₦airaland Forum

I don't just like the Christianity attachment to this presidential race. RCCG members getting deluded already.

Buhari will show you well well. I don't want GEJ too. If anything seems too good to be true, then its probably is. Deception everywhere

This post is part 1 of a 3-part series on tithing and giving:

1. Why the Apostles Didn’t Teach Tithing (And Why You Shouldn’t Feel Guilty About It)
2. Why Your Church Does Teach Tithing (And Why You Sometimes Feel Guilty About It)
3. What Jesus & His Apostles Taught About Giving (And How You Can Find Joy in It)

Average Tithers

If you’re average like us, on any given Sunday you’ve put something in the offering plate as it passed that amounted to a tithe on your net (after tax) income, or a tithe on gross, or a super-size offering, or some random change, or five dollar bill, or 6% of your current income…

Or, nothing at all.

If you’re average like us, you’ve heard loads of pastors tell you that Christians are supposed to tithe (“Trust God!” “Step out in faith!” “Plant that seed!”), the implication being that “good” Christians tithe, and those who don’t, well…

If you’re average like us, you’ve had your share of financial ups and downs (due to emergencies, or job loss, or a blown engine or poor management, or just plain being too materialistic, or lousy decision making, or all of the above in our case) where making a decision about what you could, should, would put in the plate on Sunday was a high-stress, angst-filled mental wrestling match.

And if you’re average like us, you’ve wrestled with feelings of guilt when you didn’t tithe, and maybe even some secret, self-righteous pride when you did.

If you’re average like us, you’re blessed to attend a church that emphasizes stewardship – the wise management of all your resources for God’s kingdom – over tithing. But tithing still hangs around in your mind as this minimum standard good Christians have to meet – like the first jump for a high jumper. Miss it, and you’re out of the competition.

Are you average like us? Yes? Then you’ve wrestled with the same questions, doubts, guilt, presumption and pride we have.

Tell you what. Let’s figure this out together starting in Genesis, shall we?

A Little Biblical History

The first tither was Abraham, who gave a tenth of the spoils of war to a mysterious priest/king named Melchizedek in Genesis 14:20. We don’t read that Abraham was commanded to give that tithe; apparently it was just part of the ancient near-east cultural norms and Melchizedek blessed him for doing it.

Four hundred plus years later, when God established His covenant with Israel after the exodus from Egypt, He commanded the Jews to give a tithe of their produce to support the Priests and Levites since they were not to receive any property when the Promised Land was divided up among the tribes of Israel (Numbers 18).

Fast forward another thousand years or so, and the prophet Malachi brought God’s charge against Israel that they were breaking His covenant and robbing Him (yikes!) by not giving the tithes for the Priests and Levites. Malachi challenged Israel to repent and see how God would bless them if they renewed their obedience to the tithing regulations of God’s covenant with them.

Now jump forward another four hundred-ish years to Jesus, who gave the Pharisees (whom he was berating) a backhanded compliment for tithing their herbs and spices. And then…

Nothing.

As in, no other teaching on tithing any where in the New Testament. Zip. Nada. Nothing from Jesus. Nothing from Paul, Peter, John, Jude or James. Not one word.
Why?

Because tithing isn’t an obligation of the New Covenant in Christ.

Now, before you take up pitchforks and torches, lemme ‘splain Lucy…

Jesus instituted a New Covenant when He shared His last Passover meal with the twelve disciples. He broke the bread. He passed the cup. Whenever you partake in Communion you are saying, “I am part of the New Covenant God made with Christ’s followers.” Whenever you hear the gospel – that your sins are forgiven because Jesus has done for you what you could not do for yourself (i.e., pay the penalty for your sins and live to tell about it) – you are hearing the central message and blessing of the New Covenant.
The Gospel Goes Multi-Ethnic

Okay, so there’s no question that the Old Covenant administered through Moses was made with the Jews only, right? If an Egyptian or a Moabite wanted in on the blessings of that Covenant, he had to become a Jew and submit to it’s obligations – Ten Commandments, circumcision, tithing to support the priesthood, not eating pork – everything. But, the apostles Peter and Paul quickly figured out that the New Covenant administered by Jesus was for both Jews and non-Jews (like AverageUs). They understood that the blessing of the gospel of Christ, this New Covenant in His blood, was for all nations.

But this, raised a critical question for the early church leaders: If the New Covenant includes non-Jews, were non-Jews obligated to keep any part of the Old Covenant?

