THE EVILS OF MATERIALISM

First lesson: Matthew 10:37 “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Second lesson: Luke 14:26 “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters. yea, and his own life also, he can not be my disciple.” Golden text: Luke 9:61-62 “And another also said. Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Brethren, those bible texts constitute our spiritual food today. The Spiritual song which says: the marriage feast was done, but those invited refused to come,' is meant for you, Pastors, and all ordained ones. Brethren, let me remind you of the saying that we should sell our precious stone to only those who know its worth. And, a biblical excerpt which has it that, 'we should not place our precious things before the swine. (Matthew 7:6). Now be informed that you were not invited into this kingdom to donate money, sing or dance, you were invited to be fed with the Spiritual food. Most of you have been boasting that you have been in this kingdom for many years. But, if you do not practise the gospels preached to you, your many years stay avails you nothing. Our Lord Jesus Christ has explained what really constitutes the, kingdom of God. He likened it to a treasure hidden in a field, which a man sees and in his joy goes and sells all that he has in order to buy the field. (Matthew 13:44). Brethren think of the spiritual chorus which says that, you should sell all that you have and follow after the Lord and ask yourself what you are expected to sell and follow God? A Brother from U.S.A. testified here the other day. From the testimony we were advised to always embark on evangelism to the outside world; teaching the people all that the Father has taught us and that we should avoid idleness. He also added that, we should practise those teachings imparted to us. Judging from the message contained in this gospel, it is imperative that, we come into the hall, get the teachings and also go out and impart same to others. So, the gospel of today is meant to reprove you of your wrong doings and eradicate such errors. Whoever comes here, but fails to purge himself of all forms of material things is not worthy of this kingdom. No matter the position one occupies here in the kingdom, (whether he is a child of God, Christ servant/students, pastor, deaconess etc.) as long as he continues to love his mother, father, sisters, brothers, husband, wife and material things of this world, he is not worthy of this kingdom. Therefore, the effort of such a person towards the progress of the Father's work, is in vain. 1.1 Flee from materialism The injunction contained in the texts of this gospel, is not meant for only the poor, the needy and the -disabled, but to everybody irrespective of age, and status. Anyone who intends to inherit the kingdom of God, needs to forgo all forms of materialism. Our Lord Jesus spoke to us through his apostles and prophets. But now God is personally telling us that, we are the most lucky set of people. Many people who do not have the opportunity of coming to the headquarters, receive blessings whenever they read our publications and practise what is printed there in. If this is the case, those who hear from me directly and practise it stand to benefit more. We have to embrace peace and shun violence, segregation, quarrelling and other vices. This is because, these vices destroy the image of God in us. I want you to know that whoever comes here with the motive of having money, houses, children, husband and wife etc, is bound to return home empty handed. This is because these things will not be made available to him. If you keep on begging for money and other material things from people what would you say was your purpose of being called into the kingdom? Anyone who indulges in such acts is bound to be rewarded with nothing good, irrespective of the number of years spent in the fold. Brotherhood of the Cross and Star is never a hidden organisation. So we need to practise the word of God wholeheartedly for the new comers and the whole world to see. In fact, we should always instruct the new comers and outsiders that Brotherhood of the Cross and Star is a sin-free kingdom. This instruction can only be imbibed, if we purge ourselves of sin. So whoever wishes to practise this gospel should go ahead; but those who cannot refrain from sinfulness should continue in the act. The truth is that this gospel is meant to bring salvation to those who would practise it. Any one who does not forsake all that he has and follow God, is bound to return as empty as he came. We have been told that one servant cannot serve two masters Therefore, you cannot love the world and God at the same time. Most people wish to see the Father face to face, in the vestry. But the question is, have they heard what is preached to them. Are they practising what is preached? The parable of the sower - as contained in Matthew 13:3-8 is explicit on why some people hear the gospel and cannot practise it. For instance, we understand the parable that the seeds that fell upon thorns and were choked up could be likened to people who hear and imbibe the gospel but immediately after they derail from the path of rectitude because of their lust for material wealth. 