(FAMILY ALTAR MESSAGE) PREACHED ON TUESDAY 7TH APRIL 2020 AT THE BRIDAL LODGE, NSUGBE ANAMBRA STATE BY APOSTLE PETER ODOEMENA THE SON OF MAN THE RESURRECTED BODY
Whatever position you find yourself, if that position is not to honor God, worship God, the devil placed you there. He is using it to rope your hands and feet so that you will not wriggle out.
OPEN YOUR EYES AGAINST SPIRITUAL DANGER VOL 1. PREACHED ON SUNDAY,31ST JANUARY 2016. Pg29 vs 29
1
WATCH YOUR BACK
Wait a little. Is there anybody who does not have the Epistle in this house, whether the old or revised edition? Bro Promise, you are still looking for Epistle12. I have been watching you all the while; listen to this Message, I know that you have not read it.
2. Let this Message give you concern. This Message should give you concern more than everybody in this House. This personal Epistle should give you serious concern more than any other person in this house.
3. If your life is harmonizing with the Message, you will not be hearing us preach. We will only come out here, sing praises and dismiss. Let Me tell you. If not for you, it will be difficult for Me to come out for the family altar.
4. Everybody is gearing towards helping you to see yourself, and to know whether you can find the way out of your trouble. You are the only one creating these troubles. You have seen how you are coping with your trouble. They will not continue to help you till eternity. I have spoken to you using different illustrations.
5. Give yourself to this Gospel if you must live and taste of eternal life. Otherwise, what is before you is greater than you.
6. Listen to Me everybody that is here, even those that are preaching. Let Me tell you the truth about what you are preaching. I will use Myself as an example.
7. If in spite of all these doctrines, teachings, encouragements and admonitions, and My life is contrary to My belief, do you think the Brethren will take Me seriously? Will I command them in the Church? Will they obey Me? Good!
8. What do you think they are obeying? Do you think they are obeying only the Messages? They are trying to pattern after Me, for I am a leader and I am in front.
9. No matter how you preach, even if you preach down the heavens, watch your life. I gave you a Message where I told you to WATCH YOUR BACK. In everything you are doing, do what? WATCH YOUR BACK.
10. If you watch wrestlers; Let me use them for example. The reason some of them suffer defeat is because they do not watch their back.
11. Somebody may come to distract their attention. Someone who is not even a part of the wrestling squad. The person came to distract attention. Somebody hired him for a pay to come and distract the attention of the super star who is vying for a trophy.
12. That super star will be stupid to give attention to somebody that is coming to distract his attention from outside. While trying to give him audience or even recognize him, the opponent will strike from the back. Is it not true? Is it not happening every day?
13. That is why I told you in the Epistle why I am focused, and why I create no room for any distraction, for whatever that will distract Me from My course, whatever that will cause Me to have a serious accident or suffer a serious defeat.
14. I do not care what that thing looks like. As long as it is a distraction, let your attitude be like that of Jesus Christ. LET THE MIND THAT WAS IN CHRIST BE IN YOU. It is a Message I preached even here.
15. He never, for one day, recorded any distraction. Whatever that is operating from outside, He knows that it is a distraction; He has no room for it.
16. SO, IF YOU ARE DESIROUS OF MAKING ETERNAL LIFE, AND YOU HAPPEN TO BE A MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, CAN’T YOU WATCH YOUR BACK?
17. WHAT WILL DESTROY YOU IS NOT YOUR MESSAGE. WHAT WILL DESTROY YOU IS YOUR CHARACTER. IF YOUR CHARACTER DOES NOT HARMONIZE WITH YOUR MESSAGE, YOU ARE A NOISY CYMBAL. I HOPE YOU ARE HEARING ME?
18. You must always watch one Gospel I preached. William Braham also preached it. God vindicated it.
19. Saint Paul also preached it, “That you must take heed unto yourself, take heed also unto the doctrines, for in so doing,[1] He will save your life.
20. When you take heed to the doctrines and to yourself, you will save your life and then [2] save the life of those that hear you. [1 Timothy 4:16 KJV] Is it not Scripture?
21. So your salvation is tied to your Ministry.
BEFORE EVER YOU APPEAR BEFORE HIM, ALL YOU DID WILL BE WRITTEN BEFORE YOU. THAT IS WHY THE BIBLE ENCOURAGES US TO LIVE RIGHT SO THAT ON THAT DAY, WE WILL HAVE THE BOLDNESS, EVEN TO APPEAR BEFORE THE SON OF MAN. IS IT NOT SCRIPTURE? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THE UNCHANGING ESSENCE OF GOD. PREACHED ON EASTER SUNDAY,7TH APRIL 1996.Pg 49 vs 38.
2
LIVE THE LIFE
So that Message is: IS YOUR LIFE WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST? That gospel you are preaching, to what extent are you striving to harmonize your life with that gospel, for we are written Epistles read of all men. [2 Corinthians 3:2 KJV]
2. WHAT PREACHES THE GREATEST MESSAGE THAT MAKES THE GREATEST IMPACT IS YOUR LIFE.
3. ANYBODY, EVEN THE DEVIL, CAN CARRY THE SERMON BOOKS, BALANCE THEM AND PREACH TO EVERYBODY UNTIL WE ALL FALL FLAT, BUT THE DEVIL CANNOT LIVE THE LIFE OF THAT MESSAGE.
4. SO, IF YOU CANNOT LIVE THE LIFE OF THE GOSPEL YOU ARE PREACHING, YOU HAVE NULLIFIED EVERYTHING AND YOU HAVE PUT PAID TO YOUR ETERNAL RACE.
5. IT THEN MEANS YOU ARE NUMBERED AMONG THOSE WHO WILL HELP PEOPLE TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, AND THEY THEMSELVES WILL NOT ENTER.
6. ANYBODY WHO IS PREACHING THE GOSPEL WITHOUT TAKING HEED TO HIS OWN LIFE, MAKING SURE THAT HIS LIFE AND HIS GOSPEL ARE ONE, IS FULFILLING A DANGEROUS SCRIPTURE.
7. Jesus said it in the Bible that there are some that will help others into the kingdom of Heaven and they themselves will not enter. What a miserable condition?
8. It then means the person is a tout (Agbero – a motor park tout). Agbero peacher! An Agbero cannot pay the fare for the trip. He knows the vehicle that is going and wherever the vehicle is going.
9. He helps in loading in the passengers. At the end of the day, he ends his own at the park. He does not take off with the vehicle. An agbero is not a passenger, but he helps passengers in, and stays out. what a miserable condition!
10. Let us be very, very careful about ourselves first. That is why Jesus encouraged us in that same message IS YOUR LIFE WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
11. I made it clear, repeating, using the words of Jesus Christ, “First remove the mud that is in your own eyes before you begin to remove that which you have found in another man’s eyes. [Matthew 7:3 – 5, Luke 6:42]
12. This is because human beings are guilty of looking too much into another man’s farm, but do a little weeding in their own farms. True or false?
13. When you do much looking into another man’s farm, you may be reminding the person that his farm is overgrown with weeds, “What are you doing? Why not weed your farm? See all the crops are languishing there”, when your own farm is overgrown with weeds and grasses.
14. First weed your own. When you weed your own farm, you have laid a perfect example for your neighbour.
15. You can now point your neighbor to your own farm, “If you want to reap good harvest from your farm brother, follow my example. Look at my own farm. That is why I am enjoying the fruits of the farm. I took my time to water it and do the weeding. That is why I am enjoying it. So, if you can do what I have done, truly speaking, you will equally enjoy your farm as I am enjoying my own.”Is it not true? That is leadership by example.
16. SO IF YOU ARE A MINISTER AND YOU CANNOT STAND AND SAY, “FOLLOW ME AS I FOLLOW CHRIST”, YOU ARE DOOMED. ANY MINISTER THAT CANNOT STAND ON HIS TWO FEET AND SAY, “IMITATE ME, EVEN AS I IMITATE CHRIST”, THAT MINISTER IS DOOMED.
17. HE WILL GET THE GREATEST DISAPPOINTMENT IN THE END. THAT GREATEST DISAPPOINTMENT IS THAT HE WILL HELP MANY WHO WILL BE RECEIVING HIS MESSAGES, HAILING HIM, NOT KNOWING THAT HE IS LIVING CONTRARY TO THE FAITH HE IS PROFESSING.
18. THAT IS WHY FROM TIME TO TIME, STOP AND THINK, AND CONSTANTLY WATCH YOUR BACK. CONSTANTLY WATCH YOURSELF IN THE MIRROR. NOBODY IS IN THE MIRROR BUT YOU. NOBODY IS IN THE MIRROR BUT MYSELF.
19. I hope you are hearing Me[all of you] because you are coming up as men of God. Once you are a man in this family, you are a man of God, whether you like it or not, including this [Brother] Promise here. One day, you will minister to us here.
20. This is because, when you are ministering, you are growing in the Faith. When you are ministering, you are divorcing the devil from your life, for you are taking a stand and you are using what you are ministering to guide yourself.
21. You see, once you are a child of God and you are closing your mouth saying “I know the Message. It is here”, the devil is holding you.
22. But when you open your mouth, begin to teach others, begin to strive to live the life of the Message, you put the devil on the run and also put the devil to shame because he cannot gag your mouth again. Boldness will emerge. You see yourself vibrating. THIS IS A SECRET MANY HAVE NOT STILL COME ACROSS.
23. Remember what I told you. I told you that from 1978, I came in contact with Bro. Shed till today, I have been holding the Scriptures. I have never come down from the pulpit for one day.
24. Check! How many years?42 consecutive years. And it helped Me a lot. This is because what I acquired while I was coming up helped Me more than any other thing.
25. Although I had the fear of God from My childhood, God has been following Me from the beginning, directing Me in the way I should go.
26. That is why, to live contrary is very difficult for Me. It is very, very difficult, for He that is controlling My life will never permit Me to live contrary. That is why I watch My actions and I watch the Faith.
27. IF WHAT YOU ARE PREACHING CONTRADICTS WHAT YOU BELIEVE OR YOUR CHARACTER, HEAR ME VERY WELL, WHATEVER A MAN BELIEVES REFLECTS IN HIS CHARACTER. YOU MAY PREACH ONE THING AND BELIEVE ANOTHER THING.
