Preached TUESDAY 16th January, 2001 At THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD ONITSHA By APOSTLE PETER ODOEMENA THE SON OF MAN “THE SUPREME INTELLIGENCE” “Truth has no substitute” © BRIDE OF CHRIST MINISTRY WORLD-WIDE
1
OBEY GOD
God bless you Church. You see, when a message goes forth, pray that the Holy Spirit would help you understand the mind of God towards that message.
2. What is more, I expect every true minister, especially pastors to try and understand what the Spirit is saying to the Church and when they feel that the Church is likely to misunderstand and misinterpret the message, it is the duty of the pastors to come and simplify the message more, so that everybody can understand it.
3. There is a message titled, “Hearing, Understanding and Acting”. You can hear a message, but may not understand it, and because you didn’t understand it, you will not act rightly.
4. Your actions depend on how you understand. That was why Jesus the Christ spoke to his disciples; he discerned them; he knew they could not understand, then he asked them this question, “Understandeth thou this?”
5. They replied, “No, how can we understand?” The Bible said he then expounded their understanding that they may understand the Holy Scriptures.
6. I know that by nature children of God are stubborn; they are stiff-necked; they are rebellious, obstinate, rotten, and smelly. I know that very well.
7. Please, note it. First of all, understand that God is saving Israel by election. Israel will not receive these messages you are receiving now. When these messages were preached to them, they rejected all the messages and even rejected the Messenger and then the Messenger turned to the wild olive tree (the Gentiles) saying, “You are not the natural olive”.
8. Thus, don’t think that God can save you in your stubbornness because the stubbornness of the Jews is just temporary. God did it so for a purpose.
9. He hardened them; made them stubborn for a purpose because He has a plan for the Gentiles. No Gentile is saved in stubbornness; no Gentile is saved in rottenness; no Gentile is saved by election.
10. Every true Gentile is saved by adoption and there must be a Message of Adoption, whereby you are adopted if you believe it, but to them, their Redeemer will turn to them and then take away their unrighteousness.
11. Then, all Israelites will be saved according to the promise made unto their fathers with respect to the First Covenant. No true Israelite is coming in by a new covenant; they are all coming in by the old covenant.
12. Please, note these two things. They are very, very important. If you do not understand this message, I can discern a picture where you will go home and say, “Glory be to God; I now have a license. Let Him call me a criminal, but I am one of His children. He has used the word ‘children’ whether I am a criminal or not.’ Please don’t go that way.
13. The mind of God for you is revealed to you through the Messenger of your day. Please, pay attention here.
14. When God wanted to reveal His mind to Saul, God went to Saul directly. Whenever you see a messenger, he comes with a message and you are saved by the message of the messenger of your day.
15. Thus, if you go by Moses’ message, you are perishing. I want to show you something.
16. 1st Samuel 9, I want to read the last statement there. Living Bible translation, “I have received a special message for you from the Lord”.
17. Samuel was talking to Saul. He said, “Saul, I have received a special message for you from the Lord”.
18. Let it not surprise you at what was taking place there. Any time from now, the Lord willing, I will take you on another lengthy path: HOW GOD SPEAKS TO HIS PEOPLE IN EVERY DISPENSATION.
19. That is,the way God speaks to His people, the way God delivers His message to His people in every dispensation. Let no man fool you, the message tonight is a direct message.
20. Israel can be stubborn, stiff-necked, their stubbornness is temporary; their stiff-neckedness is temporary. Concerning election, they are the beloved of the Lord. You are not the beloved.
21. By nature, God is not indebted to you. You are not even covenant children. You are wild olives. Let Me not bring in a new message altogether. I want to show you a scripture.
22. 2nd Corinthians 5:17, What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!
23. “Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!” AMP.
24. Living Bible. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. KJV.
25. “When someone becomes a good Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore; a new life has begun.”
26. Is that Bible? When someone becomes a Child of God, he becomes a brand new person altogether; a new life has now begun. Note that.
27. There was a life you were living before when you were not a Child of God and now you have become a Child of God, there is going to be a difference. Your life now should be opposite the one you were living before.
28. At a time we didn’t know God, we were given over to dumb idols, we were worshipping things that were no God, but now that we have known God or now that God has known us, do we worship those things again?
29. A new life has now begun; a new worship. There is now a change because we are now Children of God.
30. First Peter chapter one from fourteen (1st Pet. 1:14) KJV ,“As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance,”
31. [Live] as children of obedience [to God]; do not conform yourselves to the evil desires [that governed you] in your former ignorance [when you did not know the requirements of the Gospel]. AMP.
