ABUSE OF BROTHERHOOD Preached on 23RD FEBRUARY 1999 At THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD, ONITSHA By APOSTLE PETER ODOEMENA THE SON OF MAN “THE SUPREME INTELLIGENCE” Truth has no substitute”
PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, I pray this day committing this gathering into Your care that the few words that will come out of My Mouth, nobody will misunderstand them.
2. Father, may your spirit rest on Me that not even a single Word will be distorted.
3. Take over the hearts of your children so that at the end of the sermon they will all be richly blessed this day.
4. With this and many other things we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
1
ABUSE OF BROTHERHOOD
My friend, how much do you pay from Onitsha to Jos?” “I pay N850.”
2. “Which one are you now completing?” And by then the Church had already left.
3. I called our brother and said, “Are you with money there?” He said, “No. I am not with any money.”
4. We ran mad here ooo! We called Brother Onyema to come nearer, no way. We were running helter-skelter among ourselves looking for how to borrow money, no way.
5. I said, “Brother Nnachor, call Onyema, go to the yard; how much does the Church have? He said it is about N600. I told him to bring it.
6. Brother Onyema went, collected the 600,the last Kobo the Church had in their pulse. Many of you had left; you didn’t know what was happening that time. When you see them coming around us here you think we are discussing; what we were discussing was the way they will go back.
7. I am still affirming that every Local Church is independent and autonomous. Abuja Church can never depend on Onitsha Church. Onitsha Church can never depend on Aba Church.
8. If any minister is coming from any Local Church we have to accept him, fix his problems and then he will go back. You don’t come here to present your business proposal to us, present this and that to us. It is not why we are here; we are not social club.
9. Thus, if you hear that the Prophet was running a little hotel, really I wonder how he maintains that hotel when he was shuttling from one city to another making more money. And the whole money he was collecting in crusades, he packed all. He was running crusades, yes.
10. Have you seen Me organizing crusades with the ministers here or anywhere? In all our gatherings, have you seen any of us collecting one kobo from anybody?
11. They said he was having his campaigns, healing campaigns here and there and the offering bag was being packed everywhere in America and even beyond; even down here in Africa, in India, in Germany, even in Israel, to the point that he had to amass money worth $11,000,000 which he fixed in an account by 1965 to mature 1990 and he died 1967.
12. He fixed money, eleven point something million US dollars, 1965; fixed it in a fixed deposit in an American Bank to mature in 1990; and he was telling the Church to get ready to depart in 1967.
13. Please be gentle. This is a serious matter. All I am saying is this, even the little hotel he built he didn’t run it. Granted he ran a little hotel at his house, the money that was coming to his hands on weekly basis, I believe was more than enough.
14. People were writing cheques, cheques flowing like that. If you listen to his tapes, he said, “God bless you for sending $20,000 in cheque; one point something million, two point something million.”
15. Then he went into developing estates here and there and was preaching rapture. But we cannot be like him. This is the Church of Christ; it is not William Branham’s Tabernacle. That one was his own Church.
16. This is the Church of Christ. Here, freely we receive the Word, freely we give the Word and we were called to obey every scripture.
17. We work with our hands to earn our living that we will not be a burden to anybody so that the Gospel will be preached without charge. You work with your hands; I work with my hands.
18. If there comes a situation where we can come to your help, it will be very clear. We will come to your help, but don’t over burden us or go home to think that somebody somewhere has a minting machine because he has now exhausted himself all to make sure you continue in the Faith; no. I say, no.
19. Thus, have it in your mind that I as a man, I have my own personal programs also, that if the Lord tarries there are certain demands my own relations will be making from me. I owe it a personal debt to them to meet those demands provided I am in the position.
20. But all these years, I have sacrificed almost everything I have to make sure that you are retained in the Faith but from now on, no more sympathy, no more compassion!
21. Over pampering has killed many of you: “Wait for Me; let me come,” you see Me drive out. Before one hour, I will come back and then, “Brother, how much do you need?” You see Me sharing the money. Then you think I ran to the bank to collect the Church money we put in the bank. No, nothing like that.
22. Onitsha Church has no account in any bank in the world. I said Onitsha Church has no account in any bank in the world. Hence, if by tomorrow when persecution will scatter us let nobody go away and think ministers have gone and carried the Church money. We don’t have even a single Naira.
23. If you want to know your financial position meet Bishop Nnachor, Brother Goddy Tobechukwu, Brother Dan Chukwuemeka; you know them. Whatever they tell you is the position of the Church financial wise.
24. Please that is the true position. They are not accountable to Me. I am one of you in this matter, but I am telling you where we are, where we stand.
