Olaolufred:


There's a brother there called Gbile Akanni.
He didn't come to Lagos and Abuja to harvest rich men. But he's touching the world from that remote town.

We still have true men of God pointing men to God.

The merchants are the one causing issues for the truly called.

I am still searching for a Bible teaching Church here in Otukpo.

I listen to sermons from Pastor Bankie Olusina and other Bible teachers on YouTube.

Olaolufred:


Thanks so much.

The merchant pastors needed to be controlled. They brought all of us in christiandom into this junction.

UK has investigated some pastors due to their trial in doing what they unquestionably do in Nigeria in their clime.
One is in Lagos now and lost the management of the church in UK to UK govt.

How can church money be unilaterally invested in business and still try to evade taxation in the name of God's money? I

Sanity is required in govt. That doesn't mean it is not needed in these businesses called mega churches.

I was in one of the biggest mega churches as a member for 16 years. I left eventually when I couldn't stand the hypocrisy on the altar.

Contract racketeering in church is almost competing with what is obtained in govt.

The very pastors who lead on Sunday morning are those who inflates prices for supply orders.

The politics behind choosing head usher is deeper than Edo State elections.
Let me tell you, the politicking gets tribal at times in that so-called house of God.

Manipulation of university account system to pay less tax is a possibility because signs are available.

What baffles me most is that the same church is the noisiest against government in Nigeria.

My question is this, If the so-called light is practicing most or all mentioned above, what moral justification does it have over the so-called "darkness" they castigate consistently?

The commercial pastors have actually made CAMA necessary.

I am a Christian, I read it and found out CAMA needs to cut excesses of the greedy pastors and sheiks.

Churches/islamic groups are charity organization.

Catholic has shown us what charity means. They gave free/subsidized schools and hospitals. I enjoyed their medical benevolence throughout my growing years. Many of these merchants were treated in Catholics almost free hospitals.
They went to the almost free catholic schools. But now know it's expensive to go to school. It was also expensive then. That was why a whole village contributes to send just one person to school.
If these new generation can't do what they are registered to do, then they are only using it to launder money.

Christians who care should study the book of Acts, chapter 1 to chapter 7.
You will see clearly that the church is there for 2 purposes:

1. Provide spiritual food and lead the flocks towards God and ultimately heaven.

2. Provide for their physical needs.

Jesus practiced these two and the early church continued in it.

Note that all these concrete works we are investing in to build another empire (like tower of Babel) will become an abandoned engineering soon.

That mega church made me do extensive studies on what was tithes for?

I found out only God leads on where to pay your tithe.
If the owner (God) leads you to motherless babies home, please run there and pay your tithes.

Only God will tell you his own "House of God". But we have been subtly coerced into bringing it for the building of empires.

God will open our eyes as Christians.

If you think I am an unbeliever, I am not.

My pastor doesn't teach money money money unlike the mega church I left.

He is somewhere in Gboko, Benue state.

There is need for accountability, not for government alone, but everyone else: church, mosques and secular NGOs.
All of us.

You made a lot of sense.
What's the name of your church?
I'm in Otukpo, Benue state.

Alternative music (Afro).

Best piece of Nigerian music you can get for your time and money's worth.

Tems, SDC, Alpha Ojini, Nonso Amadi, Buju, Oxlade, Blaqbonez, Good girl LA, Odunsi the Engine, Santi, LadiPoe, Boj.

Nice beats, Good lyrics, less vulgarity (which for me is sacrosanct).

Not so mainstream (aren't all good music so not? Ironically)

I originally was against the bill (partially though) until I had a better understanding of it.

I really like y'all to properly understand whatever you are maligning before ranting about it and attaching "Christianity" to it.

It's in total ignorance and obliviousness that you'd say something like "the Worst NGOs are better than...."

My issue is your playing the persecution card. Stop, there is really nothing targeted at Christianity.

To all those mentioning me, I really am displeased with the fact that you claim to be a Christian but your search for wisdom — which is the principal thing for us here on Earth in our dealing with the secular world— is shallow, at best.
Persecution is unavoidable (it will surely come)but you are barking at the wrong tree, really. If as a Christian you cannot discern things of the world how then will you understand heavenly things?
Try to remove jaundice from your eyes and read the bill again (sic).

