1st Lesson: Matthew
12:28
"But if I cast out devils by the spirit of God, then the kingdom of
God is come unto you."
2nd Lesson: I
Corinthians 4:15
"For though ye
have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers; For in
Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel."
Golden Text: I John
5:18
"We know that
whosoever is born of God seeketh not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth
himself, and that wicked one touched him not."
Brethren that text marks the commencement of this
Pentecostal Assembly. You are aware that the children must first be fed before
the servants. And it is always the tradition that the fellowship of the sons of
the soil opens the Pentecostal. You know of a surety that some flies go to see
the wound; others go to suck the wound. Our Lord Jesus Christ said not all
those who call me Lord Lord will enter into the Kingdom of My Father but those
who do the will of my Father will enter into the Kingdom of God. For they are
not all Israelites who are true children of Israel: Neither, because they are
the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, children of the promise are
counted for the seed.
God Begets Us with His
Words
It is so with the Gospel you are going to receive this
night. When you hear of the term father it does not refer to your carnal
father. It is the Father who is greater than all fathers. And that is why Our
Lord Jesus Christ said except ye be born again you cannot enter into the
Kingdom of God. Except a man be born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter
into the Kingdom of God. If you do not listen to the Gospel of God what will
then qualify you as the child of God? Even if you are conceived by the virgin
Mary that does not make you a child of God. It is only the Word of God that
will make you a child of God and it is the Word of God that I use in begetting
you.
Suppress Evil Spirits
with the Holy Spirit
It is impossible that you can use an evil spirit to
drive away evil spirit from somebody. You cannot use an evil thing to extract
evil from somebody. It is the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that can be used
in casting out evil spirit from your body and the Holy Spirit takes dominion
over you. And that is why Our Lord Jesus Christ has said: you are clear through
the words that I have spoken unto you. You have not been called to come and eat
bread or to drink or to dance but you are called to come and receive the Words
of God. The dry-fasting we undertook was to prepare us for the Word of God
which would be preached unto us during this Assembly.
Put New Wine In New
Bottle
Because you cannot put new wine in an old bottle
otherwise the bottle will break and the wine will spill off. If you have completely
filled a bottle with water, it will be impossible for you to add any more
quantity of water inside it because the bottle is already filled. And that is
why each time we come inhere, we must actually empty the old wine and allow the
bottle to remain empty. This work is the revival of the Spirit. You are
regenerated and recreated. All the evil spirits which did not allow you to
operate all these years will be driven away that you may receive the words of
God and live by them.
God Sympathises with
the Blacks
You can see how merciful God is with the Black man.
And you see how God is merciful to the poor. He is so pitiful to the orphans,
the blind and the lame. See how God is sympathetic with the afflicted, with
those in tribulation and all those who suffer. A spiritual chorus says the
afflicted should weep no more because the Saviour is not on the way; He is
already here with us. God knows that if He had started His operation in the
white man's country then the black man would have perished. If this work were
to start with the whites how many of you here would be there? Not very long
from now you will see the whites flying in aeroplanes and landing here. And the
cost means nothing to them. That is why God has chosen to begin this work with
the poor blacks.
Those who were not His
People are now His Beloved
Notice that some of you have been here for the past
twenty years but your twenty years are of no effect to you. If a white man
comes in here for one day, he will assimilate and begin to practise all that He
has learnt. But your twenty years have not done any good thing to you. One
thing is sure; God has never forgotten His promise. As it was written in Hosea
"those who were not my people shall be called my people and she that was
not loved shall be called my beloved." The white man has no regard for the
black man. The other coloured people have no regard for the black man. Not to
talk about Africa, not to talk about Nigeria. You would not even mention the
Cross River State but today God has looked kindly on you and he has salvaged
you from your ruin into His great glory.
We are all begotten of
God by His Words:
How many people now realise that they are the children
of God? Up till today you are still claiming that you are human. Have you heard
what the first lesson has told you? He says I use the Holy Spirit to drive away
the evil spirit from you and then you become the children of God. I have used
the Word of God to beget all of you sitting down here as the real children of
God. There is no other thing which can be used in begetting you apart from the
Word of God. What qualifies you as a son is the Word of God which dwells richly
in you. What makes Him the Father is that He uses the Word to beget you. It is
a thing of great joy for all the inhabitants of the world to come to the
realisation that we are all the children of God. We are not adopted children
but the true sons of God. There is no other medium through which a man can be
begotten with the image and likeness of God except that God has to beget such a
person.
The New Covenant:
And that is why it should be very expedient for all
the children of God to come in here to accept Him. It is a great fortune for
all of you here, not to you alone but to the entire mankind. Because He has
said this is the New Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after
those days, saith the Lord. "I will put my laws into their mind, and write
them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a
people. And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his
brother, saying, know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the
greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and
their iniquities will I remember no more." Are these Words not made manifest
within you today?