25. From now let nobody over burden Me again so that this pressure that is mounted on Me should be reduced drastically. If I continue to become food minister to all of you, when will I have the time to give you the Word?
26. When you keep Me running up and down to meet your food demand, because once you have come, one, two, three.
27. Let Me just use this last weekend. We were there, they were flying in like that. Our pastor carried Brother Polycarp. While we were discussing, Brother John came. We continued talking and talking Brother Abraham Paul joined.
28. We were there talking and talking, I knew that by and by somebody else will come. I prophesied it to My wife. I said, “Watch, they are waiting for the vehicle to start movement. After the election you see them jumping into the vehicles to Onitsha, Son of Man’s house. The Son of Man will solve our problems.”
29. A little while, we saw a motorcycle drive in and drop Brother Isaac, I said, “Glory be to God.”
30. While we were stilling climbing up there, I saw Brother Ifeanyi walking up furiously. I said today na today. Do you know the most annoying part? Not even a single one of them except Brother Isaac had a revelation of what was happening in My house.
31. Our Sister Umezulike, I told you ahead of time that her husband was not available and there was no Brother that will help him take care of his wife in that condition. The only Brother he has he can trust is you and me and our pastor can bear Me witness I came to him and telephoned before the wife came down. It was prearranged.
32. She came down; she never brought her family to Me. You can’t imagine that brethren were trying to share the same room with a woman under labour. I am telling you God’s truth. I nearly slapped Brother James who opened that room not less than three times.
33. I even frowned at Brother Andrew and Brother Joe. Could it be you have become crazy? Could it be you don’t know what it means for a woman to give birth to a child?
34. A woman under labour is mad. She can even be naked. I thank God we have nurses here. We equally have our brother who is a medical doctor.
35. I say a woman under labour is mad. Her dresses will be discomforting her; everything is provoking her, even the bed. And the whole idea is to confine her there while the labour progresses.
36. She never needed any disturbance, but could you imagine that brethren were just walking in with their bags; enter there, drop their bags there. They were entering and coming out like that and the woman was wriggling in pains.
37. I said, “Could it be that we have lost senses of reasoning? Does this one require preaching again? Where is the common sense?”
38. I was even praying, I said, “God, please gear up this labour so that she will leave this place and then go to the hospital. If they want to sleep, let them sleep in that room.”
39. And I have given an instruction in My house that nobody coming from anywhere should go straight to that visitors’ room again because it has become the habit.
40. Even while I am there, Brother Okey, you can bear witness, we will be there sitting down, “Brother, God bless you; God bless you,” they will just go straight to the room not minding who is there. I say not minding.
41. They won’t even say, “Brother, let me go into the room or somebody should carry the bag.” Just one way.
42. The next place of call will be the kitchen. Drop the bag, “Sister, are you here?”
43. Brethren, it is not a laughing matter. I said I will take ten minutes, but I have taken more than ten minutes. It doesn’t make Me a liar or double tongued.
44. What I am saying is not limited to My house alone. Our pastor is equally suffering it. At times, I will even embarrass him there. Midnight, I will send people to him.
45. Who doesn’t know the hardship everybody is suffering? Is it peculiar to any person? It is a general experience. If at the end of the month, I am not paid, will I come here to shout it?
46. Only few ministers that walk close to Me because I have learnt how to live in plenty and how to live in want. I cannot come to this pulpit and tell you, “For the past two or three months I have not collected a kobo as salary.”
47. Even if I tell you what are you going to do? Is there any need telling you when you are even depending on Me? I keep it to Myself. It is purely personal; it has nothing to do with the message we are preaching.
48. I have vowed a vow that I will preach in hunger and in thirst. That’s my vow: food or no food, I must preach this Gospel. Some don’t take that into consideration: “What if I come and Brother has not even been paid his salary?”
49. Even if I have been paid My salary is it enough to meet My monthly demands? If it is enough why do I do extra work which many of you are witnesses to?
50. I do extra work to make sure I meet the demands of the family. If it is limited to My own little children alone, I won’t do extra work, but I know I have a very large family. Amen.
2
DEFEND THE DOCTRINE WHICH WE HAVE RECEIVED
All I am trying to say is this: our people say that if things are not the way they used to be, the man will no longer behave the way he used to.
2. If you are angry that you were given yam and stew, what if you came and there was nothing at all? Is tapioca easy to come by?
3. In this horrible condition, somebody will tell Me, “I don’t eat beans.” I don’t care whether you eat beans or not. That is what we have prepared for the night and that is what I have.
4. You don’t eat beans, in order to subject the woman to the kitchen to go and then start boiling hot water, “Brother, the soup in the fridge is frozen.” You can use knife to break it into pieces.
