zig2ryme04: John 19: 23-24- Jesus wore a seamless robe, which was a very costly garment.

can you compare a seamless robe to a private jet yeah i thought so you can't.

emusmith:

You are either a Muslim or atheist. He is better than your your poor Imams...I don't expect anything reasonable from ur types. go to bed.

U must be an illiterate .I said I don't biliv in a god ,pls can somebody explain to him what that means. U shuldnt have brought up the issue of being a muslim

I am proud to be an agnostic. Gud morning

I think all this noise about buying a private jet is all nonsense. In Nigeria, churches are a business. A big profitable business. And like any other business, when excess profit is generated, the shareholders and directors can decide on how to dispose of the excess profit. In this case, they decided to buy the MD/CEO a private plane. There is nothing wrong with that. That's business. If you have a problem with that, then stop patronising his business, but don't take issues with how the shareholders spend their profits.

[Well shame on these Nigerian churchs the word of God should never become a profit making business but to each his own this pastor will have to meet his maker one day and I hope God ask him why would he take such a expensive gift and turn a blind eye to his starving country men lol Im sure God is going to need a better answer then this so called man of God has given so far.quote author=Cyberknight]I think all this noise about buying a private jet is all nonsense. In Nigeria, churches are a business. A big profitable business. And like any other business, when excess profit is generated, the shareholders and directors can decide on how to dispose of the excess profit. In this case, they decided to buy the MD/CEO a private plane. There is nothing wrong with that. That's business. If you have a problem with that, then stop patronising his business, but don't take issues with how the shareholders spend their profits.[/quote]

EBK2: if he didnt use your money to buy the jet and no one complained that he was forced into giving his/her money away for that purpose, you really need to shut up and mind your business.It is always those that dont give that will moan about these things.

All well and good coming to NL to moan whereas it is not your money or government money. Members of the church who gave from there pocket are not complaining, so what is the fuss. And if you think they are gullible and weak, you are wrong because they are smart enough to make enough money to give.

Experience has shown me that it is those that dont know the Bible or weak clueless Christians (yes there are clueless and weak Christians) that have opinion on these things. Com'on the man has been preaching the Gospel for 40 years. I have to say something (and some of you will disagree): The work of a preacher of the gospel is more important to God than the work of even the president of US. God will provide any tool needed by a preacher to do his/her work.

If he should not have a jet, it is not the public or NLder that should decide that. It is a matter for God and the buyers of such jets.
It is is not the job of a preacher to build roads. But is the job of a preacher to preach the Gospel wherever (whether there is road or not).

Look at this scenario. He rejects the jet. Imagine God asking him why he has not preached in PH, he will go ' oh there is no road to go to PH'. God will go 'but i spoke to some people to buy you a jet so you can go to PH'. Pastor will go 'oh because of public and NL opinion, i rejected the jet. What do you think God will say. Preaching the Gospel is more important than anything including every opinion that any man can express.
We should just learn to mind our business in Nigeria. Preachers are not Father Xmas.
He has a Boss that he is accountable to and that Boss is wiser than all and doesnt need our help.

Guy, God bless u jare. Hypocrites all. How many of you has sold his/her car to send your neighbours' children to school? With all the explanations that the man gave, their minds are still made up.
It is not your job to draw a line between necessity and extravagance for others. You are not in their shoes, and it is not in any way your business.
And what does it concern you about how he will maintain it? Has he come to ask you for money? I wonder how Nigeria will progress with so much hypocrisy.
Imagine the length of discussions that have happened on this issue of one man getting himself jet. Is this how we will continue to waste our time? It is so crazy to me how people are so jobless. They started quoting scriptures that they know nothing about and do not obey. Please mind what concerns you. U can end up buying an island when you have the money. I do not care

homerac7: ^

Really? ...and he remained a local Nazarene carpenter? ...and d "rich" kid could be hidden from Herod's men? Hmmm... the way you guys go all way to defend a matter of obvious moral failing is obscene.

simple test; the Maggis are wise men from East were Zoroaster masters, looking at culture of Zoroastrianism, does in blend with ur $200m gift story? Pls just do a little esearch wt d key words i gav u and revert properly. Bu pls don't concoct daftly because there r other people on look out for ur response.

my guy, you are actually the daft one, google is your friend why don't you search out the true worth of the gifts given to baby jesus in present day monetary terms & tell us if it is correct or not,typical nigerian who won't take time to logically analyse an issue but jump to conclusions.

