₦airaland Forum

@t Poster,
I think you need to define which "heaven" you are talking about.
Is it the "Christian" heaven to which Muslims and all others are not invited?
or the "Muslim" heaven to which Christians and all others are definitely not invited?
or the Buddhist heaven? or Hindu heaven? e.t.c

One interesting thing about religions is that each lay claim to being the only sure way to God, while all others arre deceitful.

Coming back to the topic, If you define "holiness" as obedience to the Mosaic law and its derivatives, then Christians are definitely not the only holy people. Muslims too are "holy" as Islam derives from the same source. Note also, that the Ten Commandments is almost an exact copy of the ancient Code of Hamurrabi, the guidelines for worshippers of an ancient religion that predates Christianity by hundreds of years. Methinks worshippers of that religion too can lay claim to being the "genuine" ones abi?

In my own humble opinion(and as someone rightly said), just live right with your God while on earth(be you Christian, Muslim, e.t.c), and do right by your fellow human beings too.
As for what comes after, who can tell?

Thanx y'all,
To tell the truth, I couldn't do it(i.e pay the firstfruit). What will I tell my family? After waiting a while, the Pastor came right out to ask me, and I told him why I couldn't do it. I informed him I paid my tithe, but he said tithe is not acceptable to God in place of firstfruit and I should pray for deliverance from the Devourer.
After this came a series of soft harassments- u know, innuendoes, veiled aspersions,e.t.c all calculated to make me see the "error" of my ways.
I however don't know why things should be like this. Firstfruit should be between me and God right? why then his(Pastor's) vested interest? And its not as if the man is a pauper, No. He drives a BMW X3 for Christs sake. Me? I don't even have a car.

Kunle,
Wot do you mean there's nothing like rapture? Now I am very confused. Please explain yourself thank you.

@blinx4real,
I've not done it yet. I know about tithes and other contributions, but I do not know about firstfruit. Thats why I came to nairaland to ask.

Someone said earlier that you can pay the firstfruit in installments?(I was hoping to use this as an escape route). well, I asked and the Pastor said an emphatic No. The firstfruit should be paid at one go. Anything different means the individual is not following God's commandment to the letter. Such act, according to him, attracts no blessing as it is a wilful disobedience of God's commandment.

All well and good,but what the Pastor neglected to tell me was, how am I supposed to survive in Lagos if I plunk down all my salary eh?

People,
Jewish tradition(as with many other traditions) is heavily skewed against women. I noticed this in my readings thru the old testament where women were ranked on a level just above that of a camel.

Down thru the centuries, this has not changed. Men make the policies, set traditions, even determine what women wear(without any input from women).

I am not suprised that women in christianity are forbidden from taking any prominent leadership role. Afterall, the founding fathers of christianity were Jews, well schooled in Jewish tradition, so it stands to reason they will make decisions or give exhortations based on the tradition they know.

Well Kunle,
I had a lengthy discussion with my Pastor on the issue and this is his defense:


1. God established the Laws (tithe, ten commandments, offerings, sacrifices,e.t.c) for the physical and spiritual well-being of the Israelites of the old testament.

2. The Old Testament was defective, hence the need for a New Testament.

3. Jesus came, not to erase the law, but to fulfil it.

4. It follows from 3 above, that the law was binding on Jesus in his time, so it is equally binding on all Christians of today

5.  By virtue of believing Jesus Christ, we have become part and parcel of the Children of Israel, albeit spiritually

6. Therefore, all relevant laws  that applied in the old testament(tithe, ten commandments, offerings, sacrifices,e.t.c) equally applies to us today.

7. The long and short of all these? I have to obey the Law of Firstfruits, if I am not to suffer the visit of the Devourer.

Oh, and I'm to keep away from "spiritual rebels" like you  

Thank you weymola,
I actually installed the new Server first. I now wanted to demote the SC440 and I got the message"there are no more endpoint mappers available". I tried re-installing the Server OS, but Windows would not see the hard drives.
I guess my main problem is, how would I convert virtual drives to physical drives that Windows can see?

Thanks Kunle
The guy (Pastor) quoted from the books of Malachi and Deuteronomy, and made me believe if I dont do this, my life is doomed for ever. I intend to confront him on this issue, and I most def will feed you back.
Peace!!

If this topic has been treated before, pls send the link. I would love to read it up.

