Everlasting Gospel
First lesson: Hebrews 11:4
"By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and by it he being dead, yet speaketh.”
Second lesson: Hebrews 7:1-2
"For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him:
To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being by interpretation, King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is King of Peace.”
Golden Text: Romans 13:6-7
"For this cause pay ye tribute also for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour."
Brethren, that is the theme of our revelation this morning. This is to indicate to you that God does not wish that we should perish at this end of time. If it were His wish that we should perish, He would not have sent to us this. I want everybody to pay rapt attention. Let everybody open his ears, hearts and minds and, if you had been doing something else, concentrate on these words because they constitute the glory of God. Faith goes always with work and faith without work is dead. Just as the body without the Spirit is completely dead. It does not only end in calling upon God. What then is your faith? Death, sickness poverty, problems and encumbrances besetting all the inhabitants of the world emanate from this Gospel.
1.1 How to pay
The children given to you belong to God. You have to divide them into ten parts and pay a tenth of it as tithe unto God. The land that is given to you by God, has to be divided into ten parts and a part given unto God. The money that has been given to you, has to be divided into ten parts and a part of it given to God. This observance must be kept for eternity.
The coconuts, the sugar-cane, the plantains, the oranges, hens. goats and all other things, given to you by God have to be divided into ten parts and a part in each case given with humility and reverence to God, It is said. "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, if I will not open the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it." When we pay tithe, we have no problem. You have no other duty to perform apart from paying tithe to God. The payment of one-tenth of all your earnings is the greatest of all the things you have to do. Whatever you may do, if you do not pay your tithe, it means that you have nothing because your action signifies that God is not in existence
1.2 Kingdom built on righteousness
This Kingdom was given unto Abraham because of righteousness by faith. Whoever pays tithe: it will be counted for him as righteousness. You are here in Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, and you claim to have seen God face to face, but have you been paying your tithe? If you who claim to have seen God face to face, to have seen Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit cannot pay your tithe, what then will be the state of those who know nothing about Jehovah God and His Christ? More especially you came in here penniless but you are made rich by God, and yet it is so difficult for you to pay your tithe, but you continue to shout upon Our Lord Jesus Christ. Are you not a liar?
1.3 Faith without work is dead
You believe that there is only one God in existence. Satan also believes that there is only one God. Satan does not only believe but trembles. Can your belief alone save you? The necromancer believes in God. That is why he always calls on God of heaven and earth. Even members of secret societies believe that God is in existence; that they have seen God; conversed with Him during their astral journey. Government believes that there is God in existence. That is why people often say, "Pray to God to restore peace in the Government'' That shows that the Government believes in the existence of God. All the church denominations believe that God is in existence. That is why they often pray for help from Jehovah; and call on angel Michael and angel Gabriel to help them. The Moslems also believe in God. The Hindus believe that God is in existence. Even those who do not attend any church believe that God is found in the heart of men and that God is in existence.
But faith without work is dead. That is what has hampered the work of God. That is what and why the government is always found wanting in its duties. Who has accepted to pay one-tenth of what he is given to God? Whatever may be your daily, monthly or yearly income, you have to divide it into ten parts and pay one part of it to God. If you fail, it means that your contract with God is terminated.
1.4 Failure to pay tithe attracts God's curse
Brethren, failure to pay tithe is the source of your, problem; That is why it is said, "Ye are cursed with a curse; for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation." (Malachi 3:7) Do not toy with the word of God. There is no word of God which will not be fulfilled. After going through the text quoted above, you would ask "Wherein have we robbed you?" And the answer is in one-tenth of all your earnings and in offering. For this reason you have been cursed with a curse. It is said, "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse and there may be meat in mine house and prove me now herewith, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, there shall not be room enough to receive it."
1.5 Payment of tithe attracts prosperity
Consider the orthodox churches, if all the millionaires and wealthy people in the church had paid their tithe, tell me what the church would have done with such amount of money. If all the spiritual churches, prayer houses, and individuals were to know that it is a bounding duty for every person to pay tithe then there would have been no problems. This is our bounding duty in this Kingdom. That should be the source of our joy. Long prayers will not save you. Crying will not save you. Lamenting will not save you. As soon as this Gospel ends, experiment on it. It does not mean until you come to Brotherhood of the Cross and Star. You may remain anywhere. Pay your tithe and see whether you will not prosper.
