₦airaland Forum

Kobojunkie:
The Old Covenant is everlasting!
No I didn't! I wouldn't say such a thing because, first, it is not true and second, there was no real definition for Sin before Moses.
At the time of the prophet Jeremiah, the Law of Moses was the established Law(1000s of years old), a reference to a new Covenant was just that, a pointer to a New Covenant, different from the existing one.
Huh?

Where is Mr Muttleylaff when I need him.

I wish I could explain the following verses in details. My bedtime is past.

Romans 1:19-20:

because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Romans 2:14-15:

For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,

In the second pair of verses, the Law Paul seems to be referring to is “The Law of God”. The first pair of verses reveal that since the creation of time, man has had the “source-code“ of God imprinted in his DNA. What does the Law of God say? Love God and Love your neighbor: This wasn’t the essence of the Mosaic Law. Love God and Love your neighbour is a summary of the Ten Commandments. This Law cannot be abolished.

You know that the Old Covenant was made for the Jews alone, right? The New Covenant was for all men: The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "All the nations will be blessed in you ."

I’d like to ask you this: When the Ten Commandments was spoken by God, did Israel have in their midst “the mixed multitude”? Secondly, when Ezra read the Mosaic Law, who did he read it to?

Kobojunkie:
I don't believe that was in reference to the old law

That is in reference to the everlasting Law. You yourself said the Ten Commandments has always been observed by men before Moses. If at that point in time it was given, wouldn’t it be termed the “New Covenant”? Isn’t our New covenant in Christ established in a covenant in Abraham’s Faith - what then is “new” about it? Though I say this, the old covenant can never be the New covenant; yet, our New covenant is of old because of Abraham. Old covenant says: So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them (Leviticus 18:5) - this was in reference to the Mosaic Law. The New covenant says, Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God.

In the verse I quoted shows Paul referring to two Laws - one kept by the heart and the other by effort (do them). The former, the one kept by the heart, is what Jeremiah was referring to. Abraham kept the Ten Commandments but never kept the Law of Moses.

Kobojunkie:
I don't believe that to be the case at all.

Firstly, the Law of Moses was written by the hands of Moses (Deut. 31:9); while the Law of God was written by the finger of God Himself (Exodus 31:18).

God’s Law was commanded by God Himself on Mount Sinai (Deut. 4:13-14, 2 Kings 21:8. The Law of Moses was commanded by Moses (Deut. 31: 24-26, 2 Kings 21:8

God’s Law, the Ten Commandments, was audibly spoken by God to the hearing of all Israel; Exodus 19:9 says, “And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.” “(NKJV). The Law of Moses was not spoken audibly to the hearing of all who were in Israel but to Moses, to whom the Law was given in private.(Exodus 21:1)

The Law of God was rewritten by God Himself (Jer. 31:33). The Book of the Law of Moses was rewritten by men (Deut. 17:18, Josh. 8:32).

Please, see why Jesus had to affirm the Law of God. The Mosaic law was however abolished: the tearing of the veil in the temple was key in the annulment of the Mosaic Law.

Kobojunkie:
The essence of the 2 greatest commandments is that they cover all that is required of both the details found in the Old Covenant and the details found in the New Covenant. However, when you drill down to for more detail, you find that the 10 commandments were simply the first 10 commandments that were given to Moses of the 613 statutes/commandments that made up the Old Covenant.
As far as the New covenant is concerned, Jesus didn't simply transfer the old to the new. Below is a look at one difference between the two covenants

Old Testament rule on adultery...

...Jesus' new Covenant base rule as far as adultery is concerned.

This is why Jesus never drew any of His teaching from the Law of Moses. Jesus said this is the original Law - no adultery. Now He emphasizes how a man can commit adultery. He didn’t give a new Law but showed the intent of the eighth commandment.

Kobojunkie:
Those two commandments were some of the only commandments that were given as a part of the Old, and the New covenant.

The greatest commandment(Shema)

Second greatest commandment

Daniel 9:11 Indeed all Israel has transgressed Your law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the curse has been poured out on us, along with the oath which is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against Him.

