₦airaland Forum

@ Olabowale Many thanks 4 ur enlightening post on Mohammed. But then this thread is on Jesus, no? Many thanks all the same

U r interesting deathadder, interesting. So egg and chicken evolved 2gether- I bet u can also say when the egg stopped evolving and the chicken acquired it's structural composition and began 2 lay them.
I bet in the process of time, a hen appeared. Nice

U r interesting deathadder, interesting. So egg and chicken evolved 2gether- I bet u can also say when the egg stopped evolving and the chicken acquired it's structural composition and began 2 lay them.
I bet in the process of time, a hen appeared. Nice

U r interesting deathadder, interesting. So egg and chicken evolved 2gether- I bet u can also say when the egg stopped evolving and the chicken acquired it's structural composition and began 2 lay them.
I bet in the process of time, a hen appeared. Nice

U r interesting deathadder, interesting. So egg and chicken evolved 2gether- I bet u can also say when the egg stopped evolving and the chicken acquired it's structural composition and began 2 lay them.
I bet in the process of time, a hen appeared. Nice

There is no God, hmmm, yeah. Of late, I've been wondering too where eggs come from.Deathadder, sure will
appreciateyour letting me know where they come from pls. Really looking forward to your wise answer.

Got the following fro someone in my mail today:
Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master. Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher. Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer. Had no army, yet kings feared Him. He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world. He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him. He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.

@ Olabowale
Nice try

Dear Orikinla,
I have carefully gone through all the postings in this thread and I have not seen how they met with your stated purpose. One thing is sure however, it did succeed in creating controversy in a ‘me vs you’ way. But then as Christians, is this what the Lord called us to do? Hebrews 12:14; Rom 12:17, 18; don't you think we should just limit ourselves to preaching the gospel of peace and leave the Holy Spirit to do the rest. Condemnations, bickering, fault finding, accusations, especially of people of other faiths do not glorify the risen Lord and Saviour.

Have we lost our savour as the salt of the earth? Where is the grace expected of us in the use of our tongues - Proverbs 15:1 – 4. If the Lord found Himself in our world, how would He react to abuses, mis-information, etc from people of other faiths? Counter 'strikes' and vitriolic defenses of Himself? Matt 5: 43 - 48 is particularly instructive. Does a thread like this make for peace? Please read James 3: 9 – 18; 1Peter 4:12 – 19.

To be sure, persecutions of Christians are not from Muslims alone. Even Buddhists in India are persecuting Christian missionaries in that place. Perhaps it will surprise you that there are 'Christian' societies and churches that encourage ungodly practices like adultery, homosexuality, etc and still persecute the brethren. In my village, we’ve had instances where families violently assault their kin who attend a Christian denomination aside of theirs. And they quote (albeit wrongly) scriptures to justify their actions - what are we going to say about such people? Do we declare the Bible wrong and fake because of these people? I have also known Muslims whose comportment and character are exemplary and put some Christians' conduct to question.

When are we going to quit this attitude of debate in trying to make a point or proving that we are of superior specie? Don't you detect a trace of pride and guile in this our approach? Also, strident and vitriolic ‘defenses’ of our faith may have the tendency of driving away souls from the saving grace of Jesus Christ whose desire is that ALL should come unto Him. All because they find our attitude/reactions repulsive and repugnant.1 Corinth.9: 19 – 27. Mukina2 had cause to decry the use of our language and manner in an earlier thread in this forum.

We should not base our opinions of others on fear, hatred, or prejudice, but on fact. Muslim terrorists have done some terrible things, but that does not make all Muslims terrorists. Many Muslims reject terrorism and simply want to live a peaceful, productive life. Likewise, some people in countries with Christian roots have peddled pornography, encourage skimpy clothes (especially among our womenfolk), but that does not mean all Christians want to corrupt the world. Bible-believing Christians want to live at peace with all people and to show love to all, following in the footsteps of Jesus. Muslims and Christians alike have in common the fact that both are human.

I make no secret of where I stand. I believe in Jesus as one with God. I trust that Jesus died to pay for my sins. I am confident that His resurrection guarantees eternal life for me. I depend on the Holy Spirit living in me. I make no claim to being superior to anybody, but remain eternally grateful for the blood of the Lamb that bought me who was once a vile and vain offender. Apart from evangelism/preaching, I also endeavour (by my life and words and through prayer) to share and encourage people to come and partake of the graces of my Lord Jesus Christ - while remembering my background and avoiding perverse disputations, 1 Tim 6: 3 – 5.