Never mind.

200

I normally don't get into discussions about Pastors and false prophets but the Bible says:

1 John 4:1
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Galatians 1:8
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Galatians 1:9
As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

The truth is so many Churchgoers don't know the Bible so they are swayed and deceived by the works that they see. Many of them are hypnotized by the aura and charisma of these pastors that they are blindsided because they have failed to "test every spirit".

If it was based on works or miracles Paul would not warn of the "preaching of another gospel".

2 Timothy 4:2-3 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

So do not judge not by his congregation or his withstanding of "persecution". For even the "falsest" of teachers have the largest congregation.

Search your scriptures for the truth and follow those who teach it.

Acts 17:10-11 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Matthew 7:13-24 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

Happy Sunday.

Pastor Bankie Olusina. That man's teaching has changed my life and brought me into the Christian fold.
He's methodological, direct, has a good sense of humor and teaches it as it is without denominational bias. Basically, he teaches what is in the Bible, really.
He also introduced me to other preachers and Christian apologists like Ravi Zacharias (late), David Pawson, Nabeel Qureshi (late) and many others.
I have also discovered teachers and apologists like John McArthur, Frank Turek, Vince and Jo Vitale. They answer questions that are ordinarily difficult for the average Churchgoer who has been starved of the Word.

I also have found out that the best teachers of the Word are the lay-theologians (those who didn't attend any school of divinity or Bible school). Pastor Bankie is a Medical Doctor and his knowledge in the secular word helps in grappling with the realities of the world while in correlation and agreement with the word of God.

You can download his free messages at Pastor.ng.

PS: This is not PR or anything but of the Word of God.
The Christians today are very deficient of the undiluted and unadulterated truth of the gospel.

NegroAcheiver:
Youre right.If I'm messi sef I'll play in either the MLS or Argentina.

Serie A seems to be the "pre-retirement" home for players like Messi. I think going to Inter would be perfect as he still has two years or so to play very good football but he needs to leave FCB for a new breathe of fresh air.

Modified:

To all those #FreeMessi advocates, this clearly is as much for Messi as it is for Barcelona.
The team seems miserable and too over-reliant on Messi and both parties seem to be hindering each other's progress:
Messi needs to move else he would be humiliated till the end of his career as it has been the trend recently (Barca getting knocked out disgracefully).
Barcelona have to let go of Messi, the defence, rebuild the midfield and find a new striker. All that won't happen unless the end this relationship.

Thank God Gerard Pique has accepted this.

Personally, I think it is. Messi's magic has waned and this has rubbed off on the whole team, as Barcelona has built its team around Messi.

Messi has to create, score and he has been doing ever since his debut but the burden is now to big for his 33 year old shoulders and without support from the midfield and attack he seems useless.

Bayern Munich were the latest team to capitalize on the fast depleting dominance of Messi and Barcelona. Last night's match seems to be the last straw that broke the camel's back for me.

Football has cycles and rotation of dominance. There is a time for teams to dominate, deteriorate and rebuild. Sadly, it's Barcelona's turn and the sooner they let go of Messi, the better for both parties.

I love Ronaldo and I'm a Cr7 fan but it has not in anyway compromised my opinion.

Messi, take a bow or next season you'd get knocked out in the UCL group stage and if the teams in La Liga sit up you'd end up in a struggle for Top 4.

Barcelona, it's time to make the hard decision. The romance has been beyond Hollywood but Messi's best years are over and you have a Herculean task ahead of you to rebuild this team. I mean, it's so glaring that you are have a Southampton team with Messi in it.

It would cost you a lot like Manchester United and AC and InterMilan and Liverpool and Arsenal. But when that cycle hits you, the sooner you realise and disintegrate and rebuild with sound values while retaining a good club culture the better.

It is what someone called the "gospel of accomodation". Where the church in a quest to increase members and "growth" have introduced false and convenient doctrines to attract people to church.

This is the problem the church faces today.

Heathen777:


Lol. Says the person who believes man was made from mud, and women came from his ribs. That rainbows are formed because god promised not to drown people again.

LMAO. You guys are always on the offense and never on the defense of what you believe. There is even no unity in your faith or lack of.

