MEMORY LANE 2024 Edition Part 1 Volume 2

MEMORY LANE 2024 Edition Part 1 Volume 2

Preached ON Sunday 4^th February 2024 AT THE VOICE OF GOD STUDIO Bridal Lodge, Nsugbe Anambra State, Nigeria BY Apostle Peter Odoemena THE SON OF MAN The Ancient of Days

Transcribed by Bishop David Mbah

And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him; and He vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the Scriptures?

Luke 24:31-32, King James Version.

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for He is faithful that promised; and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Hebrews 10:23-25, King James Version

Please bear with Me. I know what I am doing. I am not crazy. I want you to be saved. That is why I appeared. The Son of Man appeared for your salvation, because I am sent for salvation unto the ends of the earth. The Last Hope of mankind is here, for God is the author of salvation and outside God, there is no salvation. That, He will accomplish using a Man. God can never accomplish salvation mission without using a Man. But the lot fell on Me. Despise Me not because I am your Brother. I am from your own Igbo extraction or South east extraction of Nigeria. No! Do not despise Me for that, otherwise you will despise Obama in the White House. Greater than Obama is here.

THE SON OF MAN

LOOSE THE COLT VOL. 2; Preached on Sunday 8^th June 2014 at the Household of God, Onitsha; Pg. 82 vs. 26 – 28.

Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker

The GREAT SERMONS and THE HOLY SPIRIT inspired REVELATIONS and EPISTLES, Revised Edition 2019 by Apostle Peter Odoemena, THE SON OF MAN, The Supreme Intelligence (1st published in the year 2001 A.D.), EPISTLE 15: SHOULD A MAN STRIVE WITH HIS MAKER? Page 377.

CHAPTER 1: ¹“I AM the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me. That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness, I make peace, and create evil,… What?
Take up your jotters immediately and note the Scriptures so that at your own convenient time, you can crosscheck using other translations. Nothing can be truer than the truth.
If there is anything we are reading here which you know is not credited to God, raise up your hand and tell us that God told a lie. We will credit it to you. If God is not the One that placed them in order and in that sequence and brought them into existence, then you might be the one.
May be God is reaping where He did not sow. Yes! Is God reaping where He did not sow? What were you without God? Were you in existence? Who brought you here? For what purpose? To serve Him! To worship Him! He brought you here for His own use and purpose. You are here to serve God’s purpose.
What is your own purpose when you got married and had children? Although you call them your own, do they belong to you? Who gave them to you?
The same person who owns you owns your children. He owns your husband. All of us came from that same Source. You are mere caretakers. You are mere shepherds. You are mere overseers overseeing the ones He appoints to you.
If death will come now, can you stop one from dying? Can you even save your own life? What is wrong with human beings? Can you kill one without being charged for murder? If it is like your clothe, you can set it ablaze. It is your property.
Is your child your property? If your child is your property, set one of them ablaze, and then let the world clap hands for you. You are accountable to God and to humanity concerning any child that comes to you because you are nothing but a steward. That is all!
But oftentimes, people will usurp God’s authority and begin to claim that which does not belong to them. You are taking good care of them as one that will give account of your stewardship to God.
¹“I AM the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me. Sure!!!
From your childhood, God protected you and guided you very well. Some died but He kept you alive, although you did not know Him. He nurtured you to limelight before you began to recognize who God is.
Begin to know what you passed through and how you managed to escape those things, for you to know that it was God on your side, though you knew Him not.
… I girded thee, though thou hast not known me. That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness, I make peace, and create evil, I the Lord do all these things.
²Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together, I the Lord have created it.All!
³Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!… What?Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!…
Severe suffering awaits that person who is at loggerhead with the Almighty God. If you are asked to say the person whom you are having troubles with, you will say that you are at loggerhead with God. That is the end of the matter.
When you are asked to mention what is causing the trouble between you and God, what will you say? You will say that God is cheating you. Is it not? You will say that God is unfair to you.
Clay! Claypot is saying that the Potter is unfair to it. He will throw you away or break you into pieces, even grind you to powder, soak it in water and use you to mould a useful vessel, knowing that you are a good-for-nothing human being.
He will return you to the dust, and from the dust, your spirit will be released, and he will use it for good works, while you will be separated and kept with those reserved for suffering, where you came from, the place of the stubborn and disobedient people.
That you are quarrelling with God, is it not because you are still breathing? You slept and woke up.Do not worry. When you see a dead person, take a look at the face. Flogging a dead person is a waste of time and energy. Is it a lie?
…Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?”(Isaiah 45:5 – 10, KJV).
⁴“Nay but, O -man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus?”(Romans 9:20, KJV).
^[5]I am Adonai; there is no other; besides me there is no God. I am arming you, although you don’t know me, ^[6]so that those from the east and those from the west will know that there is none besides me — I am Adonai; there is no other. ^[7]I form light, I create darkness; I make well-being, I create woe; I, Adonai, do all these things.
^[8]“Heavens above, rain down justice; let the clouds pour it down. Let the earth open, so that salvation springs up, and justice sprouts with it. I, Adonai, have created it.”
^[9]Woe to anyone who argues with his maker,like potsherds lying on the ground! Does the clay ask the potter, “What are you doing?” or, “What’s this you’re making, that has no hands?”
^[10]Woe to him who asks a father, “Of what are you the father?” or who asks a woman, “To what are you giving birth?”(Isaiah 45:5-10, Complete Jewish Bible).
⁵“But who are you, a mere man, to criticize and contradict and answer back to God? What?
It is because he thinks that God is a mere man like Himself. He can criticize God. He can answer back. He can demonstrate. He may even be rioting before God. Many have even pushed God aside.
Some have threatened Him violently, pointing at His face. Some have threatened to deal with Him treacherously, while some have conceived their own, waiting for the day he will provoke them, and the world will know that they are human beings. Lucky, are you paying attention? Good!
Romans 9:20, Complete Jewish Bible.^[20]Who are you, a mere human being, to talk back to God? Will what is formed say to him who formed it, “Why did you make me this way?” Will what is formed say to him that formed it, why have you made me thus?” (Romans 9:20, AMP).
⁵“But who are you, a mere man, to criticize and contradict and answer back to God? Will what is formed say to Him that formed it, why have you made me thus?” (Romans 9:20, AMP)
Who is not taking pleasure in answering God back? To criticize God, is it not a way of life among many today? God revealed Himself and said, “Do not allow My simplicity to overlap My Lordship over you”, but today, His simplicity has corrupted many because He held Himself out and made Himself accessible to all, young and old, rich and poor that they might be saved.
This is because the best way you can learn His habit or inculcate His habit is by coming closest. You cannot stay far and know it. Never! And the warning He gave, “Let not My descent from among you be your destroyer.” Today, you can see what is happening.
I hope that all of you that are hearing Me this morning are here for salvation, full and complete. If you are here for any other thing, time will vindicate. That thing must surely pull you out. If you are here for something else, that thing must surely pull you out.
Pastor Chizoba Udochukwu:While we were considering that Message, BEWARE OF MURMURING AGAINST GOD, we got to a place and I decided to use nature to let us get it better.
When you look at even human arrangements just like we have it in a football field. Who is that spectator that will be murmuring and complaining against what is going on in the pitch, when there is one that has the final say. That person is not yet born.
Even when you come into the pitch, the goalkeeper has the right to play with his legs and also carry the ball with his hands within that area of the 18-yard box. Who are you to query him?
And then, if any other player decides to do the same thing like the goalkeeper by carrying the ball with his hand, it is an infringement.
Even the goalkeeper, he is the keeper. You see him from the back, leading the team. During penalty shootout, he comes to play. He leaves the goal post and then goes into the field to play. He observes the rules. Does he catch the ball with the hand? He plays with the legs. He can do anything with the ball.
Pastor Chizoba Udochukwu:Watch that Message, WE ARE IN DANGER OF BEING CALLED TO QUESTION. When He was talking to our former Bishop, Okechukwu Nwamkpa, He said, “There are certain things, which even the church does not believe, but when I want to manifest those things [so that they will not stumble, as at that time], He said that He will take him somewhere and manifest those things, but if He should notice any form of abuse, then he will go in for it.”
1998! From that time till now, God expects that we are supposed to get mature.
Even the LORD Jesus in His own day said, “There were too many things I would have told you– I would have shown you, but you were very weak in your faith. You could not bear them. Nevertheless, when the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Ghost shall come, He will lead you into the knowledge of all.”
He will leave no stone unturned, for He is coming with full and complete salvation and you cannot get it with incomplete knowledge. You must get it with full and complete knowledge.
REFERENCES: [1]John 16:12-13, KJV. ¹²I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. ¹³Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come.
[2]Hebrews 9:28, AMP. ²⁸Even so it is that Christ, having been offered to take upon Himself and bear as a burden the sins of many once and once for all, will appear a second time, not to carry any burden of sin nor to deal with sin, but to bring to full salvation those who are [eagerly, constantly, and patiently] waiting for and expecting Him.
Incomplete information will produce incomplete performance. Is it a lie? It is His completed experience that made Him the Messiah.
Pastor Chizoba Udochukwu:That is why the Scriptures says, “Fix your eyes on the ground” because He has traversed. When you are looking up alone, you may not know that God has gone below. You look up because He is on high, the highest Being on earth.
That is why Prophet William Branham said that this will fly over the heads of many.

