MESSAGE FROM PASTOR TOSIN OGINNI

Good morning to you all and welcome on board. This morning without much ado, I'll like to continue with the message that we started yesterday on The Blood of Jesus. God bless you real good.


What would you think of a father or a mother who told one of their children, "Don't have anything to do with your brother or sister"? It's exactly the same thing when these leaders say, "Don't have anything to do with them. Don't you fellowship with any other Christians. There's nobody but us. You just stay with us!" They're out of fellowship with the Body of Christ! They claim everybody else is out of fellowship, but they're the ones who are out of fellowship. They need to get right with God. Because I pastored intelligent, spiritual people for nearly 12 years, I never forbade them to go to other services. During World War II, I was pastoring a Full Gospel church in East Texas. Three miles on either side of my church were churches of the same denomination. All three churches were on the same highway that went through that town. A fellow who wasn't of our persuasion came along and put up a tent between me and one of the other churches. (I think he had an ulterior motive, but that's between him and God; I'm not a judge.) One of the pastors asked me, "What are you going to do about it?" I said, "Not a thing in the world." "Well, I'm going to forbid my people to go," he said. I replied, "You're foolish. Just as sure as you tell them not to go, they'll go." That pastor said, "I think that fellow is wrong, and I'm going to forbid my people to go." I said, "I agree he's wrong in some of his teachings, but he's right in much of them, too." (I knew you could be wrong in your head and right in your heart.) "I'm not going to mention the meeting," I said. "I'm not even going to mention he's there." The pastor replied, "Well, he's just as close to you as he is to me. I think he's going to start a church." I said, "He probably is—I don't know whether or not he is—but there are plenty of people around here, praise God." "Yeah, but he's liable to get some of our members!" I said, "He's no threat to me. What threat is a mule barn to a grocery store?" (That's exactly what I said to him.) I added, "I'm feeding my people, glory to God!" Well, that pastor forbade his people to go to the tent meeting, and he lost seven of the best families in his church. In fact, he almost lost his church property as well, because he no longer had the support of the most prosperous members. I didn't mention that the tent preacher was there at first. Then people kept after me until I finally decided I had to make a public announcement. So one Sunday morning I said, "I'm going to make one statement, and that's all I'm going to make. We have services here Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. When we have services, I expect you to be here. The rest of the time you go wherever you want to. You're intelligent people, but wherever you go, have as much sense as an old cow: Eat the hay and leave the sticks and come on back and let's worship God." I never lost a member. Actually, in 12 years of pastoral work I never lost any members to other churches. Never. At least once every three months—and sometimes more often—I would make this announcement to my people: "I want you folks to know that I love you. I have your interests at heart. If there's any other church in town or near here where you can get better fed, grow faster spiritually, and win more souls to Jesus, I insist you go, because I have your welfare at heart." And I meant every word of it. You see, we ought to be out for the kingdom of God, not for our own kingdom.
What does that have to do with my subject? "If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another." Those exclusive little "bless me" clubs are out of fellowship with the rest of the Body of Christ. The people involved don't go anywhere but there. But, thank God, if we walk in the light as He's in the light, we have fellowship. With a few? With those whom I select? No, with one another. One another! And if we walk in the light as He is in the light, the BLOOD, hallelujah, of Jesus Christ His Son CLEANSETH us from all sin. We all make mistakes—that's just human nature. This body is not redeemed yet (but, thank God, it's going to be one of these days). No one is perfect. There are imperfections in all of us. All of us miss it— we all make mistakes. You see, as long as you walk in the light— even though you may miss it—there's A CONTINUAL CLEANSING of sin. When you know you've missed it, of course you confess it to the Lord, and He's faithful and just to forgive you and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Sometimes, however, we miss it and don't even realize it. This happened to me in the early days of my ministry. I pastored various churches nearly 12 years. When I left each of those pastorates I thought I had done a magnificent job of pastoring. But after I would be away from that church for a time, I'd grow up a little more spiritually, and realize I'd done a poor job. I was so embarrassed I was ashamed to go back and face the people. But because I had been walking in all the light I had at the time, the Lord cleansed me from my mistakes, faults, failures, and shortcomings.

Still to come tomorrow is 'Come to God by The Blood'. Till then, God bless you real good and do have a great day ahead.