MERCY: THE SOURCE OF SALVATION.
FIRST BIBLE LESSON: MATTHEW 5:7
"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy."
SECOND BIBLE LESSON: MATTHEW 18:35
"So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."
GOLDEN TEXT: JAMES 2:13
For he shall have judgement without mercy that hath showed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgement.
BE MERCIFUL TO ONE ANOTHER:
Brethren it is said that the downfall of man emanates from his works and ways. Inasmuch as you are not merciful unto your fellow man, then do not expect to obtain mercy. So long as you are not merciful, you have completely perished. I do not say you will perish but you have already perished. Be it a little child, so long as you refuse to be merciful unto this child, if you refuse to forgive his trespasses, then you should completely count yourself out because you shall obtain none of these from others.
It is beneficial for one to come in here in humility, and digest the words given here and get them stamped in one's mind. Be you a millionaire, a father, mother, adult, or a child, ponder seriously over this gospel. Do not allow yourself to be misled or deceived by anybody that you will be saved if you do not practise this gospel.
Therefore from this moment, forgive those who trespass against you, do not be merciless towards your fellow man, do not impute sins against anyone but be forgiving at all times.
This gospel can save you and create a lot of wonderful things in your life. It is on this note that you are seriously advised to practise it. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but not an iota of the words of God shall pass away unfulfilled (Matt 5:18). It is said that blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. Henceforth if you decide to be merciful and forgiving unto one another, then you should consider yourself saved. But if you refuse to forgive but you rather revenge the wrong done against you, then believe that you have already perished. Inasmuch as you are not merciful unto your brethren, you can never obtain mercy from God.
There is no other way of getting to God aside from practising this gospel. The Israelites preferred to be guided by the law, hence they all derailed from the path of rectitude and consequently they perished. But the Publicans who had no law binding them, acted on what they felt was righteous and they were accordingly saved. If you are in the habit of forgiving one another, not imputing sins on others, be you learned or not, baptized or not, you stand to be saved. This statement that heaven helps those who help themselves is here explained. All those who are merciful unto others bring salvation unto themselves. All those who are not merciful however bring condemnation unto themselves. A wise man sees danger afar and takes precaution, but a stupid man waits till the danger gets to him. You must, through this gospel, be cautious. Let this be your source of salvation.
NO RIGHTEOUS MAN ON EARTH:
I am now telling you the whole truth in heaven and on earth that the only set of people who shall escape the wrath of God are those who practise the word of God. If you see two or three persons in this kingdom who are saved, then know that they are those who have adhered to this gospel. The scriptures have clearly stated that there is no righteous person on earth. If you read through Romans chapter 3: 10-11:
"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God."
You will realize that right from the days of Adam to this present age, there is no righteous one. We have all derailed from the path of rectitude. I want you to imagine how we can be saved if He out of His infinite mercy does not forgive our sins. Just as the sand is not without particles, so is man not without sin. This is what the statement that we are saved by grace implies.
If you refrain from all manner of sins like stealing, killing, etc., yet you are not merciful and forgiving, you have perished. If you fast for a number of days, pray all through your life, such does not save you. But once you are forgiving and merciful, you stand to be saved. No man on earth possesses this wisdom. It is only God who has this wisdom. As long as you do not forgive others, you have perished. If you need to be saved, forgive all forms of sin and receive your salvation.
The scripture advises that if we confess our sins, God has the right to forgive and cleanse us of these sins (1 John 1:9), but if we do not confess them He will not forgive us. A lot of us face great tribulations because we do not forgive others their trespasses, neither are we merciful. A lot of you ponder why certain tribulations should come your way; you believe that you have never stolen, killed, told a lie, yet you face different kinds of problems. Search yourself properly if there is any of your brethren who has offended you, and whose trespass you have refused to forgive. If there is any such, then quickly forgive such a person and obtain your salvation. If you decide to be merciful and forgiving, it is all to your own benefit. This is because when you do this, you stand to be saved. When you lack mercy and forgiveness, you cannot harm another person but rather, you harm yourself, because you stand to be condemned.
Judgement has started for quite a long time now. Thus, after reading this gospel, do not harden your hearts against your offender any more. Henceforth, do not impute sins against your fellow man, forgive others their trespasses, be merciful, for in so doing, you obtain mercy, in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. If you are not merciful unto others, you cannot gain entrance into the kingdom of God, and you stand condemned.
With what would you be saved? It is out of the infinite mercy of God that man is saved; for right from the days of Adam to this very day, there is no just man on earth. But through the mercy of God, we have been saved. None deserves the goodness of God because of our unrighteousness. For this reason, Christ did advise that we should be merciful and compassionate to one another, just as he is with us. Re-examine the First Lesson.