I indeed recognise that there are differences between Christianity and Islam. I'm also eager for Christians and Muslims to get along better, but let's do
this by being honest about our differences, even as we take note of significant similarities i.e. Muslims and Christians are people. We are humans with God-given value. We are not animals, and we shouldn’t treat each other as animals. We are not demons, and we shouldn’t treat each other as demons. We are human, and we should treat each other as humans. Whether Christian or Muslim or something else, each of us wants to be treated with fairness and respect, so we should treat others with fairness and respect.

Please I do not use this post to question your Christianity - far be it; I do not consider myself worthy to do that. I just post this in the hope that we can come back to being at peace with our neighbours, either on the net or anywhere else and remember our responsibility of ensuring we remain faithful ambassadors of Jesus Christ in this challenging period of our life. I trust you will see it that way too. Acts 24:16.

God bless you good.

How Would you describe Jesus? Very apt especially in these modern and confusing times. But then, how would I describe Jesus?
Perhaps The following story would help:

THE TOUCH OF THE MASTER’S HAND

It was battered and scarred and the auctioneer
Thought it hardly worth his while
To spend much time on the old violin,
But he held it up with a smile.
“What am I bidden, good folk,” he cried;
“Who’ll start the bidden for me?”
“A dollar I have, who’ll make it two?
Two dollars, who’ll make it three?
Three dollars! And going, and going – but no!”
From the room far back a gray-haired man
Stepped forward and picked up the bow.
Then dusting off the old violin and tightening
The loosened strings,
Played a melody so pure and sweet
As a carolling angel sings.
The music ceased, and the auctioneer
In a voice both clear and low
Said: “What am I bidden now, good folks?”
And he held it up with the bow.
One thousand I have, who’ll make it two?
Two thousand! Who’ll make it three?
Three thousand and going, and going, and gone,”
Said he.
The people cheered, but some of them cried,
“We don’t quite understand: what changed it’s
worth?”
Back came the reply: “Touch of the Master’s
Hand!”
Now there is many a life just like that
All battered and scarred by sin;
And they’re going cheap to a thoughtless world
Much like the old violin.
The roll of a dice, a glass of wine;
A drink and they travel on.
They’re going once, they’re going twice,
They’re going and nearly gone.
Then the Master comes and touches that life,
And the crowds can’t understand –
The worth of a soul and the change that is
Wrought
By the touch of the Master’s hand.


Now Jesus Christ is the Master true
And His is the touch so grand,
That can change a life in a moment of time
By the touch of the Master’s hand.

Surrender your life totally to Him today and see what he won’t do for you.

THAT SUMS UP MY IDEA OF JESUS. HOW ABOUT YOU FIDELIA? HAVE YOU MET HIM FOR THAT SPECIAL TOUCH?

BE COOL

Went in there while she was in labour for the second kid - 12 years ago. Couldn't stand her pains.
Ran as fast as my legs could carry me out of the theatre. That made up my mind. No more kids. Been grateful
to God for keeping her during that period and to her for bearing that pain for both of us.

Have a great respect for ladies - especially mothers - ever since. They are a strong lot. Men who maltreat women
either have not 'experienced' what they go thru or a loonie or both.

3 gbosas to our women,

One Wish

A priest, a minister and a rabbi were all sitting at a table finishing dinner and discussing theology. Suddenly, an angel appeared before them.

"I have been sent to grant each of you one wish," she said. "Who will go first"?

The catholic priest stood up. "I wish for the destruction of all Protestants!"

Then the protestant minister bolted up. "I wish for the destruction of all Catholics!"

The rabbi kept seated, so the angel asked, "How about you? What do you wish for, Rabbi"?

The rabbi answered, "Well, if you're going to grant their wishes, I'll just settle for another cup of coffee."

This went on for days. My wife was beginning to get concerned and I could see the signs on her face; she wasn’t hiding it anymore especially as that was her ovulation time. The fourth day, I was literarily at my wits end what to do. God was very far away from my thoughts then. All I ever wanted in the whole world at that time was nothing but ARISE O COMPATRIOT! Jesus, I can’t be impotent at this time of my life. Am I paying for all my escapades of yore? But my friends didn’t go through this, I reasoned. Why me? Have I committed sacrilege by becoming a Christian? Who introduced Christianity to me must have hated me with a passion. Is this what all Christians go through in their marriage? How come they have children?

Questions, questions, questions. But no answers.

