(By Pastor Okechukwu Nwankpa) and (APOSTLE
PETER ODOEMENA THE SON OF MAN “THE
SUPREME INTELLIGENCE”) Preached on 11th September 1994 And 3rd
October 2000 respectively At THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD ONITSHA at BRIDE OF CHRIST MINISTRY WORLD-WIDE
I am the oldest man
on earth. I have reincarnated several times. I remain the only Being that can
tell you how old the world is, believe it if you can…
-Son of Man
EXALTATION AFTER
TRIALS PG. 3
WE HAVE FINISHED OUR
OWN TWO DAYS. WE ARE NOW LIVING IN HIS OWN REMAINING ONE DAY. Since we know we
are in His day, He will stop that day at a time nobody expects. That is why we
must make sure that we are standing on our SANCTIFIED ESTATE.
When you
are sure you are standing on your “sanctified estate,” the time the clock will
stop means nothing to you. Nevertheless, if you are not standing there, your
life is in danger because God can stop it anytime. Nobody tells the referee
when to stop the match; the referee has the power to stop the match.
Therefore, if you are fixing your eyes on the
clock, the referee may stop the match “before” that time. He may stop the match
“after” that time. –The Son of Man
DISPUTE AMONG THE BRETHREN PP 148 VS 37-39
SECTION ONE
THE HEAD-STONE
Preached
On
11th
September 1994
By
Pastor Okechukwu
Nwankpa
INTRODUCTION
I am not the one
holding myself. There is a Great Rock upholding me. If not for Him, I would
have been no more today. If you were with me last Friday night to Saturday
morning, I did not even know that I will be in the pulpit today; nothing will
ever make you to believe that I will be in the pulpit today. I am not the one
living but Christ is the one living in me.
2.
I have different voices here hidden somewhere. One of
these days I will speak to your shame. Let us be wiser than the Pentecostals.
Let us be wiser than even carnal men. Any time the Head of State is on the
scene and he wants to speak to the nation, the man that will be minding the
radio room will be very serious with it.
3.
If the message is distorted, that is instant dismissal.
Ordinary worldly message. But foolish, blind ministers in this Church will see
God on the Throne making use of this human element and nobody will be minding
the system. They simply mount it and go away. That is why most of our messages
in mixed-multitude were just distorted. A little while, noise.
4.
Try to know when the Devil is attacking the thing and
when your own ignorance is attacking it. When a minister is using all these
system, and you hear any strange thing, you do not need to be invited, go there
immediately, correct it.
5.
Brethren, God has delivered me from the hand of death,
that’s why I want to share the testimony with you. Because I will not die but
rather live to declare God’s greatness. I will give this my testimony in Igbo.
6.
Brother Jascin, I owe you no apology. If you want, learn
Igbo, if you do not want, do not Learn Igbo. What am I saying? It is now clear
to me that all I have been passing
through here in the name of sickness, the hand of God is not in any, rather God
has been healing in order to put to shame all the plans of the enemy.
7.
The greatest enemy of the Devil now, is me. If you love
me, I am revealing my appeal to the Church. Pray for me that God will deliver
me from the hand of evil men. They have planned the way to kill. That was what
bothered David mostly when he was on Earth.
8.
All the men of God, that have been their most challenge.
Enemies that play the way to kill. If the Church had thought it that way till
the days of William Branham, the Roman Catholic would not have killed him with
a vehicle of one tire. Those who jammed him knew that he was the one before
they jammed him. Nobody would have denied that old Bedford which they know very
well.
9.
Watch how the Holy Ghost has been leading this Church
for some weeks now. We will come, sing praises, hear testimonies and then
before we know it, we are going.
10.
Let us just watch the way God is going to go with us. I
AM PRAYING TO GOD THAT HE WILL JUST HELP US IN THIS RACE BECAUSE EACH DAY THE
ROAD IS NARROWING. AND AS IT NARROWS, IT IS COMING TO A POINT THAT WE MUST GO
IN A SINGLE FILE. BECAUSE IF IT IS TOO WIDE, WE CAN GO IN GROUP LIKE THAT. BUT
AS IT NARROWS, YOU FIND OUT THAT YOU CANNOT JUST HELP IT BUT TO GO IN A SINGLE
FILE.
11.
As the word is going forth and testimonies are going
forth, I do not know how many that is seeing Christ leading. He is leading the
way. And all we have to do is to follow the line, if we do not want to fall
into the bush.
12.
You see, I thank the Lord for today. So many times,
there are ways that might seem right in our eyes but if you are not careful, it
might mislead you. If you love us, pray for us.
13.
While the Holy Spirit was speaking in the
morning—though, there was not the first time—the picture of my life came back
before me, I said, “God, how long will a man stop making mistakes?”
14.
If you love us, pray for us. When I saw myself in that
picture, I wanted to give a note and say, “Sir, I do not want to be in the
pulpit.”
15.
Because I cannot see myself walking away from this
Apostolic Faith and be happy. If there is a man that has made millions of
mistakes in life, I am the one and I am now ashamed of it. I do not want to be
making such reckless mistakes. Amen.
1
THE HEADSTONE
|
S
|
econd Peter chapter
1 verse 1 through 8. “Simon peter, a
servant and apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like precious
Faith with us through the righteousness of God and our saviour Jesus Christ.
2.
Grace and peace be
multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord according
as his divine power has giving unto us all things that pertain unto life and
godliness through the knowledge of him that have called us to glory and mercy.
3.
Whereby are giving
unto us exceedingly Faith and precious promises, that by this, you might be
partakers of his divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the
world through lust.
4.
And decide it,
giving all diligence, add to your Faith, virtue, and to virtue, knowledge, and
to knowledge, temperance, and to temperance, patience, and to patience,
godliness, and to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness,
charity, for if these things be in you and abound, they make you that you shall
be neither be barren and unfaithful in knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” LB.
5.
I told you that I am not going to enter into the deeper
sermon. And in this exhortation being provoked by the ministration the Lord
handed down to us last Sunday and the ministration we also heard today, because
when the Lord was talking concerning Christian attitude towards dispute, the
spirit took me to a realm where I would really say that I understood what God
was saying.
6.
The only thing that can be in us in this end time is for
us to follow that head and go away. Because I am talking on the Headstone. The
Headstone, it has a relationship with the Bride Ministry, and we really know
that the Bridal Ministry is no other thing but the apostolic ministry.
7.
Under the End-time message, people never knew or never
took it by revelation that what William Branham was crying out was: back to the
Acts of the Apostles, back to the acts of the Holy Spirit.
8.
I want to help
our Faith a little bit, because I will read out some of the comments he made
and then you compare the more whether you are really in this Faith. Because in
second Corinthians chapter 13 verse 5, the Bible said, “Examine yourself
whether you are in the Faith,” because the time when we are talking about
bringing down the Headstone, bringing it down, by the time you keep on seeing
it as future, you miss the Translation.
9.
However, we have heard testimonies of speaking this into
existence, of calling the sun to wait and it waited, of telling the rain never
to drop and it obeyed, of speaking to sicknesses and we are witnesses, but
somebody might lack the consciousness of Christ and His Body becoming one
again.
10.
All these things are the fulfillment of the prophecy
that Christ and His Church must be one. And when I read some of the
commentaries of Prophet, William Branham, then you will see why the way we are
hearing the word, is coming that way, because we can never compromise. Besides,
every true child that is called of God, cannot compromise for any reason.
11.
Acts of the Apostles chapter 7 verses 44- 47, “Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness
in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should
make it according to the fashion that he had seen.
12.
Which also our
fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the
Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of
David; Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the
God of Jacob. But Solomon built him an house. KJV.
13.
