Preached on SEPTEMBER 2019 By BISHOP OKOH FRYDE Truth has no substitute” ©BRIDE OF CHRIST MINISTRY WORLD-WIDE
1
DO NOT CONCLUDE
Brethren, I would want to open this message with a testimony. This testimony will help me drive this message down. God helping me, at the end we will come to appreciate the VOICE that always directs our footsteps and its potency. First of all let’s read psalm 119:17-20
2. “Bless me with life so that I can continue to obey you. Open my eyes to see wonderful things in your word. I am but a pilgrim here on earth: how I need a
map and your commands are my chart and guide. I long for your instructions more than I can tell” (LB).
3. Proverbs 2:6-10 “For the Lord grants wisdom; his every word is a treasure of knowledge and understanding. He grants good sense to the Godly- his saints. He is their shield, protecting them and guarding their pathway. He shows how to distinguish right from wrong, how to find the right decision every time. For wisdom and truth will enter the very centre of your being, fulfilling your life with joy” (LB)
4. The testimony goes this way; this fateful day in April 2002 started with the sun ushering it in. That bright morning sun glinted on the sky- bluish color, reflecting its rays on vast landscape; giving incandescent little flashes thereby creating patterns of hope and despair at opposite directions.
5. As my wife was getting ready to go for her anti- natal medical checkup at the Park-lane General Hospital, Enugu, I stood, and was gazing at the sunlight streaking on the window.
6. As I looked vacantly at it, my thought was filled with worry, tangled with the events of the previous day, recreating the reality behind it.
7. I was highly disturbed but I couldn’t fathom why. I remembered that a worrisome thought is like an embryo. It starts off small but grows and grows. Soon it takes a life of its own. I decided to discharge all those negative thoughts pervading my mood, believing that what lies behind me and what lie in-front of me matter little compared to what lies within me – the word.
8. There is nothing greater than God- He is greater than all my worries, I concluded. When she got ready, she drove herself to the hospital. On arrival, she waited and when it was her turn, the nurses did the normal checkups on her.
9. She later reported to me when she came back that when they (the nurses) were doing their normal checkups on her, there was a sense of urgency in their activities that suggested a danger signal which brought a psychological change in her mood. Upon enquiry, they informed her that she would be admitted in the hospital as her blood pressure (BP) was astronomically high.
10. They concluded by informing her that, based on the prevailing circumstances, she cannot be able to deliver the baby through the natural process; she had to undergo a caesarean session.
11. By feat of determination, she rejected their suggestion. She told them emphatically NO! She made them to realize that before she would take any decision on that matter, she must first of all consult her husband and her God.
12. They said she must sign an agreement for them exonerating them from any impending danger, as they believed; she would not survive the child birth due to her disobedience to medical findings. She signed and left not minding the indescribable mental agony she went through.
13. Not minding all the challenges and trials, she remained sanguine and believed God for a positive outing. After reflecting on the prevailing condition, we decided to take our case to Almighty God. Once He has not spoken, nobody has spoken. That was our stand.
14. The next day, we arrived the Son of Man’s residence at 20 Benjamin Street, Onitsha. After relating our problems and listened to him speak, solutions started emerging. He gave us instructions on what to do and also observe.
15. One of them was that we should revert back to any other hospital or clinic where my wife also registered for anti- natal medical services (she had previously registered for that at Ekochin Hospital, Emene, Enugu) and secondly we should be watchful of this sign – once my wife starts feeling pressed, she should not use the toilet facility lest she will give birth inside the toilet. His word – “she will deliver her baby without any labour pains”.
16. So, once this sign is visible, we should rush down to the hospital. We left His house full of hope and faith. We were convinced while coming to Him that the instruction(s) He would give to us would lead us through uncharted channel that would beat our imagination and create a spiritual historic expedition.
17. That has been his normal personality- a man from the opposite direction. It finally came out so. We believed and accepted His instructions. Leconte .D. Nouy backed our faith by these words “Action follows conviction, not knowledge”.
18. In the message- ARE YOU COMPLYING OR OBEYING THE WORD OF GOD preached 20th Nov. 2016, page 27 vs 1, Almighty God said “what God has spoken concerning you, work towards realizing it by making your obedience to the truth, to be fulfilled, so that the promises will come to pass”.
19. We obeyed and anything short of that could have been a piece of life shattered by tragic disobedience. Few days after our arrival from Onitsha, dramatic changes started manifesting on my wife’s physical appearance.
20. As I stood watching her that morning, as she lay on the bed deep in sleep, my earlier memories surfaced, wavering through time. My soul detached itself from that warm and recoiling decimal.
21. This constant violent unsatisfied curiosity floated around my conscience. There was no fear, no boredom anyway but only a confused moment which was finally resolved when the lost heartbeat regained its normal form and the submerged hope was finally dredged up from the dimmest deep by only a Word, a Word from the Throne of Grace.
22. The Word that can change circumstances. That Word from the voice of a man. Hearing Him speak, it was like listening to the ocean currents rising up in crescendo, revealing such power of speech, such intrinsic authority.
23. This is a living truth. The situations changed since we came back. Her swollen feet began to lessen; her facial outlook which grew solemn now radiates peace and confidence revealing her invincible personality in its raw form and shape.
24. The long awaited day came. That fateful night, April 24th 2002, the prophecy was fulfilled. She gave birth to a bouncing baby girl without any pain of delivery. Who made it possible? God! Without the intervention of the God man in our midst, the story could have entered another chapter.
25. The awful chapter could have been a dramatic tragedy. I looked up into the sky when the good news was related to me by the nurses and saw a brilliant ceiling of stars inform of ethereal dreamlike that provided a jeweled accomplishment to a spectacular display of worship, adoration and thanksgiving to One who is Supreme, Most wise and Benevolent for saving my wife from death that had been medically proven but was averted by Him.
