Everlasting Gospel
First lesson: Matthew 19:24
“And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”
Second lesson: John 6:27
“Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”
Golden text: Matthew 5:3
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “
3.1 Shun ostentatious life
Brethren, the texts above form the theme of our scriptural discourse. The aim of this sermon is to highlight the qualities of the true children of God and those who are not. It is not the type of dress that you put on, or the name that you call yourself as Pastor, Bishop, Pope, etc, etc, which makes you a man of God. This gospel, therefore, reveals those who love God and serve Him, diligently.
Fornication does not mean sleeping with a woman or man on the same bed and having carnal knowledge of each other only. Fornication implies greed. And so, any man who wears expensive clothes, bangles and gold chains with glittering shoes that portrays ostentatious living is a fornicator. This explains why Our Lord Jesus Christ referred to this type of people as a generation of vipers who cannot please God in their ways. The people of the world are depraved. Their iniquities obstruct them from realising the presence of the Holy Spirit here on earth. Such people conjecture tha`t the Holy Spirit ended on the day of Pentecost. It was through the power of the Holy Spirit that every spiritual feat was accomplished. That was so because the people allowed the Holy Spirit to work. This is why the golden text has it that "blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God."
These are people who are filled with the Holy Spirit and they are the children of God. They are not carnally minded and do not have interest in the world and the fullness therein. People waste their time, energy and money to make fantastic and beautiful dresses which they wear to church services where they enjoy a stimulating dance session of music and orchestra. These people are infidels.
People go abroad for advanced learning, and come home with no practical learning. Others attend schools of theology and come back knowing nothing about God. Many others mount pulpits with the intention to preaching gospels, but succeed in saying nothing important and righteous. Who tells you that the attires you put on and the bangles and the gold chains have anything to do with the worship of God?
Who tells you that the mighty and magnificent buildings which you build and decorate with supposed portraits of God and Christ have anything to do with the actual worship of God? Who has taught you that? Who tells you that you are accepted as a true worshipper of God if you are well dressed to church? Some people have chairs, beds, utensils, houses, cars and everything in their houses made of gold. Ironically, these type of people are not gold themselves. Have you not heard that it is easier for a camel head to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to inherit the kingdom of God.
It is said that blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God? The true children of God have no problem at all in life. The large hall we are assembling here and all the decorations therein do not interest me. My interest is in the Holy Spirit, love, peace, truth, service to humanity and all the good things. What interests me most is your repentance. Whoever repents is sure to obtain the Holy Spirit. Any person who allows the spirit of God to abide in him has no problem because the Holy Spirit will provide you with food when you are hungry and caters for you generally.
Remember when the disciples of Our Lord Jesus Christ were hungry, the Holy Spirit provided a cornfield for them to feed themselves. If food, gorgeous dresses, magnificent buildings and cars were to be very important things, Christ would have been the richest of all men.
If you read Revelation Chapter seventeen, you will have a story about a whore who was so ostentatious in life for the purpose of seducing the children of God. You would want to rub the most expensive ointment in the world, drive the most expensive car, marry the most beautiful woman or most handsome rich man on earth and so on. All these are acts of fornication. Those who indulge in these are infidels and pagans. You do not desire the love of God, righteousness and are not contented with the position God has kept you.
Any person who has the Holy Spirit has no desire for any of the material things - food, clothing, shoes, houses, etc. . What the Holy Spirit desires is peace, love, truth among other virtues. What we have to do now is to feed the Lord's lambs. The material things have no place in the kingdom of God. Whatever God gives to you is meant to be distributed to the poor and the needy, and not for the satisfaction of your desire.
Do not emulate any person on earth. It is only surprising to see that those of you who go abroad and come back do not learn any good thing. No white man or woman dresses the way Africans do. They are very simple and modest class of people. But an African would not mind to owe in order to appear important and expensive. A man of God is satisfied with any place or condition he finds himself. There is no man who has the love of God in him. This is so because everyone's mind is preoccupied with the love for materialism. A true man of God does not want to look and live big. It is only pagans who practise ostentatiousness. This is one way of identifying a real child of God.