The night was fast approaching and I looked forward to it with trepidation. I went to bed early and immediately pretended sleep. I was afraid. My wife came to bed later and turned on her side. While I felt relieved by that, however, there was a tinge of sadness (perhaps humiliation is more appropriate) in me. This sleep seemed to be too long.
But wait a minute. What was that? I thought I felt a stirring between my legs. Couldn’t be. Must be in a dream already. Afraid to touch before it ‘disappears’. Hey this is no dream! I know the ol’ boy when it stands at attention and ready for inspection. It’s back I shouted. My wife turned - so she wasn’t sleeping too. No time for niceties or postulations about love making. This is different! Hurry up, hurry up before it …, but it did not go back. That night was when our honeymoon started. Sixteen years after, the honeymoon is on.

From that day onwards, my steps changed plus everything about me. I felt like a conquistador. The world cannot stop me. Laughter came easily and my mien became easy. My outlook and approach to life changed. Even my colleagues in Katsina noticed when I got back weeks after. Funny what a little experience can do to some one which years in school could not.

My wife became pregnant and …oops; sorry folks. I’m beginning to write an epistle. This thread is not all about the marital life of ‘feelgood’ alone. Gotta give other folks a chance to say their piece also. Many thanks once again Seun for this beautiful thread. Hope I’ve not made a fool of myself. Sure enjoyed writing this piece – some catharsis it is. Maybe some other time, I’ll have an opportunity to share some funny aspects of my marriage.

Be cool y’all, be cool.

Two days after my wedding, I received a letter from my Company redeploying me from the Headquarters in Lagos to Katsina, which was then a new state. I felt devastated – especially as the office was aware of my wedding and even sent representatives, with a gift. The deployment was immediate.
I called the Katsina office and they were sympathetic and we agreed that I could resume in one week. Honeymoon? Didn’t have one. I felt so sorry for my bride. How on earth did I get her into this? I bet she didn’t bargain for this. But then we made the best out of a harrowing situation – though it wasn’t particularly ‘heavenly’, the good lady didn’t show it. I suppose her attitude gave me courage and determination to face this unwholesome situation.

A week later, I was in Katsina, a dry, dusty town – more like a local government. I spent a week and took my annual leave earlier than scheduled to enable me have more time with my spouse while trying out new places foe employment.
Back in Lagos, my spouse and I agreed to try for a kid immediately since after the leave, it may take awhile before we come together again. Then a new problem occurred.

That night as we came together, my pecker refused to get up. Imagine my consternation and confusion. This didn’t happen even that week I got my deployment letter. We tried every trick in the book ( smoocheroos, pre-intimacy, etc) but no way. That night I felt humiliated and downcast. My wife attributed it to stress as a result of the long journey from my station to Lagos. (There was no functioning airport in Katsina then in 1990 and the closest was in Kano, which was 3 hours away. At that time, there was no guarantee that any booking would be confirmed and flight cancellations were frequent.) A good rest will resolve this. I reluctantly agreed and pretended sleep. Of course I did not sleep the whole night through – if only the bloody pecker could be wacked without causing myself harm, I would have smashed the bugger.

Experience continues in a short while,

@Bhola
Nope, I do not fellowship at Family Worship Centre. I met my wife at TREM, Lagos in 1989. But now we've been
fellowshipping at Deeper life Bible church since late 1990.
Please don't give up on marriage; it's a great institution and very cool. I'll be sharing some of my experiences later,
both the good and the ugly. To keep a marriage going requires trust, communication and REALISATION. Realising and knowing
that you and your spouse are different beings, from different backgrounds (and possibly cultures - like mine), different
upbringings, different attitudes, etc. The challenge is in bringing out the best from the same - AND THAT CAN BE DONE IN ONE WORD - LOVE.
Not the love at first sight stuff. This love is worked on and grows as you cherish and nourish it. I tell you, it is a
wonderful experience. If you can make and keep friends with varied characters and attributes, why not a marriage?

When you grow old and the kids have gone their ways, how wonderful it will be to have someone to talk to and remember the
'good ol' days. Because, at that time of your life, the kids may not find it convenient to visit always or leave the grandkids for
you to play with. But your spouse will always be there.

More on my experiences later.

Just came across this thread. Here is my story:

Saw my wife in the church for the first time. In 1989. Was worshipping one Sunday, when my eyes locked on this lady. That's your wife something in me said silently. NO WAY was my instant reply (not when I'd seen taller sisters) as I looked to the pulpit and continued with the fellowship. I'm over 6ft and always dreamt of having a companion of the same height. Anyway, a wife wasn't my priority then- Not when I had just come out of a life of drinking, smoking and the ladies; coupled with a definite implant of what a standard woman would be for me.

And that's when my troubles started.

