Sermons by
THE SON OF MAN (APOSTLE PETER ODOEMENA) A Forum held with
Youths in the Bride’s Ministry, On 17th September 2006, at The Household of
God,
Onitsha, Anambra
State.
INTRODUCTION
The entrance of the Word of God in the heart of man
gives life. When you reject the Word of God, you separate yourself from Him
because God is nothing but His Word. The same
way a man is nothing but his
word. Life without the Word of God or fear of God is vanity.
Note, the importance
of the youth in the development of the society cannot be overemphasized. The
role of the youth in nation building is so paramount that the Federal and State
Governments carved out a Ministry for Youth Development and Empowerment. The
youth of course are regarded as the future leaders. It is against this backdrop
that I plead with the youth to take note of this message.
If you are a father
or mother, you undoubtedly passed through the youthful stage of life. The most
delicate stage of life is the youthful stage. It is the most destructive stage
of life. It is the stage where too many things attract the attention of the youth
and most of the things they delight themselves in are things that would destroy
them ignorantly. It is at this stage that a good number of them desire violence
and experiment every kind of rough life. Some of them think that evil is
pleasurable while some just indulge in these notorious lifestyles just for the
fun of it.
If you watch the
society today, a good number of our youths like to enlist in the force not to
serve the nation but to terrorise and intimidate their fellow human beings. Some
desire task forces such as we witnessed in Onitsha, Anambra State under the
guise of Road Decongestion or Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) before they
were disbanded. I mean that the youth desire the use of force more than
peaceful approach to issues and that is why they are always the brains behind
all violent and destructive activities in the society especially in their
misguided estate. They love violence more than peace because they are ready to
die anywhere at any given time. It is a very dangerous stage of life where they
ignorantly experiment with death daily.
Nothing disturbs the
peace of the society more than unguided youths. Watch all that are misfits in
their families, interview them very well, you will notice that they were
victims of misguided folly.
If parents refuse to
guide their youths in the fear of God, they are bound to forfeit them to the
winds of time. No matter how godly or religious parents may be, if they do not
strictly monitor the development of their youths very well, scrutinize their
conducts, and investigate the type of friends or company they keep, they are
liable to forfeit them to the fowls of the air. Noble ambitions of some youths
in the society today have been thrown to the fowls of the air as a result of
wrong influence. The youth are easily influenced wrongly by their friends, this
is so because you cannot be a friend to a leper and avoid his handshake. It has
therefore become very imperative for us to counsel our youths very well so as
to preserve their lives and protect their future.
I liken the youth to
yam plumule. Any way the farmer twists it to the stake is the way it is going
to climb the stake either to the right or to the left. All of us passed through
the youthful stage of life. As a result, we know all that we suffered in our
youths.
Any youth that
escapes imprisonment or premature death; anybody that escapes imprisonment or
premature death in his or her youth, should sacrifice a cow to God! About
ninety percentage of our youths in the society commit heinous crimes everyday,
but the eyes of the law enforcement agents catch only but a few. For that
reason, the fortunate ones among them think that they are innocent but their
consciences testify against them privately.
The person in the
prison yard is not worse than the one that is moving freely about the streets.
He is moving about freely because he has not been caught while the one in the
prison is there because of his own misfortune. However, whether you are in the
prison yard or outside, it is all but one if you are not properly instructed.
Gone are the days
when prison yards were reformatory homes. The aim of imprisoning somebody is
not to kill him but to get his character reformed and to serve as a deterrent
to others. This service is no longer obtainable in the prison yards of today.
People go to prison today and become worse, because there, they meet hardened
ad unrepentant criminals who lecture them on scientific criminal acts that even
beat the law enforcement agents hollow. It is there that they acquire the
knowledge of trado-medical bullet proof. This is why from time to time, we hear
stories of people that survived years of imprisonment due to criminal acts,
instead of praising God by changing their minds, they will commit even worse
crimes and be re-arrested by the law enforcement agents again. A sure sign that
they never learnt anything good from the previous imprisonment. Some are
sometimes, given very long jail terms so as to weaken them through old age so
as to restrain them from evil anytime they are freed.
Any youth that
suffers this setback due to his unguided behaviour has shattered his future
with his hands. Do not forget the fact that some prison inmates die in the
prison due to ill-health and horrible conditions of life they may be subjected
to while some are imprisoned for life, all as a result of unguided behaviours.
It is at this
youthful stage of life that many die mysteriously because they are over-ambitious
to make money by all means. Some of them enlist themselves in secret societies
that involve even human rituals or even their own lives in order to make money
at tender ages due to improper counselling and bad influence. They capitalise
on the weakness of the society that believes that the end justifies the means.
This ideology or philosophy is from the Devil and not from God. It increases
the criminal propensities of the youth without measure and must be curbed by
the parents.
Some silly parents
are also guilty of mounting undue pressure on their youths comparing their financial
standings with that of their compatriots irrespective of how they made the
money. A wise youth should not succumb to that type of devilish pressure or
competition for wealth. Wealth is good only if it is acquired honestly in the
fear of God.
These over ambitious
youths will like to catch the wind by becoming millionaires sometimes without
any visible and viable means, as a proof to their parents and colleagues that
they have arrived. Such youths can indulge in unimaginable and abominable
profligacy to the hurt of their fellow human being to achieve their dastardly
objectives. To these categories of youth, they prefer money to life and nothing
obstructs their ways without being crushed in their bid to make the money.
These people do not know the value of money. The only thing they know is to
boast of building estates, ridding the best aeroplane, the best jeep, sleeping
with every kind of lady or woman in exotic hotels and to take chieftaincy
titles at young age. Is this a sign of development?
A nation can grow
without developing in the same manner a man can grow without developing. A
human being can grow in stature but is mentally retarded. These youths who die
for money are mentally retarded.