Put yourself in Peter’s place. You’re a Jewish fisherman. You were born under the Old Covenant and lived with an obligation to keep the Law of Moses all your life. Jesus called you to follow Him. After His resurrection, you finally get what Jesus has been trying to drum into your head for three years. It’s about redemption for anyone who believes. Now you’re the leader of the church. And now, Gentiles want in. They weren’t born under the Old Covenant. They’ve never kept the Law. Do they have to become Jews before they can become Christians? Do they have to keep the Old Covenant laws to enjoy the blessing of the New Covenant? Is this like baseball where you have to tag first before you can go to second?
And The Answer Is…

A resounding NO. The Jewish church leaders got together to discuss the matter and their conclusion was simple: Non-Jews mustn’t be forced to keep a law that we Jews have failed to keep ourselves (Acts 15:10). Instead, they gave a few instructions that Gentile followers of Christ should not eat food offered to idols or meat that hadn’t been properly butchered, and should shun all forms of sexual immorality (Acts 15:29). No requirement to be circumcised. No requirement to tithe.

In fact, in all the letters the apostles wrote to both Jews and Gentiles which explained how to live a gospel-driven, Christ-centered life, not once did they teach tithing. They taught on every conceivable subject related to Christian living: church order, prayer, spiritual growth, church discipline, leadership qualifications, worship, personal ministry, marriage, parenting. They even taught on subjects that might logically lead to a discussion of tithing like work and charity.

In short, the Apostles had every opportunity to teach the fledgling churches that they must tithe, but they didn’t. Why? Because they viewed tithing as an obligation of the Old Covenant, a covenant that Gentiles never were a part of, a covenant that Christ replaced with another, better covenant with His church.
Our Conclusions, Until the Next Post…

Christians are not obligated to tithe. (No Guilt!) Tithing is not a mark of a “good” Christian. (No Pride!) God is not displeased with a Christian merely because s/he doesn’t tithe. God is not pleased with a Christian merely because s/he does tithe. These conclusions are, we think, in harmony with the gospel.

Ah, but this doesn’t answer all of your questions, does it?

But you’re tired of reading this anyway, right?

So, let’s continue another time, shall we? For now, we’ll just hint that the New Covenant has it’s own obligations – one that touches on the subjects of giving and charity and stewardship.

If you have a specific question about tithing, leave a comment and AverageUs will try to address it next time.

Dawn and I sincerely hope this helps some of you to experience the freedom of the gospel in a new way. Be blessed

http://averageus.com/2010/09/19/apostles-tithing/

elantraceey:
What an ugly wicked soul , if you were killed the day you were born would you have the life you are planing to enjoy ?

I just can't believe a woman had the mind to strangle her own child , she should be taken to a psychatric home .


*crying*

Call her names and whatever. Even go ahead and say "there's no justification for the killing', but one thing is certain, the media got you where they want... pot calling kettle black.

It was an horrific thing to do, but hey, did you come to her rescue? or would you have visited every hospital looking to free and help every woman in her situation? I don't judge and most times do understand why things happens. You have to get inside the heart of these people before you know what is really going on.

I bet she has a Church she attends but doesn't see help coming from such. You guys alienate people and when the worst happens, you come here and judge.

3 Bags...2 Bags on plain view, 1 bag inside another bag, and a guy.

Truth be said..Patoranking fine pass the boy jo. The boy mama go ugly small.

Ok ok, maybe in Nigeria sha o, but in countries like Canada, Finland and Russia if your guy does not have a car, you're screwed up.

Cold will freeze your ears and lungs in that you will only be recognised by your teeths.

Let us see your picture. Leave the rest for Nlanders and it's single men. Your case is not spiritual. Picture pls!

kettykin:
What will Americans now do having a son of a kenyan rule over them for 2 terms.

Killing black people. That's the answer for your question.

This is not all about tattooing, it's all about the message these celebrities are passing around. Tonto has a lot of fans and so do many celebrities around the world. Behind every message there's always a subliminal. This is just mind controlling and an opportunity to use their status and social sites to poison the minds of the fans. This is where the world is heading right now.

Nobody wants to think anymore. Everyone wants to either be a celebrity or a celebrity follower not minding the cost and repercussions. This is just a way of telling people that "it's ok to put tattoo on yourself, eh, look, I'm doing it too". They are taking your minds off the real thing. People now spend more time on social media sites than they would on their books. They sit all day watching soap opera and Big Brother but inadvertently giving in to the lust of the fresh.

The music industry is doing all it could to get everyone addicted to secular songs that contains subliminal demon lyrics. For the first time in human history, almost 3/4 of the world population now watch tv. Tv is bad for you except you are a critic and only watch to find fault.

Be careful people. These celebrities are now becoming satanic human agents sent to destroy your grips and focus on God. You watch TV or go to Cinema, how about getting your popcorn and coca cola ready? Did you know that popcorn contains diacetyl, a synthetic butter flavoring added to the product. This chemical causes thyroid, bladder cancer, popcorn lung, and high cholesterol, And on the other hand, the coca cola you couldn't do without contains straight A addictive cocaine powder. Population control is on the high with inter-govt/nations agreement already signed to limit the amount of people on the planet.

