Pa OSHOFFA Biography And Why Celestial Members Don't Wear Shoes In White Garment
BIOGRAPHY
Samuel Bilewu Joseph OSHOFFA, Prophet Pastor and Founder of the Celestial Church of Christ were born in Dahomey current Benin on October 11th, 1909 at Porto-Novo the capital Benin Republic.
First of all, the family OJUKOSHOFA which thereafter was decreased in OSHOFFA c originating in Abeokuta in the
state of OGUN in Nigeria. The grandfather of SBJ OSHOFFA left his family house for IDASSA current DASSA in Benin.
The grandfather has three children of which Joseph OJUKOSHOFA the Dad of the Prophet. The large father fleeing the merchants of slaves hide his three children in a bush and him and his wife went to seek of the assistance. But the children were discovered by slave trader who caught them. The Dad of the prophet was thus sold to a merchant who settled later at Porto-Novo. The Dad of the prophet took several women, but each time a child was born, he would die at once.
The dad of the prophet met a young trader ALAKE IYAFO and their union allowed the birth of the prophet SAMUEL JOSEPH BILEWU OJUKOSHOFA. Before the birth of the prophet, his Dad is a Methodist Protestant made a wish with the Lord “if you give me a boy, I will put it at the service of God”. As its prayer was granted, it gave the name of Samuel to the child because it was requested from God, Bilewu (if you wish live in this world, remains, but I know that you were requested from God) because all the children which were born to him died at once. Dad SBJ OSHOFFA was thus entrusted to a Methodist catechist of the Name of Moses YANSUNNU father of Nathaniel YANSUNNU when it was approximately 07 years old. He was withdrawn later by his father because he did not appreciate the way in which his child was treated. It will be sent later at Methodist Pasteur David Hodonou LOKO. It is where he learned played musical instruments like the piano, the flute, the guitar and the trumpet.
Pasteur GANA who replaced Pasteur LOKO ordered to the trainees of the mission (including the prophet) of made bricks for the construction of the new college but they refused. Bishop GANA returned them of them from the mission. The Dad of the Prophet come back to the bishop to beg him to take again his son for the achievement of his wish, but the bishop refused to take it again. The dad in vain tried to place his child beside a churchman. He finally decided to teach him his work, because he was carpenter.
The job of carpenter was not profitable anymore and he decided to start the trade of the ebony wood which it found in the forest of Houngon which is close to the river of Godro. One day it was surprised by the eclipse of May 1947 and a voice which said in an audible way “LULI LULI LULI” followed by the meaning “Grace Grace Grace for all the inhabitants of the earth”. It was sent by the Lord Jesus-Christ in the forest which is near the Lake of Godro. It spent 90 days in the forest where he ate only honey and drank the water of Godro.
After he returns to Porto-Novo, he received an injunction of Lord Jesus-Christ to found a Church in which one will
adore that God in truth and justice. He will thus set up this large Holy Church come from the heaven on September 29th, 1947 at Porto-Novo. Very early, he left Porto-Novo for the valley of oueme and to the toffins because of troubles generated by the arrival of the CCC. For all this period, the Church grew and the number of faithful increased. Many miracles were done by its skew in the name of Jesus-Christ.
he left Benin in 1976 for Nigeria where he resided until his death on September 10th, 1985. It was buried on
October 19th, 1985 in IMEKO, Ogun State in Nigeria.
This large, humble and enigmatic spiritual guide of our time definitely did not die, because he lives forever and
appears to a lot of the celestial Christians. After his physical death, the Church entrusted to him by our Lord
Jesus-Christ was spread in the whole world which makes eternal our Dad. In this Church, which is the last boat
before the end of the world and where God is adored as the Holy angels do in the heaven, God operates many kinds of miracles. Bless is God of Dad SBJ OSHOFFA!
Main source: SBJ OSHOFFA THE ENIGMATIC NEGRO SPIRITUAL LEADER OF OUR TIME by Edith Oshoffa
WHY THEY DON'T WEAR SHOES IN WHITE GARMENT
Whenever you see a Celestial Church member on their way to church, or are in the vicinity of the church they go bare footed. Not many know why. Toady, you know the truth. You should also know that the Celestial Church of Christ is prophetic with Christian background. The faithfuls are called “Celestians”, and the church is sometime informally called “Cele”. The official name of the church was inspired in a vision by which Jesus said that church members should adore him as the angels do in heaven. According to a member of the church, Seyi Avoseh, the name of the church comes from the Bible: Deuteronomy 26:15 “Look down from thy Holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel and the land which thou hast given us, as thou didst swear to our father, a land flowing with milk and honey”. The name signifies that they deem themselves as celestials or a representative of the Heavenlies on Earth. The church claims inspiration from God through the manifestation of the Holy Spirit among the faithfuls. Its doctrinal teachings are based on the Bible, and any superstitous or animist beliefs from traditional African religions
The name signifies that they deem themselves as celestials or a representative of the Heavenlies on Earth. The church claims inspiration from God through the manifestation of the Holy Spirit among the faithfuls. Its doctrinal teachings are based on the Bible, and any superstitous or animist beliefs from traditional African religions is excluded, as in other churches in the Aladura movement. The church is governed by twelve major recommendations, consisting of several banned things, including food, common to other monotheistic religions.
