THE EFFICACY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
First Bible Lesson: Luke 24:49
"And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."
Second Bible Lesson: Acts 2:39
"For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."
Golden Text: Luke 11:13
"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"
Brethren, what has been read to you will serve as the opening address for the December Pentecostal Assembly. You are true witnesses to the fact that, always when we open any Pentecostal, it is our tradition that we always start with the Spirited Children's Meeting. God is a Spirit and the children of God are spirited children and spirits also. Your mistake as well as your ignorance is that you do not realize that it is not only vision which is the Holy Spirit.
A great many people do not attend this Pentecostal Assembly because they complain that they have not got the gift of vision, or that they do not remember their dreams or that they cannot preach the Word of God; and that only those who shake their heads see visions, and extract charms from people's bodies are spirited children. This is erroneous. Why we open with this Fellowship is that it is the most important because except you are born of the water and of the Holy Spirit, you cannot enter into this Kingdom which is nothing else but the Holy Spirit.
The Body Without The Spirit Is Dead
No matter the amount of money you have accumulated for yourself, if you are not endowed with the Holy Spirit, you are nothing. Even if you go to the University and acquire up to a thousand degrees, but without the Holy Spirit you are useless. Even if you have as many children as the "Spider"; some of whom are prominent lawyers, millionaires, professors, doctors and engineers, but without the Holy Spirit, they do not serve you any useful purpose. Initiate into all the secret societies in the world, develop yourself to any temple, indulge in all forms of necromancing, study what you may and remain in the world for a thousand years, but without the Holy Spirit, all these diabolical means will not profit you anything.
Only Those Endowed With Holy Spirit Are Loved By God
We have the reason to be happy and joyous because we are of the luckiest generation. I sometimes see people testifying that God has so loved them that He gives them money and they are millionaires. I have always sympathized with such persons, because they are not loved by God. If God were to love them, He would have bestowed His Holy Spirit on them. Another person testifies, and ask what he could do in the service of God because of His love in giving him prominent sons and daughters, who are so intelligent and prosperous, some being millionaires, others are professors and prominent citizens. I tell such a person to sit down quietly because if God were to love him, He would have endowed him with the Holy Spirit. Another person testifies about the love of God in Him by giving him the ability to study and acquire many degrees from India or Russia or Britain or America, and that he has gone to the sun, the moon and stars to study. But has he been bestowed with the power of the Holy Spirit? God does not love him otherwise He would have bestowed His Holy Spirit on him.
The Holy Spirit Surpasses All Carnal Things
The world is to be pitied because somebody who is a president is infatuated with pride, a prime minister is also puffing up, a common governor is also arrogant. Why are they pompous and arrogant, have they possessed the Holy Spirit?
Notice that the emptiness of the whole world is due to the fact that the inhabitants of the world have not possessed the Holy Spirit. This is the greatest problem and sickness of the world. No matter the amount of money minted by the people of the world but, as long as they do not possess the Holy Spirit, there is no life. Can you realize that the world has now reached a population explosion, but this numerical strength of the people in the world will not serve any purpose as long as the people do not possess the Holy Spirit.
Wealth Is Not Profitable But Problematic
All your carnal possessions are problems to you, money is a problem, children are also problematic, wisdom and long life all are problems to you. If we were wise enough, we would not have to ask God to give us long life, if He gives you long life without the Holy Spirit, what are you going to do with it? God has given you long life, you beget children and they all grow and die but you are still living. What type of life is that? He has given you long life, you are always sickly, you are experiencing certain things you have never noticed in your life, you have witnessed certain things you have never seen in life, what is the use of your long life?
To Be Carnally Minded Means Death
You ask God to give you money, He has given you money. You fight and struggle for money but others enjoy it, what is the use? Those who obtain loans from you do not pay back, thieves break in and steal; your workman also embezzles a great part of it. In order to recover, you cry and lament, take court action against them and you are completely disillusioned. What is the need of asking God to give you money? The same condition applies to your children, some are sick, your daughters are driven away by their husbands, some are cheated, one has been caught stealing, another has committed murder. Why then do you ask God to give you children, what do you want to do with children, you are inviting trouble to yourself.
No President Governs The Flies And Mosquitoes
Argue with me that there is any money magnate who sleeps and has peace for his soul. All money magnates are in hell fire. Argue also that the fathers and mothers have peace in their lives. Argue that the learned men are in peace. None of them has peace, they are in hell fire. The reason for this is that, they do not receive the gift of God from above. I have told you several times that if you were to understand the intricacies of this Kingdom of God, you would have realized that the joy we have is so great that it has neither the beginning nor the end. The joy we have, words are inadequate to describe because we have peace, life, joy, power, wisdom and every other thing conceivable as well as eternal life. The Holy Spirit is the gift of God. This is the gift that God has bestowed on every person, and unless you are extremely lucky, God cannot endow you with the Holy Spirit. Once you possess the Holy Spirit, you overcome the world. There is nothing in the world which can be compared with the Holy Spirit. If I were to compare him with all the banks in the world, the result is that the bank is nothing in relation to the Holy Spirit. Or should I compare him with any person who is enthroned as the King of the whole world, that is not profitable to any person because a King is always beset with problems, he is always harassed by flies, mosquitoes, and ants, he is drenched by rain and suffers under the hazards of the weather, from the rain and the scorching heat of the sun. It is said if the spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Our Lord Jesus Christ, from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwells in you, on the last day. If I go to enumerate the significance of the Holy Spirit, you will notice that the Holy Spirit is the wisdom of truth, the author of all wisdom in heaven and on earth. He is super-wisdom, the Father of wisdom, once you possess Him, He is the master of wisdom, who teaches, leads, exhorts, rebukes. Once you have him, there is no need going to study in the University. He is the recondite wisdom of God, super wisdom which surpasses all forms of wisdom in the world.
