Beloved, the kingdom of God is not by money, wealth materialism etc. rather it is by faith. Abraham achieved the title, 'God's friend' through faith. Abraham was not given the said title because Of works, righteousness etc. but, this was given to him as a result of his faithfulness in God. Bear in mind the fact that you cannot inherit the kingdom of God by wealth, educational attainment, riches, beauty and other material possessions. Instead it is by faith that you can inherit the kingdom of God.

The scripture has it that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Therefore once you have this fear in you, you can hardly go contrary to the injunctions of God. By so doing, you would be sins free You would not resist evil doers because you would hand over everything to God. Because you would believe fervently that God is the only judge. Irrespective of the financial services you may render co as to glorify God, if you do not have faith in Him, all amount to nothing.

We can deceive ourselves by claiming to believe in God. But none can deceive God. Right from the time of Adam statistics have always shown that very few people believe in God. Our Lord Jesus Christ believed only in the Father. Ha had much faith in Him.But for this He would not have been able to accomplish any task. He fervently believed in the Father hence in everything He did and in every place. He was, He relented not in acknowledging the Father. And this brought about His success in life. go beloved, as God's child all that is required from you is to have much faith in the Father.

Many claim to be God's children. But the question is, how many of them are God's children by faith. Once you are God's child by faith, you are filled and are bound to live a happy life. Our Lord Jesus Christ was neither believed in nor regarded as anything. This was as a result of the fact that none believed that He was the son of God. And because of this disbelieve none took delight in hearing His teachings not to talk of practising such teachings. Once you believe that He is the son of God you would not find it difficult to practise His injunctions. Most people claim to be born again and ceaselessly, they shout on the name of Jesus without believing in Him or the Father. Because if you really believe in the Father, you would not need to be convinced to believe in the son. For you would believe in Him fervently and put into practise all His words. Since you do not believe in the Father you would find it difficult to practise His injunctions, But once you believe in Him, you would with ease, practise His words without hindrances and constraints.

Read the first lesson again.

FIRST LESSON 1ST JOHN 5: 10
"He that believeth on the Son of
God hath the witness in himself
: he that believeth not God hath
made him a liar; because he believeth
not the record that God gave
of his Son."

Most members of this fold keep on proclaiming that Olumba Obu is Christ, Jehovah, God When they do not believe in Him. That is not the important issue But the ultimate thing is that in, so far as you still violate His divine injunctions, you are no where. Thereafter all that is required from you is to practise God's injunctions. If you strongly believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, you would at all times keep to what God speaks to you and you could not indulge in sins. But since you do not believe in Him, you still violate His instructions.

The scripture quotes God as promising not to leave us desolate at any point in times irrespective of what happens. But do you believe in Him? You do not believe in Him, hence, you keep on violating His divine injunction. Brother Odim once testified about a certain man who intended to embark on a trip, but his driver, a Brotherhood of the Cross and star member advised him that it was not proper to embark on such a trip. And because of disobedience, the said man violated the divine advice which his driver gave him and faced the resultant consequence. This has been the case with you always. None of you believe in God, hence, you keep on confronting cumbersome problems.

A great many people do not have testimonies as a result of the fact that you do not believe in God. You could be likened to that blind man who was healed by our Lord Jesus Christ who, instead of testifying of what God did for Him said, 'whether He is a sinner or not, I know not, one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind now I seen' (John 9 :25). A great many of you keep on calling on Jesus very often, whereas you do not believe in Him. And this has been your major problems right from time. Shouting on Jesus is not important, but the paramount thing is to believe in Him, practise His words and emulate Him.

If you, right from today affirm in you that Jehovah God and His Christ are here present and that with them, all things are possible your problems would be things of the past. Always see God as an immortal Being and stop seeing Him as a magician. Do not go about presenting diverse requests before God, instead believe in Him for by so doing you are bound to be filled. Paul, then Saul out of faith forsook his old life styles and became a chosen instrument of God. This Paul was a youth leader. He led a group which saw to it that all Christians were dealt with severely. In fact after the death of Stephen he was the custodian of Stephen's garment. But out of faith he was converted. And from that time henceforth, he believed wholeheartedly in the Father and propagated His words in every nook and cranny of the world. So it is by faith that everything is done. Even your coming into this kingdom is by faith. It is by faith that we all are Abraham's seed according to that prophecy. And it is also by faith that you now have this salvation from the Father. The people of the preceded generation (Pilate,Caiphas, Caesar etc.) perished as a result of faithfulness.