26. His word crushed my fatuous worries forever. The event was more ironic than expected. An unknown author wrote “if thou believeth a thing impossible, thy despondency shall make it so; but He that preservereth shall overcome all difficulties”.
27. To others, He remains an elusive mystery but to us, He is and ever shall be an irresistible personality. When we sent the good news to the Son of Man, He instructed us to take the baby girl whenever my wife is discharged from the hospital back to Park-lane Hospital and show her to the doctors and nurses.
28. When my wife arrived the hospital, there was echo of joy and surprises, that is, hysterical reactions. They were confronted with a phenomenon that they couldn’t explain medically. Their assumed genius status was shattered.
29. An event starring them on their face questioned their medical training, confidence, reasoning and complicated the situation even more by proving to them that medical sciences in some cases has a limit.
30. The scenario before them helped many to change their confused minds and accept the truth that there exists a Supernatural Being that has the final say in all circumstances. Yes sir!
31. Their statements (some religious, others medical) which was laced with seductive oratory, and made all they said or prophesied looked like the final way out, dwindled rapidly into syncopated drumbeats with mirthless crescendo.
32. My wife’s sister and husband were both medical nurses with many years of experience in the nursing profession. When they visited us as the news got to them, hear their comment “this situation has altered medical standard and whoever that gave you that instruction and it came to pass as he said is not an ordinary human being”.
33. When God concluded, the doctors’ conclusion became inconsequential. Let us listen to the Word of the Son of Man on this matter.
34. “If you listen to the voice of your physicians, you must die, but when you listen to the voice of God, you will live.
35. Thus, do not be another Asa who trusted in his physician rather than God and he died. If you go by doctors’ assessment, you will die. However, when you lean on God, you will live.
36. There are many cases where the medical doctors concluded that it was over, yet God took control and saved the situation.
37. Let me tell you’ one “Going by medical doctors’ assessment, going by examination reports, Brother Chibuzo, the son of sister Ogochukwu should not have lived beyond 24hours.
38. I thank God that I have medical experts that can speak. There was nothing in the report of the x-ray and the scanning that suggested that he could breathe for 24hours, but this day, he is eating. He has even started playing football.
39. When they said every hope is lost, God laughed and said “well they have said their own but that is not so”.
40. I do not care how the blood clotted in the brain, I do not care how the sensory nerves and neurons were destroyed and so on, but I am assuring them one thing: if they will obey my instructions, I will keep watch over that bed for 24hours, even right now, when all their medication failed, he is now feeding on my own prescribed drugs which no medical doctor in this Nigeria can prescribe for they do not know about it. However, it is very, very simple. Even UNTH cannot prescribe it.
41. I placed him on those drugs and told him to remain there until I will dismantle it. Go and see him, he has started reading and everything is restored because he trusted in God instead of in the physician.
42. Trust in your doctor and you will die. Thus, never boast on what you know but boast on the Lord. For if God does not come to your rescue, you are wasting your time. We are not in his presence for fun, rather we are in his presence, in the fellowship of the saints for a strict business and we will keep on rehearsing the Lord’s goodness”.
43. From the message WHY WE MUST BE CAREFUL, page 28:20-2
We can clearly see where obedience to instructions moved the hand of God to perform supernatural actions that beats human imagination. Impossibility became possibility. In the message I AM THE WORD, vol. 1, page 29:22 the Son of Man said, “Every instruction from God is very easy, very simple.
44. For the scripture said, the Lord has given us His instructions and His instructions are not grevious, they are not cumbersome. They are very easy”. Hear this!
45. After reading something from the newspaper publication of a woman pleading for general donation as the medical doctors diagnosed her new born baby with a hole in the heart.
46. The Son of Man said he laughed. Hear him “I then remembered one thing that happened when one of my sons had that problem at a very tender age.
47. Both the x-ray and everything, the medical doctors concluded that there was a hole in his heart, and my wife fainted.
48. I told her to rise up that she should not faint for that was the medical doctors’ assessment; that is their own conclusion, but God has not spoken.” From the message, WHY WE MUST BE CAREFUL page 28:19 Our brother, Deacon Paschal’s daughter had the same experience and when God spoke, all the impossible conditions created by the medical doctors became possible.
2
IF GOD HAS NOT SPOKEN,
NOBODY HAS SPOKEN!
We are still talking about obedience to God’s instructions and the benefits. Here is another testimony.
2. There was a day I visited Onitsha to purchase a type of chemical I would use to handle a project at Enugu- Ukwu in Anambra State.
3. When I got to Onitsha that morning enroute to the Son of Man’s house, I met former Bishop Okechukwu Nwamkpa on the way.
4. We greeted and he inquired from me why I came to see the Son of Man and I informed him exactly what brought me to Onitsha.
5. I made him to know that I came to consult the Son of Man as I wasn’t conversant with Onitsha. As we were discussing, he informed me that he knew where it could be purchased but I ignored him.
6. He followed me and both of us entered into the Son of Man’s apartment. After exchanging greetings, I told Him (Son of Man) why I came to Onitsha and without wasting much of our time, He directed me to where it could be purchased. Then, the chemical was scarce.
7. When we left His house, our former bishop told me that where Son of Man directed me was not where chemicals were sold and that we could purchase it there. “Let me take you where you can purchase it”. I didn’t buy that idea but I allowed him to exhaust all his energy and faith.
8. I could not abandon him on the way as I didn’t know my way so I had no option but to follow him. When we got to the area where he said the chemicals were sold, I went through some of the shops inquiring for that chemical but all I could get as a reply was “it is scarce, we don’t have it”.
9. So I turned to our former bishop and said, “Sir, can you please take me to the place the Son of Man directed me. You know I don’t know the place. From all indications, there is no other place where we can purchase it, so let us try there”.