32. “As obedient children…’ Living Bible.
33. What?? Did the Bible say, ‘as disobedient children?’ Now, you can see the difference between us and the Jews. They were disobedient, but we are obedient.
34. They rejected Him; we received Him. Now as God’s children we are obedient to God. As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lust in your ignorance;
35. another translation: “Obey God because you are His children, don’t slip back into your old ways, doing evil because you knew no better, but be holy now in everything you do just as the Lord who invited you is holy”.
36. Don’t slip back into your old ways of doing evil because you didn’t know any better. Everything was approved in your sight because you didn’t know God. But you have known God; there will be a difference.
37. If somebody was an armed robber before he knew God; now he has become a Children of God, can he continue as an armed robber and still be a Children of God? You see why this message needs somebody to drive it in because I have seen a lot of people already getting ready to run away, but they got comforted again.
38. You don’t know that He that is talking to you is greater than Moses. If perfection could come from Moses Ministry, Translation would have occurred long, long time ago. We would have been in Paradise long, long time ago.
39. Greater than Moses is here. Thus, obey God always; don’t go back to the old ways of doing evil. If somebody was doing 419 before, now he has become a Child of God, will he continue in 419 (Advance Fee Fraud)?
40. If any man becomes a Child of God, he is a brand new person inside. Is that not Bible? It is. Amen.
2
LEARN OF CHRIST
Now, let Me go for a lengthy reading. Ephesians four from verse seventeen to twenty-four (Eph. 4:17-24).
2. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
3. Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
4. Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ;
5. If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
6. That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
7. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
8. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” KJV.
9. So this I say and solemnly testify in [the name of] the Lord [as in His presence], that you must no longer live as the heathen (the Gentiles) do in their perverseness [in the folly, vanity, and emptiness of their souls and the futility] of their minds.
10. Their moral understanding is darkened and their reasoning is beclouded. [They are] alienated (estranged, self-banished) from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the ignorance (the want of knowledge and perception, the willful blindness) that is deep-seated in them, due to their hardness of heart [to the insensitiveness of their moral nature].
11. In their spiritual apathy they have become callous and past feeling and reckless and have abandoned themselves [a prey] to unbridled sensuality, eager and greedy to indulge in every form of impurity [that their depraved desires may suggest and demand].
12. But you did not so learn Christ! Assuming that you have really heard Him and been taught by Him, as [all] Truth is in Jesus [embodied and personified in Him],
13. Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion;
14. And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude],
15. And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteous-ness and holiness.” AMP.
16. Living Bible, “Let me say this, then, speaking for the Lord, live no longer as the unsaved do, for they are blinded and confused”
17. They are blinded and confused because they are not saved. Any man that is not saved is blind, he is confused, he doesn’t know what he is doing; everything is right in his sight because there is nothing guiding him.
18. “Their closed hearts are full of darkness”.
19. Their what? Their closed hearts; you see, because they didn’t know God, they are not saved.
20. This was the nature of the Israelites and has remained their nature until the Messiah will turn to them; until the Deliverer will turn back to them, they will remain like that.
21. Do you know that till today, they are still blind? Although they call the Name of Jehovah, they don’t know Him. But you have known God; God has known you also. You now know better; you are no longer ignorant.
22. “They are far away from the life of God because they have shut their mind against Him”.
23. Their closed hearts are full of darkness. They are far away from God. They don’t have the life of God in them because they are unsaved. Any man that has this nature, how do you expect him to behave? He must behave like an animal; a beast!
24. I read this scripture last week which says we shouldn’t behave like animals. Who is a human being? It is one that has the Spirit of God that behaves like God.
25. Any person that doesn’t have the Spirit of God is not a human being, but a beast. To him, everything is right; even when he is hurting people around him, he will be rejoicing, calling it greatness, because he is a beast. There is no living conscience in him.
26. “They are far away from the life of God because they have shut their minds against Him”.
27. They have shut their minds against God. They have locked God out. They say they have no need of God which was exactly the behavior of the Israelites and Isaiah saw it and God was displeased.
28. When they shut their hearts against God, God turned to us saying, “As many as have now received Him, He will make His sons and daughters.”
29. You see it? Not everybody, but as many as will welcome Him, He has given them the power to become the children of God.
30. Thus, not everybody is a child of God. As many as have received the message, he has given them the power to become His children, but as many as have rejected the message, shut their hearts against Him, can He give them the power?