We have read this over and over, we have heard it over
and over, that God does not live in a house made with hands. When this
ministration was going on in the morning, the Holy Spirit reminded us that
there is no other thing that can take away the sinful nature of man than God
Himself.
14.
Nothing can remold a man or renovate a man, if not God.
That was the reason why the Bible called it, “Theological experience …”
15.
I want to bring it nearer. If from the pulpit, what you
are hearing is the word of man; your mind can never be changed. However, if what we are hearing is the Word
of God, which is bringing down Christ into human hearts, it will minister
change, transformation in the lives of seeds of God. Because the Word of God is
a seed, no matter how it is spread and no matter how long, it is still a seed.
I want to stir up your little Faith; I will not stay here more than necessary.
16.
Now, many people will be asking, “When will the things
promised in the Bible come to pass? When will the sons of God be made manifest?
When will the house of God, the tabernacle of God be seen among men?”
17.
BRETHREN, I WANT US TO UNDERSTAND THAT NOW ARE WE SONS
AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD. NOW IS THE TABERNACLE OF GOD AMONG MEN. IF GOD COULD NOT
FINISH HIS HOUSE HERE ON EARTH, IT THEN MEANS HE WILL TAKE UNCOMPLETED BUILDING
TO HEAVEN.
18.
I want you to get one picture: IF CHRIST DID NOT COME
AND MAKE US PERFECT NOW, IT THEN MEANS HE IS TAKING IMPERFECT PEOPLE, UNHOLY
PEOPLE TO HIS PALACE. But Christ is not taking any unholy man. That is why the
Word keeps on rebuking me or rebuking you in order for you to really fit in
now.
19.
The word of God is coming the way it is coming because
it is the Headstone coming to settle in the Body. We are witnesses when man was
ruling the Church. The Bible said that God is not the author of confusion.
20.
First Corinthians 13:33. For you to really know whether
you are travelling on the right road, find out whether there is confusion in
our midst or find out whether WE HAVE UNITY OF FAITH.
21.
For you to know whether we are a denomination being
ruled by man, find out whether there is bunch of confusion in our midst, then
apply it to yourself as an individual: “In this ministry, is my life full of
confusion or is it full of orderliness?” If your life is disorderly, it then
means that the Headstone has not taken His position. When I say the “Headstone”,
I mean “Christ”; I mean the “Word of God”.
22.
Because that was all that was prophesied and it
fulfilled in our eyes and we are witnesses that anything that the Bride of
Christ wants to do, they will like to find out, what did God said concerning it?
What did God say concerning my dressing? What did God say concerning my
business? What did God say concerning my marriage? What did God said concerning
my house? Before, it was not so.
23.
In the denominations, it is not God first. One of the
sure signs for you to recognize the little group that has the Word of God is
that the Word is number one in their lives; it is the Headstone.
24.
Can you now see why in this Faith, every judgment that
is coming out, it might even be a little dispute in your family and you expect
somebody to say, “Brother, say it. Sister, say how it really happened!”
25.
Then you hear somebody reading out the word, dishing out
the word, a little while, nobody will say, “Tell me, tell me,” and the matter
will be resolved. What is that thing? It is the Headstone ruling over His own
Church.
26.
Let us read a little bit. Verse 48- 50, “Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in
temples made with hands; as saith the Prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth
is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the
place of my rest? Hath not my hand made all these things? KJV.
27.
Now, God has revealed to us where He dwells. And it is no other place than in a
human heart. For anybody to say that he is marrying to Christ, it then means we
have proven it that Christ is number one Apostle, Christ is number one Prophet,
Christ is number one Evangelist, Christ is number one Pastor and number one
Teacher.
28.
He is the number one Deacon, He is the number one
Bishop, He is the number one Overseer, which means, He is the number one and
for any other person that we are certain, we are certain on the basis that he
is in line with Christ. And any person we are rejecting, we are rejecting him
because he is not in line with Christ.
29.
I was telling some brethren the other day, I said, “We
are ambassadors of Christ.” Too many people are taking the word of God for
granted. DO YOU KNOW THE REASON WHY MANY PEOPLE HATE THE MINISTER IN THE PULPIT
WHILE HE IS REBUKING THEM? IT IS BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THAT THERE IS ANOTHER
EMBASSY TO HEAVEN.
30.
THE CHURCH OF GOD AS IT IS BEING SPREAD ROUND THE WORLD
ARE EMBASSIES OF GOD IN THEIR DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. IF YOU ARE GOING TO LONDON TODAY, FOR YOU TO GET VISA, YOU MUST GO
TO THAT EMBASSY THAT WILL ISSUE YOU VISA TO LONDON. IF THEY REFUSE TO GIVE YOU
VISA, YOU CANNOT GET TO LONDON. YOU SEE WHY WE ARE CAREFUL IN THE CHURCH.
31.
IF THIS CHURCH, THIS LITTLE GROUP IS THE APPROVED WAY,
IS THE EMBASSY OF CHRIST, WHERE YOU CAN ONLY RECEIVE VISA, THAT IS, PERMIT TO
GO TO HEAVEN, WHICH MEANS, IF YOU ARE REJECTED IN THIS CHURCH, YOU HAVE MISSED
HEAVEN.
32.
YOU SEE, A BLIND PERSON WILL SAY, “IF THEY WILL CAST ME
OUT, LET THEM CAST ME OUT, AFTER ALL, THIS IS NOT THE ONLY CHURCH, THIS IS NOT
THE ONLY CHURCH!” THERE IS ONLY BUT ONE EMBASSY GIVEN TO EVERY NATION. IT
CANNOT BE TWO. EVEN IF THEY ARE FIVE IN THE SAME NATION, THEY ARE STILL ONE
BECAUSE WHATEVER THAT IS REJECTED IN KADUNA, WILL BE REJECTED IN LAGOS. BECAUSE
THEY HAVE ONE PRESIDENT OR PRIME MINISTER.
33.
I do not know who we are really making our own
Headstone. We are not in this gathering as a denomination. For instance, if we
come together as one denomination, apostle with the gift of God in his life,
can come up and make an announcement of donation of money, and with all
willingness of heart, everybody will come carrying something, but in this
Church, we are seeing ourselves as servants of God who want to impact
something.
34.
What is it? The Headstone. Brethren, that is what I want
to see in my life. If God can drill me through the evangelist, let him drill
me. Could you believe that it was here that most of us made confessions that we
were rejecting the word, that when the Holy Spirit speaks we become offended,
but could you still believe that after such confessions, that people are
becoming even more offended when the judgment of the word of God is handed down
to them.
35.
If you reject your head, where else would you go? There
is no other thing that can speak for us, that is why you can come to a servant
of God, he will speak like when Nathan came to David, the man said, “Well, you
want to build a house? Go ahead and build it.”
36.
But when Nathan was going away, the Lord spoke to him
saying, “Go back, tell him that thus saith the Lord, do not build.” That did
not make him a double-tongued man. He presented the message to David, the head
of Israel and David was subject to it.
37.
I am saying something that will help the Church on
ministrations; God will allow me to do ministration to other ministers. We
cannot be profited anything the moment we are rejecting the headship of God’s
word. That is where we can hide and then declare the counsels of God. It may
not favour me; it might not favour you, but so long as it is God’s word, only
pray that God will give you the revelation and understanding to line up yourself
in a condition that God’s word will be your only head. That is the Bride.
38.
Ask yourself: what is the Word Bride? Is it not what we
call ourselves? The Word Bride. If we come about, instead of being the Word
Bride, we become the intellectual Bride; we become philosophical Bride, that is
not what God is raising. How long do we have to stay here? I do not know. But I
know that God cannot hand down greater things than what He has handed to us,
because He has given us great things through signs and wonders to make us obey
his word. God did signs and wonders through His Apostle to make us obey His
Word. Which means the word of God is so important to God. If I was in the days
of the Apostles, brethren, we are in the days of the Apostles. We are in the
days of the Apostles.
