THE DEPARTED GLORY- Apostle Peterson Onoja Abu

This is a broadcast by Pastor Peterson O. Abu from Renewal Life Christian Fellowship. He discusses the concept of the "departed glory" and how it relates to the church and believers. He emphasizes the importance of having Jesus in the church and in the lives of believers, and warns against the consequences of departing from the ways of God. He also mentions the story of Eli and his sons as an example of the departure of God's glory. The pastor urges listeners to seek God and His word passionately, as this is the key to experiencing His glory. Welcome to the Renewal Life Christian Fellowship Broadcast with Pastor Peterson O. Abu, an apostolic and teaching ministry where believers are discipled and developed to be established in the fullness of the stature of Christ. For inquiries or counsel, please contact us via these numbers, plus 234-802-671-9577 or plus 234-081-024-21675 or plus 234-807-599-6218 or email us via renewalchristoutreach at gmail.com. You can also follow us on Facebook and YouTube. May you encounter God as you listen to this life-changing word. Praise the Lord. Let us go to the Lord in prayers. Our gracious Father, we thank you because we know that this time has come for you to release precious revival unto us. Upon your church, upon your people, upon that believer that is listening to me right now. Upon the people listening to me. Lord, we ask that you release a fresh revival. Something that will take us back to the place we once met you, the place we first met you, the place of encounter. We pray, O God, that through this word, this moment, this teaching, you will bring us back to you. Release upon us your Spirit and help us to grow into your likeness. In Jesus' mighty name, I pray. Once again, I will be discussing with you for the short time I have, a very important message that I believe the Lord wants us to talk about. So as to bring us back to our position in Christ. Many things are happening and the Lord of hosts have been locked outside the church. If you go to the book of Revelation chapter 3, verse 19, the Bible reveals to us about how Jesus was knocking at the church. The owner of the church was locked outside the church. And because Jesus was locked outside the church, many things began to happen. Most times we use that verse of the scripture to explain salvation. But you must understand that Jesus was not dealing with sinners. He was actually dealing with a backslidden church. He was speaking about a church that has departed from the way of truth. A church that has departed from the things and the ways of the Spirit. And when the Bible says that Jesus said, Behold, I stand at the door of your house. The door, knocking. It was not a door unto sinners. It was not a sinner's door. It was a church door. It was a spiritual door that brings Jesus into access to the people of that church. So in Revelation chapter 3, verse 19, Be as many as I love, I rebuke and chastise. Be zealous, therefore, and repent. Verse 20, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and I will shop with him and eat with me. Now who was Jesus speaking to? Was He speaking to sinners? The people that never knows about Him. No. Who was Jesus speaking to? Was He speaking to the idol worshipper? No. Jesus was actually speaking to the people that claimed they know Him. The people that have departed from the way of the truth. The people that have departed from His righteousness. And Jesus gave them a message. They say your departure is so tough enough that you have locked the owner of the church outside the church. So Jesus said, Behold, I knock at the door. Let me come back inside the church. When Jesus is not in the church, when Jesus is not in the life of a believer, many abominable things begin to take place. Remember what happened in the book of Matthew chapter 23. When Jesus came to the temple, behold, the temple of the Lord that is supposed to be a house of prayer became a place of merchandise. And you saw what Jesus was doing. He whipped many of them and He drove the pharisees and the traitors out of the temple. A place consecrated to be a transaction between God and man became a transaction between man and man. Man began to reap from man and the place became a place of merchandise. You will discover that anywhere Jesus Christ is not found, there will be many abominable things. And one of the abominable things is that men shall begin to turn stone to bread. Men shall begin to feed from others. A church, a fellowship, a ministry, where there is a departed God, where Jesus is no longer, or where the glory has departed, that place will become a place of merchandise. And this is why I will be sharing with you what I titled as the departed glory. The departed glory. In 4 Samuel chapter 3, 4 Samuel chapter 3, I read verse 1 to verse 2. The Bible says, And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days, and there was no open vision. The word of the Lord was so precious that there was no open vision. In verse 2, And it came to pass at that time when Eli was laid down in his place, his eyes began to watch them that he could not see. Eli was a