MOTIVATING THE SERVANT OF GOD

First lesson: 1 Timothy 6: 1-2 "Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort." Second lesson: Luke 8: 2- 3 "And certain women which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils. And Joana the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others which ministered unto him of their substance." Golden Text: Galatians 6:6 "Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things." Brethren, that is the theme of our revelation this morning. You will now realise that the person who gives the word of God to you is the person who gives you life and peace and joy. And so he is greater than every other person. There is nothing you give to him that is comparable with the word of God he gives to you. Since he watches over your soul, there is no amount of benevolence you do to him which can equal the blessing he bestows on you. 9.1 The worker of God saves the soul The person who gives you the word of God is the one who gives you life and watches over your soul. And so he is worthy of all kindness and benevolence from you. You should realise that the governor, the president, the prime minister and other government officials are concerned with the welfare of your body but they can do nothing to save your soul. It is the person who gives you the gospel who looks after your soul and so you should show all kindness and benevolence to him. Whoever preaches the word of God is God's representative on earth, and it is through him that God passes to bless the world. Therefore it is expected of you to be kind and generous and benevolent to him, not only when he extracts charms from your body or gives visions and heals your sickness. You should give money and other things to him since he is God's representative on earth. You have to be kind to him. 9.2 He should also be compensated with material things It is a thing of sorrow that even here in Brotherhood people claim to know God, but they refuse to show kindness and benevolence to the workers of God. If somebody works as a Civil Servant and is being paid salaries and allowances by the government, do you not think that if he works for God, God will also pay him salaries and allowances as in the Civil Service? If somebody goes to the market and buys and sells and makes some profit, and after that he comes to the house of God to fast and pray for the sick, and preaches the word of God, is he not worthy of his reward from the hands of God? If he has given you life and the word of God, is it not expedient for you to give him material things of this world as compensation for what God has used him to do for you? 9.3 Servant of God custodies the keys to everything On earth, in heaven, inside water and land under water, the greatest duty that a man can perform is that of saving souls. The works of God requires self-control, self-denial and self-sacrifice. There are certain action that the Servant of God is prohibited from taking. Such a person stands in a position that every other person should be kind and benevolent to him. There is nothing too great which you can do to compensate him. Such a person is the custodian of the keys of heaven. Elijah prayed after the heavens did not give rain for three years and six months. Do you not know that the servant of God has the keys to everything? Why are the inhabitants of the world blinded to this fact, to the extent that they refuse to show kindness and benevolence to the servants of God. 9.4 No amount of money can compensate an elect of God This is what I see in you. You say that you understand Brotherhood. If Brotherhood were to be clear to you, would you refuse to give food to the servants of God in Brotherhood or would you fail to show kindness and benevolence to them? There is no price-tag on the work of God. It is not something you wish to pay to the servant of God one hundred naira or two hundred naira. I do not appreciate such a condition because it is no longer the work of God. The work of God is greater than everything and so it is an insult for one to stipulate a fee for it. A worker of God is the representative of God. He watches over your soul and does everything for your own good. Nothing is, therefore, too big to be given to him. You have to be kind and generous to him. The governor, the president, or the government cannot save your soul. Farmers, traders or bankers cannot save your soul. The only person, who can give you salvation is the elect of God. It is, therefore, pertinent that we pay attention to being kind and generous to such a person. The Scripture says, “and for their sakes I sanctify myself unto you that they also may be sanctified through the truth”. Any person who takes up the work of saving soul must refrain completely from fornication, theft, lying, anger, and from all other sins, that he may be holy enough to be very near to God and also pray and watch over your soul. Is it not expedient that we should take care of such a person? Why are we blinded to this goodness we should have done? 9.5 A worker of God cannot be killed by hunger I have never seen neither have I ever heard about a worker of God who dies because of hunger. Such a thing has never happened in the world. When David, as a soldier was hungry, he and his men went and took shew-bread from the altar and ate. That was where he had his salvation. He did not go to a necromancer or to any other person's house for food. Whoever is worthy of serving God, is worthy of honourable position. He should continue to do the work and not neglect