Tobacco, Alcohol and eating Pork is forbidden. The faithfuls must remove their shoes for prayer and in the places of worship. Men and women are separated at the church. Menstruating women and those who have recently given birth are unclean and cannot attend church events for 7 days in the first case after which they would be “sanctified”. Members of Celestial Church of Christ are forbidden to engage or participate in any form of idolatory, fetish ceremony or cults, black magic and charms. Only men who are “anointed” are allowed access to the altar.
We are starting with an issue that needs attention. It’s about a particular practice in Celestial Church of Christ. This practice makes a Celestial distinct from any other white garment church. That is going barefooted while in garment. I have heard a well known regular radio minister mocking us because of this. Almost every non Celestial Church member do so too. Has anyone ever challenged you saying:
Why don’t you guys wear footwear? Must you subject yourselves to unnecessary pain and discomfort for you to make heaven? Are you trying to be crazy for Christ? etc
Some will ignorantly ask, is it because the foot-size of your founder wasn’t available in the market?
What should be the answer to these questions? What comes to your mind?
Do you remember Moses? God asked him to loosen his sandals for where he was standing was a holy place (Exodus 3:5). Also do you remember Joshua? The Lord instructed him to do the same.
However, this answers can be challenged. Why? Because the Bible is not for Celestial Church of Christ members alone. Hence it will be inappropriate to say that we are simply emulating Moses and Joshua. Also, Joshua and Moses still put on their footwear after they left the holy place upon which they were standing. Hence, the answer does not show that we are led by God to do so.
It is better to say, that Celestial Church is divinely designed, hence all our practices are ordained by God including not wearing footwear while in garment and in the Church premises. One can now support this answer with the fact that God has instructed Moses and Joshua to do so in time past. And now he has instructed us to do the same, hence it is strictly God’s injunction to Celestials in particular and we therefore obey in faith.
First of all, the family OJUKOSHOFA which thereafter was decreased in OSHOFFA c originating in Abeokuta in the
state of OGUN in Nigeria. The grandfather of SBJ OSHOFFA left his family house for IDASSA current DASSA in Benin.
The grandfather has three children of which Joseph OJUKOSHOFA the Dad of the Prophet. The large father fleeing the merchants of slaves hide his three children in a bush and him and his wife went to seek of the assistance. But the children were discovered by slave trader who caught them. The Dad of the prophet was thus sold to a merchant who settled later at Porto-Novo. The Dad of the prophet took several women, but each time a child was born, he would die at once.
The dad of the prophet met a young trader ALAKE IYAFO and their union allowed the birth of the prophet SAMUEL JOSEPH BILEWU OJUKOSHOFA. Before the birth of the prophet, his Dad is a Methodist Protestant made a wish with the Lord “if you give me a boy, I will put it at the service of God”. As its prayer was granted, it gave the name of Samuel to the child because it was requested from God, Bilewu (if you wish live in this world, remains, but I know that you were requested from God) because all the children which were born to him died at once. Dad SBJ OSHOFFA was thus entrusted to a Methodist catechist of the Name of Moses YANSUNNU father of Nathaniel YANSUNNU when it was approximately 07 years old. He was withdrawn later by his father because he did not appreciate the way in which his child was treated. It will be sent later at Methodist Pasteur David Hodonou LOKO. It is where he learned played musical instruments like the piano, the flute, the guitar and the trumpet.
Pasteur GANA who replaced Pasteur LOKO ordered to the trainees of the mission (including the prophet) of made bricks for the construction of the new college but they refused. Bishop GANA returned them of them from the mission. The Dad of the Prophet come back to the bishop to beg him to take again his son for the achievement of his wish, but the bishop refused to take it again. The dad in vain tried to place his child beside a churchman. He finally decided to teach him his work, because he was carpenter.
