Brotherhood of the Cross and Star
CHRIST WAS CRUCIFIED ON THURSDAY



FIRST LESSON: MATTHEW 16: 21

"From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day."

SECOND LESSON: JOHN 2: 19

"Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up"

GOLDEN TEXT: MATTHEW 12: 40

"For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

Brethren, It is said that by the words of your mouth you are condemned and by the words of your mouth you are justified. Our Lord Jesus Christ said that He would go to Jerusalem where He would be tortured, condemned and finally killed. He said further, that He would rise on the third day.
2. I want everybody to be in complete silence, so that the wax in your ears may be removed, and your bad eyesight, due to spiritual blindness may be restored.
3. As you listen attentively to this gospel, all your encumbrances are taken away, and you are fully liberated. It is pathetic, to notice that the whole Christendom have lied to the world that Our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified on a Friday.
4. But Our Lord Jesus Christ is the truth, and His words are true. I would want the Zairians, the Cameroonians, the Liberians, the Americans, and others who are present, and indeed all the inhabitants of the world to listen, with rapt attention to this gospel, so that they can correct the wrong concept dished out to the masses by the orthodox churches.
5. It is absolutely wrong to construe that Our Lord Jesus Christ was nailed to the Cross on Friday. This claim has no substance and lacks the biblical foundation and backing.
6. Many people have been to Bible colleges, or theological schools and seminaries, all in quest of studying religions and the Bible. Some have been to India, the United States of America, Russia and other places to study the Bible, for 20 to 30 years. If they still hold on to the argument that Friday was the first day and Saturday the second day, what about the third day?
7. The orthodox churches keep on shouting Jesus, Jesus. But they find it difficult to know when He was crucified. The knowledge, of when Christ was crucified, has eluded the entire world.
8. The significance of the Wednesday Watch and Pray started during the time the feet of the disciples of Christ were washed. The Thursday's weekly fasting and prayers symbolise the day He was condemned at 6 a.m., and at precisely 9 a.m. the same day He was crucified.
9. I thank Matthew and John and a few other Apostles, who were able to document the teachings and the crucial events during the mission and operation of Our Lord Jesus Christ. If these records were not kept, the enemies of Our Lord Jesus Christ could have succeeded in suppressing the truth, and of course the truth would not have been known. They would have permanently established their deceit and falsehood in the world for their own advantage.

GOD'S WORDS ARE SACROSANCT
10. Our Lord Jesus Christ had said that heaven and earth will pass away, but not an iota of the word of God shall pass away. The word of God is not deficient in power. That is why when the word of God is spoken; it will do mighty works, and can break mighty stones to manifest its purpose. From Genesis to Malachi, the words prophesied about Him had been consummated.
11. If you are told by someone that there will be rain by 12 noon the following day, and eventually the rain does not fall, how will you regard such a person? Similarly, if you are told that there will be a heavy down-pour by noon tomorrow, and by noon the following day it rains cats and dogs, how shall you regard that person?
12. That is how the spirit of falsehood and error are being differentiated from the spirit of truth. If a person says that by 12 noon the next day there will be rain, and eventually by that time there is no rain, that spirit is not from God.
13. But if he predicts that there will be rain and it rains as predicted, then that spirit is directly from the Father Almighty. That is why He is the Truth, and His words are true.
14. Our Lord Jesus Christ intimated His disciples that the Comforter, and even the Spirit of truth shall be sent whose words shall be true. He also said that the Comforter shall teach and lead all to the accurate wisdom of the truth.
15. It was absolutely apparent that Our Lord Jesus Christ surrendered His life, and He had the power to take it back. It was He who deliberately volunteered His life and Himself to the Scribes, the Pharisees, and the Chief-priests.
16. It was the efficacy of His words, which manifested when He said that He would die, but that His Father shall make Him to rise up on the third day. It is pathetic that the whole world has accepted the false doctrine of the so-called Christians, that Our Lord Jesus Christ was killed on Friday. It is a misleading concept that should be disregarded.
17. Our Lord Jesus Christ had said that as Jonah, the fifth of the minor prophets, was in belly of the whale for three days and three nights, so shall the Son of God be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. He said; "nevertheless, I have many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now." But when the Spirit of truth shall come, He shall teach and lead you to the accurate wisdom of the truth.