Let Me tell you: If you are strictly connected to the Son of Man, death cannot gamble with your life. Your life is higher than the agent he is sending to come and arrest you – your life is higher than that. Why? Greater is He that is in you than he that is in them. Moreso, the Kingdom of God lives in you. The totality of God, the Deity lives in you. And because He lives, you can face tomorrow.

THE SON OF MAN

CHECKPOINT EXPLAINED; Preached on Sunday 9^th March & Sunday 16^th March 2008 at the Household of God, Onitsha; Pg. 79.

FELLOWSHIP TAKES PLACE IN THE SPIRIT

From time to time, He (Jesus) took James, John and Peter out, abandoning the rest. There, He will show them many things about Himself, with strict instruction, “Tell no one about it.” But they will come back, and gradually, they will divulge the information.

Are you surprised that most of the great things the son of manperformed, He performed it during missionary outings. You only heard the testimony from those that accompanied Him.
That somebody died before everybody and the corpse was outside. He went there and pulled him by the hand and handed the baby back to the mother amidst many witnesses.
From His house, He received emergency call, and with His walking stick, limping with one leg, He went to Nsukka alone. He waited and waited at Nsukka until they came and picked Him by 6PM.
There He went only for Him to see a corpse outside. And that is the mother He loved so much. Before doctors and nurses and everybody, He said, “Leave this place. Lock up the door.”
Discussion ensued inside between the dead and the living. At the end, He called the son and said, “Take your mother. I am going.” The whole doctors and nurses ran out. Everywhere!
Gradually, they took Me to the park. AT 7 o’clock, I left Nsukka alone and still arrived at My home with My walking stick and My one leg.
It is still noised abroad, and that was what made a way for the resurrection of Sister Perpetua, the wife of Emeka at Enugu. This is because when we got there that afternoon for it was in the early hours of the morning that I got the message, I left My office and nobody knew I was going to Enugu with Okey Nwamkpa.
He saw the whole thing. Perpetua was almost dead then in the isolation camp. She was gasping. When I arrived, one of the doctors there attending to her spotted Me out and pulled Me by the hand.
Lo and behold, it became Dr. Ikpeama who was in charge of the hospital at Aku Road where Mama Abraham Paul died. He was doing his residency programme at UNTH.
He went and spoke to the other doctors and said, “Please, let us not argue. I know this Man. Look at what happened in my hospital. I was there, live. See Him with that Bible He is carrying with this usual Safari suit. Do not look at the rubber slippers He is wearing. You will see what will happen. Simply allow Him.”
Sister Okoh was there crying. Sister Ozioma was there crying. Everybody was crying including your own mother. Do you not know about this case?
The day that shocked everybody. A big revival ensued at UNTH Enugu. I just entered and saw her with the cotton wool they used to close the nose.
I called her by her name. she could not respond and I touched the heart. She started breathing and I lifted her up, removed all those things and brought her to the ward with the instruction, “Give her food. I am going back to My station.”
I left instantly there for My station. Okey Nwamkpa was there. I took Him to Bishop Okoh’s case. That Ifunanya, the daughter who is now a graduate. That was where I used My own blood to transfuse the girl before many witnesses.
The father went in search of blood, but came back empty-handed. The woman doctor was there, and by the time the father came back, I was already leading the girl by the hand. I surrendered her to the father.
What can you say about the recent one? Who transfused Sunday Eze? Do you not know that it is the LORD that said he will not die and that the doctor is doing nothing there? Who transfused Sunday Eze the whole pints of blood? Who detected that he was anaemic? Who said he should go there because of their unbelief?
That was so, that they will know how much they will spend. I surrendered her to the father. Who ordered that he should be discharged? did the doctor not run away? Who transfused Sunday? Who said where he should be placed? Who decided he should go home?
Today, he is riding his machine. He is going about drinking and eating without anybody giving him a tablet. True or false? You are the junior brother. You spoke with him the other day. Good.
William Branham said, “People are fond of saying what God did in time past. THEY BYPASS WHAT HE IS DOING TODAY and hope for what he will do in the future.”
That is why whatever God says, they will say, “Yes! We know it will happen, but in the future.” Too many Marthas. “Martha! Do you believe your brother will be raised from the dead?” “Master, I believe but it will be in the last day.” That is Martha.
And then the last day turned out to be that day. The Master surprised her because her mouth was filled with words. “We called you at the right time but you did not come. What type of a friend are you? If you had been here earlier, my brother would not have died. And now he was buried four days ago. Decomposition had taken place. And you said ‘Go and open the sepulchre. Roll away the stone’ Can we bear with the stench emanating from there?”
The LORD kept quiet as she ranted and ranted in unbelief. He turned to her, “Martha, whoever that believes in Me, even if he dies, he will rise again. Do you believe your brother Lazarus will rise up again?” Martha said, “LORD, I believe, but it will be on the last day.”
HE said “Okay! Thank you! Lazarus! Come forth!” and Lazarus came out. He said, “Loose him.” They loosened him and removed those wrappers they used to wrap the dead.
Was there any stinking odour? Was the body decomposing? That the will of God might be fulfilled. And then Martha stood astonished. Her unbelief put her into trouble.