1.2 Materialism distracts from God Most people in Brotherhood of the Cross and Star cannot be steadfast in practising the gospel because their main aim of coming into the fold was to amass wealth. But then, it is not uncommon to see such people derail from the path of rectitude, after being blessed abundantly by God. This explains why David asked God not to give him too much wealth in order that he might not be detracted from serving Him. David also prayed that God should not stop to provide him with the necessities of life, so that he would not cause His name to be dragged into mud. In the world today, once you are crowned a king and provided with wealth, you are bound to shun the service of God. Most of your attention would be drawn to your wealth. The so-called distinguished people of this world do not always serve God wholeheartedly. They are always conscious of their money and thereby busy themselves thinking of the progress of their various business ventures. And, the fact is that a money conscious person cannot serve God. Still on the parable of the sower, the seeds that fell on rocky ground which had not much soil to sustain them and withered away as soon as they sprung up could be likened to those who embrace the word of God, but when temptation and frustration set in, they easily fall out from the service of God. Brethren, our failure to practise the word of God deprives us of having testimonies. Anybody who claims to have been in Brotherhood of the Cross and Star for two to three decades, but still lack testimonies, has no business being in this fold. Christ bore eloquent testimony to the truth. Therefore, we need to be witness to the truth, beauty, power, glory and love inherent in the word of God and it is our duty to spread same gospel all over the world. Again the other set of seeds that fell along the path, and were picked by the birds could be likened to those people who listen to word of God, but cannot imbibe it because the preacher is alleged to be a beelzebub, spirit, unimaginable things and these are people who always profess that, they cannot and will not worship an ordinary man, but the real God Almighty and His Son, Jesus Christ. These, people are very easy to convert to God and could be easily convinced to leave the service of God. That is, they have no stand. They are victims of indecision. It is this similar situation that made Paul to ask Barabas to accompany him to where they had earlier preached in case the evil one had gone there to make the people to fall back. (Acts 15:36. Refers). 1.3 Persevere in serving God Brethren, you can now see the cause and source of your problems. Listening to and assimilating the word of God, is one thing, but being able to stand firm as a righteous man when problems and temptation befall you is of great importance. Anyone who cannot stand temptations in life cannot serve God. Also, those seeds that fell on good soil and brought forth much seeds could be likened to those who hear, imbibe and practise the words of God at all times. Anyone who wants God and money at the same time, has failed. In the same vein, whoever wants God along side a wife or husband, as the case may be, has also failed. And, anyone who desires God and the glory of this world, has also failed. But whoever desires God, must of necessity, forgo all the things of the world. Without that, he or she has failed woefully. God is spirit and does not dwell in a defiled abode. That is why He always forsakes us whenever we defile His temple (our bodies). God is worthy to be praised and glorified. The peace, love, mercy, goodness and other virtues, possessed by God, are not and would never be possessed by anyone in the whole world. Worshipping God in spirit and in truth is an interesting, enjoyable and profitable venture. This is because, in Him, you find glory, love, peace, mercy, power and all the good things of life. The word of God is so satisfying that, it supplies all the needs and desires of those who practise it. Brethren, what is that which cannot be provided for us. if we practise the teachings of God. Your requests before God, could always be given positive response, if you mortify the flesh and consecrate yourself for God. This is because it is after having mortified the flesh, that God (the Holy Spirit) can dwell in you. It is a fact that most people come to Brotherhood of the Cross and Star to seek for protection, cure for sicknesses or for one material thing or another. But, all those who have come here with such motive have never succeeded. God is the creator of heaven and earth and the things there in. He is the embodiment of all good things and His blessings are unlimited. But when I see you being deprived of such blessings as a result of your failure to mortify the flesh, and render services to God, I pity you greatly. That is why I always say that, blindness is one of the worst diseases. Though some people do not wish to practise the word of God yet, the whole world has been engulfed by it. Since it has been said that the spirit of truth would come and lead you to the accurate knowledge of truth it must be so. Read our first lesson again. First lesson: Matthew 10: 37 “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” 1.4 Hold fast and practise the gospel Our Lord Jesus Christ said, through Apostle Paul, that if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those whom the gods of this world have blinded their eyes. But for those who have been waiting for this