The Lord taught His disciples to pray and requested to give them 'this day their daily bread'. He did not teach them to pray and request for excess bread to eat for the day and the days to come. Therefore, if you have your daily bread, whatever is left over, is meant for others who do not have. Such a person does not claim ownership of any material things - money, food, clothing, etc, etc. All that he is interested in is to help people to repent, love one another, be merciful, truthful, humble and just. Whether there is power cut or not for onwards of six months it does not bother such a person. He does not rejoice when the light finally comes and would not mind when it is taken. All those things are mundane and have no spiritual significance. What profits you more is love, truth, oneness, humility, mercy and all the other virtues of God.
3.2 Your duty
Your duty is to go to the world and preach the word of God to every one because the people of the world are blind and deaf. It is very easy for you to examine yourself now to know whether you are a man of God or not. All those who believe in God believe in His existence and live exemplary life. A certain brother from Obudu in Cross River State of Nigeria testified to the wonderful work which the Father is doing in him ever since he got baptised into Brotherhood of the Cross and Star. While in his former church for about twenty years, he never forsook any sin. Then he thought he was worshipping God truly and did not want to hear anything about Brotherhood. From the day his 'eyes opened' in Brotherhood, he alienated himself from his old friends and refrained from drinking, smoking and living abominable life. He spent his time reading the Bible. That is how a man of God should behave.
But all those who call themselves men of God yet continue to drink, smoke, keep girls or men friends, desire to build houses and own cars and so on cannot inherit the kingdom of God. This is why your number of years in a church profit you nothing. It is only Brotherhood that worships God in spirit and in truth. The dresses that you put on do not constitute belief. A man who walks barefooted, that does not drink, smoke, steal or live abominable life, lives a more enjoyable live. Hanging the crucifix on your neck does not make you a man of God.
A man who allows the spirit of God to abide in him will never be hungry, thirsty, sick or love anything mundane. The man who finds pleasure in righteousness is the happiest man. Christ asked Peter whether he loved Him more than anything else and Peter answered in the affirmative. Christ then gave him no other charge than to feed the lambs. Also, from the day the call of God reached Paul, he abandoned everything and served the Lord. The apostles went into the field and ministered to the sheep. But in your own case, you are doing all you can to amass wealth.
By so doing, you are storing your wealth where moth will destroy and thieves will break into. Christ said that His meat was to serve the Holy Spirit. What is the work of the Holy Spirit? It is to love one another, live peaceably with one another and serve all. A man has only one heart. If he gives that one alone to the love of material things then God has no place therein. Such a person is perished.
Any person who says that he is a true Christian yet is in love with food, money, "women, men and other material things is a liar. No child of God has anything to do with materialism. The best of all gifts comes from above and is the gift of the Holy Spirit. If you submit yourself to God and obtain the Holy Spirit, then you will have no problem. And any person who does this cannot kill, tell lies, steal, cry or live unwholesome life. Such a person does not lament or constitute himself as an obstacle to any person.
The field is ripe but the labourers are insufficient. The person who is carnally minded does not bother, in fact, does not know that the field is wide and ripe and such a person believes in receiving without giving. It is because of your high expectations from people that is why you judge and condemn them. If somebody does not give you money, food, and the rest of the material things, you will get angry with him. Food, money, wife, children, husband, clothing, and so on do not gain you entry into the kingdom of God. The scripture says that food was made for the belly and belly for food, but that both will be destroyed. Christ did not speak about all these mundane things but the Holy Spirit, righteousness, love, humility, meekness, kindness and all the virtues. This is why He advises that a person who has two coats should part with one for a person who does not have.
The person who seeks after the Holy Spirit is the one who seeks after the word of God. But the person who is carnally minded cannot stand any gospel that fails to say that God's second name is wealth and all those who go to church are bound to be wealthy. But the person who seeks after salvation sits where he finds himself and denies everything mundane.