5. Brethren what am I saying? It is a painful experience. If you were somewhere else, you may not notice what I am saying. Unless you walk closer, that these little kids including My wife will remain in the kitchen from morning till night.
6. Some don’t even know that my wife is equally a civil servant. They don’t even know that. Some will even like to come in the morning, “Brother is not around.”
7. “Is Sister there? Don’t worry; I am coming.” Coming to do what? What are you coming to do? Just to stop her from working. Will you take good care of the family? She will be in the kitchen from morning till night. It’s a painful thing!
8. What am I saying? Ministers, rise up to defend this doctrine which we have received. It is not vested into the of Apostle’s hands alone.
9. All hands must be on deck. Brethren from Onitsha, if you don’t want to be embarrassed respect yourselves. Obey the doctrine in good faith. Any sign of reckless misbehavior or movement suggesting evil motive surely you will be embarrassed.
10. Visit one another, but don’t have any carnal motive. Nobody is minting money here. If there is food, we will eat, but if there is no food, let us bear it.
11. Brother doesn’t commit crime because there is no food. If there is money, we will share, but if there is no money to share we will be patient.
12. Some even mount pressure on Me when they know that the money is not there; no matter how I explain, “Brother is it available?”
13. Available from where? I have discussed with the elders, there is no way and I don’t have money to give you. There may be a little money there which will only serve for the little food for the family for two or three days.
14. If I should give it to you for your little business there, what do you think will be the fate of this family?
15. What am I saying? If you are good at inviting them stop inviting them. I am not inviting anybody.
16. Bishop Okey came to me last night and we were talking on this matter seriously. He said even Brother Ben Okezue had already booked while he was leaving. He told him that he is making serious arrangements that he was coming here to fix some things with his wife.
17. Brethren it is not a laughing matter. Even at times, I pity young men in our midst, unmarried. At times, I trouble them by forcing them to go to their houses at a time they never expected.
18. Some may even come to My house and while they are leaving, I say, “Brother, please go with this brother,” something he never bargained for and I will not even enquire from him whether he has any money to provide his bread that night. The money may be in the shop. I have now imposed a burden on him.
19. At times, I pity some brethren, a bachelor that is not married carrying bags of rice up and down, bags of garri, like the case of Brother Onyema.
20. At a time, I called him and said, “My friend, what is wrong with you? There is no law that says all that are in your house you must feed them. Nobody ever said so. If it is possible start eating in the shop. In the morning, go to work, eat there. While coming in the evening, eat, go to bed and sleep.”
21. Let Me tell you; we are not crazy. We are sensible men. Speak the truth in love. If it is you, how will you feel? You are not married, you are struggling to save money for your marriage and you are feeding five to six people.
22. A child in the back does not know that the journey is far. People don’t know it is painful when they are eating from other people’s pockets. You think it is easy to feed somebody?
23. Then any day he decides not to feed you he becomes a wicked man. In other word, he does not have any other problem. All that bothers him is food.
24. Every now and then you see him carry bags of rice and tubers of yam. “Brother, who will eat all these heavy tubers of yam you are carrying?”
25. The reply would be, “It is the people in my house?”
26. What I am trying to say is; let us be very careful. Enough is enough! Nobody is saving in another man’s pocket. I say, nobody is saving in the pocket of another.
27. We have come here to serve God not to exchange pleasantries. If it is pleasantries we came to exchange, we could have been somewhere.
28. I want to see a situation where we visit brethren having nothing but one motive that love will continue; that the brotherhood will continue, not going to sister’s house and along the way you make up your mind, “I have come; I came with empty stomach; I have not eaten anything; find something you will give me to eat,” or you refuse to go until there is food.
29. There are many ways they do it. Somebody said he has left as at 6 O’clock in the morning. I heard his voice; he stopped my children from taking their bath. I decided to prove him because something told Me he was fooling himself.
30. I decided I won’t come out on time. I remained in the bed till 7:30. I came out and met him in the parlor giving another instruction.
31. When he saw Me, he said, “Sir, I am on my way.” You that said you were leaving by 6:00, at 7:30 all we heard was, “Sister, I am on my way out,” in other words, she should hasten up action. I understand those hidden thoughts more than you.
32. “We have finished your discussion. Sister has saluted you and discussed with you. I have spoken with you and other brethren; everybody has gone. Why are you still around? I told you to go, you said I should wait so that you will go and see sister.”
33. I asked him, “Is there any other thing you want from her?” He said, “I want to tell her that I am leaving.”
34. Once My wife heard his voice, she told him to exercise a little patience that she was bringing him breakfast. He slammed his hand on the dining table and sat down. That was exactly what he wanted.
