22/07/2020
*BE PURE IN BODY AND SPIRIT*
*FIRST BIBLE LESSON: 1 CORINTHIANS 7: 34*
There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
*SECOND BIBLE LESSON: 2 CORINTHIANS 6: 17 - 18*
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
*GOLDEN TEXT: 2 CORINTHIANS 7: 1*
Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Brethren, the texts read to you summarise our lesson (this morning). You will often hear a lot of people pray to God to give them companions so that they will be able to serve God.
2. People pray that God should give them a wife or husband to enable them to do the work of God well. They claim that they will be able to do the work of God properly once they are married because a woman cannot stay alone. Do you think that such claim is true?
3. Is it true that if a woman does not accompany a man the work of God cannot be done well, or vice-versa?
4. When people pray that God should give them children to enhance the work of God, is it true?
*BE PURE IN BODY AND IN SPIRIT*
5. God has set aside this week particularly to reveal unto you all occasions of stumbling that have separated us from Him.
6. A man or a woman who is not married cares for the things of God. Such a person always thinks of how to be holy both in body and in spirit.
7. But whoever is married cares for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. This way your thoughts are divided. Tell Me how a married man or woman can please God.
8. Brethren, can you now realise that we deceive ourselves but cannot deceive God? God knows our individual thoughts. So let no person deceive himself.
9. God has particularly set aside this week for us to see our nakedness. Just as we are told that we must purify ourselves in order to be worthy of Him, if we do not purify ourselves, we are not worthy of Him. You are therefore the one to bail yourself because the fault is yours.
10. It is written, "Be ye holy; for I am holy." (1Peter 1:16) for no unrighteousness dwells with Him. God is waiting for us. He is here with us. God is on our left. He is on our right. He is within us.
11. Have you purified yourselves even as God is pure because that is what He requires from us? The changeover is for you to purify yourself.
12. The defiled body of fornication, drink, evil heart, quarrelling and lying must be changed. God is neither after our houses nor clothes but after our persons.
13. When we come across somebody who is unmarried, we ask why such a grown up person would not want to marry when every other person is married.
14. Does being single prevent you from serving God? Do you think that marriage and body defilement qualifies a man to do the work of God?
15. In the morning a married man is defiled with a woman; in the night, in the afternoon and always he will defile himself with a woman. Then he will turn round to tell you, 'thus says our Lord Jesus Christ.' What says our Lord Jesus Christ? Are you clean?
16. Defilement is the downfall of all the inhabitants of the world and all the church denominations.
17. The orthodox churches maintain that the Holy Spirit is no more and consequently they propagate the doctrine of 'God helps those who help themselves.'
18. Where do they expect the Holy Spirit to dwell after they had defiled their bodies to please their husbands and wives?
19. That is why it is said, 'But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that Kingdom and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage.'
20. The most important thing before you and me is how to be holy in body and in spirit, because if you are not pure in body and in spirit, you cannot be one with God.
21. God has set aside this week to give us such teachings as may enable us to be holy as a qualification for oneness with Him.
22. We are men of two worlds. We sit at the table of God and also of mermaid. Our best friends are people of the world. You are friends with thieves, necromancers, mermaid priest, and idolaters. You mix up with them.
23. But what does God say today? The Lord Almighty says, 'Wherefore come out from among them, and I will receive you.' Can you now see your trouble? When you leave here you get entangled with thieves, robbers, liars, necromancers and idolaters.
24. These things separate you from God and God from you. If we separate ourselves from evil, God will receive us.
25. If we separate ourselves from all manners of sins, purify ourselves in body and spirit, and touch nothing unclean, He will be a Father unto us and we His sons and daughters.
26. Many teachings given to you are directed to this end. When you are taught neither to eat meat nor fish, it is for your own good.
27. Do not commit fornication: this is for your own good.
28. When we are taught never to indulge in diabolical things nor get exasperated it is all for our own good.
29. Since we have the promise of His being our Father and we being His children, let us refrain from anything whatsoever that is evil and do that which is good in order to resemble Him.
30. Can you not see that drinking defiles us? Eating animal meat defiles us. Fornication defiles us. Anger defiles us. Keeping company with a railer defiles us.
