₦airaland Forum

Mavenb0x:
@JeSoul: Thanks, dearie. You have mentioned the exact point I was going to start off with. You're a wonder, girl. I keep wondering how you say the same things I try to say, but using very few words! Abeg no dey talk that kind "Nuclearboy, Maven and Viaro are the matured Christians" gist o. We need your wise input as well (I'm not kidding, sis). Your cameo appearances are brilliant reminders of Eshet Chayil.

My sister you're too kind, just too kind!

and I concur with Deepsight, I haven't heard an explanation of the cry on the cross like that before. That was truly insightful!

Verilee my brother, you're more than welcome. Go and conquer with the godly wisdom you possess that comes from above. We're all in this together and He who called us will be faithful to finish the good work He began. It is well with you.

Godbless! 

Mavenb0x:
@JeSoul's post to Viaro: LOL I love this sister jare!

Lol, Maven my dear the hypocrisy was just too blatant jare. Usually I just carry go and keep my mouth shut, but for someone like him who makes a career of being nitpicky and calling out other people on very minor mistakes, he should be able to take it when he himself is corrected, but it seems his ego is getting in the way.

jamace:
My people, it really baffles me o. What is this world turning into? It looks to me that these churches are out to create more criminals/sinners. The reason I said so is that, the more churches you have on a street, the higher the number of crimes/criminals/corruption there. Worshippers seem to be spirit-filled only while in the churches, and after service they become infested with legions of demons.

I am convinced in my soul that establishment of churches is now big time biz for the jobless. Many prefer to go to pastorial schools (this is the present trend and the smart ones have already towed the line) because on completion there is more hope of being employed in a new branch of the many churches around.

Another unfortunate thing is that, people go to church these days just to belong. No wonder we have more religious people than godly people. I met a guy who said he goes to church because he feels lonely at home on sundays whenever people in his street have gone to worship churches.

The world is in trouble!

Right on the money. Jesus told us to go and make disciples, not go and build churches. Malachi 1:10 is particularly suited for them: Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands.

VeriLee:
thanks Jesoul,

That seemed to be very edifying until I read you last paragraph, which brought me right back to the start of my problem. You said I should yield and submit to the will of the Holy Spirit and that this is God's will for me. But this is exactly the problem I am facing.

How do I know what the will of the Holy Spirit is? If I do not know what the will of the Holy Spirit is, I would never be able to know whether I am submitting to my will, or somebody else's will. In the case of my marriage question, how would I know which of these ladies is the preference of the Holy Spirit for me?

My brother, you already know! His will is live a life that glorifies God.

As for your dilemma on who to marry - this too you will know with time. I don't believe God already has everything in our lives planned out. Not at all. Rather He allows us to make decisions, using His word as a guide and the Holyspirit as confirmation and in this, he brings about good as long as we are in His will (living the word).

Some people have given solid advice on this thread. There's no need to get married right now, make a decision when you are sure in your heart beyond all doubt. No one can tell you, I daresay the Holyspirit is not in the business of pointing out which partner is best suited for us. But instead use the godly wisdom in you to make a decision you will be at peace with in your spirit.

Finally, the one way I know I am making a good decision, is the peace I feel in my spirit. Which is why its important to take all the time you need, and then decide with confidence and peace of mind and heart. This way, you will not second guess yourself in the future. Godbless brother!

Deep Sight:
It has nothing to do with their willingness. A Charity Commission simply audits the finances of ALL charitable organizations (and this includes churches and mosques) with a view to determining if fraud is being practiced.

It is important in secular terms to reach such a determination because these organizations are exempt from tax on account of their supposed non-profit status, and if it is found that their purposes include private enrichment then this amounts to tax evasion which is a crime.

Capisce?

Yes, capisced.

I dunno that this would work in Naija. Even if they get them to open their books, these books can very easily be cooked, can't they?

Normally I would walk away but . . . not this time.

viaro:
Like I said, if you say so.

No, I don't say so. Your own words say so very clearly and loudly:

viaro:
The way I see it, many people who complain here are actually part of the problem rather than the solution.

It would have been more honorable for you to have simply acknowledged your error instead of the "whatever" hand you're throwing up by saying "if you say so". You made a baseless accusation and I called you out on it as you frequently do with others. You have a rep of being nitpicky with people's posts, breaking down their every syllable and taking considerable effort to argue over insignificant trivialities, over semantics (as you're doing now with Honeric).
But I guess you cannot handle the taste of your own medicine, right?

