THE DEATH OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST UNITES THE WORLD
First Bible Lesson: Matthew 27:24-26
"When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified."
Second Bible Lesson: Mark 15:24-25
"And when they had crucified him, they parted his garment, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. And it was the third hour, and they crucified him."
Golden Text: Luke 23:50-53
"And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just: (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the Kingdom of God. This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid."
Brethren, the texts summarize the theme of our revelation. We can preach a verse of each of the texts for twenty years because each passage contains its peculiar teachings and revelations. However, we will not spend our time in detailed explanation. We are doing a little sketch, summarizing everything in a nutshell. Other occasions will provide the opportunity for detailed explanation.
This gospel is premised on the fact that it was on Thursday, at 6 a.m. that our Lord Jesus Christ was condemned to death. At 6 a.m. on Thursday, Pilate condemned him to death, and at 9 a.m. he was crucified. The scripture reveals how Pilate himself tried to set Him free. He kept four hundred soldiers on guard to quell any riot, should he release the Christ. Since it was the will of God, the Jews mounted great pressure on Pilate and kept shouting that Our Lord Jesus Christ should be crucified. In order to forestall any possible riot, Pilate scourged and delivered the Lord Jesus to them to sacrifice. In response to what Pilate said to disassociate himself from their desire to crucify Him, the Jews shouted that His blood should be upon them, and upon their children, and their children's children. Go today and see the pathetic state of Israel. When you argue that you want to do what the Israelites did, go and see their condition today. The ruler of heaven and earth was born to lead and rule over them, but they rejected and killed Him. Until doomsday such an opportunity will never offer itself to them again. Their repentance today means nothing because they had pronounced that his blood should be upon them and upon their children and upon their children's children. This should be a great lesson for you and me and all the inhabitants of the world.
Israel was the nation that God loved above all other nations. The Bible was written by them. Abraham was of that stock. They were the chosen people of God. But what is the position of Israel now? This will show you that "though hand be joined together in prayer the wicked shall not go unpunished" (Prov 11:21). If we were to be wise, we would have learnt a great lesson from what had happened to the Israelites. If you come across a man of God, leave Him alone, no matter what he has done. Leave everyman to his way because you do not know what that person is. It does not pay any person to commit any evil or ever think of it. Because whatever you sow the same you will reap. (Gal 6:7). In his judgement, Pilate admitted he found no fault in Him. (Luke 23:14). Have you ever seen a governor who finds no guilt or fault in someone and yet condemns the person? It was because he was seeking for the glory of the world. He wanted to release Him but they told him that if he released Him, he would not be a friend to Caesar. For that reason, he was afraid. Think of a situation where someone is brought before the court and he is not found guilty. On what grounds will he be convicted by the court? The quest for the things of the world carries the people of the world into destruction. Pilate's wife went by herself and told her husband that her soul had suffered terribly that night because of that man. She warned Pilate to have nothing to do with His death. When Judas Iscariot saw that Christ was condemned, he took the thirty pieces of silver and threw it at them, saying that he had betrayed an innocent Blood. (Matt 27:4). That was another testimony to Christ's innocence.
Pilate himself, who was the governor, admitted that he saw no evil in Him. Who is the person in whom no fault is found except God? Think of any person in the world, in whom no fault is found? Our Lord Jesus Christ had no fault, and Pilate confirmed this.
Why then was he crucified? He died for your sake and mine; for the sake of all the inhabitants of the world. His death was to redeem all the inhabitants of the world from their sins. The question is: has man realized his position? If we were to understand what he has done for us, there would be no person in the world who would not rejoice today. Since he is our Creator, He came and shed His blood to take away our sins. He is the one who will change us unto Himself.