39.
Let me tell you the reason why end-time message failed.
The reason why they failed was that all their denominations had the foundation
of their Church from the Pastors and their evangelists. If you go to the
Pentecostals, after having their Pastor, the next office you will get is
evangelist.
40.
However, the Bible told us in Ephesians 2 verse 20, that
the foundation of the Church is led by the Apostles and Prophets. That means,
that all we are going to build must be in line with this, as laid down by the
Prophets and Apostles of God.
41.
I want you to see the vision of what this Church should
be like. God is raising a little group, so that when you are dying, you will
not die in vain. Very soon, the book will be out, and we are no other people
but the Word Bride. We claim that the word is our husband. But what if after
claiming, you see yourself denying the same word, fighting the same word? This
tabernacle or this sanctuary is no other place but the word Church. It is the
word Church.
42.
Matthew 5 verse 48, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is
perfect.” KJV.
43.
God requires us
to be perfect. And this perfection must come through the fivefold ministers.
WHAT WOULD HAVE THIS CHURCH LOOKED LIKE IF GOD DID NOT RAISE APOSTLE IN OUR MIDST?
44.
Ephesians 4 verses 11 through 15, “And he gave some, Apostles; and some,
prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the
perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the
body of Christ:
45.
Till we all come in the unity
of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto
the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no
more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine,
by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to
deceive;
46.
But speaking the truth in
love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.” KJV.
47.
I WANT YOU TO
PICTURE IT. DO YOU THINK AS A PASTOR, I CAN DO MORE THAN A PASTOR? IF I DO MORE
THAN A PASTOR, THEN I HAVE BROKEN THE SCRIPTURE. WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE IF GOD
DOES NOT SEND MEN LIKE PASTORS, LIKE EVANGELISTS, LIKE TEACHERS? WHAT WOULD IT
HAVE LOOKED LIKE?
48.
IN MY OFFICE AS A PASTOR, I MAY BE THINKING THAT
EVERYTHING IS OKAY IN THE LINE OF MY OWN DUTY, BUT LET APOSTLE COME DOWN, HE
WILL SEE DISORDERLINESS SOMEWHERE.
49.
An evangelist can mount the pulpit and say, “Yes, I will
not tolerate any nonsense. I will rebuke them. If they will go, let them go.” And
the Church, before you know it, might remain one person. He will say, “If only
one person will go to heaven, let him go.”
50.
But when the pastor comes, he will say, no brother, it
is not that way. Calm down a little bit, let me see them.” A little while, you
see everybody coming up to worship God. What if there is no teacher? But what
is the purpose of all these ministers?
51.
For you that have been following this ministry for a
while, ask yourself, what have made God to be roaring all these while? What is
the purpose, why God has been rebuking, has been charging, has been roaring to
us since the bridal revival visited us December 1992? Why?
52.
Because there is a purpose. And the purpose is to let
the Headstone take over the human heart. It will be unprofitable, if we gather
in the Church and yet we are not subject to the word of God. We will become
mockers of ourselves. Amen.
2
WE ARE BACK TO THE APOSTOLIC DAYS
The book of Hebrews
11 verse 32- 40, “And what shall I
more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of
Samson, and of Jephthah; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
2.
Who through faith subdued
kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of
lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of
weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies
of the aliens.
3.
Women received their dead
raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that
they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings
and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
4.
They were stoned, they were
sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in
sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the
world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens
and caves of the earth.
5.
And these all, having obtained
a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some
better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. KJV.
6.
The book of Isaiah 6 verses 1 through 8, “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw
also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled
the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings with twain he
covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did
fly.
7.
And one cried unto another,
and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of
his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and
the house was filled with smoke.
8.
Then said I, Woe is me! for I
am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a
people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
9.
Then flew one of the seraphims
unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from
off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched
thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
10.
Also I heard the voice of the
Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am
I; send me.” KJV.
11.
1 Peter chapter 2 verses 5 through 7. “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a
spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices,
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. KJV.
12.
If we are not a spiritual house, if we are not holy
priesthood, if we are not offering spiritual sacrifices through the word of
God, then we are dead stones. Sometimes I find it hard why people feel
comfortable when they are outside the word of God.
13.
How can you travel away from where fellowship is
situated? Where there is no exhortation, you stay there for months and yet you
feel happy? It is a sure sign that you are not a lively stone. You cannot spark
off fire. How can somebody be comfortable, for the fact that you are cast out
of this Church and you feel comfortable in another Pentecostal or denomination,
goes to show that you are not called by God to be in this place.
14.
Acts of the Apostles chapter 2 verses 4- 7, “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,
and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And
there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under
heaven.
15.
Now when this was noised
abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every
man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and
marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak
Galilaeans?” KJV.
16.
If you read it down, the Bible said that they were
praising God and having favour with all the people and the Lord added to the
Church daily such as to be saved. Can’t this scripture create fear in us that
we did not add ourselves in this body? Did somebody get me? We are not the
people that added ourselves to this Onitsha Church.
17.
The Lord added you; the word of God added you. The same
word of God has the right to push you away. What called us from the beginning
was God’s word. If you are here and you did not come here because God’s word
pulled you, you will leave us. How do you know that God’s word called you? He
will be the Headstone. He will detect every of our action. We will always be
willing to follow he that called us.
18.
Did Brother Odoemena call you? Did Brother Okechukwu
called you? Or Brother Kelechi or Brother Ifeanyi or Brother Amankem? If we are
the people that called you, then you will now follow us and obey us. But if it
is the word of God that called you into this place, any time he is speaking
through any of his servants, you will always take that word, because that is
the person that called you into this Church.
19.
If that person that called you, turns round and call you
a crook (criminal), does not he know you? Can he lie? Why then must you be
offended? Because you have rejected him as the Headstone. He has every right,
like a woman that came to him one day and he said, “Woman, things that are made
for children shouldn’t be giving to dogs. She replied, where else would I go?
You are my head. Call me dog, I still need deliverance.” For that was the main
thing the woman was looking for.
20.
She did not turn round to say, “It is because I came
here; do not mind that man they call Jesus of Nazareth. I do not know what he
is calling me. If he does not want to deliver me, I will go away”.
21.
Joining the Pharisees cannot help you, your condition
will remain the same. You have no alternative than to be subject to that head.
Because Colossians 1:18 said that he (Christ) is the Head of the Church. If you
come here tomorrow and all the ministers turn round, before you know it, you
see the pastor wearing agbada (one
thousand five) and apostle with big shirt and big seat, and we invite one
man who will be saying, poverty is a curse! Poverty is a curse! We must prosper,
no matter the way you take it, a child of God must prosper.
22.
Do not be surprised that somebody may be happy. But a
true child of God will turn around and say, this is not he that called me from
the beginning. Are you getting me? What will make us to recognize the gathering
of the Bride and the person that is in that body is that they will have the
word as their Headstone.
23.
Remember he said that we are lively stones. So, you can
finish the rest of the verses when you get home. I want you to hear these prophecies
that have now fulfilled in our day. “Christ is the head, the true stone of God,
the true word, and the Bride is the body.
24.
Did you notice that the great seal is the pyramid? It
never had the capstone, it never had the word of God (the head joining with
it), all these ages they fell away from the Faith.
25.
LET ME TELL YOU; I WANT TO GIVE YOU A SHOCKING
REVELATION NOW. THROUGHOUT THE TIME THE CHURCH FELL AWAY FROM THE FAITH, THERE
HAS NEVER BEEN A RECORD THAT GOD CALLED APOSTLES AND TRUE PROPHETS ON THE SCENE
UNTIL THIS END-TIME.