@Topic,
pardon the diversion, I am done with the whip for now.

viaro:
Okay, if you say so.

I wasn't trying to be brash. You made a sweeping, accusatory and completely unwaranted statement about the posters on this thread - considering how you chastise generalized statements, I saw it to be my NL civic duty to indict you on the matter.

But as always, if you're willing to grease the wheel, I am willing to drop all charges

Deep Sight:
Iyawo -

A UK-Style Charity Commission would be apt.

Oga, wouldn't this require the Naija Pastoral leadership to actually be willing to be held accountable? For people who argue "well Abraham and Lot were filthy rich too" I think accountability would be asking waay too much

Verilee,
I wasn't going to post this initially, but I feel urged to do so. Here's an article on the very subject that I posted on NL on a similar thread a while back. I hope you take something away from it. Godbless!




What if God does NOT have a plan for your life?

I love eureka moments.

And I have been having a eureka moment this entire month.

If you're anything like me, then you've wondered and pondered, sometimes struggled and wrestled with what "God's will is for your life". Many christians are living in a state of limbo, walking around under a self-induced spell that God will someday show up in grand fashion, whisk them away from their current 'secular' predicament otherwise known as a job, and bring to pass His great and awesome "will" for their lives.

However, I have come to the realization that God's will is not some far off event in the future, not some soon-to-be occurrence, not some great or small thing that I will be assigned to do, not a position or an allocation of work or job, but that God's will is right here, right now, and that will is for me - and you- to live lives that glorify His name. God's will for us is to obey, love and serve Him. Could it really be this simple? I also realized that I had been trusting more in my ability to be spiritual enough to hear God, than in God's ability to lead me.

---

-Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will"

-Colossians 4:12 "Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured"

-1 Thessalonians 4:3 "It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality"

-1 Thessalonians 5:18 "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

-1 Peter 2:15 "For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men".

---

   In all the above, God's will is a very present event, but even more importantly, this big word called "God's will" is already known!. It is not something that is being furiously searched out, it is already recognized, or in the process of being "tested and approved". When we hear the word's "God's will" today we think of this grand thing God has planned for us to be or do. . . what if God just wants you to live a quiet, and relatively uneventful life? Only significantly impacting a small group of people around you? What if God does not have as grand a plan as you think all mapped out for you in the future? What if God does not have anything more than what you are (in a worldly sense) and where you are right now planned out in your future? what if where you are is where He wants you to be? what if this is really it? For you to be simple and unknown, unaccomplished by worldly standards, quietly serving and worshipping Him?

    This is not to say God's plans for us are not good, but oftentimes our definition of "good" is not the same as God's definition. Remember, as high as the heavens are above the earth, so far are our thoughts from His. What if He just wants a simple, plain, regular joes life for you? what if? What if His plan for you is to suffer for His name and His glory? not doing anything great or wonderful ever in your life? what if your dreams and goals are not what He wants? what if your vision and aspirations are not part of His plan? What if you're not destined for "greatness"? what if? The bible teaches us we're not promised tomorrow, it teaches us not to fret or worry about tomorrow. So how did we get to this place where we're looking into a spiritual crystal ball, in a futile attempt to "discover" God's future "plans" for us? And you know what the plain truth is, we spend so much time and energy trying to figure out "what God's will is", instead of just trusting God to lead us into His will as we serve Him today. You see the difference?

  The first part places the emphasis on us, on how deeply spiritual we are that we can hear God's voice, that we can attain some level of holiness that God's will will then suddenly become apparent in some kind of vision or revelation. The latter part places the emphasis on God, and how faithful He is in answering a genuine prayer seeking His direction. And as He directs and leads, we become aware He has led, and that we are already in His will and His name is glorified in that. Here the glory goes to God- alone, whereas in the former the glory goes to us, to how "spiritual" we are. Now please don't get me wrong, there's nuthin wrong with having goals and things you'd like to accomplish, there's nuthin wrong with wanting to live and walk the path God has for you, but we must keep things in perspective. As we're setting the dreams and goals, how much of it is God-centered? And how much of it is you-centered? How much of your dreams seek to glorify God vs. glorifying you? And you may very well have noble intentions with your dreams, to win souls and share Christ, but it doesn't always necessarily mean they are God's intentions for you. So let us not cajole ourselves into believing that just cos we have good motives it justifies the dream. David had good intentions to build a temple for God, but God did not want him to. And if David had persisted in that dream, it would have been an act of disobedience toward God.