1.6 The work of God cannot progress sufficiently.
Brethren, if all the millionaires in the world were to pay their tithe, if all the banks in the world were to pay their tithe, if individuals and every institution were to pay their tithe, what do you think would have been done with such money? What would have caused the work of God to dwindle? Who then would not like to serve God? All of you are anxious to serve God but the problem is that, there is no food. Right now a person who decides to serve God has become a laughing-stock, a mockery and a demented fellow. That is so because people have refused to pay their rent. That is land rent we owe to God. God has started to demand for his rent.
:1.7 Payment of tithe portrays belief in God
Whatever you may be: whether a Bishop, or Arch-bishop or a Pastor, you have to pay your land rent. Have you, therefore, seen the reason why our Lord Jesus Christ said, How difficult is it for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. Can you see how difficult it is for you to pay your tithe? The business men can have ten million naira just in one business transaction. One million will be their tithe to God. But who is prepared to pay it? Now that you have refused to pay out one million as your tithe out of the ten million God has given to you, where do you think you will be? It means that you are lost. Can you not see how empty the world is? There is neither food, nor good health; nor money, nor peace, nor life, nor Spirit
1.8 Abel the originator of tithe
Take Abel for example. That example has been used from time immemorial; of all the sheep he reared, he chose the fattest of the rams for a sacrifice to God. That was recorded for him as righteousness. Abel believed that he himself, the animals and all the things he had, belonged to God. Therefore he offered the ram for a sacrifice unto God. God counted that as righteousness for him.
Do not forget that Cain committed no murder. His only conflict with God was that he was a farmer but held that God only requires the heart. He therefore used a lean yam eaten by beetle for a sacrifice unto God. That is what brought the conflict between him and God. You always preserve all what you have to yourself, claiming that God does not need those things. You continue to assume that those things you own should only be for you. Brethren, can you, therefore, realise the source of your problem? Can you realise your nakedness and the nakedness of the government, and of Africa and of the whole world? Whoever does not pay his regular tithe does not believe in God.
1.9 The time to give God his due is now
It is said, "You can only enter the kingdom of God through faith." No one enters the Kingdom of God through wealth but by faith which goes with works. It is exactly the same words spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ when the people went to tempt him. But the flesh, which is Satan, has given it quite a different meaning They asked Him whether it was lawful for them to pay tribute? . He told them, “show me a coin”. A coin was brought and he asked, whose image and superscription is this? They replied that it was Caesar's. And so Our Lord Jesus Christ said, “give unto Caesar what are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's." This means that you should give unto God his due tithe. Since you have paid your tithe unto Caesar pay also your tithe unto God. Now that you have paid your tax to the government, you should also pay your tithe unto the Almighty God.
You obtain your vehicle licenses, and renew them yearly, you pay rate to the Local Government, and you are thereby paying tithe to the Government. You pay rent for the land you acquire. It therefore, stands to reason that you should pay tithe unto the Almighty God. This is the fullness of time that you must pay your tithe unto God.
1.10 As you pay tax to government pay tithe to God
Right now the Government has claimed ownership of all the land, but all lands belong to the Almighty God. And therefore, you must pay tithe for all the lands unto God. The earth you walk on belongs to God. The water you drink belongs to God. The air we breathe belongs to God. Since the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit has now come, it is incumbent upon all the inhabitants of the world to pay tithe unto Him. If you choose, you may go to church or may refuse to go. But one thing is sure and that is, you have to pay your tithe. You may decide to remain In your house but have to pay tithe unto the Almighty God. It is compulsory.
1.11 Tithe: the requirement for salvation
Tithe payment is the only requirement for salvation in this Kingdom of God. Do not wage war with any person that he has been the cause of your poverty. You are poor because you have robbed the owner of everything. He has therefore locked up everything and held the key Himself. Think of this: Each country of the world mints its own currency. Nigeria has her own currency. Ghana has hers, and America has her own currency. Despite that, there is scarcity of money. That is because you have refused to pay your tithe to God.
That is why this tidings of great joy is released unto you and indeed to all the inhabitants of the world. God desires neither that you should perish; nor that the whole world should continue to lament. Therefore, let everyone begin to clear debts he is owing to God.
1.12 From all possessions remit God's tithe first
Brethren, even if you have only ten eggs, yet unhatched, one of them is the one-tenth which must be given unto God. You must not wait to be told by any person or through a vision. If you have twenty eggs which have all been hatched, two of the chickens must be paid immediately as tithe unto God. If you take ten Naira to the market and purchase some article of trade, and then sell them at twenty Naira, you have immediately to pay your tithe of one Naira which represents one-tenth of your profit. Whatever gains you make you have to divide it into ten parts and pay one part to God. You have to pay your tithe out of every gain you make. Do not be indebted to God and He will in turn not be indebted to you.
