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Monday, August 23, 2010

Episode 4 :: Question 6 on Curses Against Christians

12:32 AM | Posted by St. Burnish | Edit Post
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome

Question 6 – Shella (Belgium): Good day Pastor, is it possible that a true born again Christian can still be under a curse; that is, any kind of curse?

Answer 6: Well, any Christian could place himself under a curse like any Christian could allow the devil to do anything to him. It’s up to you. But, no curse on its own can have any effect on you. Doesn’t matter who is cursing, it’ll have no effect on you, but you could place yourself under a curse. And so, it’s just like this: when God said in the Garden of Eden, you remember when Adam and Eve sinned against God, and God never cursed Adam…He never cursed eve. He said to them, the day you eat of the tree in the midst of the garden, you shall surely die. It was no curse. He was just telling them the repercussions of their actions; it was no curse. He said you shall surely die. It was the result of their actions; that’s what he told them and when they did, he didn’t curse them, instead God said, “cursed is the ground for your sake” [Genesis 3:17]. He never cursed Adam. Why? Because he already blessed them.  When God blesses you, he can’t curse you. He can’t curse you! It’s not possible. So he couldn’t even curse Adam. He said, “Cursed is the ground for your sake! Out of your sweat shall you eat bread until you return to dust; for dust thou art and unto dust shall thou return” [Genesis 3:17-19]. No curse! He already told them the result. Same thing with the woman! He said, “In sorrow shall your conception be” [Genesis 3:16]. No curse! So, it’s important that you recognize this.

We are blessed as Christians. The Bible tells us in Ephesians chapter 1, when you read from verse 3 all the way down to verse 8, beautiful verses! And all those verses show us that we were predestinated and called into a blessing. And then in Numbers chapter 23, it gives you God’s idea about these things. Numbers chapter 23 and verse 23: “Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought! [Numbers 23:23]” You see that? What God had wrought! This is God’s building! This is God’s property! Here is God’s reproduction. This is the work of God; this is God’s workmanship. That is, it’s what God had wrought! And in the New Testament, we are called what God had wrought, because it says, we are God’s workmanship! We are created in Christ Jesus unto good works [Ephesians 2:10].  So it says: “Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel;” it’s not possible to curse Jacob, that’s what it's saying, because Balaam was asked to curse Israel. He said it’s not possible. He said these are blessed; this is the workmanship of God. See? You cannot curse Israel. And so the same thing, you cannot curse a Christian but a Christian could put himself under a curse. Don’t forget it.


Watch the full episode 4 [June 16, 2009] video here!
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Episode 4 :: Question 5 on Using the Blood of Jesus in Prayer

12:18 AM | Posted by St. Burnish | Edit Post
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome

Question 5 – Chinwe (USA): Pastor, I thank God for your life. Your teachings have impacted my life and that of my family positively, and I thank you very much. My question is about the blood of Jesus. Is it right to pray with it? For example, covering your house, children and so on with the blood of Jesus.

Answer 5: Well, this is one of those many things that a lot of Christians have wrongly applied to their lives because of ignorance. They go shouting the blood of Jesus, and they say “I sprinkle the blood of Jesus.” You don’t have the authority to sprinkle the blood of Jesus. In fact, where did you get the blood from? You have no access to that blood. Jesus Christ presented His blood to God in Heaven, in the most Holy Place in Heaven, at the Mercy Seat in Heaven. You have no access to it. Only the High Priest could sprinkle the blood, only the High Priest. You’ve got to understand that. And before the office of that High Priest was established, Moses was the one who sprinkled everything with the blood of calves back in the Old Testament.  This is very important. Who has the right to sprinkle the blood? It’s not the Christians sprinkling the blood on himself or on anyone else. It’s just the talk; they have no access to the blood. Let me show you something from the Bible very quickly. The Bible calls it the blood of sprinkling. Okay.