35. Brethren, this is not a laughing matter. I know the way I have behaved among you all this while. I know the way all the ministers here that have been walking with Me have been behaving themselves even when we go outside.
36. They have never betrayed the confidence reposed on them; except once they did it even in My presence which didn’t sink well with Me. That was the time I punished all that went to Jos with Me; from there to Abuja where they were eating as slaves and some others that abused food at Mbaise during Evangelical Mission.
37. You knew My stand that time; I didn’t take it light with them. Apart from these two occasions, I don’t have any other occasions to lament. But I am seeing that it was just mere suppression of feeling that many of them have not changed their attitude.
38. What am I saying? Let Me tell you what I mean. If I come to the house of Brother Igwe and by God’s grace Sister gives Me food to My satisfaction and I leave, then I go to the house of another Sister and sister decides to bring food when I know that My stomach is full, common sense will be there; “No! God bless you; I ate food in the house of Sister Grace.”
39. But many will not tell you that. Rather, if food is brought, the person will just take the meat and abandon the food and move to the house of Brother Okey, sister will bring rice to him, he will eat the meat and leave the food.
40. Did you not notice anything there? The person is not hungry. If he is hungry he will settle down and eat the food. What I am saying is that the person is a glutton. This is happening among you now.
41. You may even see one that will eat in his house, less than ten minutes you see him eating food again. You now start asking whether the person’s stomach has seven chambers: “Do you ever get filled at all?”
42. I am not happy with the situation and I believe the Holy Spirit is not happy. It is not a godly attitude. Amen.
3
BE VERY CAREFUL
We are children of God. The Kingdom of Heaven is not eating and drinking; it is more than that. We eat because we are hungry not to eat because there is food. Once there is food you re-adjust immediately. It is End Time spirit.
2. Some even vowed a vow, “Whatever is on the table we must finish it!”
3. Let Me tell you something; I just laugh. You know at times, brethren make me laugh. Five of them visited Me from other Local Churches, four slept in My house and I posted one outside and they were served food together with one jug of kwunu.
4. While they were eating and eating, they finished everything on the table and then forgot the kwunu. They thought it was the ordinary type.
5. One of them noticed it was kwunu, went back and then continued drinking. Another person came in, joined him and finished the thing.
6. When they came out and then shared the testimony to their brethren at the corridor, that the jug was filled with kwunu and they finished it, one of them said, “Oh my goodness! That is my favourite! How I wish I saw it.”
7. I was just waiting for him to demand it. Is it compulsory that on the table that is served different kinds of dishes you must eat all? It’s not compulsory if you are wise.
8. That one you know that you will not eat why not leave it like that so that somebody else will take it, but you put your hand in this one half way, that one half way, that other one half way; it is madness.
9. If you are having that spirit here get rid of it immediately. We are not coming praising God because of what we shall eat. We better starve ourselves and get what we want than to use food and destroy ourselves.
10. In effect I am saying, ministers here in Onitsha Church please rise up. When you see these ministers coming from here and there recklessly like that, rise up against their meetings; tell them it is breaking of Church Order.
11. People that come to Me should be referred by the elders in Jerusalem. Read your scriptures. Saint Paul dragged ministers from the Gentiles, he went to Jerusalem.
12. He sat down with the elders; he didn’t say, “Go to Peter’s house.” They sat down and discussed. Even if you attempted to come to me direct, prepare your questions and you must line up your questions from your Church; not when you come and discuss personal questions you go.
13. The following day somebody will come from your Church, discuss personal questions and go away which I have noticed at Nsukka.
14. Brother Abraham came three weeks ago, spent a night, discussed and went away. The following week Brother Ogechukwu came with somebody, passed the night, discussed their problems, went away.
15. The other one Brother John came, discussed, went away. Look at this last Sunday, he came again and he has already booked next week too. What are you discussing? Nothing.
16. I don’t believe in “scriptural movement.” Maybe we will subject you to some hardship when you come. We will tell you we have no money; we tell you where you will go and do some work, I think this thing will stop.
17. There is no Church that is not having needy brethren. Onitsha Church has needy brethren. They exaggerate that of their Local Church as if Onitsha Church is feeling happy; everybody is feeling okay. No; we have our problems.
18. When we want to consider needy brethren, charity begins at home. Don’t you know it will be foolish for Onitsha Church to consider needy brethren outside when those that are here have not been helped? Is it not madness?
19. If you want to serve God, serve God. If you don’t want to serve God resign. I lose nothing, I gain nothing. You are not paying Me; I am not paying you.
20. If you like, work; if you like, don’t work, but a time is coming when you will come to Onitsha and get stranded.
21. When you come I will just give you my bank account, “Take my teller, go to the Union Bank, whatever they give you there, that’s what I have.”