If God brings one thousand Naira to you in your house, you do not have to put it into your pocket. First of all pay your tithe of one hundred Naira before putting the nine hundred Naira into your pocket.
1.13 Defray all your indebtedness to God
It has been revealed to one brother in the University why money (Nigerian currency) has been minted in various denominations of ten kobo, fifty kobo, one naira, five naira, ten naira, twenty naira. It is for the reason of tithe payments. If you pick up ten kobo on the ground, you have to pay a tithe of one kobo, while the other nine kobo belongs to you. If it is one naira, ten kobo is the tithe, while ninety kobo belongs to you. In what way then has God cheated you? It is only human beings who continue to cheat God. It is only you who continue to look for food and clothes, and money but you feel that God does not require anything.
Tithe is not a matter to be read in literature. It is not a matter for one to be advised. I am only reminding you what has brought about the downfall of all the inhabitants of the world. I am standing on the highest heaven to deliver this gospel to all the inhabitants of the world, both human beings, angels and spirit. Brethren, I do not wish to overload you, the first lesson.
First lesson: Hebrews 11:4
"By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and by it he being dead yet speaketh."
Make no mistakes. Whatever you have, divide it into ten equal parts and pay one part to God. If you are working and earning a salary of one hundred Naira a month, know that ten Naira is your tithe unto the Almighty God. You have to count your salary as ninety Naira, when it is not even paid to you. Right from today, if your monthly salary is one thousand Naira, you have to estimate your salary as nine hundred Naira, so that you may not have problems. We always commit theft within our heart. If after receiving the one thousand Naira, you conceive in your heart that one hundred naira belongs to the Father, then it will not be cumbersome to you. If you pay your tithe regularly, you will see the glory of God revealed unto you. That is only a matter of salary.
1.14 Pay tithe to God for the land you have
If you have landed property, which accrues to you some rent, you have to pay one-tenth of the rent as your tithe. If you have an acre of palm trees which also yield you some money, you have to divide the money into ten parts and pay one-tenth as your tithe. You have to pay your tithe out of every commission you receive, for whatever thing. If you pick anything on the road, you have to pay tithe out of it to God.
1.15 Where to pay tithe
Remember Hannah, you have already heard of her. She was barren. She requested God for a child. When she was praying silently unto God, Prophet Eli saw her soliloquizing and so asked her, "Are you drunk?" She replied, "My Lord, I am not drunk. I am conversing with my God." When God heard her prayers, He gave to her Samuel. She had never gotten a child before. Her first child was paid as tithe unto God. In your own case, you would ask, "Where am I going to pay the tithe?" If you do not know the place, go and throw the child into water. Every time you argue that you do not need to honour any man. Did Hannah throw Samuel into the bush? She handed him over to a Priest of God; who was attending to the work of God. She did not instruct that Samuel should only stay with Eli for a short period of time and then return. She handed over Samuel completely unto God. Do not forget that she had no other child. She did not hand over Samuel to Eli as a Servant. The prophet did not ask her to send the child to him so that he may teach him. Because I have told you that it is only a person who believes in God that can pay tithe. Do you know what the Father did unto Hannah? God gave her five more children.
1.16 Remember your Creator
In your own case, if your children are hundred in number, if any decides to serve God, you will frown and tell him to go to school. You will also ask, whether he has not seen his brothers, that he should work and get them educated, that the Leader (Leader O. O. Obu) does not prevent people from going to school. You can serve God from any place. It is one and the same thing. Except when you discover that your child is a thief, or is sickly, or a disobedient child, then will you give him as tithe unto God. That is exactly like the offering of Cain.
1.17 God is the only teacher, defray your debt to him
If it is not clear to you, God wants what is good always because He Himself is good. Many people here who pay tithe with clothings do so with torn dresses and claim to pay tithe. Is that payment of tithe? Brethren you have been taught to the final stage. Because it was written in the prophets that “God will teach them everything. And all those who hear and learn of the Father will follow me”. There are certain persons in this kingdom of God who do not joke with the payment of tithe. There are others who will be unhappy with you and will be prepared to strain relations with you the moment you remind them of anything about tithe. They will want you to realise how much they are earning a month. Many people claim that they have the will to pay their tithes but that they are only indebted to the Father. If the debt continues to accumulate when do you think it can be defrayed? This is not a matter of indebtedness. It is Just like gum and paper. If you fail to pay your tithe you will score a zero because it will mean that you do not believe in God.