Do not ever predict what God can do at any time and what He cannot do. Otherwise, He will start that thing which He cannot do. He will start it with you. Anyday you know that which God cannot do if He is God, He will start it with you.
⁶How can a man born of a woman rise up against his Maker or Creator? It is a very delicate act with dangerous consequences.
⁷God through the prophet proclaimed woe to anybody whether man or woman, that will rise up to strive against his Maker.
⁸Whoever that does that has published his obituary, sang his funeral song attended his burial, etc.
In other words, that person becomes a moving corpse in the sight of God. The day God removed Saul from being the king, was it the day he died?
What can you say about the first man Adam? That day God proclaimed death upon him, was it that day he died? He was moving about in the eyes of men, had children and so on, but before God, he died that day.
That was why God punished them and counted that first day they committed the crime inclusive in the punishment.
If He says, “Thou shall surely die”, that day you committed it, before God you are a moving corpse. That is why he that believeth not is already dead and condemned, although he is still here rejoicing and jollying with us.
You better go to the Message, IF YOU HAVE BEEN WITH CHRIST, WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE?
You may be dead, but still here, joining us and doing everything in common with us, but before the Almighty God, we are here fellowshipping with the dead. The dead fellowshipping with the living in the flesh, but not in the spirit.
Fellowship takes place in the spirit, but among the dead it is in the flesh, for he that liveth in the flesh, now he is alive, he is dead.
Quote from the Message, THE REMINDER PART 2 by THE SON OF MAN, Preached on 27^thOctober 2023. Nugget on the back cover [also found in Chapter 2 verse 25]: DO NOT ALLOW COMING TO MORNING ALTARS, GOING TO FELLOWSHIP AND INTERACTING WITH THE BRETHREN TO FOOL YOU INTO BELIEVING THAT YOU ARE ALIVE. … [Sure!!!]
Engaging in all these activities is not exclusive. The dead also perform them.The walking dead. Corpses that are eating food.
Matthew 8:18, TLB.^[18]When Jesus noticed how large the crowd was growing, he instructed his disciples to get ready to cross to the other side of the lake.
^[19]Just then one of the Jewish religious teachers* said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you no matter where you go!” ^[20]But Jesus said, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but I, the Messiah, have no home of my own—no place to lay my head.”
^[21]Another of his disciples said, “Sir, when my father is dead, then I will follow you.” ^[22]But Jesus told him, “Follow me now! Let those who are spiritually dead care for their own dead.”
Pastor Chizoba Udochukwu: Those that are spiritually dead. You may be in the fellowship of those who are also spiritually dead. They have revival. But God said it saves nobody. They do everything.
That is why God said that we should develop that discerning spirit so that when someone you call a Brother or a Sister comes closer to you, you now monitor what he or she is discussing with you and what the person has in mind to achieve or whether this person wants to ignite this murmuring and complaining. This is because that was how it started in the wilderness against the One they were warned not to murmur against.
THE GREAT SERMON 2019 Edition; Pg. 377 from vs. 9.⁹God demands complete obedience and loyalty from all His children. He wants us to recognize His authority over us and also recognize that we are the workmanship of His hands.
But have we done that? We think God is our own workmanship. Hence, we are always attempting bending him to our side, proving ourselves to be right so that God can be wrong.
But those who ran the race before us knew that they were wrong and they have always been in the wrong. Jehovah is right but I am wrong. And I have always been in the wrong with my people. It never started today.
We have been reading many things, and today, we are summing it up on the first Sunday in the month of February 2024.
¹⁰By revelation, we should understand that we are ordinary clay in His hands, and He is the Potter. He reserves the right to do whatever pleases Him with us and we cannot ask ‘Why?’ Even if He butchers you.
That is why God said that He prepared this GREAT SERMON as the summation of everything in this Faith. [Sure!!!] Anytime you appear to be confused, you should run back to the GREAT SERMON. On any matter at all, you must get an answer to your question.
When God surrendered the totality of everything that made Him God into the hands of His dear Son, for He is the son of man, was there anything He left behind? Did He surrender and ran away? He surrendered and abode with Him.
I have manifested Him before you, thereby helping you to stop thinking that he is coming to usurp authority.
And you read it in John chapter 5. He gave Him authority over all flesh. Is it not there? He has the authority both to give you eternal life or to destroy you, both the living and the dead. Is He not the God of the living and the dead? Is He not the God of all flesh, who said there is nothing impossible for Him to do, for with God, all things are possible. And to them that believe also, all things are possible to them that believe. But where you do not believe, some are possible, while some are impossible. Tue or false?

Who could be this Son of Man that would be a Sign? Anytime He appears, then your redemption draweth near. When do you expect Him? When the whole world appear to be perplexed (confused) and greatly troubled. When the powers of Heaven and earth are shaking, everything is complaining, expect Him coming in a Cloud. ……. This is because there is not going to be another sign again. When you see all these things, look up, pack up your luggage. Your redemption draweth near, for that is your Last Sign. This generation can never see another sign than the Sign of the Son of Man. If you like believe it. If you do not like do not believe it. What I am telling you is the Truth.