At the youthful stage
of life, the ladies parade the streets half naked with their handbags,
flickering their eyes side-ways and twisting their waists so as to catch the
attention of such stupid persons like them. They have unbridled desire for men
for the sake of money; hence they collect the money and HIV/AIDS in return.
Watch the rate at
which they are dying in the hospitals and trado-medical homes. Visit any
Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) Unit in any approved hospital and you
will be amazed at the calibre of youths that have been ravaged by the dreaded
HIV/AIDS scourge due to promiscuity, prostitution and other unguided behaviours.
Many die while committing abortion secretly.
At this youthful stage,
some ladies become victims of ritual murder with their private parts chopped
off from their bodies. Why? They love to take free car lifts with people they
know not and also love to sleep with men whose motives they know not for
money-making sake or for the fun of it. At this Stage, they pay every kind of
visit to their friends, attend night parties and keep the worst type of company
without the knowledge of their parents. This can be destructive if left
unchecked. Some die in motor accidents during such travels to places unknown to
their parents. Some claim to know their relations more than their parents hence
every man is an uncle or brother or cousin while the counterpart is a sister or
aunty. The youth, be careful. All that glitters is not gold. Preserve your
youth and achieve your dreams.
At this youthful
stage of life, they indulge in smoking Indian hemp, have their fill of all
kinds of alcoholic drinks, and take illegal or forbidden hard drugs that often
make them run mad. These things they do without any good reasons only that they
want to be dreaded by all as “bad guys”. It is at this stage that they become
political thugs. Who is a thug? A thug is one that is paid to commit suicide!
Some like to be touts even in motor parks while some indulge in other nefarious
activities without restraint. Violent stealing is very much prevalent among
this age bracket because they want quick money, which they will lavish on women
and drinks.
I am trying to
highlight some of the problems the youth pose to the society or families if
they are not properly guided and empowered so that all and sundry will
appreciate the necessity for proper upbringing of our youths to enable them
achieve their dreams.
The development of
any society or family is determined by the quality of the youth that make up
that family or society. Due to lack of proper counselling, these youths often
drop out from schools and colleges and even the universities thereby
constituting a great nuisance to the society. Some run away from all forms of
apprenticeships and become hooligans in the streets.
There is no age that
has produced more mad youths that parade the streets and markets than our age.
This is so because our youths find it very difficult to listen to and obey good
advice even from their parents.
If you are a youth,
note that your destiny to a Large extent lies in your hands because life is
nothing but what you want to make it. Your heaven or hell starts here on Earth
before the imaginary one that follows in the world beyond.
As a result of wrong
habits the youth inculcate during their youthful days, they can hardly make
good husbands and wives, hence they run broken homes with mischievous children
that cause them sorrow and pain during old age. Remember that ignorance is a
deliberate misfortune. Recognise all these facts and protect your dreams.
The quality and not
the quantity of the youth in the society or family will determine the extent
the society or family will develop. There can be youth without quality. This is
a hard saying but it is true. Knowledge is power if it is after a Godly sort.
Academic knowledge without this wisdom from God is useless. This is why we have
too many educated fools in the society and even in the citadel of learning, I
mean the university.
A university don that
collects money from students or gives the female ones sexual conditions for
passing his paper is an educated fool and there are too many of such people in
our universities. Do not succumb to their advances especially the female youth.
They are spoilers that must be avoided. Please, report such obnoxious requests
to the University Senate for appropriate actions. Mostly, be serious with your
studies. If you are not serious with your studies, you are not sure of your
success and you create room for such an unholy advances.
PRESERVE YOUR YOUTH
AND ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS
A lot of our youths have good dreams about what they would
like to be in life. Unfortunately, these dreams are never transformed into
realities due to poor counselling and unguided behaviours. Due to youthful
exuberances some of them indulged in dangerous and harmful life unchecked,
which culminated into shattering their ambitions and the expectations of their
parents.
It is in recognition
of this ugly development, that I have decided to draw the attention of our youths
ahead of time to the notorious evils that can destroy their future glory and to
proffer the possible remedies without any threat of Hellfire. I have therefore
decided to document this brief counsel in writing to help the youth check against
the numerous temptations awaiting them as they struggle to attain greatness in
life.
PROMISCUITY
This is a hateful
act of having sexual affair indiscriminately with many people at a very early stage
of life or at any age at all; it is the worst form of sexual abuse. It is an
indiscriminate sexual act just for the fun of it and not for any other social
or biological consideration.
Social psychologist
refer to promiscuity as an unwarranted exposure of oneself to sexual
relationships at tender stages of life. This is a social malaise, very much
prevalent among our youths due to poor family upstart, ignorance, lack of moral
discipline, lack of vision of the future, evil association and lack of fear of
God. That the dreaded HIV/AIDS pandemic is very much prevalent among the
productive and reproductive ages of sixteen to forty-nine years is as a result
of promiscuity within this age bracket. The same is applicable to other sexually
transmitted diseases.
Most cases of
infertility, impotence and sterility arise from damages done to the
reproductive organs of the body system as a result of contraceptives and other
pregnancy preventive devices, whether scientifically, trado-medically or
otherwise during the youthful age. It is always the evil or havoc wrecked by
the hen during the dry season, that eradicates its chicks during the raining
season. One that has never tasted an apple does not know whether it is sweet or
bitter.
No sensible and
sincere person ever desires to experiment an act that will undoubtedly
jeopardize his or her future ambitions. At same time, no wise and intelligent
fellow ever associates himself or herself with a spoiler, no matter what the
person promises or holds out in pretext. It is a humiliating and dehumanising
act for one to indulge in promiscuity or promiscuous acts. It is self-debasement
arising out of lack of self-confidence and self-contentment.
When you preserve
your youth, you protect your life, your integrity, your future, your family’s
reputation, and fulfil your dreams. If you act contra-wise, you shatter your
future and disgrace both yourself and your parents. The issue of threat of hellfire
should not arise here at all. This is because your hellfire starts here on
Earth; equally, your Heaven starts here on Earth. Whomever that obeys my
messages out of fear of Hellfire or indictment has not obeyed at all but merely
suppressing his or her feelings. Nobody’s obedience to the messages is
fulfilled until it is practiced as a result of personal conviction that my
messages are wholesome truths.