28. I AM SAYING THAT IF YOUR CHARACTER IS CONTRADICTING YOUR MESSAGE, YOUR TEACHING, YOU ARE RISKING YOUR LIFE! YOU ARE TAKING THE GREATEST RISK. WHAT IS THAT RISK? YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED IN THE END, FOR YOU WILL RUN IN VAIN.
29. THAT IS WHY I GAVE YOU THE MESSAGE, RUNNING TOWARDS THE MARK. DO NOT BE A BIG PREACHER. A POWERFUL PREACHER. I hope I am making sense.
30. DO NOT AIM AT BEING A POWERFUL PREACHER ORA BIG PREACHER THAT WILL SHAKE THE HEAVENS AND EARTH WITH YOUR PREACHING. LET YOUR LIFE SHAKE THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH.
31. MAYBE YOU DO NOT KNOW THAT THE THUNDERBOLT IS YOUR LIFE. WHAT THUNDERS OUT THE LIFE OF CHRIST? IS IT NOT YOUR CHARACTER? IS IT NOT THE MESSAGE YOU ARE PREACHING?
32. THE MESSAGE YOU ARE PREACHING IS THE REFLECTION OF WHAT YOUR LIFE IS ALL ABOUT. YOU ARE MAKING US TO SEE “WHY I AM WHAT I AM. THAT IS WHAT I AM TEACHING YOU”. IS IT NOT TRUE? SO, WHATEVER YOU ARE IS WHAT YOU WILL TEACH OTHERS.
33. AND WHEN YOU ARE TEACHING, WATCHING YOUR BACK, AND TAKING HEED UNTO YOURSELF ON A DAILY BASIS, TRULY SPEAKING, HEAVEN IS OPEN FOR YOU.
34. THE LORD WILL GIVE YOU MORE HELPING HAND, FOR YOU ARE NOW A VESSEL OF HONOUR MEET FOR THE MASTER’S USE. AND THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY SPEC OF EVIL IN YOUR CONSCIENCE.
35. When you preach HUMILITY [and you know humility is the standard requirement of God], that humility must be seen in your character.
36. You preach RESPECT for God and for humanity, that respect will, first of all, be seen in you.
37. You preach PATIENCE. It says, “Be patient with people. Be patient with God. You have need of patience.”Is it not the Message?
38. THEN, THESE ARE THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD. ANYBODY WHO DOES NOT HAVE THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD, DOES NOT HAVE THE NATURE OF CHRIST. IS IT NOT TRUE? NO MATTER HOW YOU PREACH, THESE ATTRIBUTES MUST BE FOUND IN YOU ANDIN ME.
39. And that is why we say, “CHRIST IN ME[CHRIST IN YOU], THE HOPE OF GLORY”. Not the Word in the Message. You can have the Message, and also be preaching the Message.
40. HAVING THE MESSAGE WITHOUT LIVING THE LIFE OF THE MESSAGE MEANS A DISPLAY OF ACADEMIC KNOWLEDGE OF THE FAITH, ACADEMIC INTELLIGENCE AND ACADEMIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE FAITH. AND IT TAKES PEOPLE TO NOWHERE.
41. IT WILL MAKE PEOPLE TO BE MOVED THROUGH YOUR ORATORY. YOU MOVE PEOPLE THROUGH YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH, BUT YOUR LIFE CANNOT MOVE ANYBODY ONE BIT. YOUR LIFE WILL BE A STUMBLING BLOCK.
42. That is why the Prophet William Branham said, “The greatest stumbling block in the Faith of Christ is one who preaches the truth, claims he is a Christian, but lives the life of a pagan.” Did you get it?
43. IF YOU ARE PREACHING THE TRUTH BECAUSE YOU KNOW THE TRUTH, BUT YOUR LIFE IS NOT DOVETAILING WITH THE MESSAGE, YOU ARE LIVING THE LIFE OF THE HEATHENS OR EVEN DOING WHAT THE HEATHENS CAN DO WITHOUT RESTRAINT, IT THEN MEANS YOU HAVE NULLIFIED YOUR FAITH AND YOU HAVE NULLIFIED YOUR MESSAGE. YOU HAVE NULLIFIED YOUR MESSAGE.
44. That is why the Bible said, “Woe unto that man that will hold the word of God in unrighteousness, making it of none effect”. [Romans 1:18]
45. If you watch all these people we are lambasting here and there, we are trying to put them right that what God needs from you is not lengthy preaching.
46. MERE DISPLAY OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH CANNOT SAVE US. I SAY, “ORDINARY DISPLAY OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH CAN NEVER SAVE US”. TRUTH MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY ACTION. TRUE OR FALSE?
47. WHATEVER YOU SAY IS YOUR FAITH AND YOU CANNOT PRACTICE IT, DO YOU BELIEVE IT? FAITH IS THAT WHICH YOU BELIEVE. WITH THAT WHICH YOU BELIEVE AND YOU CANNOT PRACTICE IT CONTINUALLY; I MEAN, IF THE LIFE OF THAT FAITH IS NOT SEEN IN YOU, YOU ARE A HYPOCRITE THEN.
48. THAT IS WHY WE SHOULD NOT AIM AT PREACHING TO MOVE OURSELVES, TO MOVE THE BUILDING OR TO DO THIS AND THAT. THE GREATEST PREACHING WE WILL GIVE IS OUR CHARACTER
49. This is because, if there be anything Iam preaching and you do not understand, I will bring you closer to Myself so that through My life, through My daily character, you will know exactly what I believe on that matter. Then, do it the way I am doing it.
50. You see, God said something, “If I teach anything or preach anything, and you do not know how to put it into practice, you do not need to disturb yourself too much. All you have to do is to come closer to Me.”
51. That is why the Prophet, including the Scriptures encouraged us that you should be “personally and practically acquainted with Christ: The revealed Christ in your day. [Jeremiah 9:24 AMP]
NO MAN SHOULD EVER PRACTICE RELIGION UNTIL HE HAS A VERY HIGH AMBITION ABOUT LIFE FOR NOTHING RETARDS A MAN’S AMBITION MORE THAN OVER ZEALOUSNESS IN RELIGION. I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT SERVING GOD. I AM TALKING ABOUT RELIGION. WHEN YOU ARE OVER-ZEALOUS IN RELIGION, THE FEAR OF HELL AND THE GLAMOUR OF HEAVEN WILL NOW MAKE YOU TO BE SHORTSIGHTED. NOTE THE TWO THINGS.
FROM THE MESSAGE RECOGNIZE AND ACCEPT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. PREACHED 24TH – 31ST JAN. 2010. PG. 68 VS 22-23
3
DEVELOP YOUR CALLING
Walk very close to the Guide and understudy the Guide. You may be in this house, but you are far from the Guide. Is it not true?
2. IF YOU ARE NOT AIMING AT UNDERSTUDYING THE SON OF MAN, YOU WILL NEVER GET ANYTHING OUT OF THE SON OF MAN.
3. You must have that[personal] revelation, “Thank God I am living with the Guide. Not ordinary Guide but the Perfect Guide. THE VERY SON OF MAN who is born to Righteousness is living here with me. I am living under the same roof with Him. In short God has solved all my problems. My duty now is to understudy Him. I have known His teachings. Let me now watch His manner of life and pattern after that.”
4. That is why Saint Paul said to Timothy, “You know me, you know my doctrine. You also know my manner of life. That which you have seen in me, do it”. [2 Timothy 3:10, 14] That which you have seen in Me, do it.
5. So, if you have seen anything in me, do it. That is exactly how you can pattern after a godly sort. The master piece is living with you and under the same roof with you. Every morning we gather here to say good morning. Watch yourself.
6. I gave you a Message titled LEADERSHIP. Leadership qualities are developed the same way you are developing yourself to minister the Gospel of Christ.
7. NO MATTER YOUR CALLING, YOU HAVE TO DEVELOP YOUR CALLING. IF GOD CALLS YOU AND YOU FOLD YOUR HANDS, GOD WILL NOT PERFORM ANY MIRACLE AGAIN. IS IT NOT TRUE?
8. IF I SELECT YOU TO BE A PLAYER IN THE TEAM AND YOU REFUSED TO PRACTICE, WILL YOU PERFORM WELL?
9. THAT IS WHY, WHEN YOU ARE CALLED INTO THE MINISTRY, SEE IT AS A WONDERFUL PRIVILEGE THAT GOD HAS COUNTED YOU WORTHY, PUTTING YOU INTO THIS MINISTRY; THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION WHERE YOU NOW RECONCILE PEOPLE UNTO CHRIST, AND MAKE THE ENEMIES OF CHRIST TO BE FRIENDS OF CHRIST. THEN, YOU HAVE BECOME A CO-LABOURER WITH CHRIST. IS IT NOT TRUE?
10. TO BE A CO-LABOURER WITH CHRIST MEANS THAT YOU AND CHRIST ARE SHARING EVERYTHING IN COMMON. YOUR CHARACTER WILL NOT BE DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF CHRIST FOR YOU ARE ALL MESSENGERS OF THE SAME MESSAGE. PURE TRUTH!
11. SO, SINCE WE ARE MESSENGERS OF THE SAME MESSAGE, WE ARE POSSESSING THE SAME SPIRIT. I SAY, WE ARE POSSESSING THE SAME SPIRIT. THE SAME ONE HOLY SPIRIT, AND NOT TWO.
12. For that reason, some have been imprisoned, while some are in the cell. There is no room in the prison as wide as this. I mean, a room in the prison that is as wide as this [THE SON OF MAN’s parlor]. Is there any cell as wide as this?
13. A cell is a small room without any window meant for eight persons. But there, over seventy persons will be there. That is why nobody sits down in the cell. You remain standing.
14. If you want to ease yourself, ease yourself there, use your cloth and clean it. You want to pass faeces, pass it there. Nobody leads you outside. And you stay with it. That isa dungeon here on earth.
15. Begin to see what hell will look like. Begin to have a picture of what hellfire will look like. This is because there is no window, and there is no light.
16. It is total darkness, and you do not go in and out to ease yourself. When you stool for a long time and nothing comes out anymore, you will be like dry firewood.