The Holy Spirit Is The Recondite Wisdom Of Truth
When you possess the Holy Spirit, you will realize that he is the super-power, all powers in heaven and on earth are in his hands. With Him, it is needless going to the doctor, necromancer or tree or rock for power. He is the embodiment of power and the tree of power. If you possess the Holy Spirit, there will be no need praying to God to give you love, because He is the Father and Lord of love. All aspects of love expression reside with Him. You will not even worry yourself about expressing love because he will practice love for you. When you possess the Holy Spirit, there will be no need to pray to God to give you wealth. Earthly wealth is counterfeit but with the Holy Spirit you have heaven and earth and all that is in them. He has bestowed on you all the wealth in the world. When you possess the Holy Spirit, you will have eternal joy, there will be nothing which offend; but rather, there is perpetual joy. It is sometimes said that in order to get temporary relief from the tedium of life, people go to the ballroom, dance, or drink, or love women or do any other thing but when you possess the Holy Spirit you will have eternal joy, you will become the father of joy. When you possess the Holy Spirit, the peace of God which passes all understanding will reside with you. I am not talking about somebody giving you money, talk to you and dance with you, but with the Holy Spirit alone, peace is assured.
With The Holy Spirit There Is No Suffering
When you possess the Holy Spirit, your brothers and sisters will be more numerous than the population of the world. And you have eternal father, eternal mother, eternal brother, sister, eternal friend, eternal relation. When you have the Holy Spirit you will not hunger, nor thirst. Hunger and thirst will be a thing of the past. Whoever possessed the Holy Spirit, overcomes this world and the world to come and rules over it. You can only suffer up to the point you have not got the Holy Spirit.
But from the second, the minute, the hour, the day, the week, the month and the year you are bestowed with the Holy Spirit, your suffering ends.
That was why when Adam and Eve had eaten the fruit of the tree of good and evil and their eyes were opened, God instructed that they should be driven out of the Garden less haply, they will, while in the garden, eat of the tree of life and have eternal life. (Gen 3:22) What is that tree of life? It is the Holy Spirit. That is why I tell you that except God loves you and wants you to live eternally, and wants you to rule with Him, He will not give you the Holy Spirit. Whosoever possesses the Holy Spirit, has the right to sing and dance and be happy because he has escaped death, suffering, tribulations and afflictions.
John The Baptist Baptised Many But Only Our Lord Jesus Christ Received The Holy Spirit
Brethren, I do not know how I feel towards you because it seems to me that your hearts are not wide open, and your eyes have not yet been cleared of the scales so that you can really see this glory. I do not think you have seen this glory. That was why our Lord Jesus commissioned his disciples to go and tarry at Jerusalem (Luke 24:49), because, hitherto all those who followed him were not bestowed with the Holy Spirit. They were following Him sheepishly and could not assimilate all what He preached to them. He is not an article of trade that people should go to buy from the market. He is not money, He is not a carnal thing but the gift of God. During that time, upon all those baptized by John the Baptist, only Our Lord Jesus Christ was bestowed with the Holy Spirit. This indicates how precious and how expensive the Holy Spirit is. Why he conquered was because of that Spirit which is God. He was the only person who was powerful, that was why he pocketed all the inhabitants of the world. That was why also He directed people to go somewhere and they could find something and when they went they would see the same thing. He would stretch out his hands and something happened. He was inspired by the power of the Holy Spirit. Remember also that He caused 5,000 persons to be fed with 5 loaves of bread and two fishes. (Matt 14:21) The people were so filled and satisfied that there was taken up, of fragments that remained to them, twelve baskets.
Peace Be Still
He said also to a fig tree that it would no longer bear further fruits, "Let no fruit grow on thee henceforth forever, "and the fig tree withered away. (Mark 11:14-21) The disciples started asking what sort of man he was. He lifted his hand towards the turbulent sea and said, "Sea be thou still" and the water became very calm. (Mark 4:39). Who did that? It was the Holy Spirit. He also commanded Simon saying, "launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught", though he hesitated at first, but when he cast, he enclosed a great multitude of fishes. (John 21:6) Who did that? Was it not the Holy Spirit? He could also say go your infirmities are healed, and of a truth their infirmities were cured. Who healed them? It was the Holy Spirit. That was why the Pharisees concluded that Our Lord Jesus Christ was using the power of beelzebub the prince of the devil. So He asked them if satan drives away satan, how can his kingdom stand? (Matt 12:26) Any kingdom which divides against itself is brought to desolation.
Render To Caesar What Is Caesar's, And To God What Belongs To God
When you go to consult the necromancers and juju doctors, they will tell you to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God; (Matt 22:21); and by so doing they will prescribe for you goats, sheep, cows, cocks, yams and money. Why do they require these things? Why can they not use the power of the Holy Spirit? Do you think that if Moses were to be endowed with the Holy Spirit that the Israelites would have sojourned for 40 years, in the wilderness? He had no Holy Spirit. Do you believe that if Joshua were to be endowed with the Holy Spirit, he would have spent so long a time before entering the promised land, during which process the Israelites fought and killed people who stood on their way? Joshua did not possess the Holy Spirit.