gospel, it cannot be hidden from them. I always pity those who come here to play around because they do not know that this is kingdom where people will be filled with everlasting joy, peace, power and mercy and that if they are not careful, they will gain nothing. The word of God has it thus: “I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.” (Romans 11:11). From the above text have you seen the extent to which the Israelites suffered for refusing to adhere to the word of God? Now, the Jews are so impoverished, that they have lost both the kingdom of God and the material things they lust for. That brother from America rightly confessed that there is nothing to write home about in America. He said that it is a waste of money to go there for anything. What is your main aim of longing to go to America, after being informed that there is nothing of worth there? At times, you long to go to India for one thing or the other, have you not seen Indians troop in here? What do you think you can gain by going to India? You claim that the country is full of magic and so, she is spiritually powerful. Some people would want to go to .England to get power. I wonder what they gain by their sojourn in these countries. 1.5 Brotherhood of the Cross and Star This kingdom is life everlasting. It is the long expected kingdom of God, but you cannot enter because of your uncontrolled desire for material things of this world. Be informed that whoever loves his or her parents or material things of this world cannot inherit the kingdom of God. On many occasions I have told you that there is abundant wealth in Brotherhood and employment opportunities; but we require truthful people. You should realise that, your persistent crave for material things constitute your problems. If you put your mind in money, children, wife or in anything in this world you have failed. All those material things abound in this kingdom. But seek first the kingdom of God. All the things you are in the world can easily lead to your destruction, Children of God do not seek for such things. Once they receive the word of God they have inherited everything and they are satisfied. The testimony given by Sister Odudu is intact the plain truth. At Atlanta bethel in U.S.A. a white lady who is the mother of the bethel, is seriously praying the Father to send someone to sponsor her trip to the headquarters of Brotherhood of the Cross and Star so she can stay with the Father. However, the Father is yet to grant the request. There are many white people who the Father has called to Himself. All of them are ready to come down here to work for the Father. You can easily tell the weights of both edible oil and that of water if you have ever borne the two. Therefore, you should know that this kingdom which you now joke with as a result of your quest for money may not be opened to you tomorrow and you will have yourself to blame. I have preached everything and I have done everything. But what remains is for you to practise what I have been imparting to you. You should stop quarrelling, telling lies, stealing, fighting and indulging in sin. Even before visitors, your behaviour is nothing to be desired of. Obviously, it is possible to hide your sins from man but is it possible to hide anything from God? You have all read what happened to our Lord Jesus -Christ; while He was teaching His disciples and someone came to inform Him that His parents, brothers and sisters were waiting to see Him. But He lifted His head and pointed to His disciples and asked "who is my mother, and who is my sister or brother?" He answered that they were those that abided by what pleases His Father who was in heaven. He further said that such were His mother, sisters and brothers. Have you noted that? 1.6 Do not seek your glory Now in Brotherhood, when you are ordained a bishop, a prophet, or a pastor you go about bragging, celebrating feast and organizing thanksgiving services to thank the Father for the position. What is the significance of these things? That is politics and it is not wanted in this Kingdom. Nobody should create sphere of influence for himself under the pretence of thanking God for the position given him. At times, you boast that your brother is this or that and for that reason you feel so proud. You should know that I am watching all of you. You often claim to raise money to train your child who is in school, but you refuse to support any meaningful venture here in the kingdom. You give excuses for not participating in fund-raising activities. But God is everything, as such there is no white world or black one for that matter. Give thanks to God for whatever you have done. If you are a child of God, you should give thanks to God for we do that to bring glory to Him. Give thanks to God for the songs you render instead of giving thanks to man. If you give thanks which could have been given to God, to man, you should know that you are controlled by the flesh. Sometimes, you boast of how Leader Olumba Olumba Obu rules the heavens and the earth and that at His first advent on earth, He was a white person; now He is a black person. What do you call that? Is that not a child play? What did Israel do? And what did Asia do? And what did Europe do? Was it not that same thing. That is why it is said that whosoever loves the things of this world more than God is not worthy of