the Pastor here; I will say: Ha, before we go, let us go to your Office as I want to see your books, I want to know what Sermon you Preached Last Sunday.
By now, I will be dead!
Because he said it then – You get yourself “Too Involved” with Administration, you will Stop hearing from God!
Which will you Prefer?
So, when something is going wrong somewhere, who will tell me? He is the Overseer and I am just “The Front”.
Therefore, a Hypocrite is Someone who thinks that God does not know Mathematics!
What do you mean by that?
I. A Hypocrite is someone who thinks that God does not know the meaning of ten Percent (10%).
You said you are Paying your Tithe – Tithe means ten Percent (10%) and then you give what you like and call it ten Percent (10%).
Hezekiah said that I have walked in Truth – Meaning that I’m not an Hypocrite!
2. He said that I have walked with You with a Perfect Heart.
Psalms 37:37 says that the Man who walks with God with a Perfect Heart, the end of that Man is going to be Peace.
But God, I am in crisis now and You Promised that if I walk with You with a Perfect Heart, my end will be Peace.
What is the meaning of Perfect? – There is Nothing added, Nothing Subtracted.
The other day, I was discussing with one of my children – We are going through Memory Lanes and Ii was wondering how I could still be alive till today considering the number of enemies.
And then I said that it might be because God knows that everything we were thought, we did – We added Nothing to it, we Subtracted Nothing from it.
And I mean that you heard me during The RCCG 71st Annual Convention 2023 – When some People were talking that Miracles that were happening; there must be some Demonic Forces behind the Scene.
And then I said, let us settled the matter – If I am walking with God Perfectly, or if I am dabbling into Occultic Way in any way; let all of us Pray that God should kill me before the next Day Morning.
NOTES: You can get to Watch the Video Clips on the Prayer Session under Reference by clicking on this DMC YouTube Link:
And so, they looked at themselves – And I told them that you better Pray this Prayer because if I am a False Prophet, and God does not kill me; it simply means that you are going in the wrong direction.
So, if I don’t wake up next Morning, then you will know that God had killed me and it will be good God takes away a Leader who will lead us to Hell.
Well, they Prayed and I’m still alive!
A Relation of mine – A Professor called the following Morning and insisted on hearing my voice to be sure that I’m still alive.
When we talk of “Perfect Wool”; it means Wool without Steriline; Wool without Nylon – Pure Wool.
Anything that is not Perfect is Dangerous!
And when Somebody tells you – God is not talking of Perfection in that sense, He knows that you are Human Beings, He can tolerate a little bit of you know.
I gave an illustration years ago – Suppose we are all together like this, having a Wonderful Time and we put a bucket of very Clean Water by the door so that when we want to drink. You can go there and take a cup of water to drink.
And then, there is a Sister with a baby and the baby defecate. And as she was rushing the baby out to go and change the Nakpin.
And she passed by that bucket of water; if a little bit of faeces from the Child drops into that bucket of water; how many of you will still drink out of that bucket?
That is our God – The reason why many of you don’t get anything from Him is that we tried to reduce Him to our Level, when we ought to come to His Level.
The Lord said: Be ye Perfect even as Your Father in Heaven is Perfect.
One Bishop said to me – Sir, we love you, we appreciate everything that we see in you; the only Problem is that your Standard is “Too High”.
I said that it is not my Standard but God’s Standard.
When you get to that Level, when you make up your Mind that I want to be Perfect as He is; let me give you one Assurance: He will help you – Amen!
It is because you said that it cannot be done, that He said in that case, stay where you are!
If you stay where you are; that is where I want to be; He said that if I be lifted up, I will draw Men to myself.
You may not believed this but it doesn’t matter.
You must have heard that I came here for a Cruise and it has been booked long time ago.
Just as we were setting up to come, Hurricane began to fall and it was forming at a Speed that is Extraordinary – Within a Day, it moved from Category 1 to Category 4 Heading Straight in the direction of my Cruise.
I talked to my Daddy – Send this thing back. Then it began to bend.
3. Then he went on to say: God not only have I been walking in Truth, walking with a Perfect Heart; he said that I have been doing Good.
We don’t have a Record of all the Good things here but one of the things that Probably he could have done is that he must have been a “Good King”.
Because the Bible says that he who gives to the Poor, lends to God.
That should set us thinking – You have sent Your Oracle but if you don’t Mind, can we Negotiate? Because I have basis for my Negotiation.
Then, what was the Divine Response?
You know that in Isaiah 43:26; God said that put me in Remembrance.
He said, let us reason together – Discuss this issue. Tell me your reasons that you may be Justified.
Put in Mordern Language, he is saying – “Appeal the Judgement”.
The Judge had Passed his Judgement – He has the right to Pass the Judgement.
When he speaks, not only as a Judge; the Lord will back him up.
And then God Probably said that my Words are Settled but I am Sovereign.
Psalms 115:3 says: And God is in Heavens, He does as He Pleases.