There is always the
propensity in the youth to experiment evil but this act has grievous and
disastrous consequences and should be avoided by all if we must transform our
good dreams into realities. Consider what I have said and let the Almighty God
give you perfect understanding. Evil is pleasurable to those that are destitute
of truth and void of wisdom. Preserve your youth and achieve your dreams.
PROSTITUTION
This is another
cankerworm that has eaten very deep into the fabric of the society. It is the
act of having sexual relationship for the sake of making money or for other
materials gains. This devilish act has assumed a higher dimension in the
society. The time when people regarded prostitutes as only women that use their
bodies to make money in the brothels is over. A lot of men and women now
indulge in this notorious act without living in the brothels. A man can be a
prostitute as well as a woman. This is hard to believe.
Some men, especially
our youths, in the urban centres collect huge sums of money from their sugar
mummies, who are old enough to be their mothers, just as a condition to satisfy
their sexual desires. These aged women, some of them have crossed their
menopause, volunteer to take care of the school fees of these victims and also
pay their rents provided they remain faithful to them. The women also entangle
themselves with men that are old enough to be their fathers, just for the sake
of money and other pleasantries. This is a very destructive act that should be
treated with contempt by all and sundry who fear and honour the Lord God
Almighty.
A good number of our
youths in the higher institutions of learning have become prostitute due to lack
of fear of God and improper and misguided family up bringing. Another reason is
the desire for sophistication and exotic lifestyle due to bad influence.
Often times, some
stupendous ignoramuses who pose as parents, conspire to spoil and over-expose
their children to all forms of vices by laying destructive examples before them
in their homes. Imagine a situation where parents encourage their children to
put on immoral and amorous dresses, some of which expose their nudities so that
men can go after them. Some married women are also guilty of this crime. All
these dresses and hairstyles they refer to as “dress to kill” are awful crimes
against God and humanity and must be condemned by every child of God who
professes godliness with contentment. Any woman or man that dresses to attract
attention with intent to seduce, entice, mislead, deceive an innocent fellow is
no less than a prostitute.
It is ubiquitous
today for people to stay in their marital homes, some in the families under the
care of their parents, and still practice prostitution. Anybody that is not
mindful of how and where his daughters or wife or sons get the money they
lavish in purchasing one item or other is encouraging prostitution, which is a
crime against God and mankind. Parents that do not have money to train their
children either in the schools, universities or in gainful pursuits should not
lure them into prostitution.
A
prostitute is an irresponsible fellow. It is one that has no personality or
integrity to protect. It is one that lacks shamefacedness and a laughing stock
in the society. A prostitute does not live long on Earth. A woman that
practices prostitution debases herself, her husband, her children, and even her
own parents. Everything can last long but the gains of prostitution do not last
long. Homes are built by virtuous men and women but prostitution is a curse.
For that reason, youths, say no to prostitution and preserve your future. Curb
your immoral desires and prolong your days on Earth.
LESBIANISM
This is
the act of females having sexual relationship with their fellow females. This
act contrary to nature and very much pronounced among our youths due to Western
influence through the use of television, seductive periodicals and destructive
conversations with ungodly victims of the deadly act.
Some
schools of thought hold the opinion that those that indulge in it do it to
avoid unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. This not true at
all. This is a socio-psychological problem that deserves a psychotherapeutic
approach. I mean that it is a psychological defect, a pathological problem that
should be given serious attention among the youths. Consider a situation where
a female romances her fellow female, touching all the sensitive organs in the
body, sometimes kissing and caressing her just to satisfy her sexual urge. This
is madness in its peak! It is a distasteful act in the sight of God and man’s
inhumanity to fellow man.
Lesbians
are very much found in the secondary schools that are all-females; in the same
manner Sodomist are found in exclusively boys’ schools and colleges. Sodomy is
the act of males having sexual relationships with fellow males. Homosexuals are
those that have sexual relationships with same sex. This is a condemnable
action that should be deemphasised among our youths if they must realize their
ambitions in life.
THE
EVIL SIDE OF LESBIANISM
A lesbian finds it
difficult to marry because she does not have any desire for a man.
(2) Where she gets married at all, which is normally at
an old age, she is never satisfied with one man. This is because, the constant
touch on her genital organ especially, keeps her clitoris erect at all times.
This is why most of them end it in prostitution or promiscuity.
(3) In her constant attempt to satisfy her sexual urge
with her fingers, she is prone to infections like fungi and even bacteria. The most
prominent of them being the itching, and discharging effect of candidaisis.
(4) It promotes the development of fibroid, which
impairs conception
The remedy lies in self-recognition and the
dangers likely to be posed by the act. Nobody comes out publicly to declare
that she is a lesbian. It is against the customs and traditions of Africa and
so it is not popular but notorious. Notorious in the sense that a good number
of our female youth indulge in the act secretly with their partners and still
come out looking angelic and unsuspicious. Lesbians do not make good mothers because
they do not respect any man for whom he is since men do not appeal to them.
This is a social imbalance that has to be addressed in the fear of God by any
female or male youth that thinks the best of himself or or herself.
Our youths should
develop themselves to the point where the horror of the sight alone should send
shivers into their spines.
MARITAL
ENGAGEMENT
It is not out of place
to hear some of our youths from time to time, saying that they are engaged in
marriage to one another even when they are still in school. This is a rampant
evil that leaves its victims with sorrow, pain, heartbreak and sometimes death.
How can somebody who is sensible take his or her fellow student seriously in
any marital engagement? It is like embarking one’s hope on the wind whether
male or female.
Any student that
promises a fellow student marriage while in school is looking for a sexual
partner. If at all the engagement fulfils at last, the couples have succeeded
in laying the foundation of their marriage on hardship. This must be so because
the female counterpart must mount undue pressure on the man to fulfil his word
or promise either before he completes his studies or immediately after his
studies without any proper preparation for marriage.
