Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, on Sunday revealed that his passion for military was halted by his mother, just as he urged Nigerians to appreciate and support the efforts of the military and other security agencies in combating insecurity across the country.
Pastor Adeboye said this on Sunday at the church monthly thanksgiving service and special prayers for security personnel held at the national headquarters of the church, Throne of Grace Parish, Ebute-meta, Lagos, on the theme: Vessels Unto Honour’.
The revered cleric said his love for the army made him to watch documentaries and films that are based on army training and others.
In his words: I wanted to be a soldier, it’s my mother who didn’t allow me. And I told her I wanted to join the army after I graduated she said “you are my only son, I am not asking you not to join the army just wait till I die and you have buried me, then you can do whatever you want to”. That was in 1960’s, by the time she died in 1990 it was already too late for me to join the army.
“But I love the army. Maybe another time I will tell you the reasons why. As I love the army, I watch every films, cinema, everything that have to do with the army. And I am telling you I saw what changed the civilian to the iron men. You see them in beautiful dresses, they look nice, maybe you should check from the day they enlist till the day they came to match in ceremonial dress. You will know what is hardness, endurance”.
“There are some people in this nation that we don’t give enough credit to, the soldiers, the paramilitary and the police. We suppose to constantly commit them into the hand of God. They the Almighty God will watch over them, He will take care of their families in the morning, afternoon and night. That God will support them, fight their battles and make them more than conquerors all the time
Praying for the security personnel, Adeboye said he appreciate their efforts towards nation building as he assured them if his constant prayers towards them:”I thank God for all my brothers and sisters in the paramilitary, the police who are here, they are examples of vessels into honour and I pray you will remain vessels into honour for ever. I want to tell you one thing that if nobody is praying for you, I am praying because I appreciate your value. I know what you stand for” he said.
Enumerating requirements for being vessel unto honour, pastor Adeboye In his sermon said anyone who wants to be vessel of honour in the hands of the Almighty God must be tough. Someone who can endure., total Obedience to God, submission to authority, life of discipline and praying without season
He said: “In the army of God, there is no room for floppines, you have to be sharp all the time, You want to be vessel of honour in the hands of God, you will love fasting more than you love food.
Expanding on the advantages of being vessels of honour in the hands of God, pastor Adeboye said;” one of the advantages of being vessels into honour is that the master is constantly touching you. When God touches you, you get strength that human being cannot explained. You suddenly get strength that nobody can explain. You get your strength renewed in such a way that it will embarrassed those around you.
“When you are vessels into honour in the hands of the Almighty God,you hear what is going on in the heavens, you will hear conversation that other people didn’t hear and this conversation you can’t even share. God will constantly breath on you and things will begin to happen in your life as vessel in the hands of God. Also as vessel unto honour from time to time, God kisses you. You can say that cannot be possible but the Almighty God said in the Bible that if He wants to talk to a prophet He may give him vision, He said Moses is different, “I talk to him Mouth to mouth”. I thought God would have say, I talk to him mouth to ear. But God said no.