31. That is why as obedient children, don’t shift back to your former condition. You keep on improving every day; grow in grace; grow in the knowledge of God.
32. “They have shut their minds against Him and they cannot understand His ways”.
33. You see? They cannot understand His ways; they don’t know what God wants; they don’t know things that please God. They don’t know what God hates. They behave anyhow.
34. God is not worshipped anyhow. If you worship God anyhow, you will perish anyhow. That is why you must turn to Me and I will show you how to worship God.
35. “They don’t care anymore about right and wrong and have given themselves over to evil ways”.
36. Who are these people? Unsaved people, they don’t know the difference between good and evil. They have given themselves to evil ways; ways that are not pleasing to God; these are the ways they delight in. Things God hates, they will love; they will appreciate.
37. Let Me tell you something; you must be rejected by God before you take a rejected thing. For you to walk in a rejected way, God must have rejected you. Thus, rejected people must go after rejected things.
38. “They have given themselves over to evil ways, they stop at nothing being driven by their …”,
39. They stop at nothing, that is, nothing restrains them from doing evil. Whatever they plan to do, they just go ahead. Nobody consults God anymore.
40. How can they consult God? Do they know Him? Do they know His ways? Do they have His Spirit? Can they please God? Because they are unsaved, nothing restrains them.
41. You indict them, rebuke them, chastise them, punish them, disgrace them, it is nothing. Once their minds are made up and fixed, they must go ahead. Unsaved people; they despise advice, reject every godly advice.
42. “They stop at nothing, being driven by their evil minds and reckless lusts”.
43. What pushes them about? Evil mind and reckless lusts; recklessness is found among such people. They don’t know how to do things decently and in order. They can hardly obey any Church order. To them, every instruction is grievous.
44. “But that is not the way Christ taught you”.
45. That is not the way Christ taught you.
46. “If you have really heard His voice and learned from Him….”
47. Note it. That is not the way Christ taught you, if you have really heard from Him and learned from Him the truth concerning Himself. You must settle down and learn from God.
48. Jesus Christ said, “Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly. I am not stubborn; I am not reckless; I am not stiff-necked; I am not disobedient.”
49. There was a message preached here by Apostle Kelechi, “A DISOBEDIENT MAN OF GOD”. You can be a man of God and yet you are disobedient. Can God save you?
50. If I don’t drive this message in, I have seen a terrible picture that may materialize here. Satan may use that opportunity to mess us up, when I think I have put this Church in a perfect order and that I can now have a little rest.
51. If you have learned from God, you have heard from Him the truth concerning Himself, then you have no other option than to pattern after Him; He should be your example in everything.
52. That is why the Bible said, “You must be example of all the believers,’ not example of unbelievers. Unbelievers are unsaved people.
53. The Bible didn’t say we should be like them. It said, “Don’t be like them”. They are not saved. It has shown us how they live, how they behave, their characters; we can now start appreciating what God has done for us.
54. That is why I tell you that being a child of God is a nature. You cannot manufacture Christ’s life. It is a nature. God is only adopting as many as have His nature and for you to have His nature, He must give you His message, His doctrine which is His life. Then when you take it in, surely, you will reflect Him.
55. If a man has put on Christ, he reflects Christ. When you put on a mask, what do you reflect? You become a masquerade.
56. “Then throw off your old evil nature”.
57. What? Throw off your old evil nature; abandon it; it didn’t say, ‘Take it along’; you knew your nature before; maybe, you were a habitual liar; maybe you were very quarrelsome. Is there anybody that cannot recite his old nature? Don’t you know it?
58. Bible said, ‘Throw it away.’ If you were quick-tempered before and Holy Spirit which is a very quiet and gentle Spirit comes to you, you will now see yourself as a brand new person, especially when those occasions come up.
59. There is nothing in you suggesting that you should be violent. You know this God, the Supernatural, therefore throw away your old evil way; don’t take it along.
60. “Then throw off your old evil nature, the old you that was a partner in your evil ways, rotten through and through, full of lusts and shame”,
61. Rotten through and through; that is the condition of the Israelites.
62. “Now your attitudes and thoughts must all be constantly changing for the better.’’
63. What? Your attitudes and thoughts must, MUST be constantly changing for the better; from good to better; from better to best.
64. The Bible didn’t say, now that you have become a Child of God, your life should be worst; any Bible quotation like that?