All of you sitting down here and all the inhabitants
of the world, I use the Word of God to beget you. As you enslaved yourself to
sin from now on you must enslave yourself to the Holy Spirit. Realise that
these Words have been fulfilled in you: the Kingdom of this world have become
the Kingdom of Jehovah God and His Christ. It is not such a thing that you
should begin to ask if you are the child of God. You are the child of God
because God dwells in you. It does not serve any useful purpose to gaze at the
sky and say until Jesus Christ come again. He says I use the Holy Spirit of God
to beget you and you become the children of God.
Without the Holy Spirit what is capable of driving out
lying, greed, death, sickness and every haphazard spirit from your body? The
first lesson will now be read.
1st Lesson: Matthew
12:28
"But if I cast out devils by the spirit of God, then the kingdom of
God is come unto you."
Brethren, can you observe the hidden things of this
Kingdom of God? It is no other thing which is used in begetting you apart from
the Word of God. It is not because of works, it is not that you are worthy or
that you are righteous but it is because you are begotten as a child of God.
When people argue that there is something underneath Brotherhood, you begin to
argue that there is nothing. I want to confirm the fact that there is something
underneath.
Reveal the Glory of
God:
When they ask you why do you call upon the Father; why
should you not call upon the Father? Right now you know the Father because it
is the Father who begets you. It is because of the Spirit with which you are
endowed that you become the real children of God. And that is why this
Fellowship is referred to as the fellowship of the children of God. Our Lord
Jesus Christ is the Chairman of the Fellowship. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the
Chairman because He is the first born. No matter how numerous you may be, He is
the person through whom you are begotten. And so we all are the children of the
same Father. We should therefore reveal His own glory throughout the four
corners of the world.
It does not matter whether you are born in Egypt or
Israel or in Africa. Because there is no other element with which you are
begotten apart from the Word of God. Can you see the wisdom which eluded
Nicodemus, when Our Lord Jesus Christ told him except you be born again you
cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. The statement so outwitted him that he
started asking Our Lord Jesus Christ how can a man as old as himself re-enter
into the womb of his mother and be born again. And Our Lord Jesus Christ told
him verily, verily, I say unto you except a man be born of the water and the Spirit
he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God."
Love The Word of God
If you have not received the Holy Spirit and if you do
not listen to the Gospel of God what makes you a child of God? Can you not
realise that the most significant thing is for all of us to come in here and
listen to the Word and assimilate and practise this Word because you are
begotten through this Word. Prayer alone cannot take you into the Kingdom of
God. Songs alone cannot take you into the Kingdom of God. Visions alone cannot
take you into the Kingdom. Extracting of charms cannot take you into this
Kingdom. Preparing feast and serving to all the people sitting down here alone
cannot take you into the Kingdom of God. You do not realise that it is the Word
of God that you despise that can take you into the Kingdom of God. It does not
cost you a kobo and it is not because of your righteousness or
educational attainment, or wealth or beauty but it is the Word of God alone
that is used in begetting you into the family of God. We should,
therefore, give due respect to the Word of God. We should reverence the Word of
God. We should be obedient unto the Word of God. We should rejoice at the Word
of God. We should love the Word of God more than anything else. We should
completely subjugate ourselves to the Word of God because without the Word of
God, we would not be cleansed and we would not have been anything before God.
You Will Have Life If
The Word Dwells In You
When people are preaching the Word of God to you, you
say take it away; I do not want to listen to it. If you do not want to listen
to the Word of God what makes you a child of God? Song is an old thing.
Dances are old. Visions and extracting of charms and all other things are old
but the Word of God is always new. There is nothing that can take you
into this Kingdom except the Word of God. He says take everything that I have
but give me the Word of God. When the Word of God dwells in my heart I will
have life. Let the Words of God dwell in you richly.
Man's Constituency Is
The Word
Do you realise that it is these Gospels that I use in
begetting you? No person can boast of doing one thing or the other before he
entered into the Kingdom of God. It is this Word that I use in begetting you.
Now you are no more a citizen of Nigeria or of Africa; you are no more a human
being. All of you are the children of God. Your problem is that you continue to
confess that you are a man, you are from Nigeria you are an Ibo or an African,
this is not true. And that is why Our Lord Jesus Christ has said "Man know
thyself and thou shalt know everything." Have the people of the world not
claimed that they know Our Lord Jesus Christ - that the mother is Mary and the
Father is Joseph? And Our Lord Jesus Christ exclaimed, look at a wonderful
thing! He that is sent by God: do you say you know him?
Love The Brotherhood
And He says if I claim that I do not know the one who
sent me there is no truth in me. Eventhough every person said he was the son of
Joseph, he emphatically claimed that he came from God and that He is the Son of
God. And that is why he said whoever is ashamed of me on earth, I also will be
ashamed of him in heaven before my Father and before the Holy Angels. All of
you sitting down here are not prophets, you are not apostles, you are not
pastors, you are not elders, you are the Christs. The reason is that the Word
of God is used in begetting you. Therefore, you have all the rights as the sons
of the soil. You are now with the Father; the Father lives in you and you live
in the Father.
