First Bible Lesson: Matthew 22:37-39
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. And this is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Second Bible Lesson: John 4: 20-21
Our Fathers worshiped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus said unto her, woman believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain nor at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
GOLDEN TEXT: 1 Corinthians 8:3
But if any man love God, the same is known of him.
EXHIBIT TRUE LOVE:
Beloved brethren, the three lessons above constitute our opening address for this year's April Pentecostal. The theme of the address is love for one another.
Whoever calls himself a member of B.C.S. but has no love does not know Brotherhood of the Cross and Star. For what is B.C.S. without love? And how can you claim to be a Christian when you have no love? You claim to be a man of God yet you have no love. What makes you a man of God? How can you say that you believe in God when you neither possess nor practise love, in which way will you say you have repented or have been born again, when you do not practise love, and you are a liar. For love is the actual substance of repentance or spiritual rebirth.
King Solomon built a house for God, but God does not dwell in a house built by men. Now, David killed Goliath and he was praised. Was that a sign of love? Love does not kill. So you can see that David had no love. Though you may have a lot of money, gather a population as many as the fine sand of the sea shore and possess all things, but if you do not possess love, you have nothing. That is why we use love to open this 1996 April Pentecostal Assembly. For B.C.S. is the kingdom of Love and the kingdom of God. WHAT DO YOU THINK GOD, CHRIST, HOLY SPIRIT, OR OLUMBA OLUMBA OBU IS ? They all represent love while you are the offspring of love.
THE UNIFICATION OF CHURCHES :
Is a fullfilment of what had been said and written down. Even Professor Assaso Inyang Ibom had prophesied this many years ago. He said that churches will start surrendering to the Father from the year 1994 through 1996. This will end in 1997. He said by the end of 1997, there will be joy everywhere. There will be no divisions between religious groups because all shall be one in the Father. When people hear this prophesy, they always laugh for they cannot imagine how the entire world can become one. They imagine how all religious bodies can be united as one under the control of one person. They cannot see mankind forsaking sin. Well, where love abounds, it is easy to practise the word of God.
In the era of Adam and until the last generation, there was no love on earth. Fortunately, love has arrived in this era in a big way. GOD IS LOVE, OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IS LOVE AS WELL AS THE HOLY SPIRIT. THE TRIUNE PHENOMENON IS LOVE AND SO YOU HAVE TO SEEK FOR LOVE.
WORD OF GOD IS LOVE:
This gospel seeks to remind you of that which had been forgotten. We have to remind you of the things that you are to do. You are asked to go and preach the words of God which is love. If you preach any other thing, then you are not preaching the word of God.
If you do not have love, then you do not have God. And you have no leader. You are a wonderer, a nonentity as long as you do not have love. Mankind has known the Father who created the heaven and earth as well as the fullness thereof. They have also known the Son of God. However they do not know the Great Holy Spirit.
The Father is Love, the Son is Love and He shed His precious blood for our salvation. The Holy Spirit is today a manifestation of love. So, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit have come as love. We are now a congregation of love.
THE ERA OF LOVE:
Naturally there is time for the dry season as well as the rainy season. So it is with the different eras. We are now in the era of love, light, life and all goodness. The era of sadness and poverty, darkness, death and all negative things have passed. The time of discrimination, war, and infighting have passed. So if you had no love for God, you have to start now to love you God with all strength, heart, life, and soul. Then you have to love your neighbor as Christ loves you. This is the crux of the matter. And it explains the scripture at Revelation 2:4-5, that God has something against us, because we have forsaken our first love. Go back to that first love which Adam had for God. By then Adam did not know any other thing except God. He loved God with all his life, mind, and soul. Adam superintended over the animals birds, and fishes. He took care of all that God had created and he loved God wholeheartedly. So I want you to have this undivided love from now on.
It is said that God knows all those who love Him. Let it be known to you that anyone who does not love God is not known of God. Before God such a person does not exist. Remember that anybody who does not love God, cannot have eternal life. That is why it is written that anyone who loves his parents, wife, husband, children, and earthly possessions more than God is not worthy of Him. There was a great suffering in the world because of the absence of love created a serious vacuum.