I found her always in my thoughts and no matter how much I tried to think on other 'profitable' things. Thinking back now, I sure didn't find it funny. To make matters worse, we began meeting even at the house caring fellowship and I was usually uneasy and fidgety at those times. There was no running away from my inner torments. I shared my 'problem' with a married friend who, rather than help me out tried to match make me with his sister in law.

This wasn’t the Christianity I bargained for.

But then I began to take a closer look at her. She was (and still is) pretty. At 5ft 9ins, she wasn’t short either and we were age mates. I began to rationalize. I wasn’t particularly getting younger also. Love (?) set in. Realized (and pleasantly so) that my inner torments were no longer there. Months later, I proposed.

We did our traditional marriage in Port Harcourt June 16th and formalized the same in Lagos about 3 weeks later – July 7th 1990. We have 2 kids now, a girl (15) and a boy (12).

The marriage has been progressively getting better over the years. Our immaturity of earlier years has given way to matured hearts that act like lovers, friends, siblings etc. I trust this will go on till death separates us.

Has it all been rosy rosy? Nope. We’ve had our funny/hilarious, sober, argument/quarrelling, happy times. But in the main, it’s been a blessed relationship and I couldn’t have asked for a better person for a wife.


This is getting too long already and I sure don’t want to bother you good folks of N/L with an epistle. Perhaps, some other time I will share some of our happy and not so happy times.

And Seun, thanks for this beautiful thread. And to Nairalanders, thanks for making me learn about the varied beginnings of marriage.

God bless you all.

MAMA's BIBLE

Four brothers left home for college, and they became successful doctors
and lawyers and prospered. Some years later, they chatted after having
dinner together. They discussed the gifts they were able to give their
elderly mother who lived far away in another city.

The first said, "I had a big house built for Mama."

The second said, "I had a hundred thousand dollar theater built in the house."

The third said, "I had my Mercedes dealer deliver an SL600 to her."

The fourth said, "You know how Mamma loved reading the Bible and you
know she can't read anymore because she can't see very well. I met this
preacher who told me about a parrot that can recite the entire bible. It
took twenty preachers 12 years to teach him. I had to pledge to
contribute $100,000 a year for twenty years to the church, but it was
worth it. Mamma just has to name the chapter and verse and the parrot will recite it."

The other brothers were impressed.

After the holidays Mom sent out her Thank You notes. She wrote:

" Milton , the house you built is so huge I live in only one room, but I
have to clean the whole house. Thanks anyway."

"Marvin, I am too old to travel. I stay home; I have my groceries
delivered, so I never use the Mercedes. The thought was good.
Thanks."

"Michael, you gave me an expensive theater with Dolby sound, it could
hold 50 people, but all of my friends are dead, I've lost my hearing and
I'm nearly blind. I'll never use it. Thank you for the gesture just the
same."

Dearest Bob, you were the only son to have the good sense to give a
little thought to your gift, The chicken was delicious. Thank you."

Luv Ya, Mama

Hunting License

A couple of young fellers were fishing at their special pond off a beaten track, when out of the bushes, jumped the Game Warden.

Immediately, one of the boys threw his rod down and started running through the woods, but hot on his heels came the Game Warden.

After about a half mile, the young man stopped and stooped over with his hands on his thighs to catch his breath. The Game Warden finally caught up to him.

"Let's see yer fishin' license, boy!" the Warden gasped.

With that, the fella pulled out his wallet and gave the Game Warden a valid fishing license.

"Well, son," said the Game Warden. "You must be about as dumb as a box of rocks! You don't have to run from me if you have a valid license!"

"Yes, sir," replied the young feller. "But my friend back there. Well, he don't have one."

Don't Be Nervous

An older gentleman was on the operating table awaiting surgery and he insisted that his son, a renowned surgeon, perform the operation.

As he was about to get the anesthesia, he asked to speak to his son.

"Yes, Dad, what is it"?

"Don't be nervous, son. Do your best and just remember, if it doesn't go well and if something happens to me, your mother is going to come live with you and your wife."

Your friend a 'devoted christian' but flirts around. Really? Please read Matt 5:27,28.
Gal 5:19 - 21; 1John 1:18; If we must believe the scriptures, your friend is NOT a christian.
Going to church or fully partaking of church activities doesn't make one a christian - John 3:3; 14:15; 15:14
But then, we have a God of mercy. Your friend only needs to repent of the flirting and turn to God
for forgiveness. Thereafter, he should remain devoted to the work of God in and outside the church.

But what should you do? Since he is your friend, talk to him and show him the error of his ways in love;
and secretly ALWAYS pray for the grace of God to keep him from falling - James 5:19,20.
God bless you.