Him. People want their children, husband or wife to be ordained Pastor, Prophets Bishops or to be appointed Christs Student or Christ Servant. Their demands are endless. I wonder what material or spiritual benefits they derive from such requests. You claim -that Leader Olumba Olumba Obu hails from Biakpan as such, He is your kinsman, Does your claim suggest that the kingdom of God is from Biakpan. You would be making a mortal mistake to assume that Leader Olumba Olumba Obu is from here or there. Second lesson: Luke 14:26 “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children and brethren, and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” I have told you to leave Olumba Olumba Obu alone. That we should centre our conversation on spiritual things. I have also said that this kingdom is not the handiwork of Leader Olumba Olumba Obu, rather, it is the Holy Spirit that constitutes the word of God, love, peace and the truth. And these are the components of God's kingdom. If all the members of Brotherhood of the Cross and Star would come into the fold in spirit, they would not have had any problems in life. At no time have l made any mention about Biakpan or Cross River State, Nigeria or Africa or Europe as owners of this Kingdom. What I speak is the word of God. I am not concerned about mundane things. I have not told you that I am a native of this town or that. I have no concern about the phrase "I am a native of". God has come by Himself. Therefore, even-though we knew our Lord Jesus Christ through the flesh, but right from that time nobody knows any man by the flesh again. 1.7 Evil of materialism God made a covenant with Israel. Sarah was an Israelite and Abraham was an Israelite. But Haggar hailed from Egypt and was a house maid to Sarah. Sarah did not have a child in time. As a result of uncontrolled desire for materialism, she advised her husband, Abraham to go into Hagar to see if she could bear a child for him. Abraham heeded this advice and Hagar bore a son, Ishmael for him. As far as the reckoning of the world is concerned Ishmael was the legitimate first son of Abraham. As it is the nature of man, Hagar saw herself as a co-wife to Sarah and, as such, .started to claim equality being the first person to have a child for Abraham. This was how problem started in Abraham's household. However, Sarah later gave birth to Isaac, the promised child. And things changed automatically in the house of Abraham. And the time which God asked Sarah to send Hagar and her child away came. Abraham was actually sorrowful about sending Hagar and her child away from his house. But, since it was the directive of the Holy Spirit for such to occur, nothing was done to bring back Hagar into the house. This explains why we are told that, unless the Lord builds the house and watches the city, the builders and watchmen do such things in vain (Psalm 126:1). The problem facing the whole world today has root in this controversy of a first son of Abraham. Why should Isaac be Abraham's first son instead of Ishmael? The inhabitants of Egypt regard Ishmael as the first son of Abraham, while the Israelites claim that Isaac is the right person. It is this same position of the first son, which everyone is struggling for today. Such is the struggle for material things. The Arabs recognise Abraham as their father likewise the Israelites. But the prophecy to that effect had it that, he would be the father of all. Now after hearing what was written in the book of prophets, why should there still be problems and segregation in the world? Have you seen the adverse effect of materialism? Right now, if an Israelite goes anywhere among the Arabs even for purpose of worshipping God, he would be killed and vice versa. The Christians have been advised not to associate with their Moslem brethren. The Moslems, on their part, have been instructed not to associate with Jews. This is nothing but material controversy. The Israelites do not believe in our Lord Jesus Christ and do not regard Him in anything. This is because they regard the home town of our Lord Jesus Christ, Bethlehem as imaginary thing. Having been fed with the information that, nothing worthy can come from Nazareth, the Israelites just refused to believe in our Lord Jesus Christ. Have you also seen the effect of materialism in this case? 1.8 Follow God sheepishly You would be saved and would equally conquer, if you are careful in whatever you do and follow after God sheepishly. For it has been said that, a child who walks circumspectively, would kill what killed his father. Any child who does not walk circumspectively, would be killed by what killed his father. If you examine the governments of most countries, in the world closely, you would realise that there are series of problems emanating from religious differences between the Moslems and the Christians. And these problems are as a result of the differences between Isaac and Ishmael. This is because, the descendants of Ishmael profess to be the patriarch (the first son) while the descendants of Isaac also lay claim to that. This mistrust spreads to wherever Muslims and Christian co-exist. Is this not the main reason why a civilian president is yet to be elected in Nigeria today? None of them accepts to serve God whole-heartedly, yet they want to rule. But can anyone without the fear of God rule? 1.9 The world