Beloved, believing in God constitutes abiding by God's injunctions. If you believe in God, you are bound to obey him and hearken to all His pieces of advice. So, do not be disturbed as per your position, poverty, and inferiority complex, for once you believe in God, you are alright. This generation is indeed very lucky because what is happening today hitherto did not happen. For instance it is such people as the chiefs, paramount rulers etc who used to persecute God. But today, the reverse is the case. They are those who spread the words of God to most parts of the world today. This is the wonderful work of the Father. Apostle Ikonne, if properly and closely examined, is like king Nebuchadnezzar of old who used to persecute God. But today, the said brother is being used by God to shake Abia State and its environs. This is to show you how God is using the people of this generation and why we are said to be the luckiest generation. So do what you may, if you do not believe In Him, you cannot enter into God's kingdom.

We all are saved by grace. Once you believe in Him, you are saved. This is very different from the manner in which God reciprocates your kind gestures. While your kind gestures are reciprocated by your wealth being replenished your faithfulness in God avails you salvation. It is said,

"Who is he that overcometh
the world but he that
believeth that Jesus is
the Son of God?"( 1st John 5 : 5)

The above excerpt informs why those who believe in God overcome the entire world. So faith is the thing that sustains you in the kingdom of God. And at any point in time this faith eludes you, you are bound to go about embracing medication, idolatry native doctors, etc, and as a result you fail woefully.

In Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, we establish our faith in God, hence, we are never at any point in time, perturbed irrespective of how we are reviled , and hated by the world. Therefore the power in Brotherhood of the Cross and Star is not traceable to holy oi1, red oil, Biakpan water etc, rather it is treatable to faith which is richly in us.

As many as asserted that our Lord Jesus Christ healed through the power of Belzebub and the like demonic powers were perished because it is clearly spelt out that they did not believe in Him. In the same veins all those who ascertained that John the Baptist was possessed; hence he lived quite different from others were also perished. But as many as believe in God believe in Our Lord Jesus Christ as well as the elects of God. Since we are the prophets of old, those of us who believed in John the Baptist equally believed in Our Lord Jesus Christ. And we are the elect of God. Hence you see this magnitude of faith in us.

The descendants of God are unique. They are easily identified following the fact that their lifestyles depict that of God. See John 8 : 31 - 33. Our Lord Jesus Christ knew very well that we could not truly resemble Him in actions and deeds so as to be saved. Hence, He asked us to believe in Him in order that re might be saved. So, once you believe wholeheartedly in Him, you are saved. If you come by a certain group of individual that perish, know that they are those who believe not in Christ. In fact, they are those who often attribute all the things that happen to demon, satan, juju mermaid etc.. But the ones that are saved are those who strongly establish their faith in God and see God as the designers doers and embodiment of all things. So we have every cause to praise and glorify God. Having been written that this generation shall not pass away until all the words of God are fulfilled, most of the words have been made manifest.

The people of old strived hard to inherit this kingdom but to no avail. But today through faith, you are made the inheritors of the kingdom. The true believers of God follow Him without conditions. But the unbelievers instead of following God, try to set a standard for God and give God certain conditions to fulfil before they would follow Him. But I am telling you that though these standard you set and your conditions may be fulfilled by God, you would not follow Him simply because you do not believe in Him at all.

This kingdom is specifically for those who believe in God. Therefore in so far as you continue to believe in Him wholeheartedly, no being/thing on earth would be able to deprive you of the kingdom. So it is baseless to claim that you are eluded of God's kingdom because you lack distinguished people to speak on your behalf or because you lack money, wealth and the like material acquisition. Erase from your mind the fallacy that erecting a building for God is a prerequisite for entering into the kingdom of God, for this thing is a mere gratitude. The only prerequisite for entering into the kingdom of God is to believe in God.

Beloved, those who are benevolent to God are those who believe in Him. This is a veritable truth because those who do not believe in Him would prefer to use their money for the services of native doctors, soothsayers, magicians etc at the expense of God's services. For God to commission His only begotten son to come and die so that we be saved behoves us to express profound gratitude to Him either in cash or in kind.

Read the golden text again.

GOLDEN TEXT: HEBREWS 11 : 6
"But without faith it is impossible
to please him for he that cometh
to God must believe that he is,
and that he is a rewarder of them
that diligently seek him."