It seems to me that your eyes are still dim, they are not clean. That is why it is said, "you should ask if you have not." Ask God for the Holy Spirit, and He will bestow Him unto you today, and you will receive Him.
If Your Name Is Written In Heaven, Be Happy
Remember what the seventy disciples whom he sent out on ministry work told him on their return. They told him "Lord, even the devils, the serpents, the scorpions are subject unto us through your name." (Luke 10:17-18) And our Lord Jesus Christ said, "I behold satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I have given you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the powers of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven. (Luke 10:20)
Observe that each time he commanded them to do anything, before they went there, the Holy Spirit had already completed the work. They would come back with joy. They were thinking they were instrumental, they did not know what was happening. They could not assimilate all what he preached to them neither did they understand all what he was doing because it was the Father doing the work.
One With God Is A Majority
What name was not given to him? Even his disciples doubted and always asked what sort of man he was. Neither the disciples nor the people of the world knew what sort of person he was. He was nothing else, than the indwelling Holy Spirit. If you have possessed the Holy Spirit, and the Father in His merciful kindness reveals to you, what do you need to learn from any human being? If you possess the Holy Spirit, why do you require somebody to introduce himself to you, or to ask what sort of person he is or what is in him, or what he is thinking or what is in his mind? Everything about him is laid bare before you. When Our Lord Jesus Christ was not yet bestowed with the Holy Spirit, he did not have even one disciple. Without the Holy Spirit, who will follow you? Because one with God is a majority. You have no power, no knowledge. If you do not possess the Holy Spirit, you are stricken with abject poverty, you are blind, you are stupid, you are ignorant, you are a simpleton, indeed, you are as dead as a door nail. Seek First The Holy Spirit, And All Other Things Will Be Added (Matt 6:33/Luke 12:31) Brethren, no person can do anything if he is not clothed with the power from on high. Without Him, you are not worth anything.
All the church denominations, prayer houses, governments, institutions and even single individuals should not ask God for any other thing. The only thing before us now is to ask God that we be bestowed with the Holy Spirit. And today, right now, we have to ask God to give us the Holy Spirit.
You should neither ask God for money nor for children nor for any other carnal thing, because you are requesting for suffering and death unto yourself, thereby, incurring the displeasure of God upon yourself. Those who have money are looking for a place to run for safety, those who have children, they too are finding where to run to and leave the children behind, but you are still asking for those empty things. Why do you not ask for the Holy Spirit? When you have Him, you are absolutely free from all encumbrances. It is only the Holy Spirit who has dominion over death and life, over poverty and wealth, over water and dry land.
Indeed He has dominion over everything.
Ask For The Holy Spirit And You Will Be Given
This explains why Our Lord Jesus Christ told His disciples if you love me you will keep my commandments and I will plead with the Father and He will send to you another Comforter which is the Holy Spirit. (John 14:15-16) He knew that they were ignorant of this. But you have remained here for 20 to 30 to 40 years knowing nothing. Who amongst you have ever asked God to endow him with the Holy Spirit? Your pre-occupation is that you stand in this hall and ask the Father for children, for money, to pass your examination, to be promoted at your place of work for a wife or for your sick brother to be healed of his infirmities. Is it what is lacking in you? The time for the promise of God to the world is now made manifest. This is the era of the Holy Spirit, ask and He will be bestowed on you. Ask for him quickly so that you obtain grace for your soul. Brethren, I do not want to overload you, the first lesson will now be read, the sermon imparted to you now is an eye opener. Please listen attentively. Without the Holy Spirit, even if you remain for a hundred years you will not hear a single gospel neither will you be able to assimilate, nor practise the gospel nor obtain peace for your soul, nor will you be able to assimilate nor practise the gospel, nor will you be able to differentiate between the left and the right. You will appear as an imbecile, a nincompoop or an ignoramus.
First Bible Lesson: Luke 24:49
"And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."
Tarry Until You Be Clothed With Power From On High
Have you heard what is read unto you? Have you listened to the English phraseology used. "Until you be clothed with power from on high." When you are clothed with that power on high, nothing has power over you whether the government, or poverty, or men, or fire, or sickness or any other thing.
You will be absolutely free. You complain that you have been having bad dreams or that your enemy has charmed you or that he has poisoned you or that he has sent the thunder by diabolical means to harm you. Why are you beset with these contemplations? You complain that you have nothing to eat, that your wife has eloped with another man, that your children do not look after you, that you do not know yourself, that you have so many problems surrounding you. Why do these things happen to you?
Holy Spirit Is Everything To Every Man
Do you not know that the Holy Spirit is the Father, He is the mother, He is the Son, He is money, He is wealth, house, motor cars, He is everything to every person. This gift is for me, it is for you and for every person who requests for him and he will surely be bestowed unto him. Money, children, motor cars, and all other things are carnal, the only thing which comes from God direct unto you, is the power of the Holy Spirit.
Remember that rich fool whose land brought forth plentifully and he expanded his barns and storehouse to keep the rich harvest. (Luke 12:16-20) He then said to himself "my soul you have much goods laid up for you for many years, take your ease, eat, drink, sleep and be merry." But what did God tell him that day? God said to him, "Thou fool, this night your soul shall be extracted from you, then whose shall these things be which you have provided?" He died that night. So it is with a person who lays up treasure for himself but is not rich towards God.