Heathen777:


Anyone can have any reason for believing something. What matters is the evidence to back up those beliefs. Where is the evidence that the god of the bible is real?

Do you really want to know if God is real?

Because the problem we have with many atheist is a closed mind to reason when they ironically claim to be enlightened and open-minded.

illicit:


they can keep the money realised with a xtian or Muslim banker right?

Gratifying you with a response has been painstaking. You realise your supposition did not make an iota of sense, I hope.
I wonder how you all reason, really.

Heathen777:


CS Lewis did not provide any evidence or proof for his beliefs in god, why should anyone even take your post seriously.

Come back and post something with better substance than this.

You mean you can't see enough reason for his belief in God?

After reading all that?

Wow!

budaatum:

I am buda. I am not lazy.

I do not believe what I can do work to understand.

He is expressing different thoughts.

One is saying if we are to go by scientific atheistic world view our minds are made of atoms and molecules that are made or determined to work in a certain direction therefore he cannot trust the rationality of his mind because it's a by-product of biomolecular reactions.
Even Steve Hawkins even attributed to this, that if we are to take the assumptions of scientific materialism then we are pre-determined to do or think certain ways and not actually out of volition or will.
So this very post I made was as a result of different molecules in my brain manufacturing a thought and whatever your response to this would be is a result not of your will but a metabolic process in your mind.

Then he goes on to make a case for the gospel as being impossible to be fiction. Who better than a man with literary experience, mm?
Even Lee Strobel who was also an atheist sought to disprove this eventually became Christian.
...

illicit:
But a committed Muslim or worshipper can bank the proceeds right?


delusion upon delusion

Bank the proceeds, how do you mean?

budaatum:

Educate us. Simply explain his philosophy.

And laugh please! Humour is good for the soul.

Are you atheist or Christian?

What's your belief?

judedwriter:


“Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”
— 1 Corinthians 13:7

The Bible says the above about love: Love has the following qualities and God is love. Of course God believes in man, but man often dissapoints God; man often breaks God's heart.

If God didn't believe in man, why did He create Him in the first place?

Who is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou dost care for him?
— Psalm 8 vs 4.

And the passage you quoted you are taking out of context. Paul is telling the brethren at Corinth to earnestly desire love, which is the greatest gift of God, than other gifts.
Read the whole passage, he was not qualifying God's love.

God believes in sinful, worthless, pitiful, vile and sinful men, really?

What have you done or will you do for God to love or believe or hope in you?

Isaiah tells us our works are like filthy rags before God.

Isaiah 64 vs 6.

Whether you love or not; sin or not, how does it move or change God?

Job 35:5-8

Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.
If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?

If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?

Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.

BeLookingIDIOT:
Clearly,he has an affinity for fiction.
OLAADEGBU,I know you dont even understand the Lewis arguments you posted.

Guy. Don't make me laugh. His argument is very simple and plain albeit philosophical.

judedwriter:
Yes o.....

We should never stop believing in ourselves because God never stops believing in us... even when we fail or disobey Him.

God is LOVE, and love believes all things and is long-suffering.

This is just a totally warped and coloured version of God.

God doesn't believe in us; he doesn't need us.

He loves us and will hold us accountable for our actions.

I think your name is should be Mr Contradictions instead.

You have to realise that the Holy Spirit inspired them to write the books; it wasn't dictated word for word. Some of the gospels were not even written by the original witnesses, directly.

So it is possible to see different perspective but the same essence or background.

You are just wrestling with what is beyond you. Calm down!

God inspired the writers; he didn't dictate what they wrote.

It's like in the book of Revelation and all other revelations to the prophets, they were written according to their respective interpretations and comprehension.

God doesn't suddenly or usually change your genetic make up because he wants you to use you. Moses was a stammerer yet God didn't change that even if he was going to speak for his people.

I could go on and on with examples. God is more interested in working in us and renewing our minds daily to achieve his will than an overnight "abracadabra".

You will spend two terms and still not even be able to make appeal court. People think it is easy to jail a corrupt person in Nigeria, with our poor judicial system? Not to talk of a former president.

Serious, he needs to wake from two individually and mutually impossible events.

Kobojunkie:
Peter, the apostle, warned people about ALL MOGs (False Prophets and Teachers), from about 2000 years ago.