1.18 One-tenth is not enough
This Kingdom of God belongs to those who believe fervently in God. What do you have to give to God after all? Anything you claim to be yours, belongs to God. This is the little thing He requires you to do so that He can prove you. Even the nine-tenth you reserve for yourself belongs to God; the one-tenth also belongs to Him. He is the only one to dictate what you should do for Him and-if you do it He will continue to pour on you knowledge, wisdom, wealth and many other virtues. Why are your eyes not opened?
1.19 Abraham accepted to sacrifice Isaac in obedience to God's directive
This world was given to Abraham to rule over with his children. Who are the children of Abraham? All those who do what Abraham did. If you do not pay your tithe you have no share in this Kingdom of God. You can remember that Abraham had no child for a long time: but the moment he was given Isaac by God, the same child was demanded of Abraham for a sacrifice unto Him. What do you think is the meaning of that statement, “request by God”? Do you think faith is that simple? It is only one thing that God gave to Abraham. This is JUST to indicate to you that Abraham believed fervently in God and that was why he became a friend of God.
Abraham did not hesitate to accept sacrificing his only begotten son. Who in the whole wide world would have done exactly what Abraham did? Having only one child and determining to sacrifice that only child to God? Even if you were told in a vision, you would pronounce woe unto such a visioner and his household. Can you go to sacrifice the only child you have unto God? And so brethren, Abraham was not reluctant to go and sacrifice Isaac because he knew that he himself belonged to God. Isaac and everything he had belonged to God Should God decide to take his own life and that of Isaac, he would do nothing. There was therefore no alternative. That was why he decided to sacrifice Isaac.
1.20 Abraham, the friend of God
When Abraham had kindled the fire and it began to burn, Isaac ignorantly asked his father where the lamb for the sacrifice was. Abraham answered and said unto his son, Isaac, that God would provide for Himself the sacrificial Lamb. The moment Abraham held Isaac and raised up his knife ready to cut off his head for the sacrifice, he heard a voice telling him to do nothing to the child but rather he should turn to his right and would find a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns with which he would sacrifice. Who brought that ram? Abraham turned and found the ram, he sacrificed it and went home with his son and immediately became a friend of God. Can you see what faith can do?
1.21 With faith man can please God
You have heard about others and the marks they left in the world. In the case of Abraham, he is the father of all nations. Why is this so? It is because Abraham had the faith and belief in God. His faith was his readiness to sacrifice Isaac unto God and to give one-tenth of what he had to the Almighty God. Show me any person in this world who had communion with God but had no faith. It is asked in the scriptures, "Whose work are you doing?" And the reply given is that “I am doing the work of God”. The warning is that whatever you do if you do not have faith and believe in God, your efforts are wasted because you will not see that holy city. You spend all that you have in serving Satan and the flesh; but when it comes to serving God you will complain you have no money Even in this Kingdom of God you profess to see God face-to-face, (I have not seen Him face-to-face myself, I only hear His voice). You have refused to do something to prove that you have seen Him face-to-face. And so brethren that is why these glad tidings of great joy are brought to you today.
1.22 Mundane and spiritual functions of God must be met
Fasting and prayer cannot take away your poverty; even if you pray till you are choked up. You people have cheated the Almighty God. And so the world is under that curse. Now brethren you have to go back and implement this principle given to you. The moment you begin to pay your tithe regularly your ways will be opened. You will be blessed with wealth, wisdom and everything. People are prepared to do the work of God in all other church denominations. Why people steal money, smuggle, defraud or do one thing or the other is because of hunger. The government is in charge of the mundane functions of God while the church performs the spiritual functions. If you take care of the flesh, what about the spirit? People of the world have ignored the spiritual side and that is why you find the whole world in a state of collapse; everything turns topsy-turvy. And so brethren, let us retire to our houses and do exactly what Abraham our first father, did. What did he do? Read the second lesson now because there are so many highly educated people in the world who would like to question you to whom you pay tithe. Go through the second lesson and you will know to whom Abraham paid his tithe.
Second lesson: Hebrews 7:1-2
"For this, Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him: To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is King of Peace."
1.23 Pay tithe to God's representative on earth
Brethren have you heard that? This story refers to that same Abraham. Is it an easy thing for a human being to divide all that he has; his money, land, and other property, and give the tenth part of them to a human being like you? Abraham did not regard Melchizedek as a human being; he believed him to be God. When you shout at the top of your voice to Jehovah God, that you want this or that, except you pay your tithe, you are wasting your time. Go away with your deceit.