This gospel is meant to strengthen your faith so that when people make a statute of the crucifixion and tell you that that is the Lord Jesus, you know what to say. By their action, they still assert that Our Lord Jesus Christ is still hanging on the cross. But he did not hang on the cross for more than nine hours. To portray that Our Lord Jesus Christ is still on the cross is a source of confusion for so many people. If you tell people that he is on the cross, those with weak minds will question the rationale behind following someone who is perpetually on the cross. The death contract was for seventy-two hours only. Forever and ever such a contract will never be signed again.
This gospel will concentrate on the time he was condemned, and when he was taken into the grave. It will convince you that he was really killed. Having been convinced of his death, you will also understand what is meant by his resurrection. Moreso, you should note with this that God is able to do everything and thus allay your fears about death.
You are advised not to fear death, because as Our Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated that there is no death. The promise of conquering death is not for Him alone, but for you and me and for all creations throughout eternity who believe in Him. He came to reveal his power and glory, that He is the I AM THAT I AM. It is not meant to instill fear into someone to serve God. It does not call for indecision. I have always told you that if you do not preach about Our Lord Jesus Christ, you have not preached the word of God.
The word of God is Our Lord Jesus Christ. When you talk about other things, besides Him, you are talking carnally and your words are vain. We shall explain each of these tests at other times and emphasize what they stand for. The lesson today shows us that we have boldness because He has taken away from us death, tribulation, sorrows and all kinds of weaknesses on one hand. On the other hand, the doubts we have been entertaining about God are cleared. It provides us a golden opportunity to rejoice fully in Him. Take the action of Joseph of Arimathea as an example. Did any of the twelve disciples do what he did? When you argue that you are the only Brotherhood in your family, how do you know that you are the only one?
Every person has his specific work and service to God. Joseph of Arimathea had nothing to do with the decision of the Council to crucify our Lord Jesus Christ. The decision was taken by a handful of persons. It is common to find that a few disgruntled persons would take a decision in the name of the whole village. Joseph of Arimathea was not among them and he knew nothing about their evil plans. I want you to think about a person like Joseph of Arimathea who took that course of action. How do you regard him? He was not associated with Our Lord Jesus Christ physically during such a critical time, yet he went straight to Pilate and asked for his body and Pilate gave it to him. Where have you ever seen such a man? Do you not realize that this was planned by God? Joseph of Arimathea laid Him in a sepulchre prepared for himself, where no one had ever before been laid. Who made such arrangements except God Himself?
It is good for us to preach the life of our Lord Jesus Christ from His birth. This will give you joy, consolation, faith and boldness. This will brighten your eyes to see more and more that there is God. Right before his coming up till the time he finally did, all that was written about him were words of God. As I had already told you, from Genesis to Revelation contain His story alone. If you have the Bible, believe in its message. If you do not believe in the writings of the Bible that is entirely your problem. All that happened, including the action of Joseph of Arimathea are written in the Bible. His sufferings, death and resurrection were all prophesied in the scriptures. These events occurred so that your faith may be straightened; that you may know that God exists. There has never been a time when God was not with His children. There has never been a time when God forsook His children. God does not save you because you serve Him or because you love Him. He does everything just to manifest His own glory. It was on Thursday 3 p.m. that Our Lord Jesus Christ gave up the ghost. You are aware that if He did not give up the ghost, He would not have been taken to the sepulchre. If He did not die, the soldier would have broken his legs. If He did not die, He would not have resurrected on the third day. He has told us that "unless a grain of corn falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone: but when it dies, it brings forth much fruit." (John 12:24). It should have been a great surprise for our Creator to die and remain in the grave forever. On the third day God caused Him to resurrect. If you were to believe in Him, would you not also believe that there is no death for you? For this reason, he died and now lives, that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16). Our first lesson will now be read.
First Bible Lesson: Matthew 27:24-26
"When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified."