The worst will
happen if they mistakenly begin to have children while in the school or immediately
after passing out from the schools. The level of hardship that will befall them
will be better imagined than observed. A woman can conveniently get married to a
man while still pursuing her career without any setback but it is not so with a
man. It is a man’s honest attempt to lay a good background for his family that
leads to breaking of engagements.
Every sensible young
man must acknowledge that his prime objective in life is not marriage. His
family must be put in order before marriage is considered which was the essence
of the parents’ sacrifice on him. A man is trained to better his family while a
woman is trained to better the lot of her husband. Whatever a married man does
to his in-laws is in appreciation of what his wife is to him—her positive
contributions to the well being of the man and his family—and not a payment for
her education at all.
Any woman that gives
her body to a man as a means of satisfying his sexual desires in the name of
engagement is a fool. The more you associate with such a person, the cheaper
you make yourself and the more he will useless you. At the end, he will pick a
virtuous woman from the rural area or from among his people and leave you with
heartbreak.
The young man should
also take note that many youths have been bathed with concentrated acid as a
result of breaking marriage engagements. The female youth should also remember
that some ladies have lost their precious lives in the hand of cruel men due to
breaking of marital engagements. Why should a female indulge in marital
engagement at all? It will take one that does not know her worth to do that! A
virtuous and dependable woman does not go about looking for men or solicit
marriage to any man. Men who know her worth stake their fortune to convince her
why she should consider them fit and proper to accept their hand in marriage.
Marital engagement
is for those with questionable characters only or societal misfits and not for
well-organized and reputable persons.
Refrain from marital
engagements and fulfil your life’s ambitious with joy. Remember, if you misbehave
yourself, you will land yourself where you least esteemed.
ABORTION
AND ITS AWFUL EFFECTS
Abortion in the
context of this brief message means a deliberate termination of unwanted
pregnancy by anybody by means of oral drugs, trado-medical ways, or by a
specialised medical doctor in various forms. This obnoxious practice has become
a way of life among the youth of today without any recourse to its awful
effects to their health and their future.
To begin with, why
is the pregnancy regarded as an unwanted one? The answer is obvious. The person
never knew that his or her affair with the sexual partner would result to
pregnancy. Since you do not want to be pregnant why do you desire sexual affair
with any man or woman? Do you not know that the resultant effect of sexual intercourse
is nothing but pregnancy? This is why the youth are advised to steer clear from
pre-marital sex.
If you are a woman
that preserves your virginity you will earn respect from your husband and you
will not experience any difficulty in conception anytime you get married to a
man because your whole system is untouched and natural. This is also applicable
to a young man. Show me couples that have difficulties in conception after
marriage, and I will show you that either the wife or the husband or both
abused their youth by being way-ward.
Awful Effects of
Abortion
1. It can result to premature death especially when it
is handled by medical quacks or chemists or even native doctors.
2. It destroys the womb or all the reproductive organs
thereby rendering the woman barren.
3. It can result to cancer of the cervix (Human Paphomia
Virus), which is deadly.
4. It can lead to very serious infections, which may
even block the fallopian tubes.
5. It promotes the growth of uterine fibroid, which
hinders conception.
6. It can result to internal bleeding (Haemorrhage)
A good number of our
youths today have brought untold hardship to themselves in the process of
procuring abortion. Some have been arrested and jailed by the law enforcement
agents because it is against the law of the land. Many families are living in
sorrow without any hope of getting a child because of abortions they did in their
youth before marriage. . Abortion can only be permitted if it is done to save
the life of the mother.
Whoever that
procures abortion has become a murderer, believe it if you can! Refrain from
pre-marital sex and achieve your dreams.
DRUG
ABUSE
This is the administration
of certain drugs that are in the prohibited lists to the general public or to
an individual by medical quacks or by self-medication. For anybody to be qualified
to practice self-medication, he must know the chemical constituents of the
drugs and its possible reactions or side effects.
In well-organised
countries, nobody is allowed to dispense any drug to any patient or buyer
without the doctor’s prescription note, while some placed the sale of drugs in
the hands of approved and licensed pharmacists only. But in Nigeria, open
market sale of drugs is the practice; hence many quacks and illiterates
dominate the business to make brisk business. This is the worst form of drug
abuses and has resulted to the death of many people in the society.
The most important
aspect of drug abuse among our youths is the pushing of hard and illegal drugs
at home and beyond the shores of the country to make money. Examples of such
hard drugs are cocaine, heroine, morphine, petedine, Indian hemp, Chinese
capsule etc. Some of these drugs are in powdered form while some are in liquid
form.
Little quantities of
these drugs attract huge sum of money and for that reason, our youths now rush
into the business in spite of the stiff penalty that awaits any offender. Some
people plant these drugs into their body tissues in cellophane packs or capsules,
which often times result to death of the carrier, should any of the packs open up
in the body. Many students have ran amok as a result of intake of hard drugs
thereby shattering their dreams and the expectations of their parents.
To become an addict
starts with a single experiment with a dose or a wrap. Many who indulge in hard
drugs do not have good reason for that at all. Some take hard drugs so that
they will feel high and dreadful. Some take it for the fun of it just like a
foolish young man that indulges in premarital sexual act just for the fun of it.
Can a sensible fellow who has the fear of God experiment death?
A good number of the
youth that roam the streets, especially in the urban centres, are as a result
of drug abuse. There is no gain in the smoking of cigarette or Indian hemp.
Only beasts from broken homes who have no focus In life indulge in such
unwholesome habit. Be wise. Evil association spoils good character.
SPOILERS
AND THE GSM
The GSM phones are
introduced to bridge communication gap among the people and to facilitate quick
transfer of information within the service area. This is a welcome development
in this scientific age we are living in today. This instrument, we were told by
God at its inception, should not be found in the hands of fools.