What peter said is indeed what we see happening here and now. Because of the AntiChrists also called MOGs, the world does not view Jesus Christ in a good light at all. In fact, you mention that you believe in the God of the Bible, and almost immediately you see hate spread... nothing to do with persecution at all but because of what under the handling of MOGs has come to represent the world we live in today.

Too many false teachers today leading the sheep astray; they come as wolves in sheep clothing.
Paul saw all these and said a lot about them.

Joshmodest:

You are the one who doesn't understand what I am saying bro !!
First lynching somebody for their bad actions makes you even worse than the person you're lynching ...two wrongs would never make one right !!

Secondly I totally understand what your jihad neighbors. illustration meant - let me digress a bit ..

Why do you think the world powers restrict your movement into their country if they perceive your country to be a terrorist dominated country ...instead of coming to fight your terrorist for you ...in life talk is cheaper than we think...even though thieves are being lynched to death everyday , somebody would still steal today !

Since people have chosen to disregard your Christian principles ...do we kill them for it ? No ...if you can abide by the rules , very nice for you...if you can't fine as well ....if you do your part without imposing , lynching or penalising anybody and simply practice your sacredness and simple commonsensical tips ...chances of you contracting STD's from a razor is also near to zero !

I don't need to understand the bible before I realise that whether they are the laws of moses or Grace ,old testament or new ..the fact remains at some point a whole lot of crap happened in bible , and we are made to understand that God was in support... if its not useful why put it in your bible ....
See I really wish you guys would stop contradicting yourselves and accept the truth ...
My opinion remains , no one deserves to be lynched , physically or emotionally abused to the extent suicide becomes an option, for his/her choice of sexuality ...it makes no sense to do so and If you think otherwise I don't know what to say !
I respect your opinion but I think it's quite jaundiced !!

LMAO. This back and forth is amusing.

It's sad you are reiterating my point and you don't even know.

I never said anyone should be lynched; I am saying the fact that people are lynched for anything at all doesn't mean the victims (of the injustice) are right.

Yes. But the ban wouldn't have been necessary if this people hadn't been radicalized in the first place. So now you have to live in constant fear of your neighbor for your differences in morality and justice: the jihadists believe in killing infidels, ironically; you believe otherwise.

The effects of people not abiding to "my Christian principles" are the reasons why the world is in a mess.

My Christian principles tell me to love my neighbor as myself.

Tells me not to judge others.

Tells me to abstain from vices and immorality.

Leaving other people to live life as they please doesn't work — not even in an atheistic (naturalist or evolutionist) world.

Joshmodest:

Firstly stealing doesn't apply In this context ....stealing is a crime homosexuality isn't at least In most countries .....
Truth is contrary to what we think , a man or woman's decision to sleep with the same sex doesn't in any way affect me ...I don't know how you see it affecting you ...
I choose to meddle in the affairs of my neighbor who is radicalizing his son for jihad , tomorrow I become him and his father's target and they still blow my household...
Agree or not opinions matter very little to this folks - just like the jihad son... I'm yet to see a gay who stopped the act cos he was mocked, or due to homophobic remarks ...
You kill people for premarital sex , bestiality , and other vices your holy book speaks against ...doesn't mean they'll not commit it ...you can still contact HIV as well from a razor even at that !!
I can also go on and on about sins that the bible speaks about and people who read this scriptures, still commit on daily and nothing has changed !!
You can't leave it to what your holy books have to say about it ... so everyone would gulp it and start attacking LGBTQ folks ...
Inside that bible you read there's a whole lot of sh*t , that if you are a reasonable fellow i perceive u to be you'd find appalling !

You honestly don't get me at all.

First, (petty)stealing is not a direct comparison — even if it was must very well have been considered immoral (wrong) first before it was criminalized.
I am saying just because people are treated wrongly for what they are or do doesn't make their actions right.

Second, you totally misjudged what I meant in my Jihad-Neighbour illustration — even if you got that wrong.
You see, why do you think World Powers intervene in crisis of other nations and simply don't "mind their business", mm? Why do you think Southerners are worried about the insecurity in the North? Sooner or later it's gonna come calling on us when we ignore what's going on around us and fail to show concern.