watchman, but his eyes began to watch them that he could not see. He could not just see physically, he could not also see spiritually. The man that God chose and placed to be a priest over the people has lost his office. Although physically he was still occupying positions, but spiritually he has lost his office. But you must understand that the case of Eli was a case of the children who departed from the Lord. And the Father could not bring them to order. And you see that God judged Eli for that. Now before we talk about the departed glory, it is very good we understand the situation that led to the departure of the glory of God. The Bible was talking about Eli and the sons of Eli who happened to be, they became the sons of Belial. From the sons of Eli who happened to be a man of God, they became the sons of Belial, the children of the devil. Because they began to pervert holy things. They began to desecrate holy things. And they began to use holy things for immoral purposes. And God saw that although he communicated to Eli that the children were doing things that were not right in his sight. But Eli was so scared enough probably that he could not communicate the mind of God to his children. Before we talk about the departed glory, you must understand that a departure of the glory of God most at times happens when the watchman becomes scared of the people. When the man that God has placed to foretell, to instruct, to correct and to chastise the sheep, the people of God, is not being overtaken by the desires and the emotions of the people. When the man of God can no longer speak the mind of God to the people because of those that would be offended, then such a man would be rejected of the Lord. In 1 Samuel 3 verse 21, And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel. Remember that in verse 1 and 2, there was no open vision. But there was a man that was passionate after the act of God. There was a man that longed after God. A man whose desire was after the Lord. And the Lord decided to make himself, revealed himself to Samuel. There was no open vision to the people. But unto a man whose heart was desperately seeking for the Lord, there was what? An open revelation. So the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord. Understand that in verse 1, the Bible says that the word of the Lord was so precious. Meaning that the word of the Lord was scarce. The word, the messages from God were scarce. And the Bible says that the reason is because there was no open vision. Where there is no vision, the people perish. Where there is no vision, there will not be direction. But there was a man, a young man, a young prophet who was passionate after the Lord. Despite he was living with a rejected man. Many a times we give our excuses that we commit sin because we were in the midst of sinners. Some say that they deviated because they were in the midst of people that have deviated. But there was a boy whose heart was not affected because of the corruption of the system. The Bible says that we should guide our heart with all diligence from out of it proceeds the issues of life. Samuel, a man that God raised. Samuel, a man that longed after God. His mentor deviated but as a mentee he stood on the word of God. His father in the Lord deviated but as a son he stood in the word of the Lord. He stood and he took value of God's word so God appeared to him. The Bible reveals to us that the same word that was cast in Israel was Samuel had access to the same word. So the Lord revealed himself to him through the same word of God that was cast in those days. We are talking about the departed glory. I just try to give you a background understanding of what led to the departure of the glory. The glory never departed at that point it was mentioned. The glory departed at the point where instruction of God was neglected. That point where an ally took for granted the instructions and the commandment of the Lord. In Moses days God gave an instruction that whosoever would go into fornication or adultery should be killed. And the priests were the custodians of the law. In fact priests they were the custodians of the law. And every pastor who has knowledge of God's word will face severe judgment if you fail to teach the truth. So God began his judgment from his house by rejecting Eli and his sons. Now let us go to chapter 4. First Samuel chapter 4 I read from verse 21 to verse 22. First Samuel chapter 4 verse 21 to verse 22. The Bible says in verse 21. And she named the child Ichabod saying the glory is departed from Israel because the act of God was taken and because of the father-in-law Ahozman. And she said the glory is departed from Israel for the act of God is taken. Here was a woman who was at the point of giving birth. Look at the name she gave to his son. He said now I know that God is not with us. The death of my father-in-law, the death of my Ahozman and the taking away of the act is already a sign to us that the Lord is not with us. He said for the glory has departed. The glory that brings preservation and protection has departed. The glory that makes the people of Israel untouchable has departed. It was a troubling