10. He was mute but on our way, he muttered that we were just going there as a waste of time because once we couldn’t get that chemical where we went first, he doubted the possibility of finding it there. I didn’t talk to him.
11. When finally we got there he said “you can see that there are no signs of chemical shops around here”. I dismounted from his motorcycle and went to a shop opposite where we stopped.
12. I met the owner and inquired from him if I could find any chemical shop around? He interrupted and inquired from me the type of chemical I was looking for and I told him.
13. He told me that he was formerly a chemical dealer but changed to another type of business. Let me go and check at my store peradventure I may find something like that, he told me.
14. Within few minutes, behold he came back with two rusted gallons containing the chemicals I needed. We opened it and I inspected the contents after which I paid him, then went back to meet my former brother.
15. When I got back to where he was waiting for me, I said Sir, here are the chemicals. He was dumbfounded. He couldn’t utter a word because his conscience challenged him. I wondered what was going on in his mind then.
16. If I didn’t obey the instructions, I would have gone back to Enugu- ukwu without the chemical and my job could have been jeopardized. If God has not spoken, nobody has spoken.
17. In the message; SEVEN STEPS TO REALIZING THE PROMISES OF GOD HENCEFORTH, preached from 6th Jan. 2008 – 3rd Feb. 2008, pg. 113:17, Almighty God said “Nobody has even obeyed without receiving the reward.
18. Nobody has ever obeyed from his heart without receiving the promises”. The word of God is so high and passeth human understanding. It only needs patience. Time must bring it to fruition”.
19. There have been numerous and numerous testimonies as regards obedience and disobedience to instructions.
20. If we will start enumerating them no book can contain all for the Son of Man has made numerous statements, instructions which when obeyed had resulted into positive reactions and when disobeyed the reactions would also be negative. That is truth and will always remain so. Believe and it will be well with all of us.
21. Your decision shapes your life and your values signal what is important to you.
22. Brethren, we can now see that the words of God spoken to us in any circumstance remains the final. It cannot be adulterated or come out unfulfilled. The God we worship is The Almighty God that does supernatural things.
23. In the message titled- GOD IS REVEALED-MARRIAGE VOWS preached on Sunday 7th November, 1999 page 27:18, Almighty God said “God is God that does supernatural things.
24. Through mighty signs and wonders He forced the Gentiles to obedience. Since you believed that the Son of Man is revealed, there will be a performance of that which is promised.
25. If you do not believe, there is no way. Glory be to God”. The promises of God are great to all who believe.
26. Many have refused to trust and worship the great Jehovah. In 1st John chapter 5:21, we are told to “keep away from anything that will take the place of God in your heart, run away from it”.
27. In the message REWARD, preached 17th July,1997, page 66:21, Almighty God said “you know God is higher than every human being.
28. He is not like man. Can you compare your strength with that of God? Why then do you murmur against your creator? We pretend we don’t murmur. All of us murmured one time or the other.
29. Martin Luther king said “there is so much frustration in the world because we have relied on gods rather than God.
30. Until mankind would start relying on God Almighty instead of man-made gods, it would be difficult to believe His words and instructions.
31. Such spirits of unbelief hover around and they reside in people. In another message titled THE UNITY OF THE BODY preached on Sunday 20th November 2016 by the Son of Man, He warned us of such spirits which He called seducing spirits. Hear Him ”Be on your guard.
32. Keep your eyes open spiritually and physically. Be on guard against seducing spirits that are at work in this end time. Do not expect them coming from outside. They are living with you, among individuals here.
33. Sometimes they come through casual statements. Before you know it, a casual statement will metamorphose into a concrete statement.” Yes, eagles do not communicate with vultures.
34. If one moves with a snail he must learn slow movement. Our relationship with heathens can in a way puncture our faith.
35. God is warning all of us of this seducing spirit hovering around seeking who to deceive. In the UNITY OF THE BODY page 73:29, God said again “mark them and avoid them.
36. No matter who they are, no matter their offices. As long as you have noticed dangerous spirits in them, avoid them. But you cannot notice it until you are filled with the spirit of truth. THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH IS THE SPIRIT OF DISCERNMENT.”
37. Run away from a dog or you learn how to go back to your vomit. Homer said “I detest that man who hides one thing in the depth of his heart and speaks forth another”. Such people are seducers.
38. They look attractive, alluring and tempting in all they do or say. Seductive spirit is an evil that influences people to do what they know is wrong but they go ahead doing it.
39. Seducers hide their intentions in their hearts and speak out another. He can never bring out his final conclusion in any matter until you contradict him.
40. There are many ways by which an agent or agents of darkness can contaminate a man. It can be done through words, actions. Listen to God and you will escape from them.
41. In 1stSamuel 15:22-23 “Samuel replied, has the lord as much pleasure in your burnt offerings and sacrifices as in your obedience? obedience is far better than sacrifice.
42. He is much more interested in your listening to him than in your offering the fat of rams to Him. For rebellion is as bad as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as bad as worshipping idols.
43. And now because you have rejected the word of Jehovah, He has rejected you from being king”. Listen my Brethren, we should stop questioning harshly the instructions from our God.
44. Though it may seem hard to us but if we courageously accept it, God will surely come our way. He cannot give us instruction(s) that would weigh us down. It would be disastrous for us to jump into a death trap of disobedience. When truth intrudes, distancing ourselves from God is often not the solution.
45. “We have to pay heed therefore to His wisdom with all honour and veneration; and bow down thyself in humble and submissive obedience to His supreme direction”.
46. That submissive spirit may touch the heart of God and things will start changing. Rebuking us is not to kill but to correct us in love. God said we all should flee from stubbornness which is idolatry. Stubbornness is a naked attribute of the devil.