YOU WILL BE REWARDED THROUGH FAITH:

Anyone who believes in God is never perturbed irrespective of the adverse condition he finds himself. Having believed in the Father He affirms in him that the Father is present everywhere as such, nothing can move him. Even though such a person is thrown into the furnace of fires he would not be afraid for he believes fervently that without the Father's express approval, no hitch can happen to him. It was to this end that Abraham agreed to offer his only son Isaac as sacrifice for God, believing that God would, in return, bless him lavishly.

A spiritual song goes thus: 'Hold me firm for I would hold thee tight'. Note that it is only through faith that you can hold firm to God. But once this faith eludes you you are bound to derail from the path of rectitude. But once you establish a sound faith in God you are a victor see John 14 :12.

Romans 14 : 22 states:

Hast thou faith? Have it to
thyself before God. Happy is
he that condemneth not himself
in that thing which he alloweth.

God has never disappointed and will never disappoint. So nothing on earth should make you derail from the path of rectitude.

See Romans 8 : 35 - 39.

We are the children of Abraham because of the faith we have in God. So beloved, do not allow anything to dissuade from believing in God. Have faith in Him and make sure you do not reverse your mind irrespective of what people say and the situation you face. This kingdom is unshakeable. It will last till eternity. So do not let anything deprive you of this kingdom. Hold firm to your faith in order to be counted worthy of the kingdom.

The vision Christ saw and was consequently recorded at Matthew 16 : 28 has been made manifest. During the transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ as recorded at Luke 9: 26 - 33, strong faith was established in Peter, James, John and as a result, they were unperturbed even at gunpoint when they were discharging God's services. The revelation they had during the transfiguration strengthened their faith. So there is nothing that is false here in the kingdom. Everything you hear is true and worthy of believing. For it is said that heavens and earth shall pass away, but the word of God shall not pass away.

If you can recall all the visions that were given to you in the time past till now, hold fast to them, for they all are bound to be made manifest. Aside from faith, you cannot establish a sound link with God. This is so because very many people do not believe in vision, dreams and prophecy. And their failure to believe in these depicts things that they do not believe in the words of God which is God Himself. So all you need do is to believe in God fervently. As many as believe in vision, dreams, prophecy etc, believe in the word of God and in God Himself. And this depicts that they have faith in God.

The works you witness here in the kingdom are done through faith and God alone is responsible for such works. So it is erroneous to attribute such works to the children of God Christ's servant/students visioners etc. Whatever position you find yourself today, know that it is God who has kept you there if you are exalted, it is God who is responsible and if you are abashed, it is God who is also responsible.

It is said, without faith no one can please God. For instance,when Peter asked our Lord Jesus Christ of what would be the reward of those who have left everything and followed Him, Christ replied him thus:

Verily I say unto you, that ye
which have followed me, in the
regeneration when the Son of man
shall sit in the throne of his
twelve thrones, judging the twelve
tribes of Israel.
And every one that hath forsaken
houses, or brethren, or sisters,
or father, or mother, or wife,
or children, or lands, for my
name's sake, shall receive an
hundredfold, and shall inherit
he that condemneth not himself
everlasting life.(Matthew 19:28-29)

So if you ponder over this statement of Christ you will realise the significance of establishing sound faith in God.

...Get thee out of thy country,
and from thy kindred, and
from thy father's house, unto
a land that I will shew thee:
and I will make of thee a great
nation, and I will bless thee,
and make thy name great; and
thou shalt be a blessing:
And I will bless them that bless thee,
and curse him that curseth thee,
and in thee shall all families of
the earth be blessed.(Genesis 12:1-3)

And Abraham, without hesitating obliged to the command. And this same Abraham even at 90 years had no child, yet he still established sound faith in God. And as it was promised that he would be the father of all nations, he believed fervently in the said statement and at the fullness of time, it came to pass. So there is nothing as significant as believing in God and in His pronouncements matter what your condition may be.

The entire world today do Abraham's children. In fact, it is not a disputable fact that the entire Moslems Christians and other groups of worshippers in the world are all Abraham's children. So this confirms the fact that we all are Abraham's descendants.

Abraham, because of the faith he had in God, left his country, kindred, father's house, to a place very new and started a new life. In fact, he never remembered what he left behind, yet, God still made His will manifest on him by not disappointing him. God does not disappoint and would never disappoint. Once you establish your faith in Him, be rest assured that He is solidly behind you always and to the end.

It is said that a stroke of the cane is enough for the wise. Let those who have ears hear what the Holy Spirit has imparted to the entire world. May God bless His Holy Words - Amen.

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