God is Our Father
The Father has specifically used this Gospel in
opening this Pentecostal Assembly so that most of you who claim you come from
Nigeria, or from Oron or you are an Ibo or a Yoruba or to be an Englishman; you
should realise that you are not what you claim to be but you are the child of
God. You have erred to refer to any person as your Father. Or to say that
somebody has begotten you. May God forgive you. God is your Father. You are no
more of this world. The word of God is used in begetting you and you therefore
become the children of God forever and ever. Right now you are all spiritually
minded and you are all serving God. And all that belongs to the Father belongs
to you and what you have, belongs to the Father.
Man Know Yourself
You have no share in things worldly but you have share
in things heavenly. Your problem is that you do not know that you have been
adopted from the family of man into the family of God. But as it is now you are
like eagles, the prince of all the birds but you stoop down to peak seeds with
ordinary fowls. Right now no sin has dominion over you. Falsehood has no place
in you; theft or any other sin has no place in your body. Preparations of
concoctions, all forms of diabology, death and hades have no more dominion over
you. Because I use the Holy Spirit to beget you and you then become the Holy
Spirit. I do not use trees, or rocks or any other thing to beget you but I use
the Word of God, word of the Holy Spirit to beget you and you become the Holy
Spirit.
The Spirit Which
Olumba Puts In Us Teaches Us to do What Is Good
And that is why we have a spiritual chorus which says
the spirit which Olumba infuses in us teaches us to do that which is good in
the Sight of God. Right now you are sitting, you have no thought of yourself.
You are always thinking about how you will serve God properly. All of you
sitting down here, you are no more sitting on earth but in heaven. All of you
sitting down here, you are no more human beings but you are Holy Spirits. And
that is why people argue that there is something in your body and you begin to
argue that there is nothing. And I want to ask you if the Holy Spirit does not
dwell in you.
Are the languages you speak those of human beings?
What you are seeing now, can any other person see? What you are doing now is
any other person capable of doing it? What you are hearing can any other person
hear? Is this not enough indication that you are no more on earth. Our
Lord Jesus Christ said "I go to prepare a place for you. After Preparing,
I will come again and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be
also." Do you think He went to bring an aeroplane? Or do
you think that He went to bring a ladder that you can climb up with
Him. I employ the Word of God to elevate you.
You have heard another spiritual song which says my
children come and rejoice with me. It is the Word of God that I use in
begetting you. You are more fortunate than any other generations.
2nd Lesson: I
Corinthians 4:15
"For though ye
have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers; For in
Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel."
Can you realise the recondite wisdom of God found in
what is read to you? But how many of you are aware of this wisdom? You are
carrying the carcass of an elephant on your head but you are fiddling with your
legs in search of snails. You claim that you are going to visit your father.
What is the name of that your father? You contend that you are paying a visit
to your homeland. What is the name of your homeland? Does it follow that till
today you are ignorant that you are in heaven, and that you are in the Kingdom
of God? It is said, "For though ye have ten thousand instructors in
Christ, yet have ye not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you
through the Gospel." No matter how many persons you refer to as your
father, your grandfather; your uncle; there is only one Father. You have only
one father.
Right from that day you accepted me, peace has been
restored unto you. Now, you always refer to the word 'Father' because I use the
Holy Spirit to send off the evil spirits in you. Subsequently, you have changed
into a child of the Father.
Only The Holy Spirit
Can Reveal The Father and the Son
Unless the Holy Spirit begets you, no person will know
what is called the Father or the Son. Go and tell somebody that the Father has
sent you to him, he will ask whether your father knows him and what is his
name. But go to somebody who has been begotten by the Spirit of God.
Immediately you mention that the father sent you to him, he will fall on his
face because he knows the father and the father knows him also. From that day
he received the Holy Spirit, he knows that there is but one father and we are
all brethren.
Children of God
Separated from the World
No person amongst us lives unto himself. The Holy
Spirit has assumed dominion over all of us. As you are sitting there, you are
empty. It is only the Holy Spirit that is reigning supreme. You have no iota of
association with the things of this world because you are no longer of the
world but in heaven. Heaven is the Spirit. And this spirit is neither a tree
nor fish nor animal but it refers to you sitting down there. Thus, it is
incumbent on you to lend ears to him. That Scriptural passage is made manifest
on you, which says, "And as we have borne the image of the earthly, we
shall also bear the image of the heavenly." That is why; wherever you go
to, the moment you declare that you are a Brotherhood the people there will be
amazed. You will become a wonderful being before them. You are very precious.
You provide to them something very spectacular because no person knows where
you come from.
Our Kingdom Is Not Of
this World
A person who is born of the spirit does not know where
he comes from and where he is heading to. That is why Our Lord Jesus Christ
told Pilate "My Kingdom is not of this world; if my Kingdom were of this
world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the
Jews: but now is my Kingdom not from hence." You must know that your own
kingdom is not of this world. Remember the parable of Our Lord Jesus Christ
saying, "A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his
servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, come; for all things
are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first
said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it:
I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen,
and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have
married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came, and shewed
his Lord these things. Then the master of the house became angry and said to
his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring
in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord,
it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the Lord said
unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come
in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, that none of those men
which were bidden shall taste of my supper."