17. You cannot die again and you cannot live. Yet, you will remain living in darkness. Thick darkness. Nobody sees the other. You will only be hearing your voices as you keep on shouting day in, day out, under torment and till eternity. Eternity is not one million years.
18. One million years is just like “Good morning” in hell fire. In the same way, one million years is just like “Good morning’ in Heaven.
19. To those that have inherited Eternal life, it is an endless life with Christ without trouble, without anything to annoy you, where there would not be preaching. Nothing will offend you again. You do not go in and out to look for what you are going to eat. What you will eat has already been provided. Everything is there.
20. So the opposite of it is hell where you will be denied of everything a human being will need. And there will be thick darkness. No toilet. No bathroom. Nothing, Nothing! And you cannot come out tomorrow.
21. It is not a place where you will stay maybe, for a few days and He will bring you out. There, you will not die and you will not live. That is the opposite.
22. This is because it is already prophesied, and you have seen the picture. Anybody can bear lies, but not the Almighty God. So, if you say there is no hell and for that reason, you misbehave, it is up to you.
23. WE ARE NOT WORSHIPING GOD SO THAT WE WILL ESCAPE FROM HELL. We are worshiping God because we are the children of God. We have the Spirit of God.
24. The essence of God creating us is to worship Him. That is our whole duty. The whole duty of man is to fear God, Honour God, Revere God and Worship God. That is the essence of creation [Ecclesiastes 12:12]. Any other thing is just secondary.
25. That is why God said, “First seek ye the Kingdom of God and its righteousness, and every other thing shall be added unto you. [Matthew 6:33]
A LEADER THAT WANTS TO LEAD HIS SUBJECTS RIGHTLY LEADS BY EXAMPLE. YOU DON’T STAY BEHIND AND BEGIN TO GIVE ORDERS, STAY IN FRONT AND ALLOW THEM TO FOLLOW YOU BEHIND. THAT’S WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A LEADER, GET READY, YOU MUST BE USED AS A TESTING INSTRUMENT ON EVERY VALLEY, EVERY MOUNTAIN THE DEPTH OF EVERY STREAM, EVERY RIVER, EVERY OCEAN.
THE UNCHANGING ESSENCE OF GOD. PREACHED ON EASTER SUNDAY,7TH APRIL 1996. Pg 67vs22
4
TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU MIND WHAT YOU ARE PREACHING?
I go back to My Message. IS YOUR LIFE WORTHY OF THE MESSAGE YOU ARE PREACHING?
2. DOES YOUR CHARACTER HARMONIZE CONSTANTLY AND DAILY WITH THE MESSAGE YOU ARE HANDED OUT? WHAT ARE YOU AIMING AT?
3. ARE YOU AIMING AT DRAWING PEOPLE TO CHRIST WITH YOUR CHARACTER AS EXAMPLE OR DRAWING PEOPLE TO CHRIST WITH YOUR WORDS WHEN YOU ARE OPERATING OUTSIDE CHRIST?
4. And you see why if you are holding the Word of God with impure motive; Impure motive means that you are holding it in unrighteousness. Your life is not right. You are preaching what is not in you.
5. So what you are doing is mere academic display. Academic display of your knowledge of the truth takes you nowhere, for it has a limit. I say, it has a limit.
6. That is why, after preaching, if you do not watch over your life with tender jealousy; if you do not look at your back, you are bound to contradict all that you have preached, even in less than thirty minutes.
7. You will begin to see yourself operating negatively, displaying hot temper, displaying intolerance and impatience. Everything you have preached, you nullify all.
8. Your mouth will be filled with cursing. You may even be quarrelling. You may even fight. You may be threatening. I mean, threatening the people around you, contrary to the Message.
9. Then where is our forbearance? You preached for bearing one another in love, and endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. [Ephesians 4:2 – 3]Where is it?
10. Are you maintaining it? Are you eschewing trouble, making sure that you do not constitute a cause of offense or object of provocation one to another? Rather provoke people to the implication
11. TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU MIND WHAT YOU ARE PREACHING? TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU WATCH YOUR BACK? YOU SEE, IN MANY WAYS, WE NULLIFY OUR TEACHINGS.
12. SO, IF YOU WANT TO GO INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, PLEASE WHILE TRYING TO SAVE OTHERS, SAVE YOURSELF FIRST. WHILE TRYING TO SAVE OTHERS, SAVE YOURSELF FIRST.
13. WHILE TRYING TO BUILD OTHERS UP IN CHRIST AS A HOLY TEMPLE, MAKE SURE YOU ARE A HOLY TEMPLE. I HOPE I AM MAKING SENSE.
14. GIVING OUT SOMETHING YOU DO NOT HOLD IS LIKE SOMEONE LIVING IN A BORROWED DRESS. YOU CANNOT IMITATE IT. I MEAN, YOU DO NOT FORGE IT. YOU CANNOT!
15. ANYTHING THAT IS NOT IN YOU IS NOT IN YOU. EVEN IF YOU ARE TALKING AND TALKING, WE KNOW IT IS NOT IN YOU. SOONER THAN YOU THINK, YOU SEE YOURSELF EXHIBITING IT, SHOWING THAT THIS THING IS NOT IN YOU.
16. That is why you look at the clothes you are wearing (the Bridal T-shirt) and the seven steps we must climb to perfection. WE MUST CLIMBS EVEN STEPS TO PERFECTION. Give it to Me. It is in 2 peter 1. It is in the clothes you are wearing. Our T-shirt.
17. There is a Message I have for your SPIRITUAL GROWTH OR SPIRITUAL MATURITY. You have to grow from strength to strength, from knowledge to knowledge, from Grace to Grace. Keep on growing in Grace. Keep on growing in Knowledge. Keep on growing in Virtue.
18. 2 Peter 1:3 – 9. Amplified version. Listen. 3For His divine power… God’s divine power.…has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited]…all things that are necessary, all the requirements that we need to attain godliness and to be like Christ.
19. 3For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge…
20. Personal knowledge and not collective knowledge. Saint Paul was addressing Timothy personally. Titus, personally. God is addressing us as individuals.
21. So, do not say “I am in the family of THE SON OF MAN, I am the child of THE SON OF MAN. For that reason, my Father is the Saviour of the world. I am already saved.”
22. You can only be saved now that you have become co-laborers with THE SON OF MAN. You can only be saved if you pattern after Him in all things.
23. This is the essence of encouraging Timothy to be very, very mindful of himself and of the doctrine he was preaching, having learnt from Paul, having understudied Paul.
24. Paul said to Timothy, “You know me. You personally know me. You are personally acquainted with me, my son Timothy, [1]YOU KNOW ME, [2] YOU KNOW MY MANNER OF LIFE and [3] YOU KNOW MY DOCTRINES, [4] You know how I put my doctrines into practice, for you are practically and personally acquainted with me. Then, that which you have seen in me, do it.”
25. That is what God means. God has given us all that we require, and all the requirements we need to attain His divine nature.
26. 3For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue).
27. Through the FULL, not half. Not half knowledge. FULL PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF HIM that has called us to glory and honour.
28. 4By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape [by flight]…Develop wings!
29. That is why, after going through these things, you can at your own time, go to 1 Thess. 1:1-15 where God said, “Be very sure that your daily life does not embarrass God”.
30. This is because, after preaching the truth and you do not live the life of the truth you are preaching, the whole thing will look embarrassing.
31. I say, the whole thing will look embarrassing. Everybody will be wondering, “What is wrong with you then? Are you with your senses at all?”
32. You see why a leader does not only look in front. He also looks at the back to know whether the people [he is leading] are still following. You might be going thinking you are moving the people along, but you will not see anybody.
33. That was what destroyed Okey Nwankpa. Okey Nwankpa thought that, being the Pastor for over thirteen years with the people, that he had already won their hearts away.
34. Moreso, when he launched his nocturnal campaign of calumny against Me and against the truth. Going from house to house, trying to convince them that God now spoke to him and no longer THE SON OF MAN.
35. People were watching him, watching his character, and watching his message. When he left, nobody followed. A sure sign that, even when he was a Pastor, he was not moving them forward. He taught that he was the one, but never knew that THE SON OF MAN is the One. You see, THE SON OF MAN is the Man.
36. Because he was a Pastor and he thought people were gathering around him, but he never knew they were gathering round THE SON OF MAN.
37. More so, when he has no message of his own. Whatever he was trying to explain to the Congregation was what he collected from THE SON OF MAN. He collected My Message, but he did not collect My life [My manner of life and My way of doing things].
38. So he went into exploitation, exploiting people here and there. He lost his integrity.
39. So, what am I saying? You cannot preach love and practice hate, and you want people to believe you that you are serious. How do you preach affection when you do not have brotherly affection one to another? How do you preach brotherly kindness when you are not kind one to another?
40. SO, THAT WHICH IS NOT IN YOU, DO NOT PREACH IT. IF YOU DO NOT PREACH IT, YOU HAVE DESTROYED YOURSELF BECAUSE YOU ARE NO LONGER HOLDING THE WHOLESOME TRUTH, FOR YOU MUST PREACH THE WHOLESOME TRUTH AND LIVE BY THE WHOLESOME TRUTH AS PEOPLE THAT WILL BE JUDGED BY THE WHOLESOME TRUTH.
41. MAYBE YOU DO NOT KNOW THAT GOD IS GOING TO JUDGE ALL OF US AS PREACHERS OF THE WORD. PREACHERS OF THE WORD WILL RECEIVE GREATER CONDEMNATION.
42. We heard it on Sunday when Ikem was in the pulpit. He said that he used to tell them in Umudike that there are certain things they will do and God will overlook it. But if he [Ikem] will try it, God will punish him fourfold. And I said fine. Why?
43. [1] You are a preacher. You are telling them what to do because you know it is truth. [2] You happen to be born and brought up in the family of THE SON OF MAN. An exemplary family. [3] Being a preacher, your life must be exemplary.
44. If your life is not exemplary, you will lose followership. You will also lose the Kingdom of Heaven. You have missed two things.