47. A stubborn person hardens his heart against the word of God. Arrogance and stubbornness are twins and both will lead to rebellious act.
48. A rebellious personality is a deceiver. “A fool is one who yields to human deceit easily. For how long shall we remain in deceit?
49. You will remain in deceit for too long as long as you don’t want to have a broad mind about God and his instructions”.
50. When a wife rebels against the husband’s instruction, is it not rebellion? Didn’t she rebel against the word of God? “Disobeying the word of God makes us renegades and rebels in the sight of God” so says the Son of Man.
51. In the message COSMIC CONSCIOUSNESS page 19 (block) by the Son of Man, he said “It is in human nature to label anything he does not know false or devilish.
52. It is very easy to call God Almighty or omniscience and will tell people that he has limitless knowledge, you know few things but God knows all things, why do you doubt what God is doing in your day? You doubt because you think you know everything.
53. If God does something you do not know, it becomes false, it becomes devilish. Thus, whatever God is doing, you have already known about it. This is applicable to this ministry”.
54. Henry. D. Thoreau said “The fault finder will find fault even in heaven”. He is a superstitious being.
55. What is the origin of superstition? And whence ariseth false worship? From our presuming and looking into what is above our reach, to comprehend what is incomprehensible. The only solution is to follow God and not to know God.
56. When someone willfully rejects the truth, it becomes an unpardonable sin. Our relationship with God should be interlaced, a knot, a web, a mesh that binds us together. We should ruminate on the issue constantly.
57. No man has ever loved Godly wisdom and got God offended. In the message, THE UNITY OF THE BODY page 33:33
58. The Son of Man said “The moment you come to the point where you lack the reverential fear of God and worshipful obedience, you are gone.
59. The point where you abandon God is the point where God abandons you.
60. The way you treat the word of God that comes to you is the way God is set to treat you”, that is the problem of intellectual and analytical minds. You cannot rebel against God and receive his favour.
61. An intellectual mind would find it extremely difficult to believe that God is a human being, how much more a black man, then a Nigerian.
62. All analytical minded individuals will prove God away from their minds and when that is achieved, unbelief fathered by disobedience would take over.
63. Voltaire said “doubt is not a pleasant mental state but certainly, is a ridiculous one”. It will be a questionable shame for us to deny the existence of God in our midst.
64. He has in various ways manifested His attributes and has also revealed His original body to us. So to rebel is to deny and to deny is to disobey and to disobey is lack of faith and trust in the God we worship and the profundity in his message.
65. “A person without faith or conviction only drifts and can never reach the destination of his life”. We in most cases due to our stiff necked unbelief think in our hearts we can deceive God with our chameleonic characteristics.
66. We cannot succeed by our smartness rather we should repent and listen to that silent voice that reveals our hidden transgressions to us.
67. In the message REWARD page 50 (Block), Almighty God made us to realize our folly in these few words “No man can outsmart God. Your wisdom is limited but God’s wisdom is limitless.
68. Thus, your smartness cannot save you if God is against you and God cannot be against you unless you are continually on the path of error”.
69. What is that error? Doubting the word of God, that is unbelief. Is it not true? This word unbelief is conceived in the heart.
70. Everything is always created twice, first in the mind and then in reality. Thoughts are things, material messengers that we send out to influence our physical world. If it is positive, it will return a positive reward, vice versa.
71. Martin Luther said that “Everyone has the right to believe in what he wants to believe but one thing is certain, as a man thinks in his heart, so he is”.
3
GOODMORNING
In every generation, there must be one and not two that will be sent by God to speak His mind in every circumstance.
2. What He will speak on any issue may not be what is expected at that hour; many might have concluded in their minds how God will go in every situation, proving that they know God very well and to their surprise and folly, He will emerge from the opposite direction beating their imagination.
3. The Son of Man said, “Follow me gradually doubting nothing. If we love Him, we will obey Him”. Love begets faith. Where we do not love, we doubt.
4. Doubt can breed evil and evil knows not God. It will take a proud minded individual to doubt truth when it is clearly laid down.
5. John Gay has this to add, “Pride is increased by ignorance; those assumed the most know the least”. It is this group of people that reason the word of God and they don’t know it is a dangerous action to do that.
6. Our God has been asking us this question always “why are you afraid of going to hell but you can’t obey the instructions from God? “Give yourself humbly to God and you will resist the devil.
7. Pride has been the cankerworm that has been eating deep into our spiritual consciousness, pulling us down from the pinnacle of grace to the bottomless pit; a virus that must be avoided.
8. Note! There is nothing noble about being superior to some other person. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self.
9. Pride has destroyed many both spiritually and physical. It has rendered many empires, nations and nobles useless. Many will boast of what they feel they have achieved, keeping behind the hand that made it manifest.
10. What a stupid lots we are? An unknown writer wrote “Why boasteth man that he is a favorite of his maker, yet neglected to pay his thank and his adoration for it? How suiteth such a wife with a belief so haughty?” The thought and action of an individual reflects his wants and goals. Some are laced with pride.
11. When the brute, vicious and dreaded heavyweight champion of the world of past glory called Sunny Liston met the young Cassius Clay (Mohammed Ali) in a boxing contest for the world heavyweight boxing title, he was awed that such a small brat and fearless could muster such a courage to come before him in a contest.
12. He was full of pride and arrogance which made him to conclude in his mind that there was no fight to fight. The young lad just came back from the Olympics where he won a gold medal.
13. He had just a little experience and exposure to face that tiger of a warrior. Sunny Liston, the reigning world heavyweight champion was banking on his sturdy build and experience, enshrined with pride and over confidence as a potent weapon to destroy the challenger but he never envisaged that a higher force that hates absolutely that sinful word PRIDE is in control.