So, I’ll like to go straight to Hebrew chapter 9 from verse 19, “For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. [Praise God!] For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:” [Hebrews 9:19-24]  That’s wonderful. It says Moses functioned in the type and Moses sprinkled all things with blood; it was Moses who did that. He didn’t say all the Hebrews sprinkled themselves with blood. They were God’s covenant people, but they weren’t going around sprinkling themselves with blood. That was a responsibility for Moses; afterwards, the High Priest did it. Now when I say the High Priest, it is important for us…it’s just the ministry of the blood at the Mercy Seat, but no longer really having to sprinkle the law because that was the beginning of the testament, so Moses had to do it. But, I want you to follow this [Hebrews] because it did say that Jesus Christ didn’t enter into the figure but into Heaven itself to appear before God for us. 

In Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 24 it says, “And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant [Moses was the mediator of the old covenant; Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant], and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. [Hebrews 12:24]” Let me read to you from Hebrews chapter 8 verse 6, “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant [talking about Jesus], which was established upon better promises. [Hebrews 8:6]” Jesus Christ is the mediator of this better covenant. So it’s Jesus. Let’s go to chapter 9, Hebrews chapter 9. Now you can catch the whole picture. From verse 14, let me take it from verse 13, “For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. [Hebrews 9:13-15]” He is the mediator of the New Testament by means of death. So he sprinkled his own blood on the New Testament. He sprinkled it on the Mercy Seat. He purged us with his own blood, and he has already done it. He doesn’t have to do it again. Moses had to do that once and ratify the Old Covenant. Jesus had to do His once and ratify the New Testament; He’s already done it. So we are already purged; we are already cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. So, He, the High Priest [Jesus Christ, the mediator of the New Testament] was the only one who had the right to sprinkle the blood, and it was His own blood. He’s already done it [and] no one else can do it; the blood is sprinkled on the Mercy Seat in heaven. You can’t have access to it, and it was not the responsibility of everybody. So you can’t sprinkle the blood.

So that’s it and it’s very important that you realize it. So those who say it are just talking. It’s like saying “twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are.” It doesn’t mean anything when you say I sprinkle the blood of Jesus Christ. You don’t have it and you can’t sprinkle it. So it makes no sense to say it.

Watch the full episode 4 [June 16, 2009] video here!
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Sunday, August 22, 2010

Episode 4 :: Question 4 on Tithes, Offerings, and Seeds

11:56 PM | Posted by St. Burnish | Edit Post
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome

Question 4 – Christopher (United Arab Emirates): Dear Pastor Chris, I praise and thank God for this media. Kindly teach us about tithe, offering and seed. Is it compulsory to tithe only to the Church we belong to, or can we send our tithe to other ministries in other parts of the country? Thanks.

Answer 4: Now, we actually also have lots of materials on these subjects. It will take me a lot more than the little time we have to discuss this. But, let me read something to you because of the peculiarity of your question. 1st Corinthians chapter 4 and I’ll be reading to you two verses, but before that, let me remind you of your question. You said, “Kindly teach us about tithe, offering and seed.” Now the tithe is one-tenth of all what God blesses you with continually. All your income, all your increase, as you receive, a tithe of it [which is the tenth part of it] belongs to God. Now, he didn’t say give it if it’s convenient; he has laid a claim to it. He says it belongs to him, simply put. The other one you said is offering. Now, among offerings, there are different kinds. You have a free-will offering and then you have a first fruit offering. Now, the first fruit offering is different from the tithe. The scriptures show us that. Some people think they are the same [but] they are not. Well, the free-will offering is the one you choose to give anytime, and it’s up to you. The tithe is not up to you; it belongs to God. The first fruit belongs to God, but your free-will offering is up to you. You choose; you decide when you want to give it and how you are going to give it and how much you are going to give. And then the seed is also up to you, but you see, in all of these, we must always recognize the leading of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit can always and should always guide us, lead us and tell us what to do, even how much to give. You know a lot of times we just give as we choose, but the greater blessings will come when you are able to listen to the Holy Spirit telling you what to do. And that particularly applies to the seed. Many times we want to sow a seed for a reason. A seed is that which you give because of the harvest that you want, a specific harvest that you want. And that’s why the Bible talks about seed giving.