31. Whatever therefore defiles our bodies should be forsaken because we have a promise. If we forsake all these things, we will be His children and He shall be our Father.
32. Tell Me why we should not be holy in body and in spirit? What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but not have God as his Father.
33. If we do not have God as our Father, and are not with Him in body and in spirit, what shall it profit us?
34. At all times, you have to be pure because I am pure. God does not entertain anything unclean.
35. The different forms of ointments we rub on our bodies defile us. Some of the clothes we wear defile us. The rings, earrings, nose rings, finger rings, bangles, defile us.
36. The different medications we take including injections, tablets and syrup defile us.
37. The symbolism of the white raiment we wear is purity, even as He is pure.
38. If we are pure in body and spirit, what hinders us from being with Him? Have you ever witnessed the Spirit of God clad in black raiment?
39. Have you ever found the Spirit of God or of any angel of God dressed in any coloured clothing.
40. You have heard that when the two women went to the grave they met two angels whose garments were as dazzling as the sun.
41. This proves to us that God is holy and we must also be pure in words, thoughts, footsteps and deeds. We must be pure in body and in our spirit.
42. Many people do not see anything wrong in marriage. But the Scripture says that the married cares for the things of this world; how he or she may please his or her husband. Can you not see the distinction in it?
43. Whoever is married cares for the things of this world. Whoever is unmarried, cares for the things of God.
44. Whoever is married has a divided attention. But whoever is unmarried, whether a young man or woman, cares for the things of God, how he or she may be holy in body and in spirit to satisfy God.
45. You cannot get near to God if you defile yourself with a man or a woman. To worship God does not consist in bringing out money, or cars, or wealth, but in self-purification so that you may be worthy of Him.
46. Even here in Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, many of us laugh at unmarried men and women and ask why such a grown up person still remains unmarried.
47. We keep saying that every other person is married and ask what marriage will prevent him from. We even cite examples to buttress our argument, and ask if he wants to set a record.
48. Can you honestly confirm that, of a truth an unmarried man or woman is not better off than the married one.
49. Let us search the scriptures and see if we have eternal life in our hearts. Whatever the world loves is what God hates. Whatever God loves is what the people of the world hate.
50. The world loves eating, drinking, fornication, diabolism, s***f, materialism, quarrelling, fighting, anger and division. These are the things that God hates. And these are the things that separate us from God.
51. Those who love God must separate themselves to a virgin land where there is no noise and where no person can obstruct them from serving God.
*SIT NOT IN THE COUNCIL OF THE UNGODLY*
52. What is called America refers to those who left Europe, mostly from Britain, in search of a land where they will have freedom of worship and not get themselves defiled.
53. Whoever wants to please God must not sit in the council of the worldly, where there are evil utterances, preparations of charms and concoctions, stealing, drinking and cheating. If you do so, you cannot be holy and your thoughts are divided.
54. The entanglement with the people of the world hinders you from serving God. This explains why whenever our Lord Jesus Christ wanted to pray, He went with the three disciples and sometimes, will leave the three behind and go alone.
55. He had never stayed in their midst to pray. He leaves them behind and goes away to the mountaintop to pray.
56. Many times when you remain in the midst of thieves to pray, God does not hear such prayers.
57. When you remain in the midst of murderers to pray, God does not even draw nigh unto you. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing.
58. Do not keep company or eat with a man who is called a brother but yet a fornicator, a robber, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer or a drunkard, or an extortioner
59. Brethren, can you see that these things constitute hindrances? If you go back to roll in the mud after being washed, are you clean?
60. What relationship has a believer with an unbeliever? What fellowship has the temple of God with idol?
61. Up to now you still go to eat and relax in bars and lodge in hotels. Who cooks the food? Is it not a pr******te or a thief, or a liar, or a murderer or one who indulges in diabolical practices? Pray fervently for yourself.
62. Brethren, God is ready to be your God and Father as long as you are prepared to purify yourself. He is here with us. He is looking for us. He is waiting for us.
63. If we separate ourselves for God and purify our bodies and spirit, He will be our Father and our God.
64. This issue does not call for money, song, dance, clothes or shoes, but that of self-purification.
65. If it were not important, we would not set aside this one week as the (change over) Holy Week.
66. Let us attempt in whatever way we can to enter into this new Kingdom of God. Let us try to separate ourselves from all the things that defile.
