FIRST BIBLE LESSON: EPHESIANS 4:30-32
"And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger, and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice: And be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
SECOND BIBLE LESSON: JUDE:14-16
"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgement upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage."
GOLDEN TEXT: MATTHEW 12:31-32
"Wherefore I say unto you, All manners of sins and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto them.
And whosoever speaketh a word against the son of man it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come."
The texts above explain the source of mankind's predicament. Man is fond of complaining, protesting and lamenting over everything. He is always questioning God why things are happening the way they do to him; why God created him the way he is; why God has not done this or that to him as He has done to others. By saying all these ungodly words, he is murmuring, blaspheming, criticizing, instructing and directing God on what to do. Thus, man is insolent. Henceforth, let it be known that all those who engage in such unseemly behavior have already judged themselves and they stand condemned. They are the children of perdition whom judgement shall be executed upon as stated in the second lesson above. All those who get angry to the point of blaspheming against God, those who promise to stop going to church and prefer serving Satan, should reason with what the Golden Text has stated. See the Golden Text below for your record:
"Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sins and blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him in this world, neither in the world to come." The First Lesson has also advised us to: "grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." This goes to prove that the Holy Spirit does not permit murmuring, complains, sighing, begging, weeping, flippancy and vain communication.
Now you are very much aware of the presence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all the Hosts of heaven and the children of God here on earth. Do you revere them? God cannot associate with anything evil. Do you shun evil? He does not listen to gossip; neither does He condone stealing or any act of sinfulness. If you disobey Him and go ahead with such unseemly behavior, you are incurring the wrath of God upon yourself.
Comparatively, incurring the wrath of God upon oneself could be likened to somebody who offends the Government by committing armed robbery, murder and engaging in other criminal offenses that attract capital punishment. Such offenses do not have any option of fine or imprisonment. You do not enjoy any form of bail. That is why I constantly tell you that you do not know the place where you are. If you were to know the place where you are, Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, you would not be angry or sad, neither would you sigh, lie, weep, lament nor murmur against God. Conversely, all of you are busy complaining how conditions are so bad and you do not know that these complaints you make increase your sorrows?
If you place a request before God, you have succeeded in increasing your problems. If you murmur against God, you have jumped from the frying pan into fire. If you begrudge, you have put yourself into serious trouble. For you to sigh or look sad means creating trouble for yourself and being in direct confrontation with God.
There are many things that separate you from God. That is why I do not relent in admonishing you everyday and night. You have no justification whatsoever to query God or contest His action. Whatever God does is right. Even if He caused the heaven and earth to disappear, His action is right and unquestionable. Some people query why God has handed them over to their enemies, and in fact, why any mishap should befall them. Such questions are insulting and therefore they attract heavy punishment. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, has never frowned, He has never sighed, or made any request from God. Throughout the synoptic gospels, there is no passage which indicates that Our Lord Jesus Christ frowned, queried God, or murmured against God. He did not do these because He knew the consequences of such behavior.
Anytime you murmur against God or query His actions, the Holy Spirit deserts you; and from that moment, your problems begin. If you query or feel bad about the heavy rainfall or the intensity of the sun, you have invited trouble unto yourself. Such statements are unforgivable because they tantamount to blaspheming against God, as stated in the Golden Text.
If you query or murmur against a tree, man, stone, or any other creature, you could be forgiven. But if you query God's action, and because of that you weep and tell lies, you will never be forgiven. If you query God and murmur against His name that He has enriched some other person leaving you penniless, you have judged yourself, and you stand condemned.
Brethren, you can observe that there are many things you are yet to know. I have not yet opened my "bag" of wisdom. It is said that if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged (1 Cor 11:31). This implies that if you do not refrain from all manners of sins, then you shall be judged.
Our Lord Jesus Christ said, "Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of things against you for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad for great is your reward in heaven." (Matt 5:11-12). Some of the events that take place in this kingdom are demonstrated to fulfill the practical side of the teachings received here. For instance, have you ever seen the Holy Father being angry, sad, complaining, sighing, or querying any section? That is the practical aspect of the teachings which you should emulate.