Those Who Will Not
Come Into Brotherhood
Who are those mentioned here who will not taste of the
supper? They are the rulers of this world, the millionaires, those who are
wealthy, those who indulge in diabology and who are rich in the things of this
world. Do not doubt when a governor argues that he cannot come into
Brotherhood. Of a truth he cannot come because he is not one of us. When you
come by any millionaire who argues that he cannot come to Brotherhood because
he will not be able to remove his shoes, have patience with him because he is not
one of us. When God will call him, he will surely come. The worldly
person looks at man on his facial appearance but God looks at a man’s heart.
The Kingdom is not meant for thieves and robbers, fornicators, dupers,
necromancers and persons who engage in the preparation of concoction. Rather,
it is reserved for those people who surrender themselves unto God.
The King Is For The
Poor
It is against this base that Our Lord Jesus Christ
said, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and
of the spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." Now if you go to
somebody’s house to preach the good tidings of this Kingdom to him, he will
tell you to leave his house. He will argue that he has been baptized and that
he is a communicant and that he has no need for the Word of God. Tell me what
will take him into the Kingdom of God. That was why Our Lord Jesus Christ said,
"Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods,
except he first bind the strong man? And then he will spoil his house."
Who is the person who enjoys good health who will want to lend ears to the Word
of God? Or who is the rich person who will listen to the Word of God? Who is so
elevated in position like a governor or a president and he will love to listen
to the Word of God? You will then realise that this Kingdom belongs to the
poor.
What Is The
Wilderness?
Right now if you visit the hospitals where the
governors presidents, men of high stations in life are receiving treatment.
They will readily listen to any Word of God preached to them. Hitherto, these
persons would never give ear to the Word of God. But with their sick position,
they are bound to accept the word of God. Go to the Kiri-kiri Maximum Security
Prison and other prisons where the ex-governors as well as other big men of the
society are serving jail terms, you will see how they readily accept the word
of God preached to them. If you tell them to forsake sin, they are quite ready
to do so, the word of God will then be used to beget them. You will remember
that spiritual song which says, "I go forward and see Olumba," did
not come from here but the prison custody. Other songs are surfacing from other
custodies. All such detainees are in the ‘wilderness.’ When you hear that Our
Lord Jesus Christ was led into the wilderness, this is that wilderness I have
repeatedly said that they are not in detention. You are a lucky generation
because you have gone into the wilderness and the word of God has been used to
beget you. Now you are real children of God.
Only The Children of
God Can do What Is Good
When you are filled with food, you cannot listen to
the word of God. When the preaching is going on, you are fast asleep. There is
no other thing that qualifies you as a child of God than the word of God. There
is nothing that can protect you except the word of God. And there is nothing
which can do that which is good in the sight of God except the word of God. If
you are not a child of God, it will be impossible for you to do any good thing.
As the children of God, it will not be possible for you to do that which is
evil. Whoever professes that God begets him but he is neck-deep in telling
lies, such a person is deceitful to himself because God Himself does not tell
lies. The Holy Spirit is love, truth, mercy, patience, peace, meekness, joy and
all the virtues of God. These are the virtues used to beget you and this is the
image of God dwelling in you. That is why it is said that "whosoever is
born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and
that wicked one toucheth him not." It is against this background that I
tell you that you are the children of the Living God.
Let our golden text be read.
Golden Text: I John
5:18
"We know that
whosoever is born of God seeketh not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth
himself, and that wicked one touched him not."
Whoever Commits Sins
Is Not A Child Of God
Let nobody deceive you because any person who commits
sins is not a child of God. Those who are swimming in the murky waters of
sinfulness neither know God nor see Him. What makes us known as the children of
God is that God has begotten us and "whosoever is born of God sinneth not,
but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth
him not."
When you meet somebody complaining that he is being
bewitched, leave him alone because he is not a child of God. When a person
argues that he has so many temptations in his life path and that you should
pray for him, get such a person off your way because he is a child of satan. When
you find a woman who confesses that it is because of her husband’s failure to
cater for her that forces her to prostitute about, depart from her, for she is
the daughter of satan. When you come by a man who confesses that it is due to
the bad behavioural pattern of his wife that causes him to fall in love with
another woman, leave him alone because he is the son of Satan.
If You Profess To Be
Christs You Should Not Sin
You have heard the golden text read to you that we are
the children of God and whosoever is born of God does not commit sin. I use the
word of God to beget you. Thus, you are the children of God. All of you have
accepted that you are Christs. The poser then is, Has Christ ever committed any
act of sin? The stone is relatively cheap to purchase but what about the
consideration of carrying it home. Can you realise where I have taken you to
with this gospel? You have now reached your wit’s end. You cannot retrace your
steps under the foliage of being a human being because all of you have accepted
that you are the Christs of God. The truth remains then that Christ does not
commit sin. It is said that all those begotten of God do not sin. Why then do
you claim to be a child of God but you are still given to telling lies? Why do
you accept to be a child of God but you are still stealing? Why do you commit
fornication? Does it follow then that Our Lord Jesus Christ is a fornicator?
Why do you complain of facing great tribulations? Is a man of God beset with
afflictions?