THE BIBLE CONFIRMS THAT CHRIST DIED ON THURSDAY
18. We have not come here to joke, that is why we started commemorating the events of His death since last week. He was killed on a Thursday, and He remained there in the heart of the earth. You can then see that the serious miscalculation of the orthodox churches is very much at variance with the biblical records.
19. Ironically, these are the very people who boast that they have been to seminaries and colleges of theology, to get masters and doctorate degrees in theology and religion. They are not even conversant with simple biblical events and calculations.
20. OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST WAS KILLED ON THURSDAY MORNING ABOUT 6 A.M. If He had been killed on Friday as advocated by the churches of Christendom, there would have been a mathematical error in calculation, as HE RESURRECTED ON SUNDAY AT 6 A.M.
21. It is this significant event that has caused the Brotherhood world to set aside every Wednesday of the Week for "Watch and Pray", to commemorate the unique event which ushered in a hallmark, in the existence of humanity.

CHRIST REMAINED IN THE HEART OF THE EARTH FOR THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS
22. Our Lord Jesus Christ was arrested and arraigned before the Elders, Pharisees, Scribes and the Chief Priests at 3 a.m. on Wednesday (Thursday morning). This was after the last super He had arranged for that night.
23. According to the Jews, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. was one day, and from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. was calculated as one night.
24. It stands to reason that from 6 a.m. on Thursday to 6 p.m. on the same Thursday was one day; and from 6 p.m. on Thursday to 6 a.m. on Friday, was calculated as one night. In the same vein, from 6 a.m. on Friday to 6 p.m. of the day, was two days. Similarly, from 6 p.m. of Friday to 6 a.m. of Saturday, made up two nights. From 6 a.m. of Saturday to 6 p.m. of the same day, completed the three days, and from 6 p.m. of Saturday to 6 a.m. of Sunday, concluded the three nights. This is the veritable truth, which had eluded the world.
25. The spoken words of Our Lord Jesus Christ have materialised, and those who believe in all these truths are saved, and all those inexplicable teachings are wiped away.

WHY WE HOLD THREE PENTECOSTAL MEETINGS IN A YEAR
26. Our Lord Jesus Christ had said; But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my Name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
27. The April Pentecostal is significant, in that it symbolises the period Our Lord Jesus Christ suffered untold hardship, torment and death, just for the atonement of the sins of mankind. It is a period to celebrate the three essences of His mission, torture, death and resurrection.
28. In the same vein, the August Pentecostal Assembly connotes the period when Our Lord Jesus Christ was baptised, and revealed to the entire world by John the Baptist. That is why the observance is so tremendously significant. It was then that He was revealed to the Jewish nation and the entire world, for acknowledgement and identification as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of mankind.
29. Hitherto, He had been in the world for good twenty-nine years, but they knew Him not, until He got baptised at the age of 30 years. That is why we usually rejoice greatly, in the commemoration of His revelation through water baptism.
30. We observe the December Pentecostal in remembrance of His divine birth. If he had not been born of a woman, He would not have been revealed as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.
31. If He had not been revealed, He would not have died to shed His precious blood for the remission of the sins of the humanity. Also, the December celebration is not for Leader Olumba Olumba Obu, but for the commemoration of the divine birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
32. It is axiomatic therefore, that where there are those who investigate and ask questions, there must also be a person around to give answers to such questions.
33. This can be likened to a lingering cough that would not leave its victim. The Zairians, the Liberians, the Americans, the Russians, the Europeans, the Germans and the rest of you, might have asked why the three Pentecostal Assembly Meetings are held.
34. These are periods that Our Lord Jesus Christ must be glorified, as was written in the Bible. He must be glorified with activities featuring songs, dancing, testimonies and recitations, in sober reflections of the real essence of observance of these spectacular and historic events, in the life of Our Saviour, Lord Jesus Christ.
35. While doing this, such worldly tendencies as beating of drums, burning of candles and incenses, and the pouring of perfumes should be avoided. His name can better be glorified and lauded without the use of all these things.
36. Inform your parents, friends, relations and everybody else, why these three Pentecostal Assemblies must be commemorated.
The first lesson should be examined once more.

FIRST LESSON MATTHEW 16:21
"From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day."

