THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WHITE GARMENT

FIRST BIBLE LESSON: REVELATION Chapter 3 verses 4 and 5

Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and
they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the s
ame shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of t
he book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his an
gels.
SECOND BIBLE LESSON: REVELATION Chapter 7 verses 13 and 14
And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed
in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. A
nd he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have w
ashed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
GOLDEN TEXT: REVELATION Chapter 19 verse 8
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white
: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
THE CLOTH OF SALVATION:
Brethren, the above texts form the summary of our gospel. Many of you in this ki
ngdom put on the white garment purely for the sake of covering your bodies, just
like ordinary clothes worn by people without the slightest knowledge of its sig
nificance. Many people equally put on the white garment of various designs witho
ut knowing the significance of the color itself. The significance of the white g
arment is an identification mark for the children of God. It serves as an identi
ty for those who practice the gospel. These are those who carry the cross after
Him, and those who have conquered. Whoever fails to carry the cross, and to endu
re, is not worthy to put on the white garment. If you fail to emulate the enduri
ng attitude of Our Lord Jesus Christ then it means you have despised His injunct
ion. He told His disciples to put on the amour of God in order to be able to fig
ht against the evil one. There is no other garment, neither in heaven or on eart
h that can be compared with the white we are clad with. Its significance could b
e likened to a medal given to a soldier, who has been able to fight and conquer.
It means such a person has fought and conquered evil and he has also endured to
the end. It means such a person has graduated into righteousness. These are the
ones who have successfully moved from cross to Star which is a crown, a symbol
of triumph.
A GARMENT OF VICTORY:
The white apparel is the wedding gown and the royal garment. Many persons who co
me into Brotherhood of the Cross and Star newly have often been misdirected into
putting on the white garment when they have not divorced themselves from any ev
il and have not even baptized. Such is an abuse of privilege because for any per
son to be worthy to be arrayed in white, such a person must have fought and conq
uered.
This explains why evildoers also put on the white garment. The white garment is
a priceless medal awarded to the worthy children of God who have washed themselv
es in the blood of the lamb and have endured and conquered. They are those who h
ave endured great tribulation, and they have nothing at all to do with sin. The
situation can be compared to gallant soldiers who have undergone a series of rig
orous training and have been finally tested in fierce battles to be worthy of pr
omotion. Therefore, the white garment is a mark of deliverance to the children o
f God.
A certain brother in Kano went out at night without his white soutane, and he wa
s arrested and detained by the police officers for working at an odd hour. When
He explained to the police officers, he was a member of Brotherhood of the Cross
and Star, they did not believe because, according to the police officers Brothe
rhood members are identified by the white garment, the white in which they alway
s appear. That is why I repeatedly say, the majority of you, (members), do not k
now yourselves. A time is coming when people will even beg to be allowed to put
on the white garment, but would not be given such a privilege.
RIGHTEOUSNESS IS OUR GOAL:
It is said, who overcomes shall be given the white raiment. How then do you expe
ct to put on the white garment when you have not overcome? You are still indulgi
ng in the sins of stealing, fornication, adultery, murder, etc. Even the governm
ent has so studied the mode of dressing of Brotherhood, and has drawn the conclu
sion, the white garment of the members of this fold is non-comparable because of
its immaculate nature.
Every activity and doctrine in Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, point to one d
irection and that is righteousness. If you continue to eat meat and fish and to
indulge in any vice, it will be reflected in your white garment with stains and
spots. Whatever evil you indulge in will be shown on your white garment. Unfortu
nately, people have taken undue advantage of the white garment. When they are on
their evil expeditions, they put on the white garment in order to be able to ca
rry out their dubious activities without being detected as agents. Such people c
annot go scot-free because the long arm of the Lord shall not fail to catch up w
ith them.
The white raiment is the identification sign you seek after. Many people, even i
n this kingdom, have decorated themselves with badges and other forms of identif
ication, which cannot help them in any way. Even if you should decorate yourself
with the 'O O O' all over your body, it has nothing to do with what is written
about in this text:
Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and
they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. (Revelation Chapter 3 ver
se 4).
The only attire that is clean, immaculate, most conspicuous and greatest in glor
y is the white garment. It is the only garment which the real children of God sh
ould be arrayed in. This explains why it is not meant for sinners. If you cannot
endure the pain of life in patience, if you cannot tolerate hatred, persecution
then you are not worthy to put on the white garment, because it means you have
not yet conquered. For those who are stubborn, and those who have unforgiving sp
irits are not worthy to dress in white. This is why the white is meant only foe
those who truly practice the word of God.