    I can relate so much because I've been a position where I've simply been wondering, to the point its been robbing me of my present, what God's will is for me, for my future. When it is all just so simple: live your life today, in accordance to His word, giving the glory to His name, and without even breaking out the Christian books or running to the Christian conferences that promise to "unlock your destiny", you will already be in His will. We need to stop trusting so much in our spirituality, in our ability to discover what this high and lofty and all too often elusive "will of God" (as we've defined it) is. Instead pick up your bible, live according to God's precepts and ways, yield and submit to the direction of the Holy Spirit- this is God's will for you. Then you would have been living your life already in His will, instead of looking to the skies or self-proclaimed prophets for some supposedly foretold event that might never take place.

[quote author=~Sissy~ link=topic=369934.msg5160974#msg5160974 date=1261430922]and dat yahoo search engine isnt making it any much easier, it just triple suck [/quote]Right. The google one was even slightly better but the yahoo search I think quadruple sucks.

SCI:
maybe you should help us out with that afterall are you not a member?

Maybe you should, you're a member too right?

KunleOshob:
@jesoul
Thanx for answering the question of my position on the trinity issue on my behalf.

You're welcome. That will be $5 please. Cash or credit card only. You didn't think I work for free did you? 

nuclearboy:
@Jesoul:

Been awhile I read anything from you.

As long as mature and well versed christians such as yourself, Viaro and Maven continue to articulate the gospel as you have, there is no need for more cooks in the kitchen, and certainly no need for my mischievious, abbreviated drive-bys   I will happily stick to making cameo appearances.

Deep Sight:
Nuclear; let me just make one thing clear - this is not about intellect for me: from the age of about 12 i have strenuously sought the truth and i am still doing so. The world and universe around me fills me with wonder. Thus i seek.

The walk has taken me through a great many christian sects, prime amongst which were the Jehovah's Witnesses. I have studied the Quoran and have several Islamic works in a personal library right here in my bedroom. I have studied and attempted pure Buddhism, and have been at times associated with The Rosicrucian Order, the Grail Message and diverse religious, theological and philosophical movements.

Disatisfied with most, i started about 10 years ago whilst in University to stare at the night sky and ponder out my own perspectives on existence. It has been an enlightening walk. I find that many religions actually contain major parts of THE TRUTH. But human dogma beclouds alot.

I only say this so that you know that my search has been long and it is sincere. Mind games are meaningless. The truth is out there.

Together, we can find it.

Quick question Deepsight.

Have you ever wondered if your wealth of knowledge and depth of intellect may be a stumbling block in your quest for 'truth'?

[quote author=A_K_O link=topic=369383.msg5167655#msg5167655 date=1261510114]The work of the gospel does not lie with any man, it cannot be branded with a particular church. However our Nigerian pastors don't understand this and want to stamp their footprint in every nook and cranny. If there is a church where I want to put my branch, hasn't the job already been done?

It takes rational government intervention to curb the multiplication of churches everywhere.[/quote] Rational and government in the same sentence? An oxymoron if I ever saw one.

I'm wary of govt. interfering with institutions like churches, it is a dangerous path. The most effective way to "curb" this phenomenon lies in the very people they are geared towards reaching . . . if people don't attend the churches, they will close down. Simple. But as long as there is a demand, there will continue to be increase in the supply.

Ibime:
Someone deleted me post on this thread.

ManMustWac. abi na you?

manmustwac:
nope maybe the spambot did it.

Lol . . . Ibime even the spambot knows your entries are . . . what was that word again? . . . oh yeah that's right, "balderdash"  I kid, I kid.

So you even sabi Religion forum?    I read your post before it was axed, and there was a lotta sense in it jare, these crooks are indeed far ahead of their time.

While this clown may have a small point about the deal being rushed and foisted upon lesser nations . . . he should just sharrap. Adconline said it well, Cuba is a superpower-wannabe and it is bad belle that is worrying them most of the time.

viaro:
The way I see it, many people who complain here are actually part of the problem rather than the solution. Perhaps one would have hoped for a situation where positive things result from the proliferation of churches - but that is a far cry from reality on ground (and that is what seems to be the main reason why many people frown at the many churches springing up here and there).

Instead of complaining about any particular denomination, is there a way we could look at this subject differently?

And how would you know this? Do you know the posters and their denominational affiliations? do you know their personal leanings? and whether or not they've "contributed" to the spreading of churches in their locations?

Perhaps "the way you're seeing it" is entirely presumptous.

Why?

I have wondered this for a while as everytime I try to find a thread from ways back, I type in a few keywords and get 18 pages spanning every section from politics to religion to food to travel to games.