The other illustration was to emphasize that if people only followed the Christian principles about sacredness of marriage, we won't be having STD crises on our hands and your chances of getting it through a razor would almost be zero.

Third, if you understand the Bible you'd realise that those laws of Moses are no longer in place because Christ has come to take away the "burdens and imperfections"of the law.
Look, I wish we could enlighten you more. You are reading the Bible improperly.

Joshmodest:

Too much wisdom in few paragraphs ..
There is totally nothing wrong in hating homosexuality ..its your prerogative to like and dislike what you want !

As a person I don't think homosexuality is good and I can't even visualize the whole act in my head without puking ...

But where the issue lies , is in the discrimination of these LGBTQ communities ...I personally believe we should love and equally respect humans irrespective of their race , gender , tribe or appearance ....

Most people would lynch gays , and probably kill dem all if they had the chance ...Most people see them as more threat to the society than even rapists ...I am even more umbrage when you bring biblical perspective to analyze things like this ...

The bible encourages slaves to be submissive to their masters. we disregard it today cos it affects all ..but we choose to continue with the ideology if women being submissive ..cos it favors us ...

The bible kicks against pre marital sex ...a lot of women were stoned to death in Leviticus for it ,people practice it daily , and we see nothing wrong ...Homosexuality wasn't even in the 10 commandments , no record of anyone killed cos of it ...except Sodom and Gomorrah , and remember at one time we are meant to believe the whole world was destroyed with flood for sins not relating to LGBTQ ..

Sin is Sin whether we agree or not , and yes a liar would not come out to say i am liar accept me ..but I'm sure countless people have lied to simi 's face before , and she didn't tell them they would go to hell fire , or lynch them , or segregate and isolate them like a plague for it ....so this is not about sin ,its about what we think is right ...even some pagans hate homosexuality , and no book asked them to do so !

Homo's don't really want to be accepted , they just want people to let them live .... they want to be seen as humans irrespective of their choice of sexuality .. ...

I do not like homosexuality , but I don't have issues with homosexuals , as long as they don't involve me in their shenanigans !!

Truth is, we are directly or indirectly affected by another person's business: you choose to disregard your neighbor radicalizing his child into Jihad and tomorrow he blows up your household; you leave people to commit bestiality, pre-marital sex, and all sorts of immorality without restraint and you get HIV and all what not through a razor blade.
I could go on and on about "sins" the Bible warns us about that are having serious effects on health and society.

That people get lynched and suffer jungle Justice for stealing doesn't make stealing right, does it?
Even if the person is circumstantially disposed to it.
You can't leave it to what who feels is right: subjective morality is illogical.

As for the Bible, I think you have a long way comprehending it, really.

olisaEze:


Are you sure u can read at all? The objective of the author’s protest is for dis government to reduce the rate at which they're taking loans because d future of d next generation is being mortgaged. Wetin concern sovereignty inside?

My issue is not in particular with the author but the general assumptions of Nigeria when they hear "loan". The recent outcry might jeopardize things.

NkemChukwudi:


I apologise! I am very sorry for my rudeness.

The point I was trying to make is that our parents are complicit in the suffering going on. Just look around you and see the number of children we are still blindly or selfishly bringing into the world. To share this miserable life that we have created for ourselves?

Low level corruption is low key the worst. All we see are the heads of the food chain. But if you remove ghost workers and weed out unproductive civil servants we won't be borrowing like this.

UncleAyo:


I understand your opinion too, but we as citizen don't know the many loan this government has taken and will still take whose method of delivery may not be like the china's.
Also this current government has recently engage in reckless and unecessary spending and cannot be trusted for any single thing.

Every loan has to go to the NASS for approval, and China won't borrow you money without you request going through due process.

Listen forget all these economists and technocrats who are deceiving you that Nigeria can look inwards and progress without borrowing. They are trying to sound astute and intelligent. Bro, you need money to develop your economy and not with the recurrent expenditure and the kind of citizens who engage in low and high level corruption. But with these kinda long term loans we can progress a little.

Even Dangote refinery is being built with loans and counterpart funding, I think.

What I am saying is, borrowing from China is not bad but I am against excessive borrowing.

Keep in mind that these funds are not going through government or any ministry but directly to the contractors.