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Why we will not go to Church this Sunday – Okotie
BY KAZIE UKO
Renowned teacher of the Bible and Pastor of the Household of God Church, Rev Chris Okotie, is not excited about the announced reopening of churches by the Lagos State Government and he has admonished his congregation, and indeed the entire Christendom, not to be in a hurry to return.
Okotie described the conditionalities issued by the Babajide Sanwo-Olu led government, under which churches are expected to reopen their doors, as a mockery to God.
Sanwo-Olu had announced last Saturday, following consistent decline in the confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, that churches and other places of worship can reopen Friday, August 7 (Mosques) and Sunday, August 9 (Churches) but must abide by certain conditions, including the use of face masks.
But Okotie who had insisted that no institution or authority of government has the right to reorder the mode of Christian worship, responded Wednesday with an audio message (BELOW) describing the conditions, especially the wearing of face mask, as sacrilegious.
In the almost 18 minutes audio, a follow up to his earlier COVID-19 Mystery video, Okotie reverberated: “It’s not just the fact that we want to go to Church, we cannot go to Church to lift up holy hands with veiled faces, that is sacrilegious. You’re mocking your God, it’s just that you’re not aware of it and Bill Gate is aware of it, Lucifer is aware of it and these are the adversaries of the Church and adversaries of our God and you must pay attention.
“That is why we must not accept any condition from whichever authority that is asking us to go to Church with veiled faces, with masks. Outside of the fact that it is a mockery to our God who has told us that He has healed us or the efficacy of Psalm 91 and by the stripes of Jesus we are healed, outside of the fact that that is diametrically opposed to the reality and veracity of the scriptures but the fact that you are wearing a veil takes it to another level where you’re actually denying the finished work of the cross.”
READ: You can’t reorder mode of Christian worship – Okotie
Okotie restated his earlier position that the doors of the Household of God Church would not reopen for congregational worship until all the restrictions were removed.
“Remember what I said, our faith is predicated on the finished work of the cross. It is vindicated by His resurrection and it is crystallised when we personally appropriate His blood through faith. These are the things you need to pray about and don’t be quick to run to Church because we all love the Lord. We do and He wants us to come into His presence but we cannot do so if we do not present things as enunciated in the scripture. We will be mocking our God, and God forbid that any child of God will go in that manner before His presence.
“So, I wanted to clarify this to let you know why we cannot go to Church next Sunday. We will wait and trust that the Lord will sort this thing out. Jesus is the Head of the Body. He is the saviour of the Body and He will take care of these things. Remember He’s the one who cometh from Edom with dyed garment from Bozrah, this that is glorious in His apparel, travelling in the greatness of His strength, I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save, sayeth the Lord. We must remember that He is more than able. Before these people began to propose this thing, I told you He already disposed of it.
“Fear not, He will do what He promised. The shaking has already begun. The enemies of our God will come to nought, like Jannes and Jambres, their folly shall be made manifest. So, do not be afraid, we will wait until we are able to stand in His presence to worship Him in the manner that He has stated and those protocols concerning His worship in the Bible we must follow, he exhorted.
He continued: “So, I know that you’re disappointed, I’m disappointed but I trust that the Lord, the God with whom we have to do, the Pantokrator, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the One who sits upon the circle of the earth and the inhabitants thereof as grasshoppers has already taken cognizance of what is going on. They are building their Tower of Babel. He will allow them build it up to a certain altitude and then He will come down and confound their language and they shall all be scattered and confusion will set in.
“So, do not be afraid, do not worry, just continue to acknowledge Him. Remember in your own house, like Daniel, open the window of your faith towards the heavenly Jerusalem and lift up your hand unto that God who sits in the heavens, before whom are seven fires of His ubiquitous spirit and you have the awesome foursome chanting endlessly, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty which is, which was and which is to come, surrounded by the rainbow of His magnanimity. That same God is present and His ears are opened to the prayers of the righteous. So, I just want to encourage you and to help you remember that faithful is He that has promised and He would do it.
“We give praise to Jesus. We thank God for what He has done in Nigeria, what He’s doing and what He’s going to do. Blessed be the name of our God forever, in the name of Jesus.”
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