When the Disciples of Our Lord Jesus Christ were taken before the council and elders, they were warned not to preach, using the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ. However, they answered and said, "We ought to obey God rather than men." After much deliberations, the council decided to whip them and still warned them against the use of Christ's name. And they departed from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name (Acts 5: 27-41). This explains the fact that God is not something to toy with. He is fire that consumes. So if you are persecuted for righteousness sake, rejoice for your reward is great. On the other hand, if you are loved by the world, pray fervently for yourself, for it attracts unpleasant consequences.
Many people are of the opinion that when somebody accuses them falsely God will reprimand such a person. That is not so. GOD AT THAT TIME IS PLEASED WITH THE ACCUSER. Therefore rejoice when you are despitefully used or accused falsely. At that moment, you do not have to be sad or try to retaliate. LEAVE EVERYTHING TO GOD FOR HE HAS SAID IN ROMANS 12:19: "Dearly beloved avenge not yourselves, but rather give place to wrath: for it is written, vengeance is mine: I will repay." Our Lord Jesus Christ also stressed in Matthew 5: 44-45 that you should love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you; that you may be the children of your father which is in heaven; for He maketh his sun to shine on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
In fact He called for peaceful coexistence of everybody. Anything short of this attracts severe punishment.
It is not an easy thing to know God and to devote oneself to Him. Except one completely purges oneself of all manners of sins, one cannot inherit this kingdom. He has said that a fornicator, an adulterer, a liar, a murderer etc. has no place in this kingdom of God. Whether it be in this generation or another, no sinner will inherit the Kingdom of God. Therefore, if you complain or query God over anything that happens to you, the angels immediately get you arrested.
In the carnal arrangements, even as it is not the king or president himself who metes out punishment to offenders, so also it is in the kingdom of God. God has his righteous messengers and servicemen.
If you eat what has been sacrificed unto idols, you have put yourself into trouble. No person has the authority to ask God any questions or query His actions. Who has the right to be angry with God, the creator of heaven and earth? Whatever God does is right and excellent.
All those who hear the words of God but fail to practise them, and those who refuse to serve God, should pray fervently for themselves. Those who continue to disobey God and refuse to comply with His instructions should know that in the kingdom of God, there is no place for the disobedient. That is why it is said, "Today if you hear his voice harden not your hearts..." (Hebrews 3:3-7).
If men were to know themselves and the teachings of this kingdom, they should endeavor to change for the better. It is said: Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for the meat that endureth unto everlasting life.. (JOHN 6:27). All those who have been aware of the great teaching in this kingdom endeavor to practice every bit of it.
They are the people who have witnessed the joy and glory in this kingdom. Recall the case of Martha and Mary, and take a lesson from it. When Our Lord Jesus Christ visited their home, Mary decided to sit by Christ's feet and listen to the gospel while Martha preferred to go in search of food. (LUKE 10:38-42). If one takes a look at the Brotherhood Bethels all over the place one will realise that things are not properly done in a number of these Bethels. Members engage in quarrelling, fighting, and power tussle. In such a place, the Holy Spirit does not dwell. Any time any person becomes angry, sad, and fastidious, the Holy Spirit deserts him. That is the time such a person becomes covered with darkness and he begins to be afraid of (things that do not exist) ghosts, wizards and so on. From that time he becomes helpless and he seeks for help from many quarters. Be it known that such a person cannot receive salvation at that time.
God is a spirit and he is light, and darkness shuns light. When you are in spirit, you cannot be sad, you cannot lament, you will not murmur against God, you will not weep and you will not have any problems. Whenever you indulge in sin, the spirit of God departs from you. Most of the things that happen to you occur because often, you are without the Holy Spirit. When you annoy the Holy Spirit, He will surely desert you.
Whosoever practises this gospel shall have peace and joy unto his soul. Most people encounter series of problems even when they attend church services daily. This happens because they do not practise the injunctions of God. They murmur against God, query Him, and they expose their dissatisfaction over their affairs.