However with the arrival of love, the world is flowing with milk and honey. Though you may forget every gospel, do not forget this gospel of love. Let this gospel of love be in you forever. Let it be your amour of war. For it is the true source of life to all mankind.
See the first bible lesson
First Bible Lesson: Matthew 22: 37-39
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
LOVE- MAN'S SOURCE OF LIFE:
The instructions of God are never burdensome to man. The words of God are simple enough to be practised. Visiting this hall all day and night is useless if you do not possess love. That you buy cars or build houses for God cannot avail anything if you do not have love.
You are to practise this gospel if you want to please God and that he may know you. You have to love your God with all your heart , mind, soul, life, and strength. Anything outside this you have failed. Anyone who loves God loves all that God has created. If you hate God you have hated all other things created by Him.
LOVE, HONOR AND WORSHIP MAN:
If anyone says that he loves God but hates a human being, such a person is a liar. You are equally a liar if you claim to be serious with God yet you disgrace, beat and curse people. You are a liar if you say that you love and worship God but you vow never to honor or worship a man.
If you do not honor man, what else would you honor? Would you honor and worship stones and trees? Whatsoever you do to a man is done directly to God. Anyone who knows God knows a human being. Anyone who knows Man knows God as well. Man and God are one. You cannot separate man from God. If you are not truthful to man, it means you are not truthful to God and vice versa. Once you do not love God, you are finished. That is the cause of hard times, sickness, confusion, death and sorrows in the entire world. The only thing that can save you is love for God as well as for man. You have neither eternal life nor salvation if you do not love.
Anyone who abides in this instruction on love and practice same has the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. However, any person who claims to know God but does not accept this gospel will neither have the Father, the Son, nor the Holy Spirit. Such a person will ever abide in falsehood and darkness. And there is no life in him. That is why the churches and religions of the world are empty. For none of them really loves God. Consequently, they neither have the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
B.C.S.- THE KINGDOM OF GOD:
Brotherhood of the Cross and Star is the glory and kingdom of God. It is the abode of the true God. This is where love flourishes. All good things equally flourish in B.C.S. and are spread from here to the entire universe. Members of B.C.S. are covered with a mighty canopy which emanates from love. The Almighty is love and His presence in you radiates love, power and prosperity. The whites have wealth, money, knowledge and mundane power, yet they have no love of God. Therefore they are empty and void. You will see how they shall fail and their problems will grow. Very soon, everybody will come to Africa.
ILLUSTRATION: MUNDANE WEALTH IS VANITY:
Recall the story of a certain young man who loved money so much. All his prayers were for God to endow him with wealth. He claimed that anyone who has money has everything. So God gave him so much money that all the banks were filled up with his money. The worst part of the bargain was that whatever he touched became gold. Even when he was thirsty and he was given a cup of water, the water turned to gold so he could not quench his thirst. When he was hungry and he demanded for food, it was quickly prepared and taken to him. But sadly enough, once he touched the food, the meal became gold. He remained thirsty and hungry, yet, was the richest man. How could he eat when everything he touched became gold? After suffering that way under compulsory dry fasting for a long time he died of starvation.
This is what has happened to the whites. For they sought for knowledge and power which God gave them in abundance. Unfortunately, they are confused by the very knowledge they sought for. They do not know what to do now. They are struggling for money, power, and wisdom. Today they are the poorest people in the world, in terms of knowing God. Their only hope is now in Africa.
All their inventions, both scientific and otherwise, are now almost useless. They are entrapped by what they have made with their hands. They go about with guns and live ammunitions, ready to kill at the slightest provocation. If the Father had not come, the world would have perished. Very soon, you will see the whites running down here. So the Father has used his great love to balance all things.
Do not compare anything with love. For one who has love has life, peace, joy, prosperity, power, mercy, righteousness and all goodness. See the Second Bible Lesson below.
Second Bible Lesson: John 4:20-21
Our Fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, woman believe me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor at Jerusalem worship the Father.
NIGERIA-GOD'S COUNTRY:
When it came that Nigeria would be suspended from the United Nations, I laughed at man's ignorance. For if that is done, then there will be nothing like the United Nations Organisation again. Nigeria is the leader of the Universe. This is the dwelling place of God. If God is excluded in anything, such a thing perishes. It is to the UN's advantage that Nigeria is with her.