Today, fools have
invaded the industry with every Tom, Dick and Harry, carrying GSM handset
about. People with perverted minds have perverted its usage as they have done
in other spheres of life. Some now use it to swindle money from their fellow
men, while others specialise in using it to tell lies. Others use it for
numerous criminal activities to the hurt of their fellow men.
A good number of our
youths use it to establish boyfriend and girlfriend relationships hence many
have died in their bid to get a promised handset for their girlfriends. There
is no kind of text message, that does not pass through the GSM handset screen.
Fools now specialise in coining different text messages that can turn the
hearts of their receivers to them to the neglect of their noble pursuits in
life.
The most effective
instrument in the hand of a spoiler is the GSM handset. With it, the spoiler
can send any amount of money to his target by means of recharge cards. This is
why every intelligent and focussed youth should be mindful of those texts and
recharge cards that flash across their GSM handset screens.
The most pleasant
message in the handset by way of text message has always come from a spoiler. A
wise and intelligent person will use the tone of the text or call to detect the
aim of the caller. Reckless exchange of GSM phone numbers is a naked sign of
stupidity. It is a deliberate invitation to the devil or the spoiler.
The next spoiler is
gifts of any kind. Behind every gift, there is a motive. Some gifts are given
with honest intentions while majority are given to bribe one’s conscience
against himself or herself. Some are holistic destruction! I mean that some are
aimed at destroying the recipient diabolically. One’s enemies may hide under
their relations or friends who are envious of your advancement, and destroy you
and your career prospects.
To the youth I say,
a gift is not a gift until it passes the confirmation of your parents. Whoever that
is afraid of routing any gift to you through your parents while you are still
under their custody, has a sinister motive! At the same time, any child or
youth that conceals a gift from his or her parents has made up his mind or her
mind to stop his journey or her journey mid-way. Gift is good only if it is
given after a godly sort. Beware!
Another spoiler is
the television, which gives some ungodly youths the opportunity to watch pornographic
films and many other devilish films produced by people with reprobate minds,
with the intent to make money. Any youth that wants to make the best of himself
or herself in this life, must avoid watching such films that corrupt the mind
and increase criminal propensities in them with all malice. Nothing influences
the youth more than what they see and what they hear or read from the
newspapers or periodicals.
You should regard
anything or anybody that will not help you to achieve your ambition in life as
an obstruction or a brazen enemy. Give it antagonistic approach. Remember the
accompanying disgrace if you should fail to succeed in life.
FRIENDSHIP
AND DEATH
A friend is the
person that corrects one when he or she goes wrong. Any other definition than
this is unacceptable in the sight of God. People mistake friendship to mean exchange
of pleasantries. This notion is erroneous. This is why to such people that
holds this erroneous beliefs, anybody that reprimands them of any evil act is
regarded as an enemy. For two to become friends, they must be like-minded. I
said two, because it takes two to tango. The two cannot walk together except
they agree.
Do you have the same
ideology, or principle with the person you call your friend? What is the basis
of your friendship? Is the relationship or friendship symbiotic? If yes, why?
And if no, why? Do you have the same vision with that your friend? The answer
you supply to these questions will determine where the friendship will take
you. Your enemy will not destroy you but your friend. All evil suggestions that
have grave consequences have been traceable to friends and not enemies. Nobody
exposes a friend to rough life more than a friend. Friends have even lured
their fellow friends to their death grounds unsuspectingly. The easiest person
that can poison you is your friend.
Love him or her and
do good to your friend but do not blink your eyes whenever he or she is around.
If it is possible, maintain no friends, no enemy. The best friend you have in
this life that is trustworthy is yourself.
Enjoying a free lift
in a car on the basis of friendship can be disastrous. You may be carried dumb
to an unknown destination and that may mark the end of your journey on Earth.
Your friend with whom you pass the night may use you for ritual sacrifice.
Avoid friendship the same way you avoid cultism and robbery. Cases abound where
robbers made confessional statements to the Police that their friends lured
them into violent robbery and rape.
Your friend who is
envious of your success can even plan for your rape and execute it with ease
even in his or her house. Since friendship is often associated with death,
every intelligent youth should avoid it like wild fire. When you preserve your
youth, you secure your future and transform your dreams into realities.
ATTENDANCE
TO PARTIES AND DRUNKENNESS
Nothing exposes the
youth to destructive influences more than attendance of ceremonial parties where
they exhibit their youthful lusts. These parties range from wake-keep,
bachelor’s eve, wedding ceremonies, school shows and picnics, to nightclubs.
These fora offer the youth opportunities to free drinks, free exchange of
cigarettes and free food. It is also a favourable ground for both sexes to
mis-mate themselves without restraint.
Youths that indulge
in this destructive behaviour only boast of how many cartons of beer or bottles
of hot drinks and plates of salad they could finish at a time and the number of
ladies or young men they could deceive during such parties.
Awful
Effects of These Habits
1. It influences innocent souls into wrong and
destructive lifestyles that destroy their future and shatter their ambitions.
2. It produces drunkards and reckless youths who
constitute a nuisance to the society.
3. It increases evil tendencies in the youth hence it
makes them restless.
4. Keeping late at night has landed many into many
troubles in the hands of enforcement agents, armed robbers and other suspicious
places thereby damaging their reputations and that of their families.
5. Party or ceremonial grounds are fertile grounds where
enemies lie in wait to poison or destroy their foes ignorantly.
Therefore, it is
worthwhile for any sensible and focussed youth to refrain from this delicate
habit. It is not a MUST that you honour all invitations. If you are wise, and
recognise that you are accountable to your parents, you should not attend to
any invitation without the approval of your parents. If you maintain this
stance, you MUST escape from your enemies and fulfil your ambitions.