26.
MARTIN LUTHER WAS JUST ROMAN CATHOLIC PASTOR (CATECHIST)
WHO GOD LATER USED. JOHN WESLEY WAS A SUNDAY-SCHOOL TEACHER. THERE HAS NEVER
BEEN A MINISTRY OF MEN THAT WAS AUDIBLY HEARING FROM GOD, LIKE WE ARE HAVING IT
NOW.
27.
It is in our day that the word of God has joined again
with the Church. Thus we are back to the apostolic days. We are back to the
acts of the Holy Spirit. So, that by the time you willfully leave us, you will
then know where you are heading to.
28.
When you willfully leave the Faith, we do not prevent
anybody from leaving this local assembly, we do not do it. But we warn every
man never to leave the Faith, because we know that there is no other Faith. If
we permit you to go to Abuja now, we know that there is no two doctrines there,
you must find yourself where the Faith is being professed.
29.
NOW, WATCH, THE PYRAMID NEVER HAD A CAPSTONE. WHY?
BECAUSE IT WAS REJECTED. THE CORNER STONE THAT HELD THIS BUILDING IS A
KEYSTONE. AND THE CORNER STONE IS THE PYRAMID (CAPSTONE). NOW, THIS KEYSTONE
WAS REJECTED. THE BODY OPERATES THROUGH THE HEAD AND THE HEAD IS THE WORD.
30.
THE SPOKEN WORD, PAGE 35- 37: “THE KEY GIVING ME BY THE
LORD WHEREBY I WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THE MESSENGER FOR EACH DAY IS THE MOST
SCRIPTURAL ONE. IN FACT, IT MIGHT BE CALLED THE KEYSTONE OF THE BIBLE. IT IS
THE REVELATION THAT GOD NEVER CHANGES AND HIS WAYS ARE UNCHANGEABLE AS HE IS.”
31.
HEBREWS 13 VERSE 8, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”
KJV.
32.
IN THESE LAST
DAYS, THE TRUE BRIDE CHURCH, CHRIST’S SEED, WILL COME TO THE HEADSTONE AND SHE
WILL BE THE SUPER CHURCH AS SHE NEARS HIM.
33.
THE BRIDE WILL BE SO MUCH LIKE HIM THAT THEY WILL BE
EVEN HIS VERY IMAGE. THIS IS IN ORDER TO BE UNITED WITH HIM. THEY WILL BE ONE;
THEY WILL BE THE MANIFESTATION OF THE WORD OF THE LIVING GOD.
34.
This is the prophecy of William Branham in the Holy
Ghost: “FROM A LITTLE GROUP OF THE TRUE SEED OF THE WORD, GOD WILL PRESENT
CHRIST IN THE BRIDE.” Did he say, in the denomination? Did he say from a large
group? From a little group that has chosen the word of God as their head, God
will raise the Bride.
35.
You can now see why it is happening the way it is
happening. Anybody that is not ready to take the word, there is no room for
compromise, you must leave the Church. Because you did not call me, I did not
call you. It is the word that called us, and that word dictate what we must do
and what we must say.
36.
If he checks my business, why should I get offended? If
he checks the way I talk, why must I be offended? If he checks my habit, why
must I be offended? If I am offended and continue to be offended to the extent
of speaking blasphemous things, it goes to show that I am not part of him.
37.
If the ministration that God gave us in the morning does
not help anybody to know that we are back to the days of the Apostles, I wonder
what else that can help us.
38.
The Apostles never had any other head but the word of
God. Whoever we are, He does not respect persons. And yet, at this hour, at
this stage, people are still appearing disobedient to Him. They are still
rebelling against Him.
39.
No wonder the Spirit said, he has gone into the waters,
and I gave him only a wound. But it is there in the midst of the people. I do
not have another head. Whatsoever He chooses let Him do with me.
40.
Let him rebuke me, let Him chastise me, let Him charge
me any way he wants, He is my owner. What else have I? I will be a condemned
man any day I leave His Presence.
SECTION TWO
16 Secrets of Retaining Your Sanctified Estate
Preached On
3rd October 2000
(APOSTLE PETER ODOEMENA
THE SON OF MAN
“THE SUPREME INTELLIGENCE”)
1
YOU MUST ALL HAVE VINE—BRANCH RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
You may even go from
house to house, you may even open up consulting centers. Do not think that
everybody will take this condition because he that is accustomed to doing evil,
can he do good? Even in the land of the upright he will do evil.
2.
I have told you that not all that come into this
fellowship are children of God; and not everybody that you see in the Church came
for eternal life. Some came in this fellowship with another motive. I am
telling you God’s truth.
3.
And whatever you have come to fellowship for is what you
are going to get. If you come into the fellowship for eternal life, surely you
must get eternal life; and all that are necessary for eternal life, that you
must do.
4.
I am telling you God’s truth, because no commandment
will be grievous provided it is from the mouth of Christ; it shall be my
righteousness if I shall obey it. Why not go back to the message, “WHO KNOWS
WHAT WILL BE MY RIGHTEOUSNESS?” Who knows?
5.
We want to look into the scriptures to see things we
must follow if we must remain in this sanctified condition. If anybody tells
you the condition of staying in the Faith, he will as well supply you with all
the necessary equipments needed for you to stay in this Faith. He will provide
you with everything, for if he does not do it, one day you start going to Main
Market Onitsha to make both ends meet. But both ends can never meet now. Before
you know it, it will be: “I nearly die”.
6.
Thus, in as much as we are not trying to lavish our
time, I will take the thing one by one trusting God that you will catch me
along the way. Bear with me in my foolishness because I am not a wise man. However,
I believe I will be wise in the end. Let me sound foolish today but in the end
let me be wise.
7.
My topic is Sixteen Secrets of Retaining Your Sanctified
Estate. If there is any message that you will lay in your heart or write boldly
in your heart, I think it is this message. We have attained our sanctified
condition by his Grace.
8.
God helping us, if we remain in this Faith doubting
nothing, nobody will miss the catching away of the saints. Because I believe we
have fully repented. We have changed our views, we have changed our minds, we
can now appreciate what God has for us: God’s eternal purposed for us. What he
has purposed for us is that of good and not of evil. We can now appreciate it.
9.
In short, we can now worship God in the right way,
having no burden of sin because the Law has been rolled away and now we can
believe everything.
10.
Now, number one step we must take to retain our
sanctified condition. I numbered it to see whether it will help somebody. Sin
is unbelief. Don’t you know that? The Prophet said that we should make this
ministry so simple that even infants can understand.
11.
Number one step we must take: “YOU MUST ALL HAVE VINE—BRANCH
RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.” If we do not want God to destroy us, we want to remain
in this sanctified condition, we must have what I call “Vine”.
12.
Note it, V.I.N.E; vine and branch relationship with
Christ. This is number one. You know what vine and branch relationship is all
about: Mother and child relationship or father and son relationship.
13.
St. John chapter 15 verses 5 and also verse 7, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that
abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me
ye can do nothing.” KJV.
14.
I am the vine, ye are my branches. He that abideth in
me, the same will bring forth much fruits and the fruits will remain, for
without me you can do nothing. But if you detach yourself from me, surely you
will end it in the fire, because even your fruits will ripen too early and then
wither away, and your place will be completely forgotten.
15.
Have you not noticed a deceased branch of an orange
tree, once that branch is deceased, if you are a good gardener, all you have to
do is to cut it off, for if you allow deceased branch to remain in the body,
there are too many ants that will spread that decease upon the whole tree. The
entire tree will be completely infected and that will be a complete havoc.