This is the clearest verse in the scriptures that shows that Israel knew of two laws - The Law of God and the Law of Moses. The Law of God was written by God Himself; while the Law of Moses was written by Moses. The Law of Moses are bound between Deuteronomy 4:48 and Deuteronomy 28:68. We read in the New Testament about the nature of the Law of Moses - they guided Hebrew communal life and the mode of temple worship. The Law of Moses wasn’t applicable to all men - Jew and Gentile. The Law of God which you said men kept right from antiquity was for all men.

Bodydialect57:
And it is summed up in two commandments: the love for God and the love for our neighbour.

And Jesus answered him,
The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Mark 12:29-31.

True; and this is what the Ten Commandments says.

Kobojunkie:
The 10 commandments are indeed a part of the Old Covenant; the definitions of which begin from Exodus 20, on through to the book of Deuteronomy where it was eventually concluded -- the book of the laws of moses.
The New Covenant does not include the original 10 commandments.

In fact, the new covenant includes the Ten Commandments. But it is written in our heart and the Spirit of Christ helps us to fulfill them naturally. What does the Ten Commandments say: Love the Lord your God will all your heart; and Love your neighbour as yourself - this is the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments can be broken in two halves - one’s relationship with God (Ex. 20:3-7) and one’s relationship with man (Ex. 20: 8-17). Moses Law isn’t in this form. It was a Law established for law breakers (1 Tim 1:9-10).

Goshen360:
It is fact and truth that people lived upright before the 10 commandments so what was the usefulness of 10 commandments if there was upright men before the 10 commandments was given?

Ten Commandments: It was for a people whose heart did not understand righteousness. It was a law concerning righteousness. Moses Law on the other hand, was ceremonial in nature and it was a law concerning wickedness and sin.

Though men lived the Ten Commandments before it was given, it had to be given to people bereft of righteousness and the knowledge of a righteous God.

Goshen360:
You're absolutely right but that's one of the on-going fight against wrong doctrine in the body of Christ. Most pastors when it comes to Mosaic they say we're not under the law but still turn around to use Malachi for tithe....we are not under the law mean exactly what it say, and no part of it should be returned to including the 10 commandments.

You are wrong concerning the bolden. The Ten Commandments are referred to as the Law of God and can never be abolished. His Law is everlasting; and in contrast with the Law of Moses which is temporary.

softwhispers:
Hi Rozzy,

Will love to connect with you.

Please, let me know

You want to whisper to him, right? Hope the whispers will be soft?

Offpoint:
There are countless times in the Bible Jesus rebuke those who regarded him as God. He simply let them know His not God, rather He was sent by God.

You simply didn't answer my question....

If you're going the TRINITY way, that's another topic for another day.

You are a liar

AntiChristian:
You were just beating about the bush and writing Paul said Paul Said.... Paul wrote letters and his letters are not Gospels!

Kindly explain the meaning of the following verses telling us specifically who Jesus was praying to or calling father:

1. Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father. (Matt 20:23)

2. “Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you will not fall into temptation.’ He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’ An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” – Luke 22:39-44

3 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Matt 26:39

4. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" (which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?".

5. Psalm 22:1 My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from my words of groaning?

You are a walking contradiction. A man whose days are numbered. Why have you hardened your neck? A man writes to you from the gospels and you hardened your heart saying ‘his only proof is from John’. I gave references from over 7 books of the Bible and you say: Paul said, Paul said. The scriptures of life is one, and your stiff neck would rather have them separated. May you be separated when you still have breathe in you.

2 Timothy 3:16: All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

Psalms 110:1: ”The Lord says to my Lord: "Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet."

This verse is the final answer the Lord has for you.

TheRealProphet:
Thanks, I will surely go through. Charles Spurgeon Gem sermons.
God bless you, Good night.