WHATEVER THING NIGERIA IS INVOLVED IN IS BLESSED. VERY SOON EVERYBODY WILL COME TO NIGERIA WHAT WILL BRING THEM HERE IS THE PRESENCE OF FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. SO DO NOT LOOK AT OR HOPE IN THE GOVERNMENT OR THE PEOPLE OF NIGERIA BUT IN GOD. Go and practise this gospel. If you do this, you shall have eternal joy, glory, wealth and eternal life; in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
REJOYCE WITH GOD'S CREATIONS:
From now on if anyone accuses you of worshipping man, accept it. Accept to worship and love human beings. If you love man, animals, birds, fishes, and even plants, it means you love God.
Whatsoever you do to a human being, same is done to God, the creator. You have to love, cater for and rejoyce with all creations of God. Apply your God given wisdom and strength in good ventures. Hatred, discrimination, segregation, and immorality are not virtues. Roguery, fornication, lies, idolatory and prostitution are not approved of by God. Do not put your mind in mundane possessions and positions. Though much wealth and money would be given to you, do not allow such to overcome you.
Our Second Lesson is a sort of questionnaire. Can someone tell me he loves God whom he does not see but hate his brother who he see everyday? If you hate a man no matter how junior he is to you, you have hated God Almighty. If you humble yourself before a man or are loyal to a human being, then you are doing this to God directly. Both the question and answer are provided in the second lesson. This situation is the same as the local adage which says that a wise person dies at the veranda of a fool.
The whites claim to be knowledgeable and the blacks agree with them. Eventhough the whites claim to know and love God, the fact that they discriminate and uphold racial segregation means that they hate God. The blacks and other races also fall into this trap. For while they make claims of loving God, they still hate human beings. You even hate your wife, husband, children and brethren.
EVIDENCE OF LOVE:
Our Lord Jesus Christ endured all the tortures and suffering because of his love for mankind. He suffered for the sins of the world. He would not have suffered if he had so chosen. Recall that before He was born attempts were made to kill his mother, Mary.
As a young man, Christ moved about freely and no man harmed Him because He had no association with sin. However, from that night when He drank the cup of iniquity of mankind, God deserted Him. From the moment He commanded His disciples to drink his blood and eat of His flesh, lifting the cup high, He surrendered Himself for torture and death.
MAN'S ENEMY:
You can see that sin is man's only enemy. All our troubles come from sinfulness. Our Lord Jesus Christ is God's true witness. That is why he instructed us not to commit sin but to love one another as He loves us.
Do not worry about anything but always have a clear conscience toward all people. If you do these, you will neither lack nor encounter problems.
I want you to know that Our Lord Jesus Christ purposely drank of the cup of iniquity so as to suffer for our sins. When the people went to arrest Him He asked them whom they were looking for. They replied that they were looking Jesus. By saying that He was the one, they went backwards and fell on the ground. You can now realise that when you have love, nobody can harm you.
Recall that when the people spat on Our Lord Jesus Christ and they asked Him to identify the one that had spat on Him, He could not, because His eyes were darkened the moment He drank of the man's sins. This explains why it is said that love is the only way out. I am a witness to the truth embedded in this gospel. There is nothing called mermaid, ghost, apparition, demon, or man who can harm you, or you should be afraid of, if you love God. For the only being that exist is God Almighty. That is why I do not believe in anything people say because I see only God. At times I think I have not been born. I look at things form the perspective of a child. I do not see evil and that is why I have never frowned or become fastidious.
NO EVIL EXISTS:
You are aware that the churches of the so called Christendom as well as the world say that Olumba Olumba Obu is owner and controller of all witchcrafts and demonic powers in the world. They further say that all ghosts, mermaid and charms are controlled by me. I only hear them say these things but I do not believe in such things.
Very soon I shall stop the use of the name or word Satan: for it does not exist in reality. All these funny names come from the emptiness in man since you have no love. If you have love you cannot see Satan, ghost, mermaid, or any such things. There will be nothing like temptation if you have love for God.