The job of carpenter was not profitable anymore and he decided to start the trade of the ebony wood which it found in the forest of Houngon which is close to the river of Godro. One day it was surprised by the eclipse of May 1947 and a voice which said in an audible way “LULI LULI LULI” followed by the meaning “Grace Grace Grace for all the inhabitants of the earth”. It was sent by the Lord Jesus-Christ in the forest which is near the Lake of Godro. It spent 90 days in the forest where he ate only honey and drank the water of Godro.
After he returns to Porto-Novo, he received an injunction of Lord Jesus-Christ to found a Church in which one will
adore that God in truth and justice. He will thus set up this large Holy Church come from the heaven on September 29th, 1947 at Porto-Novo. Very early, he left Porto-Novo for the valley of oueme and to the toffins because of troubles generated by the arrival of the CCC. For all this period, the Church grew and the number of faithful increased. Many miracles were done by its skew in the name of Jesus-Christ.
he left Benin in 1976 for Nigeria where he resided until his death on September 10th, 1985. It was buried on
October 19th, 1985 in IMEKO, Ogun State in Nigeria.
This large, humble and enigmatic spiritual guide of our time definitely did not die, because he lives forever and
appears to a lot of the celestial Christians. After his physical death, the Church entrusted to him by our Lord
Jesus-Christ was spread in the whole world which makes eternal our Dad. In this Church, which is the last boat
before the end of the world and where God is adored as the Holy angels do in the heaven, God operates many kinds of miracles. Bless is God of Dad SBJ OSHOFFA!
Main source: SBJ OSHOFFA THE ENIGMATIC NEGRO SPIRITUAL LEADER OF OUR TIME by Edith Oshoffa
WHY THEY DON'T WEAR SHOES IN WHITE GARMENT
Whenever you see a Celestial Church member on their way to church, or are in the vicinity of the church they go bare footed. Not many know why. Toady, you know the truth. You should also know that the Celestial Church of Christ is prophetic with Christian background. The faithfuls are called “Celestians”, and the church is sometime informally called “Cele”. The official name of the church was inspired in a vision by which Jesus said that church members should adore him as the angels do in heaven. According to a member of the church, Seyi Avoseh, the name of the church comes from the Bible: Deuteronomy 26:15 “Look down from thy Holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel and the land which thou hast given us, as thou didst swear to our father, a land flowing with milk and honey”. The name signifies that they deem themselves as celestials or a representative of the Heavenlies on Earth. The church claims inspiration from God through the manifestation of the Holy Spirit among the faithfuls. Its doctrinal teachings are based on the Bible, and any superstitous or animist beliefs from traditional African religions
The name signifies that they deem themselves as celestials or a representative of the Heavenlies on Earth. The church claims inspiration from God through the manifestation of the Holy Spirit among the faithfuls. Its doctrinal teachings are based on the Bible, and any superstitous or animist beliefs from traditional African religions is excluded, as in other churches in the Aladura movement. The church is governed by twelve major recommendations, consisting of several banned things, including food, common to other monotheistic religions.
Tobacco, Alcohol and eating Pork is forbidden. The faithfuls must remove their shoes for prayer and in the places of worship. Men and women are separated at the church. Menstruating women and those who have recently given birth are unclean and cannot attend church events for 7 days in the first case after which they would be “sanctified”. Members of Celestial Church of Christ are forbidden to engage or participate in any form of idolatory, fetish ceremony or cults, black magic and charms. Only men who are “anointed” are allowed access to the altar.
We are starting with an issue that needs attention. It’s about a particular practice in Celestial Church of Christ. This practice makes a Celestial distinct from any other white garment church. That is going barefooted while in garment. I have heard a well known regular radio minister mocking us because of this. Almost every non Celestial Church member do so too. Has anyone ever challenged you saying:
Why don’t you guys wear footwear? Must you subject yourselves to unnecessary pain and discomfort for you to make heaven? Are you trying to be crazy for Christ? etc
Some will ignorantly ask, is it because the foot-size of your founder wasn’t available in the market?
What should be the answer to these questions? What comes to your mind?
Do you remember Moses? God asked him to loosen his sandals for where he was standing was a holy place (Exodus 3:5). Also do you remember Joshua? The Lord instructed him to do the same.
However, this answers can be challenged. Why? Because the Bible is not for Celestial Church of Christ members alone. Hence it will be inappropriate to say that we are simply emulating Moses and Joshua. Also, Joshua and Moses still put on their footwear after they left the holy place upon which they were standing. Hence, the answer does not show that we are led by God to do so.
It is better to say, that Celestial Church is divinely designed, hence all our practices are ordained by God including not wearing footwear while in garment and in the Church premises. One can now support this answer with the fact that God has instructed Moses and Joshua to do so in time past. And now he has instructed us to do the same, hence it is strictly God’s injunction to Celestials in particular and we therefore obey in faith.
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