14. He never realized that the eagle never rely on its strength while on flight but on the strength of the wind (nature). Within some minutes of the contest, his bravado was extinguished and he was spread eagled on the canvas, beaten hollow on knockout by the artful and gutsy young contender. He, the proud mouthed fool met his waterloo.
15. The final conclusion came, assumption and pride was knocked out and humiliated. Proverb 16:5 says “pride disgusts the Lord. Take my word for it- proud men shall be punished” (LB). Sunny Liston was punished and disgraced because of pride.
16. Pride is a covering of the pot full of iniquities. Goliath saw David and concluded it was an insult for him to fight that tiny small boy.
17. The philistine giant was full of himself and with foolish arrogance and bloated ego, he believed that they had won the battle but to his utter dismay, the final verdict came from the natural controller of the universe.
18. Due to pride and self ego, he sounded important and impressive in a way that exaggerated the truth or facts.
19. The gory facts about the whole drama was that Goliath, the philistine giant who was mouthy couldn’t believe that with a swing and a stone, he could be humiliated.
20. Within few minutes, the sizzled giant, full with pride was lying hopelessly and stupidly on the floor.
21. The celebrated giant then became a pitiable chunk of meat. How are the mighty fallen? “He swallowed with greediness his own praise, and the flatterer in return eateth him up”-unknown author. The scripture says “ Pride goeth before destruction and haughty spirit before a fall”.
22. 1st Corinthians 1:26-29 has this to reveal to us “Notice among yourselves, dear brothers, that few of you who follow Christ have big names or power or wealth.
23. Instead God has deliberately chosen to use ideas the world consider foolish and of little worth in other to shame those people considered by the world as wise and great.
24. He has chosen a plan despised by the world as wise and great. He has chosen a plan despised by the world, counted as nothing at all, and used it bring down to nothing those the world considers great, so that no one anywhere can ever brag in the presence of God”.
25. If man in all honesty can cast away the spirit of pride and turn to God in humility and sincerity. God will also turn to us and keep all the promises He had promised man but unbelief has been the bane of man’s rebellion and arrogance that reveals the undercover and baseless attitudes of many.
26. We can understand that God’s word actually remains the final authority in any circumstances and situations. It is fatalistic in concept.
27. The Son of Man said “As long as man remains obedient to God, God must continue to speak to man through man.
28. He must continue to reveal His mind, His will for mankind through man”. This quote is from the message ACTION TIME PART 3 (OBEDIENCE IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE) preached on 31st December 1997 camp meeting, page 42:9.
29. In the work UNTO THEE I GRANT THE ECONOMY OF LIFE, the unknown author wrote “Hear then His voice, for it is gracious; and he that obeyeth shall establish his mind in peace profound; and bring everlasting growth to the soul that resideth within his body, state after state on this earth”.
30. It is only those who have worked and walked with Him will know Him as God-man and to the rest, He is an impostor.
31. He came with salvation and healing in His hand. We must believe in Him to enable us receive something from Him.
32. He even made it clear to us in many instances that “If you don’t understand me, follow anyhow doubting nothing but at the end everything will be made clearer.
33. I will reveal to you things you don’t know – from known to unknown”. God has actually over-taught us and He has revealed things that even the highest authority in metaphysical and other religious organization cannot fathom.
34. They, in that clime, are naturally minded and God told us that “natural minded fellow understandeth not the things of the spirit”. God has given us His spirit (WORD) and not to the world.
35. If God has given us His spirit why do we compromise with the world, doing things like them, acting like them.
36. Where would these actions place us? We should remember that the spirit is the word and the word is power.
37. There is no other thing God will use to transform our lives other than His word.
38. Satan is monitoring all of us day by day, finding a way to put us into a situation that will make God to get offended at us.
39. We have to be conscious of the hour we are in; conscious in the sense that we would be prayerful, asking God for His guidance and without that we would find out that nobody is above false anointing.
40. God is looking for people who will submit to His will. It is total submission and anything less than that is death.
41. Almighty God doesn’t want any of us to die and that’s the reason why He told us to submit yourself, myself to Him totally when we are alive.
42. Once we submit, obedient to His words will be very easy because His wisdom (word) will influence our lives and we will become God-like.
43. Quran 2:269 said “he for whom wisdom is given, he truly has received abundant good”.
44. In the message GOD OVERHAULING FAMILIES, vol. 1 page 33:27 The Son of Man said, “If God doesn’t help you out, you are sinking in the ocean of despair.
45. Labour and labour, it behoves the Lord to crown your labour with success. But He cannot do that unless you are found in Him”.
46. That you and I have been struggling without success in our individual businesses may be that we have been going against the word of God. Either we are being deceived or we are really deceiving others.
47. In the message THE BOOK OF PROPHECIES, vol. 4, page 62:52 God made us to understand that “they are planning to fish you out, and they will try to deceive you. Be careful, be careful. I will continue to be with you if you abide in me, I will see you through. Thus saith the living God.”
48. We are pure souls made pure by the word of the living God and we should not allow ourselves to be darkened by the shadows of the society.
49. We have been warned that we cannot survive in this faith by kissing it. It is by abiding in the word and instructions given to us… proverb 15:24 says “the road of the godly leads upwards, leaving hell behind.”
50. In Hebrew 3:12-13 we are warned that we should “Beware then of your own hearts, dear brothers, lest you find that they, too are evil and unbelieving and are leading you away from the living God. Speak to each other about these things everyday while there is still time, so that none of you will become hardened against God, being blinded by the glamour of sin” (LB).
51. Warning, warning, warning still coming to us to watch our hearts, keep away from seductive spirits and their sensitive details with which they use to lure people away from the word of God.
52. It is subtle in action and one who has not the spirit of God would find it easy to cave in into the trap laid on the way. No heathen is genuinely in love with a seed of God, so don’t open your doors for them.