klovesh:

Guy, God bless u jare. Hypocrites all. How many of you has sold his/her car to send your neighbours' children to school? With all the explanations that the man gave, their minds are still made up.
It is not your job to draw a line between necessity and extravagance for others. You are not in their shoes, and it is not in any way your business.
And what does it concern you about how he will maintain it? Has he come to ask you for money? I wonder how Nigeria will progress with so much hypocrisy.
Imagine the length of discussions that have happened on this issue of one man getting himself jet. Is this how we will continue to waste our time? It is so crazy to me how people are so jobless. They started quoting scriptures that they know nothing about and do not obey. Please mind what concerns you. U can end up buying an island when you have the money. I do not care

my brother jesus rightly said it when he told the pharisees & crowd complaining against him " we played wedding songs for you but you refused to dance,then we played funeral songs yet you refused to cry, which one would we do to make you happy? Bottom line: human beings can never be satisfied. Smh.

hisson3: my guy, you are actually the daft one, google is your friend why don't you search out the true worth of the gifts given to baby jesus in present day monetary terms & tell us if it is correct or not,typical nigerian who won't take time to logically analyse an issue but jump to conclusions.

bros, u will do d whole wide world a favour by showing where n how baby Jesus got $200m from. stop being sentimental and unreasonable with ur "i better pass my neighbour" christianity. if u hav d proof just bring it out here and let us see how ur "scholars" came to say Jesus had $200m, otherwise just shut up for good.

What i find funny is, 'I chattered this and paid X amount of money' as if the money belongs to him and not the church in the first place. He has no excuse to be in possession of that aircraft, simple.

khanivorous:



Hmmmmmm

Jesus said before you can serve him you have to let go off all worldly things

Jesus said its easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a rich man entering the kingdom of god

His parable of the RICH FOOL shows that riches would push your focus away from things of God

Lazarus and the rich man: the rich man went to hell and lazarus went to heaven

Zaccheus was asked to give out his riches to the poor

Nicodemus

He borrowed a horse/ donkey for his truimphant entry

He made reference on the widow that gave the smallest amount and ignored people that gave more

If he was so rich, his secretary: judas won't have betrayed him for 30pieces of silver since he was incharge of his ministry's money

He was buried in another mans tomb

In summation jesus showed reasons why accumulation of weight is detrimental to the pursuit of heaven

Jesus wore seamless robe yet food he didn't pay his taxes...he had to perform a miracle to get money from a fish gut to pay

He trekked....he did not use CHARIOTS

does it now mean christains should be poor

Techwriter: Plz be reminded that he doesn't owe any one explaination cos I sense so pples mind is made up and no explanation can change anytn. I discovered most Nlanders that make arguments just want to contribute they don't care wether it makes scriptural sense or not. The Bible says that evevn the Gospel is considered foolishness by many.

I laugh when I read peoples comment on Nland when they hear that a prophet sponsord sm1 to schl. They say this is the true pastor. This is simply because others don't advertise what they do as charity on TV like others. Which is scriptural. On the last day we'll tell who worked for God jet or no jet. Abraham was very rich as blessed by God;he even employed over 300 people. On the other hand Lazarus was poor-yet in heaven the rich Abrahm was higher than the poor lazarus. Poverty is a choice

WHAT IS THIS MONKEY BLABBING ABT? EVEN IF THEY DONT ADVERTISE THEIR CHARITY ON TV, BENEFICIARIES WILL TALK ABOUT IT. AND WHERE IN THE BIBLE WAS IT WRITTEN THAT ABRAHAM WAS RANKED HIGHER THAN LAZARUS?

Xplodes2700: does it now mean christains should be poor

NO IT MEANS CHRISTIANS AND THEIR PASTORS SHOULD SEEK CONTENTMENT NOT EXTRAVAGANCE

Table Leg :
Oritsejafor go and tell your story to the frogs and cockroaches ...
The fact still remains that there is no justification for a jet ...
There is no need for such opulence and extravagance .

dir is every justification 4 a jet...PAPA AYO travels a lot...(read dz)Ps Benson Idahosa from Lagos as been on regular visits 2 Power City(Uyo), He comes 2 uyo @least 4 time is a week...joining commercial fight 2 n 4m uyo has been hectic, most times he'l missed his fight n join alternative route(PH or CALABAR)wc r 3hrs n 2hrs drive 2 uyo respectively. On sunday 5pm worshipers will b waiting 4 Idahosa @ power city, Uyo, He has 2 preach in his church 4 2 services...leave Ajah 4 Ikeja to catch a fight to Uyo....Abel Damina needs a jet so as all preachers-it helps in advancing the Kingdom of God.