The church denominations today have introduced high and sophisticated orchestra in the worship of God. Did Our Lord Jesus Christ use any instrument? Did he teach us to do these things and even burn candles and incenses? God wants you, your sanctity and celibacy. He wants total submission to Him. Read our first lesson again:
First lesson: Matthew 19:24
“And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”
3.3 Man is the temple of God
If there are Brotherhood members who are not devoted and are unfaithful, these are the ones who still find pleasure in mundane things. These are the people Christ said worship only on their lips but their hearts are far away from Him. The garment God clothes us with is wonderful. One of our brothers in Port Harcourt inadvertently went to work one day and forgot to put on shoes. That day was his busiest in the office. The following day his colleagues asked him where he bought the kind of shoes he wore the previous day and how much. You do not know that God fortified you with the best attires.
During the discussions between Christ and the Samaritan woman, .he latter told Christ that their fathers had been worshipping on the mount but that she heard the disciples of Christ said that there was a place in Jerusalem where God was supposed to be worshipped. Christ replied to her that a time would come when men would neither worship God on the mount nor in Jerusalem because they (the women's kindred) did not know what they were worshipping but He (Christ and His people) knew what they worshipped because salvation comes from the Jews. He added that the time cometh and now is when the true worshippers of God will worship Him in Spirit and in truth for He seeketh such to worship Him. Know ye not that God abides in you? That you are the temple of God and whoever defiles himself will He destroy. You drink, smoke, take snuff, fornicate and so corrupt the temple of God in such a way that it becomes inhabitable. Yet such are the people who will go into the church and shout 'JESUS; JESUS’.
Almighty God, it is written, does not live in the house made by man. Solomon built a temple for God, but did He abide therein? Did the building even please God? If God were to be seated in a very big hall and people are informed to go there and worship Him or pay Him homage, would any one appear before God in his shoes, hat, tie and bangles? People appear before God prostrating?
People develop mania for fashion even in the church. Even right there in the church members do not mind, especially women moving close to their friends to inquire how much their latest outfits cost them. Do you go to church to display your latest wear to God and the latest perfume and hairdo? Yet these are the same people who castigate and laugh at people who worship God in spirit and in truth by walking on bare foot. Did Christ not warn His disciples in Matthew 10 that when they go out on evangelism they should leave behind their shoes, pearls, garments and bags? The things I tell you do not come from me. This is why I always make copious references to Our Lord Jesus Christ's words in the Holy Bible. Therefore, money, food and all the mundane things have no place in the Kingdom of God.
When the tempter met the Lord and asked Him to turn stones to bread and eat, what did He say to him? He told the tempter that it was written that man would not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeded from the mouth of God. If it were you, you would have tempted God immediately by yielding to the request. The people of the world are blind and you should not listen to them. The people of the world do frequently ask you why you do not wear shoes to church and who you think your Father is. Many of you would waste your precious time and energy to give them replies. For what? Why must you respond? These are demons and unbelievers and the only one who will rightly reply to their questions is the Almighty. In their various churches, their pastors and bishops drink, smoke, snuff and keep chains of women yet they claim to be Christians. When Pilate asked Christ questions, did He answer him?
The commandment about the Sabbath day to keep it holy was and is still being interpreted wrongly to mean forsaking every manual work in and around the house and going to church on Sunday. The meaning as explained by Our Lord Jesus Christ means self-mortification and purification always. These so-called Christians, who are merely church-goers, are also members of various secret societies who also are diabolic. If a search were to be conducted in each church during session, the world would be amazed at the diabolical things that would be removed from each member. This explains why Christ said that these types of people are those who seek to please men and who want to be applauded by men. But God counts all such people as worthless.
3.4 Emulate me
You have watched and observed me as your Leader yet none of you strives to emulate me. If I were to love these frivolous things you would have imported attires, chairs and desks from even heaven for me to use. And many of you are ready to spoon-feed me. I am not interested in these things. What concerns me is your salvation; complete abstinence from sins. My concern is your peace, love, humility, prosperity and purity.
Unfortunately, in schools, offices, social gatherings and everywhere, human beings would not assemble for any purpose without putting one thing or another in their pockets or around their waist as a means of protection. Many human beings goes about with amulets for protection.