crying. It was a troubling proclamation. It was a troubling moment. The woman had no other choice to describe the situation of Israel than to say the glory has departed. As we look into our lives and check our lives, can we not say that truly the glory has departed? When the glory of God has departed, there won't be divine security and protection. The glory of God is the security, is our security and protection. Psalm 91 verse 1, the Bible says, He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High God shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. And the Bible says in verse 5, A thousand shall fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand side, but it shall not come near you. It shall not come near you because you are abided in the glory. But the moment a man leaves the glory, he becomes exposed to demonic attack. As we check our lives, we discover that most of us, many pastors, many Christians, Christian sisters and brothers in the church, they have departed from the glory of God. Not that just the glory has departed, they have walked away from the glory of God. To many churches, the glory has departed from them. Ichabod is a state of spiritual dryness and spiritual deadness. Ichabod is that place or that stage of life where you don't longer feel the presence of God. You become a stranger to God's presence and you feel complacent about it. You feel okay about it. You feel satisfied about it. Eli knew that the glory had departed, he knew. But he thought that spiritual activities could replace spiritual connectivity with the Spirit of God. This means that you can be active in the church and yet not active with God. You can be a worker in your church and yet not working with God. And most of us, we work for the Lord and not working with the Lord. And this is the situation of things. We have departed from the glory of God. And the Shekinah has departed from us. So the woman said that the sheikh should be called Ichabod for the glory has departed. The glory has departed. The glory of divine security has departed. The glory of divine provision has departed. The glory of divine connection has departed. So the things we do in our churches today, we try to arrange a form of godliness. So we manipulate the people to give. We manipulate the people to serve the Lord. We force and persuade them to serve the Lord. The glory has departed to the point whereby even the messages are now centering on money. So we are now money conscious. Yes, money conscious, money mongers. Because the glory has departed. When you study about the glory of God, the Shekinah of God, every time the Shekinah comes down, if you read your Bible very well, in the book of Kings, when the glory of the Lord descended upon the temple, the Bible revealed to us that the priests were not able to minister. The priests and the Levites, they were not able to minister because of the glory of God. What is the meaning of that? How can we interpret that in the New Testament? Every time the glory of God comes down, the pastor cannot teach what he likes or what he loves. He begins to teach from the mind of God. So when the glory of God comes down, God takes over the pulpit. It is not what the people want to give. It is God speaking to His people. But whenever the glory departs, that is when activities take place. In fact, the glory of the Lord will bring a, let me say, a momentary suspension of human activities. When God is working, men don't work. No, men don't work. So if the Shekinah is around, if the glory of the Lord is resting upon the life, we will begin to see the finger of God in that life. So the finger of God is an identity, a factor that God is working. The Shekinah is there. The glory of God is there. The ark was taken away. The priest was killed. And then the chief priest died out of shock. This is what the presence of the Lord can do. Where there is no glory, there is death. Where the glory of the Lord has departed, there will be death. Not just physical death. There will be spiritual death. Let me ask you this question, my beloved. Are you not a victim of departed glory? Are you not spiritually dead? Have you not lost consciousness and touch with the Spirit of God? Have you not lost contact with God? Although you try to make up things, but even in the realm of the Spirit, they are celebrating your spiritual betrayal. The enemies are celebrating your spiritual betrayal. They know that you are missing. You are no longer existing. And now you are beginning to make choice by the loss of the eyes. When the glory has departed, men will begin to choose based on the loss of the eyes. The Bible says, work not by sight, but work by faith. But this can only be applicable to a man that dwells in the glory of God. Are you not observing that people are beginning to say that, to go and be asking God, should I take this decision? Should I take this direction? Should I do this and that? Many people are beginning to say that it looks so bothersome. Sometimes God does not respond immediately. Sometimes it takes God more time before He responds. And in the silence of God, many of us have been taking decisions. In the silence