Welcome to the 21st century: our communication:wireless,
our dress:topless,
our phone:cordless,
our cooking:fireless,
our youths:jobless,
our food:fatless,
our labour:effortless,
our relationships:loveless,
our feelings:heartless,
our politics:shameless,
our education:valueless,
our follies:countless,
our arguments:baseless,
our boss:brainless,
our job:thankless,
our salary:useless.
our currency :worthless,
our Nepa:Powerless
er, er,er, what have I left out?,
Could this be Naija?

You and I need to be people of truth for our own good, and because God is a God of truth. If you know God, then you will love truth and hate lies. Why? Because that's what God does. The Bible says, "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight" (Proverbs 12:22, RSV).
God loves truth and hates lies because truth is his very nature. The Bible speaks of the Lord as "the God of truth" (Psalm 31:5). It speaks of him as "God, who does not lie" (Titus 1:2). It also says "it is impossible for God to lie" (Hebrews 6:18). God's power is infinite, most anything is possible for him, but one thing God can't do is lie. Truth is of his very essence. God wouldn't be God if he were anything but absolutely true and trustworthy and faithful.
The Bible says, "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak, and then not act? Does he promise and then not fulfill?" (Numbers 23:19) "For the word of the Lord is faithful and true; he is faithful in all he does" (Psalm 33:4).
When God came to earth as a man in the person of Jesus, he said, "I am the Truth" (John 14:6). When Jesus was on trial before Pilate, he said, "In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me" (John 18:37).
And how did Pilate respond? He grunted, "What is truth?" That's the question of every person who'd rather avoid God, who wants to do something he knows deep down is evil. Just about every wicked deed is followed by a trail of lies, or else it's covered up by the biggest lie of all: There is no such thing as truth; nobody can be sure if God exists or what he's like; nobody can know for sure what's right and wrong. If there's no truth, there's no right or wrong, and that means I can keep doing what I'm doing. Some intellectuals have even turned this into a philosophy. What is truth? Who knows? Let's all believe as we please and do what we want—even if it means crucifying the Son of God, as Pilate did.
"What is truth?" That sarcastic question of Pilate denies that God is real and that his revelation is reliable.
We’ve sampled some of the havoc that occurs in different areas of life when we lie to each other, whether those are monstrous lies that twist what the Bible says about Jesus, or the everyday lies we tell in dealing with each other. Truth comes from God, the ultimate life-giver. Lies come from Satan, the ultimate killer. It's not just that honesty is nice, and lies aren't nice. It's that we are either in league with the God of truth, or else in league with the father of lies, Satan.

The gospel according to Judas is from the pit of hell and authored by the father of lies - Lucifer. We need to embrace the truth my dear Wumine.
Truthfulness is crucial for a real relationship with God and for real relationships with each other. The Bible says, "Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor" (Ephesians 4:25). "Then we will no longer be, blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is Christ" (Ephesians 4:14-15).
"Speaking the truth in love" is the key to relationships. So far we’ve seen the deadliness of lying and the need to say only what is true, and that's extremely important. Before we say something, we first need to ask, "Is it true?" But then we need to ask another question: "Is it loving? Am I 'speaking the truth in love'?" What all this means is that we can't just ask whether it would be accurate to say it, but we also need to ask whether it would be helpful.
"Speaking the truth in love"—that is God's standard for how to use our tongues. The Bible says, "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight reign on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless" (James 1:26). Did you catch that? "His religion is worthless." Lies and gossip are symptoms of worthless religion. They are the marks of a person who doesn't belong to God.
1 Corinthians 6:9 says that slanderers have no place in the kingdom of God. In declaring God's wrath against sin, Romans 1 mentions gossips and slanderers in the same breath as sexual perverts and murderers. And Revelation 21:8 says: "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulphur. This is the second death." Throughout God's Word, then, it is clear that liars and gossips belong in hell with the father of lies and all his lying demons.