If you claim to see God face-to-face why do you refuse to pay your tithe? Melchizedek was a priest for God, the King of peace and righteousness; from time immemorial, it was the responsibility of his priesthood to collect tithe from people. So when Abraham returned from the slaughter of the Kings, he did not wait to be given a vision or to be advised by anybody to go and pay tithe to Melchizedek. He recognized Melchizedek as God and so he gathered all that he had from the war and gave the tenth part to him. If you fail to pay tithe to God, you will definitely pay it to Satan. If you fail to pay tithe from your salary or wages to God you will do so to necromancers, soothsayers, secret societies, prostitutes, to court cases and other carnal things.
1.24 Pay your tithe to the appropriate quarters
Tomorrow you will argue that you have been paying your tithes, when you give money to build a bethel or to poor people, or do other things. All these are not tithe. You have to pay your direct tithe, which is one-tenth of what you have, like Abraham did to Melchizedek who had neither father nor mother, nor genealogy. He had neither beginning of days nor the end of life. All tithes had to be paid to him because He was a Priest forever as the Son of God.
If you pay your tithe to the government you have not paid it. If your child attends a secondary school and instead of going to pay his fees at the school compound or Ministry of Education you rather pay it to Ministry of Works, that school fees has been paid to a wrong source. Therefore everything has its own appropriate quarters, and it is only at such a particular place you can do any appropriate thing related to it. Take our father Abraham for example; this man; Melchizedek, a priest for ever without any genealogy, has neither the beginning of days nor the end of life, without father or mother and looking after the affairs of man and God. Abraham did not need any person to tell him to pay tithe to him. Every person in those days paid his tithe to Melchizedek.
1.25 Tithe is followed with blessing
Can you now see why the people of old did the work of God undisturbed. They were dutiful because people paid their tithes regularly. There was food and everything. Without the priest nobody had anything to eat. And so there was no poverty with priesthood. The man we are talking about was only a priest in the flesh not a priest in the spirit. We are not arguing the fact that it is the elder who should bless the junior. Tell me the truth, if Abraham did not pay tithe to Melchizedek do you think He would have blessed him. If he was not blessed by Melchizedek, do you think Abraham would have been as great as he was? The payment ;of tithe portrayed Abraham as a believer in God.
1.26 One common purse
You argue that you cannot worship any person who is the worker of God. Was our Lord Jesus Christ an animal? Tell me whether He was an animal or a spirit or a tree? You loquacious fellows, who continue to argue that you cannot respect, honour or worship any man, was our Lord Jesus Christ that you are worshipping an animal? Was Melchizedek a stone or an animal or a spirit? He was a priest of God who was making intercession for every person in the world throughout his time. Our Lord Jesus Christ too is a Priest of God who looks after the affairs of God. That was why during the time of our Lord Jesus Christ all those who believe, abandoned all that they had. Matthew was a millionaire, Luke was a Doctor, also Levi and other people of great substance. They all brought together their wealth and established a common purse.
1.27 Tithe payment is an obligation not a condition
Think also of the four wisemen. The moment they heard that our Lord Jesus Christ was born, each of them went to see and worship Him with his gift. The first person went with gold, and you know how costly gold is. The second went with frankincense, the third went with myrrh, and the fourth went with his own gift too. You know what this means. Each of these four wisemen sold all he had and then spent all the proceeds, in buying the most precious gift to give to our Lord Jesus Christ and honour Him. At that time the Lord was only two years old. When they arrived, have you been told that our Lord Jesus Christ offered them any prayers or did anything to them? When you tell somebody to pay tithe that he may have a child or that his sickness may be cured, does it mean that it is through the payment of tithe that you can have a child or your infirmities can be healed? Is this not the height of insult?
1.28 Pay your tithe and do not tempt God
What was the main reason Abraham paid his tithe to Melchizedek? Tell me. It was not for any other thing, but was fulfilling the obligation at the time. He took cognisance of the fact that Melchizedek was God. If you were Abraham, would you have gone to Melchizedek to give your money? You would have gone to complain to him that for some days running you have not eaten any food, that your family has driven you away and that you have nothing to wear. That is the way your faith takes you to. God has given you everything but you continue to tempt Him by asking for more. The only thing we have to do so that it will be written for us as righteousness is for us to pay to God one-tenth of all what we earn. To a great many of you in Brotherhood of the Cross and Star this is the cause of your problems and difficulties. Because a great number of you have never paid even one kobo tithe. You are so much indebted to God by tithe payment, that you feel you will not be able to defray and so you resort to the slogan “as the Father likes it."