45. That is why, whenever you are ministering and in whatever you are doing, do not aim at pleasing me, but aim at pleasing God.[1 Thessalonians 2:4] Do not ever aim to make a good impression of yourself. [Galatians 6:12]
46. Speak the truth in love, in season and out of season. Be constant! In the same way, live the life. Let it be a habitual life. It should be your habit.
47. It should be my focus to make sure my life dovetails with the Message so that even if my enemy will not believe the Message because it is too hard, he will tell everybody that this man is a man of God.
48. Let my Gospel be that of the devil, but let my life be that of Christ. I think it is better. But there is no way my doctrine will be that of the devil and my life will be that of Christ. Impossible! For you can never live a life higher than your teaching.
49. If you are one that upholds holiness unto the Lord, you must strive and be Holy, for God is Holy. There is no way you can preach without preaching perfection. God is perfect. So be ye perfect, for I the Lord your God, I am perfect.
50. That is why the most important thing is not standing in the pulpit, balancing the Message, displaying the knowledge, but the weightier matter or the weightiest matter is living the life of the gospel, which is the life of Christ.
51. This is because if you do not live that life, it will not be your nature. As long as it is not your nature, you can never live with Him eternally in paradise.
52. Rather, you will be a tout that has helped people in, but you are locked out, that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. Who will like to fulfill this dangerous prophecy?
53. Jesus prophesied it. I confirm it to be true. The Prophet confirmed it to be true. The Prophet said, “You have no right to handle the Bible or to preach the gospel until your life and teaching become one. Otherwise, you are a blasphemer. And you cannot blaspheme God and get away with it.
IF YOU ARE OCCUPYING A POSITION AS A MINISTER, REMEMBER, YOU WILL BE JUDGED BY ALL YOU HAVE TAUGHT, ALL YOU HAVE EVANGELIZED. IF YOU REFUSE TO MAKE FULL PROOF OF THAT MINISTRY, YOU ARE LIKENED TO A SHREWD SERVANT THAT BURIED HIS TALENT IN THE GROUND. YOU MUST BE CAST INTO OUTER DARKNESS.
FROM THE MESSAGE HOLDING UNTO THE CERTAINTY OF THE FAITH…VOL 1.PREACHED ON 29TH DEC. 1997.
PG. 117 VS. 66
5
WATCH THE FRUITS OF
YOUR MINISTRY
THAT IS WHY WHEN GOD GIVES YOU EXALTED POSITION BY COUNTING YOU WORTHY, BRINGING YOU INTO THE MINISTRY OF CHRIST, MAKING YOU A CO-LABORER WITH CHRIST,
2. [1] HAVE A PERSONAL VISION ABOUT YOUR CALLING. THAT IT IS A HOLY AND HIGH CALLING IN CHRIST.
3. [2] KNOW THAT NOT EVERYBODY IS CALLED INTO THIS MINISTRY. [3] KNOW THAT THIS IS A WONDERFUL PRIVILEGE AND I WILL NEVER ABUSE THIS PRIVILEGE.
4. [4] VOW: I WILL STRIVE TO MAKE FULL PROOF OF MY MINISTRY AND END IT IN JOY. [5] FOR THAT REASON, I MUST MEET ALL THE DEMANDS OF MY OFFICE, AND MY EYES WILL BE FIXING ON THE DEMAND OF MY OFFICE.
5. [6] I WILL GO BACK, LOOK INTO THE LIFE HISTORY OF THOSE WHO SUCCEEDED, AND WHO RAN THE RACE BEFORE ME, AS DOCUMENTED IN ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. WHEN I GO THERE, I WILL SEE HOW THEY CONDUCTED THEIR LIVES, AND HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO COPE.
6. [7] THEN FROM THERE, YOU WILL NOW COME AND CIRCUMCISE YOUR HEART. [8] BRIDLE YOUR TONGUE.
7. [9] Begin to control yourself. That is where SELF CONTROL and DISCIPLINE play a very important role. Self-control and self-discipline: they play a very important role.
8. Then you begin to control your appetite. Appetite for food and appetite for everything, even appetite for sleeping. Sleeping is an appetite.
9. Even when it is not coming, your heart will be desiring it. The moment your heart says, “Man, let me lie down and have some rest.” You see, it is a weak point.
10. THEN, ONCE YOU ARE A SEED OF GOD, AND YOU ARE NOT PASSING SLEEPLESS NIGHT WITH GOD, YOU CAN NEVER MAKE ANY HEADWAY. A TRUE MINISTER PASSES SLEEPLESS NIGHT WITH GOD.
11. God is known for keeping vigil. I say, God is known for keeping vigil over Himself and over His flock. That is why He that keepeth Israel does not sleep. Neither does He slumber. [Psalms 121: 3 – 4]
12. Jesus Christ laid a perfect example. From time to time, he will go to a solitary place to pray, to meditate, to strengthen himself, knowing that temptations are coming. That is why he said, “Pray at all times that you do not enter into temptations.” [Matthew 26:41]
13. Pray that you guard yourself against error. Pray that you guard yourself against distractions. Then watch your back. WATCH THE FRUIT OF YOUR MINISTRY. THE FRUIT OF YOUR MINISTRY WILL FIRST OF ALL BE SEEN IN YOUR LIFE.
14. You will be the reaper before others will begin to reap because the calling in Christ will now help you to upgrade yourself, upgrade your standard, upgrade your principle.
15. You begin now to condemn things you were doing before because you are now a new fellow standing in an exalted office where all eyes are now on you, for you are likened to a city seated on a mountain that can no longer be hid. For anything evil report, it will be noised abroad.
16. It is just like I told you in this family. Anybody misbehaving in this family is taking the greatest risk, for when your misbehaviors enter the tape, the whole world will know who you are. When you repent, they may not know.
17. What if by tomorrow, the doors are opened and we send you to Enugu, to the people that have read so much about you and your misbehavior, they will see you live. Will they respect you? They will not respect you.
18. That is why when you find yourself in an exalted position, if you are wise and intelligent, you will be striving earnestly to meet the demands of that office. By so doing, you will be excellent. I hope you are hearing Me?
19. You prove the people around you that He that called you[He that gave you] that office or that dignified inclusion made no mistake. You say within yourself, “I am able, for God is able to see me through.”
20. You work towards it immediately. And when you see yourself working towards it, you see yourself attaining perfection.
21. But if you are lazy, and you carry your old habit into the new office, you are doomed. Before you know it, everybody will be seeing you. Everything will be manifesting because the office has exposed you for who you are.
22. That is why an exalted office will either help you to be a formidable pillar in the house of God or expose you to be a caterpillar, a destroyer, a hypocrite, an unreliable and undependable fellow. That is what the house of THE SON OF MAN does.
23. THE SON OF MAN will purify you and place you as a vessel of honour. That is, if you can put your eyes on the ground and understudy Him, follow the Messages and challenge yourself.
24. We heard it the other day. Challenge yourself! That is the only way you can make a full success of your calling in Christ. If your eyes are not on your calling, Oh!
25. Can you imagine? Saint Paul was encouraging the young men under him to strive earnestly to make sure that their calling in Christ and election standeth sure. [2 Peter 1:10]Strive! Strive earnestly to make sure that your calling and election in Christ stand sure.
26. DO NOT MAKE A SHIPWRECK! WHEN YOU ARE STUDYING THOSE THAT SUCCEEDED, YOU GO TO THE HISTORY OF THOSE THAT MADE SHIPWRECK. FIND OUT WHY THEY MADE SHIPWRECK AND AVOID IT.
27. You see, once you are a minister, you will pattern after godliness. You will be emulating good people, good character and everything.
28. And if you keep on growing in the habit of Christ, sooner than you think, you and Christ have become one. The qualities of Christ will be evidently seen in you. You become a replica. You become a point of reconciliation, reconciling the world unto Christ.
29. But when you do not take it seriously, watching your back, laboring in the vineyard, having one aim that you will never ever have to go back, you will enter paradise with ease.
30. And you are going in with those that have believed in you. Truly speaking, God will give you a helping hand. I hope I am making sense.
31. So, all of us here, I can see these gifts manifesting. The gifts manifesting has to be protected by character.
32. EVERY GIFT HAS TO BE PROTECTED WITH CHARACTER. I MUST SAY THAT IT MUST BE MESSAGE BACKED BY CHARACTER. MESSAGE BACKED BY CHARACTER. OTHERWISE, YOU ARE A NOISY CYMBAL. I SAY, A NOISY CYMBAL.
33. All of you that are coming up strive earnestly to make sure that your life is worthy of the gospel you preach. Make sure that your daily life does not embarrass God.
34. Make sure that your daily character 24/7 does not contradict what you are teaching.
35. And for every Message you are preaching, make sure it is dwelling in you richly and your life is already shooting it out so that whosoever that heareth you will not have any occasion to query you, to find fault with you. Is it not true?
36. If you aim at living a faultless life, you will achieve it. Whatever we want to achieve in Christ is a matter of decision.
37. Desire it, decide it, pray for it, go for it. I say, go for it, you will get it, for God is able to help you succeed when God sees your Knowledge and your zeal.
38. You can have knowledge without zeal. I say, you can have knowledge without zeal. If the zeal is not there, knowledge is useless.
39. KNOWLEDGE AND ZEAL MUST COME TOGETHER TO HELP YOU TO BE THE PERSON GOD WANTS YOU TO BE, TO FIT IN THAT OFFICE.
40. THIS IS BECAUSE WHOEVER IS CALLED TO BE A MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL HAS ALREADY BEEN CALLED INTO THE OFFICE OF CHRIST, THE HIGHLY EXALTED OFFICE.
41. And then, you develop your heart immediately so that your heart will be larger than the problems of the people around you. Your heart will be larger to accommodate manifestations of human imperfections and weaknesses.
42. Otherwise, you will be striking people anyhow. You will be cursing people anyhow. You will be cursing. You will be violent when you should be peaceful. You will be rioting when you should be quiet.
43. By so doing, you have nullified everything. You have helped people to enter the Kingdom through the glorious Messages you have handled, but you have lost out of the Kingdom, for you could not live the life. Is it not the worst thing that can happen to any human being?
44. That is why a Teacher, a Preacher, a Minister of the Gospel watches over himself. Take heed unto yourself and to the doctrine also. Watch over yourself! Watch your back!