Left to ourselves, hell would be our unavoidable destiny, since lying and gossip seem to come so naturally to us. But God has not left us to ourselves. He reveals his unchanging truth in the person of Jesus Christ and in the promises of the Bible. The Lord promises that when we turn away from Satan's lies and believe God's truth, we will be saved.
So, do we really want to have a relationship with God and not be tossed to and fro by every 'wind of doctrine'? Let's repent of our lies and all our other sins. Ask for God's forgiveness for the sake of Jesus' blood. Trust his promise of pardon and eternal life. Don’t be misled by Satan’s lies. Believe God’s truth in the Bible. Then, with the help of God's Spirit living in you, commit yourself to a life of truthfulness, since you have been adopted as a child of the God of truth himself.
The truthfulness of God is our only source of stability and hope. The Bible says that when we trust Jesus, we have "a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised" (Titus 1:2). In another place it says that because "it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for our soul, firm and secure" (Hebrews 6:13,18-19). Isn't that beautiful? In a world of rumors and lies, we have "an anchor for our souls, firm and secure." We have God's promises in Christ, and "it is impossible for God to lie."
Trust the God of truth, and become a truth-teller yourself. Trust the God of love, and "speak the truth in love" in your relationship to others. Trust the God of eternal encouragement, and speak in a way that encourages others. "May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every deed and word" (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
My dear Wumine, this 'epistle' was in the main gotten from the sermon of David Feddes, a preacher of the Gospel of Christ, and titled 'Truth Tellers'.
God bless you good and as Havila said, please search the scriptures (The Bible) for therein is THE ONLY TRUTH!

Hi, y'all. We continue with the Judas' gospel ( while hoping to tackle Wumine's other views or fears(?) about her faith/christianity ):

How could anybody believe something as weird and wicked as the gospel of Judas? The answer is that these lies come from Satan himself and are backed by demonic power. It’s not just that people’s brains don’t work very well. The deeper problem is that evil powers are at work in those lies. Liars cause confusion. Satan is the biggest liar of them all. Satan wants people to be confused about Jesus, not to have a clear faith in the truth. The gospel of Judas and other Gnostic falsehoods were the sort of thing the Bible warned of in advance. According to 1 Timothy 4:1-2,
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.
As we’ve seen, people with a seared conscience ended up saying Cain the murderer and Judas the traitor were good. These were the kind of people who said the human body is bad and that people should avoid the physical pleasures of marriage or of eating tasty food (4:3). They loved death more than life.
Satan knows that if people believe his lies instead of Jesus’ truth, those people will perish forever instead of enjoying eternal life with Jesus in glorified resurrection bodies. Satan is a killer, and he tells lies in order to bring death. Jesus said of Satan, "He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44,45).
From the very beginning, in the garden of Eden, that old serpent, the devil, has been telling his murderous lies. God told Adam and Eve that they could eat fruit from any tree except one. If they ate from the forbidden tree, they would die. The first thing Satan said to Eve was, "Did God really say?" He got Eve to doubt God's truthfulness. Then he told her that disobeying God wouldn't kill her. It would liberate her. She'd become like God herself. Eve and Adam believed Satan, they doubted God, and humans have been lying and dying ever since.
Whenever someone tells a lie, Satan is happy, and Satan advances in his murderous campaign to ruin lives and destroy souls. Not all lies are as spectacular as the claim that Judas and Cain were good. Lies and deception come in various forms.
A boy flatters a girl with sweet little lies about how much he loves her, but once she's gone to bed with him, he dumps her as used goods. A woman makes marriage promises and then decides she'd rather be without her husband, leaving him betrayed and shattered. A child in school acts friendly toward another kid, but behind his back tells others what a loser he is. A teacher grades a set of exams that are at best mediocre and yet gives them top marks, giving the students a false sense of accomplishment and depriving them of any incentive to improve and excel.
An athlete signs a six-year-deal, and two years later threatens not to play unless the deal is renegotiated. A salesman bamboozles a customer into signing a contract, only to be dismayed later at what the fine print turns out to mean. A researcher falsifies his findings or hides the dangers of a certain product so that it will reach the market faster, and people die as a result. A doctor lies and tells a patient there's a good chance she'll survive her cancer, thus depriving the dying patient of the chance to face impending death squarely and courageously, and forcing her to endure the added pain and indignity of useless treatments.
A politician makes all sorts of promises he knows he won't keep, and the people lose their confidence in government. A talk show host blabs a variety of rumors and speculations and half-truths, and people become cynical about everything. A preacher says one thing but does another, and his congregation starts to wonder whether they can trust anybody or believe in anything.
Is there anything more characteristic of the life of sin than lying? You do something wrong; you don't want anyone to know; so what do you do? You lie. And once you tell that lie, you have to tell another lie to cover it up, and then another, and then another, until your whole life becomes a web of lies.
Lies poison relationships. Think of what happens when a group of people get together, in a cafeteria or at a party, or wherever. Look at all the smiles! Listen to how friendly everyone is! "It's so nice to see you." "It's been great talking with you." But then notice the whispers and the dirty looks, and listen to what they say after a person leaves the room. The fake friendliness and flattery evaporate, the phony front is dropped, and it comes out what they really think of each other.
Our atmosphere is so polluted by lies that we're in danger of suffocating. We somehow need to breathe in the fresh air of truth and discover the life and liberty that come from "speaking the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15).

