This year 2021!
There is nothing chronologically magical or spiritually significant about this year, neither is there any hidden mystery about 2021 as a numeral figure. At the very best, this year is going to be 'the year of whatever you make of it' by your choices and persistent pursuit of own goals, whether intentionally or otherwise. Sometimes, we claim naivety of deliberate and insistent pursuit, but imperatively enough, aloofness, indifferentism and sitting on the fence is tantamount to lay choice. When you target nothing, your clear aim is nothing. When you refuse to pray well as a believer, for instance, your pursuit is prayerlessness! When you are idle and refuse to input towards spiritual progress, your clear pursuit is retrogress! There is no 'demilitarised zone' in life.

We have been deceived over the years that there are certain spiritual elements tailing years, and certain spiritual operations invigorated through some heavenly beings for miraculous work, last few minutes of a year, into the earliest minutes of a subsequent year. .. Greatest lie ignorant spiritual nymphs ever told!

There is nothing new about this year, except a change of date and certain other mandatory changes coming because of the change of date. Think about it, it was just yesterday, we called today, tomorrow!

Seeds you have not sown will most likely not give you any yield this year. Things you have not done may never be done forever.
A grave, monumental and paroxysmal moment of change from one year to another by the human calendar is not enough to get God to do what he could not do by the accomplished work through Christ's death and glorious resurrection. If God dint do it through Christ, God would not do it by the pulse of wild orgies of dance and jubilant celebrations by weird and very excited parishioners at the so called "cross or crossing over" service.

You had better wake, jump-start to reality, and stop playing the fool here! The pastors and church leaders are working harder to get confused renigads of religious bigotries like you to give them financial support for their filthy lucre. ..you are here waiting on a prophetic wand of new year promises and lies. Happy new year all

alBHAGDADI:


Jesus upheld tithing in that verse. He said we should not neglect it.

Matthew 23:23 King James Version (KJV)
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

You just killed your argument bro, there is no where in that verse jesus asked them to pay tithe instead he was cautioning them to consider the other weightier matter that is important matter which is far better than tithing

alBHAGDADI:


Where did Jesus Christ make it obsolete?

Quote the verse here or forever remain a liar and a person saying what God never said.

Mattew 23:23

OkCornel:


Per the bolded, a big amen to that prayer. As we pray, we would never keep shut, everyone's eyes and ears must be opened and walk away from all these deceitful doctrines...

Abraham given was out of his own will not my compulsion. Tithe is obsolete and should be discarded. What is now the reality is given out of free will

tpacalipse:
Those who benefit from tithes will fight dirty to defend it.

Very coorect bro

alBHAGDADI:


Who was talking in Mathew 23:23?

Bro, thats why i told you when you read the scripture be open minded, when you read the bible you must read it contextually, understanding the concept and the contents. The scripture you refer to is not encouraging us to pay tithe, instead from the context u will discover that the entire chapter is discouraging christains from obeying the law which is no longer relevant as u can see below
23Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you give a tenth of your mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected and omitted the weightier (more important) matters of the Law--right and justice and mercy and fidelity. These you ought [particularly] to have done, without neglecting the others
The wightier matter is christ

alBHAGDADI:


Jesus doesn't need to pay tithe same way he didn't need to sacrifice any lamb. He was the High Priest Melchizedec who received tithe from Abraham, same way he's the Holy Lamb that takes away the sins of the world.

Because it was never written that the disciples paid tithes doesn't mean they didn't pay. It was never written that they went to the toilet. Should we now conclude that they didn't go to the toilet? Can you see your folly?

Bro there is no place in scripture that was written that anyone went to toilet, whiich means is not important because is human nature to visit tue toilet. Tax was imprtant and it was ckearly stated by jesus, free willl given was equally important and propagated my jesus, his death made the old testament obsolete and the old testament can only gain relevance in the light of the new testament. That is anything in the scripture that is not center on christ is useless. Bro you cant gain anything from the scripture if you feel ot should be this way, just open ur mind and free it from preceptions and u will gain more from reading the word.
Secondly, anything that is relevant to christain living was mentioned by christ and his discpiples and tithe was not one because it is not relevant.

alBHAGDADI:


Try to make yourself clear next time. There's no gain in writing a load of unclear message. It ends up as junk.

Bro what is not clear?

alBHAGDADI:


The first time tithe was mentioned in the Bible (Abraham's tithe) was money excluded? What you know as tithing, was it included when Abaham tithed? So how dare you exclude money when God hasn't excluded it?

Don't expect any response from me.

Bro, Jesus himself never paid tithe likewise his disciples, if tithing was to be integral he would have stated it categorically like tax and free will giving.

alBHAGDADI:


As I saw the bold part in your write-up, I just gave up on you. The below verse totally destroys your view.


2 Timothy 3:16
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”

The bible is christocentric; the entirety of scripture in revelation, core, pith, hub, cardinality and message is "Jesus, as the will of God." The message of salvation offered by a holy God through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the truth of the bible lucidly manifested. Concepts, rules, commandments,, dictates, orders, principles do no define under the Old Testament in anyway:
also, cross testament interpretation of the bible is not allowed. Concepts and words only define in the New Testament. Jesus said, you search the scriptures diligently, thinking in them you would have eternal life....hmmm...but these are the words that speak about me. The bible contains the gospel, but it is the gospel that reveals the bible. (John 5:39-40, I Peter 1:25). The Old Testament writings precedes the New Testament writings, but it is in the new we get to understand the old. The old is a shadow!
"Grace" defines only in the New Testament! I have heard many strands definitions of the word "Grace" as used in the bible lately, and I have wondered why we have so much spiritual illiteracy predicated on several extra biblical platforms....
Grace in the bible simply defines as God's merciful kindness in forgiving us our sins. It is the same as salvation, redemption, the 'gift of eternal life". The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. Grace is God's graciousness, ceasing to cleanse, and to stop having any form of repel or resentfulness towards us. You must not define grace in any other way!
Some people have seemingly discovered grace as a new threshold for the end time.Well, new discovery for you, but the same old time message of God through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I overheard a popular preacher say that 'Grace' is a new apostolic realm in the body of Christ, and that for him, it a an unclear path....whatever this means, I know that I have been preaching Grace for a long time as described in the bible

alBHAGDADI:


You just said nothing to justify your stance that tithing is not biblical.

Yes, tithing is fading away because people are no longer tithing, according to you. That doesn't mean it has stopped being the commandment of God.