Do Not Impute Sin Upon
Any Person
It is said, "We know that whosoever is born of
God sinneth not, but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that
wicked one touched him not." You can walk on the top of water, inside fire
or into any place without any harm. You always sit down here to report
yourselves as children of satan. You contend that the other person did one
thing or the other against you, that he bewitched you in the night, that he
hates you. How did you determine these? You argue that a certain person was an
evil doer. How did you come to know his evil ways? You complain that somebody
has no love. How do you know that the person has no love? That is the work of
satan. The children of God do not allow evil communications to proceed out of
their mouth. They neither see any evil thing nor hear evil utterances.
The Children Of God
Are Protected By The Son Of God
They do only that which is good and the evil one does
not see them. They have no common lines with evil things. They are the children
of the Kingdom of God. Keep your eyes open to observe this truth. A great many
people bear witnesses that the children of God do not commit sin, "but he
that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one touched him
not." That is the reason I tell somebody that there is a person in this
world who does not take tablets, injections and yet he is bubbling with life,
there is bound to be heated disagreements over it. They will argue that it is
not true.
What Is In
Brotherhood?
Besides, for somebody to attest that there is
something in Brotherhood but you argue that there is nothing in it, can you not
realise that he that is begotten of God keepeth himself? Have you not realised
that mighty protection of God over you? When you are going about sorrowing and
lamenting in the world, how did you find yourself? Today, you are enjoying the
happiness and joy of God. But when a person tells you that there is something
in Brotherhood, you argue that there is nothing.
The Supreme Power
If it is true that there is nothing underlying
Brotherhood, why do you move about boldly? This stand by you is what scares
people from coming into Brotherhood. For they conclude that you are not men of
truth. Hitherto, you went with him to consult necromancers. But suddenly, mere
saying ‘let’ all sicknesses were gone. When that person contends that there is
something underlying Brotherhood, yet you throw his contention to the dogs.
What accounts then for the new found power in you?
You who never had mercy on people, you now show mercy
unto all persons. You were always given to telling lies but now you stand only
for that which is the truth. With this turn of events, when you are asked to
mention the secret in Brotherhood, you maintain that such a thing is a mirage.
If your stand holds water, why do you now tell the truth? Why do you show the
expression of mercy?
Reveal Your Sonship Of
God To The World
Can you realise your indebtedness to the inhabitants
of the world? You have killed an elephant but the issue of bringing the carcass
to the road is your problem now. The word of God is used to beget you. You are
the children of God. But the problem facing you today is how to unfold this
truth to reveal the sonship of God to the world. You will be asked why you go bare
foot. But you will not be opportuned to put the truth about it to that person.
That is the reason Brotherhood has advanced in the whiteman's land than here.
But there, you do not answer questions put to you. You come here with your mats
to sleep.
You do not even read
the Brotherhood publications. You will come here to sleep and partake in the
love feast. There after you go home without lending ears to what is preached to
you. You fail to read the numerous publications here. This place is called
Christ Universal Spiritual School of Practical Christianity. It is open to all
the people of the world to receive the teachings of Our Lord Jesus Christ. For
if you fail to receive such teachings, you will not have knowledge of the
truth.
The Son of Man
Protects Us
When you are asked why you do not drink any longer,
your answer should be that you are a child of God. For the children of God do
not drink. Another will ask why you do not visit hospital any longer, you
should answer him that you are a child of God, that Christ is the one
protecting you. And therefore you have no problem. Why do you not revenge when
a person wrongs you? Tell the person that you are a child of God and that you
have no dealings with anything evil. Quote this passage of the Holy Bible to that
person. Somebody plans to harm you but meets with utter failure. And you are
asked what happened, tell that person that Christ protects you because you are
a child of God. Now if somebody demands that you say what is the bedrock of the
secret in Brotherhood, you will swear to an oath that there is nothing inside
it. If there is nothing in Brotherhood, why are you going about freely. You
are a pregnant woman and when you are asked who impregnated you, you contend
that nobody has done so. Does it then follow that you had the pregnancy from
the air? Can you deceive people in that manner?
If it is not man who
impregnated you, then it is the Holy Spirit. Tell the truth of how you got the
pregnancy. For you to contend that you are ignorant of how the pregnancy came
to you is baseless. Hitherto, you could not preach the word of God,
you could not offer prayers, you could not sing, you were always shy, you were
leading an irresponsible way of life. But today, you are well-founded in those
lines. But when you are to explain the intricacies here you argue that you are
unaware of such realities at the moment. Do you want us to be damned in doubt?
Since God created man, the work done by the Holy Spirit today has never been
known because Our Lord Jesus Christ has said, "Verily, verily, I say unto
you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone, but
if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." Can you not realise the
multiplicity of Christ throughout the world today?
The Christ Is Already
Here, Gaze Not In The Sky
One of our brothers here has said that if the people
of the world were to realise the glory inherent in this kingdom, they would not
have waited for the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ. What is He coming to do?
Now the dead is made to rise, the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear, and
other marvelous miracles. For what would the world wait for if they had
realised this truth?