22. You want Me to write cheque, I will write cheque and give you. When you get there, they will ask you to press the computer. If the money comes out, take; if it doesn’t come out, you will know that I am waiting for my employer to pay Me.
23. Let us be very careful. Nobody here is minting money in the night and by the spoken Word nobody has ever spoken money into existence. Jesus commanded Peter to go and enter that little river, put his hand inside the mouth of the fish.
24. He never said, “Let me go to the river; oya money come out.” No man ever spoke money into existence, but you see people earning money from their hard labour.
25. Please don’t be tempted to think that the Son of Man has the power to do all things. For that reason, when He needs money He will speak it into existence. No, it is not like that!
26. Brother Ifeanyi when you get home, pass this information to all the Churches living around you there that I have revisited this matter again; that I am strongly against reckless visitation, unnecessary visitation.
27. And from henceforth Onitsha Church will not transport any visiting Brother back to his station. Anybody that is making a trip must be prepared. If you don’t have the money that will take you to and fro, don’t come! God bless you Church.
28. If you were yesterday very lucky to come to My house, when I gave an order that no Brother or Sister from any Local Church including Onitsha should visit My house, please bear with Me. I did it yesterday to save Myself from running mad. My brain was scattered.
29. For seven days, like I told you here, I never went to bed until after 12, every day; no rest in My house. And it has even affected My children very badly to the point where they cannot move about in the house again because once there are visitors there, they cannot move about. You can’t see them even in any corridor.
30. I will subject all of them to torture in one room so that they will not disturb our discussions or disturb our brethren. Don’t you know it is a horrible thing and then must it continue like that? It is not good at all.
31. They are not coming by revelation. THEY ARE COMING FOR CARNAL CONSIDERATION. THAT IS WHY THEY DON’T EVEN PRAY BEFORE COMING. THEY COME WITHOUT ACHIEVING ANYTHING.
32. You here in Onitsha, be wise enough! There is time for visitation; there is time for praying. There is time for talking. Don’t come to my house because you want to relax. My house is not a holiday resort.
33. If you want to relax, go to Ojeni Village. You want to sleep, book accommodation in the best hotel, at Travelers’ Palace; go there and sleep, not in My house. After labour you just come down there to have your rest because Odoemena has provided a resting place.
34. What is more, you don’t even rest, but engage Me in serious talking. I keep on talking from morning till night. It is becoming very disturbing on My side.
35. The same way it was with Moses until God told him to appoint seventy elders, but here seventy elders had already been appointed, but you don’t want to go to them. You flout Church Order.
36. Maybe you want to hear it is a punishable offence, punishable by excommunication; until I read scriptures that show you that you are walking contrary to the doctrine and then I can disfellowship you.
37. Don’t come to Me to trouble Me; let Me concentrate My attention on the most important matter. Why do you come to Church? Is it not to hear from the Almighty God?
38. Let Me study the Word. Let Me kneel down and pray. LET ME SEEK GOD’S FACE THAT I MAY BE ABLE TO LEAD ALL OF YOU HOME SAFELY.
39. But when you trouble Me and disturb Me with your personal problems, there won’t be time for enquiry, no time for consultation. I will spend the time to meet the food demands. God hates it.
40. I am no longer running food program in My house. What I am running in My house from now is Word Program. The same way it is with other ministers. We are able ministers of the Word, not able ministers of food. Thus, that is over from today.
41. You are coming to your ministers because you want to hear the Word, after which you will go home. After all, man does not live by food alone but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Many of them that run for food hate responsibilities.
42. Give them a little assignment they will dodge it and give you reasons. Some will even come thinking that I will give them one assignment or the other, telling Me that they have been having waist pain for two days; another way of telling Me that I should confine them to the bed.
43. One day, I confined one to the parlour, “Two persons are already on the bed; manage the floor.” It was in the day time; not in the night. I gave him pillow; a man, not a woman; a healthy man.
44. You are looking for me. The person you met in the house, is he crippled? Was he lying on the bed when you came? My cushion is my bed. I have decided now to do something.
45. Brother Amankem, come tomorrow morning to dismantle that bell. That bell will no longer ring so that when you are knocking I will not know. If you are not privileged to stay with Me for at least three hours, you won’t know what I am saying.
46. You keep on hearing grim, grim, grim every now and then, hopeless visitations, not even serious visitations. If you have come for something serious, fine, we will discuss it seriously, but they are all hopeless visitations.
47. Somebody comes to My house only to tell me, “I want to ride another Okada (commercial motorcycle), the one I am riding now is giving me troubles.”
48. Is that why you mounted a vehicle and came looking for Me? You do not have common sense! If you know it is giving you troubles, change it. Must you disturb me about it?