THE HOLY SPIRIT VINDICATES CHRIST
37. Brethren, His words are just like a ware-house where articles of merchandise, riches and precious things are stored for the easy supply of any goods. That is what I have presented to you, for now.
38. It is our bounding duty to correct the erroneous arithmetica1 calculations of the three days and three nights, duration of Christ's death, and end the perversion of truth by the world.
39. Before the eventful arrest, torture, death and resurrection, He made a statement that on the third day; God will make Him to rise from the clutches of death and Hades. But for the arrival of the Holy Spirit, His detractors would have falsified history to their benefit. They would have had their way in manipulating everything about Christ for their own advantage.
40. Many people have diversities of opinions and concepts about the source of power in Brotherhood of the Cross and Star. I would want to impress upon them that the Secret powers in Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, come from the strict observances of these divine events, for the glorification of His name.
41. I want to prove the importance of this week to you, just like a proof in Geometry or Algebra. The Friday in question was observed in the Jewish nation as the Passover day. Saturday was usually observed as the Sabbath day.
42. In view of the foregoing, they decided to kill Him prior to the pass-over and the Sabbath day, for fear of causing uproar. They knew very well that the masses would challenge the rulers, on why the holy and historic days should be defiled.
43. Since He was God, who had foreknowledge of their plot and conspiracy, Our Lord Jesus Christ celebrated the feast of pass-over on Wednesday. This shows that the wisdom of God is far greater than the wisdom of men.
44. If He had not wished to taste of the cup of woes, the arrest and the subsequent arraignment before the elders, Pharisees, scribes and chief-priests, would not have been possible.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF 'WATCH AND PRAY'
45. That is why we in the Brotherhood of the Cross and star world do not joke with the Wednesday "Watch and Pray", and the love- feast which often follows the divine observance.
CHRIST LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR HIS DEATH
46. This celebration reflects His acceptance and preparedness to die, so that humanity might be salvaged with His stainless Blood.
47. The Jews and the Scribes once asked why His disciples never fasted like the rest of the people. Our Lord Jesus Christ told them that it was not necessary for His disciples to do so, when the bridegroom was with them. That is why it is declared that those who believe fervently in Him are saved.
48. I WANT YOU TO OBSERVE THESE WEDNESDAYS "WATCH AND PRAY", FROM NOW TILL ETERNITY.
49. As many as will observe it, their problems, sicknesses, court cases, poverty and wretchedness are wiped away.
50. If you observe all these things, as spelt out in today's gospel, you are saved and all your problems are taken away.
51. I have other sheep which are not of this fold, they all must be brought, so that there might be one fold under one shepherd.
52. Our Lord Jesus Christ had finished His works, and the ball is now in the court of the people of the world to observe the three significant events in Brotherhood. And those who sincerely and diligently observe these remarkable events are liberated and saved.
53. Who are those that are clad in white garments? They are those who have come out from great tribulations and have been washed clean by the blood of the Lamb, who takes away the sins of the world.
54. The three days (72 hours), dry fasting is a great cleansing exercise in this New Kingdom. And it is pathetic to notice that many brethren do not observe it, or the Wednesday "Watch and Pray".
55. The Watch and Pray is one of the events observed in respect of the death of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We who suffer with Him, and are tortured along with Him, are fully liberated from the bondage of evil. These observances reaffirm our belief in Him. This is also the enabling factor, which, by His grace salvages us. We are also glorified with Him.

THE BLOOD OF CHRIST WAS THE LAST REPARATION FOR OUR SINS
56. Forces outside the confines of His authority never caused the death of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
57. The supreme sacrifice paid by Our Lord Jesus Christ was the last sacrifice to be made for the atonement of mankind. It was comparatively unique, for the sacrifices of goats; sheep or cows were no longer tenable or acceptable, since a sheep, ram or cow could not have atoned for the life of man. All such sacrifices were carnally oriented.
58. Our Lord Jesus Christ had to shed His precious blood for the full remission of the sins of mankind. That is why there is no beating of drums, burning of candles or incense, or the using of perfumes in the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star. Rather we fast and roll on the ground in absolute humility, meekness and love for Him.
59. That is why Our Lord Jesus Christ said through the mouth of Our brother Paul, that Christ sent him not to baptise, but to preach the gospel of the death of Our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, for the liberation of those who had been spiritually enslaved. The preaching of the cross is nothing to them that perish in foolishness. But unto us who are saved, it is life eternal.
60. That is why I am telling you that by listening to this life-giving gospel, those whose spirits were dormant and dead, are restored to life again. All sorts of problems and encumbrances are taken away once and for all, from them.
Let our second lesson be examined again.

Thank You Holy Father