He is here and is doing His work. If a person is sick
here, you tell him to fall on his face, confess his sins and you offer prayers
over him and he is well. What is the need for him to look for a medical doctor?
For He is the one doing this healing. If a medical doctor is preparing his
theatre ready for a surgical operation on a patient but before the patient
moves into the theatre, you have already said ‘let’ and he fully recovers from
his sickness, what is the need for the preparation to operate on him? If a
patient is taken to a doctor who prescribes certain drugs to be bought,
mentions the fee to be paid, but you say ‘let’ and that patient recovers, what
is the need for all those conditions?
Testify About The
Greatness Of God
Brethren, you have failed to go out and testify of the
great works done by God here. This is what has eluded a great many of you in
this kingdom. Many of you who have testified in the Herald of the New Kingdom,
for instance, do so after much persuasion on my part. There is one person who
had an accident here. When he came the first day, he promised to give the full
testimony. But, until today, he is yet to do so. I am still waiting for it.
Remember that man who dwelt among the tombs. Our Lord
Jesus Christ asked him, "What is thy name?" And he answered, saying,
My name is Legion, for we are many. He said to Our Lord Jesus Christ,
"What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou son of the most high God? I
adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not." He continued, "Send us
to the swine, that we may enter into them. And, forth-with, Jesus gave them
leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine; and the
herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and were choked in the sea.
Glorify God In Your
Testimonies
When the owners of the city came, they began to pray
him to depart out of their coasts. And when he was come into the ship he that
had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. Howbeit
Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, "Go home to thy friends, and
tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath compassion on
thee." And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis what great
things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel. And when Jesus had
passed over again by ship unto the other side, many people gathered unto him.
That is why Paul said that whether the brethren wanted
him to give them another letter. Though they were his witnesses there is no
need to seek for recommendations to go out and do anything. Rather, you are to
go everywhere testifying about the glory of this kingdom, of what God has done
for you from day to day. You are to intimate people about this truth, Preaching
the Bible is secondary because you cannot preach.
Practice Is Better
Than Precept
Theoretically, if you carry the Bible that you are
going to preach to people, somebody will bring his heap of certificates and
will demand for your own. He does this notwithstanding that he is stealing,
fornicating and committing other acts of sin. But you have a certificate that
is not written on paper. You will show yourself to them that you were hitherto
blind but today you can see. What other statement will that person have? You
show another person who was lame but whom Our Lord Jesus Christ made to walk.
What will the governor, the president argue about?
You continue to testify of a person who dies for three
days but Our Lord Jesus Christ made him rise. Only prayers were offered and he
rose from the death. What will the government or any person argue about? What
will the necromancer contend about in this matter?
The Holy Spirit
Witnessed For The Christ
As children of God, that is the assignment you have to
accomplish. You are to testify about the glory of the kingdom of God. Each and
everyone of you must do so. But you have refused to deliver the goods. Rather,
you continue to maintain sealed lips over giving testimonies. You dissipate
your energy in requesting for prayers to take away your hardship. Every day,
you complain of the travails you are facing in Brotherhood, that since you came
into Brotherhood all your money is gone, that your brothers and sisters have
deserted you. Is that all that you can say? Have you testified about the great
things God has performed in your life? Have you testified about the many things
you see here which are not read in any book? Our Lord Jesus Christ had said
that the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, is His witness. In the same vein, you are
my witnesses because you have been with me from the foundations of the world.
You have heard and read about the miracles performed by Our Lord Jesus Christ,
how He made the dead to rise but none of you in this generation witnessed them.
There is no person today who saw such miracles being performed. His witnesses
are not living today.
Seek First The Holy
Spirit
But you are crown witnesses of the mighty works
performed here today. You have seen how the dead are made to rise, the lame to
walk, the blind to see. Therefore, you are crown witnesses. As Our Lord Jesus
had said that one greater than the queen of Sheba is in their midst, can you
not realise that somebody greater than the entire world is now on earth?
Brethren, as children of God, your duty is to go forth and proclaim the glory
of God. It is not for you to sit back to weep; lament seeing how somebody is
indulging in witchery; see ghosts, or see how a person is wallowing in abject
poverty, or to go about cap in hand. You must go out and preach about the glory
of God to the entire world. The Scripture says, "But seek ye first the
kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto
you." If you go out to testify about the good works done by God in this
kingdom, He will add everything unto you.
Brethren, as the children of God, you should not be
given to weeping, lamentation, hatred, nor should you be committing any act of
sin because "he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked
one touched him not." We are not the ones keeping ourselves. We do not
drink, take injections, seek protection in any form of diabology, drink
concoction prepared from the bark of trees. This is so because the son of God
keepeth watch over us wherever we go to and the wicked one cannot touch us. He
is the one Who dwells in us. And the one who abides in us has taught us the
knowledge of all things.
Brethren, it is said one stroke of the cane is
sufficient unto the wise. I will not be tedious unto you. Those who have ears
let them hear. May God bless His Holy Words. Amen.