This post has been hidden due to its very sensitive nature!

Na so those bound to destroy the faith ad Christainity go say. Ayo ad a lot of Nigerian pastors are no more the salt of the world Jesus admonished them to be...... Prison terms await non-salt pastors in heaven, they should know.

The mouth that utters this is qualified for cellotaping.

I see people that agree that it is ok for this pastor to take this gift keep comparing his gift to the gifts the Christ received. However this MEN is no Jesus Christ how many thinks this pastor was born of this earth for one purpose only to die for our sins? See by no means do the bible say God want Christians to live poorly however one would be wise not to make a lucrative money making business out of the word of God the bible spoke of these very issues for the end of times it says men will become lovers of money and this pastor is fitting the mold and for the people that say it is none of our business this is all of Christianitys business when a man can aquire such great wealth through the word of our God and spend it on something so unnecessary and our fellow Christians are still starving it is a unholy perversion of what Christianity is all about.

The controversy surrounding Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor’s recent receipt of the gift of a jet has cast a harsh glare of scrutiny on the Church and its leaders. It has also caused no small dissension among pastors and Christians. This has been amplified by the social media where the vigorous debate has gone viral. As president of the Christian Association of Nigeria and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, he is seen not only as an important and influential figure in Christian circles but also, the most prominent representation of Christian leadership in the country. His profile also makes him influential in the corridors of power where he is seen to represent the Christian position on national issues. All this has made his acquisition of a jet an issue of contention. Of course, he is not the first to own a private jet. Some other pastors and clerics do and so do a number of politicians, tycoons and socialites. But perhaps because of his profile, his pastoral vocation and prominence, Oritsejafor has drawn attention and ire. Or perhaps because the media in very recent times has been awash with heated debate on the issue of ownership of jets in Nigeria, the acquisition of yet another jet by yet another prominent Nigerian was just more fuel for the fire of contention.
On one side, there are those who have vehemently condemned the ownership of jets by pastors. They criticize the trend as too ostentatious, too flamboyant and as being at complete variance with the sobriety and low profile expected of ministers of the gospel. They have gone ahead to berate especially, Pentecostal pastors for fleecing the people. Furthermore, they argue, such displays of wealth are not in consonance with a reality in which the vast majority of the country’s population is mired in poverty. The opposition counters that Oritsejafor is well within his rights as an individual to receive gifts from his congregation in appreciation of his service to God and humanity. They say that the jet is less a luxury than a necessity; a tool for aiding the ministry of an evangelist whose missions require him to be able to travel swiftly and at short notice without suffering the bottlenecks and aggravation of the airports and public aviation. Thus, the jet should be properly seen as an instrument of the gospel. Perhaps if Paul the Apostle were alive today he would have achieved much more if he had a jet and a mobile phone. There is also the idea that Oritsejafor has been justly blessed by God for his 40 year meritorious exertion for the sake of the gospel; and that the new jet is simply an example of God rewarding his servants with material prosperity. Therefore, those criticizing him are belly-aching, envious and speaking out of a mindset conditioned by poverty that cannot grasp the awesome grace of God in the lives of his servants. How can we mediate this collision of fiercely-held views?
The truth of the matter is that clerics are well within their rights to acquire or receive jets or other material assets. They have the inalienable right to pursue after ownership of property or other material acquisitions. God is a God that cares about the material endowment of His people and asking His servants to swear to vows of chastity and poverty negates the tenets of our faith and becomes a throwback to the medieval days of the Church of monks, nuns and monasteries. But as we delve deeper into Scripture we begin to see other considerations that inform our perceptions of what is right or wrong. Paul the Apostlein 1 Corinthians 6:12 says, ‘All things are permissible but not all things are beneficial or expedient.’ Or as The Message Bible succinctly renders it: ‘Just because something is technically legal doesn’t mean that it’s spiritually appropriate.’ The import of the Apostle Paul’s admonition is clear – the fact that something is legal does not mean that it is beneficial. While pastors might be well within their rights to acquire or receive jets, what makes it right at this time is its interpretation on the platform of motive and expediency.