Tithing is not the only commandment of God that you should say is fading away. The commandment against homosexuality is also fading away. But in all honesty, they are not fading away. They are just no longer being obeyed by people anymore.

So, because Western Nations no longer obey the law against homosexuality, it now means it is no longer a commandment of God?

Can you see the flaws in your reasoning?

The knowledge you say people are getting is not the one from God. If it was from God, they won't stop tithing.

You also foolishly claim that no doctrine in Christianity is permanent. What a shameless person you are to call yourself a Christian when Jesus himself said no jot shall pass away from the law until all be fulfilled. All doctrines shall remain regardless of whether people over them or not.

The "laws of tithes" like several other commandments and ritualistic covenant regulations imposed upon the Israelites, till the time of reformation (Hebrews 9:10, when all things are made throughly right), which were instituted under the Old Testament have been cancelled. When I write that it is out of place to operate Christianity under the law of tithes and all other laws of the Old Testament that have been abolished, I am not saying so because I do not believe in biblical giving, philanthropy or because I am some stingy, tight-fisted, parsimonious person.

Truth of the word or truth according to the gospel of Christ, which is the hub of bible message is that the laws of tithes and all other Old Testament laws have been cancelled, annulled, abrogated, dis-annulled and discarded. The Old Testament is useless, annihilated, no longer operational, and conveys no possible benefits anymore to anyone, anywhere in anyway on this earth, both Jews and Gentiles.

For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect , but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God (Heb. 7:18-19). This is not descriptive of some laws, but all of the old test regulations and stipulated commandments.

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh (Romans 8:3-4). How do we conclude that this same son is complementary to the laws that have been abolished. The former regulation has been set aside, described as old, antiquated, destroyed, removed, and invalidated (Hebrews 8:13).

By Jesus all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the laws of Moses (Acts 13:39). If Abraham hath whereof to boast, because he was justified by works on some grounds, NOT BEFORE GOD (Rom. 4:2). The law is of sin, because it is not of faith (Romans 10:5; Romans 14:23).

Do you not hear the law, ye that desire to be under the law, the law has been cast out (Galatians 4:21-31), and there is no more law to keep or that is operational under the Old Testament, for till this day, even when the Old Testament is read, a veil covers their blinded minds, for until this day, remains the same veil untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament, which veil is done away in Christ (2 Corinthians 3:13-15).

The Old Testament is no longer workable, because not only are the two testaments mutually exclusive, also, the New Testament invalidates, repudiates and cancels the Old Testament, for if the Old Testament is still operational to the tiniest degree of possibility, then the New Testament is false. If tithers have any special benefits attached to tithing, which they spiritually derive outside of the non-tithes sensitive earthly principle of 'sowing and reaping', (Genesis 8:22, 2 Corinthians 9:6, Galatians 6:7), then the New Testament is a lie, a hoax or a fluke, useful only for miracle mongers, that many church handlers have turned into today.

I met a number of people read some portion of psalms into water, for drinking to get a miracle-healing...hogwash, nonsense. I want you to be cautious, for what David at psalms describes as deliverance is not New Testament deliverance, and what David calls 'enemies round about' is not the same as it is today. What David calls 'salvation' is not New Testament salvation, many times. The bible is absolute in its clear Christocentricity, and you had better read the bible in the Christ's message. Search the scriptures, for in them you think that you have eternal life, but these are the words which speak about Christ, the message of God, in whom we have life (John 5:39).

On the possibility of a free will rejection of Jesus after that the Christian is probably convinced otherwise; this would have been reasonable if accepting the finished work on the cross, by faith in Christ's death and resurrection left us ordinary, without any trace of divine transformation.

The process of salvation is however divinely supernatural and irreversible, for it would take a literal second suffering of death on the cross for the glorified Son of God to reverse salvation. If you cannot get Christ back to the cross like he went the first time, you CANNOT REVERSE SALVATION, OR LOSE IT.

Certain funny debates among christians...
"My Pastor is more powerful than yours...Our Daddy is the most anointed." Rubbish!

May I say this freely, that if one Pastor is more powerful than another, Christ died in vain. If one Bishop is more powerful than the believer, Christ died in vain. If one church is more powerful than another, Christ died in vain. If one believer is more anointed than another, Christ died in vain. If one christian is more blessed than another, Christ died in vain. If one christian 'makes heaven' and another goes to hell, Christ died in vain!

The blessedness that came our way in Christ makes us all one and the same by nature (Hebrews 2:11). We all have been blessed in a very complete way whether clergy or laity, Reverend XYZ or Brother Christian. Eph 1:3; Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ."

All christians are empowered!
All christians are anointed!
All christians are blessed!

The church has destroyed these things by creating other qualifications apart from what God has done in Christ. We are not qualified by certain church traditions and human ideologies. We are qualified by the finished work of Christ. You are being short-changed, undercut, and under utilised if you rate others as more powerful, anointed, and blessed than you are in Christ. Glooory...

As Pastors, Church leaders, and managers, let us shun manipulative schemes and procedures of exploiting vulnerable parishioners under the deciet of trying to make them rich, or richer, whereas the ultimate is trickery to enrich our own filthy pockets. Let us run from filthy lucre, and feed the flock of God willingly, i Peter 5:1-3.

Let us teach the people how to walk in the supernatural dimension of making wealth on this earth without cajoling them to give us what they have first. Let us refrain from compelling them to sow seeds to God, whereas we are the gods of men that devour these seeds. Tithes are devoured by men, and the finances of Christians ruined by the devourers in the church, whoare our pastors. They are sometimes worse than crop pests on our financial farmlands.They are pestilent, burdensome, bony, harsh, tempestuous on our very slim finances, and are the bane... great looters of meagre treasuries.

Let us who are pastors empower people financially, by teaching them how to become financially independent , putting God first in all things and working hard to becoming creatively ingenious and dexterous with riches. The way of great wealth on this earth is the way of hard work. Giving special offerings, sowing sacrificial seeds are just "giving, or sowing to reap" and not special money doubling magic schemes revealed to pastors. Most of the time, on the part of the pastors, they are ponzi schemes of getting richer, or getting rich quick.

I know most pastors soon end boasting that they are richer than their churches, and that church members are very stingy, but I should suppose that there was ever a time when the little offerings meant alot before the huge hard currencies came bursting sir.