Go to Biakpan and ask the elders who I am. From my youth when I started my mission, I knew myself. Once I make a statement, I stand by and such is always the truth. When those who claim to be tough rose up to fight against my words, I kept quiet. Finally, have I not overcome Biakpan? You will find out from Umon clan to the location called Akpatte Itiat, every person is afraid of Biakpan. All the nearby Igbos of ohafia and environs are afraid of that city. For they can do and undo at any moment. But the only person they are afraid of is Olumba Olumba Obu.
There is no person who is not afraid of Olumba; even the land itself is afraid of Olumba Olumba Obu. For they have tried all within their power, yet they cannot meet up with me. They do not know to what to do next, for they are exhausted. On one occasion, one young man confronted me and asked how I managed to have a sound sleep after speaking boldly at the village council. He confessed that he and others do not sleep after such meetings. I told him that he could not sleep because he was and evil minded person. That he did not have love otherwise he would have been at peace.
ONCE YOU LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR LIFE, MIND AND SOUL, AND YOU LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF YOU ARE FREE. NOTHING CAN HARM OR HINDER YOUR PROGRESS PHYSICALLY OR SPIRITUALLY. That is when people will start calling you names and accusing you of acquiring charms from different parts of the world. They call you strange names because no one can challenge you anymore.
I have never believed in charms, witchery, ghost, mermaid, and other evil things. I have never received injections, taken or rubbed medicine, drugs or acquired charms of any kind. I do not eat fish, meat, or drink wine, alcohol or anything crooked. I was born way and I was never taught to indulge in these things. The derogatory names which I am called started right from Biakpan because they did not know the source of my power. Many people who go to Biakpan today go there to discover the source of my power.
LOVE - THE GREATEST OF ALL VIRTUES:
Let it be known that there is nothing as great as love. If your community does not accept Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, know that it is because you do not have love. Love is the greatest of all things and have very extensive tentacles. His legs and hands are so long. His eyes and power cover the entire universe, physically and spiritually. Love is both man and woman. Love is the fastest moving object.
If you have any misunderstanding with someone and so begrudge him, you have to forgive him, having imbibed love. YOU CAN KNEEL DOWN WHEREVER YOU ARE AND BEG GOD TO FORGIVE YOU. Once you love Him He gets the message wherever he is and once you forgive your adversary and love him your way is opened. What causes poverty and ill luck is hatred.
I AM NOT OF THIS EARTH:
I have never been a civil servant, neither have I been a company worker. I have never served someone as a house boy so as to be rewarded later. I HAVE NEVER WORKED FOR ANY ONE AND REQUESTED FOR MONEY, HELP, OR ANY FORM OF GRATIFICATION. I started teaching as a child and all my teachings and pieces of advice are given gratis. I do not bother myself about mundane things. Even when I am travelling I neither carry a bag nor a purse. I depend entirely on the Father and He has always provided everything. He cannot fail and has never failed. Even what the millionaires cannot do, the Father does them very easily for me.
In this wise when you are going on evangelical ministry and carry a bag filled with food stuff, stew, and soup, I laugh at you. Your soup and stew may pour on the way. Your car may break down on the way but I will continue till I get to my destination conveniently. Have you not seen a good example in me?
Why then do you not emulate my exemplary life? I have never learnt what I teach from any book, neither was I taught by any person. My teachings are natural. I HAVE NOT TOLD YOU THAT MY TEACHINGS ARE FROM THE DREAM WORLD OR VISION.
The last time I visited Biakpan physically to work for them was in 1954. Before that job, the entire community was in utter confusion. But God told me to go for if I did not go, the entire people would perish, and if they had perished what would have been my credit? Well, I had to listen to the Father and so I went. I have told you that I am a one man squad, yet I see and know all that people do.
The people of Biakpan had a land case with their neighbouring Igbo brethren which had so impoverished the rural peasants that many decided to leave the place. They were not running away from war but from lack, hunger, and starvation. So I went with neither luggage nor money, but I made a pronouncement that I went there to free the community. That if they would not accept the assignment, I would return to Calabar. People were so afraid of the situation that even the chief of Biakpan was not finding it easy to come out of his hiding place.