If I say that I say this and after I say I’m not saying so anymore; you don’t like it then sue me. Let me see who will be your Lawyer? Let me see who will be the Higher Judge that will Judge me?
… I do as I Pleases!
I like that – Provided of course you follow the lines that I have already explained.
God can Change His Mind – And it is there in the Bible.
If you read Ezekiel 33: 11-16; if I say that a Sinner is going to die and the Sunner repents, he won’t die. He says that he will live.
… You can read the whole of Ezekiel Chapter 33!
You say – This God is working by Double Standards. He said that if a Sinner repents, he will live.
Do you think that I have Pleasure in the Death of a Sinner?
He said that if I say to the Righteous that he will live and then the Righteous go to sin, I say that he will die.
Then all those People who are telling you about “Unlimited Grace”; have not yet read the whole Bible!
There are those who will tell you – Once you are Born Again, you can do whatever you like and you will make it to Heaven.
Get Born Again and keep on lying, you will discovered in the Last Book of the Bible that the Bible said clearly – Without are Dogs and Liars.
So you say that you are Born Again and you can lie, you can cheat or fornicate!
One Bishop said to me – Jesus Christ said if your Neighbour offends you seventy times seven times a Day, forgive.
I said: Yes sir, that is what the Bible said.
He said that if I offend Him just seven times, He will forgive – And we are discussing the issue of Fornication.
I said I Pity you – You will split Hell wide open.
What my Bible tells me is that if a Man is in Christ, He is a New Creature; Old Things has Passed away, behold all things are become New.
What my Bible tells me is that after you have tasted of the Joy of Salvation, if you backside; you will be like a dog going back to its vomit.
Revelation 3:11 tells you – Hey, hold fast to that Crown which you have because I come quickly.
Don’t let Somebody take your Crowns – Hold fast to that which you have, let no Man take your Crown.
What does that mean? – Your Crown can be taken!
When you read Acts 1: 15-20; Jesus Christ said Judas Iscariot was one of us.
When the Lord sent us out to go and Preach and we returned with Joy that even Demons were Subject to us – He (Judas) was there.
But it was also written that Someone will take his Bishop Position,
Be careful my Beloveth Children, we are in the End Times – There will be all manners of Doctrines coming from Big Time Tele-Evangelists.
That a Man can walk up and down on Stage – Sweating and Preaching; doesn’t mean that God is still with him.
That a fan is still rotating, that a fridge is still cold; doesn’t mean that the Power had not gone.
God said Plainly – Be Holy for I am Holy!
… And that is in the New Testament!
All those who are telling me that People like me are Preaching the Law – We are not Preaching the Law, we are Preaching the Bible and the Whole Bible.
You read Acts 5: 1-11 – A Man of God killed husband and wife one Morning.
Some People came late to Church and they saw some People carrying a dead woman – What happened?
Oh, the Pastor killed her and killed the husband before her.
I wish the Church can return to that Level – If all Hypocrites were uprooted, the Church will grow!
Because the Bible said: Great Fear fell on the People and Multitudes were added to the Church.
I told my children during the RCCG September 2023 Holy Ghost Service that when you talk about the Almighty God – The God of Wonders, many atimes we think of God as a Lamb and forgetting the fact that He is also a Lion.
NOTES: We can get to read the Full Text of Pastor E.A Adeboye Sermon during The RCCG September 2023 HGS on Friday 1st of September 2023 on this Link:
It is in the New Testament that when Paul the Apostles was Preaching and one Sorcerer was disturbing him, he smote him with Blindness.
… That is the Apostle of Grace!
The Apostle of Grace said that I keep my body under – I tell my body that I belong to God and you are not going to lead me astray.
Now, God can Change His Mind from Bad to Good and from Good to Bad!
1 Samuel 2:30 – God said that I said indeed (Meaning that I didn’t send a Prophet); to you Eli that you and your father’s house will serve before me forever. But He said now I say, be ye far from me as I don’t say so anymore. I cancel that.
You know that they have a Proverb where I came from (In Yorubaland) – They said: It is the White Man who made Pencil that also made Eraser,
So that if he could write with the Pencil and he doesn’t like what he writes, he can erase it.
Which brings us to one other Crucial Point – Why will God Change His Mind from Good to Bad?
This is the most important Point you need to remember – He said that those who Honour me, I will Honour; those who despise me, I will lightly esteemed.
What does that tells you?
In Mathematics, the opposite of Plus is Minus and not Zero.
I. That is why I understand that the opposite of Fasting is not eating – It is Feasting.
So, when you go to Mcdonald ( NOTES: Mcdonald is an Eatery); feast when you are not Fasting.
II. The opposite of Honour is those who Despise.
When you don’t Honour God, then you are despising Him.
And you may not like this- In Proverbs 3: 9-10; God said: You Honour me with your First Fruit.
You don’t just Honour me with your Lips, you Honour me with your Actions.