Many say, after all, "no body was there when I was struggling"....hmmm. Is this really ever true? I know that there are many people who ought to be there at our time of need who run from assisting us, and I know people never seem to be at our backs when we sincerely need help financially, but I do not think it is totally true that there was not or never one person, previously aquainted with us or not, friend or family member who gave some form of aid. Someone must have been a blessing somehow, someway, someday, along the line.

Let us as Church leaders, and pastors empower church members by giving them right contacts, linking them up with right people, let us help them by facilitating their prompt academic qualifications, professional certifications, skills' acquisition, capital funding of small scale enterprise, access to loans and governmental schemes that support the youths, serving for them as guarantors. When we empower church people, we empower the church financially. ..wahooo. ...but when they become rich, and relocate, they soon forget you..never worry, you have sown the seed into their lives. Think about this: How many men remember God, yet He is still saving and healing till tomorrow. Even you, are you all round faithful and grateful to God?

Don't just keep going abroad alone, thee and thine, claiming things are not easy, only to come and give testimonials of God's goodness to you as a pastor! Assist some church members also to travel abroad. Don't come back with some huge hard currencies, discouraging us that help is not from abroad, but from above...but you keep making money from abroad!...

Let us empower church people as much as we can. But to do good and to communicate, forget not, for with such sacrifices, God is well pleased, heb 13:16. Jesus went about with philanthropic geastures,vhealing the sick...acts 10:38...This is the way. Gloooory . You cannot be worse off if many more church members become rich or richer, never rival or compete with your members financially. ..

alBHAGDADI:


I get angry when people say we are no longer under the mosaic law anymore. They make it sound as if we were under the laws of Moses before. No we have always been under the laws of God.

Now, you saw we are no longer under the mosaic law. Why not go and read Leviticus 18 and make sure you break all the laws written there. Make sure you have sex with your mother, sister, daughter and aunt, since you are no longer under the mosaic law.

Let me show you that you are actually the one who doesn't read his Bible, you only followed what you read on the internet.

Most of those against tithing often love to say it has been replaced with free-will giving in the new testament. Ask them to show you where such is written that it has been a replaced, they got mute. Yes, the New Testament does talk about free-will giving as seen below

2 Corinthians 9:7
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give ; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Acts 4:34-35 (KJV)
Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.


But is free-will giving something that's only new to the New Testament? No, because it also existed in the Old Testament.

Exodus 36:3-5 (KJV)
And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning.
And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made;
And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make.


As seen above, the people brought freewill offerings to the house of God in the days of Moses to the point that Moses had to command then to stop because the house of God had already gotten more than enough.

Yet, people tend to make it seem like freewill givings is a new testament thing. Look, Jesus commanded tithing in Mathew 23:23. In that verses he had the perfect opportunity to put an end to it, but instead he endorsed it.

You can. chose to not pay your tithe, but going about preaching against it is like praying for double punishment.

NOT UNDER "LAWS FOR, OR TO" BUT UNDER "LAWS BECAUSE OF"

It looks like there is ample misconstruing in some quarters as to whether the Christian is under divine laws or not. Truth of the matter according to the bible as revealed in the Christ message is that the believer is never one based on legalistic righteousness obtainable by performance based obedience to a written code like it was under the old testament, where the man that doeth them shall live by them (Rom 10:4).

We are not under laws to get God's righteousness, because it is impossible to be justified by a written code, hence the justified man, or the man made righteous is made so by faith and not works: the just shall live and not be condemned because of faith in God, the justifier and not works of obedience to a set of laws. (Heb.10:38; Gal. 2:16; 3:11; Rom.1:17).

We are however under divine laws, commandments or new testament prescriptions after we have become saved by grace through faith. I call them "rules for the new creation". It looks like we cannot operate Christianity well till we follow new testament recommendations, laws, or prescriptions on how to walk and to please the Lord (Col.1:9-10, l Thess.4:17, I John 2:6, John 15:12, 17).

To live ones life in wanton disregard for bible new testamental rules licentiously and carelessly because we are under grace and not under law is irrant ignorance. We are not under law to obtain salvation, but after we have become saved, we come under the laws or commandments of Christianity. This not a guarantee or yardstick to loosing or to 'making heaven', because for being "Christians in Christ", we are already members of heaven, who dwell with Christ in God (Col 3:1-3), but who physically live on earth for now.

Threatening people with curses and deaths because they question what you teach shows you have something up your sleeves. Why the curses? Why? I really don't get this at all. Bible prescription is that we give a defence when asked or questioned. I Peter 3:15; "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.''

Give a defense or keep quiet. Cursing people means you cannot explain. That's the sad reality. A lot of people cannot explain what they preach because they just received them as traditions handed down by their predecessors...

There are four types of tithes mandated unda Mosaic institution for Israelites, Mal. 3:10-11, Deut. 12:17-21, Deut. 26:12-13, Num. 18:24-28. Danger involved is that there is CURSE on anyone who practices one and not all, Deut 27:26, Gal.3:10-11. Saddening, and pathetic enough, our pastors only mention 1, yet there is a more LIFE DAMAGING CURSE on anyone, for doing one, and not doing all than d devourer(crop pests), we noise.

The nature of Christianity is supernaturality, and it impossible to accurately represent or herald bible Christianity without the power of eternal life. The very possibility of the humanly impossible, but divinely probable deposit of eternal life within 'man' is the miracle of redemption, and by this, divine power is deported in an avalanche. Through the death of Christ and his resurrection, we lost our identity in God's divinity and we are made complete in him, who is the head of all possible rule and authoritative dominion. It is very absurd to talk about the historicity of Christ without the exponential of the miraculous, and mirrific demonstrations of power. It is therefore impossible to describe the believer without an annotation of divine power, and the type of godliness that denies the miraculous is vain human religion, from which we must flee, II Tim 3:5.

The Christian does not need power, or divine power, neither does he need to seek the miraculous, and this is to be asserted as true because he became a Christian by being heavenly rebirth and recreated a supernatural being in redemption. When we preach about being 'sons of God', John 1:12-13, Gal. 3:26, I John 3:1-2, Rom 8:15, Gal 4:5-7 etc, we narrow-mindedly stay with realities of certain religious attitudes of moral forthrightness. While this is not odd, to say the least, it is also very appropriate to realize that being SONS OF GOD is largely conceptually deployed in our being born and heavenly rebirth after the supernatural seed of omnipotence. The potency of God has become our lot, and his power, our power; we lost our identity in his divinity; we can't never really be seen as true sons of God in this world, till we show forth his 'excellency'. The Greek word translated 'praises' as used at I Peter 2:9 speaks of God's valor, power, preternaturality, and intrinsic virtues. This is our calling, for we have been called into power.

We have being called to herald the power of God amidst a crooked and perverted world amongst whom we ought to shine as lights, holding forth the word of life, Phi 2:15-16. It is not possible to read the bible plainly and sensibly, and arise with a mental conclusion to argue against the miraculous of God, and the propensities of this faculty in the Christian's life. We have been called to preach with all power there is and would ever be in heaven and on earth for eternity, Matt. 28:18. We have been called to preach, treading upon snakes and serpents and over all the power of the enemy, Luke 10:19.

It is only farce insanity cast by the self-deluding hex of luciferians' deception that would make someone read the bible, and claim that miracles (bible-miracles or present day possibilities in Christianity) are fake, outdated, outdated, imaginary, or deliberate falsifications of Christ to win softly above his religious peers or even walk into human hearts very cheaply. Please, it may not be out of place to read the bible well, for the bible without the miraculous is no bible, and is falsehood, a compilation of taradiddle. The miraculous evidential in signs and wonder is the nature of bible Christianity, and cannot be without this reality.

Jesus boldly said that the believer would repeat miracles and wonders that he himself performed, and even GREATER miracle, John 14:12. He also said that believers would have certain indications, signs, norms and ceremonial attestations which would follow their most casual testimony. The ceremonial clothing of the believer, which is the normal everyday apparel is the miraculous....glooory to God!

He said that the believer who would have become one by believing in his name would have certain signs follow him, and not that the believer would need his name as a tool for signs ...it is very easy to misconceive Mark 16:17-18 (remember the bible was not written in verses at the initial). The power for signs is believing in his name, which makes one a believer, and not that the believer who is already one, would need to use his name as a tool for signs.

He said they would speak in new tongues...this means that the believer would speak the language of heavenly citizenship. He would speak the language of eternal life, which is the language of God. He would be enabled by his heavenly birth to speak sententiously as by the spirit's language. Speaking with other tongues is the enableness by rebirth to speak the heavenly language of eternal life through our vocal chords. It is impossible to speak a language never learnt fluently! The human brain does not have the capacity to speak a language never learnt fluently. It is impossible to speak jargons never learnt or rehearsed fluently, because some have described speaking with other tongues as gibberish.

We speak the language of angels or men in a supernatural way, as by the spirit's sententious enablement through the gift of eternal life. Tongues is not copied, mimicked, mimed, learned, guessed, per-mutated, thought off before one speaks, rather it comes from within as by the spirit's utterance. One of the signs that naturally follows the believer....to be continued.

We learn that God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ at Eph. 1:3. This implies, non-carnal; non-human, ethereal blessing: supernaturally regenerate blessedness.

Looking closely at the transliteration, we see 'God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in our heavenly union with Christ.' The 'us' implying the Apostles, saints and the faithful (here descriptive of the Christian) in Christ Jesus from verses 1&2.

We have assumed that this verse speaks of blessedness or certain heavenly blessings that have been divinely given to us in heaven, which we need to claim by confessions on the earth, ask from the Lord by intercessory petitions, recover from Satan who has stolen from us, or pray down by the 'power must change hands' spiritual protocol.

All and the 'very all' that we have of God in our union with Christ is called eternal life, as there is nothing else we could have been able to get from God, who has called us to his fullest glory and manifestation.

Whatsoever we have of redemption is ours already, and would not need to be gained or accessed by faith again, since we are in the faith of the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us. We got everything that God had to offer by the faith of eternal life. It is erroneous to say that the Christian needs faith to get what he got to be called a Christian. THE "FAITH MOVEMENT" PREACHES THIS CONFUSION. TRUTH IS THAT FOR BEING IN THE FAITH, YOU HAVE ALL CHRIST GAVE ALREADY, AND WOULD NOT NEED FAITH, FOR WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE IN HIM.

THE "JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH" CONCEPT OF THE BIBLE ( Habb 2:2-4, Acts 10:38, Rom. 1:17, Gal 3:11, Phil 3:9) HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH EARTHLY PROVISIONS, OR "FAITH FOR THE GIVEN", RATHER, IT SAYS, THE JUSTIFIED MAN SHALL BE JUSTIFIED OR CALLED RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD, BY FAITH AND NOT WORKS OF THE LAW.

The blessing or blessings of Eph. 1:3 is eternal life, which came our way by salvation, and not some spiritual or physical wealth we would need to survive. There is no such thing as praying heavenly blessings down by faith. 'The just shall live by faith' concept of the bible has nothing to do with faith for food, and water to go by it, instead, it speaks of having life by the justification of faith and not works of the law based on human performance. Habb 2:4, Heb. 10:38 ..

The corruptible cannot inherit the incorruptible, and vice versa, so just in case, you succeed in praying heavenly blessings to earth, they would not work here, I cor. 15:50

See the verse in the context, since it does not end at verse 3..
Verse 4 further describes the blessings, by saying according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blame before him in love. Verse 5, having predestinated us into the adoption of children...in whom we have redemption...to verse 13 which lucidly describes our salvation...14 ..

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life, even godliness..II Peter 1:3
So, spiritual blessings or blessing of Eph. 1:3 speaks of our salvation. Glory be to God.
We are blessed eternally...ameeeeen...
One of the greatest errors in the body of Christ today is the teaching that, the Christian could operate under a closed heaven, or that the Christian needs an opened heaven for God's blessings. I have not heard any other thing farther from the truth. How can the heaven of heavens that yielded its best, by the gift of eternal life for the Christian to be called one, be closed ever on the same Christian who dwells in this same heaven.

Christianity is ONLY heavenly procedure and operable faculty, and it is impossible to be a Chrisitian without heavenly recognition, identity, existence, citizenship and authority.

Child of God, you can never operate under closed heavens, and would never need the heavens to be opened for you again for eternity because, though you live physically on earth, you dwell in the heavenly of God through Christ.

...rescued from the power of darkness, even translated into the kingdom of the Son of his love...Col. 1:13
..risen with Christ, and seated at the right hand of God..Col 3:1
..our life is hid with Christ in God..Col 3:3
..quickened together with Christ, raised up together with him: made to seat in heavenly realm together with him...Eph 2:1,6
..buried with him in his death, raised with him into the newness of heavenly life...Rom 6:4
...died with him in his death, raised together with him in his resurrection...II cor 5:14-17
..we are in the spirit ...Rom 8:9
..we live in the spirit..Gal 5:25
...we belong to the family of God...Eph 3:15, Gal 6:10
...we inherited God in His entirety....Gal. 4:7, Rom 8:16..
Several churches and great church leaders preach this hypocritical lie, teaching that Christians need "opened heavens"....BUT YOU CAN TAKE A STAND FOR THE TRUTH TODAY.

I'm amazed whenever I preach from the word that all christians have been anointed (2 Cor 1:21; 1 John 2:20; 27), and that you need not do anything to receive the anointing but men despise this truth, yet another man appears on TV to say you need to sow $1000 to get the anointing and you believe him. Some go to the extent of borrowing to connect with the anointing. No matter how much you give to get it, you receive nothing! You can never be more anointed by sowing seeds. You can only get poorer this way. God's word is to be treasured and regarded as the final arbiter otherwise you remain an easy prey to liars and deceivers peddling the word.

There are no sacred cows in the body of Christ. The words of men aren't final and authoritative. God's word is to be held in high esteem above all. The written word is so despised by many christians that they prefer some 'rhema' sold at exorbitant prices by pastors. Choose this day whom you believe...God or men?

TRUTH OF THE WORD OR BALANCE OF FALSEHOOD?
The word of God as revealed in redemption is clear - cut sacrosanct leaving no trace or element of dubietty, inconsistencies or lying rhetorics.
Truth of the gospel is distinctive and distinguished from false teachings as revealed by the word, such that to think that truth and erroneous indoctrination are closely associated is to err, and be largely misled. They do not belong to two logical ends of the same philosophical rope of ideology and can never mix or ever be interrelated. There is no safe median, middle point of congruence or balance between the truth of Christ's gospel and the lies of wrong teachings. Most folks who want to keep a consoling, politically correct point of balance are deceived in unbelief and rebellion against the truth of redemption. What God's word declares is either true or false, and does not tolerate the ideology of being true to a point or applicable in only some cliquish or esoteric circumstances. The same God over all is rich to all that call upon his name, there is no difference, Rom 10:10. Our God does not show the respect of persons, Acts 10.34, col 3.25, James 2.1-5, i tim 5.21.

There is no median between eternal salvation and temporal or fleeting salvation. It is either God saves and keeps saved, no matter what happens, heb 7.25-26, come rain or shine, or he saves temporarily and cannot keep saved, come rain or shine. Any attempt to keep this doctrine balanced is to err, be hypocritical and rebellious against the truth, as there is no middle point between temporal and eternal salvation.
The believer is either anointed with eternal life through the Spirit of Christ, even empowered at salvation or not so. There is no safe place of balance to this teaching.
Heaven is no longer a goal for the believer, but a place that has become his home, and own. There can never be a balance to the truth of the word, so that people will not misuse it like some say. Such attempts impinge on the integrity of God as the inspirator of his word.

There are no extremes to the truth of redemption, and it is impossible to over-stretch a truth. Truth over-flogged or rubberistically touched either remains a truth or becomes a false teaching. When a false teaching emerges, it become very illiterate spiritually to call it "truth over-stretched", rather, it is simply called false teaching. God's word is true and absolutely true, while false teachings are false, and absolutely false.[color=#000000][/color]

Not once, not twice, I have asked folks who claimed that certain christian meetings were powerful, what they actually meant by this.

Your guess is good, for I have encountered a plethora of ambivalent responses, I possibly will not dare to list here.

*Powerful, we all laughed and laughed in the spirit.
* we danced in the holy ghost.
* Very wonderful, the man of God prophesied into our lives.
* Very glorious, G. O. told us that daddy said there would many marriages this year.
* Most of us fell to the ground as the man of God threw his jacket at us.
* Daddy said we would get home to meet our enemies dead.
* The meeting was great, because daddy said all our problems are over forever, and that we would never cry again.

I always wonder if there is any similarity between a huge number of these experiences and Christian meetings in the bible.
Luke 5:17 ..and the power of the Lord was present to heal them..
Matt. 4:23..and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
Matt. 9:35 ..and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.Matt 12:15 ..and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all...
Mark 16:20...and they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Acts 5:15...It was the shadow of Peter healing the sick.
Acts 19:11..it was Paul's shredded garment that wrought signs and wonders.
Acts 8:6-8 .Philip at Samaria, with the power of God setting people free from unclean spirits, paralysis, lameness etc.

The list is endless.
If Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, and today, and forever, Heb 13:8, and it is true that he that believeth on him (born again, or is saved) can do the works he did, and even greater works, John 14:12, then to hold a christian gathering destitute of supernatural power in mirrific preternatural outbursts or out of order with this status quo and divine modus operandi is antithetical to Christianity.

This has been my persuasion over the years, and herein do I exercise myself before God and men, that I might have a conscience void of offence in the "day of visitation". Preaching the Gospel of Christ without incredible evidences and proofs of power is vain, godless human religion from which we must turn away. This is not validation of human potency or cheap confirmation of human efforts at pleasing God, rather it is the reality of divine power, evidential in the gospel of eternal life. Healing power is not 'extra' to the Christian status, it is a manifestation of the natural life, called, eternal life, by which the Christian has become a christian.[color=#990000][/color]

Logos or Rhema[color=#000000][/color]?

Some have said the written word is powerless and that until it is meditated upon, and confessed over again before it is converted to what is called 'rhema' is has no power. It interests me to point out that Hebrews 4:12 says the word of God is quick and powerful, and the greek word for 'word' as used here is not 'rhema' but 'logos'. This negates the idea that unless the logos is turned into 'rhema' it is powerless. The logos of God is powerful! Let's see how this is rendered at Acts 10.

Acts 10:44; 'While Peter yet spake these words (rhema), the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word (logos).'

While Peter was preaching many words to Cornelius and his household, what saved them was the singular message, the word. So, here the 'logos' is the intent and actual message while the 'rhema' is the vehicle through which this message is conveyed. The message is the 'logos' while the words of Peter the preacher is the 'rhema'. So in this meeting what brought conviction was the 'logos'

Furthermore, the word 'logos' is also used for the preaching just like the word 'rhema' is used. We find several places like Matt 10:14; Acts 2:22; Acts 2:40; Acts 7:22; Acts 15:15;24;32; Acts 20:38; 1 Cor 2:13 and so on. So the words of a preacher is also described as 'logos'

Also, the word 'rhema' is used just as the 'logos'. Imagine this...Rom 10:17 says faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. This is not saying faith comes in bits as you keep hearing but that faith comes once from a constructive contact with the gospel message. However, the word translated as this singular gospel is the word 'rhema' in this portion. There are other places where 'rhema' is translated as the message too, not just words of the preacher.

What then is the conclusion? We haven't been sent to differentiate between 'rhema' and 'logos' as they are used interchangeably. Just receive the word of God in its simplicity and power. whether it's the written word or the spoken word, as long as it bears the message of Christ, it is powerful! Something to think about...

The Pastor is not to be seen as a super star in the midst of small boys and girls in church. His anointing is not superior to the anointing of those least esteemed in the church. He is given a simple responsibility of equipping the saints to do the works of Jesus (Eph 4:11-14). He is not more blessed and anointed. Ideally, he is more experienced and mature to bring them to maturity. Instead of bragging on how anointed he is, he's to let the whole church know how anointed they are in Christ. Instead of bragging about how powerful he is and asking others to sow seeds watered by more seeds to connect, he's simply meant to assure us all about the power of God on our inside! He is not a dramatist showing off like he's the only blessed person. He is to teach the saints. Christ never desired to be the super star. He raised many who did same works. This is his desire for the church and the Pastor is saddled with this task. Dear Pastor, are you teaching the saints or boasting before the saints? It's a question we all must answer...

In the ministry of Christ on earth we find very interesting cases such as Judas healing the sick and casting out devils! Peter with all his inconsistencies operated in the same (Luke 9:1-2; 10:1). In the early church Stephen and Philip who were food servers were as miraculous as Paul and Peter (Acts 6:3-5,. They must have taught them what many Pastors aren't teaching their members today. Thousands and millions of believers are running after signs and wonders when signs ought to follow them (Mark 16:16-18). The greatest work of the Pastor is not to be walking in these things but teaching men to walk in the same. Church members should speak in tongues, lay hands on the sick and cast out demons and not to be looking up to us like demi-gods. When a church is built around one man collapse is inevitable because sooner or later, the man would be gone but Christ and His word abides forever...every local church should be built on Christ alone! There must be a radical change in our churches. We must return to bible teaching so we can raise men who are sound and thick enough to do the works of Jesus...I tell you the truth...[color=#990000][/color]

The believer can never ever go to hell again or anymore because, not only did Jesus go as an atonement for his nature of sin and depravity, Acts 2:31-32, I Peter 3:19, 4:6. Jesus Christ actually went as him, yes, I repeat, as him (man), that he might destroy or paralyse him who hath the power (srenght of , vigor or dominion might of death because of adam's trangression, which passed upon humanity, even over those who had not sinned., rom 5:11-14) . death, heb 2:14.

The wages of sin is death which Jesus was made a propitiation or sacrificial atonement for. The gift of God through Christ Jesus is eternal life, Rom 6:23. Human righteousness is filthy in God's sight, as it answers to menstrous clothing, Isa 64:6 By the deeds of obedience to a written code shall no flesh be justified in the sight of God, Gal 2:16, 3:11, for it is written that, the justified or righteous man shall be called righteous, not by works of fleshly performance, but by faith in the justifier through atonement. For by one sacrifice he hath perfected forever those who are sanctified, heb 10:14.

Man's sin nature which was in the world way beyond, and before human errors of commssion and ommission came, has been atoned for at the mercy seat of Christ's suffering of death, and glorious resurrection. God is now justified as the justifier of the ungodly, because man had received the hammer blows of divine justice and retribution in the death of the propitiationary sacrifice for sin. Nothing can take man to hell again, no sins or bad attitudes, nothing , I repeat, nothing, for God almighty would be unjust to send man to hell after his sin nature which is stronger and greater than his sins have been atoned for by this same man in Christ Jesus.

At salvation, God is justified to yield eternal life to the faith of Christ filled man. The process is divine, and this life which is given on the basis of Christ's suffering of death is irreversible. Eternal life which is always eternal can never be lost. Eternal life could not have come and did not come by right deeds, how then can it be lost by wrong deeds? Deeds do not come into play here in anyway, so eternal life can never be lost if ever possessed.

What is takes to be given this life by God is faith in the living Christ's death, resurrection and nothing more, John 3:16, I John 5:11. Eph 2:8-9. If you stop having faith in whatever sense, the life is irreversible if ever possessed.

Obviously, we argue against of the power of God to save and keep saved because we are deep illiterates of salvation.[color=#006600][/color]

If Christ cannot save forever then His sacrifice is not different from old testament bulls and goats. Heb 10:4; 'For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.' The issue was not the sins of the people but with the weakness and impotent nature of the sacrifices! If blood of bulls and goats fail, the blood of Christ will not. He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him for he ever liveth to make intercession for them (Heb 7:25). In the old testament the sacrifices are dead but in the New Testament, Christ our sacrifice is alive forevermore and is in the presence of God for us. The sacrifice that saved us is potent and alive, the man Christ Jesus!

hyfr:
No smoke without fire... even if it’s politicking, there is a loophole somewhere in their finances, efcc can’t just freeze your account like that . You could sue them billions for that if you’re innocent. There’s a loophole they’re tendering on

Get sense now. The loophole u are talking about wasn't discovered some years back, just today. Coming sense is not common

There's no disadvantage God has put in your life to use you. People say all sorts of things. For instance, 'God gave me cancer so I can reach cancer victims' or 'God made me blind so he can use me.' Very terrible assertions. If God uses you when blind, He'd use you better if you were sighted. Many christians don't even know it is God's will we are well and healthy. Some say God is testing them with infirmities so as to take them to the next level (some times it's self inflicted problems), but the bible says God does not tempt with evil neither can he be tempted (James 1:13).

God's role in temptation is to provide a way of escape (1 Cor 10:13). God does not need to break your leg, pluck out your eyes or teeth, or damage your kidney to teach you any lesson. Any lesson you need to learn as a believer is in his word...II Tim 3:16.

On his kneels , crying, sobbing profusely, the pastor is emotionally overwhelmed himself, after preaching a message of 'guilt and condemnation' at the church congregation. He lamented that the stakes of heaven are too high, and he was not even sure of making heaven himself. According to him The Lord had rebuked him in a dream that no one was fit for heaven in his church, including himself. They all wept, cried aloud, wailed, groaned, moaned in anguish, shouted, and were all left very discouraged.

Doesn't this scenario look familiar to you? Just in case it does not look familiar to you, it is something I have seen so often. Most pastors are not sure they can 'make heaven'. Let me ask you boldly, can you make heaven? Most Christians are terribly indoctrinated that heaven is not easy to 'make'. Glib uncertainties, confusing statements of shrouded doubts, unbelief, fears, frights, anxieties, becloud any benefits to be possibly spiritually derived from church sermons. The stakes are high, and heaven is difficult, and complicated a place to gain or ever get to.[color=#006600][/color]

This is true outside of Christ, but for the man in Christ, heaven is not a goal, but an attainment. We have been delivered from the kingdom of darkness, and translated into the kingdom of God, col. 1:13. Christ is able to confirm you unto the end I cor 1:8, keep you from falling and present you faultless before the presence of his eternal glory with everlasting joy, Jude 24. He is able to save to the uttermost heb7:25: lose no one that the Father has given unto him....Stop crying pastor....are you born again? Cry no more church person...are you a member of the kingdom of God?

The questions that people have not answered over the years, are, who losses the devil after we bind him so many times? Also, what determines who should bind the devil? With what should the devil be bound? When should he be bound? How should he be bound? This is so important so that we do not have to keep binding the bound, loosening the loosened, or ‘rebinding’ the loosened, for the want of a better phrase?

THE GRAVE ROBBERY...
In advance of his death, Jesus Christ told his disciples that he would be betrayed, arrested, and crucified and that he would come back to life three days later. That's a strange plan! What was behind it? Jesus was no entertainer willing to perform for others on demand; instead, he promised that his death and resurrection would prove to people ( if their minds were open) that he was indeed the Messiah.

When he said that he himself would rise again from the dead, the third day after he was crucified, He said something that only a fool would dare say, if he expected longer the devotion of any disciples, unless he was sure he was going to rise from the dead. No founder of any world religion known to mankind ever dared say a thing like this; in other words, since Jesus had clearly told his disciples that he would rise again after his death, failure to keep that promise would expose him as a fraud.

Historian Paul Johnson, in history of the Jews wrote, " what mattered was not the circumstances of his death but the fact that he was widely and obstinately believed by an expanding circle of people, to have risen again." The tomb was indeed empty, but it wasn't the mere absence of a body that could have galvanized Jesus' followers (especially if they had been the ones that had stolen it) . Something extraordinary must have happened, for the followers of Jesus ceased mourning, ceased hiding, and began fearlessly proclaiming that they had seen Jesus alive.

Each eye witness accounts reports that Jesus suddenly appeared bodily to his followers, the women first. Morrison wondered why conspirators would make women central to its plot. In the first century, the women had virtually no rights, personhood , or status. If the plot was to succeed, Morrison reasoned, the conspirators would have portrayed men, not women, as the first to see Jesus alive. And yet we hear that women touched him, spoke with him, and were the first to find the empty tomb.

Legal Scholar John Warwick Montgomery stated, " In 56 A. D. Apostle Paul wrote that over 500 people had seen the risen Jesus and that most of them were still alive, I cor 15:6..It passes the bounds of credibility that the early Christians could have manufactured such a tale and then preached it among those who might easily have refuted it simply by producing the body of Jesus." Bible scholars Geisler and Turek agree. " If the resurrection had not occurred, why would the Apostle Paul give such a list of supposed eyewitnesses? He would immediately lose all credibility with his Corinthian readers by telling a lie so blatantly. British scholar Michael Green remarked, " The appearances of Jesus are as well authenticated as anything in antiquity ...there can be no rational doubt that they occurred."

No human being has adequately explained why the disciples would have been willing to die for a known lie. But even if they all conspired to lie about Jesus' resurrection, how could they have kept the conspiracy going for decades without at least one of them selling out for money or position? Moreland wrote, " Those who lie for personal gain do not stick together very long, especially when hardship decreases."

The "laws of tithes" like several other commandments and ritualistic covenant regulations imposed upon the Israelites, till the time of reformation (Hebrews 9:10, when all things are made throughly right), which were instituted under the Old Testament have been cancelled. When I write that it is out of place to operate Christianity under the law of tithes and all other laws of the Old Testament that have been abolished, I am not saying so because I do not believe in biblical giving, philanthropy or because I am some stingy, tight-fisted, parsimonious person.

Truth of the word or truth according to the gospel of Christ, which is the hub of bible message is that the laws of tithes and all other Old Testament laws have been cancelled, annulled, abrogated, dis-annulled and discarded. The Old Testament is useless, annihilated, no longer operational, and conveys no possible benefits anymore to anyone, anywhere in anyway on this earth, both Jews and Gentiles.

For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect , but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God (Heb. 7:18-19). This is not descriptive of some laws, but all of the old test regulations and stipulated commandments.

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh (Romans 8:3-4). How do we conclude that this same son is complementary to the laws that have been abolished. The former regulation has been set aside, described as old, antiquated, destroyed, removed, and invalidated (Hebrews 8:13).

By Jesus all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the laws of Moses (Acts 13:39). If Abraham hath whereof to boast, because he was justified by works on some grounds, NOT BEFORE GOD (Rom. 4:2). The law is of sin, because it is not of faith (Romans 10:5; Romans 14:23).

Do you not hear the law, ye that desire to be under the law, the law has been cast out (Galatians 4:21-31), and there is no more law to keep or that is operational under the Old Testament, for till this day, even when the Old Testament is read, a veil covers their blinded minds, for until this day, remains the same veil untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament, which veil is done away in Christ (2 Corinthians 3:13-15).

The Old Testament is no longer workable, because not only are the two testaments mutually exclusive, also, the New Testament invalidates, repudiates and cancels the Old Testament, for if the Old Testament is still operational to the tiniest degree of possibility, then the New Testament is false. If tithers have any special benefits attached to tithing, which they spiritually derive outside of the non-tithes sensitive earthly principle of 'sowing and reaping', (Genesis 8:22, 2 Corinthians 9:6, Galatians 6:7), then the New Testament is a lie, a hoax or a fluke, useful only for miracle mongers, that many church handlers have turned into today.

I met a number of people read some portion of psalms into water, for drinking to get a miracle-healing...hogwash, nonsense. I want you to be cautious, for what David at psalms describes as deliverance is not New Testament deliverance, and what David calls 'enemies round about' is not the same as it is today. What David calls 'salvation' is not New Testament salvation, many times. The bible is absolute in its clear Christocentricity, and you had better read the bible in the Christ's message. Search the scriptures, for in them you think that you have eternal life, but these are the words which speak about Christ, the message of God, in whom we have life (John 5:39).

On the possibility of a free will rejection of Jesus after that the Christian is probably convinced otherwise; this would have been reasonable if accepting the finished work on the cross, by faith in Christ's death and resurrection left us ordinary, without any trace of divine transformation.

The process of salvation is however divinely supernatural and irreversible, for it would take a literal second suffering of death on the cross for the glorified Son of God to reverse salvation. If you cannot get Christ back to the cross like he went the first time, you CANNOT REVERSE SALVATION, OR LOSE IT.[color=#000000]

A video of a two year, 11 month-old pupil of Chrisland School, Lekki, Lagos portraying her alleged serial defilement by the school’s supervisor, 47 year old Mr Adegboyega Adenekan, was played today at the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court.
The Nation reports that the video was played during the testimony of Miss Olive Ogedengbe, a clinical psychologist, at the trial of Adenekan over defilement of a child.
The video recording (Exhibit A1), depicted the child, named Child X, in the clinical psychologist’s office on Nov. 28, 2016 answering questions about the alleged defilement from Ogedengbe and her colleague. In the recording, Child X was given a sheet of paper and asked to draw the private part of Adenekan, which she did as well as another image with the ensuing questions.
Child X, referring to the other image said: “that is the hand he used to put in my wee wee.
“Ogedengbe: “Where is Mr Adenekan’s wee wee?” Child X in response, pointed to her private area.
Ogedengbe: “Does he put his wee wee in your wee wee?” Child X: “Yes.”
Child X in the recording, using a teddy bear as a puppet, also showed how the supervisor allegedly sexually abused her friend (name withheld).
Kissing the private region of the teddy bear, the child can be heard saying in the video recording “Your bum bum is delicious, your bum bum is sweet, I will eat your bum bum.”
Ogedengbe, before the video recording was played in the courtroom, in her testimony while being led by Mr Jide Boye, the Chief State Counsel, narrated to the court what had previously transpired during her interaction with the child.
She said: “The mother came into my office with a referral letter from the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) and narrated the story and she started crying. She (the mother) said she did not know the reason why this was happening to her. She said she was usually over protective of her children and follows them everywhere except school. She said somebody in her church handed her a book on sexual education for children which she read and decided to practice it on her child.
That was when the child disclosed that she has been defiled. She told her mother that Mr Adenekan comes to take her out of the class and shows her some videos that are sexually stimulating. She pleaded with us to help to correct the psyche of her child. I carried out an independent psychological evaluation on the child. I asked the mother to sit at the corner of the room and myself and my colleague interacted with the child. We did not directly start interrogating the child as that was against the ethics of our profession. We started an initial interaction with the child to make her relax and gain her trust. When our trust was gained by the child and she was in a happy frame of mind, I asked the child: ”who touched your wee wee?” and the child repeated on several times `Mr Adenekan’. I was shocked because I did not expect it from a child her age. I brought out my assessment sheet and I told the child to draw any person that comes to her mind.
She restlessly started jumping around “Mr Adenekan is on my mind” we got her back to being settled but she continued talking without yet drawing. She (Child X) said “Mr Adenekan said it is good for a child to put her wee wee in Mr Adenekan’s wee wee” at that point in time we decided to do a recording to ensure her story remains consistent. We asked her how does Mr Adenekan’s wee wee look like and she demonstrated playfully by pointing her finger upwards stating “sharpener”
We asked sharpener or pencil? She stated `sharpener.’
We told her to draw Mr Adenekan’s wee wee. We want to see what it looks like.
“To my greatest shock and surprise, for a two-year-old child, she drew a picture which symbolises a reproductive organ of a man in the form of a penis
“I then asked her, show me your wee wee, she pointed at her private part. I asked her to show me where Mr Adenekan’s wee wee is and she pointed at the lower region of her private part. By then the child was again getting very restless and she ran to her mother who was at the corner of the room. We still wanted to hear more but she was playfully running around and her mother started probing her: “Is it only you he comes around to take out of the class” and she replied no. The child said it was herself and her friend (name withheld) so her mother asked her to show us what he normally does with her friend.”The child said he kisses her bum bum and he licks her bum bum, the child demonstrated by using a puppy in the room. That was the end of the first interview with the child.”
Ogedengbe during her lengthy testimony said from her evaluation, the mother and Child X needed psychological help.
She said: ”Afterwards, I decided to confirm from the mother if the child was exhibiting any symptom of psychological abuse. I asked the mother if she observed any strange behaviour in the child and the mother said yes. I had asked because I noticed in the course of interacting with the child that the child was occasionally aggressive. The mother confirmed this and also stated that the child had sleep problems and had been having nightmares.”
She also complained of sexual inappropriate behaviour from the child and that after the incident the child became curious to see naked bodies of people. From my findings I found the child exhibited aggressive behaviour, inappropriate sexual behaviour, sleeping problems and fear. After the interaction, myself and my colleague realised that the child and mother needed help. The mother also exhibited signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. We decided to do an intervention and we held two more sessions of psycho-social intervention for the mother and the mother was counselled on how to help and assist the child.”
While being cross-examined by Mr Olatunde Adejuyigbe (SAN), Ogedengbe said that Child X was not tutored on what to say during the interview by either her or Child X’s mother.
“We used projective techniques in which a client projects their subconscious minds on paper.”
The clinical psychologist revealed to Adejuyigbe that she visited the mother of Child X’s friend who was also allegedly sexually assaulted by Adenekan.
“We saw the mother of the child’s friend but she was not willing to get involved in the case because of stigma,” she said.
Ogedengbe also added that she did not interview the staff of Chrisland School, Child X’s father and her older sister. The clinical psychologist also insisted that the child was of above average intelligence.
“Children 0-5 years, are usually not able to form full sentences, the child could string meaningful sentences. In drawing a picture, most children her age do not draw meaningful drawings but she did. I have worked with children her age from diverse sections of society and she is of above average intelligence,” she said.
On re-examination by Boye, the prosecutor, Ogedengbe insisted that the child was not tutored.
“If a child is being brainwashed or tutored, the child won’t be consistent in answering several questions. You will see it in her non-verbal behaviour that she was tutored, there would be no flow of conversation, this child was not tutored,” the clinical psychologist said.
Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011 prescribes a life sentence for the offence of defilement of a child.
Justice Sybil Nwaka adjourned the case till March 21 for continuation of trial.