Do not forget that the Jews' feast of the Passover was coming up. Is it on Thursday that the Passover was kept? I have already told you that they had agreed that He should not be arrested on the feast day so that there may not be a tumult. That was why they arrested Him at 3:00 a.m. on Thursday. At 6:00 a.m. on that Thursday, he was condemned. At 9:00 a.m. He was crucified. If the event took place on the Sabbath, was Friday the Sabbath day? We are feeding you with this knowledge so that the Thomases who were led astray in their belief may know that we are observing the events as they happened. It explains why we fast from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Thursday to commemorate his death. Since he had mentioned three days and three nights, Pilate condemned Him at 6:00 a.m. on Thursday and from that time, He was regarded as a dead man. At 9:00 a.m. he was crucified. At 12:00 noon he was still on the cross. At 3:00 p.m. he committed His Spirit into the Father's hands and fainted. At exactly 6:00 p.m. Joseph took down his body, and took it to the grave.
That is why we always commemorate the crucifixion every Thursday by fasting from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. We hold the Bible Class every Wednesday. After the Bible Class we conduct Watch and pray until 3:00 a.m. when he was arrested; after which we eat the Last Supper at that time we can disperse.
What was done to the Israelites will be done to the Gentiles. This is the time of the Gentiles and what was done to the Israelites must also be done to them. It is not surprising that Isaac had two children, and when Rebecca did not yet conceive, the word of prophecy came that the elder shall serve the younger. (Gen 25:23). Rebecca conceived two nations in her womb. Since it was written that the elder should serve the younger, that is why it is said that it is not of him who wills nor of him who runs the race but of God who shows mercy. (Roman 9:16). That is why I tell you that you should not make any comment over what you see because everything is wrought by the fingers of God. People argue that Jacob used tricks to usurp the position of Esau; that is not true. If you are hated, it is an act of God. It is also an act of God, if someone loves you. When the children had done neither good nor evil, and were not yet born, it was written that the elder shall serve the younger. Jacob I loved but Esau I hated. (Rom 9:13). This is so that the will of God may be fulfilled. Esau did not know why he struggled to come out first of his mother's womb. You can see how the blacks push and force their way in anything they want to do. But the whites are calm and calculating in their ways.
This is attributable to one's nature. You cannot depart from the nature that God has given to you. Since it was written that the elder shall serve the younger, (Genesis 25:23). That was why things occurred the way they did. Since God is impartial and omnipotent, Jacob received the blessing. Isaac became blind in order that the will of God may be fulfilled. When it was time for the blessing, everybody knew that Esau was the first born, and that he should inherit the blessing. He was hard-working and obedient to his father. The mother loved Jacob. Jacob was like a daughter to her, and he served her. But the father loved Esau because he was his first-born, and he also ministered to him in the house. If Isaac had his sight, nothing would have induced him to bless Jacob.
God caused Isaac to be blind and he blessed Jacob in order that the will of God may be made manifest. It will not be surprising if Esau assumes his rightful place today; he had for long accomplished his work, and he is entitled to his reward. Esau has no problems.
Whatever you have belongs to you. Do not be surprised if you do not find many whites in this Kingdom. No one is responsible. It is the Father doing His work. If you preach to the whites and they listen to you with rap attention, it is not done by you neither are they responsible. It is what has been written down. Esau is the firstborn.
Do not compel any white man to come here. Allow him to his own will because before the foundations of the world were laid, God had already arranged everything in its shipshape order.
As you have already been told, you have to clear the bush, and He will set fire to it. God does not cheat anyone. What you sow is what you reap. (Gal 6:7) And whatever God plants has to stand. After blessing Jacob, Esau later appeared, and Isaac told him that there was no other blessing. Esau was the rightful owner of the position. But because of the prediction that the elder shall serve the younger, that vision had to be allowed to fulfill itself. After its fulfillment, it was put aside. As you have been told, visions will pass away. After each vision has been fulfilled it has to pass away for what was instituted from the beginning to be made manifest. The whites know that the black man is the firstborn. They have no doubts over this as you do. You complain that you have neither money nor wisdom. Is this a matter of money? What wisdom did Jacob possess? Did any work qualify him for the blessings? It was Esau who laboured while Jacob ate gratis. That is exactly the situation now. Ethiopia shall rise.