53. An unknown writer added “the shadow of mortal knowledge passeth over the brain of man as a dream; he seeth as in the dark; he reasoneth, and is deceived.” FIND OUT THE PURPOSE YOU ARE FUFILLING IN THIS MINISTRY vol. 2, preached by Apostle Peter Odoemena, the very Son of Man.
54. In chapter 5, page 73(box) He said “Be on the alert always to avoid the spirit of unbelief and deceitfulness of sin.
55. When sin and deceit is operating in you, you may think you are in heaven when you’re in hell”. All that glitters in not gold, every gold glitters. YOU ARE GODS (Review), page 30:18 God reminded us thus “if you do not obey any instruction you will count yourself out.
56. Remember it is going to be a squeeze, the moment you are asked to go out, another person will take your position”. In the same message page 37:11, He continued, “the ministry took off in 1993, in 1994 God said that man by nature DOES NOT want to be saved.
57. That is why he will always reject every instruction that will help him out of his condition for he wants to commit suicide.
58. A child that cries when he wants to be fed, does he want to be alive?” In the message THE UNITY OF THE BODY preached on Sunday, 20th Nov. 2016 by Apostle Peter Odoemena, the very Son of Man, He lamented “As long as you have not adjusted your mindset to say NO to negative reasoning, negative information, your utterance and actions can never be positive”. No man is free who is not a master of himself.
59. When your life is filled with glamour, you see iniquity hanging around it.
4
GOOD AFTERNOON.
LET’S PUT OURSELVES IN REMEMBRANCE
The morning was just about gone, we should now put ourselves in remembrance. Why do we put ourselves in remembrance? Peradventure we forget what God preached to us, then we can retrace our steps and make amends.
2. We must try to watch our ways and monitor our thoughts. A sage said “if we want to live life to the fullest, care for your thoughts as you would your prized possession”.
3. The author of UNTO THEE I GRANT THE ECONOMY OF LIFE wrote thus “forget not! O man! That my present station on earth is appointed by the wisdom of the eternal; who knoweth thy heart, who seeth the vanity of all thy wishes, and who often in mercy denieth thy request”. Our action in life determines our character and belief.
4. Some believe what they can see, something that has a concrete evidence and visible while some also believe and accept something they heard, either inform of words, ideas or instructions.
5. Where do you belong? Though some of our characters are highly influence by those we mingle with. As Ralph Waldo Emerson puts it, he said that “A man’s growth is seen in the successive choirs of his friends”.
6. Yes, the quality of any relationship depends to some degree on the specific individual with whom the relationship is formed.
7. What is his vision and his belief? What influence is he having on you? What is the purpose of the relationship or friendship? As a child of God, does your relationship with the heathens affect your faith? It must have an effect because both of you do not believe the same thing or have the same faith.
8. The resultant effect of this odd relationship in most cases manifest as a shell-less snail leaving a track of pale gray tears. Very pallid outlook in life, there is no way we can befriend a leper without a handshake as God has told us.
9. Truth is bitter, we must say it to enable us have a remedy. We must make our lives on earth especially as it concerns our message and belief purposeful because the purpose of life is life of purpose.
10. We should always bear in mind that things which are most important should never be sacrificed to those things which are less important.
11. The word of a sage reflect thus: “As the rose breatheth sweetness from it’s own nature, so the heart of a benevolent man produceth good works”. What are our individual contributions? God is a mysterious Being and His ways are also mysterious.
12. We can see Him in action around our collective being and within us, beating our human imaginations in all sectors of life; doing those things that remain mysterious to our minds.
13. Martha as the scripture revealed was still waiting and hoping that Lazarus, his dead brother would finally rise from death on the last day when resurrection of the dead will take place but to her surprise, it happened as the opposite, before her physically, beating her human thought and reasoning.
14. How did it happen? It happened because God of that age spoke him back to life (not waiting for the resurrection date as reasoned by Martha) and every action became concluded. God can make and unmake. He does what He likes in every situation and nobody has the right to question Him.
15. He does everything for his delight. He remains the highest authority in all circumstances. “God made all things good, man meddles with them and they become evil” Jean. J. Rousseau commented.
16. In the Bridal ministry, some are here to frustrate the move of God by influencing others not to abide by the instruction(s) God has given us.
17. Disobeying the word of God causes us sorrow. Human frustrations in the world are basically tied to total disobedience to God’s instructions which is unbelief personified.
18. They rely more on other gods that give them their heart desires and not God who will tell them the truth no matter the circumstances. Based on these factors, they had actually selected their numerous gods according to their wishes, human reasoning and usefulness. Abel Kader said “fear that man who fears not God”.
19. He is referring to Almighty God and not the man- made gods. These ungodly characters must come our ways with their seductive techniques and it will take one that is falling away from the truth to listen and imbibe their religious dogmas.
20. These religious adherents always try to indoctrinate others to believe their religious views and in their congregations are numbered the largest accumulation of fake prophets.
21. Their gods are mainly man made things of silver and gold. They can’t talk and see despite their eyes and mouth- Psalm 115:4-5. Acts 17:21- 26- The scripture says that Israel has 400 false prophets (alone in Nigeria, we can find up to 50,000, not to talk of Africa or other continents of the world in this generation) but God had only one prophet named Micah but he was hated by king Ehab, why? because he always spoke the truth, fearing nobody.
22. When the king wanted to go to war, he called the 400 heathen prophets to prophesy to him about his mission and all echoed the same thing; false prophecy telling him that he would go to the war and come back victoriously.
23. But Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, his ally asked, “isn’t there a prophet of the Lord here? I’d like to ask him too” prophet Micah was sent for.
24. When Micah came, he joined the other false prophets in saying the same thing, things that would please the king.
25. King Ehab after listening to him pressed him to tell him the mind of God because he the king knew he had not yet said the mind of God in this matter. He believed the prophet Micah always had something gloomy to say.