FIRST BIBLE LESSON:
JOHN 3:6
"That which is
born of flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
SECOND BIBLE LESSON:
JOHN 1:33-34
"And I knew him
not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon
whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he
which baptizes with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the
Son of God."
GOLDEN TEXT: MATTHEW
3:13-17
"Then cometh
Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbade
him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And
Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us
to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was
baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were
opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and
lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased."
HE IS NEVER TO DIE:
Dear Brethren, the basis of our address to you is
established in this spiritual Chorus (Collosians 3:16): I HAVE COME BY
MYSELF SENDING NO ONE, HENCE I HAVE REVEALED MYSELF TO THE ENTIRE WORLD AND I
HAVE NOT COME TO DIE AS PEOPLE THINK. THEREFORE, MY PEOPLE SHOULD SING AND
REJOICE FOR I THE LORD HAVE ASSUMED RULERSHIP.
On this note let our First Bible Lesson be reviewed.
FIRST BIBLE LESSON:
JOHN 3:6
"That which is
born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is
spirit."
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD:
Beloved this Bible Text is quite self-explanatory. It
informs us that there are two groups of people in existence on earth. These
include the heavenly people and worldly people. This further implies that God
created two categories of human beings: the canal man and the spiritual
man. These two sets of people mix together for a common goal or
purpose and in this assembly, the Father has brought these groups together.
They are all here. What I am telling you buttresses the scripture recorded
in Revelation 11:15..."The kingdom of this world are become
the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ and he shall reign for ever and
ever," that we all may be one in the Father.
However, there is always a contrast between these two
groups of people. They are given different endowments. The heavenly
children are endowed with the gift of the Holy Spirit while the worldly
children are endowed with the gifts of the flesh. Thus in spite of the
inclination of the carnal being to do heavenly things, his status as a worldly
fellow cannot be changed. At baptism, he receives the earthly gifts.
In the same vein, the heavenly child cannot have his
status changed because of his innate desires. But one thing is certain, we
are all one in the same milieu though with different gifts to fulfill different
commissions.
Recall that John the Baptist came to the world in the
spirit and power of Elijah to do the work of God while Our Lord Jesus Christ
was here in the spirit of God equally to fulfill His mission, hence, he was
indestructible. By these submissions, it is possible for you to easily identify
a child of God in the world, even without introduction. A CHILD OF GOD IS KNOWN
BY HIS GOOD QUALITIES BECAUSE THE HOLY SPIRIT IS IN HIM AND ANY CHILD OF GOD IS
AWARE OF HIS IDENTITIES AND HE CANNOT SHIRK FROM HIS RESPONSIBILITIES. THIS IS
SO BECAUSE OF HIS DUTY TO REVEAL THE FATHER.
So do not seek the Holy Spirit by your power because
it is something natural. CHILDREN OF GOD ARE BORN WITH IT. THEY BELIEVE IN GOD
AND HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM OF GOD. NOTHING CAN CHANGE THEM; JUST AS THE
EARTHLY CHILDREN HAVE THE POWER, KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM OF THIS WORLD.
Let our Second Lesson be read again.
SECOND BIBLE LESSON: JOHN 1:33-34
"And I knew him
not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon
whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining upon him, the same is
he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw and bare record that this is
the Son of God."
Brethren, how do you understand this text? This text
simply tells us that when God commissions you on an assignment, He goes ahead
to accomplish it. He can never send you on an errand and leave you desolate. He
goes there and executes that assignment in order to glorify Himself. The bone
of contention here is the power of God and the Holy Spirit. This does not
portend the performing of miracles, raising the dead or making the lame walk;
for John the Baptist, Elijah, Moses and others performed various miracles. The
statement of John in our Second Lesson, "Him whom he saw, the Spirit
descending upon" is a distinguishing statement. It indicates the towering
personality of Our Lord Jesus Christ. You realize that Our Lord Jesus Christ
alone used the word to teach man and transform him from mortality to
immortality.
I therefore sympathize with the world for their
ignorance in requesting for money, house, cars, farms and other material things
from Our Lord Jesus Christ. They should request for the Holy Spirit because
with the Holy Spirit you are revealed and you consequently become a child of
God. There is no doubt however that the earthly man speaks about earthly
things, and the heavenly man about heavenly things. As I said earlier, these
form the mark or identity on them. It is said, "Blessed are the meek for
they shall inherit the earth, (Matt 5:5) and blessed are you
when people persecute you and speak evil against you for my name's sake.
Rejoice for yours is the kingdom of God. (Matt 5:12).
Brethren, what has been read to you constitute the
mark of the children of God. Persecution, suffering, condemnation, rejection,
etc. will be your experiences. But do not hate them who afflict you, for the
inheritance of the kingdom of God is yours. The children of God harken to the
word of God, while the earthly children are opposed to it. The children of God
know what their expectations are irrespective of where they are. Like the
yearly celebration of the reception of the Holy Spirit on earth, that idea was
initiated by the children of God.
WHERE ARE YOU?