The devil behind the entire confusion and suffering was one popular community leader. No one was allowed to say anything. No one could bring out any idea, no matter how good, unless the community leader permitted him. Before he permitted the person, he must have settled him financially or otherwise in his house. The man had told them that the case was in a London court and so people were recklessly tasked. They did not know that I had already sent a letter to the privy council and I already had my reply.
The community leader and the community lawyer, Lawyer Udoma, along with few others embezzled the money which was contributed by the poor people. So when I got there and demanded that people should gather at the village square, some told me that people would not oblige. However I told them all of them would attend the meeting. Biakpan people cannot forget year 1954. Pator K.E. Bassey was given a copy of that letter from the Privy council in London. I instructed him to print that letter into a small pamphlet so that people may read it. He came back to tell me that the letter had been misplaced.
After the job in 1945, I returned to Calabar but again, another serious commotion erupted in Biakpan. So before I went back to Biakpan 1955 my brother wrote to me to be very careful when I would be returning to Biakpan. He indicated in the letter that the villagers had invited very powerful juju doctors and necromancers to prepare charms in order to kill me on my way. He warned me to mind the way I overlooked things because knew that I not believe charms or juju. They waited for me to get to the village before the general meeting could hold. My words were accepted like a law inspite of all their preparations to fight against me. So they concluded that my witchcraft was the highest.
The Biakpan man has never accepted another person's idea. But they accepted mine, for the first time and they got solutions to their problems. What gave me the determination was the fact that I knew that the Father was with me. As I am here, I have neither brother, sister, mother, father, friends, nor kindreds. I have no link with the carnal world. I do not struggle for mundane things neither do I take advice from the world. I am always alone.
I DO NOT TALK ANYHOW. WHEN I SAY A WORD IT MUST BE THE TRUTH. THAT IS WHY WHENEVER I WARN AGAINST ANYTHING, YOU WOULD GET INTO TROUBLE IF YOU DISOBEY. BUT IF YOU ABIDE BY MY WORDS, YOU WOULD NEVER HAVE ANY PROBLEMS. I PITY THOSE WHO JOKE WITH MY WORDS FOR THEY ERRONEOUSLY THINK MY WORDS ARE OF THIS WORLD
I do not seek help from any person and I take all things in the world very simple. I was once drowned in the big river of Ikot Okpora- Biase Local Government Area. But uptill this day, I do not know how I came out of the water. I do not know whether I was removed spiritually or physically. All I know is that the boat sank to the bed of water. The people only recollected that I was in the boat when it sank, only to see me at the shore.
BE BOLD IN THE FATHER:
There are a lot of things one has to think about. What has made little David challenge Goliath's pride. Goliath challenged the entire army of Israel, calling them derogatory names. David remembered how he strangled a lion that attempted to eat his father's sheep with his bare hands. So he thought within himself that if he could kill a lion with his bare hands, then he could easily defeat Goliath. So he challenged Goliath and defeated the giant warrior. IN THE SAME WAY I AM BOLD BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT ARE WITH ME. The legion of angels who are on guard are not even mentioned. Your problem is that you do not practise the word of God. Read the golden Text.
Golden Text: 1 Corinthians 8: 3
But if any man love God, the same is known of him.
LOVE IS THE KEY TO HEAVEN:
God knows all those who love him. I know you all and all that you think, say, and do. Do you think that I am blind, dumb, and deaf? I know what is happening in the entire world. Remember that of all the people who received the baptism of John only our Lord Jesus Christ was worthy to be called God's beloved son. That was so because God knew that Christ loved Him. I know all those who love me. You may come here and shout into the microphone that you love me. If you do not love me in truth, I know, yet I will not say a word. If you have loved God, would you hate man, or would you have committed evil against one another? If you have love would I have continued to preach day and night? Remember that you can deceive yourself as well as others, but you can not deceive God for God knows all things.
I have always told that without love, you cannot enter into this kingdom of God. The entry qualification is not material wealth, money, knowledge, power, position or possession.
Beloved brethren, I do not intend to take you any further than this. A stroke of the cane is enough for the wise. Let who has ears to hear, hear what the Holy Spirit has to impart to the world. May God bless his holy words. AMEN
THANK YOU FATHER.