THE SON OF MAN

DAYBREAK IN AFRICA; Preached on Sunday 25^th October 1998 at the Household of God, Onitsha; Pg. 40 vs. 2 & Pg. 43 vs. 10 – 11

SHOULD A MAN STRIVE WITH HIS MAKER? (1)

No man is qualified to question God’s action whether good or bad. He is Almighty because He can do all things without entertaining any question from any being in relation to his action. [Sure!!!]

¹²As His workmanship, He expects us to do all things at His word even if we do not understand why.
For every action of a man of God, there is a divine but hidden purpose of God. God wants to fulfill a hidden purpose—a divine will.
¹³This is the only way man pleases God, because reasoning the word of God or His instruction will surely produce unbelief or partial obedience.[Sure!!!]
We were told that we are in a zombified Faith—a military Faith where you must obey the last command. Obey before complain.
¹⁴“Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: For He maketh sore, and bindeth up: He woundeth, and his hands make whole”(Job 5:17 – 18, KJV).
¹⁵“How enviable the man who God corrects, Oh, do not despise the chastening of the Lord when you sin. For though He wounds, He binds and heals again”(Job 5:17 – 18, LB).
Put it down in your Scriptures. It is also found in the Book of Hebrews chapter 12. It is contained in Hebrews 12 from verse 4.
reference: Hebrews 12:4-11, TLB.^[4]After all, you have never yet struggled against sin and temptation until you sweat great drops of blood.
^[5]And have you quite forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you, his child? He said, “My son, don’t be angry when the Lord punishes you. Don’t be discouraged when he has to show you where you are wrong.
^[6]For when he punishes you, it proves that he loves you. When he whips you, it proves you are really his child.” ^[7]Let God train you, for he is doing what any loving father does for his children. Whoever heard of a son who was never corrected?
^[8]If God doesn’t punish you when you need it, as other fathers punish their sons, then it means that you aren’t really God’s son at all—that you don’t really belong in his family.^[9]Since we respect our fathers here on earth, though they punish us, should we not all the more cheerfully submit to God’s training so that we can begin really to live?
^[10]Our earthly fathers trained us for a few brief years, doing the best for us that they knew how, but God’s correction is always right and for our best good, that we may share his holiness.
^[11]Being punished isn’t enjoyable while it is happening—it hurts! But afterwards we can see the result, a quiet growth in grace and character.
⁴You have not yet struggled and fought agonizingly against sin, nor have you yet resisted and withstood to the point of pouring out your [own] blood.
⁵And have you [completely] forgotten the divine word of appeal and encouragement in which you are reasoned with and addressed as sons? My son, do not think lightly or scorn to submit to the correction and discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage and give up and faint when you are reproved or corrected by Him;
⁶For the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, and He punishes, even scourges, every son whom He accepts and welcomes to His heart and cherishes.
⁷You must submit to and endure [correction] for discipline; God is dealing with you as with sons. For what son is there whom his father does not [thus] train and correct and discipline?
⁸Now if you are exempt from correction and left without discipline in which all [of God’s children] share, then you are illegitimate offspring and not true sons [at all].
⁹Moreover, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we yielded [to them] and respected [them for training us]. Shall we not much more cheerfully submit to the Father of spirits and so [truly] live?
¹⁰For [our earthly fathers] disciplined us for only a short period of time and chastised us as seemed proper and good to them; but He disciplines us for our certain good, that we may become sharers in His own holiness.
¹¹For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful; but afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it [a harvest of fruit which consists in righteousness–in conformity to God’s will in purpose, thought, and action, resulting in right living and right standing with God].
¹⁶Many feel offended whenever they are corrected by God. This attitude is very wrong and must be stopped.
True or false? You may pretend that you are not offended, but God knows you are boiling inside. God knows when you are rendering service with pure heart and when you are rendering service with impure heart and impure motive.
What makes it impure? You are grumbling. You are murmuring and you are complaining. And that will affect the output of the service.
A service that is rendered with grumbling and complaining cannot yield a good output. The output must be faulty. Brethren, is it a lie?
That service which someone is rendering with anger and resentment, does it bear any good fruit? That is why man cannot work out God’s righteousness through wrath. Through complaining and murmuring, you cannot work out God’s righteousness.
“Okay. Let us do it and see if He will be happy. Let us do it and have our rest.This way, you add iniquity upon iniquity.
It will get to a point where they will be saying, “Is there anything anyone will do to make Daddy happy? Whatever we do, He will complain. Whatever you say, He will reject it. What sort of a human being is this?” You are adding iniquity upon iniquity.
Have you settled down to obey gladly without doing it right? When you obey gladly, you achieve The best result. True or false?
A woman that enters the kitchen with gladness presents a delicious meal. A woman who enters the kitchen with anger and resentment, and with quarrelling, what she produces is nonsense.
She will continue in that way to such a point when she will not even know that she has not had her bath, and she will dress up in her wrapper and leave the house in that state.
When she goes out of the house like that, when people see her, they will query her, “Ah ah! Did you leave your home in this appearance? What is this thing on your face and in your manner of dressing?” She will respond, “Please, it is not well with me this morning.”
How is it with you? You went mad. You were demonstrating, for the wrath of man cannot produce God’s righteousness. Have it in your mind. In many ways we demonstrate against God.
¹⁶Many feel offended whenever they are corrected by God. This attitude is very wrong and must be stopped.
And what? Must be stopped! M-U-S-T! 2001. 2001. Must be stopped! This is 2024. This Message was penned down 23 years ago.
¹⁷If we admit His authority over us,.. [which is difficult for many]It is very difficult for many people. When they have not admitted their parents’ authority over them, how can they condescend so low and accept authority of another man over them?
You know that some wicked ones even rise up in the lecture halls. In the lecture halls, in the classrooms, they riot against their teachers. Some waylay them on the highways and beat them up. Some even threaten to kill them.
Do they believe that those teachers have authority over them? But the lecturer you are waylaying and threatening can keep you in the university, frustrate you out and and vow that you will never graduate in that school. And so shall it be. No VC will save you from his wrath.
What if you have two enemies or three like that because your wrong behaviour can never allow you to win friends? It can never!
¹⁷If we admit His authority over us, we should feel very happy anytime He corrects us,… [What?]If we admit His authority over us, we should feel very happy anytime He corrects us even if he gives us wounds, He is the one that will bind the Wounds. He that taught us, surely, has the right to correct us. [Amen!!!]
But when we start striving or rising up against God, we are bound to destroy ourselves, with our own hands due to foolishness and ignorance that is in us.
¹⁸I wish to warn all the saints in this faith that the time of this ignorance,I have overlooked… I, I, I.
Was He warning the Brethren? Was He warning the Brethren? He had already started seeing the manifestation of the Saints from among the Brethren. Let the Brethren murmur and complain. Let them contradict Him, for that is their life.
But He warned the Saints, “Do not join them.” This is because a wise fellow does not follow the majority when they are wrong. A wise fellow does not copy bad example.
¹⁸I wish to warn all the saints in this faith that the time of this ignorance, I have overlooked and now I am calling for a total change of mind and attitude towards the revealed Christ (the Anointed One) in the church in whose faith we are sanctified. Amen!!!
Are you not sanctified by the Faith that He revealed? Whose Faith are you holding today? We are in the generation of the son of man. So, He has the revealed Faith where you are sanctified. That is why you are a group away from all.
And that the Almighty has identified with you is because He is there with you. True or false? Assuming we are what others are, will He be there. Do you really ask yourself questions saying, “Who is this Man? Who is this son of man?” Who is He to you? Or Who do you think He is?
Remember, He did not want people to follow Him anyhow. Many years back, on our way from Abuja, He asked that question inside the bus to the missionaries that travelled with Him, including Apostle Ojiakor.
He said, “Forget about what men are calling Me. WHO DO YOU THINK THE SON OF MAN IS?” It became a question to all of them in the pulpit. The question lingered for six months before it was attempted by Apostle Ojiakor.
And it was upon that revelation that he stands till today. No matter the attempts his family members are making to pull him completely down, there is always a strong string that is tying him to the Godhead which he revealed. That strong string is still tying him till today.
You must have something that is tying you, which is purely personal, not that you heard it from other people’s report. It is your own personal experience.
¹⁹Whoever that hardens his or her heart after reading this Epistle should be ready to bear the consequences.What?
¹⁹Whoever that hardens his or her heart after reading this Epistle should be ready to bear the consequences.
The topic we are discussing today is MEMORY LANE. MEMORY LANE, Part 1. Memory Lane Part 1 for the sake of our little children who were unborn that time and some who were infants, but today, they are grown-ups.
And finally, for the new souls God added to our midst to replace those that went away, for God is replacing. No seat shall be declared vacant.
All that were dead and sat down, God has started replacing them with living souls. Only a living soul can praise God.
SONG: [Every living soul praise the LORD. Every living soul praise the LORD.
I am a living soul. Every living soul praise the LORD. Every living soul praise the LORD.
Are you a living soul? Every living soul praise the LORD. Every living soul praise the LORD]
Only a living soul can praise the LORD. A dead soul mocks God. He praises with his mouth, but he slaughters with his heart. He is doing what others are doing, not knowing why they are doing it. I hope you are hearing Me.
When you see an uproar on the streets, do not join anyhow for you may not know the cause of the uproar. True or false? So when you see a gathering of a people singing praises and rejoicing, do you know why they are singing praises? You see people rioting and you join them. Do you know why they are rioting?
You may be the victim at last, and those people will escape, for he that started the riot knew the way of escape. You that jumped in did not know the reason why they are rioting. Then they will hold you red-handed and pull you along to the station.
¹⁹Whoever that hardens his or her heart after reading this Epistle should be ready to bear the consequences.
²⁰Let us allow God to melt us, re-mould us and use us as objects of His praise. Did we pray for it today? We prayed that He should break us, melt us, remould us, fill us and use us as objects of His praise, and not as objects of His anger.
Remember how we got this Message. it was still anointing. It was not preplanned.