67. Let us try to do good, lead a good life and have good thoughts.
68. Do you not know that whoever behoves evil has done evil? And do you not know that whenever you listen to evil that you have done evil?
69. Do you not know that it is sin to think evil? Do you not know that it is sin to utter evil words?
70. We are here told to separate from whatever defiles the body or the spirit and do what is good so that we may be worthy of Him.
The first lesson will now be read.
*1ST BIBLE LESSON: 1 CORINTHIANS 7: 34*
There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
71. Brethren, have you heard that? Are these things not hidden from us? A woman jumps from place to place looking for husband and even changes husbands after every week or after every other week.
72. A man also jumps from one wife to another. Will you say that such a person desires to please God?
73. Today you are told that an unmarried man or woman separates himself or herself to be holy in body and in spirit.
74. If you want to be holy both in body and in spirit, you have to be totally on your own, without getting intimate with a man or woman.
*LET THE MARRIED REMAIN AS IF THEY ARE NOT MARRIED*
75. Any man or woman who is married is defiled. Such a person is defiled both in body and in spirit. That explains why you, having been twenty years in Brotherhood of the Cross and Star tantamount to nothing.
76. After listening to the word of God you go back to defile yourself. That is why Paul said, 'It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife and let every woman have her own husband. The wife has not power of her own body. The husband also has not power of his own body. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourself to fasting and prayer; and come together again. Without this you have defiled yourself.
77. That is a major cause of impurity in both body and spirit. It is My desire that you should escape from these things.
78. That is why our Lord Jesus Christ advises through the mouth of Paul, 'the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they have none.' 'Likewise, let they that have husbands be as though they have none. Let those that are wealthy be as though they have nothing; and they that buy, as though they possess not; and they that sell as they that sell not, for the fashion of this world passes away with all its lusts. But he that does the will of God inherit this kingdom.'
79. Right now, the race before us is how we will be holy to remain with The Father. Our problem right now is not in how we can get money.
80. Our problem is not in how to get rich, or how to get a husband or children, or food, but how to be with The Father.
81. No matter how much money we have, if we are not holy both in body and in spirit, we are not the children of God.
82. No matter what we eat, if we are not holy in body and in spirit, we are not the children of God.
83. You have heard that God is nearer to you than the tongue to the teeth. He is always around and has always been around us.
84. Our Lord Jesus Christ is in our midst, the Holy Spirit is in our midst but we must be holy even as He is holy.
85. A lot of people complain that upon all they have done for God, God does not hear them. It is true God does not hear your voice. But have you been holy even as He is holy?
86. You are taught not to eat meat or fish that it defiles the body. Whoever eats meats or fish is defiled.
87. You have witnessed that whenever a person who eats flesh farts, it will be repugnant and repelling smell. If a man who eats flesh should see his body or spirit, he will not value any meat at one kobo.
88. Brethren, you have heard what eludes the whole world. In Brotherhood today, a lot of people ask: "What evil is in eating meat or flesh?" Since you cannot now see the evil in it, you have just a little time from now to see.
89. The Holy Spirit has come to lead you to the wisdom of truth. Those who are vegetarians can lecture you on this. Thereafter, you will detest meat.
90. Whatever God tells us to do is for our own good, if we obey.
91. It is true what our Lord Jesus Christ said, 'I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.'
*WHY GOD USED PAUL MORE THAN OTHERS*
92. Why did Paul the Apostle work more than every other apostle? It was because he purified himself. He had no intimacy with any woman.
93. Secondly, Paul did not eat meat or fish and was holy both in the body and in the spirit.
94. Thirdly, Paul took neither wine nor strong drink.
95. Fourthly, he had no business with any unbeliever. Because of these things, he was holy both in the body and in the spirit, and our Lord Jesus Christ used him as a vessel for His work.
96. This explains why Paul said, "...I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ." -
*Philippian 3: 8.*
97. In like manner, if you want Christ to dwell with you, you must count everything else in the world but loss so that you may have Him.
98. If you love