Good night

TheRealProphet:
I gave up on life last week, even friends desert me. I come on Nairaland to catch fun but offline I am a shadow of myself, I resist depression by listening to music and commenting on thread, I fake everything on Nairaland just to smile, I have bible but I don't have the strength to read.
I wish I can talk to somebody, tell that person my pain because my heart is heavy with hidden pains and silent tears.thanks for your kind words

Should I tell you that three of us shared the same office as our room. When we started praying, Gbenga got a full PhD scholarship to the US; Andrew got his first job in more than seven years; and he is married now; Then me... you have no idea. Gbenga’s Father is a mechanic o; Andrew didn’t have a Father and had no money to pay for his PhD program; My younger ones fed me. If you don’t have anyone, you have Christ. No man can save you.

Dust your Bible and put it within your reach, so that when you wake up in the morning, you can try to read a few verses. I wish I could tell you to join a Church but if you don’t know Christ, no church would please you. Besides, a good church is hard to find. If you can afford data, you could read some Charles Spurgeon Gem sermons - they would be your light when other lights go out. Many people have been in the same dungeon you are now and they survived. Show some strength, please. Christ is your answer.

TheRealProphet:
I appreciate your concern but I am not the kind of person who can afford much time for bible discussion. let's just say, due to my current situation I won't be chance.

I understand you perfectly. I stayed in my office for more than a year until things got better. But I tell you that reading the Bible, singing hymns and praying for a few minutes according to what I read in the Bible helped me stay sane and brought me out. I wish I could tell you how good things are now. You could read a few verses in the New Testament everyday and just spend a minute or two praying according to what you will underStand from those verses. Pray with your heart and know that everything will be alright no matter how long it takes.

TheRealProphet:
my location is Imo,Owerri.
Thanks for your concern.

Would you like to have someone who would read the Bible with you and pray with you?

TheRealProphet:
why asking

When someone is in need, shouldn’t someone who could help be pleased to help him? Have you given up?

TheRealProphet:
I can't pray, can't spend 5minute reading the bible,I don't love church..my Christian life is messed up.

Where do you live?

Whitespring:
Good one... Never saw it.

It was one of those programs from BBC that NTA showed for a few years. There was Doctor Who, Robin Hood, Oliver Twist, David Copper-field, (some of Charles Dickens’ works that were adopted into screen play), Some mothers do have them, etc. These are some of them I can remember.

Kobojunkie:
Possessions have been scientifically proven?

No sir. You didn’t read rightly.

[quote author=madegreatbygrace post=90159694][/quote]You are welcome. May the Lord cause His grace to shine upon him.

Cc: madegreatbygrace

AntiChristian:
So your claim all along is that Jesus is Allah/God from the Qur'an and Bible.

This can be refuted too from Qur'an and your Bible too. Please each of this numbers and answer them one by one!

1. Allah created death so he is far above dying! Your own Jesus was killed by his father who is himself.

2. The Bible calls Jesus son of God and he has another father in heaven. So how is the son = to the father?

3. Jesus evidently doesn't know the hour of judgement. He is not omniscient despite all the miracles and the "purported sins" you claim he forgave. On the contrary God is Omniscient all the time. He is able to do all things.

4. The first and last is Allah alone. Jesus was praying to someone from your Bible. Who was he praying to? Is that person the second and penultimate?

5. Allah is distinct from 'Eesa son of Maryam (Jesus). The latter is the slave and messenger of the former! In Qur'an 19:39 this was established.

6. In your Bible, Jesus called his Lord when he was about to die? Eli, Eli, Lama....who was he calling? Who is his Lord?

7. When Jesus was being baptized a voice came from heaven saying " This is my beloved son..." Who was talking?

So, all in all, we believe only Allah can forgive sins and He can accept the intercession of any of His slaves. Jesus is human not God.

1. Allah created death so he is far above dying! Your own Jesus was killed by his father who is himself.

A: Romans 8:3: “For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he (Christ) condemned sin in the flesh.”

If we are unable to fulfill the law, then we will be punished by it. But, since God desires us to be saved, the law must be satisfied. Since we cannot keep the law and the law must be satisfied, the only One capable of keeping the law must keep the law: The Sinless One, Christ/Allah Himself: 2 Corinthians 5:21: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us”

Only flesh can die. Since God is omnipotent, the power to transform into the flesh isn’t difficult. To show that He is transformed into man, He must die - for all men must die. To show that He is all-powerful, He must overcome His creation - death.