it because God can never forsake him for a moment. Brethren, we should wake up from slumber. The Father preaches that we should not feed a lazy person. The person who prays for people and preaches the word of God is not a lazy person. That is his work. 9.6 Do not cheat a servant of God If a man of God is fiddling with his hands to find what to eat; what happens to a man of Satan? He is dead. The hope of Satan and his children is in the children of God because they watch over their souls; and they rely so much on what they can receive from your hands. It is therefore time to get up and take up this work, that we may save people's souls. Has it not been written in the Bible that you should not cheat a worker of God? We should therefore not cheat whoever puts his hand into the service of God. If you cheat a servant of God, it means in effect that you have cheated God; and that is why many of you suffer untold punishment. 9.7 Benevolence to the servants of God I say repeatedly that you do not understand the intricacies of this place. You have heard what has been read to you in the first lesson. Do you really understand the language spoken there? It is what you cannot understand. If you have a relation who devotes himself in the service of God, whether he is your son, or brother, or cousin, do not despise him simply because he is your relation. Be kind and benevolent to him because you will receive the greater benefit. I do not advise that you should be kind to a thief or a prostitute or a deceiver. What I am saying is that you should be kind and generous to whoever is devoted to the service of God, because he is serving God. We are not going to deal with the benefits you derive from helping a man of God. Today we want every person to wake up to the task of showing kindness and benevolence to all those who serve God. Next time we shall deal with the reward accruing to those who show kindness and benevolence to the workers of God. What happens here is equally applicable in the world. When a native doctor prepares concoction for you, you fail to pay him. That is why as you approach him, he begins to haggle the price with you. He tells you that what he wants to prepare for you requires much money, a goat, a cock to enable him prepare the concoction for you. He is doing this because you do not want to be kind to him. Each and every one of you, is looking for his own good and not for the good of the other person 9.8 God cares for all A local adage says that something must have made the crayfish to develop hunchback. Something must have induced the native doctor to demand for cocks and goats and yams. When a native doctor prepares charms for you, he will keep back a part of the preparation, so that if you do not pay him, he can put that part in fire and so return the sickness to you. It is because of the intransigence of human beings, that they do not like to pay for any services rendered to them. That is why the necromancer tells you to follow him to the cemetery where a ghost will speak to you. If he tells you to give him N100, you will argue that he should be lenient because he is your cousin. And therefore he directs you to follow him to the cemetery where a ghost will speak to you, and tells you what your charge is. All these deceits are caused by you. If you go to a necromancer and he wants to charge you five naira you will argue that he is your cousin, and that you are all together. He will not prepare it for you. Fortunately God has a way of saving unbelievers. You may have a problem and God will tell you to go that your problem is solved and you go away and your problems are solved. You may deny that He healed you and will go your own way. God has never forsaken his creation at any time. The native doctor is calling on God to send food to him. God will not send food to him directly. He will send people to him with their problems and when he gives them, maybe, a cup of water, they are healed. For that action, he is paid and he has what to eat. It is not the preparation of concoction that does it but God Himself. 9.9 God always provides a way of escape for His children If you are a trader, you pray to God that he should help you to sell. Under the ignorance you find yourself God will pass through that way and give you what to eat. God has neither failed nor forsaken us, but we are not prepared to be kind to whoever is rendering services to God. Everything in this Kingdom is free. It is said that freely ye received, freely give. Do not place the condition that until somebody gives you visions or prays for you before you give money to him. But give out freely to a man of God as a superior officer to you. He is the person watching over your soul. If a man of God receives help from left and right, there is no need for him to demand payment for his services. He will render it whole-heartedly. But as long as he is hungry, his children are hungry, he has not paid his house rent and his landlord is worrying and asking him whether his God has not given him money yet, then the man of God has to device another means of helping himself. This is an act of Satan. When you are in difficulties people will tell you that your parents are Brotherhood and that you should go to them to give you food that they should give you a dwelling place, and so they laugh you to scorn. That is why whoever wants to serve God, the father, the mother, the brothers and sisters will discourage him and will advise him to go and look for a job from where he will be paid money for him to feed