16.
Thus, you cut it off. And once it is cut off, its
position is no longer remembered, it is forgotten completely. Where will it
end? In the fire. That’s all.
17.
If a branch brings forth fruits, its fruits will remain
alive as long as the branch remains in the body. But if it happens to be that
the wind comes and pushes the branch down, what will happen? Few days, the
fruits will decay.
18.
Hence, number one secret of retaining ourselves in our
sanctified estate is to maintain this Vine-branch relationship with Christ.
MAKING SURE THAT YOU ARE STRONGLY CONNECTED TO THE GODHEAD AT ALL TIMES. Making
sure you are not a loosed feather in the body of a chicken or hen. You should
be firmly fitted to the tree (the Tree of Life/ Holy Ghost), because it is from
that tree that you draw your nourishment.
19.
The branch draws its nourishment from the tree. Is that
not the truth? Where does the branch derive its food? From the body. When you
cut down a tree, it will fall together with the branches, but when you cut off
a branch, the body will remain where it is. I do not know whether you are
understanding what I am saying.
20.
As a result, when you think that you are so important
and you think that you can exist alone; your place will be easily forgotten
very soon, because without me you can do nothing. After all, you were not in
this Faith before, you did not know anything about this Faith, whether it is
white or black, you did not know.
21.
You were even in darkness thinking that you were doing
God a service; you did not know that you were serving diverse spirits and
diverse lords. You hadn’t this Faith before. Can your eyes now open more than He
that opened your eyes? You now want to know greater than your Teacher, no,
that’s where we make grievous mistakes.
22.
Note it again, number one step we must take is to make
sure we maintain this strong link. It should not be porous at all. No gaps
because once there is a little gap, the wind can just attack in there and then
pull you out. Even, you can be deceased in that gap. Once there is a gap
between you and Christ, there is a problem there, because sin creates
separation.
23.
The only thing that will separate you from the Godhead
is unbelief, wrong behaviour, when you are no longer fixing your eyes upon Christ;
you are no longer seeing him as your Leader and your Instructor Whom you are bound
to obey by day and by night. Because He that called Him, called Him alone. He did
not call Him and call you. He called Him and the Man (the Anointed One) then
called you.
24.
God called Jesus, sent Jesus, gave him His Spirit and he
became God Himself. Peter was in the world before Jesus came, Peter was not an apostle.
James and John were there, they were nothing. It was Jesus that called Peter an
apostle, called James an apostle, called John an apostle, called Matthew an apostle.
25.
Now, because Jesus the Christ was an Apostle Himself, can
Peter rise up now to say, “Well, apostle is apostle”? Peter did you call Jesus?
You call Jesus’ name, what were you? You were ordinary fisherman.
26.
I am coming to something. Jesus The Christ said, “I am
the vine and you are my branches. If you must remain alive, you do not want to
die, abide in me and then you will bear fruits and your fruits will remain. Not
ordinary fruit, you will bear much fruits, for without me you can do nothing.”
27.
And as far as I, Apostle Peter Odoemena is the True Vine
and you are my branches, the fruits I will be bearing as the Original Tree (the
Tree of Life), the main tree from where you took off, will it differ from your
own fruits?
28.
You see, this is why it is very necessary for us to
close every gap, because there is One we are commanded to fix our eyes on. If
you read First Corinthians chapter 11, St. Paul said, “Follow me as I follow
Christ”. In other words, fix your eyes on me. Whatever you see me do, do it.
29.
That was what we heard in the beginning: “If I teach
anything and it is very hard for you to understand, you do not know what to do
there,” he said, “Relax your mind, do not kill yourself.”
30.
Now, I will give you the remedy, whatever I do, do it.
That is exactly what God is requiring from you. Whatever you see Me doing, do
it. That is exactly what God is requiring from you that hour. If I preach a
message you cannot understand, watch me put it into action. Then, don’t bother
yourself again. The fruit I will be bearing will be exactly the same you will
be bearing.
31.
However, when you detach, you perish together with
whatever you may call your fruits, because they will be totally unprofitable
and useless. Maintain close ranks with your Guide, the Masterpiece, that’s
number one step.
32.
That was why the Prophet in his own message put it this
way that, you can never know Him or come closer to Him until you see Him face-to-face.
You cannot come closer until you see Him face-to-face. Maintain close ranks.
33.
IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THE INSTRUCTION OF YOUR
LEADER, WHAT DO YOU DO? YOU MAINTAIN CLOSE RANKS. YOU CLOSE RANK WITH THE
LEADER SO THAT WHEN HE GIVES INSTRUCTION, YOU WILL HEAR IT. IF YOU STAY TOO FAR
AWAY FROM THE LEADER, THE COMMANDER IN THE BATTLEFRONT, YOU ARE GOING TO
PERISH.
34.
When he says, “Shoot!” People will start shooting, and
before it will get to you, you will hear, “Shout!” It may sound, “Hey, hey,
hey,” when the instruction says “shoot!” As it continues passing down the line,
some people will distort it.
35.
Before it gets to you, because you are not maintaining
close rank, you will be hearing shout, shout, shout! But I hope the Tree (The
Resurrected Body) is well positioned. He is positioned in the midst of the Garden
where everybody will have access to Him, except the heathens, because there is
a flaming sword revolving around that Tree, making it impossible for heathens
to come close.
36.
Verse 7 of that same place we read, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye
will, and it shall be done unto you…”
37.
WHAT A WONDERFUL PRIVILEGE! WHEN YOU CLOSE RANKS WITH
CHRIST, YOU MAINTAIN THIS VINE—BRANCH RELATIONSHIP, an INSEPARABLE
RELATIONSHIP, BECAUSE YOU ARE DERIVING YOUR LIFE FROM HIM. REMEMBER, HE IS NOT
DEPENDING ON YOU BUT YOU ARE DEPENDING ON HIM. HE DOES NOT NEED YOU BUT YOU
NEED HIM.
38.
AS LONG AS YOU ARE THERE FIRMLY FITTED, ASK WHATEVER YOU
WILL, YOU WILL GET IT. I DO NOT KNOW IF THERE IS ANY PROMISE IN THE BIBLE
GREATER THAN THIS. I do not think there is any promise in the Bible greater
than this. Amen.
2
BELIEVE IN THE MESSENGER OF YOUR DAY
Remember the
teaching. I do not want to go evangelical too much. Number two step; “BELIEVE THE
REVEALED WORD OF GOD FROM THE MESSENGER OF YOUR DAY, VINDICATED BY GOD EVEN IN
YOUR PRESENCE.”
2.
THERE CAN NEVER BE A MESSENGER WITHOUT A MESSAGE. HOW
WOULD YOU KNOW YOUR DAY IF THERE IS NO MESSENGER SENT? IF THERE IS WAR, HOW DO
YOU KNOW IF NO ONE IS SENT TO GIVE THE SIGNAL?
3.
THUS, IT IS YOUR DUTY TO WELCOME THE MESSENGER GOD HAS
SENT IN YOUR DAY TO COME AND SHOW YOU WHAT IS REQUIRED OF YOU BY ALMIGHTY GOD.
4.
That was why, Jesus the Christ explained the matter when
they asked him a question, “What shall we do that we may work the work of God?”
He said, “Believe in Him whom He (God) has sent’’.
5.
WHEN YOU BELIEVE THE MESSENGER, YOU HAVE BELIEVED THE
MESSAGE AND YOU HAVE BELIEVED HE THAT SENT HIM. BUT WHEN YOU REJECT IT FOR ANY
REASON AT ALL, YOU HAVE REJECTED HE THAT SENT HIM, YOU HAVE ALSO MISSED THE
MESSAGE FOR YOUR DAY. IN OTHER WORDS, YOU HAVE NOT RECOGNIZED YOUR DAY.