THE STATE OF THE NATION
PREACHED
on
19TH JULY, 2009
by
THE SON OF MAN
(APOSTLE
PETER ODOEMENA)
at
THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD
ONITSHA
(ANAMBRA STATE)
THE STATE OF THE NATION
I want to
speak to you on THE STATE OF THE NATION. When I listened to the news read in
the newspapers concerning the amnesty granted to the Niger Delta youths, I
laughed within Myself. I said, “No, this goes to confirm that we do not have
leadership anymore.”
2.
Why amnesty? One, that amnesty is useless
and cannot go to anybody. Two, the time frame is poor. That is, the time limit
is unimaginable.
3.
How can you grant amnesty to a people you do
not know and give them mandate that must be 4th October as last date?
4.
Then I said within myself, “If by 4th
October they failed to surrender or accept the amnesty, what next?”
5.
Now the question arises: Who and who are
being granted the amnesty—who and who make up MEND? I began to wonder.
6.
MEND as a movement, is a radical movement, a
freedom movement born out of gross marginalization.
7.
Now watch. They have over two hundred seen
and unseen commanders. Even the kangaroo commanders do not know themselves
except the prominent ones. In addition, there is no commander that knows the number
of youths he has already recruited. For there is no recruiters’ license. There
is no number with which to identify them.
8.
Now, where are their locations? How can you
grant amnesty to a people you do not know? You do not know how many they are.
You do not know their various formations. You do not even know the types of
weapons they have imported which they are using.
9.
Where do you say they are going to surrender
that thing? You say it is 82 Division in Enugu. Why not Bayelsa or Port Harcout
or Aba? Why not Imo State, Obirinze Artillery Unit? But they said it is 82
Division in Enugu.
10. Now, what
and what are they going to surrender? Why not reason properly.
11. What if
they refuse to go there to surrender anything or if they go there and say they
have surrendered? What if they just went there, dropped some pistols, put their
names that they have dropped their weapons, and then go away?
12. The Atlas Cove Jetty in Lagos that was demolished just of recent, was it
demolished with ordinary pistol? It was a master plan.
13. I am
coming to something. Follow Me strictly. God is doing something now. God is
confirming His Word.
WHAT IS NEEDED IS DIALOGUE AND NOT VIOLENCE
I am saying that the
amnesty is a useless amnesty. What was needed was not even bombing and shooting
them. What was needed was roundtable conference, that is, negotiation.
16. Once
there is a dispute, ask them to ceasefire. Let them come to the roundtable and present
their agenda so that you know their grievances. Then you begin to tell them the
extent you can go to address them within the capacity the nation has found
herself. It is not violence versus violence.
17. Nobody
has ever succeeded in quelling the yearning of the people through violence. Do
you know that in spite of what happened during the Civil War, Biafra still
exists in the hearts of all Igbos? Do you believe that? It is not existing in
the name, it is in the heart. Up till today, the Igbos are still clamouring for
separation. Is it not true? Are we not witnesses?
18. Why is it
so? It is simply because Gowon came up one morning and then granted amnesty
without hearing from the people. So, that agitation has remained there. What is
more, before our eyes, we begin to see marginalization continuing.
19. Check all
the newspapers, news; you hear marginalization, marginalization,
marginalization everyday. That goes to show that the real problem is yet to be
addressed.
20. Moreover,
we were of the opinion that that which the Army could not do because it was
Force, democracy can now do it. Because it gives everybody a sense of belonging
to air his or her views on national issues.
21. But
unfortunately, those that have the brains are not invited. The National Confab
they said they were conducting ended in the pipeline.
22. I am
going somewhere. I want you to know the state of the nation. God spoke
concerning this nation.
23. We can
see crimes on the increase. When we started hearing about kidnapping in the
Niger Delta, remember I mounted the pulpit and told you that this kidnapping
must extend its tentacles to the Southeast; so
it will continue until it will engulf the whole Nigeria for that is the area
affecting MEND.
24. The
criminality side of it was at the side of kidnapping and collecting ransom. It
is a condemnable act by God.
25. Now watch
what is happening, the state of kidnapping, nobody will say he is not aware. If
anybody is pretending that he does not know that kidnapping has come to stay in
Nigeria, that person is a liar. Even our authorities know this truth.
26. Who
should be blamed? Surely, those that are in authority. A situation where few
individuals are controlling the wealth of the nation. So, they should be
blamed. They are responsible for what is happening.
27. You watch
violent crimes, just of recent; we saw what happened at Awka, from Awka to
Nnewi. About a month ago, we saw what happened at Nnewi. Now, it has shifted to
Nsukka. Everywhere, violence, violence, violence.
28. You get
to Abia, all the newspapers write volumes concerning violence in Abia, banning okada without providing okada riders with a substitute. What do
you think the person will be doing?
29. “You wean
me from my mother’s breast without giving me
food supplements; in other words, you want me to die. I will not die, I
will not like to die. I must struggle to survive. And I know how I will do it.”
30. Now, I am
continuing. I am trying to say that banning okada
is not a remedy. After all, it is on record that no rich man has ever been
kidnapped with okada—you see the man
in okada and carry him like that.
They use costly new vehicles; the type the person is driving also.
31. So, I am
saying that okada is not our problem
for now. They have not yet addressed the problem.
THE
HAND OF GOD IS BEHIND WHAT IS HAPPENING
I am
coming to something. We are coming forward to look at the state of Nigeria.
33. As at the
time God spoke concerning “the state of the economy,” we never knew or heard
anything called “global economic meltdown.” It was unknown but as we journeyed
along, that language appeared as headlines in all our national dailies.
34. Before we
knew it, the capital market crashed. Banks started struggling again for
survival. All bank officials have now been emptied into the market for
marketing. They now open accounts with even one Kobo deposit.
35. Many,
many things are happening now. They are struggling to survive. The little they
will gather from the general public, overnight, armed robbers will attack them
and carry that one away. It then appears they are now saving for armed robbers.
They are making a pool of money available for them to carry.
36. We are
addressing something very serious. What I am telling you in this Faith, you can
never hear it in any Church.