If you understand all these things, you will always be happy. If the King does not commit iniquity, the children can never commit iniquity. So, understand what is happening in this Faith. God is revealing His children. I say, God is revealing His sons and daughters who will possess the earth with Him, because any time from now, the kingdom of the world shall become the Kingdom of God and His children. I say, any time from now, all these things we are struggling to get shall be ours. We would not complain again. That is why we have to be patient with Him. Amen.

THE SON OF MAN

WHOSE IMMUNITY DO YOU HAVE? Preached on 8^th October 2002 at the Household of God, Onitsha;

Pg. 70 vs. 43 – 48

SHOULD A MAN STRIVE WITH HIS MAKER? (2)

CHAPTER 2: ¹THE word which came to Jeremiah, from the Lord, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
²And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter, so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.(Jer. 18:1-6, KJV).
As the cloth in the hand of the tailor, so are Israel [God’s children]. You are the Israel of God. Do you not believe that? Have I not read it here. You can read it in your Bible. You are the Israel of God.
When we say Israel Israel, the Book of Romans said, “You are not an Israeli because you were born and brought up in Israel. You are not a Jew or Israeli because you were circumcised on the eighth day and of that Jewish ritual and traditions. No!
YOU ARE AN ISRAELI BECAUSE YOU ARE CIRCUMCISED IN THE HEART.We that are circumcised in the heart, we are the true circumcision.” Did you get the Message?
As many as are circumcised in the heart, they are the true circumcision. In short, let us read.
Galatians Chapter 6 from verse 1, Complete Jewish Bible.^[1]Brothers, suppose someone is caught doing something wrong. You who have the Spirit should set him right, but in a spirit of humility, keeping an eye on yourselves so that you won’t be tempted too.
^[2]Bear one another’s burdens — in this way you will be fulfilling the Torah’s true meaning, which the Messiah upholds. ^[3]For if anyone thinks he is something when he is really nothing, he is fooling himself.
^[4]So let each of you scrutinize his own actions. [Sure!!!] Then if you do find something to boast about, at least the boasting will be based on what you have actually done and not merely on a judgment that you are better than someone else; [Sure!!!]^[5]for each person will carry his own load. Each person will do what? …carry his own load.
^[6]But whoever is being instructed in the Word should share all the good things he has with his instructor. Did you hear it?
^[7]Don’t delude yourselves: no one makes a fool of God! A person reaps what he sows. ^[8]Those who keep sowing in the field of their old nature, in order to meet its demands, will eventually reap ruin; but those who keep sowing in the field of the Spirit will reap from the Spirit everlasting life. …
^[15]For neither being circumcised nor being uncircumcised matters; what matters is being a new creation. ^[16]And as many as order their lives by this rule, shalom upon them and mercy, and upon the Isra’el of God! Amen!
So, circumcision or no circumcision, they mean nothing. What God wants is the circumcision of your heart. A change of your heart.
Circumcise the foreskin of your heart and be no more stiff-necked like the mule. That is what the Scriptures said. Circumcision of the flesh means cutting off of the excess flesh. Circumcise your heart by getting rid of the excess flesh that is warring against your spirit.
And then, be no more carnal. Be no more stiff-necked and stubborn like a mule that is being led by a whip as if it is blind. Do not be like one whose mouth is gagged with a bridle so that his mouth will not put him into trouble. Bridle your tongue. Bridle your mouth. Do more looking than talking. Do more hearing and more looking than talking.
But oftentimes, the mouth is wide open to talk. And most of the things they are talking do not exist. That is where the trouble lies.
FearGod! Are you paying attention? You and your instructor, Lucky Eze. I have warned Lucky Eze. Your mouth will destroy you if you do not tame it, for he loves snatching the word from the mouth of everybody. He loves talking while somebody is talking to him.
If I am talking to you and you are at the same time talking, are you paying attention. It is another way of rebuffing Me. I do not want your trouble this time. In short, go your way. I am tired of your trouble.
The other one is bla bla mouth. He will say what others never said. What they never even imagined, FearGod will imagine and say and credit it to people who are innocent.
On cross-examination, he will say, “I thought. I was thinking.”Do you think for that person? If you close your mouth is it a crime?
Why do people verify before they talk? Even if you hear from anybody, do a little investigation. Ascertain the truth before you begin to spread it.
That is why spreading of false information has become a crime. In many countries. You can express yourself at will, but on one basis. You must speak the truth. You must not lie one to another.
So, if you are spreading false information, you are a trouble shooter. If you conceal iniquity, you want it to spread.
The great sermon2019 Edition, Pg. 379. ³“The LORD said to me, Go down to the potter’s house, where I will give you my message. So I went there and saw the potter working at his wheel. Whenever a piece of pottery turned out imperfect, he would take the clay and make it into something else.
⁴Then the LORD said to me, Haven’t I the right to do with you people of Israel what the potter did with the clay? You are in my hands just like clay in the potter’s hands.”(Jer. 18:1-6, GNB)
⁵“[Oh, your perversity] You turn things upside down. Shall the potter be considered of no more account than the clay? Shall the thing that is made say of its maker, He did not make me, or the thing that is formed say of him who formed it, He has no understanding? (Isaiah 29:16, AMP)
⁶“How stupid can they be, Isn’t he, the Potter, greater than you, the jars he makes? Will you say to him, “He didn’t make us? Does a machine call its inventor dumb?(Isaiah 29:16, LB)
⁷Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay, for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding? (Isaiah 29:16, KJV)
⁸These scriptures quoted are so clear that God demands nothing but implicit loyalty from all his children.
Whoever that thinks that God is taking too much of Himself is free to rise up against Him. Amen and Amen!!!But woe is me if I should try that with my entire household.
Did we hear something like this yesterday among the Elders at the meeting? I thank God. Woe is me if I should try it with My Family to rise up against God—to strive against God.
Woe is Me if I should gather My Family only to indoctrinate them against God and to teach them to rebel against the truth, while still expecting blessings and eternal life from God as My protector. God is with you while you are with Him. Forsake Him, He will forsake you.
When God forsakes an individual, he can no longer comprehend himself. He will even find it difficult to control his impulses and emotions because the anointing will be too much on him, mounting pressure on him.
Note one thing with Him. He will be eating very well, but he will be drying up. He will lose his joy. He can never be joyful. The next thing you will see is that he will marry isolation and call it quietness. Instead of mingling with the people and they will be calling my name, let me recoil. Let me stay on my own. Is it the best attitude?