Heard in Church last Sunday that as a true Christian, it is mandatory I fork over my WHOLE salary for this month(I just got a new job), to God. Pastor says its the Law of the Firstfruits.
Is this true? is that the way the Bible really laid it out? How then do I survive and meet all my obligations?
Your thoughts on this please.

I use a Dell Poweredge SC440 running Win 2003 server in my office. Recently, we bought a new and more powerful server and I wanted to demote the server to an ordinary workstation. To my surprise however, it will not demote. Instead, I get this message " there are no more endpoint mappers". As an alternative measure, I tried installing Win XP on the system, but no luck. I get the message" Windows cannot detect a hard drive on your system".
I checked and discovered the system has virtual disk configuration. So my question is how do I get Windows to see my hard drive?, and how do I demote the server?
All suggestions will be appreciated pls.

@Bastage et al,
Its a common fact that no single religion on earth is "pure". Every religion borrows from those before it and around it. That is why the Biblical manuscripts have been heavily influenced by Egyptian mythology and Greek philosophy.
The story of creation has parallels in Egyptian, Greek and Sumerian mythologies
The 10 commandments has its parallel in ancient Egypt
The life and times of Jesus Christ also has its own parallels in other even more ancient religions

So you see, nothing is really new under the Sun

@funkilicious
Be aware of one thing. Your Pastor is a man. An ordinary man just like your boyfriend.
The only difference is he's in a position of authority, which he's using to his own advantage.
He's able to get away with it cos the mother church has bestowed on him all the advantages, while ordinary cretins like you are to be seen, used and not heard. Any attempt to speak up will earn you opprobrium and a lot of embarrsssment. You could even be called a satanic agent on assignment to distabilise the church by confronting the man of God.
I know, cos my mum passed thru something similar. A 56year old woman going to do laundry for her church Pastor all in the name of Divine obedience!

So, what I would advise is
1. Don't confront him. You can never win as he holds all the aces.
2. Don't do anything you don't have a mind to do. He can never force you. At worst, he may threaten you with excommunication. Fine.
3. Remember he's just a man. He may have the spirit of God, but then so do you. Do not let anyone use the Bible to confuse you.
4. Strive to stand right with God. If your spirit is clear before God, then you have no problem.

Peace

@AKO
I don't either. But what would have motivated a mother to stand by and watch her only child die, without trying to help?

And she did this cos she was "obeying God". Which God? _{Sorry, I guess Im still bitter.}

I lost an intimate friend recently, who died of kidney failure. He was an only child and could have been saved, only the mother refused to donate one of her own kidneys, owing to "religious convictions". So we all had to watch him die.

I ask you - Is christianity really against donating any of your organs to somebody in need?

@SirJohn
Remember Rev Jim Jones of Guyana? He caused the death of nearly all his followers by convincing them to drink poison and die so as to catch the "last bus to heaven". That was in 1979.
Shows what systematic and continuous brainwashing will do.
The cult of personality worship is very strong in christendom today especially among the new age churches and their televangelists. People will believe what they have been persuaded to believe, however idiotic it seems. Its called mental programming I think.
So, Im not suprised about Pastor Chris and the predictable reactions from CE members.

His followers(my sister inclusive) rever him
They adore him
They worship him,

So, how d'you think they will allow a mere mortal like you diss their idol? no way man!

OKbobo:
SirJohn.
I am not a member of his church nor have any affeliation with the organisation.
I don't believe u. I don't see any reason why anyone should take your word for it.
It is easy for anyone to stand up and say what he likes on ablog behind a mask.
I could just as easily make outragious statements about you.
Who really knows the agenda or the agro that you have.
You say your faith was shaken - faith in who man or God!
'If anyman sees his brother commit a sin that is not unto death, he should prayer to the Father for life and restore that brother' Remember that quote from the bible?
Oga, get a life.
If you were busy making a success of yours you would not be spending time undermining others.

bro,
u don't have to believe or not, dats your choice. SirJohn gave a good account of himself, with facts that will stand up to any scrutiny. What behoves any civilised human being is to examine the facts and evidences objectively, and choose to be informed or not.
Name calling will get you nowhere. And who told you SirJohn is not making a success of his life?

Sistawoman, thanx for being genuine and keeping it real.