37. Before
all these things begin to happen, the Lord will always announce it. Then
prepare your minds so that when they begin to happen nobody will panic. You
know that the Hand of the Lord is behind it. We are in this Faith for a
purpose. Once the purpose is achieved, we go away. No more, no less!
WHAT CAUSED THE RISE OF CRIME
Watch the rate at
which violent crimes are increasing, it can be traceable to something. I told
you in the New Year Message that the government of Nigeria under the leadership
of Obasanjo and EL-Rufai had made their greatest mistake.
39. What is
that mistake they have made? They retrenched able-bodied and trained people
from the civil service of the Federation during their productive ages—when they
were vibrant and productive, they retrenched them from services.
40. Most of
them were soldiers, some were police officers, some were customs officials,
some were drug law enforcement agents. Then, majority fall within our own
group, the civil service and the parastatals. We had the hard pill.
41. Besides
that, all that returned from ECOMOG under the UN peacekeeping force—remember
many landed in Nigeria, Nigeria accused them of looting, of violence and of
raping women over there. All of them, Nigeria discharged them from the service
without providing any alternative.
42. Now, the
question arises. When you discharge young, young men that had up to twelve,
thirteen, fifteen years to go in the service, you terminate their contract like
that; you made no provision for their rehabilitation; what do you think will
happen?
43. You know
for sure that they have no other occupation they have learnt. They did not
learn any trade. What they learnt is what you taught them. You taught them how
to handle gun. Did you get the Message?
44. Our
people say that the matchet one has is the one he can boast with.
45. Yes! The
authorities know what is happening that is why all of them are afraid; they do
not want to comment.
46. It is
true that it does not concern you and I in practice but we feel the influence.
We feel it because we are living in Nigeria. That is why the Scriptures say
that we should pray for those in authorities that we may live in peace.
47. I thank
God for the way things are really going. These young men were discharged
prematurely and they were warlords, trained gunmen. I believe there is no other
thing they can use to re-establish themselves if not that which they are
conversant with.
48. Take for
example; if you are not a trained gunman with many years experience; even if
you are given a machine gun, you can never attempt entering a Police Station to
begin to shoot.
49. Once you
are not trained, no matter the gun you are having, once you see the Police, you
will drop it on the ground and run. But the way and manner these crimes are
committed proved to the entire world that these are really professionals. They
are not afraid of the Army, they are not afraid of the Police, they are not
afraid of anything at all.
CALL
ON CHRIST IN THE TIME OF CRISES
N
|
ow, I
want to come down to something. If you have been trusting in your charms and
amulets, you cannot be more prepared than all the Law Enforcement Agents. They
have the money. They know where these native doctors are. Am I making sense at
all?
2.
On your side, you do not have the money you
can bring. You are as poor as poor can be. Now, if all these things are failing
them, is there any need of anybody putting his trust and confidence in those useless
things?
3.
Do not put your trust in any man. Do not put
your trust in any charm, or any amulet. Do not put your trust and confidence in
any other thing than the Great God of all the ages.
4.
To our youths, I want to talk to you. You
are very, very vulnerable to all these problems because you are vibrant. You
move wider than Myself. You gather information here and there. There is always
the temptation there to get identified with such pressure groups or radical
groups to make both ends meet.
5.
Please, resist such temptations. I have told
you time without number that the prosperity of the wicked is always a great
temptation to the righteous. Do you believe that?
6.
Do not begin now to sit down and think:
“What if I will take a risk, maybe identify with one group. Take the loots; I will succeed in one or two
operations. By the time we share the loots, I will be able to make up to five
or six million Naira.”
7.
You see, you have calculated one way. Death
is not in your programme. What if you go and you do not return? Is it not
possible? It is very much possible. Even if you go and succeed, the truth is
there. You do not need anybody to begin to talk. The whole world will know that
you have strayed away from the pathway of truth.
8.
Why? Because your occupation must at all
times justify your expenditure. If your occupation does not justify your
expenditure, you have a questionable character.
9.
Do not say, “We are living in the world
where the end justifies the means. Once I can make it, everybody will be
clamouring at my back.” Not always!
10. So
please, I am appealing to you that you refrain from such ugly conversations
that may tempt you to join one useless group or another. Please, say no to that
temptation.
11. I am
aware that these people that are perpetrating the evil are human beings. They
came from families. They did not drop from the sky. Some of them might be your
relations in one way or the other. Some might be your friends.
12. Cut off
from such people that can lure you into something that can take your life
prematurely. Do not ever indulge in it. Take side with God. Pray for yourself,
pray for the entire Brethren, pray for the security agents. Pray for those that
are also perpetrating the evils, that God will touch their hearts so that they
will begin to address the truth and drop violence. For we have no other nation
than this nation.
SECURITY IS OF THE LORD
No
matter the injustice we are witnessing in Nigeria, our duty is to pray. Our
duty is to trust God. Trust God for your security. What is happening now bears
eloquent testimony that what the Son of Man is saying is truth: That security
is of the Lord.
14. If the
Great Jehovah does not give you security, surely, whatever you are surrounding
yourself with must surely disappoint you.
15. If they
are not afraid of the Police that are well armed, they are not afraid of the
Navy; they are not afraid of the Army and so on, what of you, a defenceless and
careless fellow? Can you make noise? In other words, your security is in the
Hand of the Lord as a child of God.
16. When you
hear them talking and doing whatsoever they are doing, feign ignorance. Show
sympathy as a Nigerian. Pray for them. Finish!
17. I am sure
and certain that if we do the perfect will of God as we have been instructed,
we will hear all these things with hearing of the ears according to the
Promise. They will never come near us. For the Lord must surely protect His
own.
18. If the
Lord does not protect us, nobody will protect us at a time like this.
19. If you
watch all that are living in fenced houses, fenced gates, iron gates, no matter
how bulletproof that gate might be, has it saved anybody? That goes to prove that
by the arms of flesh, by the works of the hands of man, no flesh has ever
prevailed. Nobody!