Can't this be streamlined? we ought to be able to search by section, child-board, date posted, user ID, keyword etc.

nuclearboy:
@ALL:

W[b]ould it be unreasonable to try answer for these 2 gentlemen using their prior posts as a guide?[/b]
DeepSight [/b]asks if Jesus ever existed and wonders why God would tie the salvation of all peoples to one man from one tribe so I'd say He doesn't believe Jesus existed, or in lieu of that, doesn't accept His Divinity which translates to Him being a different entity from God. Is DeepSight a Christian? Should I be discussing Jesus with him if his belief is that the Word of God is a myth and denies Jesus, the foundation of Christianity?

Unreasonable? not at all.
Deepsight subscribes to [b]some of Jesus' Teachings most especially the Beatitudes. He does not accept the divinity of Jesus and does not believe the bible to be word of God. He believes love and good works is ones ticket to heaven of which Ghandi is first in line.

KunleOshob believes Jesus is distinct from God and less than God yet Divine. Result: he believes there are at least, 2 "gods". I assume he believes the same for the Holy Spirit too which means to his thinking, there are "3 gods". Yet he believes the RCC was wrong in saying there is a Trinity/Tritheism. If however, I am wrong and it is only Jesus that is distinct/lower, then there are 2 gods to his mind. Which means the GodHead is a Bi-unity

Kunle and Viaro/Noetic duked out the topic of Jesus' "Godship" on a thread recently. Here's a quote from Kunle:

KunleOshob:
The bible never claimed that there is only one god. What we are told is that only God almighty[the creator] is worthy of worship. To me as a christian Jesus is not the God i worship, he is an intermediary btw us and God. The bible is very clear on this. Jesus role is that of an intermediary and his role is to reconcile man to God. It was mere men like us in their overzealouness that  decided to equate Jesus to his father, this i believe is heretic.

Should speak for itself where he stands.

Image123:
No, lol. I'm the first to say women have not lived up to 1Timothy 2, not you. I see/saw your point though. It's great to hear that you're seeing mine.

Lol, I already know say you be correct boy anyways and if we were to be very very literal, Paul was actually the first!

 

biina:
So can I get an invite to the bball games? I would like to see first hand what appropriate dressing looks like

Lol, you're looking for trouble eh Binna? I thought you were going to be preoccupied long term or at least till season's end, ensuring the Dallas cheerleaders are not the root of their problems 
 
  but . . .  sure you're welcome anytime . . . as long as my bodyguard permits  I almost never go anywhere 'dangerous' without him, and he has made it his personal responsibility and civic duty to tell me what is appropriate at pretty much all times [size=5pt] and boy have I been chastised on many an occasion lol[/size]

Deep Sight:
Look let's settle this confusion speedily. Jesoul is first wife. Mavenbox is second wife. Maven's alleged "hunnybunny" is forthwith given marching orders. On pain of. . .

Jesoul will cook Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays. Mavenbox Tuesdays, Thursdays Saturdays.

African Man.

Gbam.

ROTFLOL . . . I can't even laugh lol. Na correct african man be this.
Since today is monday, oga what will you chop when you come home this evening? it can't be too heavy since we have prayer vigil from midnight till 3am 

^ that's okay. I wanted you to see the problem in your position and your refusal to respond indicates to me that you do see the problem with a layman literal interpretation of that verse yanked out of the context in which Paul said it. It is this same problem that causes some to insinuate Paul taught that women should not speak in church.

  If women cannot braid their hair (whatever kind of braid it was), then they cannot wear gold or pearls or any kind of expensive clothes whatsoever. And no right thinking christian would subscribe to such a position.

---

1 Tim 2 "I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God." Lemme state in explicit terms that I submit, agree and believe 1,000,000% the above verse BUT we must look at the context in which Paul said this:


Firstly - Context is everything! Paul laid down these rules for "propriety in worship"  in other words these guidelines, first and foremost were for when women came to church! A woman athlete running the 100m dash surely will be very scantily clad, with the entire definition of her fit figure contoured and showing, but is her dressing inappropriate for the occasion? of course not. When I go to the gym and play bball, I wear shorts sometimes, and a tight fitting tanktop - is it appropriate dressing for the setting? of course but would I wear such to church? of course not. And would I wear a dress suit to the gym or the grocery store or for when I wash my car? that would be silly and inappropriate.