his family. If we were to sit down and consider all our acts of iniquity in us, how we have failed to be kind and generous to the servants of God, we would realise that we are responsible for the downturn in the work of God. 9.10 Anti-Christ Whoever is not kind to a worker of God is an anti-Christ. All those who are the children of God do not joke with the servants of God, instead of eating to their satisfaction, they rather give out to the servants of God and stay hungry because they know what benefits they will derive from being kind and generous to the servants of God. If somebody is a Civil Servant and earns five hundred naira a month, and that is not enough for him to feed himself and his family, he cannot pay his rent and is borrowing from people. But if he takes up his Bible and begins to serve God, he eats well and has money to pay his rent, do you not realise that others will begin to render service to God? Among the whites, a servant of God is more important than the governor and the president. That is why they change their vocation from time to time. If a whiteman comes to Nigeria as a governor, after that contract, he will go to another country and serve as a Minister of God. That is where he derives his wealth and prosperity. Do you think that the white man who comes here to serve is serving for the first time. He has been serving in other countries in other positions and offices. The first lesson will now be read. First lesson: 1 Timothy 6:1-2 "Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort." You have been directed to teach and exhort people these things. From today on, take up this gospel and teach the people and exhort them. If you find a real servant of God, and you carry him in your car, do not charge him a kobo and you will notice the benefits deriveable from this kindness. If you find a man of God and you have aid, give it to him free of charge. You will realise the type of peace and blessing you will derive from this. 9.11 Benefits accruing from benevolence Learn a lesson from Hannah who was barren. The co-wife was laughing at her. Even the husband was always laughing her to scorn. But when she pleaded with God, God gave to her Samuel. She gave back Samuel to Eli as tithe unto God. What did God do for her? God gave her five additional children. That is why I tell you that whenever I look at you, I realize that you do not know the God you are worshipping. You do not know what this place is. Because your action has denied God completely. Remember also Rahab the prostitute who saved the spies. The Israelites were going to destroy the city of Jericho but this prostitute rendered security services to the spies. A great reward and prosperity are derivable from being kind and benevolent to the servant of God. The Bible says that it is more blessed to give than to receive. As I give you this gospel, if you are a servant of God, you should, in your area, take care of the poor. This is by way of digression; I do not want to deal with benefits today. This morning we are dealing with the topic that it is necessary for us to show acts of kindness and benevolence to those who are rendering services to God. By so doing you will receive your reward and you thereby render service to God. 9.12 Service to a servant of God is service to God There is no other action which brings about the upliftment of God's work or spread of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, than being kind and generous to workers of God. Whenever you come across a servant of God who has a problem or difficulty you have to help him solve that problem. If he lacks money, or materials or clothing, or food, give to him. That is why it is said in the Bible, “I was hungry and you fed me, naked and you clothed me”. Whatever you do to a servant of God, you are doing it directly to God. He says as much as you did it to the least of these little ones you did it unto me. Why is it that you claim to have seen God face to face, but you come across a worker of God and fail to give him assistance unless he is a visioner. You will not give him food or money unless he gives you a vision and haggles the price with you. Ingratitude has frustrated the work of God completely, as the Scriptures has said, since iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. When the ten lepers came to our Lord Jesus Christ to be healed, He told them to go and show themselves to the priest. They did and one of them went back to thank Jesus Christ. The others who did not go to thank Him found leprosy returning on them. Today we are not dealing with tithe, or with free-will offering or with charity but we are dealing with kindness and benevolence to whoever is a servant of God. Everything by experimentation; begin to experiment from today. Whenever you find any person who devotes himself in the service of God, be kind to him. Do not wait until he extracts charms from your body or gives vision to you or heals your sickness before you show benevolence to him. But be kind to him because he is the servant of God. You will receive much blessing to yourself and to your family. Let our second lesson be read. Second lesson: Luke 8: 2-3 "And certain women which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils. And Joana the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others which ministered unto him of their substance.” 