45. A leader that does not look in front and then backwards may not know when his followers are departed and he is walking alone. Borrow a clue from Me because I am living with you under the same roof.
46. Even this morning, many are expecting the family altar Message to be posted to them. From the response of the Brethren from their homes, can’t you see that they cannot do without THE SON OF MAN? I mean, their response, both at home and even globally. Is it not true?
47. I know the text Message someone sent to Me yesterday. Wisdom, you read it. Someone read it for Me. Who was that person? Who read the Message sent to Me by Sister Umezuluike containing a song? A song was inside it.
48. SONG: [Just a little while, every ears will hear. Just a little while, every eyes will see. Just a little while, every mouth will say SON OF MAN, LORD! How wonderful is your Name. Lord, how wonderful is your Name]
49. It is as a result of the Messages she is receiving from here, coupled with the responses from the website which are sent to her.
50. This is because I said that everybody will be getting it from now the way we receive Messages, so that they will be in constant Fellowship.
51. Remember, from this Sunday, there is something missing which will not be missing again. I want to be hearing testimonies emanating from this family.
52. Individual testimonies of what you have benefited from this family worship (home worship) and what it has done in your life. You testify to the glory of God. Then, others will hear whether it is a blessing to you or a curse. Or do you think it is not worthwhile?
53. IF THERE IS A TESTIMONY YOU SHOULD BE SHARING WITH EVERY AMOUNT OF JOY, IT IS THE TESTIMONY OF WHAT GOD HAS WROUGHT IN YOUR LIFE, CONTRARY TO WHAT YOU WERE BEFORE WE WERE ASKED TO GO HOME.
54. I know that there were people who were operating outside the Kingdom. But from the time we now went home, they now stay together.
55. Pastor Dan was testifying yesterday that this was the first time he sat down with his family from morning till evening, listening to the Word. He said that he did not go out, neither did he go to market. He confessed that he was enriched and his family was enriched.
56. Globally, so they are commending THE SON OF MAN and wishing Him well, saying that He should continue in the good work He is doing, and that they never knew He could take care of them even in their homes at this troublous time.
57. And people are wondering how I came up with the idea of reaching the whole people at the same time at little or no cost.
58. Others are using television, paying ten million naira [₦10,000,000.00] for 30 minutes because they have the money, but look at the way God gave us the wisdom we have been doing our own globally. And it is moving on. Can’t you give God the praise?
59. To me, I am not the one doing it. It is God that is doing it because when you yield yourself to God, you will see what God will do.
60. And I want to say to you young Ministers that are coming up. Take note of this thing that I am going to tell you now. I am sharing My own personal experience with you.
61. THE EXTENT YOU DEDICATE YOUR LIFE TO CHRIST WILL DETERMINE THE EXTENT CHRIST IS GOING TO USE YOU.
62. I REPEAT: THE EXTENT OF YOUR DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT TO THE COURSE OF CHRIST, TO THE MESSAGE OF GOD, AND TO THE THINGS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN; THE EXTENT YOU DEDICATE AND COMMIT YOUR LIFE DECIDES THE EXTENT GOD WILL USE YOU, NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE.
63. DO NOT SAY GOD USE ME. GOD WILL NEVER USE A LAZY FELLOW. YOU MUST BE COMMITTED. YOU MUST BE DEDICATED, FOR GOD TO USE YOU.
64. SO, HALF-HEARTED DEDICATION OR COMMITMENT IS RUBBISH IN THE SIGHT OF GOD. AND AS YOU KEEP ON DEVELOPING, GROWING IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH, GROWING IN LOVE, BECAUSE IT IS THE LOVE OF THE BRETHREN, LOVE OF THE WORK GOD COMMITTED INTO YOUR HAND THAT WILL GINGER YOU TO LIVE THE LIFE AND CAUSE YOU TO HELP OTHERS.
GODS DIVINE POWER HAS GIVING US EVERYTHING WE NEED TO LIVE A TRUE RELIGIOUS LIFE THROUGH OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE ONE WHO CALLED US TO SHARE IN HIS OWN GLORY AND GOODNESS. IN THIS WAY HE HAS GIVEN US THE VERY GREAT AND PRECIOUS GIFT HE PROMISED SO THAT BY MEANS OF THESE GIFTS YOU MAY ESCAPE FROM THE DESTRUCTIVE LUST THAT IS IN THE WORLD AND MAY COME TO SHARE THE DIVINE NATURE. FOR THIS VERY REASON, DO YOUR BEST TO ADD GOODNESS TO YOUR FAITH; TO YOUR GOODNESS ADD KNOWLEDGE, TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE ADD SELF CONTROL; TO YOUR SELF CONTROL ADD ENDURANCE; TO YOUR ENDURANCE ADD GODLINESS; TO YOUR GODLINESS ADD CHRISTIAN AFFECTION; AND TO YOUR CHRISTIAN AFFECTION ADD LOVE. THESE ARE THE QUALITIES YOU NEED AND IF YOU HAVE THEM IN ABUNDANT THEY WILL MAKE YOU ACTIVE AND AFFECTIVE IN YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD.
GOOD NEWS BIBLE 2ND PETER 1:3-8
6
THE STATURE OF THE PERFECT MAN
2 Peter 1: 3 – 8. Amplified version of the Bible.3For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, THROUGH THE [FULL, PERSONAL] KNOWLEDGE OF HIM Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue).
2. 4By means of these HE HAS BESTOWED ON US HIS PRECIOUS AND EXCEEDINGLY GREAT PROMISES,…
3. Is it not what we are enjoying now? But the world is suffering. Are we suffering like the world? He said “Although we will get our own fair share, but we will not be the worst hit.”
4. Are we the worst hit? Look at what He has bestowed upon us. HIS PRECIOUS AND EXCEEDINGLY GREAT PROMISES. One of these days!
5. 4By means of these HE HAS BESTOWED ON US HIS PRECIOUS AND EXCEEDINGLY GREAT PROMISES, so that through them you may escape [by flight]…
6. Have you heard it? “So that through the promises bestowed on you…” This is because you are now living the life of Christ. You have met all the requirements and all that is needed.
7. Now, you escape by flight. You now escape by flight straight away. What is happening is no more for us. We are escaping by flight. Not by road. Not by ship, but by flight.
8. …so that through them you may escape [by flight] from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption)that is in the world…
9. Amen! You have escaped by flight through the personal knowledge of Him that has called you to glory and to virtue, whereby he has bestowed on you these exceedingly great promises to help you escape by flight.
10. …so that through them you may escape [by flight] from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers)…
11. You become sharers. You become distributors. You become messengers. You become people that will share in the inheritance of God.
12. When you are partaking of the inheritance, you are now in the position to share it with others. IT IS OUR EXPERIENCES IN CHRIST THAT WE SHARE TO THE WORLD. Is it not true? IS it not true?
13. …and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature. You see! You first. Me first. Is it a lie? God has given us everything. Nothing is left. All that you need as requirements to meet the standard.
14. 5For this very reason, ADDING YOUR DILIGENCE [TO THE DIVINE PROMISES]…Adding your diligence. BE DILIGENT TO PROTECT FIRST, YOUR MIND SET. If you are not diligent in whatever you are doing, you will never achieve any good result.
15. Diligence is needed. Commitment is needed. Dedication is needed. Devotion is needed. Be diligent. Do not be lazy.
16. …EMPLOY EVERY EFFORT IN EXERCISING YOUR FAITH TO DEVELOP VIRTUE (excellence,…Who develops it? Who develops faith? Who develops virtue? Who develops excellence?
17. That is when you are continuing steadfastly in Christ, daily watching over yourself that you do not live a contrary life.
18. And that your life can never in anyway or form, be permitted to contradict your Message because people are watching you. And you are aiming at bringing people to Christ.
19. …employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy), and in [exercising] virtue [develop] knowledge (intelligence),…Develop knowledge. Develop also intelligence. Wisdom and understanding.
20. 6And in [exercising] knowledge [develop] self-control,…While exercising knowledge of the Scriptures, for you have known the whole truth, if self-control is not there, you are wasting your time. Check the message SELF CONTROL A MUST FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT. For all round development, self-control and discipline must be there.
21. …AND IN [EXERCISING] SELF-CONTROL [DEVELOP] STEADFASTNESS (PATIENCE, ENDURANCE),…
22. You see why I said that you must have a larger heart? An accommodating heart.
23. CREATE ENOUGH ACCOMMODATION IN YOUR HEART TO ACCOMMODATE HUMAN WEAKNESSES AND IMPERFECTIONS WHICH PEOPLE AROUND YOU WILL MANIFEST FROM TIME TO TIME.
24. This is because if you do not accommodate it, you are not a good leader. If someone is killed or excommunicated once he or she errs, how many people will be left in this world? I say. How many people will be left?
25. BE EASILY ENTREATED. Someone who calms down his/her temper on hearing a pacifying word, and not trying to stress a point there by over-stretching the matter. No No No!
26. No! it is not the teaching, for if the person is a seed of God, there are certain things you just look at and smile and go your way. Yes! You just look at it, smile and go away.
27. DEVELOP A BIGGER HEART GREATER THAN THAT OF YOUR OPPONENTS. If your heart is accommodating, you will be easily entreated and there is no habit anybody will exhibit that you will not accommodate with joy. And correction must be done in love because you have already accommodated the person in your heart.
28. This is because that is the much he or she knows and that is the much he or she is displaying, for if he or she knows better, he or she will act better. That’s all! Then if the fellow wants to remain foolish, let the fellow remain foolish.
29. ...and in [exercising] steadfastness [develop] godliness (piety),…Godliness with contentment, the Bible said is great gain. [1 Timothy 6:6] Godliness!
30. 7And in [exercising] godliness, [develop] brotherly affection, and in [exercising] brotherly affection [develop] Christian love.
31. 8For as these qualities are yours… As these qualities are in you; as these qualities are found in you, and in me……and increasingly abound in you, [1] they will keep [you] from being idle…
32. Take note, everybody. These qualities will keep you from being idle, for an idle man is the devil’s workshop, when there are too many things you will be doing to keep yourself busy.