As the Red Garment is the word of God, and the Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, s
o is the white garment also righteousness and truth. Therefore whoever is qualif
ied to put on the white garment is a true witness of TRUTH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. Si
nce the white garment is the identification sign of the true children of God, wh
oever does evil, while arrayed in the white garment has betrayed himself or hers
elf, and he or she has fallen short of the marked status bestowed on him or her
as a child of God. The significance of the transparent nature of the white garme
nt is to spot out your evil and have you x-rayed. If you put on the white garmen
t and you fail to live up to the expectations of a child of God, then you are a
fake and you are also a dupe. If you fail to give alms to the destitute, if you
fail to love your enemies, and if you also fail to refrain from every form of vi
ce, it means you are not worthy. Once you have been found worthy to wear the whi
te garment, you should remain steadfast. This explains why it is said that:
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those d
ays, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their
hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they
shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Kno
w the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. (Hebrews Chap
ter 8 verses 10 and 11).
If all were to endeavor to put on the white garment by now the whole world would
have been in peace and prosperity.
AN EMBODIMENT OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY:
You should recall an incident in which the Holy Spirit wrought miracles through
the hands of Paul. With handkerchiefs from his body, many sick people were heale
d instantly and the evil spirits driven from them. In an attempt to measure them
selves with Paul, certain vagabond Jews assembled people and proposed to those w
ith evil spirits to allow them, the vagabond Jews, to use the name of Christ to
heal them. But when they called the name of Jesus Christ and Paul to drive the e
vil spirits, instead of obeying their command the evil spirit rather challenged
them. So, the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but
who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame
them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and
wounded. (Acts Chapter 19 verses 15 and 16).
This is exactly what happens to anyone who puts on the white garment to cover up
his sinfulness. Such a person cannot link up with the Lord correctly and cannot
overcome evil because he himself is an evil person and he is without any sign o
f righteousness in him. Many people complain of their inability to heal the sick
even after prolonged prayers. They also complain, their own problems are not so
lved even when they persistently appear in white.
The reason is, their white garments are stained with sins. They live in sin and
they cannot drive away sin because they are of the same rank as the evil spirit,
which they tried to rebuke. Sometimes people put on their ties and shoes to mar
ch in readiness to heal the sick and pray. As they pray, the demon remains unper
turbed, unmoved, and unaffected by the prayers. In fact nothing happens to the e
vil spirits at all. People think, Satan does not know God and His true children.
Satan does know God and His true Children. In another instance a certain man wi
th evil spirits lived in the tombs and he was fond of troubling people in the ne
ighborhood. So when he saw Our Lord Jesus Christ, the devil in him cried out: Wh
at have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torm
ent us before the time? (Matthew Chapter 8 verse 29).
He (the devil) requested the Lord to expel the demon in him and send them into t
he swine. Therefore, if you are a true child of God who practices righteousness,
you will have no problem on your way, and there will be tranquility wherever yo
u go. Wherever you go to, all the elementary spirits will bow to you.
I tell you these things because you do not regard the white garment as a very im
portant spiritual armor. Some put it on to commit all forms of sin. That is as a
result of ignorance. You cannot put new wine in an old wine skin; neither can o
ne stitch a new garment with an old one. A new wine must be put in a new wine sk
in and a new cloth should patched with a new one for it to last. If you knew wer
e where you are, and what Brotherhood is; you would not engage in any sin neithe
r will you soil your hands in any sort of vice. The father has appeared physical
ly in various troubles.
You should endeavor right from today to abstain from evil so as to realize the i
mage, power and the glory of God in you. The only one arrayed in the garment dip
ped in blood is the Father, and those who follow Him are arrayed in white, they
are His children who have conquered. Mere passing through a place, even without
singing, but in your white garment, you get all evil forces subdued. If you were
to realize where you are and the type of glory the Most High God has given to y
ou, then you would not have sought for the things of the world.
Many people are scared of you because of the spiritual power which accompanies y
ou. All the angels and spirits identify you easily by the white garment which yo
u put on. This is why the forces, which want to overcome you, will first of all
ask you to remove your white garment, before they will be able to deal with you
squarely. Many members keep on clamoring for the Holy oil and other ephemeral th
ings instead of thinking of the white garment. A king is easily identified throu
gh his kingship regalia; a soldier is known when he is dressed in his uniform, a
nd in the same manner a police officer is identified with his police uniform. Th
erefore your white garment identifies you as a child of God. It is an embodiment
of peace, love, emancipation, goodwill, prosperity, and salvation. We have to g
lorify God for giving us the privilege to wear this royal garment. Read the Firs
t Bible Lesson again:
FIRST BIBLE LESSON: REVELATION Chapter 3 verses 4 and 5
Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and
they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the s
ame shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of t
he book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his an
gels.