Now, I want to reveal a secret which will help you lead a good life. Do you know why some patients die in the hospitals? There are patients who refuse to respond to treatments. Whatever the effort put in by the physician to have such patients relieved of their illness, such patients make the physician become discouraged and even frustrated to the point of ridiculing his expertise. At this juncture, the physician has no alternative than to apply mercy killing treatment. But any patient who responds to treatment or one who does not put the physician to task, whether he feels relieved or not, enjoys the co-operation and goodness of the physician. This is so because the physician himself will surely breath an air of success and achievement. In the same manner, if a patient is brought into the church and prayers are offered for him, yet he continues to groan and to request for more, the person offering the prayers would become discouraged and frustrated. Such a patient is seen as a nuisance.
It is said that heaven helps those who help themselves. Such help include privileges gotten by virtue of one's righteousness and dedication to God. Job, for instance, was able to regain all the things he lost because of his steadfastness and uprightness. Despite Job's predicament, he never complained one day, he never queried God and he never murmured against God.
Conversely, whoever murmurs against God, blasphemes His name, and doubts Him, will never be forgiven. The lesson below buttresses this point.
FIRST BIBLE LESSON: EPHESIANS 4:30-32
"And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice; And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
All this while, did you know that God detests frowning of one's face, lamentation, sighing, murmuring, weeping and complaints? These sins lead you to death. It is said in
James 1:26..."If any one among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is in vain." Moreover: "..the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are opened unto their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil." (1 Peter 3:12).
God is love, truth, peace, patience, longsuffering, humility, mercy, endurance and righteousness. He has nothing to do with anything sinful. This explains why unrighteousness leads to perdition. Thus this kingdom does not admit any form of sin.
Why is it that somebody who claims to be in the kingdom of God should be sick, lack, be afflicted in anyway, and above all why should he die? This is so because such a person has offended the Holy Spirit and he has attracted eternal punishment. No amount of fasting and prayers can take away the punishment. It is often said, "Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time."
When you are afflicted, let your joy turn to sorrow and your tears into joy. Wherever you find yourself, be content and ask no questions, for the Father who has kept you there is also capable of removing you from that position.
Temptation is a test. Our Lord Jesus Christ experienced some tests. When the Spirit of God descended upon Him, He was taken into the wilderness and there He was tested by the tempter. (MATT 4:1-10). While Our Lord Jesus Christ was going through the tests, He did not murmur against God.
Satan himself knows the things that separate you from God and therefore he does not relent in provoking you, causing you to weep, complain, murmur against God and blaspheme His name. As a member of Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, the people of the world do call you names. They claim that you are worshipping a man and that Brotherhood of the Cross and Star consists largely of vampires. They conclude that you have gone astray. You are advised to put on the full amour of God so as to resist Satan.
No matter your stature and status in life, once you blaspheme the name of God, you have no forgiveness. When the tempter told Our Lord Jesus Christ, "If thou be the son of God, command that these stones be turned to bread," if Christ had done so, He would thus have been punished. Similarly, many people are fond of tempting God by saying, "If thou be the true God, do this or that." Henceforth, let it be known that such a statement attracts severe punishment. Therefore, when you complain that temptations and tribulations are plaguing you so much, can you now see the reason? Your problems are a direct consequence of your actions against God. If you profess that you known God and you believe in Him, you have to prove that by undergoing a "test."
Always look to the Holy Father and emulate Him. He has never complained, never asked questions, and has never murmured against God. When Brotherhood first occupied its present world headquarters the present structures were not there. Pentecostal assemblies were usually conducted under a makeshift shack that could hardly withstand the rains and its accompanying wild winds. I never complained nor sought for an alternative place. Rather, I continued to preach and dance in that rain. But today, it has pleased the Father to gather His children under this spacious and magnificent hall. This is the result of patience and endurance. Many people regret so frequently and are easily discouraged from doing what is good. They allege that some other person is responsible for their predicaments.
Our Lord Jesus Christ said, "He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me." (MATTHEW 10:40).