26. He proclaimed that he saw Israel in disarray as sheep without a shepherd and saw a king killed. Ehab held him captive and went to war.
27. The prophecy was fulfilled because God had already signed His signature of approval on the words that came out of prophet Micah’s mouth. King Ehab was wounded and later died in the evening of the same day.
28. In the case of Genesis 18:10-15, the Lord said, “next year I will give you and Sarah a son (Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him). Now Abraham and Sarah were both very old and Sarah was long since past the time when she could have a baby. So she laughed silently.
29. A woman of my age have a baby?” she scoffed to herself. “And with a husband as old as mine?” Then God said “Abraham, why did Sarah laugh? Is anything too hard for God? Next year just as I told you, I will certainly see to it that Sarah has a son”. But Sarah denied it “I didn’t laugh” she lied, for she was afraid.”(LB).
30. Judging by human wisdom and analyzing their ages based on medical background (Sarah and Abraham), there is nothing in this world that could make her to believe that she could still have a baby.
31. In her mind, it looked impossible and her reaction to the voice clarified everything but when God spoke, every situation changed.
32. The possibility manifested at last, concluding the conclusion, which became visible. She eventually had a baby. “The voice of wisdom speaketh in all his works; but the mortal understanding comprehendeth it not”.
33. Whenever God speaks on any matter, from the look of things at that material period, it will look impossible before the carnal eyes of man but if the instruction is taken with happiness (not minding how bitter the pills will taste) as directed, there must be a reverse of the entire scenario giving credence to the spoken word.
34. The most important factor here is patience. Don’t ever allow yourself to be lured by the religious stories and ideas that can help to push you out of this faith and truncate your journey.
35. Such stories fly around as “this miracle and that miracle,” American wonders and clattering predictions which produce unpleasant sounds that appeal to extraneous senses that have nothing to do with the truth.
36. The remarkable thing about man is that he often deceives himself. Yes that is a fact! A Completely contented person is almost impossible to seduce. A gullible mind is a prey.
37. The words of Son of Man are divine and His instructions when carried out must produce a positive result. His words cannot go out and come back void as recorded in the scriptures.
38. Exodus 4:13 where Moses asked God “Lord please! Send someone else”. Moses never believed that he would be able to lead the Isrealites out of Egypt. He doubted the possibility, even going as far as telling God to look for a replacement.
39. Finally, he with his assistant Aaron his brother fulfilled the word of God. “Who is like unto God in glory? Who in power shall contend with the Almighty? Hath He any equal in wisdom? Can any in goodness be compared with Him? There is none other before Him!”- Author unknown.
40. “Can you see Jonah? Jonah vowed a vow; Jonah said, instead of me to go for this message, let me get drowned in the sea”.
41. Jonah committed suicide instead of carrying out God’s instruction (message). Jeremiah even volunteered even to be put into the lion’s den instead of him to carry out his assignment.
42. When William Branham heard it (God’s voice) he ran away”. – UNTO YOU GOD FIRST APPEARED TO TAKE A PEOPLE UNTO HIMSELF page 69:5. Didn’t Jonah finally land at Nineveh?
43. The word of God must stand sure and nothing under the sea, under the sun above, the earth and beneath the earth that can truncate the move of His words.
44. God will always be trusted. When you have proved a man to be honest, trustworthy, loving, caring, full of peace, understanding you should lock him in your heart as a great treasure, and also regard him with all sincerity as a jewel of inestimable value.
45. Who can fit into this description? It is only the Son of Man that can manifest the above attributes. The faith that overcometh the world is the faith of the Son of Man. His life, doctrines are all His faith.
46. Believing, obeying and putting all His instructions into practice put one in a perfect glory.
47. Those who enter the perfect glory, justified by the Son of Man, the eternal one will return no more to an imperfect light.
48. “All things proceed from God. His power is unbounded. His wisdom is for eternity and His goodness endureth forever” Unknown author.
49. “Can a sensible fellow place confidence on somebody whose loyalty and faithfulness cannot be trusted? No, no, no. I call it a misplaced confidence – placing your confidence on somebody who will disappoint you tomorrow, you have misplaced it.” GOD OVERHAULING FAMILIES vol. 1 page 32:30
50. In Numbers 11, starting from verse 11, Moses was complaining to God that the burden of leading the people is getting too heavy on him.
51. He told God that they were requesting for meat from Him and there was nothing he could do about that. God made a promise to Moses that He, God would provide them with enough meat that would serve them for a month; enough to eat until they start vomiting them through their noses. Moses never believed God. He wondered how that could be possible.
52. So in verses 21-23, there was a dialogue between Moses and God as regards the possibility of providing them the promised quantity of meat for one month.
53. He had already concluded that it won’t be possible for God to handle that project successfully as they were 600,000 men alone excluding women and children and yet God insisted that He will still do as He has said.
54. Moses reasoned where will God get the cattle or animal to slaughter to provide such a quantity of meat for such large population.
55. Moses even looked inwards by reasoning that even if all their flocks and herds are slaughtered, it won’t be enough to provide meat to all of them for a day how much for one month. He added that they would have to catch every fish in the sea to make it possible for the promise to be fulfilled.
56. Then the Lord knew all he had been thinking and responded with a question “Moses, when did I become weak? Now you shall see whether my words comes true or false”. Finally, the Lord’s word came to pass.
57. In verse 31 “the Lord sent a wind that brought quail from the sea, and let them fall into the camp and all around it.
58. As far as one could walk in a day in any direction, there were quail flying three or four feet above the ground.
59. So the people caught and killed quail all the day and through the night and all the next day too! The least anyone gathered was 100 bushels. Quail was spread out all around the camp”.