Here then, are my thoughts

We men want our wives to be our best friend. Not just our kids'mother, or someone we have sex with.

Yes, we want to be pampered and petted and cuddled (who doesn't?)

But we also want our privacy to be respected too. No unnecessary attention when we want to be strictly left alone.

We want to be fed good food(real home cooking). Not junk.

We want to be told we are the best thing to ever happen to her(and she should mean it)

We want to be treated like Emperors in our home

But we also don't mind being reprimanded whenever we step out of line

We want to be the center of our wive's universe

And we must know she means it when she says I love you.

So sistawoman, keep it up. You are doing just fine.
Your husband is the luckiest guy in the world.
I pray I find a _{fine assed} woman like you for a wife.

Why am I not suprised?
Remember this administration has been on the defensive right from day one.

We can all swear(to the last man) that Yaradua's mandate is not genuine, and we never let him forget it either

We can all swear too that he's a lackey of U know who, and he knows that we know.

Then there's the issue of his health, half comatose most of the time, which we never let him forget also

Then there's the issue of the economy, speeding along like a snail, no thanks to a lot of empty heads in high offices

There's also the Niger Delta issue, monumental corruption in high places, ineffectual probes, etc,etc

No wonder the guy has his back up against the wall. But rather than accept the message, he's busy shooting the messenger.

Its only an administration that is totally bereft of ideas that would resort to shadow chasing and strong arm tactics. If they feel pained about what was written, the law is there, let them use it defend their honour.

Arresting journalists(or inviting them for a discussion as someone said) will do nothing but generate a lot of bad blood and heat up the polity unnecessarily.
Let Yaradua call his dogs to order.

Look people, like it or not, allegations have been made by Keyamo. He, as a trained lawyer should know the importance of getting facts right. He has presented his facts to the public without giving a damn whose ox is gored.

Bankole, rather than vehemently defending his integrity, is attributing the expose to his political enemies. That is lame!

Keyamo gave us facts. Hard cold facts.
Let Bankole and Co come out with their own facts to disprove Keyamo. Simple!

And if they have nothing to hide, they should sue the hell out of Keyamo. There's still something called libel and defamation of character in this Country abi!

She tells you she'll accompany you to a dinner party, and she seems to really want to. Later on, though, she gets angry at you for having made her go. Sound familiar?

Men and women are very distinct creatures. While men have a tendency to be straightforward, women are often not so simple. When trying to understand what she really means, you are sometimes better off reading between the lines.

But don't get disheartened just yet. We are here to help you fish out the hidden meaning of what she says. From asking her out to being in a relationship to breaking up, the list below will equip you with all you need to know to understand what she's really trying to tell you.

[center]THE PURSUIT PHASE[/center]

She says: "I don't want to ruin our friendship."
What she means: I am not attracted to you, or I don't feel enough chemistry to date you -- but I do like you as friend.

Why she does this: She probably does want to remain friends, but doesn't want to hurt your feelings by admitting that she doesn't feel the same attraction for you.

What you should do: Don't take it personally; she just doesn't feel the same chemistry as you do. Take the hint and work on being friends with her, if that's what you want.

2. She says: "I'm just so busy with work right now."
What she means: I am not interested in fitting you into my schedule.

Why she does this: She wants to let you down easy. Instead of being blunt, she is hoping you'll just get the picture.

What you should do: When a woman likes a man, she will always find time for him -- no matter what her schedule is like. So don't kid yourself into thinking that the situation might change. Instead, move on right away.

3. She says: "Are you seeing anyone right now?"
What she means: I might like to submit an application for the position of your girlfriend.

Why she does this: She wants to make sure she is not wasting her precious flirting energy on a man who is already spoken for.

What you should do: Answer honestly, and then hit her up for her phone number.


[center]THE DATING PHASE[/center]

1. She says: "Do you really want to go to that restaurant/movie/dinner party?"
What she means: I really don't want to go.

Why she does this: She doesn't want to go, but she doesn't want to appear stubborn either. She is probably hoping you'll sense her hesitation and come up with an alternate plan that pleases her.

What you should do: If you have your heart set on going to that particular destination, stick to your guns. Otherwise, you might want to switch up in order to please her. Remember this: If you keep her happy, she'll keep you happy.

2. She says: "You have a knack for dealing with kids. They really seem to respond to you."
What she means: I am contemplating eventually having children with you and am wondering where you stand in that department.