49. Maybe we have different spirits, but the Bible is saying it is by one spirit. If they have the Spirit of God and I have the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit will lead you on what to do. Amen.
4
LET US BE WISE
God bless you Church. I sent this thing out the way it is in Me. I don’t want to be a hypocrite. At times, Bishop Okechukwu would notice it and even force some to go with him and they would refuse. I am telling you the truth.
2. Let him speak. [Bishop Okey speaks:] The elders discussed and planted me in the house of the Son of Man so that any time a brother comes from outside, I will take him to where he should stay.
3. But when we started implementing it we discovered they devised another means by coming in the night, very late to the house of the Son of Man.
4. So when I go there to take some of them to my house seeing that it is late, to reduce the number of visitors there, they will be protesting, saying they wish to stay in the house of the Son of Man.]
5. You see what is happening? All I am trying to say is this, let us be wise. We are called to serve God and not to serve the devil. We are not running a programme. It is a dangerous habit that must be stopped this moment.
6. If you will continue in this way, let Me tell you, we are perishing in the wilderness! We have never reached our destination and you want to weary the Vessel down.
7. When we get to Paradise, we will get all these things in fullness. We won’t complain again. But for now, please, let us pay attention to the matter that is ahead of us. Don’t bring us down by making some unnecessary demands, even when you know that we cannot meet them and there is no way we can meet them.
8. Do I start tasking the brethren so that we meet those demands? No. If you have a personal problem and you know that it is financial, there is no other way you can meet it than working with your hands.
9. If the job you are engaged in is not giving you what you need, change to another job. You don’t watch a masquerade from one spot. I invite the pastor to the pulpit. I hope nobody is angry at Me? Even if you are offended I don’t care.
10. Pastor speaks: God bless you Church. It is the voice of God. We have decided not to obey the doctrine of the Church. Even the one that passed a night with me; I called him this morning and asked, “What is your programme?”
11. He said, “I will go and see the Son of Man. I will do this and that.” I said, “You don’t have any programme. You didn’t come for Church matters. That one is your personal thing. Prepare for you are living this morning. We are all going out together.”
12. [The Son of Man shouts out from His Seat: God bless you sir.]
13. He even went to protest to my wife. On seeing my wife, he said, “Oh, you have already prepared for work. Okay, bye-bye.”
14. I said, “No, we are all going out together.” He then said, “Okay, let me say hello to the Son of Man.”
15. I said, “Fine. Once you say the hello, you should be on your way.” Let us rise up. This thing is becoming too much.
16. I am here to confirm what the Holy Ghost has said and we that are in Onitsha Church should know more than this because if such a thing is found in us, it then means all the Holy Ghost is telling us, we have not obeyed them.
17. Let us be very, very careful. We should know how we walk from henceforth because if we continue to disturb Him, to trouble Him, to weary Him, when will He have the time to sit down to give us what we want?
18. You see Him every time running about for food and for every other amenity. And those that come don’t even consider the size of His family.
19. Some of them come without towels, wrapper, even tooth brush. Then we keep running about to get these things for them.
20. God is trying to restore the doctrine. We know where to channel our problems. We are supposed to go to the elders.
21. Bishop Okechukwu, we still charge you to continue in that duty. In fact, if it becomes necessary, one day we will send somebody back home immediately he comes. If we don’t do that they will not know how serious what we are saying is.
22. When that happens, he will go back and tell the others. We are not printing money here. We don’t have anything in the pocket, everyday money, money; transport, transport.
23. I don’t know whether what we have in our purse now is up to N200. The earlier we tackle this thing the better. Let us stand up and pray. Amen.
5
TESTING FROM GOD (1)
You see, God even permitted Satan to come and test Job, to see whether he will remain faithful to his calling.
2. Job 1: 6-12, “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
3. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
4. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for naught?
5. Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
6. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.” KJV.
7. “One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan the Accuser came with them.
8. “Where have you come from?” the LORD asked Satan. And Satan answered the
9. LORD, “I have been going back and forth across the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”
10. Then the LORD asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and will have nothing to do with evil.”
11. Satan replied to the LORD, “Yes, Job fears God, but not without good reason!
12. You have always protected him and his home and his property from harm. You have made him prosperous in everything he does. Look how rich he is! But take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!”
13. “All right, you may test him,” the LORD said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the LORD’s presence.” LB.
14. “Now there was a day when the sons (the angels) of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan (the adversary and accuser) also came among them.
15. And the Lord said to Satan, From where did you come? Then Satan answered the Lord, From going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it.
16. And the Lord said to Satan, Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who [reverently] fears God and abstains from and shuns evil [because it is wrong]?