1.29 Do not default in your tithe payment
When you were jobless if somebody gave you N10.00 you would quickly pay your tithe from it. If somebody is so kind to give you N1.00, you will quickly pay your tithe out of it. But the moment you are employed and money begins to come, you will argue that your salary is insufficient for your expenditure^ because of other more important expenses (capital projects). You will then resolve to owe God and to pay back whenever money was sufficient. A miser does not realise that to give is to lend. If you fail to pay your electricity bill the light will be disconnected from your house.
You are true witnesses to the fact that if we fail to pay our electricity bill for one or two months, till the light is disconnected nobody will know. The one I am telling you now is a physical contract. At home you know very well that you have not paid your electricity bill for sometime and the people incharge also keep their own records and have observed that you have defaulted in payment for a particular period. The people will then quietly come to your house and remove the fuse and disconnect the light. It is only when you come back home and switch on the light and find none lighting that you will reorder your priorities and then go to pay your bill. The same thing happens with the payment of rent. If you fail to pay your rent, the landlord will serve you with a quit notice or carefully pack your things outside. The same thing is applicable to annual land rent. If you are treated this way for the vain things of this world, how much more with the person who created the world and the Owner of all the things on earth.
1.30 Even the nine-tenth belongs to God
The payment of one-tenth of what you have to God is just the beginning of your journey, the primary stage of a thing. If you give God one-tenth, what about the other nine-tenth, whom does it belong to? All belong to God. Have you not heard that among all those who believe and have one heart, they did not regard what they had as theirs, but pulled their resources together for a common goal. I am telling you now what was promised to Abraham and his children. All the descendants of Abraham must definitely pay tithe. There are certain persons here who have attained the understanding of this programme and do it properly. If you come across those who pay regular tithes to the Father they have no problem whatsoever, no poverty, no sickness and no complaints at all.
1.31 Study and practise the First Step to God
Two persons come to Brotherhood of the Cross and Star but things are well with one while the other complains about life. The other person will not advise his friend because all these things are written in the "First Step To God," they have been preached and even sung to you. If you then refuse to do any of the things, you have yourself to blame. This sermon is preached to you the children of Brotherhood of the Cross and Star but through the Television studio to the entire world which has not yet understood these things. All those who are the children of God know for certain that it is their duty to pay tithe, contribute to freewill offerings and charity, celebrate feast and do all other things. It is said “look at the Leader and emulate His examples”.
1.32 In all things, give preference to God
Take Abel for example, the author of our faith, and Abraham our father. That is why we have been told to pay tithe to God. Whatever you are doing at the end of the month, make sure that you pay your barber, your dry cleaner, your house rent, your electric bill, your tenement rate, and all that you have to pay because you have many irons on the fire. But do not forget to always give to the Father His share, the tithe. The number one thing you have to do at the end of the month is the payment of tithe.
1.33 In payment of tithe there is no exemption
If you have been joking with the payment of tithe, from this year henceforth nobody should toy with it because the problem of the whole world stems from the fact that they have refused to pay their tithes. If you want to enter the house of a strong man, unless you first of all tie his hands and legs you will not be able to plunder his house. If people were not beset with difficulties and problems, nobody would be willing to listen to anything. No person is exempted from this assignment; whether you are white or black, man or woman, old or young, those yet unborn and till eternity everybody must continue to pay tithe Do not wait to be reminded by visions because this is no vision affair. Do not bring about the idea of church denominations here because the affair here does not consider them. Whether you are a church member or not, pay your tithe that things may be well with you. It is because of lack of the payment of tithe that the world is beset with poverty and problems, and this shows that the world does not believe in God.
The payment of tithe is more significant than any other thing, more significant than raising the dead, healing the sick, building a house or doing anything whatsoever. You cannot compare it to any other thing you do to God.
Brethren I do not intend to take you further than this, read the golden text now.
Golden Text: Romans 13:6-7
"For this cause pay ye tribute also for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour."
1.34 Tithe connotes faith
I know that the church denominations will be happy today because of this sermon, The Pastors, Bishops, Reverend and others, will direct to their members the Father's sermon of today, and will ask the members to take their tithe to them. If all the church denominations pay their tithes they will observe prosperity, honour, plenty, well-being and all good things.