FIRST BIBLE LESSON: MATTHEW 5:7
"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy."
IMPUTE NO SIN ON ANOTHER:
Let this gospel be very precious to you. If we should print these words in our hearts, we would realize that we would have no problems in life. Impute no sin on another. This was the reason why Our Lord Jesus Christ advised that if one should strike you on one cheek, you should not fight back, but rather, you should turn the other cheek for the person to strike. If you are asked to walk a mile, you should walk two. Allow the evil doer to have his way for it is for your own good (Matt 5:38-41).
Be merciful unto others just as God has been merciful unto you. Show mercy unto your fellow man, being that you are also a man. Be merciful unto others and do not count sins against others. Do not begrudge one another, do not quarrel, do not get angry and bear no false witness against others. In whatsoever you embark upon doing, first think of how beneficial it will be unto you. Know fully well that there is nothing you can give in replacement for your soul; for inasmuch as you are not merciful unto others, your soul is perished. All the evil vices which you commit bring tribulation to you.
THE CAUSE OF YOUR PROBLEMS:
All the problems we face affect the spirit, for the flesh has no problem. And you encounter problems because you are unforgiving. If you are truly seeking for salvation, then you must always forgive others their trespasses against you. Have you not realized that so long as you do not forgive others their trespasses, you can never be forgiven? This is the sole cause of all the problems you encounter. This is why we cannot excel in our endeavors. We are merciless and unforgiving. In one of our spiritual choruses, it is asked, how do I cross the river? The answer is that you should love all your neighbors, for if you do this, you shall definitely cross the river. Forgive one another's trespasses, no matter how minute or great the incident may be, try to forgive and you shall surely cross the river.
I am filled with pity for the Churches, Lawyers, Judges, Government Officials, Herbalists, and all sorts of people who lack mercy and forgiveness. Do you recall what Our Lord Jesus Christ said to the Pharisees when the disciples ate raw corn from someone's field on a Sabbath Day? The Pharisees questioned Him why His disciples should do such, He replied them saying, "Have Ye not read what David did when he was an hungered, and they that were with him, How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priest? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, that in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day." (Matt 12:1-8).
Like Christ I seek not after sacrifices, but after mercy. Have you not come to this realization that all that God requires is mercy? Be merciful and you shall obtain mercy. Have mercy for one another just as God has mercy on you. You profess to be a Brotherhood, why then do you lack mercy? Someone would approach you that he has just been retrenched from work and he cries out his whole heart to you, yet you refuse to be merciful to the person saying that you have to feed yourself and your family. Then I want to assure you that if you do this, your life is finished. What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul in hell? (Matt 16:26).
Judgement has now started. You claim to be Obu's child, yet you do not have mercy on one another. If of a truth you are Obu's child, and you have mercy on one another, you are free. Then shall salvation come to you. Do not come in here to seek for money, child, husband, or wife. COME WITH THE AIM OF LISTENING TO THE GOSPELS, AND PUTTING THEM INTO PRACTICE. Staying in Brotherhood for a thousand and one days means nothing. As long as you cannot practise the gospel, all your years are to no avail. Opting out of this fold is of no benefit to you so long as you do not practise the gospel. Re-examine the Second Lesson.
SECOND BIBLE LESSON: MATTHEW 18:35
"So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses."
THE KEY OF LIFE AND DEATH:
Brethren, the above reveals the key of life and death. Inasmuch as you do not forgive or show mercy to one another, you cannot obtain mercy, neither can your trespasses be forgiven by God. The teaching which you receive can never be found anywhere, the world over. Therefore, we should try to practise these teachings so that it may be well with us. I did tell you about a Bishop who had very many churches. I want to use this case to illustrate the earthly situations so that you may really understand this gospel. The Bishop married very many wives, and at a certain time, one of his adherents committed adultery with one of his wives. The Bishop, on discovery, vowed never to forgive the man. After a while, the Bishop passed on to the world beyond. There he came across the way that leads to heaven and hell. As a Bishop, he moved to the gate of heaven, and he was told to go to hell. He introduced himself as a Bishop but he was told that he was not fit to be a Bishop. He was reminded of how he was unforgiving on earth. He was further told that if he so desired to go to heaven, he should return to the earth and settle all problems with his adversaries. He was given a period of twenty-one days (three weeks) to accomplish that task, after which he would return to the world beyond and proceed to heaven. He was returned to earth where he settled all his problems with every person. He forgave all his adversaries, even the man who committed adultery with his wife. He pardoned those whom he had excommunicated. Shortly after that the Bishop finally passed away and he was allowed into God's kingdom. A very similar case is that of Lazarus and a certain rich man as recorded in Luke 16:19-31. Now do not wait for anybody to tell you to forsake sin, be merciful and forgiving. You should realize the need for doing these, they are the source of salvation. However, after reading this gospel, if you still harden your heart, refusing to be merciful and forgiving, if you perish, your blood shall be on you.