Acts 2:24: But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

Death can not hold down its creator - Christ/Allah.

2. The Bible calls Jesus son of God and he has another father in heaven. So how is the son = to the father?

A. Meaning of Title, “Son of God”: Servant of God, Messenger of God, Just-like God, The Right-hand of God, One-of the Godhead, Begotten (Came our from the midst) of the Godhead, Messiah of God, Angel of God, The King of the Godhead, The Anointed One of the GodHead.

Meaning of Father: The Progenitor, The Master, The Teacher, God, Privileged status of the adult son and heir, The Exalted one, The Head of the Family, Strong Leader, Protector of the House.

John 10:28-30, 37-38: “I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one. If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father."

Notice: what the Father can do, the Son do - no one can snatch anything out of their hands. Both give eternal life. Notice: The Father is in the Son, and The Son is in the Father. Notice the meaning of “Father”: The Son bears those Titles too. Notice: the meaning of Son, it means titles not the hereditary position men give their children. The Father is the Son, and the Son is the Father. Yet, the two of them are co-independent.

3. Jesus evidently doesn't know the hour of judgement. He is not omniscient despite all the miracles and the "purported sins" you claim he forgave. On the contrary God is Omniscient all the time. He is able to do all things.

A. God knows everything (1 John 3:20). God knows himself and all things exhaustively, eternally, and unchangeably. He knows his own perfections, plans, actions, and goals (Ps. 147:5; Isa. 46:10; Acts 15:18). He knows the billions of angels in light (Dan. 7:10), every corner of hell (Prov. 15:11), all of our sins (Ps. 69:5), every hidden thought (Ps. 139:2), every ounce of our suffering (Ps. 56:. He proves his deity by infallibly knowing the past, present, and future, including all possibilities and contingent events (1 Sam. 23:10–13; Matt. 11:21), from the tiniest detail (Matt. 10:29–30) to the fact and timing of our salvation (Rom. 8:29; 2 Tim. 1:9). As the eternal Son of the Father, Jesus Christ possesses the fullness of deity, including the attribute of omniscience (Phil. 2:6; John 21:17).

How, then, are we to reconcile the comprehensiveness of Jesus’s divine knowledge with Matthew 24:36, where the divine Son of God declares to his disciples that there is something he didn’t know?

The answer lies in His humanity. The Bible says, He grew in knowledge. Why? He was primarily appointed on behalf of men (Hebrews 5:1). As a man, then, the Son “increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52). And like any human being after the fall, he became hungry (Matt. 4:2), grew tired (John 4:6), felt distress (Matt. 26:38), and, yes, was amazed at what he learned (Matt. 8:10; Luke 7:9; Mark 6:6; cf. Luke 2:46). Jesus could only have experienced such changes in his human nature. Part of the limitation of this Messenger of God was the limit of His message..

“The divine Son was ignorant of the day of his return,” even as we affirm that the divine Son knows everything (John 21:17). Why? The context of Matthew 24 reveals that Jesus’s declaration in verse 36 is designed to restrain our vain curiosity, to bind us to his Word, and to stir us up to be vigilant and eager to meet our Lord face-to-face (Matt. 24:42, 44; 25:13, 46).

Yet, God’s Word tells us all we need to know about Christ’s return. He will come from heaven, on clouds, in the flesh, with glory and power, suddenly, visibly, audibly, at the end of the world, with angels and saints at his side, as Christians rejoice and unbelievers weep at his sight.

4. The first and last is Allah alone. Jesus was praying to someone from your Bible. Who was he praying to? Is that person the second and penultimate?

A: 2 Corinthians 12:9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness."

Why do the weak pray to the Almighty? Was Christ weak? He does not mean his sinful weakness (those we have reason to be ashamed of and grieved at), but he means his afflictions, his reproaches, necessities and persecutions. Paul prays to God (Father) just as Christ prayed and no one bore the brunt of antagonism Christ faced more than Paul. So, Christ/Allah had to come in flesh as man so that He must feel every weakness man feels, for Him to be qualified as a perfect intercessor for man (Hebrews 4:14-15) and also that He may deal kindly with man (Hebrews 5:2). Hence, He prayed for power to endure and for the power of God to manifest. For example, when The Son prayed to the Father on the Cross, did the Father manifest? Greatly! The sun lost its light for three hours, The graves were open and dead bodies were seen, the sanctity of the earthly temple was destroyed in an earthquake, there was no celebration of the Feast etc.