Ebola was created and so does so many human killer diseases out there. Be careful with celebrities and their fake lives.

Buhari is 72? Why is everyone then vying and voting for him? How is he gonna talk about the future of Nigeria when he's not gonna be here?

If Buhari die now, its natural causes. Even when hit by a car, its still natural causes....cause if he's young and agile, he would have got out of the way.

This N***** is too old. Smh for the future of our land. Where are the future generations and leaders of tomorrow we always talk about? We should be looking at what's in his bucket list and not him becoming the president of Nigeria.

Smh...corruption in the foundation?

History is about to repeat itself again in this oncoming general election. Yorubas have always voted for the Hausas and will continue to do so because of the corruption imbeded in its leaders.

Nigeria is a Country of multiple religion. But for years, one of these religion has terrorize Nigerians, kill thousands of innocent people and would continue to do so until they get extinguished or deleted from the Nigerian map.

Yet these so-called Yorubas (most of which are Muslims) continue to support these terrorists. GEJ needs time to grow in the game, and this is the time to give him that chance.

I never see Jesus telling people what will happen in a gathering or future sermon. It always happen right there with Jesus.

You cannot tame God. And why is there a Shiloh when you have your local Church and God?

RCCG also have similar thing going on. Ashimolowo have this 'International Gathering of the Champions' he does every time. Just wondering what is going with todays' Christains...no faith at all. Will Jesus even find faith when he returns to earth?

Pastor Chris is often presented as Jesus by his followers. His demonstration and gestures in photos often depict someone descending from the above.

Take a look at his hands posture. He present Christianity as would a pharmacist prescribing a drug without telling the side effects.

Above all, hbd to a fellow human being.

Jennimma:
They are decent,beautiful and have a striking resemblance with their father.

'Decent' as in they haven't taken the d.i.c.k before? Or just decent in approach? Stop this propaganda and let people live their lives.

They're studying in abroad with tithes-payers money while tithes-payers dey struggle for home. Let this happen in any Western country, Oyedepo would be told to resign.

Nigerian Christians, gullible since time memorial.

alobam1:
Blacks also commit crime and get away with it..it is not a racial thing..it all depends on the discretion of the officers on charge..

One of the most ignorant post ever. Police do have discretion, but often used for white people.

I've been thinking, I've been thinking... why so many people change within a tiny space of time? It saddened my heart to have experienced this first hand... coupled with the experience of others too.

The cynics would say maybe your attitude accounts for the sudden change of behaviour of the other party.But in most cases, it doesn't happen that way. People change because they want to and not because of the attitude of the person involved.

Apparently, space and jealousy tends to play a major role in this. Every one needs place, and once that place is being replaced with your constant presence, irritation sets in and the visitors integrity gets questioned. It doesn't matter if you're a nice person, help out with house chores or contribute to living expenses, your host would automatically want you out of their home within two weeks.

The nicest person you know today would without doubt remain the nicest person until you invade their privacy or come close to them. Dirty laundry become visible and secret let out. Although you are still a person of integrity and God-fearing, you're now a constant threat to the existence of such 'nice person'.

Don't get me wrong, there are some who would want to take advantage of their host or benefactor for the kind gestor, those are the ones that 'deserve' to be discontinued.

Sometimes, without the fault of our own, our loved ones change too. Are human full with short memories?

You may have one or two to add to this, pls feel free and let us know why people change so fast.

God never change!

I hate it.

Closed story

All of you ladies choosing lip-gloss aren't honest to yourselves. What would you look like without your powder or foundation? I bet most of you would look like ghost! You can't just put lip-gloss on and walk the street? You would totally be unrecognizable. 98% of our ladies can't do without their foundation and powder.

Nigerians are gullible sha. I purposely put question mark for the title to make you question the authenticity of my write up, but only few are chosen sha. There is an exclamation mark after the 'Picture' too.

pussyeater:
Hey! This Op can lie for Africa oh, Chei! When did Taco Bell become a leading mobile company in Canada? Taco Bell na restaurant specialiced in Tacos and Burritos jor, Ode!

My bad, i thought that was bell and not Taco bell. Bell is however the biggest mobile company in Canada

Ok ok let me explain in details. The whole thing was a lie . I went shopping in Shoppers World, Brampton, Ontario Canada then came across this fast food chain. I then thought about all the lies our celebrities make you guys believe..... like Psquare buying #500 million house, Davido acquiring a Plane, Ini Edo buying a brand new SUV and all the millions other celebrities make you believe they have.

Since this generation love consuming tabloids and fake blogs news, i then decided to create my own. I took the picture of the Fast fòod store and went on google to get Ini Edo's pictures. I chose the restaurant ones because they fit the occasion.

Here is actually the full picture of what I captured. You could see Bell. Bell is a leading mobile company in Canada.

pussyeater:
I smell lies! When did Japanese reataurant start to dey collect Dollar?