rejects truth God is love, peace, mercy, goodness and all other virtues. It is these virtues that God uses to rule effectively. But the question is: how many government officials possess those virtues? You complicate issues when you go out to preach about Olumba Obu. The people would never believe in what you tell them. They are of the opinion that should they believe you, it is a deviation from what their ancestors knew about Christ and His second coming. Their belief will forever remain an illusion. They do not want any other being apart from Jesus. No other name means anything to them. They have seen the truth no doubt, but their point of confusion lies in the new name, Olumba Olumba Obu, This accounts for why I do not preach any name or person: rather; I preach the truth to the world. God is the truth and the Sole Owner of the entire world and the fullness thereof. Christ bore witness to the Holy Spirit which is righteousness. This righteousness is love, peace, patience, humility, long suffering, goodness, charity and all such Godly virtues. Holy Prophet Mohammed also upheld Truth that Righteousness will come. Today, the Righteousness which is embodied in love and clad in Truth is here on earth but the world rejects the Truth. If you ponder a-little on these words, you will realize, that, it is the root of every good thing. It is also the cause of the suffering of the people of the world today and in time past. It is because of this suffering that our Lord Jesus Christ revealed the way out for His disciples, as recorded in Luke 14:26. When one denounces every worldly thing and follows God, he will truly love God and He too, will take full control of him and everything that belongs to him. Gone are the days when you loved the material things of this world more than God. Henceforth, you must only love God and nothing else. 1.10 The world ruler is here If you love God, your love should be universal. That is why you have been charged to imbibe the teaching of oneness and thus, love one another. God's love for you is equitable and that is what you must emulate. All forms of hatred and division ended when Christ said that "it is finished" on the cross of Calvary. Since then, every thing had been made new. This is the era of the Holy Spirit and should be devoid of all manner of sins. All that is obtainable is love and absolute righteousness. You may recall that the birth of Jesus the Christ was prophesied; that a virgin from the family of David shall give birth to a male child who shall be called Emmanuel and He shall be the Saviour to His people. But the birth of He who is to rule all nations with a rod of iron was not prophesied rather, the scripture reads: And she brought forth a male child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. (Revelation 12:5). Note that in this case, the age, nature, and tribe of the woman is not specified, and the question is, why were these parameters not specified? It was the will of God that these things should not be disclosed because He did not want confusion, rancour or violence from any quarters. Now, He has taken control of everything that would have constituted a stumbling block to the manifestation of His will. And today too, you have been warned to steer clear of anything that is likely to pose as stumbling block to serving God in spirit and in truth. Even Christ had declared that whosoever does the will of His Father who is in heaven is worthy of Him. Note also that: He that doeth good is of God, but he that doeth evil hath not seen God. (3 John 1:11). 1.11 Practise righteousness All that is needed in this kingdom is righteousness and nothing more. You must, of necessity, adhere strictly to the injunctions of Christ if you desire this kingdom. This is the kingdom of God. Everything (here) is owned by God. You cannot compare this kingdom to any other organisation in the world; not even the governments. The governments of the world cannot function independent of consultancy services. Once in a while, officials of one country would go to another country to borrow one policy or the other. But the reverse is the case in the kingdom of God. God does not require the input of any man when doing His things. 1.12 The founding of America It might interest you to note that some Britons broke from the Church of England, alleging that they want to establish, on their own, a mode of worship that would enable them worship God-in spirit and in truth, hence the discovery of the place known as America today. The original objective of the first inhabitants of America was to look for a befitting place to worship God. This they did at the initial stage and as a result of their dedication to God's work, they were blessed with wealth. Having seen wealth flourishing in the country, they abandoned God's service and opted for the manufacturing of arms and engaging in idolatry and all other vices. Today, you have seen that deviating from the path of rectitude has brought economic problems. You have to learn from their mistake. 