9.13 Poor saints Brethren, have you heard that? Whoever is enlisted into the army as a soldier has no time to go back to trade, or to farm or to do any other work. He must concentrate in the work of the army. Other persons who are engaged in other business will use their substance to support the soldiers. From time immemorial the work of God had been categorized. Those who have completely diverted themselves from the things of the world, are not interested in material, things, like the twelve disciples, they were referred to as the poor saints. When you tell somebody not to receive any money, not to cheat or defraud any person, but that he should continue to preach the word of God, and be devoted in the work of God, if such a person has no assistance, how will he take to your advice? And if you advise somebody not to receive any stipends for the work of God he is doing, and he is not given assistance, how can he do it? It is said a labourer is worthy of his hire. If he is supplied all his needs, he has no problems at all. He continues in serving God. It is better for any person to go to the bank or to any of the commercial houses to steal, than for him to come to the house of God to steal that which belongs to God. This is abominable and your punishment cannot be measured. 9.14 Minister on to the saints Everything belongs to the Father. He uses them to look after the people in the world. But right now you are stealing and instead of using these things to cater for others you render them useless because of your action. These are those who have surrendered themselves to God, they do not look for wives, they have refrained completely from fornication, they do not look for anything of the world, how do you want them to survive? From where do they derive their sustenance? One of our brothers has said that if you find a bird dancing in the middle of the road, there must be somebody inside the bush rattling for the bird to dance. And so when you see somebody who is devoted in the service of God, it means that he has help and assistance from somewhere, such a person will not look to the left or to the right but will be very diligent in the service of God. The flesh is feeble. Our Lord Jesus Christ has said that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. One sister said when her child came to her for his school fees she drove him away because there was no money and no help from anywhere. But as God would have it somebody rendered assistance and the money was paid. This is done by God and He has never forsaken us. If the Father did not come by Himself, the world would have perished. Why? People are helping us, they are kind and benevolent to us but you yourselves cannot render services to the workers of God in order to fulfill that which was written in the Scriptures, that since iniquity shall multiply the love of many will wax cold I am telling you this, if you were one of those who have been helping the servants of God, to continue in doing this, keep it up. And if you have not been kind and benevolent to the Servants of God, you have to begin forthwith because this is what obtains in this Kingdom of God. Why people on Christmas day prepare rice and other delicacies is because of the lust of little children. If you do not prepare all those things in order to keep them in the house, they may wander away from the house. By the same token why people have to be kind and generous to the servant of God is so that they may not derail from the path of rectitude. Remember when those apostles prayed that God should empower them with the Holy Spirit, the number of those who believed sold their properties and brought the money into the common purse. It was because of this that people rose up and preached the word of God and there was immediate spread of the gospel. It is given that you should render help and assistance to the person you are more fortunate than. The theme of today's gospel is that we should be kind and benevolent to all the servants of God, not waiting until they give us visions or extract charms from our bodies or do any other thing for us. Because they cater for our souls, we should always be kind to them. Because it is high time that we did this, since they are those who serve God day and night. If you did not know God, but because of the servants of God you have the knowledge of God, it is therefore fit and deemed wise for you to use the material things to compensate them for the Word of God. Any person who continues to worship fetish, juju, or mermaid, or idols, or goes on fornicating, such a person is completely lost. As it is said, a city without a prophet perishes. If you find a nation with such persons who are given to abominable type of life and there is somebody who goes there, be he a small child, or a woman, or an old person, to rebuke and tell them that it is not good for any person to drink, or to sacrifice, or to worship any of the idols, what do you think he is doing? He is saving their lives. 