It is quite wrong to assess people to pay a certain sum of money, or to keep a certain amount of money to be paid by a certain Rev, gentleman. Have you not realised that the person who is serving God, who is administering unto the necessities of the saints and God's representative is quite worthy to receive tithe and offering? They should not depend upon salary or wages. It is better to give tithe to them than other things. Render to a firm what belongs to it, to the government what belongs to it and to God what belongs to Him. What is happening now is that all what belongs to the village, chiefs, secret societies, Government and even to diabolical things have been given to them. But that which belongs to God they will say “may God be with you”. No person has anything to give to God.
1.35 Appreciate God's workers via tithe payment
As there is one Government, so also is one God. Therefore all those who serve in the temple of God should eat from the temple. If people were to believe in God and pay their tithes, the churches would be much richer than the industries, firms and even the Government. This will then bring prosperity and long life; and every good thing would be bestowed on the sons of men. Since God is one, all the inhabitants of the world must pay their tithes to Him. Do not make that statement and mistake again that since you pay your house rent, electric bill, taxes and other things, to pay tithe you feel that you should be indebted to God. Does it mean, therefore, that a God's worker must starve? He who looks after your souls, who ministers unto every person and who gives the report to the Almighty God, is He the one you want to go empty-handed?
When you complain that a Pastor has stolen money, a Minister has misappropriated some funds, from where do you expect them to feed? Do you not see all of them look so pale and sickly? When you drive in your luxurious cars, the Reverend will be trekking or will be going on his antiquated bicycle and you wave at him as you pass him by "Pastor how do you do." Do you think he will be pleased with you? You will erect a storey building for yourself and build a thatched roof and mud-walled room for the Pastor after which you will ironically call him master. And that is why if any of your relations wants to go into the ministry, you will ban him and threaten with a curse If he dares. He will instead be advised to go and take up a lucrative profession so that he can cater for the family.
1.36 Prophet is greater than any other person
If you go to the Government you will see how money is wasted. They waste millions of naira for things of no importance, things pertaining to the flesh. But for those who are serving in the temple of God, must they go empty handed? Why must they not be given something. Samuel was the head of ail the prophets and was greater than every Government official. When the Israelites wanted a king, they went to Samuel and demanded him to make them a king. He was the person who selected Saul as the King and crowned him.
1.37 Government to pay tithe
Right now the Government; individuals, firms and associations have ignored God, they have refused to pay their tithes, and have no respect for Him. For this reason do you not see the state of the Government and the society? Everything is grinding to a halt and the spirit of God is completely out of them. It is the church that should be richer and wealthier than the Government and even firms. If every person pays his tithe, the church will be buoyant; it will have enough for itself and even to spare unto the Government. There will be plenty of food for everybody to eat and the entire world will be living in plenty.
1.38 Wherever you are, pay tithe
If people were to pay their regular tithe, the church will be very wealthy, and when the church is wealthy, the Government and the individuals will be wealthy because, by such payment of tithe, the one common purse will be established and everything will be controlled centrally for every person. Whosoever does not pay tithe, it were better he was not born into the world. If you have resolved not to pay tithe, do not come to this plane of manifest again. However, wherever you may go whether you are in this plane of manifest or in any other plane it is your bounding duty to pay tithe. Tithe serves as a sign of your recognition that there is something more important than what you see. Any person who does not pay tithe it means that he has not yet started his journey on his way to salvation. He should know for certain that he has no salvation, he is walking naked and has no share in this Kingdom of God neither has he life at all.
1.39 Pay tax to government but pay tithe to God
Therefore give tribute to whom tribute is due because they are the ministers of God, attending continually unto every man. Can you realise the meaning of this statement of our Lord Jesus Christ? "Render to Caesar the things which are Caesar's and render to God the things which are God's". This statement is misinterpreted by the people of the world to mean give to diabolical things what belongs to them and give to mermaid what belongs to mermaid, which means that after paying tithe to God they also pay to mermaid, apparition and other vain things; that it is what our Lord Jesus Christ has said. That is not what He has said. You will explain this to the people in the world when you go back home. What our Lord Jesus Christ meant in His statement is that when a man pays his tax and rate to the government, house rent, water rate, electric bill, tenement rate carnally, he should also pay direct tithe, free will offering, charity and other spiritual dues to God.
If you profess to be a necromancer and you pay tax and rate to the government, license for your necromancy activities and other dues and you fail to pay tithe to God, you are in trouble with God. So brethren let us accept to be ministers of God in the real sense of the word. Stop shouting that you have seen God, because you are deceiving yourself. Where did you see God? It is an irony of faith that you profess to see God but you fail to pay your tithe. You profess to see God, yet you have not refrained from falsehood. You profess to see God, yet you are still fornicating, what type of God have you seen, where do you see him?