1.13 Shun greed If you do not shun greed and lust for the material things of this world, you will equally fall short of the glory of this kingdom. Let it' be noted that except you are careful and devoted .in serving God you will not see any progress in your affairs. If you like positions and agitate to be there for life, like most of you are fond of doing, it then means you have forgotten the main object of your call to this kingdom. Where then lies your hope of survival, in the turbulent days ahead? You would recall when the mother of the two sons of Zebedee requested of Christ to give her two sons, the authority to sit by His sides in the kingdom of God. Christ told her that it was not His place to grant such request, but that it shall be given to them for whom it was prepared for by His Father. "Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, what wilt thou? She saith unto him, grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered and said. Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, we are able. And he saith unto them. Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father." (Matthew 20:20-23). And again, you have been warned not to call any man Teacher, for all men are brethren. There is only one Master and that is Christ. The effect of this, has come to play in your midst today. 1.14 Ordained ones must be humble There is no doubt that, if Brotherhood of the Cross and Star were to be a man-made kingdom, the so-called ordained ones would have destroyed it, long ago. They have used their capacity as ordained ones to stage a great fight against God. But unfortunately, they have not succeeded. I did not ordain them to lord over anybody rather, I ordained them to go into the world and spread the words of God. They were not ordained because of their good works rather, they were ordained so that the power to heal the sick, raise the dead and speak the gospel will be bestowed on them. They should, therefore, apply this power positively because this is the purpose for which it was bestowed on them. The ordained ones have turned their position into a symbol of influence and terror. They feel all should bow down and worship them because they are ordained. Most of them, right from the day they were ordained, they have not entered the hall again. They prefer to go round the remote areas, telling the brethren there to worship them that the Father has sent them to rule over them. They do not even know how to preach the word of God; not to talk of practising it. They command and scold people at the slightest provocation. In fact, if these so-called ordained ones were to be given the authority, they would have dealt ruthlessly with others. I have not ordained anybody a Bishop so that he may rob shoulders with me or rule over anybody. Ordination is a mere formality. It is no passport for anybody to cause confusion in the fold. No matter the position one may occupy, if he does not practise the word of God. He will not have salvation. But as many as practise the word of God, they are free and worthy of the kingdom. Do not allow your position in this fold to rule your head and therefore becloud your sense of reasoning. Do not be misled by the lust for the material things of this world at the expense of God's service, else, you will not be counted worthy of this kingdom. 1.15 This kingdom is one I have not ordained anybody to go and preach sadism and group interest. This is a universal kingdom, devoid of any form of division. There is no faction in this fold. We are all one, as far as this kingdom is concerned. Golden text:: Luke 9: 61 - 62: “And another also said, Lord I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him. No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” In this kingdom no man is recognised and treated with concession. Every honour, respect and glory go to God alone. He is responsible for everything and deserves every glory derivable there from. He is love, truth and patience and does everything accordingly. The fact that God is love, everything in this kingdom is done in love. Unfortunately, most of you in this kingdom have been misled by the lust for the material things of this world. You have allowed yourselves to be enslaved by these material things. When you were baptized into this kingdom, you had one wife, but today you have a chain of wives and innumerable concubines. You were a pauper when you came into this kingdom but today, you are a millionaire. You dupe and ask people to pay tithe to God and when this is done, you embezzle the proceeds. You are always striving to carve out an empire for yourself. Who taught you these? Have you thought of what tomorrow will be, considering the vices you indulge in everyday? You feel you have attained the greatest height ever attained by any man having been exalted in government, business, church, village, age group etc. Is it true that you have reached a commendable height? Where lies your hope of salvation if you allow these positions to rule your head?. You can never have peace of mind when you feel that you are occupying the most exalted position. 