If somebody had told you that in this world, a black man will pick up the Bible, travel to the white man's country, and preach to him, nobody would have believed. Today, they are looking for you. When you go there, they ask for your permission to touch your garment. They are weeping and searching for you. They are not responsible neither are you responsible. They are the fingers of God, as this is the appointed time. Whenever the time appointed for a particular thing is ripe, it must be manifested. You can see that man can of himself do nothing. In the end Isaac prayed that God should remember Esau. He said to Esau, "by the sword shalt thou live, and shall serve thy brother, and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from thy neck". (Genesis 27:40). Right now Esau has broken Jacob's yoke from his neck. This is why all the black should shout out for joy.
It is not a question of he has healed my sickness or given me money. This is the glory of God which has come to Africa and to the entire world. This is the fullness of time and you will notice the joy all over the world. Peace will flow and abound because the black man has a different lifestyle.
Whoever argues that God does not love the blacks should pray for himself because he has not read the scriptures. Abraham begot Isaac. Isaac begot Esau and Jacob. Rebecca gave birth to twins, who represented the blacks and the whites. If everything had worked according to our expectations, the whole world would have been one. If the first had taken his position, there would be no problem in this world.
The saying that the first shall be last and the last shall be first, and also that he who laughs last laughs best, has been fulfilled with the blacks. The Father has given us the boldness to do this work. He has strengthened us. He is the one who does everything. We have to go to the white man's land and to every part of the world and preach the good news of this kingdom. The Father is before and behind us.
This is the work that lies before us. The ability does not reside with man. Whether you like it or not, you will find yourself where you least expected, and you will work until every person sees and believes. There will be no division between the Jews and the Greeks, there will be no wars, quarrelling and problems again.
Let the second lesson be read so that you may realize that Christ died for the whole world in order that there may be no division. He had accomplished everything when He said, "It is finished." (John 19:30). He has rearranged everything in the world. His garment was divided according to the four corners of the world and so everything has been brought together.
Second Bible Lesson: Mark 15:24-25
"And when they had crucified Him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. And it was the third hour, and they crucified Him."
If the situation was not the fulfillment of prophecy have you guns, or money, or wisdom to have attained a Republican status of your own? That is what the death of Christ accomplished for us. Right now you are free. Even though you have no money, you have the Father.
In 1940, and up till 1950, you were slaves to colonialists. All the land was Crown Land. You had no say whatever in the running of the government. You remember that when Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe said that Nigeria, and the whole of Africa, should fight for their independence, people argued that we were not ripe for self-government.
Today, we have attained a Republic of our own. South Africa is on its way to liberation. If you were a slave, your master would not allow you to do anything. The wisdom possessed by one black man cannot be compared with that of twenty white man. God has made the black man superior in wisdom, power and intelligence. You will witness what the black man will accomplish.
A certain white man from Canada came to 34 Ambo Street, Calabar and asked me if I will accept Him if He practices some of the gospels of God. Another white man came and told me that they do not practice all the words of God. They only select those they practice. They do not want anything that will disturb them. But the blacks are trying to practice all the words of God. Even in university, a white man specializes in only one subject. If he specializes in history he holds on to that until his graduation. But the black man is made to take all the subjects, yet he passes them all. We have people here who have been to Europe. If somebody tells you that the whites have wisdom or money, that is not true. What our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us is that the whole world may be united. If we are all united there will be no problems again. It was God who said that the elder shall serve the younger. Right now the elder and the younger are one. If He did not die, nothing would have made the elder and the younger to unite again, nor will the world be united. Since he created man, He came and died so that He may gather into one all that was divided. The whites and the blacks are now one. Male and female are now one. Small and great are now one. Do not cause divisions again because we are all one. It is good for one to first suffer under servitude than to be a lord before becoming a slave. Do you realize that if somebody who is born with a silver spoon in his mouth, that is he has everything he needs, exhausted his wealth, he can commit suicide. The person who starts life in poverty, lack, deprivation, without relations, when he prospers, he will continue to go onward.