1.40 Paying of tithe connotes belief
If we were to have the fear of God, we would have known ourselves but the scriptures attest to the fact that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. If we believe in God we will pay our tithe and we will realise that he will pour down to us manifold blessings and also take away from us the tendency to commit any act of sin. It is very easy for the Father to reform the whole world. A great many people complain that churches are not good because they serve no useful purpose. What do you think will be used to make the churches serve useful purpose when people have not paid tithe, when people do not want to minister unto those who serve God in his temple.
1.41 Responsibility of the church
It should be the function of the church denominations, to establish schools, colleges, universities, big hospitals, maternity home, big cities and large urban centres. They should also cater for the welfare of the citizens, send citizens to schools, award them scholarship, but where is the money with which they can establish these institutions. The functions of the church cannot be performed by the government, because the church dignitaries minister unto the things of God. It is the church which looks after the government, the firm and company, the communities, the hospitals and other medical institutions, the schools and other educational institutions and many other things. The church should also look after the trees, fishes, animals, birds and even the angels.
1.42 The church should assist the government
Do you know any situation in which the Government stepped into the church when something happens there? What business has the Government in the church? Have you even heard that when something happens in the church, the firm or company steps in. Is the church the business of the firm? Have you even seen secret societies and necromancers stepping in when something happens in the church?
Conversely, when something happens in the government the church should step in to correct what was wrong in the government. In the same token, if something is wrong with the firm, the company, the necromancer, the towns and cities, the church should step in immediately to correct the error. You cannot find any bird on top of an unripe palm fruits.
1.43 Condemn not God's servant
A great many people are reluctant, and even refuse to serve God, because the church has no money. Thieves, murderers, necromancers dress gorgeously, but it is the man of God who dresses with tattered and torn dresses.
If a minister of God drives in a small old Volkswagen beetle, people will curse him and accuse him of misappropriating the church funds and has started developing protruding stomach. What about you who steal and develop protruding buttocks?
1.44 Do not be retrogressive
Brethren, note that the world has missed the spiritual side of the things of God, thus making the physical side of things to overwhelm everything, that explains why the whole world suffers. Whatever we may do if we do not pay tithe, we have not done anything and we will continue to dwindle and retrogress, but those who pay tithe are always progressing, are prosperous, and healthy. If they farm, they reap good harvest, if they engage in commercial activities, they have profits, their domestic animals continue to multiply. Let all the inhabitants of the world who have cheated and robbed God, go back to their homes and begin to pay tithe to God. All should take up the issue of payment of tithe as a serious matter, to give each person his due and do not cheat any person, give every person his due benevolence.
1.45 Do not confuse tithe with alms giving and charity
Do not consider that when you take out one-tenth of your earnings, you share it out and give to orphans, and widows and other unfortunate ones. That is no tithe. Do not conceive in your mind that when you open a bethel and hand over the key, you have paid tithe, it is not tithe but charity. What is most precious in the sight of God is the payment of one-tenth of your earnings or profits or income. If we fail to do it, it means we are not the children of Abraham. Since we are Abraham's children, the children of promise, we must pay tithe to God.
1.46 Pay your tithe and enjoy God's maximum protection
Forget about your poverty, and sickness, and your enemies, and your problems and your childlessness, but when you begin to pay your tithe and other dues, the glory of God will be manifested in you. And God says, "Do it to me and prove me. if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there should not be room enough to receive it. I will rebuke the devourer and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine cast out her fruits before the time."
Do you think when thieves intend to break into your house that God does not know? Do you think that God does not know when somebody plans to collect money from you under false pretenses? Do you think that as you are buying an article of trade in which you will sustain a loss, that God does not know? Since you do not want Him to take care of you, He abandons you to your own way.
There are angels who are set to watch over and protect all you have, but when your record is examined, it is found that you are indebted to God by not paying your tithe. If you pay your tithe, angels are set to guard your farm, your office, your house, your children, and your business and you will surely see the smoothness with which things will be moving with you. You will even ask why you did not pay tithe in the past. Those who pay regular tithe and understand the essence of paying tithe, if advised not to pay, will not agree with you.
Brethren, it is said that one stroke of the cane is sufficient for the wise, I do not wish to be tedious unto you. Those who have ears let them hear. May God bless His holy words, Amen.
THANK YOU FATHER