Now the other question “Is it compulsory to tithe only to the Church we belong, or can we send our tithe to other ministries in other parts of the country?” No, you cannot send your tithes to other ministries. You can send your offerings if you want to. You can give whatever seed you want through other ministries, but the tithe should be given to the ministry in which you function. Remember, when you belong to a ministry, you don’t just go there to listen to the Word of God and go away; you should participate. You should become a responsible member - you have a duty. Now, let me read this to you in 1st Corinthians chapter 4 from verse 15, it says, “For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me. [1 Corinthians 4:15-16]” Did you hear that? That’s what Paul said. He says, even though you got ten thousands instructors in Christ, you got a lot of preachers in town, in the city. You got preachers here and there; you got them on television or the internet, "it doesn’t matter," he says, "though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ" [he didn’t say anything was wrong with them. They are all in Christ. These are all instructors, these are preachers, these are teachers.], he says, "but you cannot and you don’t have many fathers." Then it says here in the 16th verse, well the latter part of the 15th verse, he says, “for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.” So, he is saying, I’ve bought you up through the word. This is the word that has made you; this is the word that has strengthened you. I’ve brought forth that word to you. Then in 16th verse, he says “wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.” That’s plain. That’s what Paul said. And if you study the whole subject, the whole chapter, you’d notice he was looking at the relationship between himself and the other ministers, and the certain things that had happened. There were some challenges; you’d look at all of that there. So, it is inappropriate for you to send your tithe. The tithe is actually what shows your partnership in that ministry, because here is your income and the tithe is part of that income that belongs to God and you are expected to give it continually. And you know, when anything happens to you, those who are interceding for you and praying for you and caring for you are not those who you’ll listening to on the television or those around the city. It’s those who know you; it’s those with whom you fellowship with. It’s the ministry where you belong. These are the ones that actually care. Nobody can care for you through the screen. You see, caring for you has a human touch to it. And that’s why the pastoral ministry is very, very important. Alright, so Christopher, I hope you got that.


Watch the full episode 4 [June 16, 2009] video here!
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Episode 4 :: Question 3 on the Holy Communion

11:37 PM | Posted by St. Burnish | Edit Post
Question 3 – Smart (United Kingdom): Dear Pastor, thank you for this great opportunity to ask questions. Please, can you throw more light on taking Holy Communion? What are the benefits and why must we do it repetitively? God bless you sir.

Answer 3: Well, Jesus said to do it. He said “do this in remembrance of me” [1 Corinthians 11:24]. But then, let me read to you from 1 Corinthians chapter 11 from verse 23; now Paul gives us this and says, “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.” [as oft as ye drink it]. Then it says in the 26th verse, “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come, [1 Corinthians 11:23-26]” which means we are supposed to do it continually. He says “as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup.” So, it’s not something you do once; he told us to continually do it. So, every so often, we are expected to do it. Then he says, “ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.” It is a confession of His death, and you know what his death gives us. He died for us to live; he died to leave us a will. The Bible says a will is of no power until the death of the one who made it, and he made that will and rose again to see to it that no one cheated us out of God’s best [Hebrews 9:16-17] and that’s wonderful. So we are supposed to do it; Jesus said to do it. Now you can get a lot more detail on that from our tape or DVD titled “For This Cause.” I dealt in great detail on that subject - on the Holy Communion. I’ll like for you to place your order for it. You’ll get so much and learn so much about it.


Watch full episode 4 [June 16, 2009] video here!
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Episode 4 :: Question 2 on Interceding for the Lost

11:22 PM | Posted by St. Burnish | Edit Post
Question 2 – Rosa (Canada): What effectual prayer can one pray to bring about the salvation of a loved one? I have prayed for years and they seem to be getting worse by the day. I use the word of God and confess loudly; how long will it take? Can one be so lost that they are never able to be found by Christ, because they are so deep in sin? How can I help get them out?

Answer 2: Through intercessory prayer and the prayer of faith. When you intercede for them [intercession is standing in the gap for others, that’s what it actually means. You stand in the gap for others], you pray as though you are the one in their situation, as though you are the one that is lost and calling for salvation. And with the intensity of spirit, you pray. And when you pray like that, God hears you according to the Bible. And then you have to pray the prayer of faith, which is your faith declaration. And when you declare your faith, you don’t have to worry anymore, because the prayer of faith is such that you make the statement in faith and accept that it is done. Jesus said in Mark 11:24: “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” And that’s it. But first, intercede for them. Through intercession, you prevail over the circumstances of their lives that have run them into darkness.


Watch full episode 4 [June 16, 2009] video here!
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