6.
The Messenger of your day holds the message of your day.
He is holding your salvation. When Jesus the Christ appeared on the scene and
they wanted to continue with John the Baptist, did they know they were erring?
They did not know. Because John the Baptist was no longer the Messenger of
their day. It has changed hands.
7.
When Moses gave way, some people wanted to continue with
him anyhow, by-passing the salvation of their day. The same way it has been in
every dispensation.
8.
Now, this is the Bridal Dispensation. We are back to the
Word, we are back to the Urim and Thummim. HE THAT WILL COME WITH A MESSAGE
STRAIGHT UNTO THE BIBLE AND THEN, THAT WILL GO ROUND THE WHOLE WORLD IN
NEWSPAPER FORM, IN PRINT FORM IS ALREADY WITH US. WE ARE FEEDING FROM THE MANNA
(HEAVENLY MANNA, FRESH MANNA).
9.
In other words, you MUST believe the revealed Word of
the Messenger of your day. You must believe your day and its message. Stop
walking in the glare of other ages. We are no longer in William Branham’s age,
and we are not in Laodicea.
10.
Anybody walking in Laodicea is walking in blindness
because he does not know where he is. That is why I love the question that end-timer
asked.
11.
He said, “I became interested because no man can impersonate
this supernatural Halo”. Prophet William Branham, we said that he is our Angel Messenger
and so on, he showed us Supernatural Halo and we saw it, God vindicating Himself
with Halo, what do you stand for? What is your message? I do not want to miss
my day and my message”.
12.
He is a wise man because he knows what the Prophet said
about such a thing. Because the coming of a man marks the end of the other. Can
the two be on the scene together? No! What is more, he knew there was a message
coming, for once there is a sign, there is a Voice following the sign and it
must be scriptural.
13.
Now, we must believe the Revealed Word from the Messenger
of our day if we must live. Do you know the written word of God is not the
original seed? The Spoken Word has remained the Original Seed. And who owns the
Spoken Word of your day? He whom He (God) has sent.
14.
Thus, whatever you call the Voice of God for that day is
in the mouth of He who He has sent. For whosoever God sends speaketh the Word
of God. The Spirit of God is upon him without measure.
15.
John chapter 2 verse 22, “When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered
that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word
which Jesus had said.” KJV.
16.
When that thing which was told them—which they had already
forgotten—came to pass, they then reconnected themselves. Then they believed
Jesus Christ, they believed the scriptures, they believed Jesus the Christ and
the words he had spoken unto them because
they recognized their day, then they acknowledged him as the Angel Messenger
of their day.
17.
Remember the topic: “The secret of retaining your
sanctified estate or condition.” The secret, you must believe the Revealed Word,
the revealed scriptures that have come to you from your Messenger God has given
to you in your own day. That is all; for it shall be unto you your
righteousness in the sight of God if you shall hear and obey.
18.
St. John chapter 8 verse 31. “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him…” they did not
doubt him. “…If ye continue in my word,
then are ye my disciples indeed.” KJV.
19.
If you continue in my Word, then are you my disciples indeed.
Was he referring to the unbelievers? The Bible said that it was for the Jews
that believed him. And believing in him means believing in He that sent Him.
Then they recognized that He was the Angel Messenger giving to them. They have
recognized their own day and its own message
20.
When you recognize that Messenger and you believe that Revealed
Word that comes out of His mouth, stand there for it shall be your
sanctification, it shall be your righteousness and holiness.
21.
REMEMBER THAT WE ARE TREATING SECRETS OF RETAINING YOUR
SANCTIFIED ESTATE, WHAT YOU DO AND BE SANCTIFIED. If you want to be in this
most holy Faith, look at what is required of you, Q.E.D. I continue.
22.
Number three, “BE PERSISTENT IN FAITH IN CHRIST.” Be
persistent, remain steadfast, doubting nothing. Do not go to the right, do not
go to the left. Continue, come what may. In life and in death, continue. If we
live, it is for Christ alone; if we die in Him, there is great gain.
23.
Be persistent in the Faith of Christ which He has handed
over to you and said, “Have not the Faith of Christ, the Lord of hosts with
respect of persons.” And this Faith is the one we have received which can never
compromise with any other Faith. He said, be persistent, continue in it by day
and by night. Do not waiver.
24.
Faith doubts nothing. Once doubt sets in, faith vanishes.
I can use one scripture or two, knowing that there are masters in our midst, rabbis,
who will help me to know and to read plenty scriptures, to hand down this
message in the language where everybody will understand.
25.
I am giving guideline and creating jobs for ministers,
because we almost came to a point where nobody could preach any other thing
than Grace, Grace, Grace as if this is not Grace. This is Grace; this is the
wholesome doctrine of Grace itself. Grace in its entirety. This is the truth
about Grace. You were holding Grace without the truth, but this is the truth
about Grace.
26.
St. Luke chapter 9 verse 62, “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough,
and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. KJV.
27.
The kingdom of God is the Church. The Kingdom of Heaven is
the Church; it is the House of God. Have I not revealed it in the Bible? Didn’t
you hear it on Sunday? Anybody holding the plough and he is looking back, is
not worthy of this Kingdom.
28.
In other words, if your mind is biased, if you are not
yet rooted, grounded and settled, if you are not convinced, you are not sure,
you are not holding firm to the head, you are not worthy of this Kingdom.
29.
Thus, you must be persistent. Persistent means,
continuing and abiding in the Faith—persistent faith. Persistent, come what may,
come rain, come sunshine. Even if others will draw back, remain there!
30.
We are going down gradually. I used much time to form a
little background, planning to stir up pure minds in everybody. I hope it is
not in vain?
31.
Number four of the secrets of retaining your sanctified
estate: “SET YOUR AFFECTION ON THINGS THAT ARE ABOVE.” Set your affection on
things that are above. Do not allow worldly things to give you sleepless nights.
Once your attention diverts to the things that are earthly, surely you will be
swallowed up.
32.
Colossians chapter 3 verses 1 through 2. “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those
things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your
affection on things above, not on things on the earth. KJV.
33.
Put your affections, ministers, when you will be coming to
the Pulpit, use different translations for them to see and get the meaning
thereof. When you fix your affection on
things that are above, surely nothing will move you from your sanctified
estate.
34.
First John chapter 2 verse 15. These scriptures have
vanished away from our ears. Things you must do and remain in your sanctified
condition.
35.
Sunday First October, 2000, in the message titled “The
Revelation of the Church of Christ”, we saw that the Church means ecclesiae,
called out, separated from the world. That is why we do not follow worldly
fashion, we do not go the way of the world, we are in the world of our own and
we are one, sitting here, love not the world neither the things that are in the
world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Do not
love the world and the things that are in the world. Remember you are living in
the world but you are not a part of this world. We are strangers (aliens) here,
we are pilgrims.
36.
Number five, “AVOID SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS, BUT LIVE AND
TRUST IN CHRIST ALONE.” Avoid self-righteousness, live and trust in Christ
alone. I will show you self-righteousness in the scripture.
37.
St. Mathew chapter 5 verse 20, “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the
kingdom of heaven. KJV.
38.
In other words, our righteousness must exceed that of
the scribes and Pharisees. What was their own righteousness? Righteousness of
the Law. Righteousness of the Law. Remember Law is not of faith and faith is
not of Law. Law walketh by works, Grace walketh by Faith. Is it not Bible? It
is Bible.
39.
Romans chapter 10 verse 1 through 4, “Dear brothers, the longing of my heart and
my prayer is that the Jewish people might be saved. I know what enthusiasm we
have for the order of God, but it is misdirected zeal.
