After his visit to the Southeast, Apostle Usoro’s working area, the Lead Apostle traveled to the Southwest, an area is headed by Apostle Enobong S Udoh. On Saturday 4th March 2023, the lead Apostle held a meeting with the district rector and their deputies at New Apostolic church, Nto-obo Southwest Area headquarter.
In the meeting, he took a text word from 1 Timothy 4:14” Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery."
Here the Lead Apostle reminded district ministers of the special gift of teaching and exhortation which they should keep at all times to discharge their duties.
Later in the afternoon, the lead Apostle conducted a divine service in a newly created congregation in Ikot Obioma, Nto-obo district. In this divine service he read a text word from Exodus 15 :13 "Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation." Citing the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ and the crossing of the red sea by the children of Israel, the lead Apostle said it is the duties of all Christians to have the ability to trust in God in the good times and bad because we know God’s love never fails. He said, God will always lead His children to something better than we could ask or imagine…
Apostle Udoh and District Elder Moses contributed to the sermon and after the divine service the Apostle reminded all the brethren present that the Lead Apostle was celebrating his birthday on this very special day. To the delight of all the brethren, a resounding happy birthday song was rendered to the joy and appreciation by the celebrant…
The visit of the Lead Apostle coincided with the first divine service for the departed for the year 2023.
Using a text word from Rev 1:17-18 "And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last"
In his message, while focusing on the core thought “Jesus Christ has the key to salvation “the Lead Apostle said:
The messenger is none other than Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God:
- He is the First and the Last. He has no beginning and no end—He who speaks to us knows everything that has happened since the creation;
- He was dead — He who speaks to us knows what suffering and dying means. He knows the realm of the dead;
- He lives — He conquered death and works tirelessly for our salvation;
- He holds the keys — He has all power, here on earth and in the beyond.
The message is for the living and the dead—the gospel is valid here on earth and in the yonder world. It is for all of us. Jesus Christ has the keys: when He opens, no one can shut, when He shuts, no one can open (Rev 3:7). This image refers to God’s judgment, from which no one can escape.
The Lead Apostle went on to say that in biblical language, death has three meanings:
- Physical death, the moment when the soul and spirit of a person leave the physical body;
- Spiritual death, the separation of humankind from God, the consequence of the fall into sin;
- The second death, the final separation from God, will strike all those who, not having followed Christ, will not have access to the new creation.
And to conclude, the lead Apostle talked about the: The keys to physical death, The keys to spiritual death and The keys to eternal death…
Apostle Udoh and District Evangelist assisted during the divine service.