This is a Christian paradox: when we are weak in ourselves, then we are strong in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; when we see ourselves weak in ourselves, then we go out of ourselves to Christ, and are qualified to receive strength from him, and experience most of the supplies of divine strength and grace. - This was the grace He sought.

Your questions 5-7 have been answered above.

CodeTemplar:
Speaking other languages you don't understand at the time of speaking. Scientifically proven that the brain is dormant during such periods.

You are correct but silent the reason why this happens. Scientifically, it has been proven through Functional Magnetic Resonance that cortical and subcortical activation areas of the brain are dormant ONLY when one is possessed and exorcism is required. You may study the effect of brain activity during trances involved in Zen, yoga, and transcendental meditation using spontaneous electroencephalograms techniques.

Paul places the difference between Christianity and other religions when he states that the saint is in full control of his mind (Romans 7:25, 1 Corinthians 14:19, 2 Cor.5:13). If this is true, we see that when Christ wanted to reveal Himself to people, the people had full control of their mind - their mind was in an activated state: Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures (Luke24:45). The word “Open” is translated “anoigō” meaning “to open up”: This is the modus operandi of Christ.

Paul showed us the modus operandi of Satan in 2 Corinthians 4:4: in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds. The word “blind“ gives an illustration of one’s mind being enveloped with smoke. Satan uses a dormant state of the mind or lack of reasoning to wrought his work, Paul says.

A dormant state of mind is a window of entry to demonic possession - which can lead to such utterances.

Cc: Ikorodureporta

AntiChristian:
Surah 57:2 His is the dominion of the heavens and earth. He gives life and causes death, and He is over all things competent.

Surah 57:3 He is the First and the Last, the Ascendant and the Intimate, and He is, of all things, Knowing.

Surah 3:135 And those who, when they commit an immorality or wrong themselves [by transgression], remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins - and who can forgive sins except Allah ? - and [who] do not persist in what they have done while they know.

Colossians 1:16-18 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

Revelation 22:12-13: "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."

Mark 2:5,10 And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"

prettyangel10:
The motor park program is Paradise Park.

Do you know these programs from the mid nineties?

Rent-A-Ghost

agbarahk:
Pls good morning all. Does living faith church perform marriage blessing for intending couple who doesn't want "full " wedding ceremony?

Check their website and click “contact us”.

VBCampaign:
AROMETA: THREE FRIENDS

By: Deji Yesufu

Two days ago, I saw an open letter on Nairaland. It was written by a childhood friend of Kelechi Iheanacho. Apparently having exhausted every available means of reaching his friend privately, he resorted to writing an open appeal to him. The two boys had grown up in Imo State and done practically everything that boys do together. They played on the same pitch (the guy attached a photo of a young Iheanacho and himself playing football), they watched foreign matches together in the same viewing center, they lived in each other’s houses, etc. But fate smiled on Iheanacho who went on to become a rich professional footballer while this friend of his is probably still struggling somewhere in Eastern Nigerian. The guy lamented in the letter that he had tried to reach Kelechi but every attempt had been rebuffed. Kelechi’s elder brother would not even give him Kelechi’s private contact. He concluded the letter by saying that he did not intend to beg money from Kelechi (as by God’s mercy he was doing relatively well too) but that he simply couldn’t understand how a friend would forget another all because of fame.

That story touched my heart deeply and I just could not respond to it. I chose to ruminate over it because there is a Kelechi Iheanacho in me also. As I thought about this situation, I began to see careless statements on social media: “…guy, Iheanacho does not owe you anything – get a life…”; “…Nigerians and their entitlement mentality sha…”; and so on. I just smiled. Although these responses are right in themselves, but none of us will know the hurt in that young man’s heart except we are in his shoes.