Last Bullet

Photoshop things!

Go to Okinawa, Some part of Tokyo and Kyoto. Most part of Nakamise dori and Asakasa and Asakusa also spend and take $. Sapporo and Akasaka also collect $. Dollar is accepted in mainly foreign owned restaurants

After her Ogudu bakery was recently shut down, actress Ini Edo came charging back. Rather than begging or seeking to reconcile with her adversary, she flew all the way to Japan to open a fast food chain and named it ' Edo'.

Nigerians are in their thousands in Japan and want a restautant that have the feel of home. Ini Edo saw the opportunity and capitalised.

Ini Edo dressed casually at the initial opening opting to take off her wig leaving the beautiful braids to bring out her beauty. She then changed to a more elegant dress later and putting her wig back.

Friends and well wishers all came to celebrate with her.

There's something wrong with NFF. You can't choose or elect a president 4 times! ...especially a failure.

All these candidates should be elected. Enough of older generation dominating politics. I believe these guys would unite Nigeria and would carefully project the future than the so called big belly politicians.

Give them a chance. We need new blood and vigour in this nation. Go out and vote for them.

We have more than a million subscribers on this forum. If any of you really want change, then now is your time. Let us stop complaining and go out there to win these seats for these young people.

Change is inevitable.

carefreewannabe: Any man who doesn't know how to cook is dvmb because cooking is easy.

And how can you NOT know how to nurture YOURSELF and depend on others for this to happen?

No one is depending on others. What is wrong with this generation? Sanity has to be restored in some ways to make sure these bunch of women we're raising these days go back to the drawing board.

Only Muslims still practice sanity in relation to the respect a woman gives to her husband. Western culture is making our women dumber and dumber. Nigeria is fast brewing up chewing gum girls.

Smh for this generation!

A Nigerian recently reported the odeal he went through in the hands of the Egypt Air officials. It has been confirmed by close to 200 passengers that this is now the trend.

If you recall that the said Nigerian passport page was torn and the rest given back to him. Well, this is a new method devised by the Egypt airline officials and their airline counterparts to fraudulently defraud innocent passengers of their money and also an attempt to stop them from visiting such country again.

This is how they go about it...

On arrival at the counter desk of Egyptian airline or any other airline involved in this scandal, your passport is taken from you for confirmation of ticket. And as soon as you look away ( this only takes 2 seconds to do), a page in your passport is taken out by the official. The said page would then be scanned to the airline you have tranfer with ( the page contain your passport number).
And as soon as you arrive at the other airport, your passport gets flagged up and you're escorted out of the airport by an immigration officer and handed over to a policeman waiting by the corner.

You're then threatened with life in prison for forged passport. You're told to either cooperate by emptying your pocket and send back to your country or face prison. Most passengers opt for the former.

The money and valuables realised in these scandals are then shared by the Airline officials, the immigration and the police force. A lot of Africans, Asians and Philippinos have already fallen victims.

There is also a page on facebook warning travelers about this scandal.

Be warned!


Front page please! This is very important for Nigerians and others.

Thanks

I want this thread trending again @moderator. Make it happen!

Our soldiers are risking their lives and needs more troops to combat these religious monsters called Boko-haram. We need more troops and intelligence to successfully win this battle. And all America could do was to send non-combatant personnel to us to help with information we already have.

President Obama is sending 3000 heavy-loaded combatant troops to Liberia and any other Ebola-ridden country to help fight against the "almighty Ebola" who is harmed to the teeth with WMD.

Is there more to this? Sending 3000 troops to Liberia whose population is just over 4 Million looks a bit dodgy. Are there hidden treasures or newly discovered wealth in Liberia that 3000 American troops would be so eager to go full-throttle? Some of these soldiers might also be deployed to Nigeria to stop Ebola from attacking our natural resources.

Ebola is a b.itch just like her Boko-haram counterpart. Ebola is trying to attack our gas and petroleum pipelines, and in order to help, Obama is sending his troops to guard those pipelines... how ironically!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2757360/US-send-3-000-troops-Ebola-danger-zone-Obama-administration-shuffles-military-s-mission-Africa.html

Seun on other hand needs to do more. We have close to 170 Million population in Nigeria and yet only 1% of those are aware or signed up to Nairaland. No awareness and no publicity. In fact, most of us on this forum personally introduce a lot of our friends to Nairaland without getting paid for it. Seun is going about it in the right way, but to be the Zuckerberg of the world, he needs investors and probably an overhaul.

Seun needs to get rid of some of the moderators, especially those who are quick to rubbish Nigeria. Some mods are not even African or Nigerian. Not patriotic enough to modulate this big forum. Meet these mods in person and discuss how to forge ahead.

"Hoover" was 3 months old. Then at 6 months " Daddy pass me the remote"