Why she does this: An indirect question is her way of feeling you out without freaking you out.

What you should do: Don't freak out. She is probably thinking very distantly into the future (yes, women do this). If, however, you absolutely positively know that you never want kids, this would be a good time to say it.

3. She says: "Where is this relationship going?"
What she means: I would like us to graduate to a more serious, exclusive relationship.

Why she does this: She wants you to be the one to suggest exclusivity.

What you should do: This depends on whether or not you actually want exclusivity. If so, suggest it. If not, let her know that you care about her, but are not interested in being exclusive right now.

4. She says: "I feel so close to you right now. You know me so well."
What she means: I am starting to feel the l-word, but I don't want to be the first to say it.

Why she does this: It's a scary thing to be the first to say "I love you." It's much easier for her to hint and hope that you'll take the plunge first.

What you should do: Do not -- under any circumstances -- say the l-word if you don't mean it. If you do feel it, then go ahead; otherwise, don't say anything. In the long run, you'll be happy not to get entangled in such a lie.

5. She says: "I feel like our relationship is stuck in a routine right now."
What she means: I want you to be more romantic and spontaneous, and surprise me more. I need you to pay more attention to my needs.

Why she does this: She doesn't want to hurt your feelings and admit that you are, in part, the cause of the rut.

What you should do: You don't need to change your personality entirely, but it wouldn't kill you to surprise her every once in a while. Call her out of the blue and tell her you're taking her for dinner, go on a spontaneous weekend away, or just surprise her with her favorite chocolates.

6. She says: "A man was flirting with me all night."
What she means: Does it make you jealous?

Why she does this: She wants you to know that she's a hot commodity and that other men are interested in her. She wants you to appreciate what you have.

What you should do: Don't respond to it in a way she'll expect, like by getting angry or jealous. Instead, pay her a compliment -- she's definitely fishing for it. Don't get all insane with jealousy; just let her know what she means to you, or else she'll be playing this card every so often to set you straight.

7. She says: "Do you get along well with your mother?"
What she means: Are you a family man?

Why she does this: A man who gets along with his mother tends to be more loyal, sensitive and devoted -- at least that's the stereotype that a lot of women buy into.

What you should do: Talk about how close you and your mother are; you could even tell a couple of stories. Just enough to affirm that yes, you get along with her.


[center]THE BREAKUP PHASE[/center]

1. She says: "I'm just not ready to make a commitment."
What she means: I'm not ready to commit to you, and may never be.

Why she does this: She uses this tactic to soften the blow; nine times out of 10, this means that she doesn't see a future with you,  ever.

What you should do: Don't stick around until she's ready to make a commitment. Chances are, when she's finally ready, it won't be with you.

2. She says: "I think we should stay friends."
What she means: I am trying to cut you out of my life gradually.

Why she does this: She thinks it would be easier to gradually stop seeing you instead of going cold turkey. She may even want to keep you around as a backup.

What you should do: Stay friends if you like. But don't let yourself become the backup guy. If she wants to get back together down the line, ask yourself if she's only doing it because she hasn't found anyone else.


By now, you should know that a woman's words can be very loaded. Unlike a man, she often uses hints and insinuations to steer you in her direction. Her way isn't necessarily better or worse than yours -- just different.
Always remember, with women, words are never exactly what they seem.

librangyps:
deaola thanks , but i wish it were that easy for me, its so complicated now, and my GOd i have no one close to me now to confide in and sometimes i feel like im going to burst, he makes my friends feel uncomfortable whenever he's around and they prefer to minimise their contact with me so as not to cause me any problems, i lost my best friend from secondary school days because of him, i want to make it right with her but not until i figure out how to rid myself of this (prison guard ) before i kill myself out of frustration, ( i can never do that anyway, can't ear the pain of hurting myself, and my family too) nah he aint worth it i know, i wish i could just walk away right this moment but iv put in a lot into this and i have to take my time to get out so i dnt lose too much, than i already have, i.e Time,

@poster
I quite agree with Deola. If you are feeling like this right now, I believe there's no need to stay one minute longer in the relationship. The longer you delay, the more complicated things become. Its true you've put in a lot, but nothing is worth becoming a hospital-case for, believe me.
If he's this horrible now, what will he become when u're finally married? By then the bonds will be more difficult to break. It may be very painful now, but its the best thing you can do for yourself.