Before I go into my reason for penning this piece, let me share some of my discoveries in life. Friends who knew you and loved you when you were nothing are the friends worth keeping. Many today may be your friends because of what they can get from you. The moment you lose those things, most of these people will flee. I do not have connections with many of my childhood friends anymore, but I deeply appreciate the small number I still associate with.

So, yesterday, as I goofed around on social media trying to get some sleep at the same time, a friend from my university days, Taiwo Bawonda, sent me a picture of himself, Israel Akinyele, and me (photo attached). The three of us were members of Christian Teaching Center, Samaru branch. I think we were nearing graduation at the time the picture was taken, and had been somewhere around Main Gate, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Somebody had suggested we take the picture (there was this craze for “motion” photographs back then). So we took the picture and everyone got a copy. I still have mine. However, I did something stupid. Because I felt that the shoes we were all wearing were not good, I cut off the lower part of the picture that showed our feet and lowly shoes. I would later be terribly convicted for doing this. That is the reason why you cannot see the feet. Taiwo Bawonda then gave me Israel Akinyele’s number and I called him immediately. He lives in Ilorin with his family now and he was so happy to hear from me.

Those two gentlemen came into my life at a time of great need and I would never forget them. I had become a Christian and changed my company of friends. It was Taiwo and his brother, Kehinde, that taught me how to study for examinations and pass. They showed me the tricks behind using past questions, etc. It was Israel Akinyele that introduced me to Tunde Bakare. I would always remember the first tape of Bakare that I listened to in his room: “Prophetic Cave Dwellers.” After my NYSC program, and while living in Lagos, I spent one year going to Bakare’s church and Bakare became a life coach to me. It was Bakare who taught me how to meander through the Nigerian labor market and how to make use of my gift above and beyond whatever else I may be doing in life. It was Bakare that made me understand that a Christian also has an opinion in world affairs and thus the freedom I have to write on both religion and humanities on my blog. So how do I forget these men?

As a youth corps member serving between 2002 and 2003 in Yola, Adamawa State, I met an engineer in my office that had relocated to work in Nigeria. One day we got talking and he lamented his inability to break into the Nigerian labor market despite all his credentials. He believed that the reason he was having challenges was that he schooled overseas all his life. Now that he had returned to work in Nigeria, he had no connections. While listening to him, I understood immediately that much of what most of us will become in life will be based solely on people we knew and had associated with right from childhood. Many people berate Muhammadu Buhari for populating his cabinet with men in their geriatric years. They forget that when one reaches that kind of position, you want to surround yourself with people you trust, people who were with you when you were nothing.

Since that young man wrote his open letter to Kelechi Iheanacho, I do not know whether Iheanacho has reached him privately. I hope he has. This is why: for many years, I have failed to understand why Iheanacho’s career never picked up despite his promising start. At a time, Kelechi Iheanacho was being tipped as the world’s up-and-coming Lionel Messi. But for some reason, his career and all the opportunities that should come with it never flew. Now compare Iheanacho and the legendary Christiano Ronaldo. The story is told of how a teammate and friend of Ronaldo gave him (Ronaldo) the opportunity to join Sporting Lisbon. Alex Ferguson later discovered 17-year old Ronaldo in Sporting and invited him to Manchester United and the rest, as we say, is history. Ronaldo, the story goes, has since returned to this friend of his and spoilt the guy with money. This friend no longer plays football; he lives largely on Ronaldo’s largesse.

Success is a trust. You earn more of it as you manage the little that you have been given. If Iheanacho cannot manage the little success he has had, like many Nigerian celebrities before and after him, it is not likely he would have more. I am of the opinion that managing success includes how we treat those we knew before we hit stardom. I honestly cannot judge Iheanacho in this matter because I have not heard his own side of this story. Another reason is that I also have not hit the kind of success and money that Iheanacho has. But if I do, and I hope I do, I pray that I would not forget my friends – especially friends that I grew up with.

PS: Arometa is Yoruba for “three friends”. The article is dedicated to my friendship with Israel Akinyele, Taiwo Bawonda and all my friends – particularly those who were my friends when I had nothing.