What did Christ say? He said, “be ye as holy as I am for I abhor evil." You should seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and every other thing shall be added to you. That is what has fulfilled on me. Though I do not seek for anything myself apart from this kingdom but you endeavour to provide all other necessities. The fact that you are devoid of the Holy Spirit is why you are complaining and crying.
Do what you may, my point of emphasis is righteousness: It is the virtues upon which the kingdom of God is founded. All the food, meat and fish we eat, the wine or liquor we drink, cigarettes we smoke and the fornication we commit obstruct us from getting close to God. These things are counted to you as sins because they obstruct you from believing in God and serving Him.
I do not teach you the proclamations of John or Moses or Saul. All I teach you are the words of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Do not make the mistake of saying that Leader Olumba said this or preached that. I say nothing on my own and preach nothing by myself.
Second lesson: John 6:27
“Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”
3.5 The only Teacher and Leader
Christ is the one God sealed as Lord and King. He is the Saviour and Master. He is the only Teacher and Leader. You have to take your mind away from the things of this world. Listen to Him alone and obey Him so that you will be saved. If you accept the word of God in your heart you will have life. God promised to build His temple upon the rock. Whoever receives the word of God is that rock. Such a person will have no problem at all.
Once the disciples of Christ distributed food to a multitude that surrounded them. The food did not go round the widows. The Hebrews rebuked the disciples for leaving out the widows. The disciples on hearing this mandated the people to nominate seven members amongst them who were of good repute, truthful, humble and God-fearing, so that they could be blessed by the disciples to take charge of food distribution. They told the people that they (the disciples) could not sacrifice the preaching of the gospel and offering prayers for food distribution. That is a strong revelation of true children of God.
A true child of God does not concern himself with any material thing. Judas Iscariot who was in charge of the purse, what did that profit him in the end? You consider a rich man to be loved dearly by God. That is not so. There is, however, a provision that if any rich man should repent then he would inherit the kingdom of God. It is amazing to have men quarrel with their wives or vice versa over food. Men develop mania for food. But if we should open our hearts to God, He would abide in us. Those who put on gorgeous dresses are like graves or coffins that is decorated outwardly but awful inside. If you read Luke 6:24-26 you would not want to be great. The Verses 20-23 of that chapter describe those who believe in God and serve Him diligently.
Martha was one of such persons who was carnally-minded. When Christ visited Lazarus, His friend and was preaching in their house, Mary sat by Him listening to the gospel. But since Martha was carnally-minded, she was busy in the kitchen trying to prepare food for the Lord. Christ did not mince words to tell Martha that her sister. Mary, had made a better choice which no one could take away from her. Any person, therefore, who listens to the gospel has made a wise choice.
Qualification into (he kingdom of God does not consist in your social, financial or academic standing. What really makes you a true child of God is complete abstinence from sins. From that moment onwards, have you heard or read anywhere else of Martha's name amongst servants of Christ?
Martha was only associated with food and nothing else. But Mary was present during the crucifixion of Our Lord Jesus Christ and on the morning of His resurrection; She was also there at the graveside to collect his body. That was so because Mary was filled with the word of God and His spirit.
The word of God is spirit, life, joy and salvation. But your preoccupation is mundane things. Take note that I am not condemning money or any of the material things. No. What I am saying is that, all those who are carnally-minded do not believe in God, and therefore, are infidels. But all those who are spiritually-minded would readily sacrifice their lives for their salvation.
3.6 Words from a Godly person can change sinners
There is great joy in heaven when one sinner repents. But many preachers, if they go to a person to preach and the person gives excuses for not wanting to listen to the preaching and rather gives them, say N5,000.00 as a gift, they will immediately prostrate before the person and thank him endlessly and would say that the person is a true man of God. Is it true? It is said that many are called but few are chosen. Any person, therefore, who goes begging for anything has no share in the Kingdom of God. Such a person is carnally-minded. That is why there is no one righteous person on earth.
Many people only claim to worship God because they are well fed, blessed with a husband or wife and have children. They will swear to stand by God when the going is good with them. Such persons promptly deny God when their condition is bad. All those things will not give you joy, peace, faith, love or righteousness.