If I tell you to befriend quietness, did I say avoid your people? I can befriend quietness because of you here. If you understand what it takes to befriend quietness like we are here, are we quarrelling? Are we not quiet? We are quiet because God is here.
When we leave here, we can go to our closets and begin to meditate on what we have heard. Befriending quietness does not mean to lock yourself inside the room. There you will commit suicide, for the best companion you will have there is the devil.
⁹At times people talk and boast as if they will contend with God and be justified and God will be condemned.Is it a lie Brethren? This is arrant stupidity and foolishness on the side of such haughty men and women. Haughty! This hostile stand before God is borne out of pride and naughtiness. Amen!!!
Both man and woman, young and old. It is borne out of pride and haughtiness.
¹⁰“He won’t let me get my breath, He has filled my life with bitterness. Should I try force? Try force on God? Should I take Him to court? Could anyone make Him go? I am innocent and faithful, but my words sound guilty,…Is it contestable? …and everything I say seems to condemn me. Sure!!! I am innocent, but I no longer care.
¹¹I am sick of living. Nothing matters, innocent or guilty, God will destroy us.If he wants to. When an innocent man suddenly dies, God laughs. God gave the world to the wicked. He made all the judges blind. And if God didn’t do it, who did?’ (Job 9:18-24, GNB).
¹²“He will not let me breath, but fills me with bitter sorrows. He alone is strong and just. But I? Am I righteous? My own mouth says no. Even if I were perfect, God will prove me wicked. And even if I am utterly innocent, I dare not think of it. I despise what I am. Innocent or evil, it is all the same to Him, for He destroys both kinds.
“He will laugh when calamity crushes the innocent. The whole earth is in the hands of the wicked. God blinds the eyes of the judges and lets them be unfair. If not He, then who?(Job 9:18 – 24, LB).
¹⁴Since God has power to destroy whether innocent or guilty and yet stands justified in His action, is this not enough for men to fear and honour God in all His ways and dealings with mankind without questioning Him?
¹⁵A time came when Prophet Jeremiah became very much offended at God, and he raised doubts and questions about God’s faithfulness to His promises.
¹⁶“Lord, if I argued my case with You, You would prove to be right. Yet I must question You about matters of justice. Why are wicked men so prosperous? Why do dishonest men succeed? You plant them, and they take root, they grow and bear fruit. They always speak well of You, yet they do not really care about you. That is pure truth!
¹⁷But Lord, you know me, you see what I do, and how I love You. Drag these evil men away like sheep to be butchered, guard them until it is time for them to be slaughtered”(Jeremiah 12:1 — 3, GNB).
¹⁸“The Lord replied to me. If racing with mere men — these men of Anathoth — has wearied you, how, will you race against horses, against the king, his court and all his evil priests. If you stumble and fall on open ground, what will you do in Jordan’s jungles?” (Jeremiah 12:5, LB).
¹⁹The prophet thought that his question was very relevant, considering what he discovered on the land in his day. He thought that God was blind about those things which, to him, amounted to injustice on the side of God.
²⁰The same way, we are often tempted to ask God ‘why?’ when we notice the way things are done in our day.
²¹God’s reply to Jeremiah should serve as an eye opener to all. God is not equal with man in authority, Man is finite, while God is infinite in knowledge and in all things. No matter what happens, God is ever faithful to His promises. Though He delays in fulfilling them that does not make Him a liar.
²²“Of course not, though everyone else in the world is a liar, God is not. Do you remember what the book of Psalms says about this? That God’s word will always prove true and right, no matter who questions them”Sure!!! Sure!!! (Romans 3:4, LB).
No matter who questions God. Attempting it is an exercise in futility, a sheer waste of time and mere dissipation of your energy. Can a man query God? Query Him for what?
²³I have to warn all the Elect of God,… Now note! We have seen the Saints and we have seen the Elect. We have seen the Saints called out from the Brethren. We can now see the Elect, which means both the Jews and the Gentiles chosen by God by predestination aforehand. That is the Elect.
One glory of the sun. Another of the moon. Another of the star. Be sure you get your share in one out of these three.
²³I have to warn all the Elect of God, in your own interest, refrain from calling God a deceiver or a liar or else you will regret it in the end.
²⁴Even if God’s promises do not come to pass in your day, they must come to pass one day because God is ever faithful to His promises.
And He tied all the promises to time. And every time is tied to event.
²⁵“O Lord, You deceived me when You promised me Your help. I have to give them Your messages because You are stronger than I am, but now I am the laughingstock of the city, mocked by all”(Jeremiah 20:7, LB).
²⁶When a man is in trouble, surely, he expects God to come to his aid immediately as it is being promised in His word:Sure!!! “Call to Me in the time of trouble and I will come to your rescue”, Yes, God said so.
Some are even commanding God now. Concerning that which I am able to do, He said, “Command ye Me.” They command,“God, I command!” Are you commanding your father?
REFERENCE: Isaiah 45:11, KJV.Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.
Some will even tell Him to be fast and hasten up. Whatever you hear as a song, you sing. “Jesus, son of David!”Who told you that Jesus is the son of David. Another one will sing, “God come quickly and help me.”
If I do not come to your rescue fast, will you kill Me? Am I indebted to you? Who are you to tell God to hasten action. Can a man hasten the hand of God?
Yes, God said so. But you must find out why the trouble has befallen you.
²⁷Do you know if it is a trial of your faith by God? Do you know whether it is permitted by God, as a result of your wrong doing as punishment?
Please, find out why you are passing through any kind of trouble, before you call God a deceiver like Prophet Jeremiah. It is not good for a man to strive with his Creator.
²⁸“Who are you to question My wisdom with your ignorant, empty words? Stand up now like a man and answer the question I ask you. Were you there when I made the world? If you know so much, tell Me about it. Who decided how large it should be? Who stretched the measuring-line over it? Do you know all the answers?
Who was there before everything else was created? Christ was in the world before everything came into existence. Were you there?
REFERENCE: [1] John 1:1-2, TLB.^[1-2]Before anything else existed, there was Christ, with God. He has always been alive and is himself God. ^[3]He created everything there is—nothing exists that he didn’t make.
[2] Colossians 1:15-16, TLB.^[15]Christ is the exact likeness of the unseen God. He existed before God made anything at all, and, in fact, ^[16]Christ himself is the Creator who made everything in heaven and earth, the things we can see and the things we can’t; the spirit world with its kings and kingdoms, its rulers and authorities; all were made by Christ for his own use and glory.