65. I discerned in the Camp some nodding when they were reading the Old Testament saying, ‘If the thing is like this, why troubling us again?’
66. Let us see that verse again, “Now your attitudes and thoughts must all be constantly changing for the better”.
67. Constantly changing for the better; that should be your attitude because you are Children of God; you are the light of the world; you are just like the lamp that is placed on the mountain. It reflects everywhere.
68. You are like a city that is sitting on a mountain; it cannot be hidden. Let your light so shine before men that they might see your good works and then glorify your Father which is in heaven.
69. The Bible said we are God’s workmanship, created for good works. Let your light so shine before men that they might see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
70. When they see your orderliness, your composure, your quietness, they see you behaving in line with your doctrine, surely, they will say, “There is no wise and upright nation like this nation. They can hardly do anything except it is commanded by the word.”
71. When you understand what God is doing, happy are you. Remember I am not talking to everybody, for everybody cannot understand Me.
72. Because if I don’t speak on this matter and allow you to go home today, know that there will be a greater problem tomorrow, for many neglected the weightier matters of the message and then gathered round somewhere, “that God will save you no matter your life; no matter your character”.
73. Has God ever done it before? Tell Me anybody God saved like that. Before God saved Jacob, He changed Jacob. He never saved him as Jacob. Check your Bible. If God must save Esau, He can never save Esau as Esau. Check your Bible. Amen.
3
CLOTHE YOURSELF WITH THE NATURE OF CHRIST
Verse 24, “Yes yo must be a new and different person, holy and good”.
2. You must be a new and different person, holy and good. You MUST be a new and different person altogether; people that know you before, if they should come in contact with you now, they will say, ‘This is miracle. This is miracle.’
3. But I can only see a situation where somebody will say he is a Child of God only to hide here to perfect in evil character.
4. Becoming a Child of God is now misinterpreted to mean, “inventing evil, fashioning evil”. Even the evils you couldn’t do that time, you now invent them in the name of being a child of God.
5. Are you the first Child of God that appeared here on earth? Are you a child of God more than Jesus?
6. “Yes, you must be a new and different person, holy and good; clothe yourself with this new nature”.
7. Do what? Did it say, ‘CLOTHE yourself with old nature?’ CLOTHE yourself with this new nature; why are we fighting here? Why are we shouting? It is because people collected dresses they don’t want to put on.
8. The Five-Fold Ministry is here to give you the dress, but we cannot clothe you. You just came to the Wedding Supper, you received your white garment, but nobody will put it on you. You have to dress yourself.
9. I have given you the message which is your dressing, the full word of God. You are to dress yourself by believing the message and then acting in line with the message. I am not Moses. I say, I am not Moses. I am speaking to you in plain language.
10. I am not speaking to you in similitude or prophecy. I am not using parables. I am speaking to you directly as a Son whom He has appointed Heir of all things.
11. I speak to you directly as He that is in the bosom of the Father; one that knows the mind of the Father. I am speaking to you as a Son over his Father’s Heritage.
12. Whether you like it or not, I am in charge of this place. He has given Me the authority; absolute authority over his household because I am His Son and I do those things that please Him. I am to introduce you to your Father because you don’t know Him. Believe it if you can, I am the First born among these brethren.
13. I say, believe it if you can, I am the First Born among many brethren. Have you gone this way before? Thus, be very careful. Don’t allow Satan to delude your mind.
14. You know, people love that kind of message that will give them little loop holes. They may not see when a minister is illustrating something; they miss the content.
15. I was moved to come here because when our pastor climbed this place, I thought he understood; I thought he discerned, but when he came here, I started hearing things that are contrary to the message; even confusing Me, for a man is not deceived until he is confused.
16. Satan can never deceive you until you are confused. So, you must be well informed. God hates evil. God hates stubbornness. He called you here. You are bragging just because I called you My people.
17. There was a prophecy we heard here saying, “stop stubbornness; stop rebellion, for I hate rebellion; I hate stubbornness.’
18. If you must live with Me eternally, look at what you must do. Did He say He will bring stubborn and rebellious ones along? I mean we heard Audible Voice here on the matter. Search your jotters, you will see it.
19. One morning prayer like that, it is in My own jotter and it was “Thus Saith The Spirit of God”. Search your Bible. There was a time we heard another prophecy saying, “You ask Me how do I rebel against you? It says when you are rebelling against the instruction of My Servants; you are rebelling against Me, for they are speaking on My behalf.’ I am the one that sent them.