The blacks are going onward, there is no going back. That is why I have invited Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe to come and have a dialogue with me. The wealth, prosperity and peace which are in Africa will never be exhausted. You are walking on top of wealth. The whites are finding all possible ways to come over here. The whole world knows this but a crafty person will not disclose it to you.
That is why it has been said in the scriptures that you have been placed where all precious stones and wealth was found. You have gold and diamond, and emerald, and all precious stones and minerals. This refers to Africa. The wealth and mineral resources we have in Africa will never be exhausted.
Right now you are struggling so that the whites may not come and share in your wealth. Let them come in because our Lord Jesus Christ died to unite all of us. There will be no wars, quarrelling and hunger. It is hunger which brings about war. Do not fold your arms. Howbeit, whether you fold your arms or not, since it has been ordained that the blacks will serve God, this has to be so. The whites will also serve Him and together we shall join hands in lifting the glory of God. The whites and the blacks will be here, and hunger, famine and wars shall be no more. All that we see today does not come from man. It is the death of Our Lord Jesus Christ which has brought everything. They are all words of prophecy and the manifestation of the will of God for mankind. The darkest hour precedes the dawn. That is all that we are seeing now. You complain that things are very tough. I want you to be rest assured that all is well.
The only thing is that you should not learn the ways of the whites because they have failed. Listen to the Holy Spirit. If we listen to the Holy Spirit, we will help them. They have failed by using the wisdom of the world. They are all walking corpses because they are living an artificial life. Millions of them have no homes. They live in hotels. They teach you all kinds of abominable ways of life.
When you return from Europe, you live abominably here; thinking that it is the best way of life. It is not the best life. You have to go and straighten all that was crooked. These infiltrations of foreign cultures have done great harm to our country. Whoever returns from Europe behaves like an European. You fornicate by the roadside, and can commit any vice in the open because that is what you learnt from the whites. I thank God because Africa is a jungle. We shall start to hew down our big trees and start building our own cities.
It is for this reason that we must always listen to the Spirit. Do not listen to any white man or to any person for that matter. Live a new life because this is the new world for which our Lord Jesus Christ died and resurrected so that it may be built again. This is the New Jerusalem, the New World. What you see here has baffled the white man because he has introduced the cinema, he has manufactured the airplane, the submarine and many other things, thinking that that is the way. But when you say "LET" and sickness goes away and many other things happen, they find this wonderful because it is not within the limits of their wisdom. For this reason they become frightened.
And so brethren, every human invention is counterfeit; but what is made by God is genuine. That is why He came and gave up His life. Even though Pilate tried to save Him, He could not because there is no crown without a cross. Since the world has perished, He came to redeem the whole world unto Himself. We all have to rise up.
Do not put on ties and coats and hats. If Christ came and dressed with shoes and hats, we would not have been saved. He was disgraced and killed, and he endured all in order that we may be saved. The whites have a great work to do in this Kingdom. Do not say that they are not here, they are. All those who are in this country have work to do in this Kingdom of God. Take the case of Joseph of Arimathea as an example. He did not walk with our Lord Jesus Christ but see what he did. Those who are working hard for Brotherhood are outside doing the same work.
Let our golden text be read so that you may know that all of us have work to do in this Kingdom. The whites have work to do. The blacks, children, young and old, all have work to do. All you have to do is to face your duty.
Golden Text: Luke 23:50-53
"And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counselor, and he was a good man, and a just: (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the Kingdom of God. This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid."
If I want to explain this text, we will not exhaust it in twenty years. That is why it is said that Elijah prayed God to take his life because people had killed all the prophets of God leaving him alone; and even then they sought after his life. What did God answer him? God said, "I have left 7,000 men who have not bowed to Baal." Have you heard that?