Now, we know the Personality that is standing in our midst. He is the Last Hope of mankind, the Only and sure Anchor that will never disappoint, The only Link you have with The Light. In other words, as long as I am on the scene, I am the Light of the world. Whoever that leaves Me must wallow in darkness. ……. You do not know where you are heading to. You are depending on He (The Son of Man) that is leading you. He (The Son of Man) has the instruments, the compass in His hands. You do not know where He is leading you next, but you are sure and certain that you are in the right hands. If you are being carried by a seasoned driver or a professional driver, you can sleep in that vehicle, but if a novice is the one carrying you, your life is in danger. You can hardly relax your mind until you get to where you are going. As a result, our Driver (The Son of Man) knows the road. Our vehicle is sound. There is no shaking twenty-four hours.

THE SON OF MAN

LIVING BEYOND THE PRIMITIVE SIDE OF LIFE; Preached on 3^rd June 2007 at the Household of God, Onitsha; Pg. 40 vs. 6 – 9

SHOULD A MAN STRIVE WITH HIS MAKER? (3)

THE GREAT SERMON AND HOLY SPIRIT INSPIRED EPISTLES AND REVELATIONS; Pg. 383.²⁹What holds up the pillars that support the earth? Who laid the cornerstone of the world? In the dawn of that day the stars sang together, and the heavenly beings shouted for joy” (Job 38:1 – 7, GNB).