A SYMBOL OF THE FATHER:
Three points are raised in the above passage. The first is, there are a few name
s in Sardis that have not defiled their garment; the second says, they shall
Walk with me in white for they are worthy; and the third says, he that overcomet
h the same shall be clothed in white raiment, whose name will not be blotted out
of the book of life; and therefore they shall be identified in the presence of
the Father and His angels. Those promises are not made for those who are not wor
thy and who have not overcome. The spirit that inhabits the white garment is tha
t of righteousness and power. Men and women who desire to commit fornication or
adultery run away from you, and so do other evil spirits. That is the thing, all
of you should be thankful to the Father for. And for the same reason, you shoul
d show gratitude to God and praise His name at all times. People would call you
all sorts of names ranging from Obu's angels and so on, because of their diverse
experiences in their spiritual encounters with you.
The incident between Pilate and Caesar is a clear example. When Caesar issued an
order for Pontius Pilate to be killed, the soldiers tried in vain to kill him.
It was only when one of the Soldiers informed Caesar, Pilate was clad in Christ'
s garment, which he acquired after the crucifixion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. He
further informed him, except Pilate was stripped of the garment, which he used a
s his inner garment, no one would be able to overpower him.
Therefore, for anyone to complain of the tribulation they have gone through in t
his kingdom is irrelevant. Without the suffering and the persecutions, you canno
t qualify to be arrayed in white according to the scripture. You would not have
had this kingdom on a platter of gold. The qualification for entry into the king
dom of God is not by wealth nor by pleasure, but through faith and righteousness
. Therefore it is a mark of triumph for you to appear in white. Until Brotherhoo
d of the Cross and Star started to put on this white garment, no other church de
nomination, nor any other organization had ever been arrayed in immaculate white
. It is the fulfillment of God's promise to His Children. Having been found wort
hy and having been given the white garment, instead of holding it in great, and
high esteem, you rather look down on it.
Everything in Brotherhood has its divine significance. The tribulation, we pass
through signifies the purification of our souls through His precious blood and m
akes us worthy to be arrayed in white. A few feeble minded ones in 1977, at the
heat of the antagonism and persecution by members of other denominations, and th
e public; removed their white garments and either burnt them or hid them in the
bottom of their boxes. Such ones could not be said to have conquered. It is you
indeed who have conquered this generation, and the other generations to come. Se
e the Second Bible Lesson below.
SECOND BIBLE LESSON: REVELATION Chapter 7 verses 13 and 14
And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed
in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. A
nd he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have w
ashed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD'S PROMISE:
It is because of the power in the white garment that the various church denomina
tions now where white garments too. But there is a difference between their whit
e garment and the one worn by Brotherhood of the Cross and Star members. It is a
manifestation of God's promise to His Children at this time. You did not work f
or it nor did you desire it. It has so pleased God to have His promise fulfilled
in you. Therefore you have to be proud of the white garment, for it is God's gr
ace upon man. It is therefore incumbent on you to keep it stainless.
One of Our Spiritual songs says:
"If I pass through the blood of the Lamb I am saved."
Another spiritual song says:
"No one should use the blood of the lamb to do mundane work.
Refrain from evil as you possess this garment of righteousness."
Yet another spiritual song says:
"Oh the blood of the Lamb, if I use the blood of the Lamb to make a foundation a
round, no power shall be able to damage my handiwork."
This explains why sometimes even if your house is burglarized, the thieves will
not make any attempt to touch your white garment. Read the Golden Text below.
GOLDEN TEXT: REVELATION Chapter 19 verse 8
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white
: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
THE GARMENT OF ALL VIRTUES:
You have no other work to do other than to exhibit love, patience, mercy, kindne
ss, truth and righteousness. Go ahead and teach others of the significance of th
e White Garment. This is why He warns us, no one should use His blood for carnal
ity. He made it clear also, no one can destroy the Lord's work. You have been wa
shed clean in the blood of the Lamb and you have been given to wear a garment wa
shed clean in His precious blood.
Any person who says, no member of Brotherhood of the Cross and Star has ever pas
sed through tribulation, is not sincere himself. This is why we are all saved, h
aving been washed in the blood of the Lamb. These things do not come by chance a
nd they should not surprise anybody. It is our destiny. This is why amongst the
lots of people, we are the best and privileged few. While the people of the worl
d find pleasure in drinking, smoking, and committing various vices, the members
of Brotherhood of the Cross and Star fear the Lord, and they also abhor every ev
il.
The world is filled with all sorts of evil and pestilence. This is why Brotherho
od has nothing to do with the world. The only place in which oneness, humility,
peace, love, mercy, and all other virtues exist, is here in Brotherhood of the C
ross and Star. These qualities are completely absent in the world. There is no c
hurch denomination where the members could engage in spiritual activities from d
awn to dusk without complaining of tiredness. It is only in Brotherhood of the C
ross and Star where one can find the real desire to serve God. It is also in Bro
therhood of the Cross and Star where any form of problem or sickness could be so
lved and healed. May God bless His Holy Words. Amen.
THANK YOU FATHER.