of God, you know that God is silent. But because there is a departed glory, you still went ahead to take decisions. And this is why our life is full of pain, regret, and fear. Departed glory. One of the examples we can use to explain a departed glory is the life of King Saul. When he was appointed of God, the Bible revealed to us that the Spirit of the Lord came to rest upon Saul. And the Bible said that Saul became another man. He became another man. He became a new man. The glory descended on him and Saul became a new man. He became a man that God could use. He became a man that God could entrust. He became a man that God can transact, can do business with. But look at what happened. The moment he disobeyed God and the glory departed. If you observe from that very moment, Saul began to do things without the instructions of the Lord. Saul began to do things without God's instructions. He began to go to places without hearing from God. He began to do things. He began to take decisions. He began to use strategies that were never inspired by God. Because the glory has departed. Saul is a perfect example of describing the effect of departed glory. He became a man who became an appetizer for demons. So, the demon spirit came to possess him. And he became mad. Because why? The glory has departed. When the glory departs, your body will become a temple for demons. The spirit of masturbation, the spirit of fornication, the spirit of immorality, the spirit that will reside in you. A departed glory house is full of immorality. Are you not observing how demons are beginning to take function of your thoughts? Your thought life is not under your control. You know. You know you can't control what you think again. You begin to think immorally, uncontrollably. You are beginning to think about the things you ate. And you begin to detest the things you love. Yes, the glory has departed. The departed glory brings a decaying moment. Where the glory of God is not, the people will start dying. Yes, it is the glory of God that brings life and preservation. In the glory of God, our lives are preserved. There is no death in the presence of God. There is no death in the presence of God. Death is not part of the characteristics of God. So anywhere God is found, we find life. But if you are experiencing spiritual death, it is every itinerancy that the glory has departed. Let me ask you this question. Both those online listening to me. Let me ask you this question. The life you have been living and everywhere you have been going and decisions you have been making, were they inspired by God? Did you hear from God? Yes, I am asking you this question. Did you hear from God? There were many times that God tried to interrupt your programs because He loves you. But you look for other means to execute your programs. And God is not with you. Yes, and God is not with you. Remember the story of Joseph. He was in the prison. But there is something that really matters. It is not the prison we are talking about. A man being in prison is not the end of life. But if we are looking for, what should we look for? That a man is in prison does not mean that God is not with that man. If you read your Bible very well, the Bible says although Joseph was in the prison, the Bible says and God was with him. Even in prison and God was with him. So you might be sick in your body. If God is not with you, it means the glory has departed. You can be in prison and God may not be with you. So Joseph was in the prison and God was with him. Let me ask you this question. Young girl, young boy. The problem you are going through, the personal challenges you are going through, is God still with you? Are you still connected with God? Because it is only when God is with a man doing actually that a man can boldly say that I know my tomorrow is bright. I know there is a blessed hope awaiting me tomorrow. It is not everyone that goes through challenges that eventually comes out. Because most of the time we deceive ourselves and when we are going through challenges we say oh I know everything will be okay. No, the question I want to ask you is God with you? When the glory of God has departed, the protection, the provision and the power of God will not be in that life. Will not be in that life. That country you are about to travel to, is it inspired by God? Is it the will of God? That man you want to get married to, is God speaking to you? Is it the plan and the purpose of God? Or you are doing things because you think it is right? There are ways that are symmetrical to a man but will lead such a man outside the glory of God. Ichabod. The days of Ichabodism. Departed glory. Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. We have ignored the fact of scripture. We are beginning to use philosophy to convince the people to do things that only spiritual men can do. Are you not observing that ministers are beginning to use philosophy? Eh? To convince men to do what only spiritual men can do. So we are in the days that we don't care to know if the minister, if the chorister, if the usher, if they are spiritual or not. All that matters to us is allow them to just do the work of the Lord. Allow them to sing, allow them to pray, allow them to preach. We have left the pattern. We have left the pattern. The days of departed glory is the days of darkness. Darkness. Darkness. Days of religion. Religion without righteousness. Religion without light. Religion without peace. Hypocrisy and pretentiousness. Immorality in life and attitude and character and in the secret place. Our lives are full of the attacks of the devil. Are you not a victim of demonic attacks? Are you not under a curse? That you must understand this. That the moment the glory of God departed, even the act that was a physical representative of God's presence was taken away. Imagine idolatry. Taking your pictures of idol worshippers. Taking your picture to their temple and they still manipulate over you. It is the same thing like the people of Israel. When the glory departs, your picture becomes nothing. Yes, the glory of the Lord departed and then the act of the Lord was taken to the shrine. A departed glory cannot bring divine protection. So this is why, if the glory of God has departed from your life, even if they call your name in your courted kingdom, you will respond. If the glory has departed, if they call your name under the river, under the sea, you will respond. Because if the glory has departed, you become exposed. But the Lord is speaking to you at this time, that it is high time you trace yourself back to the Lord. You trace the way, the only way back to God. And the only way is Jesus. It is for you to come to Jesus and say, Lord restore back to me all that I have lost. Haven't you lost your spiritual eyes? The Bible says that in the days of departed glory, that there was no open vision. In the days of departed glory, there was no open vision. A man that was supposed to be a watchman, became spiritually blind. Because of his association. You might say, but that was his son. They were just his sons. That was his association. Because many have lost the glory of God because of association. We say, well if you want to be relevant, you have to be associating with them. Relevancy is not based on what people are saying about you. Spiritual relevance actually deals with your alignment with God. So, since ever you became close to some set of people, that began to talk to you about things contrary to Scripture. You are beginning to become a carpenter. The glory has departed. So the spiritual sight seen has stopped. There is no open vision. There is no revelation. The way the Lord was speaking to you, nothing like that. You are dying gradually. You know you are dying. You know. Since ever that man came into your life, all in the name of marriage. You know you have lost your spiritual eye. You can't see again. You can't see again. The things you have communicated, those encounters that ascertain your calling into business. That ascertain your calling into ministry. That ascertain your calling into that career, into that choice of career. Everything has died down. Because somebody came into your life. Because you started mingling with people. It came about for the glory has departed. Where the glory of the Lord is not, there won't be fear of God. There won't be fear of God. The Bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning. It is not the end. It is not actually the death. But it is just the beginning of wisdom. And where there is no fear of God, wisdom cannot be profitable to direct. I see a lot of people saying that wisdom is profitable to direct. That is sweet sugar. But the question I want to ask you is you that is quoting that verse of the Bible. Do you have the fear of God? Because a man that has the fear of God, to such a man, wisdom is profitable to direct. Because the wisdom that comes to him is pure. It is wisdom that will draw him closer to the Lord and unto obedience to God. Not a man that has departed or the glory of God has departed from. Because when a man is experiencing departed glory, he will begin to do things that seems right in his own eyes. He will not be submissive to authority again. He will not be submissive to leadership authority. He or she will not be submissive to divine and scriptural instruction. In Proverbs chapter 14 verse 14. Proverbs chapter 14 verse 14. The Bible says, The backslider in acts shall be filled with his own ways, and a good man shall be satisfied for himself. The condition of a man that has lost touch with God shall be full of his own ways. Business shall be full of his own ways. He never consults God about what business to go into again. Marriage shall be full of his own ways. He will begin to walk by sight. Let me tell you the truth. Everything you choose in backsliding state, you will regret the moment you get in contact with God. Because if God will continue with you, God will want to reposition everything. But when a man has eventually get married to a man, sorry, a woman has eventually get married to a man, or a man has eventually gotten married to a woman, that is not the will of God. God cannot break that marriage, but God will walk with that person in limited space. Meaning that the things that God would have used him to achieve will be