The first and the foremost thing that each of us should seek after, should be the Holy Spirit. Even if it cost you your life, once you have it, you have eternal life. The purpose of imparting these lessons to you in this Kingdom of God, is that you may be endowed with the Holy Spirit. I do not impart these lessons to you that you may have children. You have children, but they do not give you eternal life. The money you have is counterfeit and your long life is also counterfeit. None of them can give you eternal life. My contention is that when you have the Holy Spirit, you have eternal life.
Do Not Be Carnally Minded
When you had no child, you had only one problem, when you had no wife, you had only one problem, but when you had a wife, your problem was doubled. If you have one child, your problem is trebled. Now that you have two children, your problem is quadrupled. If you have a job, you add one more problem to yourself, the more things you have, the more will your problem be increased. Your daughter, son, motor car, shoes, and a host of other problems are there for you, how will you cope with this multiplicity of problems. Right now, no man knows exactly what he is doing. If the way to the hades were to be opened, a great many people would have opted to go there to rest, (if there is any rest).
Do not be flummoxed to see a beautiful girl breezing into your house and you plead with her to go and she will begin to interrogate you as to why you want her to go, and where you want her to go to. She will tell you that she will stay with you. In the same token do not be bamboozled to find a handsome, well dressed young man, driving his luxurious car to your doorstep and you ask him to go but he will tell you that he would stay with you as a woman he likes. What was good to him before he came, if even there would be a fight to decide the issue, he would like to fight. Do not be surprised to see some three or four children calling at your house and you give them a little food. After eating, they will sit tight and call you daddy because they would not want to go back to their parents. If you ask them to go back to their mother, they will tell you, they prefer to remain with you. This state of affairs is brought about because the world is in a state of total confusion. There is nothing in the world, it is but empty because the inhabitants have rejected the Holy Spirit. You have all rejected the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is the stone which the builders reject and which has become the head of the corner. (Psalm 118:22 / Mark 12:10) All of you here, have rejected the Holy Spirit because you look for money, for wife, for husband, for wealth, to become a traditional ruler, your number of years in Brotherhood notwithstanding.
Obey God's Instruction If You Love Me
Remember the injunction of Our Lord Jesus Christ to his disciples. He said: "if you love me, you will keep my commandments, and I will plead with the Father and he will send unto you another Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit and he will be with you forever." (John 14:15-16) Do you think that a thief can be endowed with the Holy Spirit? Do you think that a prostitute can be endowed with the Holy Spirit. Do you think a liar or a necromancer can be bestowed with the Holy Spirit? Do you think that the Holy Spirit consists in shaking the head and shouting like dogs? It is not that simple to be endowed with the Holy Spirit. If it were that simple, the whites would have received him. Whosoever possesses the Holy Spirit should rule over the world, because He is the only ruler. But brethren can you observe how pitiful and pathetic you are? Our Lord Jesus Christ did not give them any other condition but he told them "if you love me you will keep my commandments and I will pray the Father and He shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever". Do you believe that he can pray the Father to give the Holy Spirit to any person who does not keep his commandment? What is this commandment of Our Lord Jesus Christ? It is "love ye one another". What is being taught to you today? It is this same lesson imparted unto you that you should love one another, when you love somebody the implication is not that, the person should love you or should give you money but that you should obtain the Holy Spirit.
The Flesh Avails Little The Spirit Quickens (John 6:63).
What can a man do unto you? Man is poor, stupid and dead. Man is nothing, as you sit down here, you are but empty. When the Holy Spirit infuses himself into you now, you will see the world as an empty place. If you look at people like the king, the emperor, the president, the governor, the prime minister, the millionaire, the professor, you will shed tears and sympathize with them. When you receive the Holy Spirit, you will never be exasperated, you will not beat up people, you will not curse or abuse any person because you will be filled with pity for the world.
When you boast and threaten somebody that you are going to teach him a lesson or to teach him sense, it is only that you are being as blind as the person you are threatening. All the inhabitants of the world are like people travelling in a ship or canoe which capsizes in water and the occupants of the ship or canoe are all struggling to swim out to safety each gasping for breath. A local adage has it that when scabies irritate on the body of an animal, it will scratch the area against a tree but if they irritate on the human body another person will help to scratch his body.
Somebody with a wife and five children comes to you for a loan of one naira to buy food for the family, but you refuse to give him with the pretext that you have no money. What do you want him to do? Whatever device he can use to get food, he should use it. If he can break into your house to steal money, he can do it; if he likes to beat up somebody and forcefully collect money from him, he can do it; what do you want him to do? Do you want him to die of hunger? He must feed himself and members of his family. If any of those devices fails, he will give you a post-dated cheque in exchange for two naira in order to solve his food problem. He is not a mad person. There is no money in his account, because his book is in the red, but he is looking for assistance. If you go to draw the cheque issued when it is due, it will not be cashed because, he has nothing left in his account. You complain that he deceived you, how has he deceived you? That was the only way open to him to get something to eat, if he did not do that, he would have died of hunger and perhaps his children and wife also.
Do Not Curse A Necromancer But Pity Him
Sometimes, you pronounce woe to the necromancer. Do you think if he had something to eat, he would have indulged in necromancing? Do you feel that he finds pleasure in what he is doing? It is a necessity. So that he can pick any herbs or roots of trees or bark of a tree and compound something and hand over to you as a protective charm, so that he can collect money to buy food to feed his family. It is hunger that has prompted him to behave the way he does. Your woe has no effect on him.