Peace.

No bro, not only a Yoruba man. Only a Godly and decent man would do this.

Seriously though, I foresee another round of bickering is about to start over who gets what.

For example, which State has first choice of the "positions" in the new Ministry?
More importantly, what is the mandate of the New Ministry?
wont there be duplication with NDDC job descriptions?

Will the "choice positions" be by appointment or rotation?
If by appointment, who does the choosing? and if by rotation, who takes first shot and for how long?
_{Let it not suprise you that at this point in time and space, some states in the Niger Delta will start to see themselves as more Niger Deltan than the others.}

One thing's sure though, interesting days lie ahead,

What if Yar'adua actually wanted to resign but his "constituency" would not allow it?
The man is only human, and battling with kidney complications does not leave much room for anything else.
In Nigeria, everything is politics and what you think is simple, may actually not be simple at all.


I respect Bakare for his stand. He's one guy who, once he takes a stand, never backs down. Even his worst critics cannot take that away from him.
It takes a lot of guts to challenge the powers that be.

I wonder how many nairalanders can stand up to the local Police constable?  

outlaws:


What's up poster? The example you gave is not difficult at all. Maybe you need to understand the meaning of difficult before you post anything else. But an example of a lady being difficult is you tell her to sit, she stand, you tell her okay you can stand now, she sit plus one that bitches about every little thing. Every minute she is bitching about something, that's what I call being difficult.

@outlaws

Actually, I gave just one specific instance. There are millions of instances as you are well aware. And what you said about bitching?, I couldn't agree more. I believe many women must have gotten University honours in bitching and nagging.

KarmaMod:
maybe here, not Nigeria. It's all excuse

If the wife was the one getting networking tips at clubs, these same men would be yarning dust. Abegi.

@KarmaMod
Maybe you need to widen your horizons more before you can issue blanket condemnations like that.

I have a lady friend who works in an Insurance company here in Lagos. She got employed back in 2006, and was given a target of N20million naira.
One weekend, she was invited to a bithday bash at a club in Ikoyi. While there, she got an opportunity to market to a fellow woman.
Suprisingly, the woman called her within the following week and purchased a life insurance policy worth N50million naira.
In any case, if you take your time to investigate, I'm sure you will discover that many of the Banks' marketers (both guys and ladies) go to clubs regularly. You think they go there just to drink beer and fornicate?


@sistawoman

"Nuff" Respects to you! Wish all our ladies have your maturity.

Nella:
His Mum needs permission to visit ----
"EVERYONE needs permission to visit your marriage home! -- It's called respect"

@Nella
Then why don't her family ever obtain pemission?

I come home from work, and I meet her siblings, sitting in my favourite chair, eating my Apples and drinking my Heineken!

Zino Ben:
Bottom line, we are all humans and our greatest religion and attribute is freewill. The right to choose good and bad, right or wrongand you enjoy the rewards personally or suffer the consequences personally.

No god chooses your mr or mrs right. You do! 100%

So I thought Zino Ben.

There's this Sister I quite fancied at my Church. So one Sunday, I went over to say howdy and "submit" my "application". Big mistake.
After dressing me down with the Scriptures, she referred the issue to the Pastor who asked me wether I heard from God before approaching the Sister.
According to him, God knows the woman thats perfect for me and would reveal her either in a vision or a dream. Anything short of these, I'm being controlled by my "sinful nature" and may be a wolf in sheep clothing.
At the same time, I can't even ask God to approve the Sister again, because that would mean Im the one "choosing" for God.


@olabowale

Why waste precious oxygen belabouring this issue? What's the point? You want us all to renounce our beliefs and convert to Islam?

@seun
If this topic has been posted before, please send me the link so I can read it up.

Most Christians would have us believe that God chose their partner for them.

But I ask, can God choose for you? Are you not supposed to "toast" that sista of your choice? In any way, how does God choose? Will you not have a particular sista in mind before praying to God for ratification?

Pastor AIO:
This thread has become rediculous beyond belief.

er, Pastor

Ridiculous in what sense?

sistawoman:
It is called p,ussy power. the power of the juices that flow there can turn any big bad dog into a puppy begging for scraps from my table.

@sistawoman

You'r a bad, bad girl!