40.
For they do not
understand that Christ have died to make them right with God, instead, they are
trying to make themselves good enough to gain God’s favour by keeping the
Jewish laws and custom. But that is not Gods way of salvation…”
41.
That is not God’s way of salvation. When you obey Jewish
Laws as the way of becoming righteous in the sight of God, the Bible called it,
“self-righteousness”.
42.
Thus, anybody in this Faith of Christ trying to go back
to the Ten Commandments of Moses as a way of remaining in his or hersanctified
estate, you are out of the way. Can you now see that they do not know Grace
more than you? There is no way you can see contradiction in this Faith. I say,
no contradiction at all.
43.
Verse 4, “…they do
not understand that Christ Jesus…….everything they are trying to get by keeping
his laws. He ends all that. KJV.
44.
When you have faith in Christ, you do not bother of
keeping Jewish Laws. The dos and don’ts do not concern you again. Is there any
contradiction there? Whatever the Jewish people were calling their
righteousness is self-righteousness.
45.
If you read it in living Bible, Romans chapter 8, it
said, “It is mechanical righteousness.” Because they were mechanically keeping
a set of rules and regulations. Remember what we are treating: Sixteen secrets
of retaining your sanctified estate where God has placed you.
46.
Remember He has
made us holy in His own eyes and He has asked us to stay there, that is all.
Stop running about. Whatever He asks you to do, do it! Mary commanded the people, “Whatsoever Jesus
says you should do, do it. Fix your eyes on him, he is your leader, he is also
your instructor.”
47.
The messenger of your day, fix your eyes on Him always,
follow His footsteps even on family matters, do not just copy the way He talks,
the way He dresses, copy also the way He manages His own family. That is where
people shake their heads because they know what they are trying to avoid. Evil
men and women there.
48.
Whether you like it or not, you must pattern after my
family. I say, whether you like it or not, you must be queried one day. For
your sake I decided to marry to lay a perfect example of what family life
should be. Amen.
3
DESIRE TO BE LIKE
CHRIST
Remember the topic,
16 secrets of remaining in your sanctified estate. Now we go further. Number
six: “TRY TO FIND OUT WHAT THE WILL OF GOD IS ALL ABOUT BEFORE YOU EVER DO ANYTHING”.
2.
Note it, find out the will of God concerning anything
you want to do. If you have the desire to do anything, if you are being
inspired to do something, if the urge is in you to do something or to say
something, please, settle down and find out the will of God about it. For if
you do not find the will of God about it, you may end it in death.
3.
You may think God will be pleased in the end, not
knowing that God would not be pleased. It may cause your death spiritually and
physically. It has happened before. You know the case of Uzzah, that was what
killed him. Nadab and Abihu, Korah, too many people have died that way, but
this time around, let us consider the scripture.
4.
St. Mathew chapter 7 verse 21. “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. KJV.
5.
HE SAID, “YOU CAN CALL LORD, LORD, LORD, SON OF MAN, SON
OF MAN, SON OF DAVID, SING PRAISES, DO EVERYTHING; THEY ARE ALL FINE, I CONDEMN
YOU NOT BUT YOU WILL NOT ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN UNTIL YOU DO THE WILL OF
GOD.” FIND OUT THE WILL OF GOD BECAUSE THE WILL OF GOD IS REVEALED IN HIS WORD.
6.
That was why St. Paul was praying that we should have
the mind that is in Christ. And my prayer is that you will be fully clothed
with the Holy Spirit, so that He will guide you into right action, right
decision, right utterances. A man
without the Holy Spirit can even slap God and call it righteousness.
7.
For us to remain in our sanctified estate, number seven,
“WE MUST BE TEACHABLE PEOPLE, WE MUST TAKE THE TEACHABLE ROOT, INFANT ROOT,
ELEMENTARY ROOT.” Note, I must be teachable. One that is teachable will always
say, “Please brother, show me where I am wrong, for no man can see his fault.”
8.
A man examining himself in a classroom will always come
first. You can never know your fault my brother. My sister, you cannot see your
fault. But if you are teachable, if your Teacher corrects you, you will take it
with joy. If your brother corrects you, you will take it with joy. But if you
are not teachable, you will always think that you know all things; and that is
a deceitful thing. In other words, you are incorrigible.
9.
Job, a humble man of God said, “God, teach me and help
me to understand where I have failed”. You
must take this teachable root, and this same root, I call it infant root.
Unless we become like babies, little, little kids, we cannot be teachable.
10.
It is not easy to teach adult. What are you going to
tell him? What is it that he does not know? Before you say anything, he has
known where you are heading to. And that boils down to what I have been seeing
in the Church for some time now.
11.
A minister will come to the pulpit and read scripture,
everybody will give his interpretation. Some will be furnishing him with
information from the flock, telling him what he should read and the
interpretation of it. You say one statement, they will add over twenty
statements. The Church will become a mad group with over one million preachers.
I wonder what that would look like in the tape.
12.
How can we then hear from the man who is the angel of
the Church that day, who is now taking it from the sacred pulpit? Since you
cannot allow us to hear him, we will now withhold the message. We do not know
whether we are paying attention to you or we are paying attention to the
pulpit; simply because you are Mr. know it all.
13.
Before the minister opens his mouth, you know where he
is heading to. This is foolishness. It is unscriptural behavior. God is not the
author of confusion. When you are in the pulpit, you are prophesying. And then we are here hearing what you are
prophesying. The people will be in the congregation making a hell of noise.
14.
Some will even be flattering the man in the pulpit until
his heart will be aflame and he will be saying things that are not convenient.
He will even deviate from the topic he has introduced trying to please the Church
by joining them in their jesting and laughing and things like that.
15.
That does not make us free people. It does not mean we
should be starchy, no. we should scream, we should jump up, but it must be by
revelation when it strikes somebody. That’s what I am saying.
16.
When all of us are talking at the same time, nobody is
talking. Thus, Deacons, you are the policemen of the Church, check this spirit.
It has engulfed so many people in this Faith. Even those men that make noise
from their seats, place them in this pulpit they can never read scriptures because
they do not know what the message is all about. They are always distorting
facts, every statement will be distorted. He will draw one example from the
market, draw one from his yard, which has no bearing with the message that is
coming from the pulpit, and his aim is to influence the minister away from the
topic he had already introduced so that he will now buy the view of the Church.
In other words, the Church will dictate to the minister what he should say. If
we come to that point, we perish.
17.
Some will say, “We do not
want that, it is not ebeano.” If the message is
not ebeano, write it down in a piece of paper, give it to the Deacon, he
will take it to the pulpit, you call his attention back. You do not stay there
to make noise: “It is not ebeano.” I want to back it up with scripture.
18.
St. Mathew chapter 18 verse 3. “And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as
little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. KJV.
19.
Little children are teachable, they are corrected, they
are corrigible, you can correct them, you can instruct them. Even if you are
harsh, a little while you see them coming back to you.
20.
Unless we are converted, unless we change our minds,
change our views and become like little children; you will say, “Sit down,” he
will sit down. You say, “Stand up,” he will stand up. “Go out,” he will go out.
Always obeying instruction without grudging, without murmuring, without
thinking that he knows more than the instructor. Sixteen steps, sixteen secrets
of retaining your sanctified estate.
21.
Number eight: “GET RID OF ALL KNOWN HINDRANCES”.
Whatever that may constitute hindrance to you, I do not care what that thing
maybe, what will constitute a hindrance to me may not be a hindrance to you.
22.
Remember in this spiritual race, there is going to be
stumbling blocks, there must be hindrances here and there, things that will
discomfort you.
23.