If you preach to somebody and he refuses to listen and comply, do not be offended in any way for the words are not yours but God's. Accordingly the person does not reject your words but the words of God. He is all-knowing and capable of doing all things. Nothing is difficult or strange to Him. Everything brings glory to God. You must emulate the Holy Father and follow the practical path which Brotherhood connotes. That is the reason it is called the Christ Universal Spiritual School of Practical Christianity. As the heaven is higher than the earth, so is the wisdom of God greater than man's. (Isa 55:9).
Many people claim that God does not punish and does not kill. Suffice it to say that this claim is true, does it then mean that the tribulation and death mankind is experiencing is from Satan? LET IT BE KNOWN THAT NO ANGEL CAN DO ANYTHING EXCEPT THE PERMISSION IS GIVEN FROM GOD. Has He not said the..."The soul which sinneth, it shall die? (EZEKIEL 18:4). Therefore, whoever offends is immediately punished. He wants you to know these things so that you may not incur the wrath of God upon yourself.
WHERE DO YOU THINK HEAVEN AND HELL ARE SITUATED? BOTH HEAVEN AND HELL EXIST RIGHT HERE ON EARTH. WHOSOEVER PLEASES GOD IS IN HEAVEN BECAUSE HE KNOWS HE IS THERE FOR A PURPOSE.
Take the case of Daniel for example. (Daniel 6:6). Daniel though he was put in the den of lions, he had no problems and the lions could not harm him because they regarded him as their brother. Similarly, the three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who were cast into the lake of fire were not burnt because the fire itself recognized them as the sons of the most High. (Daniel 3). In fact, they were in heaven: contrary to this a sinner who has houses all over the place, maintains a fleet of cars, and has a row of wives and children can never be said to be in heaven. Those possessions can never give him inner grace and joy, peace of mind, because earthly comfort cannot afford him righteousness.
A sinner is always having unlimited problems, his wealth notwithstanding. He is always sick, hungry, insecure and restless. Now recall the case of Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brethren. In Potiphar's house he was upright and he refused to commit adultery with his master's wife. This refusal was based on the fact that he did not want to offend God. (GENESIS 39:7-12).
Learn from Joseph and note that whoever commits fornication or adultery offends God. Joseph was however cast into prison. But while there, he was made to superintend over the other inmates. He was in heaven. (GENESIS 39:20-23).
God has warned in the scriptures that no person should defile the matrimonial home, for he will judge all fornicators and adulterers. Such persons will outrightly be judged by God. This explains why the entire world is suffering today.
There is nothing like hell for the true worshippers of God. Wherever a child of God is, whether in prison, like Joseph was, or in the hospital, such a child is in heaven (joy) and his mission there is to preach the gospel. When people hear of hell they quickly think of fire. Hell means torture. Joseph left the prison and became a governor, and through him, the entire world survived a famine that prevailed.
One does not march triumphantly into heaven nor into hell. Such places do not exist. THESE WORDS ONLY DESCRIBE ONE'S SPIRITUAL STATE OF BEING. All sinners, no matter how wealthy they may be, they are still in hell. But the children of God, no matter how poor they are, are always in heaven; the state of joy and pleasure all the time.
Throughout the period of the civil war in Nigeria, the door of Brotherhood of the Cross and Star alone could continue to be open for services, even when the city of Calabar was completely deserted. The premises of Brotherhood became a refugee camp. The commander of the Biafran troops in Calabar before it fell into the hands of the Federal troops was baptised into Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, for the mere courage. When the Federal troops arrived in Calabar, Brotherhood premises also became the only available place of refuge and feeding. The first procession and counting in the city of Calabar after the Civil War was undertaken by Brotherhood of the Cross and Star. That is why there is always joy, joy, joy in Brotherhood. Re-examine our text below for more clarification:
SECOND BIBLE LESSON: JUDE 14-16
"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints, to execute judgement upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage."