So the question is not ‘is it right or wrong to own a jet?’ It goes deeper. The more penetrating issue being unearthed is ‘is it expedient at this time to own a jet?’ Elisha the Old Testament prophet berated his servant Gehazi who had surreptitiously obtained some gifts from Naaman the Syrian General. Elisha asked Gehazi, ‘Is it the time to receive money and to receive clothing?’ (2 Kings 5:26). The question for Gehazi was that of expediency of the moment. There were other issues at stake. There were other considerations. Solomon the wisest man who ever lived said ‘To everything there is a season and time to every purpose under heaven.’ (Ecclesiastes 3:1) The Apostle Paul also urges us to ensure that our liberty in Christ does not become a source of grief to others or cause them to sin. He said, on one occasion, that he was legally justified to eat food offered to idols, a practice that would have horrified many of his listeners who found such pagan practices abhorrent. But Paul conceded that if something he had a liberty to do caused his brothers to stumble, he would refrain from doing so.
Thus, careful and continuous thought must guide our daily decisions beyond the technical issues of right or wrong. There is another process of thinking that should inform our perceptions of what is permissible and what is not. Therefore, legitimate questions can be asked about the propriety of owning a jet in a country where poverty is rife (unfortunately it is often done in cruel and contemptible language). People’s perceptions of issues are their own realities. The ownership of jets currently paints a picture of pastors who live in alienated opulence, quite removed from the laity to whom they minister. This unfortunate and unflattering portrait casts a dark shadow on our witness and our ministry. With the growing trend of jet ownership, we also run the risk of being ensnared in the trap of competitive acquisition and conspicuous consumption. For instance, a jet that can only cover the African continent might soon be deemed unsatisfactory and discarded in favour of a jet that is capable of transatlantic distances. After a while, it may not be enough to be able to fly to Europe at a moment’s notice; one may find it necessary to find a jet that can cover greater distances, perhaps reach America or the Far East. How far do we go in acquiring such expensive items in the name of facilitating the gospel? Secondly, the more we seek or accept such expensive gifts, which are not just pricey but also inordinately expensive to maintain, the more beholden we will be as pastors to those who can afford us the means to maintain them. Already, in many churches, attention is heavily skewed in favour of the rich and the powerful. In a country where corruption and abuse of power are rife, this leaves the pastors open to charges of colluding with the corrupt. Indeed, we must humbly admit that many who bring gifts to our churches may have obtained them through dubious means and questionable methods. This exposes us to accusations of sanctifying greed, theft and graft, in return for receiving expensive gifts and status symbols. It also negates our ability to operate with moral and prophetic authority and fulfill the function of speaking truth to power – a much needed role in our society which is steeped in moral degeneration. Under these circumstances, the ownership of jets must be deemed, as Paul the Apostle clarified, ‘technically legal but spiritually inappropriate’.
So also are all displays of ostentation that cast clerics in the mould of the super-rich elites. The argument that a pastor is entitled to a jet because bank chieftains, moguls and CEOs own theirs as well reflects a misunderstanding and misrepresentation of pastoral ministry. There should be no basis for comparison. Our goal should be to emulate Christ, not to compete with CEOs. There is a need for sobriety in the times in which we live. We have to always balance the things that are permissible with sensitivity to the expediency of the times in which we live and continuously process the ethical demands of our higher calling – - an understandably difficult and arduous task. Indulging in displays of opulence is currently inconsistent with those demands. This is why pastors in a spirit of deference, ought to see this debate, not through the prism of technical legality, but through the prism of spiritual propriety. The gospel is already, in the words of Paul, ‘a stumbling block.’ Our insensitivity in these depraved and trying times need not constitute another stumbling block. We live in times of national turmoil, combustive passions and volatile emotions; times in which the people we lead, as God told Jonah concerning Nineveh, do not sometimes know their right hand from their left.
* Dr. Rapu is the Senior Pastor and head over the multi-faceted group of ministries comprising This Present House, God Bless Nigeria, The Underground Church and The Waterbrook

Pastor shut up and stop preaching nonsense, carry your private jet and keep smiling to the bank we all know what this is

I BEG I,M STILL WAITING FOR MY OWN SHARE FROM #7BLN BRIBE FROM GOODLUCK TO THE CAN LEADERS.