17. Then Satan answered the Lord, Does Job [reverently] fear God for nothing?
18. Have You not put a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have conferred prosperity and happiness upon him in the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
19. But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has, and he will curse You to Your face.
20. And the Lord said to Satan (the adversary and the accuser), Behold, all that he has is in your power, only upon the man himself put not forth your hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.” Amp.
21. We can now see that God permitted Satan to go and test Job with instruction, “Do not tamper with his soul,” because God was boasting with Job. Job himself was equally boasting.
22. In Job 27: 6, he said, “I will hold fast my integrity.” And really no matter how fierce the trial was on the side of Job, he didn’t give up.
23. He continued, though he lost everything; he never recanted his faith. I am saying that your own test may come by way of sickness.
24. Don’t say, “Where is the Son of Man or is God alive? If God is alive, why are all these things befalling me?”
25. God is alive. The test is of God; it is not of the Devil. God has permitted it to come to you, to test all you have been proclaiming that is in you all these years. If you use the Living Bible, 1st Cor. 10 verse 18, is a Word of consolation.
26. No test or trial or temptation is irresistible or common to a particular one but they are all a general experience.
27. You can trust God no matter how escalated the temptations may be around you.
28. Don’t say, “It is limited to me alone. Why try me with this? Why not go and try others?” There is nothing like that. He has His reasons.
29. REMEMBER HE IS THE ONE THAT WILL SEE YOU THROUGH ALSO. I AM SAYING THAT THE ONE THAT HAS PERMITTED THE TEST, THE TRIAL OF YOUR FAITH, IS THE ONE THAT WILL SEE YOU THROUGH.
30. Thus, when you notice that God is behind it, you will relax and then pass through the trial with joy; no complaining, no murmuring, no quarrelling. Amen
6
TESTING FROM GOD (2)
Genesis 12:1-13, “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee:
5. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
6. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
7. Verse 10 through 13, “And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
8. And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:
9. Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.
10. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.” KJV.
11. Notice what happened there. It was the Lord that commanded Abraham to go to the land that was flowing with milk and honey therein he will bless him. Who caused that great famine there? The Bible said immediately Abraham got there, the Lord caused great famine on the land.
12. And the Lord had already proclaimed before Abraham that woe is the man that goeth to Egypt to seek help. Immediately Abraham saw the thing, he recanted his faith, yet Abraham staggered not in unbelief.
13. What is he doing now? Without God, you can do nothing. If Abraham staggered not in unbelief, what took him to Egypt? What made him deny his wife? If he had settled in that place God said he should stay, do you think he would have died of starvation?
14. Yet in everywhere, “Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him as righteousness.”
15. I AM SAYING THAT IF GOD WAS IMPUTING RIGHTEOUSNESS BY WORKS, ABRAHAM FAILED. This is because what we saw Abraham practising was his faith, “How can I stay here and die? Nna, if man stay here we go perish ooo. Let us leave here.”
16. He said again, “Madam, you know you are beautiful, even if you tell lies, provided we survive that is the emphasis. Just tell them you are my sister. No problem. I just want to make sure nobody dies in this place.”
17. He didn’t do better than Lot who said he wouldn’t go to the mountain lest people will devour him there and he will die. Yet Abraham staggered not in unbelief, even if it is this one alone. Unbelief was his faith.
18. Did Abraham take God at His Word? I will even show you where God Himself staggered, where God Himself became an unbeliever.
19. Don’t worry; you will see it as we continue in the message. When we get there, we will narrow the message down so that when we get to the end, you will see that God saved you because He has decided to save you. God took the decision before you were born that He must save you, but before then, there is something that is required of you.
20. Did Abraham continue with the same mistake? He corrected it. What is it by your time there for the sake of the people going to far places? Anybody from Port Harcourt here? Nobody.
21. The person going back to the North will travel by night. So, we thank God for this afternoon.
22. Gen 32:26, “And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
23. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
24. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
25. And Jacob asked him , and said, Tell me , I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name?” KJV.
26. “Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is dawn.” But Jacob panted, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
27. “What is your name?” the man asked. He replied, “Jacob.”
28. “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “It is now Israel, because you have struggled with both God and men and have won.”
29. “What is your name?” Jacob asked him. “Why do you ask?” the man replied….” LB.
30. Now, that was Jacob. Abraham had struggled with men and with God and because he remained steadfast till the end, he won. When he got the victory, what followed? He got the promised blessing.
31. Remember where we started from, “To him that overcometh will I permit to have access to that Tree Of Life that is in the middle of Paradise.”