Luke 12:6 asks, "Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? Nothing is derivable from a tree, stone, water, angel or man. Everything comes from God. God cannot approach you physically with the aim of killing you. He has given His injunctions and whoever violates them, receives instant punishment. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED TO DESIST FROM OFFERING LONG PRAYERS AND FROM LAMENTING. Whoever does these things will not fail to incur the wrath of God upon himself. why was Our Lord Jesus Christ publicly disgraced and nailed to the cross? He suffered that tribulation for you and me. He shed His precious blood to serve as intercession and for the atonement of our sins. But for the sins of the world, His crucifixion would not have been necessary and so, there would not have been any need for his coming.
IN LIKE MANNER, THE COMING OF THE COMFORTER WAS TO SECURE THE SALVATION THAT WAS BROUGHT BY OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. THEREFORE THE TEACHINGS THAT I GIVE, WHOEVER PRACTISES THEM SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. THIS TEACHING IS THE FOUNDATION UPON WHICH BROTHERHOOD IS BUILT.
Our Lord Jesus Christ spoke through Paul the Apostle in:
1 Corinthians 5:11 that..."IF ANY MAN THAT IS CALLED A BROTHER BE A FORNICATOR OR COVETOUS, OR AN IDOLATER, OR A RAILER, OR A DRUNKARD, OR AN EXTORTIONER; WITH SUCH AN ONE GO NOT TO EAT."
Our Lord Jesus Christ, by debarring us from eating with anyone who commits the above mentioned sins, is trying to let us know that a sinner has no place in the kingdom of God. Second Peter 2:9 records that, "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished."
One who has no car, house, relatives, wisdom, and is not beautiful or handsome but practises the injunctions of God is better placed than he who has all these things but cannot practise God's injunction. HOWEVER IF YOU PRACTISE THE SERMONS AS DELIVERED BY THE SUPERNATURAL TEACHER, YOU SHALL HAVE NO MORE PROBLEMS. THAT IS WHY IT IS SAID THAT THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM... (PROVERBS 1:7). Read the Golden Text below.
GOLDEN TEXT: MATTHEW 12:31-32
"Wherefore I say unto you, All manners of sins and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto man. And whosoever speaketh a word against the son of man, it shall be forgiven him, whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come."
Brethren, what you have read is the judgement. ALL THOSE WHO SPEAK EVIL ABOUT BROTHERHOOD OF THE CROSS AND STAR HAVE ALREADY JUDGED AND CONDEMNED THEMSELVES. BUT THOSE WHO SPEAK GOOD ABOUT BROTHERHOOD SHALL HAVE PEACE.
If you appreciate God's work and obey Him, refrain from murmuring and blaspheming against His name, you will witness progress in your life. MAN HAS LIMITED POWERS. NO MAN KNOWS HOW TO WORSHIP GOD, LET ALONE BE READY TO DO SO. THE TEACHINGS HERE ARE GEARED TOWARDS TURNING MAN'S MIND UNTO GOD. Man has continued to disobey God till date, despite the consequences of such actions. For example, God had warned Solomon not to have any association with the adulterous woman but he refused. That disobedience caused the fall of Babylon up till date.
Man is only being inquisitive. He likes to examine and investigate things around him. That is why man is more interested in knowing the Father than practising His injunctions. Do not offend against men or God. If you offend against men, God may forgive you. But if you offend God, who will deliver you? Take the case of Job for example, instead of offending God, he decided to curse the day he was born. Job (3:1-12). Job did that knowing fully well that he will obtain forgiveness. IF YOU RECEIVE TWO INVITATIONS, ONE FROM YOUR FRIEND AND ONE FROM GOD, IT IS ADVISABLE TO HONOR GOD'S INVITATION. Whosoever walks according to God's guidance sees no destruction and will live a problem free life. It was God Himself who tormented Saul after he had persecuted God's children. The same God called Saul unto Himself. (Acts 9:15). That is why He is an able God. OBEY HIM ALWAYS SO THAT YOU MAY CART AWAY HIS BLESSINGS.
May God bless His Holy Words. Amen.
THANK YOU FATHER.