20. Without
God we can do nothing. That we have rolled into real crises, see this period as
a period of crises. Know where it is going to culminate to.
21. We received
a Message that says we should call Christ in the time of crises. It did not say
call Police, it did not say call Army. It says, “Call on Christ in the time of
crises.”
22. The
matchet one has is the one he uses to boast with. The only thing you have is
God. You should use God to boast. Do not boast of any man and do not put your
confidence in any man. They will all disappoint you. You cannot be more
protected than a DPO, can you? You cannot. So, look up to God in all
situations. Resist the temptation.
STEPS TO RESISTING “THE TEMPTATION”
The first
step in resisting temptation lies in avoiding that area where you know they
hold such dangerous discussions because words are spirits.
24. In the
book of Proverb chapter one, starting from verse one, it says, “My son, do not
ever associate with the scorners.” Do not ever do that. Mockers, do not
associate with those people that hold deadly conversations; who will tell you,
“Let us go, lie in wait, kill innocent fellows and carry their properties,
carry their money. We shall make a good scourer, we shall live all our days in
pleasure.
25. It says
that if they shall tempt you telling this, do not succumb. Say “no” my son. Do
not look at the prosperity of the wicked but consider the end of the wicked. It
is always disastrous. The end of the wicked has always been a disaster.
26. I will
rather pray that the end of my life shall be better than the beginning of my
life. Anybody who does not pray that type of prayer is blind: That the end of
my life shall be better than the beginning of my life. Pray a prayer like that
and hand yourself over to God.
27. Avoid
such areas they hold evil discussions. Even if you have read about them in the
newspapers, run away from that influence. Do not ever allow it to attract your
attention.
28. I do not
know why it became a burden in Me that I should speak to you on THE STATE OF
THE NATION; to warn all of you to refrain from evil associations or ungodly
conversations.
29. Let it be
known to you that whosoever that is arrested in a place where people are smoking
Indian hemp, is nothing but an Indian hemp smoker. Is that not true? If you are
arrested in a place where armed robbers are enjoying their loots in the beer
parlour, eating and drinking, and making a noise; there is no other thing they
will call you than an armed robber. Is it not true?
30. For that
reason, if you are a child of God, do not put yourself in a position where God
will see you and ask you, “My child, what brought you here? What are you doing
here?”
31. Refrain
from the conversations of the wicked. Do that which is right. Be sober, be honest to all mankind. Pray for
us, pray for yourself, pray for the nation. Even for those terrorizing the
nation, pray for them because sometimes, frustrations lead them to those
terrorism. Any act of violence is terrorism. There is no other word I know I
can use.
GOD MUST BRING EVERY ACTION OF MAN INTO
JUDGMENT
Refrain
from acts of violence. Do not ever be entangled in it. Remember we are a nation
of our own. God said we are in a nation in a nation also. The Church of God is
a nation in a nation.
33. You are
the holy nation of God, a royal priesthood, God’s own purchased possession. You
know more than that.
34. Do not
allow the prosperity of the wicked to ever tempt you. Even if you see your mate
coming now, riding jeeps anyhow when they have no visible and viable means of
livelihood, please, do not be tempted.
35. Even if
they come home with one hundred cars, they erect estates in their villages,
please, do not be tempted. Look up to God.
36. Any
wealth that is gotten in unrighteousness must fly away like wind.
37. I want to
conclude by saying, “People have always stayed in the house of cowards and
point to where heroes lived.” People stay in the house of cowards and point to
the place where a hero lived. It is only in the house of the coward that people
can stay and point to such a place. Did you get the Message?
38. Fear is
life. Fear the Lord, honour the Lord. Respect the Lord, keep the laws of the
land and it shall be well with you.
39. But when
you begin to violate God’s natural laws which say that any seed a man sows that
he must reap, you begin to think that you have not reaped the fruits of your
works; well, Satan has already deceived you.
40. God had
already concluded the whole matter in the book of Ecclesiastes saying, “Thou O’
man, do whatever you want to do, eat and drink but remember one thing, that God
must bring every action of man into judgment, whether they be good or evil.”
41. God must
bring every action of man into judgment whether they be good or evil.
VIOLENCE DOES NOT MAKE YOU GREAT
To our
youths, please, please, in the Name of the Lord, do not allow yourselves to be
tempted by the discussions of the wicked into becoming violent or joining in
violent crimes, or becoming lawless. Please, do not do that.
43. God has
given us His liberty to do that which is right in the sight of man.
44. Remember
the meaning of greatness. Greatness means imparting positive ideas to fellow human
beings. Greatness means doing that which favours the generality of people
around you most of the time.
45. When you
are doing that which favours the generality of the people around you, you
become great. But when you are putting fellow human beings in fear, killing
them, making some to develop hypertension, you know you are not imparting
greatness.
46. No
violent man has ever been called a great man. If there had been, Idi Amin would
have been number one, Sheik of Iran
would have been number two.
47. No living
person has ever become a great man by supporting violence. If there has been,
Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran would have been number one. Fidel Castro of Cuba
would have been another.
48. What am I
saying? Let us remain children of God by day and by night. Refrain our steps,
our actions from that which God hates.
49. If you
are a businessman or woman, do it with godly love and sincerity. If you say you
are going to Enugu, go to Enugu. Do not tell Me you are going to Enugu while
you are in Lagos. Do not use your business excuse to go out and join bad
groups. Please, I am appealing to all of you.
50. Understand
what the Lord is saying. Think concerning the little I have just imparted on
you in this Message. And may the good Lord of Mercy Whom we serve grant all of
you perfect understanding.
51. I am
assuring you, as we walk with the Lord, obeying, supporting His cause,
reverencing Him, making sure we do not walk in a way that will humiliate His
Name, humiliate our family name; the Lord will surely offer us protection.
52. Yes! God
is far from the wicked but He offers protection to the righteous. Amen.