Beloved, we all in Brotherhood of the Cross and Star
are children of God but with particular reference to those who do not
fornicate, commit adultery, tell lies, eat meat and engage in other vices. So,
if you are in this kingdom and you are still a victim of these vices, put
yourself in fervent prayer because no goat can give birth to a dog, just as a
dog cannot deliver a hen nor can a cow deliver a goat, nor a dog a hen. Each of
these animals will deliver its own kind. So in this wise, the children of God
cannot be like the children of the world, they remain where they rightly
belong.
BE CONTENT:
There was one popular visioner in this fold. He was
known for accurate and true visioning. But seeing the way the Children of God
behave, he said there was no remarkable difference between them and himself,
for he too was a child of God, especially as he could give visions and sing.
Not long after he made the statement, he found himself in the midst of some
children of God and he tried to behave like one of them. In less than one week,
he realized his limitations and bolted from that group to the quick embrace of
his turban because he was an Apostle.
The point I am making is that you should be content
with your position whether as a child of God, Christ Student, Christ Servant or
any other group because you will not succeed if you force yourself into a group
which you do not belong to.
Let our Golden Text be re-examined.
GOLDEN TEXT: MATTHEW
3:13-17
Then cometh Jesus from
Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbade him,
saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus
answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to
fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was
baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened
unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting
upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased."
THE REVELATION OF CHRIST:
Brethren, the above text refers to the revelation of
Our Lord Jesus Christ. Even the testimonies of John, "And I knew
him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, upon
whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he
which baptiseth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw and bare record that this is the
Son of God."
Now, if Our Lord Jesus Christ did not go to be
baptized by John the Baptist, how could he be revealed? He could not have been
revealed and John would not have testified of him.
Another question is, supposing Our Lord Jesus Christ
was pompous and he did not go to John to be baptized, how could he be revealed?
Remember that when John the Baptist was in prison and he did not see Our Lord
Jesus Christ coming to rescue him, he began to doubt and he sent his disciples
to go and find out from Christ whether he was actually the Messiah and if not,
should they look for another. Our Lord Jesus Christ replied and said that the
emissaries should go back and tell John what they saw: that the lame had
walked, the blind had regained their sight, the sick made whole, and the dead
raised. (Matt 11:2-5) What this illustration implies is that had
John merely told Our Lord Jesus Christ that he was the Son of God, without the
baptism and his revelation through the Holy Spirit which descended on him, in
confirmation of the sign of the identity of who the Messiah would be, from the
list of those baptized, it would not have been possible to identify Christ nor
reveal him.
ONLY THE HOLY SPIRIT REVEALS GOD:
Flesh and blood cannot reveal God unto any one. (Matt
16:17). Money and any mundane acquisition cannot reveal God unto any
person. What reveals God unto us is the Holy Spirit. Once you have the Holy
Spirit God will be revealed to you. If it were the lot of the flesh to reveal
God to the world, John would have been qualified for the Messiahship because of
his virtuous disposition and even his priestly family background.
In fact, people had even ascribed to him the status of
the Christ because at his birth and presentation to alter many wonders
happened. Even Zachariah, the father, suddenly became dumb (Luke
1:20-22), for many hours until God revealed to him the events that
were to unfold. Moreso, people thought John the Baptist was the Messiah (Luke
3:15-16/John 1:19-22)because of his good works but he vehemently denied
that honour.
SO WHEREVER YOU MAY BE OR GO TO, LISTEN TO YOUR SPIRIT
FOR IT IS ONLY THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT CAN REVEAL TO YOU WHETHER THE PERSON YOU
ARE MEETING IS A CHILD OF GOD OR NOT. To confirm the testimony of the John the
Baptist that the person coming after him is greater than him, his sandals he
was not competent enough to loosen, and that he is the one to baptize with fire
and the Holy Spirit, Our Lord Jesus Christ came.
UNLIKE JOHN THE BAPTIST WHO USED WATER TO
BAPTIZE PEOPLE, CHRIST USED ONLY THE SPOKEN WORD. THERE IS NO DAY OUR LORD
JESUS CHRIST USED WATER OR ANY OTHER MEDIUM TO BAPTIZE PEOPLE. HE ONLY USED THE
WORD. HE WILL TELL YOU "GO, YOUR PROBLEMS ARE OVER, YOUR SICKNESS
IS OVER," AND SO WILL IT BE.
However the disciples of Our Lord Jesus Christ were
using water to baptize people. (John 4:2). At this point, the
disciples of John were disturbed as the multitudes now went to Christ to be
baptized. They went to John to complain that the man he just baptized was
equally baptizing people but John replied them saying, that except the
authority came from above, none could do anything. (John 3:26-30).
Now considering this development, what do you think
would have been the case in the present dispensation? Would people not foment
trouble because of that? But John the Baptist had that understanding that
nobody could do anything on his own. And brethren, I tell you that any power or
authority that does not come from God cannot stand, as there is bound to be
problems, fighting and confusion. Since the baptism of John and Christ came
from God, no power could oppose it. This is the veritable truth.
So brethren, I do not intend to take you further, a
stroke of the cane is sufficient unto the wise. Let those who have ears hear.
May God bless His Holy Words. Amen.
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