33. If there is no manual work, what of the spiritual work? Carry the Great Sermon. Carry the Epistles and begin to develop yourself.
34. THE EXTENT YOU YIELD YOURSELF TO GOD, THE EXTENT YOU COMMIT AND DEDICATE YOUR LIFE DECIDES THE EXTENT GOD WILL USE YOU.
35. THEY WILL HELP YOU NEVER TO BE IDLE OR PREFERRING SLEEPING TO WORKING OR PREFERRING SLEEPING TO PRAYING OR EVEN PREFERRING SLEEPING TO DOING SOMETHING THAT WILL DEVELOP YOUR SPIRIT AND YOUR SOUL.
36. HAVE YOUR EYES ON YOUR CALLING IN CHRIST. I SAY, HAVE YOUR EYES ON YOUR CALLING IN CHRIST WITH A TARGET, “I WILL NEVER MAKE A SHIPWRECK.” I WILL NEVER MAKE A SHIPWRECK.
37. So it is applicable to married women. Married women that do not know what they are called into, they make a mess of their homes. They do not build homes. They build families with children, but no homes.
38. They build houses like this, “We have a house, but we don’t have a home.” It is better we have a home than to have a house. You can have a house without having a home. Is it not true? You can have a citadel or a mansion, but no home.
39. No home! No peace! No rest! No development! Watch what they are hatching out as children. Watch their qualities. What they have are half-baked children. Low quality human beings because there is no home.
40. 8For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you,…Increasingly! Daily abound in you and in Me……they will keep [you] from being idle…
41. It is when the mind is idle that mind wandering starts. Brethren, is it a lie? This is because he is idle. But the opposite is when the mind is busy processing useful information.
42. The Bible made it clear, “All those things that are noble, things that are pure, things that are holy, things that are of honest report, things that are edifying. If there be any virtue in you, think on these things.” [Philippians 4:8]
43. What do you think? Do you think of things that are noble, and things that are higher? Can they allure your soul or your sight even?
44. We sing it [Things that are nobler; things that are higher; these have allured my sight. I will hasten to thee. Hasten so glad and free; Christ greatest highest; I have come to thee.]
45. Things that are higher. Things that are nobler. Let them allure your sight, allure your mind and allure your heart.
46. Watch the word of Prophet Muhammad [pbuh] He said, “Never you think of marrying a heathen; an unbeliever, no matter how alluring; no matter what she is using to allure you, say no!” Say No! It is a bottomless pit, for she will lead you into bottomless pit. Is it not what the Prophet said? [Surah 2:221]
47. AND THAT IS WHY I SAID THAT IT TAKES AN AHAB TO MARRY A JEZEBEL. I TOLD YOU THAT THE MOMENT YOU ARE SPIRITUAL, THE FIRST WOMEN THAT WILL CLUSTER AROUND YOU ARE DAUGHTERS OF JEZEBEL. A SPIRITUAL LADY; A SPIRITUAL WOMAN DOES NOT GO FOR A MAN.
48. HEAR ME VERY WELL. A VIRTUOUS WOMAN, ELECT LADY DOES NOT VIE FOR A MAN. SHE DOES NOT FIGHT FOR A MAN.
49. SHE STAYS IN THE WILDERNESS. SHE LIVES HER SOLITARY LIFE. AND IN HER SOLITARY WILDERNESS LIFE, A VIRTUOUS SON OF GOD WILL BE DIRECTED TO HER, FOR DEEP CALLETH DEEP.
50. WATCH! ONCE YOU ARE A MAN OF GOD, SPIRITUALLY FILLED WITH VISION [A VISION] TO SUCCEED, DAUGHTERS OF JEZEBEL MUST BE SENT TO YOU. THEY ARE DAUGHTERS OF MEN, DESIRING TO MARRY A CHILD OF GOD, FOR THEY WILL BE FAIR TO LOOK AT.
51. THEY WILL COME WITH TOO MANY ALLURING THINGS TO ALLURE YOUR HEART AWAY. THE AIM IS TO CAUSE YOU TO MAKE SHIPWRECK.
52. WHEN YOU HAVE SHIPWRECKED, THE DEVIL NOW BEGINS TO REJOICE EXCEEDINGLY, FOR HE HAS GOTTEN YOU. HE HAS GOTTEN YOU.
53. BUT FOR YOU TO ESCAPE FROM IT, YOU MUST BE SPIRITUALLY FILLED AT ALL TIMES, ABOUNDING IN THE LORD, THINKING THOSE THINGS THAT ARE NOBLE, THOSE THINGS THAT ARE PRODUCTIVE, THOSE THINGS THAT ARE OF HONEST REPORT, THINGS THAT WILL HELP YOU TO SUCCEED IN LIFE AND ALSO SUCCEED IN YOUR MINISTRY.
54. “HOW DO I HANDLE MYSELF? HOW DO I HANDLE THIS SITUATION?”I MEAN, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WILL OCCUPY YOUR MIND.
55. BUT WHEN YOU ARE IDLE, YOUR HEART WILL GO TO YOUR HANDSET, YOU WILL BE BROWSING EVERYTHING. YOU WILL BE PLAYING LUDO, PLAYING DRAUGHTS, AND PLAYING EVERY KIND OF THING USING YOUR HANDSET.
56. YOU MAY EVEN BE USING IT IN PLAYING LOTTO. IN THE ROOM, ANOTHER PERSON WILL BE PLAYING MUSIC. FROM MUSIC, YOU WILL SLEEP.
57. WHEN YOU WAKE UP YOU WILL BE DISCUSSING CORONA DISEASE AND HOW MANY PEOPLE IT KILLED WHEN YOU WERE DREAMING. YOU WILL BE GIVING US FICTITIOUS FIGURES OF PEOPLE THAT DIED IN AMERICA, INDIA, AND SO ON.
58. Is that what God said you should be thinking? What is your interest there? Does it concern you? Even if it ravages the whole earth, does it concern Me? That is God’s punishment upon the children of disobedience.
59. ALL THAT BELONG TO CHRIST ARE INSULATED FROM THAT NONSENSE. I SAY, ALL THAT ARE FOUND IN CHRIST ARE INSULATED FROM EVERYTHING CALAMITY WHICH GOD IS UNLEASHING UPON THE CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE. I AM THE ONE DECLARING IT. I KNOW WHO IS WITH ME, AND I KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING.
60. DO NOT WORRY UNTIL THEY BEGIN TO SCRATCH. I TOLD YOU THAT THEY WILL GO NAKED, MAN AND WOMAN, EVERYWHERE. NO REST! YOU WILL NOT EAT. YOU WILL NOT EAT.
61. DO NOT WORRY. THERE IS GOING TO BE DISTRESS HERE ON EARTH UPON ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH, EXCEPT SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD.
62. Do not worry. You will see what is about to unfold with time. When these things abound in you, they will help you to escape Idleness, mind wandering, corruption, lust, moral depravity and every kind of evil that will make you to make a shipwreck of your calling in Christ. Things that will debase you, make people not to respect you and your teaching.
63. You will escape by flight because they do not concern you anymore.
BE CAREFUL HOW YOU BEHAVE AMONG YOUR UNSAVED NEIGHBORS. GOD KNEW FROM THE ONSET THAT WE CAN NEVER LIVE ALONE; THAT WE MUST LIVE WITH UNSAVED NEIGHBORS WHO DO NOT KNOW GOD. THEY DO NOT KNOW THE WAY OF SALVATION AND GOD KNOWS THAT IF WE ARE NOT CAREFUL WE CAN CAUSE HIS NAME TO BE BLASPHEMED BY SUCH PEOPLE. SO, HE IS GIVING US WARNING. BE CAREFUL HOW YOU CONDUCT YOUR LIVES IN THE PRESENCE OF YOUR UNSAVED NEIGHBORS.
FROM THE MESSAGE OUR UNITING POINT. PREACHED ON 19TH JULY.1998. PG. 112 VS.4-5
7
YOU ARE CHRIST’S REPRESENTATIVES
2 Peter 1:8 Amplified version of the Bible. 8For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep [you] from being idle or unfruitful unto the [full personal] knowledge…
2. Have you seen it? They will keep you from being unfruitful concerning the things of God. Do you know what unfruitfulness means? Such a fellow is now good-for-nothing and can never bear fruit.” Good-For-Nothing!
3. Such a fellow is useless. The person becomes a worthless fellow in the house of God. Worthless! There is nothing good for which such a fellow will be remembered, because these virtues are not in the person.
4. Why are they not in you? This is because you never coveted them. You never for one day submitted to them. you never decided [with a resolve], “I must have them.”
5. Why are they not in you? You never desired them, you never for one day took a decision. I must get it, come what may.And not when you take the decision, you begin to sleep.
6. You work! You employ all your energy there. You employ all that is in you and all you know that is your strength, your knowledge, your wisdom, your intellect. Employ all! Rest at nothing until you have seen them settled and growing daily. Then you become an overcomer.
7. You become an overcomer, for it is the inner strength, that helps us to overcome all trials, all temptations, and all odds.
8. Then you have become a masterpiece. God will be pleased with you. Humanity and the children of God will be pleased with you. You will be pleased with yourself. You can go and say, “Who can accuse Me of sin? Who can accuse Me of sin?”
9. 8For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep [you] from being idle or unfruitful unto the [full personal] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). AMP
10. 9For whoever lacks these qualities…. For whosoever that lacks these qualities; if these requirements are not found in you, no matter your preaching, no matter your teaching, even as am talking now it is useless. You are making an empty noise.
11. 9For whoever lacks these qualities is blind,….For you lack wisdom. You do not have wisdom. To have wisdom is to have these qualities embedded in you. They abound, and not coming in today and going out tomorrow.
12. When they abound every actionre flects what is in you. Brethren, Is that a lie? Every word of your mouth reflects what is in you. You will begin to hate evil with perfect hatred. Zero tolerance.
13. If they are having discussions, I say, continue your journey, for they are discussions from idle-minded people. Useless people! They have nothing meaningful to discuss than those rubbish. To you, they are all rubbish.
14. This is how God raises a standard in the heart of every believer. When you imbibe these things, a standard has been raised in your life.