All of us know that it is not expedient to do certain things, but in the circumstances we find ourselves, what else can we do?
There is no other alternative than for us to flout the expediency of the act, or would you want to die while you are still breathing? That was why our Lord Jesus Christ told His disciples, "if you love me you will keep my commandments and I shall pray the Father, He shall give you another Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit."
Who amongst you understand that the Holy Spirit is food? He is land, He is water, He is man, He is money, He is clothes, He is power, He is mercy, He is glory, indeed, He is everything to every man! You are small children, because if you place a twenty naira currency note before a child who does not know the value of money, and also a one kobo coin, the child will prefer the one kobo coin to the twenty naira currency note because one kobo is heavier in his hand than the note. It is the same with you. If you ask God to give you money, and He gives you one million naira, and you begin to live an extravagant life but if somebody ask you to request for the Holy Spirit, you would inquire to know what is called the Holy Spirit. You have no other boast. You have rejected the Holy Spirit, but He is working hard. He has no deputy and does not rest but is working round the clock throughout the world. You want to do the work of God but you have not possessed the Holy Spirit, with what are you going to serve? You want to be a money magnate but you do not possess the Holy Spirit, how will you get the money? You want wisdom, but have no Holy Spirit, how do you acquire the wisdom? The Holy Spirit is God's embodiment, all virtues of God, patience, love, peace, power, wisdom, wealth, health, glory, and eternal life all reside with the Holy Spirit, He is the A and the Z. That is why Our Lord Jesus Christ told His disciples, "It is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will send Him unto you." (John 16:7)
Without The Spirit You Can Do Nothing
Listen attentively to this gospel and your ears and eyes and hearts will be opened and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Today, you can jump up and testify that from this moment you have completely refrained from fornication. Look! Have you considered your resolution because immediately after testifying within a jiffy you will see a beautiful girl at the other end of the building and you fornicate with her within the compound, or even inside this hall. You can resolve to serve God all the days of your life and a few minutes after somebody calls in to tell you that he has found business that you have been looking for and that you should join hands with him in the business.
You will quit the service of God in order to take up the business. There is no person who can do this work except he is clothed with the power of the Holy Spirit from above. Without the Holy Spirit there is nothing, you can do. Without the Spirit, you preach but confusion, you are always confused in all your actions, you steal, tell lies, swindle and you become the headquarters of all vices.
Without The Holy Spirit You Cannot Refrain From Sin
Do you think that if Paul were not endowed with the Holy Spirit, he would have been able to do all he did? Look at women, there were as many and beautiful women, during the time of Paul as we have them today in the world. Except God clothes you with the power of the Holy Spirit, you will find it difficult to refrain from exasperation, quarrelling, fighting, or being carnally minded, and from involving in men and women affairs. During the last advent of Our Lord Jesus Christ, when He was with His disciples, He controlled the Holy Spirit. It was because of this that He used to instruct them on what to do and as they went, everything was accomplished as he commanded but they did not know what he was doing. It was the Holy Spirit who used to lead them in whatsoever they were commissioned to do and so they always returned with joy and happiness that their work was accomplished. But they could not explain how this was done, because they had no Holy Spirit. Remember that during the interregnum, when He left them for a short period, their eyes were opened and they retired to their various trades in their holes and caves. They forgot altogether about the lessons the Lord imparted unto them because they had no Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, you will not be able to hear what is preached neither will you understand it, nor be able to open your mouth to preach to others.
Preach the word of God to the permanent secretary, but you refuse to do it because you feign shy for fear of being queried. Preach to the governor, or to the Judge, or to the magistrate, you cannot, unless he endows you with power of the Holy Spirit, then will you have the boldness to preach to the king, the queen, the president and to men of all walks of life. And so brethren, I do not want to continue further, the second lesson will now be read so that you realize that the promise is to you and to your children's children, and to all those who are afar off, even as many as the Lord your God shall call. Today, it is incumbent upon you, to receive this promise.
Second Bible Lesson: Acts 2:39
"For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."
Brethren, have you heard that? When you are exhorted to refrain from fornication, theft, exasperation, drinking, and falsehood, so that the Holy Spirit may indwell you, have you agreed to refrain? When you are enjoined to love one another as the Father has loved you, have you complied? When you comply, the Holy Spirit will come and dwell in you. The only thing now left for you is to refrain completely from sinful acts because if you resign and surrender yourself to him, when He comes in, and if you ask, you will receive the Holy Spirit today. It is said by the words of your mouth you are justified and by the words of your mouth you are condemned. (Matt 12:37) I want all of you now to rise up in concert, with one voice, and one spirit, and one faith, and ask for the power of the Holy Spirit whether you will not observe what will happen today.
Sanctify Yourself Unto God
Throughout this Pentecostal, your only request should be that the Father should bestow His Holy Spirit on you. In your prayer, in the Holy songs, in testimony ask for the power of Spirit, if you will not receive Him. If you rejoice because you have the money, this is not what He promised to give you, neither did He promise to give you children or any carnal thing, but it was the Holy Spirit which He promised. If therefore, you sanctify yourself unto Him, He will take dominion over you.