If the sky were a decking, who decked it? The quantity of water that percolates there, if it is suddenly let loose at once, will there be a single human being left alive on the surface of the earth?
The rain that falls, is it not coming from above. If it were pushed and let to fall down all at once, will anyone that is hit by that volume of water still be alive?
³⁰“Job, have you ever in all your life commanded a day to dawn? Have you ordered the dawn to seize the earth, and shake the wicked from their hiding places?’ (Job 38:12 – 13, GNB).
³¹“Have you any idea how big the world is? Answer Me if you know. Do you know where the light comes from or what the source of darkness is? Can you show them how far to go, or send them back again? I am sure you can, because you are so old and were there when the world was made” (Job 38:18 – 21, GNB).
³²Job thought it wise to question God in his day and God gave His reply to Job calling his action sheer stupidity. Hear God’s reply to Job.
Do we not query God today? Man is fond of doing that which he is forbidden from doing. Every day, redemption narrows down. Salvation widens, but redemption narrows down.
Only goods that are intact are received. All, whether good or bad, will be salvaged, but at the end, only the good ones are received. The rest are poured back.
When the goods arrive, does it not come with the carton containing the goods? The stockfish you eat, was it not imported in a bag? Does the bag not smell like the stockfish itself? The bag travelled with the stockfish by air and on the high seas.
And as long as it was used in packaging that stockfish, they are both travelling together. When they arrive at the warehouse, they will all be packed together inside the warehouse.
Have you ever seen anyone who bought the bag used in packaging stockfish so as to use the bag to cook simply because it smells like stockfish?
What is the destination of that bag used in packaging the stockfish? Fire! But it was a part of the goods that travelled on the high sea. The cost of purchase and the import duties that were paid covered the bag. It travelled up and down with the stockfish, only to end the journey in fire.
³³“Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? Or will you yield? Do you — God’s critic — have the answers?Yes!
God’s critics. The people that were empowered to criticize and argue.
I am nothing — how could I ever find the answers? I lay my hand on my mouth in silence.What? I lay my hand on my mouth in silence. Keep talking! I have said too much already” (Job 40:1 – 5, LB).
Why? Go ahead! Keep talking so that God will know who is guilty.
³⁴This is the way some people out of ignorance question God over many things, even in their hearts. Some even in the Church say it in their hearts that God is deceiving them especially those, whose hearts have been biased by the baseless propaganda of our enemies.Is it a lie, Brethren? ³⁵If you are numbered among such people, I pity you.
³⁶“Who are you to judge the servant of someone else? It is his own Master who will decide whether he succeeds or fails, and he will succeed,…And He will do what? …succeed, because the Lord is able to make him succeed” (Romans 14:4, GNB).
He that sent Him is with Him. His failure is the failure of God. God’s failure is His own failure. He can do nothing without God. God can do nothing without Him.
³⁷“Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up, for God is able to make him stand”(Rom. 14:4, KJV).
³⁸Some people in the Church do not realize that God is the only person that chose and called His servant and He is accountable to God, and not to any man.
³⁹Some make themselves judges over him instead of believing him. Sure!!!If He bears God’s name, do you not think that God must protect him and His ministry for His name’s sake?
⁴⁰Even if He falls into error, will God send you to reprimand Him? This is where we have to behave like Job, by closing our mouths with our hands, on issues concerning the servant of God, or else we shall be guilty of judging the Anointed One of God, and the punishment is always great.
⁴¹A man cannot judge his Maker. It is foolishness to do so.
⁴²“Oh, that there were someone who would listen to me and try to see my side of this argument. Look, I will sign my signature to my defence, now let the Almighty show me that I am wrong. Let Him approve the indictments made against me by my enemies.What? Let Him approve the indictments made against me by my enemies. I would treasure it like a crown. Then I would tell Him exactly what I have done and why, presenting my defence as one He listens to” (Job 31:35-37, LB).
⁴³When any of you is suffering hardship, sickness or any other thing in this flesh, due to your faith in Christ, you should count it as a thing of joy, for thereunto you are called.
⁴⁴Do not start to doubt God’s promises or calling Him a deceiver. You were told of what you will pass through, when you became Christians. Read these few Scriptures to refresh your minds once more.
⁴⁵“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Christ”(2 Timothy 2:3, KJV).
⁴⁶“Take your own share of suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, just as I do” (2 Timothy 2:3, LB).
⁴⁷“Finally, when I could stand it no longer, I decided to stay alone in Athens, and sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker, God’s minister, to visit you to strengthen your faith and encourage you and to keep you from becoming fainthearted in all the troubles you were going through.
⁴⁸(But of course you know that such troubles are a part of God’s plan for us Christians.What? (But of course you know that such troubles are a part of God’s plan for us Christians. Even while we were still with you we warned you ahead of time that suffering would soon come — and it did)” (Thessalonians 3:1-4, LB).
SUFFERING MUST SURELY COME. And it did come. Were you not warned in 1993? Were you not told that harder time still lies ahead? In 1993, you were told that government must increase your hardship and that you have not seen anything.
Last year, were you not warned ahead of time? If you have money, go and buy rice and keep. Buy food items, for this bag of rice you are buying at the rate of ₦41,000 to ₦42,000 must be sold for between ₦60,000 and ₦65,000.
Were you not told last year? How many obeyed? How much is rice today? Between ₦65,000 and ₦67,000
⁴⁹“For unto you it was given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake. Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me” (Philippians 1:29 – 30, KJV).
⁵⁰“For to you has been given the privilege not only of trusting Him but also of suffering for Him. We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for Him in the past, and l am still in the midst of a great and terrible struggle now, as you know so well”(Philippians 1:29 — 30, LB).
⁵¹In everything, we should learn to give God the glory instead of contending with Him, for that is the will of God for us, and is pleasing in His sight.
⁵²“In everything give thanks, [In everything]for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” Amen!!! (1 Thessalonians 5:18, KJV).
In everything, for this is the will of Christ for you. In everything means that, that is the purpose of God concerning you, which He purposed in Himself concerning you after the counsel of His own will before the world began.
It is not that anybody is saying, “Do this” or “Do that”. No! this is tied to your own salvation plan.
⁵³We are sure that we must enter the kingdom of God through much tribulations. As long as we are still living here on earth, we cannot avoid it. But one thing is certain. We cannot be the worst hit. Some heathens suffer more than us.
When everywhere was even calm. Can you compare today or the sufferings of today to that of 2001. I learnt that a painter of Garri is nearly ₦2,000. By 2001, it was just about ₦500 or more. What was the exchange rate as at that time?
And people are saying that there is no change and that everything has remained the way they were before. And you believe?
How much were we buying fuel that time? Less than four naira [₦4] per litre. Today, see where we are.
⁵⁴“And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and having stoned Paul, drew Him out of the city, supposing He had been dead. Howbeit as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city, and the next day He departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
⁵⁵And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and Iconium, and Antioch, confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that WE MUST THROUGH MUCH TRIBULATION ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD” (Acts 14:19-22, KJV).
What were they doing? Confirming the souls and confirming the churches. Somebody has to confirm your soul. Somebody has to confirm your fellowship.
⁵⁶“So be truly glad, there is wonderful joy ahead, even though the going is rough for a while down here. These trials are only to test your faith, to see whether or not it is strong and pure.It is being tested as fire tests gold and purifies it — and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold, so if your faith remains strong after being tried in the test tube of fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honour on the day of His return” (1 Peter 1:6 -7, LB).
⁵⁷Let us not strive against our Maker because of the troubles we encounter in this heavenly race. To contend with God is death, but to obey Him is Eternal life.
⁵⁸“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter, Fear God, and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Eccl. 12:13, KJV).
⁵⁹“All has been heard; the end of the matter is, Fear God [revere and worship Him,…The end of the matter is what? … Fear God [revere and worship Him knowing that He is] and keep His commandments,…
How can you revere and worship and be criticizing, finding faults, complaining, murmuring and at the same time worshipping? Is there any truth there?
⁵⁹“All has been heard; the end of the matter is, Fear God [revere and worship Him, for this is the whole of man [the full, original purpose of his creation, the object of God’s providence, the root of character, the foundation of all happiness, the adjustment to all inharmonious circumstances and conditions under the sun][Sure!!!] and the whole [duty] for every man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13, AMP).
⁶⁰God Bless You All.
Is it finished? Okay. Thank you! We are still on the Memory Lane. We invite our Deacon to the pulpit.