9.15 Necessity is the mother of invention The first Brotherhood of the Cross and Star full-time worker who was sent to Ghana to do the work of God, I understand, backslided and derailed from the path of rectitude because he was looking for assistance from various sources. And now he has formed a Crusade outside Brotherhood. To show you what servants of God can do, and because of the ministry work made by certain sisters to Ghana, this same brother has been won back to God. And last April he came to Calabar. Whatever is given to you as a servant of God, do not use it for sacrifices, or worshipping idols, or prostitution, or drinking, or doing other things which do not bring glory to God. Even though people are ignorant of this fact, David went into the temple and took and ate the shew bread which it was not lawful for him to do, because only priests were worthy to take the shewbread. But because of necessity he had to break into the temple and eat the shew bread. Necessity they say, is the mother of invention. As we are here, food which is meant for the children should not be given out to the dogs. It should rather be used internally. The money of God should be used in the service of God, assisting the poor and other workers of God who are in need. We should, therefore, wear the gospel of this day as an armour of God, that it is our bounding duty to do what is good to the servants of God. 9.16 Factors of salvation Give to the children of God what they are lacking in. What you realise they are worthy of having. Put to experiment and be kind to them and assist them and you will have the reward. A great many people who are saved, are saved because even though they do not know the person, they give out to the necessities of those who are not as fortunate as themselves. A great many people who remain in Brotherhood till today, do not know why they remain. It is because they are rendering services to people without collecting money in return or going about begging or desperate for anything. That is why you are kept here till today. A great many people who argue that they were once in Brotherhood, do not know what has taken them out of Brotherhood. It is because they were gathering from where they did not sow. They charge two thousand naira they demand caps, houses and many other things from people. For that reason they were "sent" away from Brotherhood of the Cross and Star. Many others remain in Brotherhoodof the Cross and Star under extreme difficulties. It is because they have bluntly refused to be of assistance to workers of God. Many others came into Brotherhood of the Cross and Star poor but now they have built houses and have other property. It is because of using the little they had in ministering to the servants of God. Here, you do not eat any person's food for nothing and you do not feed any lazy person. No lazy man is required. Is the person who offers prayers a lazy person? The person who renders service to God is the person who renders the greatest service to the world. His is the greatest of all the services you can think of in the world. Look at the whole wide world where people devote their time in serving the flesh, how many people have resolved to devote their full-time in the service of God? Even if it is a half or one-tenth of population of the world that decides to serve God full-time, it is still alright, but now we have not even one-tenth in the service of God. Brethren let our golden text be read so that your eyes may be opened and your understanding widened. Golden Text: Galatians 6:6 "Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things." Brethren, have you heard that? DO you not realise that the Christ's student are worthy of great reward. Are the Christ's servants not worthy of great reward? The ordained ones and all those who have devoted their time in the service of God are worthy of great reward. You can go and farm, trade and engage in your business, but it is given that you should be kind and generous to all those who do the work of God. 9.17 No stipends in the service of God That is the only duty which is found here. Everyone of you has a spiritual father and mother taking care of you. Here in Brotherhood, whoever denies the fact that he has a spiritual father or a spiritual mother is a great liar. What deceives the people of the world is that they always contend that in Brotherhood you are not paid salaries and wages, and they wonder with what you feed yourself? When people ask, and you say that nothing is paid to you; If I did not pay you any money, would you have devoted yourself in this service? You are told to carry neither purse nor bag nor two coats. Wherever you go eat what is presented before you because a labourer is worthy of his hire. This is exactly what happens here. Wherever you go to, you are given food, clothe and money in abundance. What is not accepted is payment of wages and allowance and salaries. This is a great insult before God. 9.18 Basis of work What is surprising the people of the world is that when they ask, what actually is paid to you for the work you are doing, you tell them that nothing is paid to you. They ask, “With what do you support yourself?” Because they cannot afford to do that kind of work. Instead they will go and enjoy themselves. Whoever serves in Brotherhood free of charge without collecting anything, is always prosperous: He sees no poverty or wretchedness. I want you to put this to experiment. Not only yourself but members of your family and town will benefit from it. But those who come into Brotherhood, and go about collecting money: two thousand naira or five thousand naira from people are in the lake of fire. We should realise and believe fervently that in this Kingdom of God, the basis of the work is love. Therefore, whatever you have the ability to do, you should do for a worker of God, not until he comes to pray for you. Whatever you can give to him, material things such as clothings, houses, cars, money and the rest of the things, you will surely be blessed. Reverend J. K. Macgreggor was once in Hope Waddel. He was the eighth millionaire in Scotland. If it was not the work of God that he was doing, what would have given him the millions