Christ said 'O ye generation of vipers how can you do that which is good. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks'. A righteous man, from the goodness of his heart brings out good things but an evil man brings out only evil things and words from his heart. The words of the righteous man alone bring salvation to the whole world.
You may go to a place and stay there to preach to people for five years yet no soul may be converted because your words are mundane. A sinner cannot convert a fellow sinner to God. There could be another person, a true man of God who just arrives a place and before he utters two words many people become repentant.
Golden text: Matthew 5:3
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for their’s is the kingdom of heaven. “
3.7 The real children of God
Those whose hearts are pure are the ones who submit themselves to God and are filled with the Holy Spirit. Such people move with God who uses them to do wonderful things. But those who are devoid of the spirit and word of God are the ones who invite people to come to Brotherhood of the Cross and Star that they will be blessed with riches and all hearts desires. I am not condemning such people. But all I am saying is that such people do not know and believe in God.
Any person who believes in God will not want to be a problem to any person or church. He lives a quiet and simple life. It is the person who is carnally-minded who likes extorting money from people by way of 'show love' or collection. But a true preacher of God does not conduct any fund-raising in the church. Such a person does not preach money, food or any material thing. And whoever believes in His words does not see juju, witchcraft, mermaid and all such things. Many of you worship money, food, women, men, clothing and every mundane thing. You believe only what you love. I preach only Christ to you and no one else. He is our life, well being, beginning and end. He is life eternal.
During the era of Noah, was there no money, food, women, men, and all the material things as are present now? Why did these things not help then? It was Noah and his household who escaped the deluge? The people of the world got perished because they all refused to repent. The same case applied in the time of Lot. There was no one righteous person in the two cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. If only one righteous man was found, as Abraham prayed God, the people would have been spared. There were millionaires, physicians, professors and all kinds of persons, yet they were destroyed all the same. Those of you who praise God only when you are given food and car, etc. should pray fervently for yourselves.
3.7 The foundation of this kingdom
The greatest of all things is for one to know God. Any person who knows God has no need for a husband or wife or children or money. He finds satisfaction and joy in the word of God. For such people Christ separated them onto God, so that He would use truth to separate them onto Himself. Christ did not save us all because of money but because of love, truth, mercy, and His goodness. Righteousness is the foundation upon which this kingdom is established. Is there no money in Nigeria or Africa or in the whole world yet human beings are suffering?
If you go to a city and build a big Cathedral and furnish it with all the magnificent decorations including the portraits of God and Christ, and if no one person repents, of what use will all those things be when you leave the city? You will realise that the cathedral will fall when you are no more there and there is no one repentant person.
Money, food, women, children and every other mundane thing have their own attendant problems. The only thing that gives peace is the word of God. After all, the government of former Soviet Union had money and weapons yet it crumbled into pieces. America, India and the rest of the countries are faced with diverse problems despite their economic and political potentials. Here is Nigeria, the problem between the cities of Andoni and Ogoni could not be solved with money, food, juju or even government. The only source of your salvation comes from the Holy Spirit.
This explains why Christ said that except a man denounced all that he has he would not be worthy to be His disciple. God uses only those who surrender themselves onto Him to do His work.
If Christ had come to the world to distribute money to mankind, do you think any man would have been saved? He came with truth, righteousness and love. If all of you as many as you are, have gone into the field which is so ripe, by now the world would have been repentant onto God. Many people come here only when they have political ambitions. And when they finally win elections would not even thank God at all.
There is nothing any Governor or President can do .for Brotherhood. There is nothing any nation can do for God. What God wants is righteousness. There are many cities with churches more than ten in a particular street yet problems are mounting and iniquities are increasing. I have never organised any fund-raising here. Rather, it is you who organise and invite me for your fund-raising daily. All invitations I honour because I look at you as not being ready for the gospel.
A stroke of the cane is sufficient unto the wise. Let those who have ears hear, what the Holy Spirit imparted to His children. May God bless His holy words; Amen.
THANK YOU FATHER