Do you know that the whites and all the inhabitants of the world are waiting for this glory? All the wealth in the world will be used in building this Kingdom. All the rich men in Nigeria and in Africa, the governments and companies and all their wealth will be used in uplifting this glory. There is no problem because God has already prepared everything. Do not worry yourself that you have no money.
If we were to be the only Brotherhood, we would not exist up till today. There are others outside fighting the cause of Brotherhood; among the whites and the blacks. The hidden disciples are more numerous. If they declare that they are Brotherhood they would be stoned. That is why they are hiding. If you want to stage an opposition to Brotherhood, they will intervene. Should you ask them, they will argue that they are not Brotherhood but are only doing it, for doing's sake.
You can realize how God does his work. A certain brother has said that every person is Brotherhood but not every person will come here. Most of those you find here are not the real Brotherhood. Those outside, the hidden disciples, are there to defend Brotherhood. You are not the only one doing this work. It involves the whole world.
In Sierra Leone, the house we are using for worship was given by a Moslem. Right now, the government is protecting the interest of Brotherhood. In Ndon Ebom, when there was a dispute, it was the government which defended Brotherhood.
Do not speak evil words against any person. Do not discriminate that one person is Brotherhood and the other person is not Brotherhood. You do not know who is a Brotherhood and who is not a Brotherhood. Take the case of Joseph of Arimathea, the disciples and even the mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ ran away but he went and asked for the body of Our Lord Jesus. Stop speaking evil words against any person because you do not know who is a Brotherhood and who is not a Brotherhood.
God is the God of hosts. He has very many people. He owns heaven and earth and all the inhabitants of the world. You will see what will happen among the whites. All the money they have in their big banks will be used in the service of God. All their wisdom will be used in the service of God. With this, you will not complain that you have nothing. It is the Father who owns everything.
If it were not the fullness of time, these things would not have happened. God had planned and completed everything for the manifestation of His glory. Right now, He has taught people to learn other languages. He has taught people the manufacturing of airplanes and cars for quick transportation. This will prove to you that he has finished everything.
It is not an easy thing to unify the whole world. That is why he said that this generation should not pass away until everything is fulfilled. This generation has not passed away; it is about eleven years more. He has finished everything and the whole world is now one. Do not cause any divisions again.
Most of the kindness that we receive are not from Brotherhood but from others who are not in Brotherhood. It is your Brotherhood brother who wants to kill you. All the inhabitants of the world are waiting for this Kingdom. Even satan himself is waiting for this Kingdom. Each person has his own work to do. Whether somebody comes here or not, he is in Brotherhood.
The disciples were walking with our Lord Jesus Christ always but Joseph of Arimathea was not. When He died, it was Joseph who went and asked Pilate for the body, and laid Him in his personal sepulchre. Which is the greater work?
It was the Commercial Manager of NTA Calabar who, when he returned from Europe, stamped his feet that the Brotherhood Pulpit should be aired. They wrote to Lagos that he should be sacked. He said that even if they sacked him, they had to air the programme. That was one man and at that time he was not baptized. Was it done by you who call yourself members?
Those who carry Brotherhood on their heads are not here. They are outside and you do not know them. Even among the whites, if you go there you will realize that God keeps everything in its place. Do not bother about somebody's color or race because the Father is doing His work.
When you swim, you have to dive and later on resurface. That is full swimming. Do not praise yourself but praise Jehovah God and His Christ who did hang on the tree. He is the one doing these things. Neither you nor I nor any person can claim to be responsible.
One stroke of the cane is sufficient for the wise. Those who have ears let them hear. May God Bless His Holy Words. A-men!
REFERENCE: Everlasting Gospel By The Sole Spiritual Head of the Universe, Leader Olumba Olumba Obu on:- "THE DEATH OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST UNITES THE WORLD"
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