Have you never heard of someone who has money today, and tomorrow he is koboless? Have you not seen somebody who is a governor today, and tomorrow he is an ordinary citizen? Have you not heard of somebody who was a king yesterday, and today he is either made to abdicate or he is dethroned? The same thing happens to the various forms of knowledge acquired which today is and tomorrow no more. But if you ask God for the Holy Spirit, you will have eternal life. That is why we have been advised that unless we refrain from theft, falsehood and fornication, we cannot receive Him. That explains the reason that we should confess our sins, repent, and forsake roguery, fornication, denounce our membership of all the secret societies, refrain from begrudging people and from indulging in all acts of vices, and thereafter surrender yourself to him, then will you receive the promise and if you ask for the Holy Spirit, He will be bestowed unto you.
Whoever Is Not Bestowed With The Holy Spirit Is Not Of God
What is now commencing with the black man who will suffer violence; it will be lamentable. Millionaires, doctors, philosophers, the members of the church denominations will cry and wail for the Holy Spirit, but it will be too late for them. I want to put before you that whoever does not receive it, is not loved of God and he does not love God. How will you conquer without the Holy Spirit, if you are not clothed with the power. How will you overcome, if you are not clothed with power from on high. Money is nothing, man is nothing, wisdom is nothing the whole world is but empty. The Holy Spirit is power, wisdom, love and God who rules over the universe. The various names people erroneously call in Brotherhood, whether witchery, concoction, charm apparition or any diabolical thing refer to the Holy Spirit. Why do you search for Him? The more you search the less you see, but if He searched for you, He must surely see you.
Where There Is Holy Spirit There Is Liberty (2 Cor 3:17)
Brethren, notice this one thing, that is whether you are educated or not, literacy is not a sine qua non, whether you speak fluent English or not, whether you have money or not, whether you are a minor or an adult or whatever you may be, your education, affluence, children, position in the society is not a pre-condition but when He arrives at your door step you are free. Once you possess the Holy Spirit, that is when you are clothed with this gift and you become an expert linguist because you can speak many languages very fluently; you are an expert in accumulating wealth, and expert traditional ruler, in fact you are an adept in doing various things. With the possession of the Holy Spirit no temptation befalls you, you have no enemies, poverty and wretchedness will be a thing of the past, you will no longer be drenched by rain or beaten by the heat of the sun and you will no longer subject yourself as inferior to another person.
You Look For Wealth Where You Cannot Find It
God knows why you go to school, it is that at the completion you maybe able to earn a living. God knows why you want to study in the University, it is so that you may earn big money because you feel that your salary as a school certificate holder is not enough for you. He also understands why you are not satisfied with the first degree and you go in for the second or the Masters or for the doctorate because you feel what you earn with your first degree only, is not sufficient for you, or is too small to carry all your responsibilities. God knows that it is hunger that has driven you to these quests for knowledge, but you are looking for wealth where you cannot find it. God also understands that the reason why you go into business after obtaining the Bachelor's, the Masters and the doctorate degree is that you are not satisfied with the amount of money you receive at the end of each month. Not that you would have loved to go into business, but you want "fast" money. This explains why you take to business so that you can grasp money from many sources. If you do steal or swindle, it is the quest for money which has driven you to steal but the irony of fate is that you look for money where you cannot find it.
The Promise Of God Fulfilled
But in His loving and merciful kindness, He makes this promise unto us, that He will bestow His Holy Spirit on us so that we can obtain peace for our soul and be in peace and tranquility. But you do not want peace. Yet you complain that you cannot sleep, that your enemies are waging war against you, that you have no money, or that you are bewitched, what about this promise of the Holy Spirit? Ask for Him because this promise is not only to you but also to your children, and to your children's children, and to all those who are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Whosoever Jehovah God will invite to follow Him also has a share in this promise and will be clothed with power from on high. That is why I tell you that since God created man, yours is the luckiest of all the generations. This is so, for that promise is now made manifest. This is the time for the promise, and we all should open our mouths in praise of Him and to ask for the Holy Spirit. Do not ask God for any other thing except the Holy Spirit, for He has surreptitiously arrived at this end of time and all those who request for Him have received. This is His own reign. No tree or ghost can rule, the elemental spirit of the Universe cannot rule again. No man, indeed, nothing else, can rule. This is the era of His reign, and he will reign forever and ever.
No Scientist Can Predict Into The Future With Accurate Exactitude
No matter the amount of money you have, without the Holy Spirit, you cannot use your money to any benefit to God. No matter how much knowledge you acquire in the world, if you do not possess the Holy Spirit, you will not be able to make good use of your knowledge in the service of God, you will not even know God. The Spirit which is in man knows what man is, but the Spirit of God knows God and what God is. Why do you continue to doubt what you see? The professor, the scientist, the astronomer, the astrologer, the meteorologist can forecast the weather and predict that there would be rain or sunshine. But why do people the world over, both white and black, continue to ask what is likely to take place? They are filled with fear and they do not know what is going to happen.
If the inhabitants of the world were to know themselves, they would have asked for the Holy Spirit because this is the epoch of the promise when God said He would pour out of His Spirit upon all flesh and their sons and daughters would prophesy, and their young men would see visions, and their old men would dream dreams. (Joel 2:28/Acts 2:17) It is true that He has poured out His Spirit on us because when you possess Him, you have escaped from death, from sickness, from the storms of life, from exasperation and from all manners of sin. We are advised to seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all other things will be added unto us. (Matt 6:33) The essence of this is that we should request for the Holy Spirit, because when you are endowed with Him, you have no more problems.