Not done yet, be back. Gotta thrash this Judas' gospel stuff and the good lady's seeming 'confusion' about her christianity. These are really evil times.
Meanwhile, be cool m'hearties, be cool!

To y'all
The varied posts on Wumine's observation are quite interesting and enlightening, but leaves the main issue: The gospel of Judas, is it real? What is it all about? Perhaps a careful commentary will help. We begin:

The Gospel of Judas claims to reveal the real Jesus and the real Judas. The real Judas, according to this ancient document, was not evil. Instead, Judas was the only one of the twelve apostles who really understood Jesus. Jesus secretly told Judas his real message. Jesus taught Judas that the physical world is evil, that bodies are bad, and that people have an inner divine being. This divine self needs to escape the prison of the body to fulfill its divine destiny.
When Judas handed Jesus over to his enemies to be killed, it was not a wicked betrayal; the Gospel of Judas says that Jesus ordered Judas to do it. Jesus told Judas that he would surpass all the other disciples, because Judas would help Jesus to escape his body and become pure spirit. Jesus told Judas, “You will sacrifice the man that clothes me.” According to the gospel of Judas, Jesus did not die to get rid of the world’s sin; he died to get rid of his own body. Jesus did not rise from the dead in a glorified resurrection body, and he did not promise that his followers would be physically raised from the dead. Bodily resurrection would be tragedy, not triumph. Bodies are bad! No, says the gospel of Judas, Jesus offered guidance on how to how to escape being physical and human.
That contradicts what the Bible says. According to the New Testament gospels, Judas was not the best of all the apostles, but the worst. He was a thief and a traitor. Judas was a member of Jesus’ ministry team, and one of his duties was to serve as treasurer. But Judas stole money that people had given for God’s work. Eventually Judas became so greedy that he decided to go for one big payday. He went to Jesus’ enemies and offered to betray Jesus to them for a payment of thirty silver coins. Satan, the chief of demons, entered Judas’s heart, and Judas did Satan’s work. He led a band of men armed with swords and clubs through the darkness of night to the place he knew Jesus would be. Judas gave Jesus a kiss, not out of love, but to help Jesus’ enemies pick Jesus out of the crowd and seize him. Afterward Satan had no further use for Judas. Judas was filled with horror and killed himself. That’s what the Bible says about Judas.
As for Jesus and his message, the Bible never says Jesus told people that they have a divine inner self that needs to be free of the body. It is not bad to have a body; the Bible says God created bodies. When Jesus died, it was not to get rid of his body but to get rid of our sin. Jesus did not just dwell in a spirit realm. He arose from the dead in a body that could be seen and touched. When Jesus returns, he will raise our bodies.
The gospels in the Bible say one thing; the gospel of Judas says another. What should we believe? When the Judas manuscript came to light, the news media gave it lots of publicity. You may have heard people say that the gospel of Judas is a legitimate alternative to the Bible. You may have heard that experts authenticate the gospel of Judas as very old.
Well, it is old. It goes back many centuries—but not as far back as the biblical gospels. The Bible’s accounts were written within a few decades of Jesus death and resurrection by people who knew Jesus personally. The Judas manuscript, on the other hand, is dated about 150 years after Judas betrayed Jesus. 150 years is a long time. The author did not know Jesus or Judas. The book was written by Gnostics who thought bodies were bad. Some Gnostics called themselves Cainites. They admired not only Judas but Cain, the biblical character who murdered his brother Abel. This cult twisted almost everything the Bible said into its opposite and turned many villains into heroes.
Now, let’s imagine a different example of writing a book 150 years after events, a book that contradicts the historical accounts of eyewitnesses. It’s been a little less than 150 years since President Abraham Lincoln was shot. Suppose somebody sat down today and wrote a book titled History of Booth. Suppose this book claimed to give the real, hidden story behind Abraham Lincoln’s death. History of Booth claimed that Lincoln secretly told John Wilkes Booth to shoot him, and the assassin Booth was actually an American hero. Now imagine that the person who wrote this book was part of a group called the Arnoldites. The Arnoldites are named after Benedict Arnold, the traitorous general who worked for America’s enemy. Would you take seriously a book that said the secret of being a true American is to follow in the footsteps of Benedict Arnold, the traitor who double-crossed George Washington, and John Wilkes Booth, the assassin who murdered Abraham Lincoln? Who would pay any attention to such ridiculous lies dreamed up long after the actual events?
If such a History of Booth would be ridiculous, the Gospel of Judas is even more ridiculous. But some journalists and professors act as though it reveals things that place the biblical gospels in question. A similar dynamic occurred with the ridiculous Gnostic ideas described in The Da Vinci Code. Tell a big enough lie often enough to lots of people, and eventually some of them believe it.