20. Finally, before I go tonight, for I don’t want you to go home confused.
21. Romans chapter twelve verses two and three (Rom. 12:2-3). And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
22. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” KJV.
23. Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and ac-ceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].
24. For by the grace (unmerited favor of God) given to me I warn everyone among you not to estimate and think of himself more highly than he ought [not to have an exaggerated opinion of his own importance], but to rate his ability with sober judgment, each according to the degree of faith ap-portioned by God to him.” AMP.
25. Living Bible “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world; be a new and different person”.
26. Be what? A new and different person; any contradiction there? The same message.
27. Don’t copy the behavior and custom of the world. Remember they are not saved. They are unsaved people. Why should you pattern after them? But be ye an example of all the believers.
28. I know that many couldn’t see where it was recorded in the Old Testament as charges against Israel that they yoke themselves together with the heathens and God was against it.
29. In the New Testament also, God spoke against it. People cannot even see that one. The one they would see is that, ‘Nevertheless, I will save you for My Name’s sake.’
30. You don’t know that God will save the remnant and these remnants bear His Name and His Name is the Word of God. Let Me tell you something: In the land of Egypt, God gave them a charge to kill a lamb without blemish and apply the blood on the lintel of their doors.
31. He said they should carry their children inside; lock up the door: ‘When I see the blood, I will pass over it.’ All Israelites heard it.
32. On that night, many complied with the instruction. What do you think would happen to those people; Israelites; children of Abraham that heard the instruction, but did not carry it out? What will happen to them?
33. Because they were disobedient, they were stubborn; they were rebellious, what do you think will happen to them?
34. Let Me tell you something; please, don’t provoke Me; you are My disciples if you continue in My doctrine. I know My sheep; My sheep know Me. They hear My Voice; they follow Me.
35. “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think…”
36. With what? A fresh newness in all you do and all you think. A brand new person in all you do and think. Godliness affects your thinking. It affects your reasoning. It touches every aspect of your life because it is A total transformation.
37. The way you were thinking when you were not saved, the way you were seeing things, the way you were going after things, surely, they must all change. The way you were dressing, the way you were talking, there must be a change.
38. “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of the world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think then you will learn from your own experience how His ways will really satisfy you.
39. As God’s messenger, I give each of you God’s warning, be honest in your estimation of yourself, measuring your value by how much thing God has given you”.
40. I give you what? God’s warning. Be honest. You know, sometimes, I go crazy. I say, at times, I sound crazy, but I know you will bear with Me. Amen.
4
THE INSTRUMENT
OF LEADERSHIP IS DIVINE
There is a scripture I want to read before rounding up. It is in the Book of Numbers Chapter twenty-seven from verse fifteen (Num. 27:15-). And Moses spoke unto the LORD, saying,
2. Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,
3. Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd.
4. And the LORD said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him.” KJV.
5. AMP, And Moses said to the Lord, Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation
6. Who shall go out and come in before them, leading them out and bringing them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep which have no shepherd.
7. The Lord said to Moses, Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand upon him.”
8. Living Bible, ‘Then Moses said to the Lord “Oh Jehovah, the God of the spirits of all mankind, before I am taken away, please appoint a new leader for the people, a man who will lead them into battle and care for them so that the people of the Lord will not be as sheep without a shepherd”.
9. The Lord replied, “Go and get Joshua son of Nun who has the spirit in him…”
10. Who has what? The Spirit in him! You know what happened that time. God commanded Moses to go and anoint Joshua.
11. The Bible recorded he anointed Joshua with olive oil and laid hands on him as was commanded by the Lord. The Bible said the Spirit of God which was in Moses now rested on him. A new leader had appeared; a few days after that day, Moses died.
12. Call Joshua, the son of Nun who had the spirit in him.
13. Did He say go and call any other person? Call the anointed one for he alone had the Father sealed, hear ye him.
14. When he was presented, the people of Israel vowed a new vow, ‘We shall follow you the same way we followed Moses; we must co-operate with you. It shall come to pass, if there be anybody in the land of Israel that disobey your word, surely, we must put him to death,’ for he was the one given to them to lead them.
15. He had the Spirit. If you know the meaning of Joshua, happy are you. I hope you know the meaning of Joshua. Don’t you know? If you don’t know the meaning of Joshua, see Me after.
16. Call Joshua the Son of Nun who had the Spirit; hear ye him.”
17. Let Apostle Kelechi lift up his voice and thank God for this evening service and commit us into the Hand of God. Amen.