32. You cannot inherit what the Lord has promised His people in the end until you have overcome your own test.
33. The Lord tested Jacob by wrestling with him Himself. And in the end, Jacob prevailed.
34. There are so many people in the Bible whom the Lord tested their loyalty and whatever they said was their faith at various times.
35. All I am trying to say is this: Bear in mind that the Spoken Word Ministry is full of commandments and instructions. And if you want to survive; you don’t want to make a shipwreck, you don’t want to be left behind, all you need to do is pay attention and be ready at all times to say: “God, at Thy Word’.
36. Don’t ask, “Where is it landing me?” If you want to know where it will land you, you will never take a step forward. Remember we have come to the end of the ministry.
37. I don’t believe that there is going to be a harder obstacle than where we are now. That was the Voice that said that the greatest stumbling block is lying ahead.
38. It said, “After this, there is another hurdle and once we jump that hurdle, we will see a plain land that is promised.”
39. We have now seen another hurdle we must jump. And it must come to us whether we like it or not at various times and in diverse ways.
40. It may even start this evening with some of you. It may even start tomorrow morning with some of you. That is why I said, whatever you hear, is what you are supposed to hear. Whatever you see, is what you are supposed to see.
41. Whatever we pass through from now the hand of God is behind it. Don’t call it devil. Even if God has permitted devil to come, the hand of GOD is behind it. Amen.
7
WARNING: BE CAREFUL
God bless you brethren. It is a pity that some of us are still on their way, while some will not be coming at all tonight. I am not coming here to stay long.
2. I am not coming here to stay long. Something prompted me to be here. All I crave is your attention. In every situation, I must put in an address to carry you along.
3. It is My desire to say few words to as many as are here. Those that are not here I mean from other Local Churches surely in one way or the other will get the message through tapes.
4. What I am handling here is not a strange thing. I don’t have two doctrines. I only have one doctrine and that doctrine is not meant for a particularly Local Church.
5. What I am trying to say is that the same thing I teach in Church at Onitsha is the same thing I teach in all other local assemblies worldwide. I don’t have two teachings at all.
6. I want to address the Church. I was somewhere watching and I saw our former Brother Chike fighting in the Church. I said, “Oh so the spirit of karate and punching is still in him?”
7. A little while, I was hearing their voices outside and I was even told that he fought there. I even learnt he said they should wait for him on Thursday.
8. And I said something last night that he should be very careful that he doesn’t come into the Church when I am on the pulpit. If he will be unfortunate to be here while I am on the pulpit, it then means he will be hearing another story.
9. We will be hearing another story because as long as the Lord liveth I will wreck up all the charges against him from the time this ministry started.
10. Then I will pass one Word statement. That which you feel cannot come back will come back. Fear wouldn’t allow him come here again.
11. I remember the day Brother Ben Okezue fell down here. Within the first three months of that year, before anyone came in here he or she first knelt down outside the door to show respect, saying “God examine me. I examine myself.”
12. Now, that person that is fomenting trouble, doesn’t he believe that He that pushed down Ben is still here? Is it not the same Voice that we are hearing? Maybe the Lord will use another person to set example.
13. Brother Okechukwu Painter, there is an old Igbo adage that says that once a lion becomes old it settles down for toads. This is because the lion has become old and weary.
14. Hence, when it looks round, it only finds out that all the animals around are fast running ones while it is too old to run. It simply settles down for toads for the strength to jump and hop around so as to catch bigger animals is no longer there.
15. You see, it is a bad thing for an elder to remain in the house while a goat in labour delivers in fetters. An elder that sees evil on the path of the youth and refuses to speak, the repercussions often kills the elder and when the elder speaks and the youth refuses to listen, the repercussions kill the youth.
16. Most often, I have realized that this trouble going on now started in your chamber. Brother Dan Nwadike, the legs of a small goat are also sold in the market. Take note.
17. When you see evil and cover it you are as guilty as the one perpetrating the evil. The Bible said, “Do not join in the unfruitful works of the enemy, but instead expose them.”
18. The day God destroyed Vashti, God equally destroyed all those that were with her even those that had a handshake with her. I am here to warn everybody.
19. The Bible said, “Seeing the terror of God, we persuade all men to escape.”
20. If you have never known that God is a Consuming Fire and He is no respecter of persons, let Me put you in remembrance. I know God and it is a fearful thing for a human being to enter into judgement with God. For God doesn’t respect any man. No matter your calling, God is not interested.
21. Be very careful; young and old. Once bitten twice shy. A Word is enough for the wise.
22. Bishop Okechukwu you are running away from the pulpit. Are you angry? If you get angry I will punish you as well. You are also involved in this thing.
23. You locked up our brother in your house contrary to the agreement I had with you. If you remind me of it I will deal with you severely. Come over to the pulpit. Amen.