Any known hindrance along the way, please get rid of it,
remove it as long as it is in your power to remove, remove it. If it is anger,
remove it. If it is malice, remove it. If it is hatred, remove it. If it is
gossip, remove it. If it is blackmail, remove it.
24.
All these things that are not convenient, they are not
proper and they do not portray the life of the Kingdom, they are not attributes
of Christ whom we are commanded to fix our eyes on, remove these things.
25.
However, you cannot remove them until you have recognized
them. Recognize your own hindrance, then you are in the position to remove it.
Can you remove something you do not know? If it is much talking, remove it, for
where there are much words, there must be iniquity. The tendency is there for
you to tell lies. You may even be a habitual liar, like I can see in so many of
you.
26.
I can now tell lies anyhow because it is Grace. But Grace
said, “Lie not to one another because you are brethren.” To them that steal, Grace
said, “Steal no more. Work with your hands that you may maintain an upright
living.”
27.
Grace said, “Have your conversation honest, even with
the heathens who we have no access—to those that are without. That’s all. No
more, no less. Is there any Law there? That is why it is said, being
Christ-like is the way of life. Being Christ-like is a habit, a characteristic,
something you are known for.
28.
If Christ appears now, we will see all these attributes
manifest. If he is our Leader and our Instructor, we are to pattern after Him. The Bible said that Christ went about doing good and having favour
with all men. He did not go about doing evil. And what was that good He was
doing? He was always doing the will of the Father who sent him. And what was
the will of the Father who sent him? To go about His works and accomplish it.
29.
Did you receive a calling from God? Any vocation from
God? To what extent have you accomplished it? When he was still in the temple,
he said, “Don’t you know that I should go about my father’s business by now?”
And this was the perfect will of the Father for him.
30.
What is the perfect will of God for you as a child of
God; as a minister of the gospel, able-minister of the New Testament? What have
you discovered to be the will of God for you? Did we receive any commission
from God at all? To what extent have we carried out these commissions? Thus,
you get rid of all known hindrances.
31.
St. Mathew chapter 18 verse 8, “Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast
them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather
than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. KJV.
32.
Now, another scripture that comes to my mind here is
Hebrews 12 verses 1-2, “Wherefore seeing
we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay
aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run
with patience the race that is set before us, KJV.
33.
Is there any race that is set before us? Whatever that
will constitute a hindrance the Bible said, “Take it away.”
34.
Number nine: “DECIDE TO BE A GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT
OF GOD.” Decide to be a good and faithful servant of God, man and woman alike.
Matthew 25 verse 21. “His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. KJV.
Matthew 25 verse 21. “His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. KJV.
35.
Why? Because even in thy access, you were good and
faithful to that which was committed into thy hand. If you are good and
faithful to that which is committed into thy hand as a married wife, a married
man, a spinster, a bachelor, little children, man or woman, no matter your
position in the Body, surely God will welcome you joyfully into His Bosom. You
will enter into the joy of the Lord because your labour of work must never go
unrewarded.
36.
Number ten, “DO NOT TRUST IN MATERIAL POSSESSIONS LIKE
RICHES OR WEALTH.” When they lure you against your soul, they would lure you
out of the Kingdom of God. But seek you first the kingdom of God and its
righteousness, every other thing shall be added unto you.
37.
St. Mark chapter 10 verse 24, “And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth
again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in
riches to enter into the kingdom of God!” KJV.
38.
St. Matthew chapter 6 verse 33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and
his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” KJV.
39.
Number eleven. “RESOLVE TO ENTER THE HEAVEN OF REST OR
PARADISE BY AND BY, COME WHAT MAY.” Resolve upon yourself that come what may,
you will be in the haven of rest, in that Paradise. For there are many that
will strive to enter but they will not succeed, because narrow is that way that
leadeth to eternal life.
40.
There are many that would like to enter but they will
not succeed. You that have entered, resolve you will be there by and by.
41.
St. Luke 13 verse 24, “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will
seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” KJV.
42.
Number twelve: “BE ON THE ALERT ALWAYS TO THE SPIRIT OF
UNBELIEF AND THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN.” Be on the alert always to the spirit of
unbelief and deceitfulness of sin.
43.
When sin or deceit is operating in you, you may think
you are in heaven when you are in Hell.
44.
Hebrews chapter 3 verses 12 through 14, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of
you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
45.
But exhort one another daily,
while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness
of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our
confidence steadfast unto the end.” KJV.
46.
Always be on alert. Rat does not eat something whose
owner is on the alert. He that is surrounded by the enemy keeps watch over his
life. Since we know that there is a crowd of witnesses, spectators watching us
from a stand, be on the alert to the spirit of unbelief. Unbelief is sin. Sinful
deceits.
47.
Sixteen secrets of retaining your sanctified estate; number
thirteen: “RESOLVE UPON YOURSELF TO
OBEY THE MESSENGER OF YOUR DAY AT ALL TIMES.”
48.
Resolve it upon yourself that whatever He asks you to
do, you will do it. Because I know that His thoughts for you are the thoughts
of good and not of evil to give you the expected end. He cannot be your
destroyer. He is sent to come and save you and I. He cannot destroy you and I
by and by.
49.
To whosoever you yield yourself to obey, you become his
servant. If you sin, you die. If you disobey, you die. Disobedience is sin. Romans
chapter 6 verse 16, “Know ye not,
that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom
ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” KJV.
50.
Who is your master who you have decided to obey? Are you
making Christ your Master today? Is there anybody that is meant to guide you
home who had the Word of eternal life in him?
51.
Number fourteen: “WE MUST FOLLOW PEACE WITH ALL MEN.” If
we must abide in this condition God has placed us, follow peace with all men.
No exemption. As far as it lyeth within your reach, live peaceably with all
men. Our God is not the author of confusion but of peace.
52.
Hebrews chapter 12 verse 14, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see
the Lord.” KJV.
53.
Number fifteen: “DO NOT CONFORM TO THIS WORLD, DO NOT
PATTERN YOUR LIVES, YOUR CONDUCTS, UNDER THE LIFESTYLE OF THIS PRESENT WORLD
FOR THAT WILL BE UNGODLY.”
54.
Remember you were called out of this sinful world into a
Holy Kingdom. You are no longer living in the Kingdom of Darkness. Do not
conform yourselves to the dictate of this present world. If they are walking to
the left, walk to your right. When they go to the right, go to the left. If you
become a friend of this world, you make yourself God’s enemy.
55.
Romans chapter 12 verse 2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God.” KJV.
56.
Finally, number sixteen: “DESIRE TO BE LIKE CHRIST.” Make
it your whole objective. You know some people do not desire to be like Christ.
Desire to be like the firstborn among many brethren. Let it be your desire at
all times. And when you are desiring it, surely God is going to grant it
because it is in line with his perfect will. That we should be like him in
everything we do.
57.
Romans chapter 8 verse 29, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to
the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” KJV.
58.
Romans chapter 6 verses 5: “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we
shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.” KJV.
59.
Be like Christ at all times. Desire it in your heart. We
had a Pastor in those days, in the Baptist Church who was speaking grammar and
at the same time interpreting. I do not want to go like him.
60.
Psalms 17 verse 15, “As
for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I
awake, with thy likeness.” KJV.
61.
As for me. Can somebody say, “As for me, As for me, I
will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be established when I awake,
with thy likeness.”
62.
My brethren, with these few vital Words of the Holy
Ghost, I hope by His Grace, you are strongly established in this your
sanctified condition. My prayer is that you meditate on these things.
63.
Meditate on these things, as we can see that they are
good in His sight and fulfill His perfect will for His Church. May God bless
you all. Remain in your sanctified estate.
64.
On this note, I say remain in your sanctified estate,
remain blessed in Him eternally. Amen.