HARDEN NOT YOUR HEART:
In the days of Our Lord Jesus Christ, after each sermon, He was always saying that those who have ears should hear. The question is, how many people have ears? A lot of people who had passed away have come back, like the Bishop, to tell you what you are expected to do, yet you still harden your heart. What then shall be your excuse as you lose your soul? You have been told clearly that as long as you do not forgive one another's trespasses, and you are not merciful to one another, you shall equally obtain no mercy on the last day.
There was a man in Port Harcourt who portrayed himself as God. When he died, he sent a message to the President of the Women's Association of his church that she should instruct all the members to get baptized in Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, for in the other world, it is only those who are baptized into Brotherhood who have peace. That Brotherhood of the Cross and Star members are ever dancing, singing and rejoicing, all robed in immaculate white. That she should hasten up and pass the message across to the members of his church because he was seriously tormented. But this woman, considering her position as the president of the Women's Association in her denomination, made up her mind not to relay the message to the congregation.
Not quite long after she made up her mind, she was visited by a very serious illness. And again, the man appeared to her and told her that if she did not hasten up to deliver the message, she would die of the illness. Fortunately for her, some Brotherhood members in the area sent a letter to the people of that place that they would be visiting the village and so she used that opportunity to inform the members of her revelation. That very day, when the members of Brotherhood and Cross and Star visited the area, two hundred and fifty people were baptized.
A lot of you do complain that all through your years in Brotherhood, you have not gained anything. If your claim is true, search your conscience whether you have begrudged your neighbor, whether you have been merciless or unforgiving. If these are true, why then do you receive benefits from God? Does a man of God get angry? Does he pronounce curses on another person? Does he quarrel, frown, fight, or sue another man to court? Does a man of God commit any form of atrocity? In spite of this, God is still very loving towards you. He wants us to have a change of mind so that we may be saved. As you read this gospel, is there anyone whose trespass you have refused to forgive? Is there any with whom you wish to make peace but you cannot because of your pride? Do not be ashamed because Christ did say that whosoever denied Him, same shall He deny before His Father and the angels. WHATSOEVER SIN YOU HAVE COMMITTED, CONFESS IT NOW SO THAT YOU MAY BE FORGIVEN. REPENT FROM YOUR SINS AND FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER.
We all have clear records with God, starting from the day we were brought out of our mother's womb and from the origin of this world. Everyone has a record which contains his deeds. Before God, and from that record, we are judged. Search yourself properly from the day you were baptized into Brotherhood, how many sins have you been able to forsake? Have you been merciful and forgiving? You have been instructed not to lie, steal, fornicate, lament, eat meat and fish, get angry, but to be forgiving. Have you done any of these? Some of you have served some numbers of years here, have you abstained from any sin? This proves the statement that the journey from Egypt to Canaan could not have taken more than two days, but it took the Israelites forty years. Now the world is filled with annoyance. If you are owed, you get angry. If one testifies to the glory of God, you get angry. If your wife is admired by someone else, you get angry. You frown at every little thing and you do not even learn to forgive. The Children of God are very young at heart. When they are wronged, they settle it there and then, and they do not begrudge any person. When you begrudge and keep referring to what people have done against you, are you a child of God? FORGIVE AND FORGET. Forget the past for we are in the present. Our God is not a God of the past but of present. For this reason he said, "Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy." Our Lord Jesus Christ has said that if you do not forgive others, your trespasses will not be forgiven.
If you go through Matthew 23, you will have the understanding why He made this statement. Re-examine the Golden Text.
GOLDEN TEXT: JAMES 2:13
"For he shall have judgement without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgement."
THE NEED TO BE MERCIFUL:
Judgement has no mercy on whosoever has no mercy for his brother. Being merciful is the greatest. Whosoever is merciful unto his fellow brother cannot be judged, but whosoever lacks mercy for his brother obtains no mercy during judgement. Do you not realize that with the measure you mete, same shall be measured unto you again? For this reason Our Lord Jesus Christ told Peter to put back his sword in its sheath for he who kills with the sword must surely die by the sword. (Matt 26:52).
Whosoever hardens his heart against his brother, must equally not obtain mercy. If you are merciful you shall in turn obtain mercy. Therefore judgement has no mercy on whosoever is not merciful; and mercy rejoiceth against judgement. This is why we are told to be merciful.
Brethren, it is said that a stroke of the cane is sufficient unto the wise. Let who has ears hear what the Holy Spirit has imparted to the world. May God bless His Holy Words. Amen.
THANK YOU FATHER.