Source: https://textandpublishing.com/arometa/

Nice writeup. Your story with regards to your friends is great. But I think the part that relates to Kelechi is not fair on Kelechi. Is it objective? I don’t think so.

Rozz:
When it comes to religious matters we have to use our heads sometimes.Trinity, in Christian doctrine is the unity of the father ,son and holy spirit as three persons in one Godhead. The doctrine of the Trinity is considered to be one of central christian affirmations about God. It is rooted in the fact that God came to meet christians in a threefold figure as (1) There creator,Lord,Father and judge as revealed in the old testament (2)as the lord who incarnated in figure of Jesus Christ who lived among human beings (3)As the holy spirit whom they experienced as the helper or intercessor in the power of new life.But neither the word Trinity nor the explicit doctrine appears in the New Testament.Did Jesus and his followers intend to contradict the Shema in the Hebrew scriptures(Deutronomy 6:4).I have started asking my pastors some questions regarding that,but he only warned me to be very careful of JW. lol

I hope you love rap music. When there is a battle between two rappers and one loses, it’s simply because he/she didn’t do her home work - reading, practicing with a friend, writing etc.

I fear you don’t haven’t done your homework; hence, you are losing to a weak rapper - JWs.

Have you ever asked yourself what the word “God” means? If you do, you wouldn’t feel the way you are feeling now. While you are at it, could you read Revelations 1:4-6, please? Tell me what you understood after you studied those three verses.

TAYO124:
Go to a reputable seminary and argue it out.

I hope to do so. Thanks for the advice.

Amujale:
Its pretty simple, we MUST bin all these foreign extremist religions and focus our concentration on reality.

Reality is a foreign religion because many of us worship delusions.

hoopernikao:
Brother White sheep.

You arent actually keeping the issue where they are with your utterances, you are actually dishonoring the gift of God thereby dishonoring God. And with such dishonoring heart, it wont be far fetched why you may not have seen such gift in operations hence your fading.

It is obvious your tolerance level is low on related issue. That exactly is what you get when you dont understand spiritual gifts, you will tend to openly dishonor even those who do or practice it. It is the same trauma of an atheist who cant sit for 1 minutes without having to shout "There is no God", "bible is fake". It is the same trauma only the source is different.

I’m sorry for dishonoring you and your spiritual lingo gift.

hoopernikao:
I can confidently tell you for free, that theology of cessationism is just an Hyphoria of self denial.

Keep this somewhere:
THERE IS NO SINGLE CHILD OF GOD THAT HAVE NOT AND STILL DOES NOT EXERCISE THE GIFT OF THE SPIRIT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. It is not a discussion of whether it is exhibited, it is a discussion of whether those who speak of gifts ceasing truly understand what gifts are. If they do, they will know that the indwelling of the Spirit alone, created an habitation, an enablement to function, receive and exercise the spirit gifts.

Leaving present day usage and application apart, which we can all argue based on opinion, But see, the reality is, as a child of God, a trace of these gifts are at work in you and through you even if you dont agree with it. Indoctrination, manipulation and over stretch of spirit gifts is not enough reason to condemn them and birth a doctrine of cessationism. This is not an argument at all.

And i say again. NO CHILD of God that havent experienced or functioned or received expression of the spirit gifts in their daily work but whether they know it or what it means or agree with it is a different context.

@Goshen360, Myer, Maximus69, MuttleyLaff

I want to stand with Martin Luther King Jr who said: “let us keep the issues where they are”. The issue is the fading away of tongues. (You are the one bringing the issue of cessation and if I ever mentioned the word “cessation” for the “gifts of tongues”, I was drunk). Has this gift ceased? No. Is the gift fading away as Paul prophesied? Yes. There were conditions that existed and therefore necessitated the gift of tongues. Do those conditions exist today? Yes. And as long as those conditions exists, the gift still has a few gallons of fuel left in it.

However, if you speak in the tongues that is non-evangelistic in nature (the Shibaraba, yantelebo etc type), carry on. It doesn’t take away your status as a child of God; nevertheless, you ridicule the body of Christ like a black sheep of the family.

Let us keep the issues where they are.