Genesis 1:26 - 28
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
As usual tonight before we go into the main message, I will want to give an opportunity to those who are yet to be born-again to give their lives to Jesus.
You see because there are certain blessings that are reserved for the children of God.
Now, I want to let you know a secret: this month, on the 8th of September by God's grace, my wife and I will have been married for fifty years.
Now, that is not the secret, some of you know that already.
But as usual my Daddy asked me: My son, what would you like Me to give you as a present for your 50th Anniversary?
You know me very well, I was thinking of you.
So, I asked Him for fifty thousand new children.
And I know He will grant my request.
But I know Him, He doesn't give good gift to those who are not His.
You see, basically, there are two overall Fathers (because the theme for tonight is Abba Father Part 7)
Two overall Fathers: God and Satan
James chapter 1 verse 17 calls God the Father of lights, and He says, every good and perfect gifts comes from above; come down from the Father of lights.
That is the first overall Father.
But then, John chapter 8verse 44 tells us that there are yet another father and he is called the devil.
Jesus was talking of the Bible censor that there are some people who are children of the devil, He is saying you are of your father the devil
And He tells us that this fellow, the devil or satan, is also known as the Father of lies - he is a liar and the father of lies
So there are two basic Fathers - overall Fathers:
· God: the Father of lights
· Satan: the Father of lies
Now, if you are a child of God, according to Jesus Christ in Mathew chapter 5 verse 14 to 16, He says, you are the light of the world.
If your father is a father of light, it is certain it will give birth to lights and He says you will shine for your father's glory.
As a matter of fact, the Bible tells us in John chapter 1 verse 5, if you are child of God, you are light and no matter how hard darkness may try, it won't overcome you
He says the light shines in darkness and the darkness comprehend not.
As a matter of fact in Isaiah 54 verse 16 to 18, the word of God says because your Father, the Father of light, is the Maker of all things, says no weapon formed against you shall prosper.
In fact He says you have the right to rebuke all those people, all those forces that are trying to condemn you, you rebuke them
In order words, you have the authority to tell evil forces not only to leave you alone but to you have a right to command them to be disgrace if you are a child of God.
I can tell you stories upon stories but we have a lot to do tonight; so, I will just give one example.
We went to hold a crusade somewhere here in Ogun State and then because the people there does not want us and then they brought out masquerades and the masquerade begin to wipe the people and instead of waiting to hear the gospel they began to run.
But one little girl, one of my little daughters, had heard me say: light does not run for darkness; it should be the other way round
And for somebody here tonight, from this moment onward, darkness will run from you
And she happens to be a native of that place, she knew their tradition that if the masquerade comes out like that and the drum of the drummer should break, that masquerade will not be allowed the following year.
So, she moved aside and say: in the mighty name of Jesus, I command every drum to break.
Almost before she finished, drums started breaking and the masquerade scattered.
Today, the drums of all your enemies will break
But that is if you are a child of God: light shines in darkness, darkness cannot overcome it.
On the other hand, if you are child of the devil, because if I say here, how many children of God are here? All hands will go up.
How do we know those who are children of the devil?
John 8:44 says if you are child of the devil you will be doing what your father loves to do: sinning, lying; not only will you be lying, you will even enjoy lying, you will be boosting about it.
Before I got born-again, when we have lied to somebody we have a way of saying it particularly here in Lagos
We will say: mogbejoke (I sat him down)
You know the meaning of that?
I deceived him and I done it in such a manner that he does not even know he has been deceived.
How many of you know what I am talking about.
I will boost about it.
When you are child of the devil, you will be doing things that you know it is wrong and you will be enjoying it and you will even be boosting about it.
The trouble with that is according to 1John chapter 3 verse 8, if you are child of the devil, you will risk being destroyed with the devil.
Because He says, he that commits sin is of the devil (that is how we know them); for the devil is a sinner from the beginning and for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil
Destruction is coming for those who are children of the devil, sooner or later, destruction will come.
Whereas the Bible says in the same 1John chapter 3 verse 9 to 10 says, whoever is born of God does not commit sin because the seed of God is in him - that is why he cannot commit sin because he is born of God.
If by any mistake a child of God should fall into any form of sin, he will weep his way out.
It is like when you see a little lamb falling into a pit of mould, it will cry until somebody came to help him out.
But a pig, if you take a pig and you wash it clean; what is it going to do?
He will look for a dirty pull to go and deep himself again.
The son of the devil, no matter how hard you try, will want to go back into sin; a child of God, no, no.
So, this is how we know the difference; it is not a question of me saying I am a child of God.
The Bible says in 2Timothy chapter 2 verse 19 says God knows those who are His.
You can pretend to the Pastor that you are born-again when you know you are still living in sins.
You can pretend to your friends; you can pretend in the church but you cannot pretend before God, He knows all things; He knows all things; He knows those who are His own.
Therefore, if you know that you are still leaving in sin, you are still enjoying sin but you want to come out and become a true child of God so that instead of the devil being your father, God the Father of lights can become your father so that you yourself will become a light in the world shinning a light that no darkness can overcome; then you can come forward tonight and my God will save your soul.
So, those of you who are here and those of you in the old auditorium, if you really want to give your life to Jesus Christ, I am going to count from one to ten and before I say ten come and stand before the altar and I will pray for you.
And those of you who are watching at all viewing centers all over the nations, you too move to the altar and there are men of God there who will attend to you even as I pray.
I am counting now
One, two...
Light is better than darkness;
If you are child of God you will be light If you are child of the devil you will be in darkness,
Come; let the Father of lights save your soul and turn you to a light that could shine in darkness and darkness will not be able to overcome.
Eight, Thank you Counselors, you can begin to come now
Hurry up, hurry up, those of you who are on the way Nine Keep coming, keep coming, keep coming, the Lord is waiting so that you can be born-again and become light.
Now, those of us who are already in the front and those of you who are still on the way talk to the Almighty God and say Father, please save my soul; deliver me from darkness and make me light.
Go ahead talk to the Almighty God.
BY: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
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