The Oath Of Service
From January to December every year, you are taught how to abstain from sin. People claim they have the Holy Spirit, it is not simple to receive the Holy Spirit. If it were that simple, satan would not have failed to receive it. You do not hear the word of God nor do you practice it, how then will you receive the Holy Spirit? You neither ask for the Holy Spirit, nor do you wish to have it, nor do you want to confess your sins and repent of all your transgressions. How will you receive the Holy Spirit? Have you forgotten so soon, when people including the whites declared on their pulpits that the Holy Spirit is no longer in existence, and announced to people that the Holy Spirit ended with the day of Pentecost with the twelve disciples.
God had advised that the covenant He entered with them was an everlasting covenant. When either a man or woman separates himself to God to vow a vow of a nazarite, he should separate himself from wine and strong drink and from minerals and shall drink no vinegar of wine or vinegar of strong drink, neither should he drink liquor of grapes or eat moist grape. During the period of his separation, he should not touch any dead body, he should not cry and wail and mourn and lament and that he should not commit any sin. You do not know that the three days dry fasting and other things we do in this Kingdom are meant to kill the flesh and the place given to the Spirit, as He has arrived. He is now on earth everywhere and in everything, but he wants you to ask because that promise is to you and to your children and to your children's children from generation to generation. (Acts 2:39). This is the era of the Holy Spirit. All the lesser spirits which go about shaking heads and bodies and shouting like wild dogs, are elemental spirits of the universe and they see nothing. But there is the Spirit of God, and when it dwells in you, you have overcome everything.
Notice that some people after giving visions and extracting charms will complain they are sick and that they have no money and that wizards want to kill them. Is that the Spirit of God? Can a person who has the Holy Spirit see a witch or an apparition or any diabolical means? Can he tell somebody that God wants the person to buy a car? The Holy Spirit owns everything. Whosoever has been endowed with the Holy Spirit, has he any heart to be exasperated, does he own his body and use it as he likes, can he tell lies, or fornicate or offend against any person, or sow the seeds of division? He cannot.
Brethren, from this day in all your prayer, in all your songs, in your dances, in your silent prayers, you should open your heart and receive Him because He has arrived unto you. Remember when Peter and the disciples were threatened that they should not speak at all and should not teach in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ and if they persisted, drastic measures would be taken against them. The disciples were afraid and went to report the incident to their company. When they heard that they all lifted up their voices to God and asked God to grant them power to preach the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:29) They did not ask God to give them money, neither did they ask Him to send many people to them, nor ask for any other thing but ask that God should grant His own servants power to preach the word with boldness and to stretch forth His hands to wrought many wonderful works, to heal and to show signs and wonders. As soon as they prayed in that fashion the Father poured the Holy Spirit on them till the house was shaken to the foundation. The golden text will now be read.
Golden Text: Luke 11:13
"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"
Brethren, have you heard what is read unto you? I scarcely hear you ask for the Holy Spirit, you do not ask for it at all but you ask the Father often to take away your difficulty, to give you promotion, that you are suppressed at your place of work, to give you a male child, to give you a wife, to give you a profitable business.
But I have never heard any person asking for the Holy Spirit in this hall. I often hear you say when you pray that the Father says you should ask and it will be given you, seek and you will find and knock and it will be opened unto you. What is it that you are advised to ask, seek and knock? It is for the Holy Spirit.
Do Not Ask Amiss But For Holy Spirit
Let me tell you one thing. Whatever is your heart's desire, you can have it provided you are clothed with power from on high. If you are looking for a wife, do not even pray, look at all the women, as soon as you speak to one, she will accept your hand and so you do not need to fast and pray placing the matter before the Father. Do not ask God to give you a child. If you do, but you are not intimate with a man how will you be made pregnant and from where will you get a child? But the moment you are intimate with a man the child is forthcoming, therefore pray no more for a child. When you are intimate with a woman, do not pray to God that you do not need a child, because the woman is already pregnant, and it is carnal. It is the same thing with money, do not pray God again to give you money. Money is everywhere, if you fetch water for people they will pay you, if you work for somebody or for the firm or government you will be paid at the end of the week or at the end of the month, but the Holy Spirit is what comes direct from God in heaven. This is the promise He made to the entire world, and the time of that promise is now fulfilled. Ask for the Holy Spirit and He shall give unto you.
How will you administer church if the Holy Spirit does not administer? Without the Holy Spirit, with what do you administer the church? Without the Holy Spirit, with what do you govern your community? Without the Holy Spirit, with what do you manage the company or the Industry you have established? Without the Holy Spirit, with what do you administer the government in which you are a president or governor? Without the Holy Spirit, with what do you administer the church you founded or the school, college or University you have established? Without the Holy Spirit, with what do you control the Parastatal in which you are a chairman or managing director? Whatever you are doing without the Holy Spirit, you are wasting time.
Except God Keeps The City The Watchmen Wake Up In Vain
Brethren, see the cause of your downfall, Is there any government possessing the Holy Spirit? Which of the presidents in the world has the Holy Spirit? Which governor, which minister, which commissioner, which permanent secretary, which King, which traditional ruler, which vice chancellor and which managing director is endowed with the Holy Spirit?
You have a wife but you do not possess the Holy Spirit, with what do you control your house. You name a church denomination after yourself but you do not have the Holy Spirit to administer the church for you. How will you administer it? Except the Lord builds the house they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keeps the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. (Ps 127:1) Can you now see why your government or firm or house has fallen? Can you see why you are poor and wretched? Can you see why the whole world is empty? The reason is that you have rejected the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit has come to rule forever. It was written that He will lead, therefore, he must lead. That promise is for every person. Ask the president to request for the Holy Spirit, tell the prime minister to ask for the Holy Spirit, tell the governor, tell the premier, tell the king, the queen, the millionaire, the professor and men of all walks and dispositions in life to request for the Holy Spirit because without it no one is capable of doing anything.