60. In the message, GIVE THE FAITHFUL THE ANSWER (SPEAK, DO NOT CRY) page 33:17 The Son of Man said “In God His promises are ye and amen. That settles the matter because the mouth of the Lord has spoken and nothing shall annul it. Nothing shall cancel it.
61. Though it tarries, wait for it for the promises are for the appointed time and they can never be over delayed by one second” yes sir! The word of God is like a rock nothing can move. It must surely come to pass no matter the rebellious spirit attacking it.
62. Rebellion never started today. From the scriptures, we can ascertain how the spirit had been hovering about, infecting and affecting people and the resultant effect and the consequences of rejecting it.
63. Job 33:14-18 we read “God speaks again and again, in dreams, in visions of the night when deep sleep falls on men as they lie on their beds.
64. He opens their ears in tunes like that, and gives them wisdom and instructions, causing them to change their minds, and keeping them from pride, and warning them of the penalties of sin, and keeping them from falling into some trap” (LB).
65. The Lord said in psalm 32:8 that “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with my eye”. Proverb 10:17 says “He who keeps instruction is in the way of life but he who refuses correction goes astray”.
66. “willful disobedience to the word of God is open manifestation of rebellion”. No matter our station in life, closeness to God etc, that should not make us disobey His instruction(s).
67. The Son of Man told us in the message EVERY SIGN FROM GOD IS A STOP SIGN preached on Sunday 25th June, 2017 page 71:70 that “nobody can do the work God assigned him without the spirit of God helping him.
68. You can never obey the word of God without the spirit of God helping you”. Yes sir, this is a fact.
69. Mohammedan proverb added this “when God wishes a man well, He gives him insight into his faults” that is, you must be in God for Him to help you do the work He assigned you.
70. God cannot give you an assignment or instruction that will be of benefit to you and turn around to truncate it, once you’re in Him.
71. It is your disobedience, my disobedience that can make it not work out effectively.
72. In most cases, we are in a frenzy of frivolous hope, stirred up by our stupid imaginations and our fancy brains which are hopelessly addled by our rebellious obedience to the truth that contributes to out erring.
73. When we have erred, we would then realize that it takes the spirit of God to help us overcome the rejection of truth that was spoken to us and not by the application of our personal wisdom.
74. Anything not motivated by the spirit of truth can never bear good fruit. Every thought you radiate reflects your belief.
75. To keep our thoughts pure, is by not allowing undesirable thoughts to have an in road into our minds but if it does, you must replace it with an uplifting one which is spiritual in nature.
76. We must believe this truth that the mind is a wonderful servant but a terrible master.
77. We must pursue with passion the messages the Son of Man has been hammering into our heads.
78. The system we belong demands such obedience and our only moral obligation under this system is to do His will by obeying His instructions.
79. If we fail to, even the most righteous infidels cannot escape the surging inferno that is awaiting the wicked, the glamour of that sinister reputation, the occult touch of all those bored and restless minds that seduce the human race into error.
80. In the message FOLLOW THE CLOUD vol. 2, page 71:52-54, God confirmed about how people conspire to frustrate this message. Hear Him “but here, they are always thinking of how to frustrate this message; how to stop it; everybody is conspiring against the Son of Man; against the message of the Son of Man; that is what gives them sleepless nights.
81. “This man is troubling us too much; this man is talking too much; Nna, look at where he is leading us to now.
82. Where ever they gather, they can never discuss anything that is edifying; anything that is in line with the faith, anything that God has interest in.
83. They are always thinking on how to stop the faith from moving on, yet they will come to fellowship, clap their hands and dance”.
84. In the same message, page 83:94 “if for any reason you say you will not follow Him, maybe He does not meet your standard of the personality you thought God will use, that is your own business, for God has made His choice and has presented His choice before many witnesses.
85. He confirmed His choice using the supernatural sign”. His choice is solid and stable NO SHAKING!. He has made His choice and that remains His choice, finish! His choice is the spokesperson in this generation and they can never be two.
86. His messages are centered around the congregation, the few He gathered, and He is their Teacher, Pastor, Apostle, Bishop, Evangelist etc and He is also their Redeemer and God.
87. In the same message again (follow the cloud) page 91:19, He said “the message must be in the congregation of God’s people and that is where we are meeting.
88. Outside the fellowship, He is in the world as the spirit of truth whom the world will not receive. But in this faith, you know Him for He is always with you. Is that not scripture? You know Him for He is always with you”.
89. We all know the testimony of “Bella” and our brother Abel. The voice that took him across river Kaduna in 1998 where there was no bridge, no boat and the river was over flooded. How He instructed our brother not to panic but “follow me this way”.
90. Our brother Abel obeyed the instruction not minding the depth of the river and the darkness of the night until they crossed over.
91. Our brother was a man of courage and full of faith. Any obstacle that confronts you in your way gives you the opportunity to prove yourself; so our brother continued to follow the man whom he never knew or have never met before.
92. The man instructed him “on the other side of the mountain, you will see a village; this mountain will take you about an hour to climb and an hour to come down.
93. When you get to the village, sleep in that village; the following day continue with your journey”. Had it been our brother was carnal in his reasoning, do you think (1) He could have believed that the man he didn’t know would be of help to him? (2) He could have believed all the instructions the man gave him throughout their crossing over the river?
94. It was God who gave him that believing heart that made him to obey all the instructions without reasoning any.
95. In the message GOD IN DESPISED PLACES, page 179 (block) The Son of Man made us to know this fact, “God comes to a man at a time he is not expecting God.
96. if you know a time you’re praying for God to come, God will not come that time. And the way you think God will come, He will not come that way. But will He come? Surely He will come, and the day He will come, He will take you by surprise”.
97. That was how God met our brother at the bank of river Kaduna without him noticing who He was. Marvelous experience that will sustain him.