limited. Because God cannot go against his will by breaking that marriage, but perpetually you will keep regretting. The backslider in acts shall be full of his own ways, filled with his own ways. Not the ways of God, his own ways. When it comes to ministry, you will begin to go into ministry, do things in ministry, based on how it seems, based on how it feels, based on his own ways. The word of the Lord is coming to you. Your present condition now, who spoke to you about it? Was it God? Your present location, who spoke to you about it? Has God spoken? Yes, has God spoken? Your present state, was it by the communication of God that you are where you are? What step are you about to take? That you know you cannot boldly say God has spoken. You are doing all things because there is a pressure. Somebody is pressurizing you. Somebody is pressurizing you. And you are doing everything just to please them. Just to please. When the glory of God has departed, a man will not be free from mistakes. Terrible mistakes will enclose the life of that man or that woman. Eli lost his office because of his sons. Because he became scared to rebuke sin. He became scared to rebuke the sins of his children. I am asking you this question. Haven't you lost contact with God? Haven't you lost a cantor or contact of the glory of the Lord? Are you not sure you have departed from the glory of God? And as well, the glory departed from you? Are you not sure you are just an ordinary man? Can you remember what happened to Samson? The glory of the Lord was attached to the heir, the heir of Samson. That was the best way God can interpret His glory to Samson. But as long as the heir is on your head, you have my presence over you. But the moment that Samson began to walk in his own ways, and the glory departed, God discovered that one of the first things that Samson lost was his eyes. Samson lost his sight. Son of man, my beloved, when last did you hear from God? When last? Yes, they said, and the decisions you are making, are you sure that you are inspired of God? When last did you hear from God? Hasn't the glory of God departed? Of course the glory has departed. Eek abode is in. But the Lord is calling you now and says, come unto me. There is a calling from the Lord. Jesus is the glory of God. Jesus is the glory of God. Accept Him. Go back to the Lord in repentance. Ask for the presence of the Lord to come upon you again. I know you have gone far. You have touched unclean things. You have played with the things that God forbid. You have gone too far in taking decisions never inspired of the Lord. But this is the best time for you to return back to the Lord. Return back to the Lord before it becomes too late. Return back to the Lord before everything becomes scattered and shattered. You know that you can't tell where you are going to. You are confused in life. Confused. Because God has never been the one directing you. In the leading of the Lord, there is no confusion. One of the ways you will know that God is not with you is when you are not confused. Because God is not the author of confusion. So, in the place of confusion, don't do anything. Go and seek the voice of God. If not, you will continue walking without the glory of God. A man that can boldly say, I know my tomorrow, is a man that is aligned with God. At every stage of his life, God leads him into it. That is the man or woman that can say, I know my tomorrow is bright. So, I want to ask you this question. How is your relationship with God? Haven't you lost contact in the place of prayer? There is no prayer life again. There is no time given for the scripture. You are so occupied with the activities of this world. But the Lord is speaking to somebody right now. Both those online listening to me, the Lord is speaking to you over there. That this is the right time for you to return back to the Lord. This is the best time for you to return back to the Lord. This is the right time for you to return back to the Lord. Are you ready to pray? Are you ready to surrender? Are you ready to surrender everything and come to the Lord afresh? And say, Lord, restore back to me the Holy Spirit. It was something that David could not do without. He said, restore unto me the joy. He said, there is a joy that I have lost. That came upon me by raising of the Spirit of God. It is, take not the Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of salvation. It is the glory of the Lord that brings the joy of salvation. If not, you will think that it is sex that brings the joy of salvation. When the glory has departed, we will feel more comfortable to spend more time with people and no time with God. So we have people that are always busy all throughout the day. Busy, busy, no time with God. He covered us. He covered us and set in. Shall we go to the Lord in prayers as we begin to talk to the Lord? Begin to ask God and say, Lord, you have spoken to me. You have spoken to me. Lord, I am ready to surrender. This world is for me. This world is for me. Open your mouth and begin to pray. Make sure you are praying. Make sure you are praying. Make sure you are praying. Lord, rebuke me again. Rebuke me again.