Celebrating Papa Samuel Bilehou Oschoffa’s Legacy: A Call For Self-Examination

Reverend Samuel Bilehou Oschoffa (Papa) of blessed memory cannot be separated from Celestial Church of Christ, neither can the Church be separated from him. He is a sanctified seed. God called him, and through him established the Celestial Church of Christ – where all the sons of God are Kings and priests.

 

This piece is not about Papa, but it is written for us to reflect on how we are filling the shoes he left behind.

 

Those who have kept the doctrines of Celestial Church of Christ the way it was given to Papa are called the remnants; as the remnants, our foundation ought to be those things that were given to Papa.

 

As remnants, what exactly are we doing to ourselves, to the Church, and to the world at large? Do we really understand the essence of being in Celestial Church of Christ? Or, are we being carried away by the practices and turn them into traditions thereby losing their essence and efficacy?

 

A legacy is left in someone. It is beyond inheritance; it is clearly different from a gift. Inheritance includes properties given, and is only activated at the death of the original owner. Whereas, gifts can be given by the owner whilst he lives.

 

Abraham gave gifts to his children, apart from Isaac, the child of promise (who inherited). Jesus Christ, on the other hand, left us a legacy, new creatures with the consciousness of Heaven. When God saw that the devil had taken advantage of our guilibility as Africans; not really embracing the beauty of being God’s sons. As a result  of the devil leaving his mark on the human race, God raised up Papa in the spirit of Enoch to expressly demonstrate the ultimate power and wisdom of God (Christ, 1st Corinthians 1:24). Papa left Celestial Church of Christ for us, in us. Celestial Church of Christ has to be in us and must reflect in all we do.

 

Papa as we all know never did anything outside what he was instructed. We celebrate him as the one who God never faulted. His death, especially his burial, was a spectacle, and miracles happened at his burial – as records show. This makes me wonder … was the grace he got all he needed to be special? Did he do extra things that activated his grace?

 

We all know Papa loved to pray; he was raised a Methodist, he abided by the word of God, and we also know he was special. In his days, God chose him to affect the world in a way no other person has ever been able to since.

 

We now have that legacy, how are we using it in our own little spaces? In our own little spaces, how are we affecting our world given that God has called us all out of darkness into His marvellous light? Are we fighting the light, ignoring the light, or embracing it?

 

As one rightly said, “legacy is not inheritance, legacy is given and the one that is given must have the strength to pick it up”. We are given. Do we have the strength or, are we using the strength to pick up the legacy? This is a time for deep reflection.