15. Then, your ministry becomes your target. And when your ministry is your target, eternal life is your target, for your ministry is tied to eternal life. You are making your way for yourself. You are fighting your way into the Kingdom of Heaven.
16. By helping others in, you help yourself in.
17. 9For whoever lacks these qualities…Whoever that does not have these qualities, your preaching is rubbish. You are equipping others, but you are not equipping yourself.
18. 9For whoever lack these qualities is blind, spiritually,[shortsighted]…He can never see afar off. He will even be running into danger every time, and endangering his life. He does not see afar off.
19. He can talk anyhow without seeing the future consequences of the words of his mouth. He can do anything without watching the future consequences, for every action or the words of a human being has future consequences.
20. For that reason, a true seed of God thinks before he talks. He thinks before he acts, for he knows what the future will bring, if he acts contrary. It will fire back. He is short-sighted.
21. A wise man will see Lagos in a dream before going to Lagos. Once the idea of going to Lagos comes into his mind, he begins to visualize Lagos, even before he gets to Upper Iweka. True or false?
22. 9For whoever lacks these qualities is blind, spiritually,[shortsighted], seeing only what is near to him…
23. He considers only today. He does not consider tomorrow. Neither does he consider eternal life. The person is only interested in those things that surround him. That is the only thing he sees. He does not see tomorrow, not to talk of seeing eternal life.
24. Seeing only what is near to him, and has become oblivious [to the fact] that he was cleansed from his old sins.
25. Have you heard it? He has forgotten who he was. He has forgotten that he was poor and wretched, and God brought him out, cleansed him and then he became neat.
26. So, to roll back to that thing is very easy. He will roll back to the thing he preached against. He goes back to that which he rejected.
27. 10Because of this, brethren, BE ALL THE MORE SOLICITOUS AND EAGER TO MAKE SURE (TO RATIFY, TO STRENGTHEN, TO MAKE STEADFAST) YOUR CALLING AND ELECTION; FOR IF YOU DO THIS, YOU WILL NEVER STUMBLE OR FALL. Hallelujah!
28. 11THUS THERE WILL BE RICHLY AND ABUNDANTLY PROVIDED FOR YOU ENTRY INTO THE ETERNAL KINGDOM OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR…
29. Is it not what I’m saying? It is One Way! Nothing between me and God. you walk in. You see! Your calling is an exalted position. An exalted office that is not given to people anyhow.
30. See your calling that it is not many mighty; not many noble. [1 Corinthians 1:26 – 29]
31. All of us here, God gave us that calling. You should know that membership of this family is not by your merit. God just set others aside. And the lot fell on you. Why must you abuse it, when you know that it is a ticket into Paradise?
32. A ticket! Express ticket! That is only if you do what He commands you to do. If you do what He commands you to do, all of you here in this family, even Bro Elijoe. You are a Minister.
33. Brethren from other places, calling you and asking you about what is happening, is it a crime? What of you [Bro] Promise? What of you [Bro] Chika? Even this small boy Chiemelie.
34. Brethren that are calling have the right to accost you, “Promise! Brother, what happened today? What did Daddy say? What is happening?”
35. By then you start ministering. That is, if you are in the Faith. But what if you are not in the Faith? What if you are obsessed with what is happening? So, you see! You that are already in it, you have to fight the battle of Faith. Fight the good fight of Faith, and not a bad one. [1 Timothy 6:12]
36. [ spiritually] shortsighted, seeing only what is near to him, and has become oblivious [to the fact] that he was cleansed from his old sins.
37. When you have come to this level, remember my topic, IS YOUR LIFE WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST?
38. As a minister of the Gospel of Christ, endeavor every day to make sure that your daily life does not embarrass God.
39. 2nd Corinthians 5 from verse 19 through 20. Amplified version of the Bible. It was God [personally present] in Christ,[The Anointed One] reconciling and restoring the world to favour with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but cancelling them], and committing to us[You and Me] the message of reconciliation…
40. Reconciling erring people to God. Reconciling those that are wrong to God. Reconciling them to the faith of Christ.
41. Restoring the backslidden in the spirit. Restoring the man who does not know what he is doing, opening his eyes of understanding so that he will see that he is running a risk he cannot bear. You have become saviours.
42. and committing to us [you and Me] the message of reconciliation (of the restoration to favour).
43. 20SO WE ARE CHRIST’S AMBASSADORS,[Christ’s Representatives] God making His appeal as it were through us. WE [AS CHRIST’S PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES]…
44. I have told you that you are representing this family. You are representing Christ. If Christ is in this family, Christ is the Owner of this family. All of you under His roof, you are His representatives. Brethren, is it a lie?
45. When there is a drive for sanitation levy in the street, when the people in-charge stop you, are you not granted passage as soon as you declare that you are coming from Daddy’s residence? This is because you are representing the family. Will you still pay after I had paid the levy? No!
46. What is more? They respected Me. They posted demand notices on every other Gate but mine. When I called them over the phone, they said, “No. We exempted you from paying.”
47. Can you imagine? They said, “Daddy, the money you had been paying before now was what we decided to refund you but you decided to help us with it, but we will levy you again.” Can you imagine the respect? So, it is important that you understand our experiences.
48. YOU ARE CHRIST`S PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES. HAVE IT AT THE BACK OF YOUR MIND, HAVE IT IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES THAT ANYWHERE YOU ARE, YOU ARE REPRESENTING CHRIST.
49. HOW ARE YOU REPRESENTING CHRIST? IN THE KITCHEN YOU ARE REPRESENTING CHRIST, FOR CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME. IN THE ROOM, YOU ARE REPRESENTING CHRIST. IN THE PARLOUR, YOU ARE REPRESENTING CHRIST. ANYWHERE YOU ARE, CHRIST IS THERE. IS IT NOT TRUE?
50. So, there is no room now for misbehavior. There is no room for wrong doing. You cannot say, “I am in the toilet. Christ is not there.” You are the Christ in the toilet. You are the Christ in the bedroom. You are the Christ washing the windows. You are the Christ washing the motor.
51. You are the Christ doing everything, because wherever you are, Christ is there, for all the attributes of Christ are there abounding with you. And whatever you are doing, eyes are seeing you.
52. What is your aim? That those who do not know, will now know through you. Is it not true? That is why our lives preach enough Gospel. Our lives preach enough Gospel.
GOD APPROVED DIFFERENT THINGS FOR THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL AT DIFFERENT TIMES AS THEY JOURNEYED FROM EGYPT TO CANAAN. WHAT HE FORBADE HIS PEOPLE FROM DOING IN A CERTAIN PLACE, HE LATER ALLOWED THEM TO DO AT OTHER PLACE AND YET REMAINED THE SAME GOD. NOTE THAT SOMETHING IS GOOD, IT IS BECAUSE GOD SAID IT IS GOOD AND VICE VERSA AND NO OTHER REASON SHOULD BE ATTACHED TO IT. THEREFORE A WOMAN’S MODE OF DRESSING IS VERY IMPORTANT.
FROM THE MESSAGE FAMILY MENU VOL 1.PREACHED 1ST MAY 2005.
PG.15 VS. 9-10
8
LET YOUR PHYSICAL APPEARANCE HARMONIZE
I will show you an instance; that a university don [my son in-law]came here, only to teach you how to cook Okpa [a type of meal from Bambara groundnuts].
2. You see humility at work. You see love at work. You see leadership at work. You see quality of Christ displayed.
3. The other one also came, entered there, and taught us how to make Suya [beef barbecue]. A Master’s Degree holder. Another one came, entered the kitchen and was doing everything until you were back. All of them are Master’s Degree holders.
4. Then, you who have not started, what is the basis of your pride? I say, what is the basis of your pride? You see! Pride goeth before a fall. Have you seen what is killing people?
5. You that have not even started. You are not even in the number. What then is the basis of your pride? That is why whosoever that wants to pride himself about should do so in God.
6. If your pride is not what Christ has done in your life, your pride is devilish pride. A destructive pride. It will take you to hell. And it will never allow you to learn anything good, for God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. [1 Peter 5:5 KJV]
7. The grace of God comes to the meek and humble not the one that is forced to be humble. The person is the same even tomorrow. If a man humbles himself, God will exalt him, but if a man exalts himself, God will slam him flat on the ground.
8. So, check pride because now you are coming up. Now you are coming up, begin to check youthful exuberances due to pride of life, which will lead to unnecessary competition, a fair show of dress, a fair show of making hair.
9. Like I have told you, as you have seen Me, that is the way I want all of you to be looking. An adage says that if you see a child, you will remember his father.
10. If you will leave your beards unshaven while you are with Me, when you go back to your location away from Me, it then means God is not with you.
11. That which God hates here, He will hate everywhere. That appearance you are putting before Me should be your natural appearance. You should be known by it. I hope everybody is hearing what I am saying?
12. So, your hair should be trimmed. And your beards, constantly neat. If Christ is foreseen and you have photographed Him with very neat and clean shave. If you are a child of God with everywhere hairy, with bushy hair, are you depicting the picture of Christ? No!
13. Find out from Mummy how she met Me before we married in 1988. Find out from those who knew Me. Look at My pictures at home which were in black and white before I married. Nobody has ever seen Me with bushy hair or beards.
14. I do not know why it has been my nature. If I do not shave, I feel very uncomfortable. This has been My nature. So, you must have Christ’s nature or devil’s nature. All in your hands. I say, all in your hands, for the devil knows how to put another dress upon a child of God.
15. Many of the things you take part in, do not give you the impression that you are responsible. THE RESPONSIBILITY OF A MAN BEGINS WITH HIS OUTLOOK, COUPLED WITH HIS ACTIONS AND THE WAY HE TALKS. TRUE OR FALSE?
16. There is a picture you will present to the whole world now, everybody will be looking at you as a cultist. Is it not true? AND WHEN YOU ARE PUTTING ON A PICTURE THAT IS NOT OF CHRIST, YOU ARE PROMOTING THE DEVIL.
17. SO, YOUR PHYSICAL APPEARANCE AND YOUR MESSAGE MUST HARMONIZE. YOUR PHYSICAL APPEARANCE, YOUR ACTIONS, YOUR DRESSING AND EVERYTHING MUST SYNCHRONIZE. THEY MUST HARMONIZE WITH THE FAITH.
