Obiaruku village in Delta State became the commanding voice of the New Apostolic Church in Nigeria as the Lead Apostle and all Apostles spent their missionary work in this village from Friday 26th to Sunday 28th of April 2019. Their presence in this village was as a result of the burial of Pa Odili Okhine, the father of Apostle Odili of South Area Nigeria.

After an evening of songs on Friday, the funeral service was conducted on Saturday morning by the Lead Apostle who comforted the bereaved family and gathering with a text word from 1 Thessalonians 4: 15-18, ‘For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.   Therefore, comfort one another with these words.’

The Lead Apostle began his message with a quote from the book of Revelation, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord… that they may rest from their labours”

In continuing his sermon, he said that what has happened is just a short separation between Pa Odili and the living.  He added that when the Lord Himself descends from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, Pa Odili and all those who died in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord and our beloved father.

He encouraged all to remain faithful to God and His Son, Jesus Christ, as this was the only way to be assured of having a chance to meet with all those who have preceded us.