he had. If there was no blessings in doing the work of God, do you think the whiteman would have ventured into it? When he died, he willed all his money to the service of God, MacGreggor College at Afikpo and other institutions were established from his money. The money realised from the service of God is used in the work of God. It is not to be taken to the world as you are doing. That is the secret in this Kingdom of God. Food and everything is ready. Those who will be sincere in their work have everything ready for them. 9.19 Serving gratis That is why I have come. I have engaged in farming, and in commercial activities, so that at any point in time no person can stand before Satan to demand for anything, and that he may be independent of any person. If you are on of those sent to various stations and are given twenty naira in a month, you cannot leave that station without telling the members. They always want to know where you go to. Sometimes even though they have decided to give you twenty naira, this amount is given piecemeal. And yet they profess to see God face to face. Where did they see Him? But you are engaging yourself in your business, you are a Civil Servant, you are working in firms and Corporations, but this other person is devoting his time inside the house of God praying, but you fail to take care of such a person. That is why so many people suffer. 9.20 Reciprocal help You are in your matrimonial home with your husband. This other person does not need any husband She is fasting and praying and doing everything in the service of God to save you. Why is it that you refuse to give assistance to her? Not every person will be a full-time worker of God and not every person will do it part-time. Wherever God keeps you, remain there. But you have to help and this help must be reciprocal. You are not prevented from farming, or trading, or marrying, or preaching or praying, or sitting by yourself. Wherever God has placed you, be satisfied with that position and maintain it. Those who are the servants of God should remember the people of the world, asking God to restore peace on them because it is the prayer of the servants of God which is heard by God. Do not leave your husband in order to do the work of God so that you may be saved. You are saved when once you use your substance to help the workers of God. The servants of God should not go to trading in order to have what to eat. They are equally saved. Those who give you the word of God are worthy to receive any type of reward. Whatever you have, give to such persons because they are not lazy. It is said that a labourer is worthy of his hire. And you who receive the words of life and salvation, you also have the opportunity of assisting them. Use the material things of this world to support them. Give these to them as a sacrifice. Otherwise you are eating somebody's food for nothing. 9.21 Kindness to servant of God carries a great reward That is how God has arranged His things. Everything has been kept in its correct position. Wherever you are, stay there. But know that the theme of the gospel of this day is that you always have to minister to the necessities of those who are rendering services to God. Do not forget them. Be kind and generous to them. You will be surprised that though you are a barren woman, you will pray for any other barren woman and she has a child, but you yourself are not pregnant. You will be surprised that even though you are unemployed you will pray for another unemployed person and he has a job while you do not have one. Do not be surprised when you pray for somebody, he comes back to tell you that your prayer has worked wonders because the article he bought at twenty naira, has been sold at two hundred naira. And you begin to worry yourself, how is it that I am also a trader and no person asks to buy from me. Thieves have broken and stolen them. Do not be surprised because it is said that whoever has been kind and generous to any servant of God will receive great reward. 9.22 Do not abandon the work of God to labour for your belly Unfortunately, many of you have decided to go out to farm, or trade or engage in government work because people have refused to show kindness and benevolence to you in your service to God. You are only worsening the situation. For your sake the farms of others will not give good yield. For your sake fire will engulf your store and the stores of other traders. For your sake your company will close down. God knows why you have neglected his work. You are like Jonah. You have left his work to find money because you are not paid here. Do not forget that the hands of God are very long. Let every person maintain his stand in the place God has kept him, and serve Him in love without hypocrisy. Do not worry yourself again that you are the only Brotherhood in your family. You alone are sufficient to save the family and the entire world. Your relations should also not urge you to come out and find yourself a job. Let them continue in their Jobs. Whatever you realise outside should be in support of all those who devote themselves in the service of God. You should pray for them and God will save them through you. Do not say that you have no business with what they are doing. The people of the world are doing much for the children of God. Brethren, I do not intend to be tedious unto you, it is said that one stroke of the cane is sufficient unto the wise. Those who have ears to hear should hear. May God bless His holy words; Amen THANK YOU FATHER