You know that I have been to some of our Churches – And the Choir will sing wonderfully. But when it is Offering Time, I discovered that the Choir don’t give Offerings. They Pretend that they are Singing.
And I will say: Listen, I am your father and I owe you a duty to tell you the Truth.
You sing very well, but if you don’t Give your Offering; you will sing and you will be Poor because each one has its Place.
So, those of you who has not been Giving God your First Fruit, when was the Last Time that you Honoured God?
Beware how you Pray because this Story that we read in our Bible Text (Isaiah 38: 1-9) is also repeated in 2 Kings 20: 1-21.
This Man (Hezekiah); Prayed, and Gid said to Isaiah to go back – Tell him that I give him fifteen (15) more years.
Very Good – The King was happy.
But then, things began to happen:
1. In 2 Kings 21: 12-14; some Visitors came to visit him – Congratulations, we learnt that you are sick and now you have recovered.
And King Hezekiah Volunteered to show them round.
As soon as those People left, Isaiah came back again – What happened he asked? The King said I have some Visitors.
What did they come to do? They came to Congratulate me.
And what did they see? I showed them everything that I have.
Prophet Isaiah said – The Day is coming that they will come and take everything that they see!
When are they coming back the King asked?
The Prophet said after you died and the King said no Problem, I will be gone then.
Beware how you Pray! Don’t Pray a Prayer that will destroy your Legacy!
2. And then another thing happened after he got well.
Three (3) years after he got well, he had a baby boy – Ha, you see! If I had died three (3) years ago, I won’t have a New Prince.
The Name of that Prince is Manasseh.
DMC NOTES: Manasseh was the fourteenth King of the Kingdom of Judah. He was the Oldest of the sons of Hezekiah and his mother Hephzibah (2 Kings 21:1). He became King at the age of 12 and reigned for 55 years (2 Kings 21:1-18; 2 Chronicles 33:1-25).
The Bible said that He did evil like Nobody before him – Filled the Land with so much Blood of the Innocence.
There are some Children that are not better born – This might be a Consolation to some of you who Probably lost a Child or something.
If the Parents of Judas Iscariot knew what he was going to become, they would have been happy he died Young – But God knows tomorrow!
When you Pray, let your Prayer be – Father, let Your Perfect Will be done. Not mine but yours. It may be Painful, but Lord let Your Perfect Will be done!
David said in Psalms 31:15 – He said: Lord, my times are in your Hands!
It is time to Pray!
SPECIAL PRAYERS
I know that some of you are getting ready to Change certain things, getting ready to appeal some Decisions of God et cetera et cetera.
Let me assure you of one thing – When Gid closes one door, it is because He has a better one waiting.
So your Prayers will be in two-folds:
1. You want to tell the Almighty God that I want to be Perfect as my Father in Heaven is Perfect.
Help me – I have been failing You, I have been lying to You, Cheating You, Hypocritical by Giving my Tithing, I have not Honoured You with my First Fruit.
I have Failed You up to this Stage and I can’t boast like Hezekiah did.
But if only you will help me Lord, I want to be Perfect just as You are Perfect.
2. And then, I am laying my entire Future into Your Hands – Just let Your Perfect Will be done.
In Jesus Mighty Name we have Prayed – Amen!
And in case there is aanyone of us in need of Special Prayers – Healing, Deliverance, Breakthrough; will you kindly Stand at this moment?
CLOSING PRAYER
Ancient of Days, I want to Thank You. The All-Sufficient God, I bow before You today because before the Foundation of the world, you knew this Meeting will take Place and you knew how many of us will be here.
I know that this is not an Accident with You.
So, I’m Thanking You because You made this Possible.
And I’m asking Lord God Almighty that whatever may be in the lives of these Your Children that could Stand between them and the Miracles that they need now; Please put it under Your Blood.
My Father and my God, I’m using the Authority invested in me by You that all Evil Forces that has shown undue Interest in any of these Your Children, be bound now.
I’m Praying that the Blood that Conquered satan will Conquer for these Your Children.
I’m asking that You will lay Your Mighty Hands on these Your Children, that Your Ressurrection Power will flow through them, that Your Anointing will destroy every Yokes in their lives – Every Yokes Physical, Material, Marital and Spiritual.
Today, my Father and my God, in the lives of these Your Children, do something New and let this Day mark a New Turning Point in their lives.
Even before this Day is over, Father let Your Children have Testimonies.
Thank You my Father and my God.
I’m also asking Lord because You brought us here today:
That You will turn this Temple of Yours to a Miracle Center.
That every Prayers ever Prayed here will be Answered by Fire.
And I Pray Lord God Almighty that in Your Kingdom, None of us will be missing.
Help us to be Perfect, help us to Restitute our ways.
And Lord God Almighty, in all our lives, let Your Perfect Will be done.
In Jesus Mighty Name we have Prayed – Amen!
Praise the Lord – Hallelujah!!!
Thank you so much for staying all through to read.