To be continued,

Voting Time

While walking down the street one day, a U.S. senator is tragically hit by a truck and dies.

His soul arrives in Heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

"Welcome to Heaven," says St. Peter. "Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you."

"No problem, just let me in."

"Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we'll do is have you spend one day in Hell and one in Heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity."

"Really, I've made up my mind. I want to be in Heaven," says the senator.

"I'm sorry, but we have our rules."

And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down.

The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him. Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people.

They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and champagne. Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy. He has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that before he realizes it, it is time to go. Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises.

The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on Heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.

"Now it's time to visit Heaven."

So, 24 hours pass with the senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

"Well, then, you've spent a day in Hell and another in Heaven. Now, choose your eternity."

The senator reflects for a minute, then he answers.

"Well, I would never have said it before. I mean Heaven has been delightful, but I think I
would be better off in Hell."

So, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to Hell.

The doors of the elevator open and he's in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags, as more trash falls from above. The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder.

"I don't understand," stammers the senator. "Yesterday, I was here and there was a golf course and a clubhouse and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, danced and had a great time. Now, it's just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened"?

The devil looks at him, smiles and says, "Yesterday, we were campaigning. Today, you voted."

Oops, didn't know I'm in a 'parapo' thread for only 'calabar' people

Gotta split. Sorry folks, didn't mean to intrude. Abadie.
Just an aside - Etiebet is not gunning for the governorship. His declaration is just part of a game
plan to ensure whoever steps in will kow tow to him.

Be cool

The Pastor, the Bishop and the Donkey
>
> The pastor entered his donkey in a race and it
> won. The
> pastor was so pleased with the donkey that he
> entered it
> in the race again, and it won again.
> The local paper read: PASTOR'S ASS OUT FRONT.
>
> The Bishop was so upset with this kind of
> publicity that he
> ordered the Pastor not to enter the donkey in
> another race.
>
>
> The next day, the Local paper headline read:
> BISHOP SCRATCHES PASTOR'S
> ASS.
> This was too much for the bishop, so he ordered
> the pastor to
> get rid of the donkey. The pastor decided to give
> it to a nun in a
>
> Nearby convent. The local paper, hearing of the
> news, posted the
> following headline the next day:
>
> NUN HAS BEST ASS IN TOWN.
>
> The bishop fainted. He informed the nun that she
> would have to
> get rid of the donkey, so she sold it to a farmer
> for $10. The
>
>
> Next day the Paper read: NUN SELLS ASS FOR $10.
> This was too much for the bishop, so he ordered
> the nun to buy
> back the Donkey and lead it to the plains where it
> could run wild.
>
> The next day the headlines read:
> NUN ANNOUNCES HER ASS IS WILD AND FREE.
>
> The bishop was buried the next day,

Trickery

An elderly man in Phoenix calls his son, Bob, in New York and says, "I hate to ruin your day, but your mother and I are divorcing. Forty-five years of misery is enough! I'm sick of
her and I'm sick of talking about this, so call your sister in Boston and tell her." He then hangs up.

The son frantically calls his sister, who goes nuts upon hearing the news.

She calls her father and yells, "You are not getting a divorce! Bob and I will be there tomorrow. Until then, don't do a single thing, do you hear me"?

The father hangs up the phone, turns to his wife and says, "It worked! The kids are coming for a visit and they're paying their own way!"

@alwahidi
Couldn't help but laugh at your varied responses Sure didn't know you had a comical attribute
in addition to your 'ability' to determine a person's state of mind from far away Malaysia ( i suspect
Zamfara would be more apt). It's re-assuring to know that at least you are really feeling good!
Be cool, soldier, be cool

@havila
Correction noted. My sincere apologies for the mistake.

@havila
Do you have anything against belloti?
Read your posts wherever belloti features - and girl, do you 'spit'
venom. Be cool sister - be cool, it's a free world, no?

Yerima for President--------- in the peoples' republic of Zamfara!

@ alwahidi
your second post betrays you. If you are seeking for the post of spiritual adviser to Yerima,
go visit him at Zamfara.

Be cool ya all

Yes he will - no need to lose sleep on the matter. The legislators are looking for money, that's all.
They know they won't get it and so want to make noise.
A baby who wants ice cream from parents who feel there is something better to do with money
will naturally cry and scream. When everyone ignores it, then it whimpers and satisfies itself with
sucking it's thumb. That's all.
Let's talk better things.

Be cool