The federal goverement did nothing wrong in determining the direction of the chanelling of this country's legal tender by individuals and organisations. The monetary currency used in the programs of Bishop David Oyedepo's Christian denomination, "The Living Faith Church", in Nigeria, is the Nigerian government owned "Naira". Neither does Bishop Oyedepo, nor his denomination know how much it cost the Federal Government to print her currency notes and where these are done.

Unfortuntely, the problem of denominationalism around the world is that of the leaders "photocopying" the Jewish religious style of administration, and their financial system in part and leaving out their establishments. It appears like "Church leaders" around the world love the pecks of the "holding powers" the Jewish religious leaders welded over "the lives and the finances of their followers".

Now let me collaborate this assertion with two complementary examples:

On their powers over the lives of every Jew, we can remember two encounters - the woman whom Jesus rescued from being stoned for adultery, of whom Jesus asked to "go and sin no more"...that demand to stone the woman was from the Jewish religious leadership. And left to those murderous men, the blood of that woman woulf have been shed.

And what about the death of Jesus: left for the Roman government, Jesus would have walked home free, but the Roman government "obeyed" the needs of the Jewish religious leadership to put Jesus to death for Pontius Pilate to avoid Caesar's anger for annoying "his friends". According to them "it is expedient for one man to die than for 'our place' to be taken by Rome". This is the picture of Bishop Oyedepo's current battle: he is battling with government so that "his place" will not be "taken".

And the illustration of the financial recklessness of the Jewish leadership, same as you see "Church leaders" appeal for donatiins just to spend them frivolously on intangible, primitive and parochial materialialism. We will recall Jesus "overturning the exchange tables" in the Temple: it was because of the black market currency operations undertaken by proxies of the Jewish religiius leadership, within the Temple. In anger, Jesus chased the merchants out with whip, crying after them, saying "you all have made my father's house, the den of thieves".

Presidential aide on New Media, Lauretta Onochie, went too far to ask Bishop Oyedepo to leave the country if he cannot respect the new CAMA law. She went too far because Bishop Oyedepo does not need to leave Nigeria in order to avoid the CAMA law.

What the Jewish religious leadership operated around their finances that liberated them from the economic slavery of Rome that Bishop Oyedepo copied but was ignorant, or pretended not to know about effecting his financial freedom, is that the Jewish had their "Temple Shekel" with which every financial transaction is undertaken within the Temple. This is what Bishop Oyedepi refused to do to attain financial independence from the Nigerian government.

The Roman monetary denomination was only required by the Jews for the paymemt of the Roman domestic taxes. No Roman monetary denomination, nor that of any other nation's currency was acceptable in the Temple service: this was the reason for the exchange tables within the Temple - to enable the conversions of money into Trmole Shekels, and to make purchases from the "Temple Storehouses" - where the purchases bought are as seen holy and acceptable - all na wash!

Bishop David Oyedepo should, therefore, take note and learn well from those from whom he learnt "to stand before God for man" and to "stand before man for God", and to take from men what "offerings" they have for God, and to stand in the place of God "to meet the needs" of those who show some care "by faith." He must accept that his financial breakthrough from omset was from monies he took on God's behalf from Nigerians, but not in God's currency, but in Nigerian currency and taken from Nigerians.

Does Bishop Oyedepo's denomination called "The Living Faith Church" pay government taxes for taking Nigerian Naira from Nigerians - that is business already? Now assuming President Buhari decides to change the face of the Nigerian Naira, and refuses to allow "the Living Faith" accountants have any of the new notes, what would Bishop Oyedepo do?

Its time every Church leader sees the error they have entrenched, and retrace their steps. We must respect constituted authorities, whereever we find them.

I recall Jesus, having declared "woes" on "the Scribes and the Pharisees" in the entire Book of Matthew 23, as he stepped out of the Jewish Temple, he said "now, your house is left to you desolate, until you shall say 'blessed is he that comes in the name of the lord'". And as he left the Temple, his disciples turned and beheld the manificience of the building (Matthew 24:1-2). Calling his attention to the beauty of the building, Jesus said "verily, I tell you, not one stone (on this building) will be left upon another that shall not be thrown down".

I say it again in the words of Jesus Christ that all the denominational monuments, called "Church auditoriums", built in the name of God, and in the face of the hunger and diseases in Africa, will have no stone left on another that shall not be thrown down, and "Church leaders", eho short changed love for public relevance, will be confronted with answering for the deaths from hunger, diseases and slavery in Africa - ehat they used "God's momey" for.

My advice therefore is that Bishop David Oyedepo is rich enough to create his own money and be free from Nigeria's financial laws.

Ini Akpan Morgan writes from Uyo, Nigeria. 08102466347 (Whatsapp only). Email: time.subsidaries@gmail.com

IniAkpanMorgan:
Unfortuntely, the problem of denominationalism around the world is that of the leaders "photocopying" the Jewish religious style of administration, and their financial system in part and leaving out their establishments. It appears like "Church leaders" around the world love the pecks of the "holding powers" the Jewish religious leaders welded over "the lives and the finances of their followers".

IniAkpanMorgan:
Does Bishop Oyedepo's denomination called "The Living Faith Church" pay government taxes for taking Nigerian Naira from Nigerians - that is business already? Now assuming President Buhari decides to change the face of the Nigerian Naira, and refuses to allow "the Living Faith" accountants have any of the new notes, what would Bishop Oyedepo do?

IniAkpanMorgan:
Its time every Church leader sees the error they have entrenched, and retrace their steps. We must respect constituted authorities, whereever we find them.

IniAkpanMorgan:
I say it again in the words of Jesus Christ that all the denominational monuments, called "Church auditoriums", built in the name of God, and in the face of the hunger and diseases in Africa, will have no stone left on another that shall not be thrown down, and "Church leaders", eho short changed love for public relevance, will be confronted with answering for the deaths from hunger, diseases and slavery in Africa - ehat they used "God's momey" for.
My advice therefore is that Bishop David Oyedepo is rich enough to create his own money and be free from Nigeria's financial laws.

Mumuism.

So because it legal tender two private individuals cannot exchange legit money in peace again? With all the loot flying around Abuja, their focus is the church.

In case you don't not know, approx half of the population are Christians, most don't pay sizable tithes or offering and when they do, it is less than 20% of their earnings. Doing a direct maths, that's less than 5% of what the govt handles. How come things work on the church but don't outside it. Power, roads, buildings and more work in mega churches.

This is indeed a copy and paste govt. I can bet it, they will only exit Coronavirus lockdown when Britain does because of follow-follow mindset.

Bishop Oyedepo again

I really can't believe any reasonable Christian would support this act.

ejibaba:
I really can't believe any reasonable Christian would support this act.

Why not? What the OP described is what Jesus Christ warned His followers against. You ought to be incensed that your MOGs, in disobedience to Jesus Christ, have instead chosen to institute all the very same things Jesus warned against, and in His name.