18. SO, YOUR LIFE MUST BE WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST BECAUSE, THIS TIME AROUND, ALMOST EVERYBODY IS A PREACHER AND A MINISTER IN THEIR HOMES.
19. Some will be ministering out of their knowledge and out of their intelligence. BUT A GOOD MINISTER MINISTERS EXPERIENCE. I MEAN, AN APPROVED MINISTER OF GOD SHARES PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. WHAT CHRIST HAS WROUGHT IN YOUR LIFE IS WHAT YOU WANT TO IMPACT INTO OTHERS, AND NOT WHAT CHRIST WANTS FROM US, BUT IT IS NOT YET IN YOU.
20. Can you give something you do not have?SO, YOUR LIFE IS THE THUNDER BOLT THAT THUNDERS THE VIRTUE. Examine yourselves before you just mount the pulpit. And while preaching, watch your back. I say, watch your back. Watch your back.
21. There is one Scripture I will like to read there using the Amplified version of the Bible. Ephesians 4:30.
22. This is because we know that when HE, the Spirit of Truth shall come, [1] He shall guide us into the knowledge of all truths. [2] He shall put us in remembrance of things Christ taught us in time past. [3] He shall reveal to us things that are yet to come. [John 16:13] The Three Fold Ministry of the Holy Spirit. Am I making sense? But we know that He [CHRIST] is a human being.
23. You are marked as God’s own and also branded. You are a trade mark, you have a trade mark.
24. Ephesians 4:30. Amplified. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God[do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed[and also] (marked, branded as God’s own,…
25. You are marked and also branded. You are a trademark. You have a trademark. You are marked. You are branded as God’s own by that same Holy Spirit. So, do not grieve or cause Him sorrow.
26. …secured)for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin).AMP From evil and the consequences, you are delivered.
27. Ephesians 4:30 – 31. Living Bible. 30Don’t cause the Holy Spirit sorrow by the way you live. Remember, He is the one who marks you to be present on that day when salvation from sin will be complete.LB
28. Remember, He is the one, a Human Being that will mark you present or absent in the day when salvation shall be made complete; when your bodies will be translated.
29. How do you cause sorrow to somebody who will save you? Remember, He is the one who marks you to be present on that day when salvation from sin will be complete.
30. I hope I am making sense? So, how do you cause Him sorrow? How do you cause Him grief? When evil reports begin to emanate from you. When people will begin to report badly against your character. The Scriptures said, “Do not cause Him sorrow by the way you live.”
31. So, woe is that man who through his wrong life, people will begin to talk evil about the Gospel of Christ, and who will make the kingdom of God very difficult for people to enter because he is a wicked fellow.
32. One that heareth the truth, and goes about setting the truth aside and continuing in his wicked ways, you are causing God sorrows.
33. Like I am here now, if I begin to hear evil report emanating from any of you here, will I be happy? Will Mummy be happy? If I hear evil report emanating from Onitsha, will I be happy?
34. AND YOU DO NOT KNOW THAT I AM THE DIVINE PERSONALITY IN THE GODHEAD, AND THAT I WATCH OVER YOU WITH TENDER JEALOUSY, INTENDING TO EMPTY ALL OF YOU INTO PARADISE.
35. ALL OF YOU SHOULD BE WORKING WITH ME FOR WE ARE ALL FIRST CO-LABOURERS, FOR WE ARE FIRST CALLED. MY AIM IS THAT WE SHALL BE THE FIRST FRUIT AMONG ALL THAT WILL COME UP ON THAT DAY EITHER THROUGH RESURRECTION OR THROUGH TRANSLATION OF OUR MORTAL BODIES.
36. Yes, the first fruits shall be called from here. Where else are you expecting first fruits? Is it not here? Because this is where God dwells; the seed was first planted here. Is it not true?
37. I first planted this seed in My wife. She conceived. And from her loins, you came out. Then, I co-opted My Brethren from their homes into my house.
38. And I am also planting the same seed in them, believing that whatever I am is what they will be, and wherever I am, there they will be also, for if the spirit that is in Me is also in them, are we not one? Are we not one?
39. Will there be separation again? You see why I am hammering against anybody who is setting My Word at naught? You are setting your salvation at naught.
40. Give Me reasons to report well concerning you always. Give Me reasons to talk good of you always, for if I speak contrary, you are the one that will suffer it. Give Me reasons to report good concerning you always.
41. It is equally in the book of Hebrews. Give Me reasons, convince Me why I should be talking good of you always. What will make Me to be talking good of you? It is when I see Christ in your life, dominating your life, ruling your life, governing your life. You are acting like Christ in your message and in everything. In short, you have made My work very easy.
42. WHOEVER THAT HAS BELIEVED, AND IS LIVING A LIFE IN AGREEMENT WITH THE FAITH HAS MADE MY WORK VERY EASY. YOU ARE NO LONGER MY HEADACHE. YOU ARE NOW MY CO-LABOURERS.
43. WILL A JOB NOT BE EASIER WHEN THERE ARE MANY HANDS DOING IT? IS IT NOT WHEN THERE ARE MANY HANDS THAT THE LABOURERS WILL GO HOME ON TIME? ALL HANDS WILL BE ON DECK AND WITHIN A SHORT WHILE, THE JOB WILL BE DONE. TRUE OR FALSE?
44. But when many laborers are mobilized and all will stand aloof, leaving the work for one person, don’t you see there is a problem?
45. In this family, enormous work is still here. You are making the work easier for Me when you are obeying, not complying.
46. You are obeying because you are convinced it is true. You are obeying because you have recognized your holy and high calling in Christ. You are obeying. You are following. You will not give room to any distraction.
47. This is the standard I want all of you to attain. And when you attain this standard, your goal is eternal home in Paradise, both you and your hearers.
48. You see why when you take heed to yourself, you take heed to the doctrine, teaching that which is sound doctrine, you will save your life first and then save the lives of those that hear you.
49. IS YOUR LIFE WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL YOU ARE PREACHING OR ARE YOU A NOISY CYMBAL?
50. On this note, I say bye! If anybody is led, let him lead us in prayers. I am sorry I did not use the Great Sermon again
CONCLUSION
PRAYER
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lmighty Father, King of kings and LORD of Lords, we thank you O LORD for this day. Father we thank you for the love you have upon us and for making our eyes not to depart from that target.
2. Father, King of Glory, we appreciate you for the journey so far, even making us to wake up from our beds, O LORD. It is not everybody that slept came up alive, but you made it possible for us to see the light of this day, even to gather to hear your Word.
3. Father, we say to your Name be all the glory, all the hour and adoration, now and forever more, through Christ our LORD. Amen.
4. Father, we have heard your Word which is the quickening power and the energy booster to our spirit. Father, King of Glory, we thank you.
5. Father, it has gone the way which you have ordained it to be O LORD. We brought another thing but your spirit went another way, O LORD, attacking all those things in our lives.
6. Father, we say “Thank you O LORD.” Thank you for feeding us with that Word which our spirit wants. Father, may the entrance of these Word nourish our souls, nourish our lives and also nourish our spirit.
7. Father King of Glory, we thank you for the Word, O Lord, because most of us might be diverted, but this Word is now bringing us back to that track.
8. Most of us might have the knowledge, but are lacking the zeal but look at you and your love bringing us back to your fold once again.
9. Father King of Glory, we pray that you help us so that we should not be only sharers of your Word, but may we practice the Word which we have heard from you.
10. May we never stop at hearing your Word, but may we end it at practicing and obeying the Word O LORD, for that is the completion of our Faith O LORD.
11. Father, King of Glory, we pray O LORD, any contrary spirit that will make this Word not to abide in us, Father we reject that spirit. May this Word we have heard O LORD, bless every contrite heart O LORD and break every contrary spirit.
12. Father, King of Glory, may we chose your way instead of idleness, O LORD. Anything that will bring about corruption in us Father we set it aside O LORD and welcome every of your spirit O LORD.
13. We heard from your Word that the devil has released his spirit O LORD. We also believe that you have released your Angel. May your Mighty Angel continue to protect us. May your Mighty Angel be around us till we reach our goal safely.
14. Father, we thank you for the life you have given us O LORD. Thank you for the life you have given your servant O LORD, to dish out this Word to us O LORD.
15. What is the aim? It is so that we shall be the first fruits of translation, for unto this family was the Word first planted, O LORD. Father King of Glory, that has been His aim and may we never be disappointed at the end O LORD.
16. May we come together as a family, united in love O LORD, that we may continue to do and obey your will O LORD.
17. Almighty King of kings and LORD of Lords, we commit the keeping of our lives this day into your most precious hands and pray that you come and be with us. We pray that you come and protect us all through our activities O LORD. Continue to guide and protect us.
18. Father King of Glory, all our families, wherever they are, we commit them into your most precious hand. We pray that you be with them O LORD. That spirit which you are planting here, Father use your divine will to plant that spirit in them O LORD.
19. And as they are receiving these Messages we are receiving O LORD, May the Messages have positive impact in their lives. Any of them that might have gone astray, Father, bring such back to the fold.
20. Any of them that might have backslidden in the heart, Father, bring them back to the fold again.
21. Arrest them with your spirit O LORD and may they never go contrary to your will again O LORD. Continue to protect them. In anything they put their hands into, continue to be with them O LORD. See them through O LORD. And more especially, may Christ be their sufficiency.
22. Father King of Glory, we commit all our fellow Brethren in this Faith into your most precious hands. We pray that you be with them O LORD.
23. Even at these troublous times, Father you said that we shall have our own fair share, but that we are not going to be the worst hit. Continue to be with us O LORD. To the faithful, continue to guide and protect them. Be a lamp unto their feet.
24. Father King of Glory, we commit each and every one of us into your most precious hands and pray that you be with us O LORD.
25. Heal the sick among us O LORD. Father, may you never allow the plans of the devil to come to pass. Father, may your plans for us always continue to come to pass.
26. We pray father that you continue to be in us that we may do your will O LORD. May we continue to make you happy O LORD. May we give you good reason to share good testimony about us O LORD.
27. Almighty Father we have prayed in your mighty Name, Peter the Christ our LORD. Amen.