1.16 The greatest in God's kingdom God, the Father is not bothered by any of your unwholesome acts. He keeps calling people to Himself everyday. Do not therefore see yourself as the greatest person. In the kingdom of God, there is no one who is the greatest except he that does the will of God. He that worships God in spirit and in truth is the greatest and he is worthy to be a disciple of Christ. Do not, therefore, see yourself as doing anything rather, forget about the things of this world and hold fast to the service of God, if you desire salvation. Some members of this fold claim to be full time workers in the vineyard of God, but they travel home every now and then, with the excuse of seeing their parents and relations. With this, can one rightly say that they are doing the work they signed for? Some of them go about with the thought and affection of their relations; why? No matter the number of years you spend here as a Christ's student, if you do not forget about your relations and material wealth, you have failed. There is no way you can combine serving God and loving the material things of this world. The man in the golden text sought for permission from Christ to go and bid his relations farewell. And the question now is, have you read in the whole bible a portion which indicates that the man had returned to Christ? He has not. This accounts for why Christ said that any man that puts his hand unto the plough but looks back, can not do the work of God (Luke 9:62). 1.17 A child of God forsakes materialism Nobody can answer that name - Child of God if he has not completely disabused his mind of things of this world. Let me say here, again, that all those who came here with the aim of acquiring wealth or positions and titles cannot succeed. Material things are not here. Only love and truth prevail here. Also, be informed that it is a crime to attribute the glory of God to man or Satan? This is because, Satan hates God. He would not want to do anything or identify himself with anything that is linked with God. Therefore, use your resources in serving God and not to enrich Satan with it. The people of the world are the ones to pay tribute to you and not the reverse. The people of the world are calling you names. Do not mind them. Hold fast to the work of God. Do not look back to the world, once you have decided to serve Christ. Even Christ did not bother Himself with the things of the world when He started His ministerial work. The twelve disciples did not bother themselves either with their property or any other thing rather, they abandoned their wealth and positions in the world and followed Christ sheepishly; preaching the word of God. Except you also shun and denounce completely, the material things of this world, you cannot worship God, in spirit and in truth. You have seen the truth but you have bluntly refused to practise it. It is often said that when one sees the corpse of a dead man he loved, he will be forced to shed tears. But today, you have seen the corpse of your beloved, why do you not shed tears? Your action portrays that you did not actually love the man. In other words, you do not love the truth. 1.18 Follow my example Right from January 1956 till today, I have not left Calabar for any place physically. I keep preaching the word of God from morning till night and to the next morning without fail. But you have refused to learn from me. I am stationed here because, like the saying goes, a rolling stone gathers no moss. In spite of the fact that I spare no time teaching you; what have you done to show that you have been taught anything? I have no special love for anyone. I love you all and treat you equally. I have no brother, sister or relations. Whosoever does the will of God as disclosed to you in my teachings, is my friend, brother and relation. 1.19 Love is headquarters of this kingdom You cannot do the work of God unless you shun materialism. All the things you fancy and appreciate in the world are nothing to rest one's head on. They will surely fade with time. This kingdom is the only concrete thing available for man. Brotherhood of the Cross and Star is love. It has no Headquarters. Love is everything and it is the Headquarters of this kingdom. It is erroneous to mention Calabar as the world Headquarters of Brotherhood of the Cross and Star. When love is at the helm of affairs of anything, there is bound to be joy. Everyday you confess of your sins. What brought you here if, up till now, you have not changed? Were you called into this kingdom to come and confess your sins and never change for the better? Why are you enslaved to sin? If you do not imbibe the teachings of Christ and practise same, you will loose your reward at the end. The kingdom of God, as Christ, put it, is likened to a treasure which, when one sees it, he goes back to sell all he has, to acquire It. What have you sold to acquire this kingdom apart from your evil tendencies and vices? No matter the extent of wealth you accumulate if you have no love, you are empty. This accounts for why you are enjoined to humble yourself like a little child, and practise love. The truth in this kingdom is that except you humble yourself like a child and refrain from all manner of sins, you will not have any reward. The greatest person, as far as this kingdom is concerned is he that practices the word of God. Your academic qualifications and other worldly attainments cannot fetch you anything compared to what one good virtue will fetch you. One brother testified some time ago that you err when you say that you are hated because of Brotherhood. You are the cause of any problem that you encounter in life. Therefore, start now to bear good fruits by hating and denouncing the material things of this world and hold fast to God and His teachings and you will witness a great change in your life. It is said that a stroke of the cane is sufficient to the wise. May God bless his holy words; Amen. THANK YOU FATHER