I Am That I Am
Our Lord Jesus Christ had said, whosoever will blaspheme against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven in this generation and in the generation to come. (Mark 3:29) Throughout his life time, Our Lord Jesus Christ bore eloquent testimony (Rev 19:10) about the Holy Spirit, which is in your midst today. Therefore, this privilege is for me, it is for you, it is for every person and the entire world. Do not be reluctant in asking for Him. He will be bestowed on you. A spiritual chorus prays that God should give him the Holy Spirit so that he can wage his own war. Why do you not ask for the Holy Spirit so that you can fight your own war. There is no other way, through which you can save yourself, because without the Holy Spirit, you are useless. When Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden they had to operate through an intermediary which was an angel. If they had any problem and wanted to approach God for a solution, they would be overcome by the problem and the angel would deal drastically with them. Sometimes before God could send an angel to rescue them, they would sustain injuries and bruises all over the body. If the Holy Spirit dwells in you and you dwell in him, who will take away that great "I AM." He will continue to reside with you and nothing in this whole wide world will have dominion over you. Death and life are under his footstool, all things created and uncreated are under the footstool of the great "I AM."
The Government Should Ask For The Holy Spirit
If the governments were to abandon every other thing but prostrate on the ground and plead with God for the Holy Spirit, and comply with the injunctions of God and love one another as He has instructed, their problems would have been solved. Brethren, once you possess the Holy Spirit, problems and difficulties would be a thing of the past.
Who is the person who overcomes this world apart from Him who has been endowed with the Holy Spirit? Why was Our Lord Jesus Christ able to overcome the temptations of the world? It was not Our Lord Jesus Christ per se but the Holy Spirit, who overcame for Him.
You will come across somebody who initiates into more than thirty secret societies because he wants safety, security, and protection, but can he find safety and security and protection in the societies? A man is educated so that he may have assistance. A man has money so that he can find aid. He has children that he may have assistance, but in spite of the high education, money and children, there is no assistance.
The Police Have No Holy Spirit So Cannot Maintain Peace And Order
The government keeps the police force so as to maintain law and order, keeps soldiers to protect the territorial boundaries of the country and also to fight at war if occasions warrant it. But these two agencies are never effective, both the police and soldiers are beaten back and the noise and problems still continue. The police who goes to maintain law and order has he the Holy Spirit to guide him? The soldier who wants to protect, has he the Holy Spirit? Before you are enlisted into the army or you are recruited into the police force you have to ask God to endow you with the Holy Spirit. The order of the day now is that before you take up any appointment, you have to ask for the Holy Spirit. This is the era of the Holy Spirit and any person who would want to see good days should request for the Holy Spirit, and he will surely receive.
Chastity And Celibacy
As the Corinthians asked Paul on things concerning marriage and Paul told them: "It is good for man not to touch a woman.
Nevertheless to avoid fornication let every man have his own wife and let every woman have her own husband. The wife has no power of her own body but the husband, and likewise also the husband has no power of his own body, but the wife. No person should defraud the other except it be with consent for a time that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer and come together again, that satan tempt you not for your incontinency.(1 Cor 7:1-5) Can you see the reason that it would be expedient for you not to touch a woman because this is the sin which spells doom on the world? Since this is the era of the Holy Spirit, it is expedient that no one should touch a man or a woman because the Holy Spirit has assumed His reign. God did not create any woman for a man neither did He create any man for woman. He created both man and women for Himself, to live in them. This is the fullness of time which was promised. The Holy Spirit will dwell in the human body. The Holy Spirit departs from you the moment you are intimate with a man or woman, and after you have defiled yourself you do not pray and fast.
Receive The Holy Spirit As A Gift
Now the whole world is inquiring to know what to do in order to be saved. The voice from high heaven proclaims that the world should ask for the Holy Spirit and they will be given. There is no other thing which can save, if you like, go to India, or Russia or America, Asia or any other place but there will be no salvation excepting that the inhabitants of the world should lift up their voices in lamentation and mourning and then plead for the Holy Spirit and He will be given unto them. All the secret societies in the world are farce. Governments are empty. Churches are farce. But you should ask for the Holy Spirit and He will be given to you as a gift because this promise is for you and for your children and your children's children.
Did Our Lord Jesus not speak openly that the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 14:26). Now you see the University being empty, schools, markets, churches are all empty, it is the Holy Spirit ruling over heaven and earth. He does not rule in part but will rule forever and ever. The rule of man is over. Money, elemental spirits of the Universe and all other things are now over. He is the only monarch of all He, the Holy Spirit, surveys, and the only cock to crow. From now on do not ask for any other thing but ask for the Holy Spirit. How do you ask for it? It is for you to obey his commandments, love every person, do not fornicate, do not tell lies, or indulge in the preparation of concoction and refrain from all acts of sin and you will receive that Holy Spirit.
Brethren, I do not intend to be tedious unto you. One stroke of the cane is sufficient for the wise. Those who have ears, let them hear. May God bless His Holy Words. AMEN!
REFERENCE: Everlasting Gospel Delivered By The Holy Father, Leader Olumba Olumba Obu At The Opening Of The December Pentecostal Assembly on:-THE EFFICACY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT