₦airaland Forum

Ukuts gp:

I have a question and the question is: why are the catholic afraid of Enigma?

7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. 8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. 9 And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. 10 For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him - Hebrew 7

Christiscoming:
We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus which cannot be earned, [size=16pt]but[/size] God’s word is also clear that many grace saved Christians will not make it to Heaven because of disobedience & continued lawlessness in their lives. His word says those who name His name Must depart from iniquity, and that those who truly love Him are the ones who obey His commandments (1John 2,4-5)

[size=16pt]Righteousness[/size]

If you have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ and have called upon him for salvation, receiving him into your heart and life as Lord and Savior, then you are righteous. Your righteousness is more than just being forgiven of your sins. It is more than just being considered by God as someone who has never done anything wrong. You have the righteousness of someone who has also done everything right, someone who has done all of God's will, has kept all of his law, and has done it all to perfection. That is the righteousness of Christ, that is his perfect standing with the Father, and that is what you have through faith in him. Jesus' relationship to the Father is the definition of righteousness. There is no other kind. That is what you have and you have it now.

Your righteousness was a free gift from God. It was freely given without reservation. It was given by grace alone without any works or deeds on your part whatsoever. It was paid for by the shed blood of Jesus. You received it by faith. It is perfect righteousness. It is the right standing that Jesus Christ has with the Father. It causes the Father to treat you the same as Jesus. It includes all the benefits and privileges of Jesus' relationship to the Father. If it didn't it wouldn't be his righteousness. You have the privilege of accepting it or rejecting it but you do not have the privilege of changing any of its terms or features.

Your righteousness is more than a legal declaration. It is real. It has substance. The message of Paul's epistles is that we have been made to be the actual righteousness of God through Jesus Christ.

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Cor. 5:21)
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (Eph. 4:24)
That is the mystery of the gospel, how a man with a sinful nature can be spiritually reborn with the righteous nature of Jesus Christ. It is the story of identification and substitution. Jesus identified with us by first becoming a man and then by bearing our sin, our separation from God, and our curse in order to redeem us. He died a substitutionary death on the cross. He was there in our place.

Jesus was made alive and raised up from the realm of death and eternal judgement when our redemption had been accomplished. He was restored again to perfect standing with the Father, seated at his right hand. Salvation is an exchange. Our old identity and spiritual nature are crucified and put to death with Christ on the cross and we receive his resurrection nature and identity in exchange. By that we also receive his relationship to the Father.

Jesus revealed the mystery to Paul the apostle and inspired him to write it in his epistles. By the power of the Holy Spirit we can understand it and walk in it.

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: (1 Cor. 2:7)
How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) (Eph. 3:3, 4)
The mystery begins with our spiritual union with Jesus Christ.

For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. …This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. (Eph. 5:30, 32)
Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: …which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: (Col. 1:26, 27)
Everything that Jesus did at the cross was for us. His death, burial, and resurrection was an eternal event that was accomplished in the spirit realm, free from the limits of time and space. By the work of the Holy Spirit, any man who calls upon the Lord Jesus is supernaturally included with him in that event so that he may receive the results of what God was doing there for all mankind.

We are spiritually immersed into the being of Christ by the Holy Spirit. That is the meaning of baptism. Water baptism is an outward demonstration of what happens in the spiritual realm when a person is placed into Christ.

For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, …and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (1 Cor. 12:13)
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Gal. 3:27)
But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. (1 Cor. 6:17)
Our spiritual union with Christ began at the cross. It was there that he made the ultimate identification with us in our sin.

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? (Rom. 6:3)
In every subsequent step of the redemptive process, we were included with Christ through the spiritual mystery of our union with him. We received the transforming effects of everything that God was doing in Christ as our substitute. Paul records each aspect as it was revealed to him by Jesus: crucifixion, death, burial, being made alive, being raised up, and being seated at the Father's right hand.

Our fellowship believes that you should tithe whatever you feel is prudent. Again, the church is not to be a receptacle for money, but for the will and the heart. We do not say that placing your hard-earned income in an offering plate is a prudent way to serve the LORD. In fact, the overwhelming evidence is that there is no glory for God in that kind of giving, but rather glory to men who build fabulous places and then have to support them.

Question:

I got your website from a friend on an online discussion forum. When I checked I saw this Q&A section and thought I send my questions to you. Recently, I became convinced that to tithe was not a New Testament injuction and that God would have me give to support his work in whatever we I can. Those who taught me used ample scriptural evidences that could not be controverted. I however became shaken in my faith when some people, on this same forum, came and said those who do not tithe will be condememend to eternal hell. Since then I have become shaken in my faith. Is this true? Will a person, whom Jesus died for and saved, and who rest his faith in Jesus cross for eternal life, be condemened to hell because he refuses to pay tithe to his local assembly? Thank you, as I await your response.

DrummaBoy,

You are in no way going to be condemned for not paying tithes. You were correct that Christians are not under any injunction to pay tithes -- but we give all to the Lord with our time, talents, etc. and money also, but in our own way. This does not mean you cannot give money to a Church, if you see that they are making good use of it.

Tithing was a part of the Law covenant given to the nation of Israel by God thru Moses. The instructions are found in Lev. 27:30-34 and Deut. 14:27-29 as well as other scriptures. They were told to give one tenth of the increase of all they had to the Lord to be used as he specified, for instance, for the Levites, widows, orphans and the needy.


Actually, it was really a tithe unto the Lord, but the Levites were to partake of the tithe. "And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD." Leviticus 27:32
"And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel. And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation." Numbers 18:20-23

As for tithing today, Christians have not been commanded to tithe, because they are not under the Law of the Hebrews. In fact, the Apostle Paul, who was one of the most active of the Apostles in serving the Church, did not ask for money, although he did appreciate the voluntary offerings when they were given. He even went to tent making when his funds were low. (Acts 18:3) Paul also commanded the servants of Christ not to beg for money or preach for "filthy lucres sake." (1 Peter 5:1-2)

Additional examples from the new testament show the mind of the Lord with regard to money donations. In Mark 12:41-44, Jesus commends the poor widow who gave all she had (more than 10%) when she came to the temple. I Cor. chapter 16 and II Cor. chap. 8 & 9 talk about collections to relieve suffering congregations and Phil. 4: 10-20 tells of the love and help sent to the apostle Paul from the Philippian church.

Tithing in the Churches became common by about the 3rd century to finance the large edifices built --- this was not commanded of the Lord, nor did Jesus and Apostles ever suggest such structures. The expenses of the early Church were very small for they met in each other's homes. The funds collected were usually for the necessities of the poor, widows, or to help assist missions of the disciples to preach the word of God.

For the Christian, we are to give "all" to God, not just a tenth. God doesn't want our money, He already possesses the universe --- He wants our hearts, our time, our talents. "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." (Malachi 3:10) This does not mean to give all that we have to a Church organization (which may or may not make good use of it). It means to determine ourselves how to use best our time, money, talents, etc in the Lords service. Look for opportunities to serve. If we are of a comfortable financial status, then maybe money is one of our talents, and we can use this if we see a specific need that we can support with our hearts as well. But, if we are already poor and living on a fixed income, it would be unwise to put ourselves in a position where we might have to impose on others for their financial help, thus making the offering more theirs than ours.

In brief, all contributions should be voluntary, and no one should be made to feel guilty for not paying a tithe. Our fellowship believes that you should tithe whatever you feel is prudent. Again, the church is not to be a receptacle for money, but for the will and the heart. We do not say that placing your hard-earned income in an offering plate is a prudent way to serve the LORD. In fact, the overwhelming evidence is that there is no glory for God in that kind of giving, but rather glory to men who build fabulous places and then have to support them.

In a practical sense, then, it would be prudent to find a way to use your income to care for the things of God and the promulgation of Truth—because it is the Truth that will make a man “free”. John 8:32

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”


The Christian has no law to bind him, but he is directed by the spirit of love. Ask the LORD how you can best serve Him, and do that with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.

Associated Bible Students of Central Ohio
www.biblestudents.com

idnoble135: I think you will do well by abstaining from names calling. C'mon!

Gombs:

How dare u!? Have you seared your conscience this much?

Gombs:
That man has more than 1miillion brethren in Nigeria alone..not to talk of around the world. You think its by his power and might? You think its by his senses?

Gombs:
You that can't gather 20ppl[b]Gombs:[/b] (or even ten) for a bible study class and yet you call him a failure

Gombs:
Timothy had a lot brethren in his church in Ephesus..yet Paul was the GO of those churches...was Paul a failure?

Titus was a Pastor with Paul as the GO... Was Paul a failure?

What about Polycarp?
Apollos?

Gombs:
You don't understand ministry, you don't have to insult it and ruin yourself consequentially


Jude 1:10-11
Living Bible (TLB)
10 But these men mock and curse at anything they do not understand, and like animals, they do whatever they feel like, thereby ruining their souls.
11 Woe upon them! For they follow the example of Cain who killed his brother;[size=20pt] and like Balaam, they will do anything for money[/size]; and like Korah, they have disobeyed God and will die under his curse.

Gombs: How dare u!? Have you seared your conscience this much?

That man has more than 1miillion brethren in Nigeria alone..not to talk of around the world. You think its by his power and might? You think its by his senses?

You that can't gather 20pple (or even ten) for a bible study class and yet you call him a failure.

frosbel: The people do not belong to this MAN , they are not his, it is unfortunate that they have submitted to a mere man instead of Jesus, no wonder there is so much confusion.

shdemidemi: The devil can give all these things too bro. The voice of the people isn't necessarily the voice of God.

Ray C. Stedman wrote the following in his commentary on Hebrews:

Several things should be noted about Hebrews 13:17 and 1Thess 5:12. The word "obey" comes from the Greek peitho, "to persuade." The present imperative middle form, used here, means "permit oneself to be persuaded," "yield to persuasion." It definitely does not mean to blindly follow orders. The phrase those who are over you in the Lord should simply be "your leaders in the Lord." There is no thought of being "over" anyone, or others being "under" a leader. The authority of a Christian leader is not command authority but servant leadership. A servant has authority, as Jesus said he had, because he awakens by his loving service a desire to comply. Or he is persuasive because of his logic or knowledge.

Alwaystrue: @vickyO, I am glad you understand what I am saying and the scriptures I posted especially in your last quote.
When God has need of something as I said earlier irrespective of if any man throws a fit, He will use it for His work.
Jesus knew the perfume the woman brought was so expensive and because of the need for it, He commended her even though Judas, using human wisdom was thinking otherwise yet could not help the very poor he was concerned about as he was a thief.
Some people see nothing wrong in buying cars for themselves or phones or gadgets but find fault with others. The man who has issues with what people decide to buy based on the need they see should as well not own anything because of the poor around him (that will always be with us) else he is a hypocrite.
Jesus wasn't joking when He said those that leave their family and property for the sake of the gospel will receive in 100 folds with persecutions according to Mark 10:29-30.

frosbel: Wrong.

In the early church, elders were appointed not heads, and they were to care for the sheep and bring them into maturity so that they themselves will become true disciples of Jesus.

Most Apostles were really travelling evangelists who went from city to city setting up churches ( not denominations ) and appointed elders in the plural.

Also , if you read Pauls letters, he never addressed them to the Pastor , it was always to the church , saints and elders.

There is only one head and that is Jesus, the rest are simply siblings each with his own ministry and gift which he must exercise for the benefit of the saints.

vickyO: mtchew......... how does that relate to buying private jets? it isn't a sin to own properties.

vickyO: Where in the Bible is it recorded as a sin? Quote the scriptures.

Alwaystrue: The funniest thing is that God has blessed us all with a conscience which is further worked on by the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer, so that when we do something not right, a good conscience will tell us even without a written law.
That is why Paul said the gentiles who have no law do things in the law...Romans 2:14-15

Alwaystrue: 3. pastors buying private jet
Is it OK for ANYONE to buy a private jet? Did Jesus talk about buying phones, laptops, cars or even flying in a jet? Whether commercial or private?
Jesus has told us all to proclaim the gospel and if you see nothing wrong in studying your bible on your phone or coming to gain insights on the internet, apply that to what pastors have said they need to proclaim the gospel.
Possibly the first pastor that bought a car and phone would have been persecuted as well.
If God has need of a private jet for His work, no matter how much anyone throws a fit about it, He will use it for the earth is the Lord's and the FULNESS thereof.
Mark 10:30; Luke 19:30-34

The funniest thing is that God has blessed us all with a conscience which is further worked on by the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer, so that when we do something not right, a good conscience will tell us even without a written law.
That is why Paul said the gentiles who have no law do things in the law...Romans 2:14-15

OLAADEGBU: The reason why you will not be able to see the truth in what any man of God says is because in your mind you have already put them in a box. That is what I call stereotypes. You group them as grace preachers, holiness preachers and in the process you miss the message altogether and give them a label. You need to have an open mind and have your senses exercised to discern good and evil. Once again I'll be quoting another general of God by the name John C. Ryle.

"People will never set their faces decidedly toward heaven and live like pilgrims, until they really feel that they are in danger of hell.

Let us expound and beat out the Ten Commandments, and show the length, and breadth, and depth, and height of their requirements. This is the way of our Lord in the Sermon on the Mount. We cannot do better than follow His plan. We may depend on it, men will never come to Jesus, and stay with Jesus, and live for Jesus, unless they really know why they are to come, and what is their need. Those whom the Spirit draws to Jesus are those whom the Spirit has convinced of sin. Without thorough conviction of sin, men may seem to come to Jesus and follow Him for a season, but they will soon fall away and return to the world"

IamTitanium: I've heard about two Men of God, from the same church, threatening people with curses. One is a Parish Pastor, the other is a Provincial Pastor.
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They start threatening fire and Brimstone at the slightest provocation, saying they have the right to curse their workers/ministers simply because they have authority over them.
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There was a time RCCG was holding Ministerial Conference, there was a particular book the ministers were supposed to buy for N1000. The Pastor-in-charge of the province said it was mandatory for every minister to get the book and he was going to PRONOUNCE A CURSE into the Life of anyone who doesn't buy it.

.
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Is buying a book a sure ticket to heaven Or what if some of them can't even afford to buy it How can a mere mortal like you start threatening one with curses. Is it right??

OLAADEGBU: He is only being captious. He should read from the generals of faith as you have mentioned above and see how he has sold himself short.

Let's see what Charles Spurgeon said:

"I do not believe that any man can preach the gospel who does not preach the Law."

J. I. Packer wrote:

"Unless we see our shortcomings in the light of the Law and holiness of God, we do not see them as sin at all."

"The absence of God's holy Law from modern preaching is perhaps as responsible as any other factor for the evangelistic impotence of our churches and missions. Only by the light of the Law can the vermin of sin in the heart be exposed. Satan has effectively used a very clever device to silence the Law, which is needed as an instrument to bring perishing men to Christ.

It is imperative that preachers of today learn how to declare the spiritual Law of God; for, until we learn how to wound the consciences, we shall have no wounds to bind with gospel bandages." Walter Chantry, Today's Gospel: Authentic or Synthetic?

OLAADEGBU: Preaching the reality of hell, without using the Law to bring about the knowledge of sin will more likely leave the sinner bewildered and angry. Let me give you a scenario. Imagine if the police burst into your home, arrested you and shouted,

"You are going to be locked up for a long time!"

Such conduct would probably leave you bewildered and angry. What they done seems unreasonable.

However, imagine if the law burst into your home and instead told you specifically why you were in trouble by saying:

"We have discovered 20,000 marijuana plants growing at the back of your garden. You are going to be locked up for a long time!"

At least then you will understand why you are in trouble. Knowledge of the Law you have transgressed furnished you with that understanding. It makes judgment reasonable.

DrummaBoy: So much for all the truth we hear in the name of Word of Faith and Prosperity Gospel!

I’m not an African, but in 2008 some Nigerian friends gave me a Yoruba name (“Akinwale”) because I have been to that country so often. My visits there, along with trips to Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa and Egypt, planted a deep love for Africa in my heart. My first grandson’s arrival this year from Ethiopia made the connection even stronger.

I’m often asked to describe how God is moving in Africa today. Since I’m an optimist, I usually tell of the large churches, the passionate praise and the intense spiritual hunger that characterizes African Christianity. But there is also a dark side, and I think it’s time we addressed one of the most serious threats to faith on the continent.

I’m talking about the prosperity gospel. Of course, I know a slick version of this message is preached in the United States—and I know we are the ones who exported it overseas. I am not minimizing the damage that prosperity preaching has done in my own country. But I have witnessed how some African Christians are taking this money-focused message to new and even more dangerous extremes.

Here are five reasons the prosperity message is damaging the continent of Africa today:

1. It is mixed with occultism. Before Christianity came to Nigeria, people visited witch doctors and sacrificed goats or cows to get prosperity. They poured libations on the ground so the gods would hear their prayers. Today similar practices continue, only the juju priest has been replaced by a pastor who drives a Mercedes-Benz. I am aware of a pastor who buried a live animal under the floor of his church to win God’s favor. Another pastor asked his congregants to bring bottles of sand to church so he could anoint them; he then told the people to sprinkle the sand in their houses to bring blessings. The people who follow these charlatans are reminded that their promised windfall won’t materialize unless they give large donations.

2. It fuels greed. Any person who knows Christ will learn the joy of giving to others. But the prosperity gospel teaches people to focus on getting, not giving. At its core it is a selfish and materialistic faith with a thin Christian veneer. Church members are continually urged to sow financial seeds to reap bigger and bigger rewards. In Africa, entire conferences are dedicated to collecting offerings in order to achieve wealth. Preachers boast about how much they paid for suits, shoes, necklaces and watches. They tell their followers that spirituality is measured by whether they have a big house or a first-class ticket. When greed is preached from the pulpit, it spreads like a cancer in God’s house.

3. It feeds pride. This greedy atmosphere in prosperity churches has produced a warped style of leadership. My Kenyan friend Gideon Thuranira, editor of Christian Professional magazine, calls these men “churchpreneurs.” They plant churches not because they have a burden to reach lost souls but because they see dollar signs when they fill an auditorium with chairs. A selfish message produces bigheaded opportunists who need position, applause and plenty of perks to keep them happy. The most successful prosperity preacher is the most dangerous because he can convince a crowd that Jesus died to give you and me a Lexus.

4. It works against the formation of Christian character. The prosperity message is a poor imitation of the gospel because it leaves no room for brokenness, suffering, humility or delay. It offers an illegal shortcut. Prosperity preachers promise instant results and overnight success; if you don’t get your breakthrough, it’s because you didn’t give enough money in the offering. Jesus calls us to deny ourselves and follow Him; prosperity preaching calls us to deny Jesus and follow our materialistic lusts. There is a leadership crisis in the African church because many pastors are so set on getting rich, they can’t go through the process of discipleship that requires self-denial.

5. It actually keeps people in poverty. The government of Malawi is currently under international scrutiny because of fraud carried out by top leaders. The saddest thing about the so-called “Cashgate” scandal is that professing Christians in the administration of President Joyce Banda have been implicated. One of these people stole millions of kwacha from the government and hid the cash in a teddy bear! Most people today in Malawi live on less than $1 a day, yet their leaders have been known to buy fleets of cars and huge plots of land with money that was not theirs. Sadly, the prosperity gospel preached in Malawi has encouraged pastors and leaders to follow the same corrupt pattern. As a result, God’s people have been financially exploited.

When Jesus described false prophets as wolves in sheep’s clothing, He warned us to examine their fruit. Matthew 7:17 says, “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit” (NASB). What is the fruit of prosperity preaching?

Churches have been growing rapidly in many parts of Africa today, yet sub-Saharan Africa is the only region in the world where poverty has increased in the past 25 years. So according to the statistics, the prosperity gospel is not bringing prosperity! It is a flawed message, but I believe God will use selfless, broken African leaders to correct it.

Next to the faith movement is the holiness movement. While the former is a more recent occurrence, the latter dates back to the 18th and 19th century under the Puritans, Quakers and some of John Wesley’s followers. The holiness movement is a sharp reaction to extreme grace preaching and living. There are those who believe that God’s grace permits them to live without laws or boundaries and in reaction to this, the holiness movement went the other extreme to say that God is still the God that enacted the Ten Commandments and his commandments are not for decoration in the bible. They also take scriptures like Hebrew 12:14 to give the impression that we are saved by our holiness. Their doctrines on holiness become so based on man and his efforts, that the grace of God in Christ Jesus is gradually edged out of the life of their churches. The mark of many of these churches is a pre-occupation with rules and regulations. The church dictates the mode of dressing especially for the female folks, insisting that they must wear head coverings. Many of the people in these churches become very hypocritical as they see the practice of religion more in external things than in inner purity. Salvation by works is their central doctrine. They are constantly in pursuit of making heaven – and consider any doctrine that suggests a Christian’s security in grace as utter heresy. These people live in constant fear of one’s sin making them miss heaven and can be a very poor representation of what the Christian life is and thus put off many people who have at some point or the other considered Christianity.

My greatest concern about the messages preached today in the name of the gospel is that these messages lack the power to save. It is through gospel preaching that the power of God that saves sinners is manifested. Peter went to minister in Cornelius’ house. The people there listened to the gospel with a prepared heart and received it with faith. Without making an altar call and without hands laid on anyone and without saying any sinner’s prayers, these people were saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, literally (Acts 10:44). God has ordained that salvation will come to men via gospel preaching and this is the reason Satan attacks the gospel. If he can succeed in ensuring that the gospel lacks its true ingredients, then it looses the power to save and all we will have in the local church is religion, entertainment, showbiz and a sheer waste of time. All of these will be happening while hordes of souls are lost to hell moment by moment.

There are no new tricks in the Devil’s bag. We must understand that Satan’s means of making the gospel loose its potency has not changed since the time of the apostles of Jesus. In the days when Peter, James and Paul led the church, Satan’s primary means against the gospel was by confusing the grace that was preached in the gospel of Jesus with the laws of Moses. He is still doing the same today but in a subtle manner. This matter was what led to the Jerusalem Council meeting in Acts 15. The conclusion of that meeting was not the fact that four laws were enumerated for the Gentiles to keep but this: “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they” (Acts 15:11). The conclusion reached in that meeting is the belief that it is the grace of God that saves sinners and that the Christian life must be lived by this grace and not by any system of laws.

Today, the church is again weighed down by laws but not necessarily the laws of Moses but our inability to distinguish the Old Testament from the New. The church today takes much of it examples for Christian doctrine and practice from the Old Testament rather than the New. Thus, the priestly order of Aaron has been conveniently converted to a league of Men of God. Rather than submit to the admonition of Jesus that says we are all brethren (Matthew 23:, we find it easier to have ordained Pastors and Bishops, who hold such authority in the church and cannot be questioned but must be revered. Any tendency to question these men, we are referred quickly to the Old Testament again were God placed a curse on those who dared challenge Moses: “touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm”. We forget quickly that the people of God in the New Testament have been made priests and kings unto God (Revelation 1:6). This fascination with the Old Testament extends to the church’s preoccupation with buildings. The temple in Jerusalem was the symbol of the Jewish religion. Today, the church building occupies an equal place of relevance. And regardless of the cost of building and maintaining it, the church building has become our symbol of religion too. It is this Old Testament mentality that informs tithes and offerings collected in church services; thanksgiving; child and property dedication; Sabbath observance; full time ministry; mass choir; anniversary celebrations, a queer belief that God dwells in church buildings and a host of other similar practices. None of these can be traced to the New Testament churches led by the apostles of the lamb.

OLAADEGBU: A word of advise from the late Adrian Rogers for the wise:

"It is better to be divided by truth than united in error; it is better to speak that hurts and then heals than to speak a lie; it is better to be hated for telling the truth than to be loved for telling a lie; it is better to stand alone with truth than to be wrong with the multitude....The religion of today is 'get-along-ism." It is time for men and women of God to stand, [even] if they have to stand alone"

If you are wise you will take good heed to this godly advise and not join yourself in error.

Gombs: Hello DrummaBoy!



Don't be sore, the truth ALWAYS prevails...no matter how bitter they may seem.

Now, have yourself a wonderful morning

Gombs: If not for Pastor Chris, Kenneth Hagin, T. D. Jakes and Bishop Idahosa, I would have been Spiritually dull. I would probably have not have known anything meat in the Word!

If not for T.L Osborne, Idahosa, Hagin, Copeland..where would Pastor Chris have been?

If not for Idahosa, where would Oyedepo, Ibiyome, Oritsejafor etc be?

Etc etc

God Bless you

trustman: I made a post titled - STILL ON TITHING, ETC: THE BOOK OF ACTS GAVE US THE SOLUTION
I recommend reading it.
A number of things need to be borne i mind in looking at the issue of
where Christians stand in relation to the Mosaic law or the Old Testament
in general. A few points:
1. The 21st century Christian is not the first set of the body of Christ.
2. Do we know more of the Christian way of life than the Apostles did?
3. Did the Apostles give us what we need for the Christian way of life?
4. What blueprint can we find in the epistles for the Christian way of life?
5. Where the epistles and the Apostles resolved an issue are we at liberty
to still say today that they did not do a good job at it?
6. What does it mean to be under a new Covenant?
7. Is God's system for the CHURCH the same as for Israel or other dispensations?
8. Is the Christian called upon to go back to any ritual or peculiar practice of the old covenant?
I think a sincere look at these few points above should help a DISCERNING believer know where he
should stand in relation to an issue such as tithing.
Heb. 8: 13a - "In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete".

Joshthefirst: Jesus Preached:

Repent! For the kingdom of God is at hand!

John preached repentance.

Paul preached repentance and judgement

It is only when a man realizes the consequences of his sin that he'll realize the need for a saviour.

Without telling people the judgement and consequence of sin, goodnews wouldn't be goodnews, the good news would not make sense.

Preaching of repentance produces godly sorrow that leads to repentance.

Notice pauls epistles.

We must realize this truth, or else the church will continue to be filled with false converts.

OLAADEGBU: "I don’t feel guilty"

People often don’t feel guilty when they sin because they have "seared" their conscience. They have removed the batteries from the smoke detector of their conscience, so that they can sin without interruption. The way to resurrect a deadened conscience is to go through each of the Ten Commandments, reminding the person that they know that it’s wrong to lie, steal, commit adultery, etc. [size=32pt]Always preach the Law along with future punishment[/size], then pray that the Holy Spirit will come upon them and cause them to be convicted of sin, righteousness, and judgment to come.

"Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron" (1 Timothy 4:2) The Evidence Bible.

Candour: @OP, I took the liberty to paste the remainder of the article to help NLers access it more easily and quickly.

Nice article by the way.

Thanks

http://nigeriaworld.com/articles/2013/nov/141.html