Secondly - Paul specifically mentioned "Braids" "Gold" "Pearls" and "Expensive clothes" for a specific reason. The problem in the church in that time was that these specific items were specifically worn by women ostentatiously, in an effort to outdo and outshow each other and hence Paul's[b] specific criticism[/b] of those items!


  If it were in modern times, Paul might scold women who wear 6 inch heels to church or those huge loophole earings or deep eyeshadow and plum red lipstick. The problem was NOT those items, but it was the women and the attitude with which they wore them, and the negative association those items carried. Scripture is more than black or white, we need to read in context and understand that certain directives to the early church were not meant at all to be stretched and projected and become rule and law for christians in subsequent generations.

 

---

That being said, I will be the first to say we women, including myself have not lived up to 1 Tim 2 by a long stretch. But we are all works in progress and will continually grow in obedience to scriptural directives.

viaro:
Hello Jesoul, if you say so. Bless you.

Lol . . . though I must confess of late you have been keeping it pithy such as the above quote. I knew you had some brevity hiding somewhere in you

Binna, stop raining on their parade with your facts and statistics now    allow them to enjoy this kind of victory, it only comes once every 5 years. Romo will be back to botching snaps and throwing INTs like his life depended on it

Favre Refuses To Come Out Of Game - Brett Favre and Brad Childress have "heated discussion" during loss vs Panthers  http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4761127

The end of the honeymoon, the begining of the Viking meltdown? 

My dear it breaks my heart everytime I drive it.

I've truly been meaning to go and interview as many pastors that have churches on their street to see what reason they could possibly have. And how they feel knowing they are in the worst neighborhood but yet they're all having very little impact, infact there are about 6 clubs on that street alone, a few within less than a stone's throw from 3 of the churches, the rest only a few blocks.

My God have mercy on us all.

Mavenb0x:
@JeSoul: No be like that o. My grandma used to say (She is Yoruba) "Oun ti eniyan o ba ni je, won kii fi run-mu" i.e. Don't sniff what you won't eat. I extended the saying to "Don't eat what you won't swallow, and don't swallow what you won't digest". I know how I can be, so I try to keep detached as much as possible. Noble cause sha

lol, I hear oh jare. One must be able to draw the line. There was this friend I was trying to lead right, few conversations and meetings later I thought we were making some progress. Until he asked me if I'd like to go away with him for the weekend and "talk"   its dangerous when opposite sexes are involved.

  This is why Jesus had 12 male disciples, no need to throw in a woman in there and throw all of em outta wack all in the name of false equality.

btw . . . did I mention Pleasant Street is probably second next to Main street in crime and drug trafficking?

It is not only in Naija oh!

Here in Boston it is the hispanics/mexicans that own this joint. They open churches like it is going out of fashion. Almost every corner is assaulted with banners that read "Iglesia Pentecostal, Pastor: Jose Sanchez".

There's this street just outside in one of the suburbs called "Pleasant Street" . . . I have been meaning to do a walk of the ~2mile long street and document all the churches there . . . I kid you not, there must be close to 25 churches on this short stretch - from 7 day adventist to baptist to pentecostal to catholic.

I figure, why pay tithe in any church when you can open your own and collect others tithes and offerings tax free?

[quote author=Tudór link=topic=369016.msg5158818#msg5158818 date=1261411596]Why was the poll changed? Is this some sort of fraud to make you look good?

I think the point has been passed across overwhelmingly. . .your posts are unnecessarily long and boring. pls show us some love and spare us this cruel unusual punishment.

Others like viaro and olabowale should take note.[/quote]Viaro is definitely the worst offender lol.

Mavenb0x:
@JeSoul: You know I love you! Abeg o, no let my Hunnybunny catch any of these Nairaland guys o! LOL I hand DeepSight and co WILLINGLY over to you and other virtuous ladies here

Sister Maven, this is very selfish of your bunny now doesn't the scriptures strongly encourage us to become "all things to all men that we might win some?" it is a noble cause, very noble

Maven,
your posts are long and many times I don't have the time to read through. But that being said stick with the good advice people have given you to just be yourself. Like I mentioned to you once, brevity and verbosity both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Noetic, it is not a problem jor . . . as long as na christian woman wey go steer him in the right direction issall good!

Jesoul is here brother Image, she is right here  .

Image123:
Ok JeSoul,
My answer was and is that I'm taking 1Timothy 2v9 at its value, not face value. I totally agree with 1Timothy2v9. Now, go on the braids search. Is it the same thing with what we generally refer to as braids or plaits?
Leave the poster girl out of this, at least for now. Let's deal with 1Timothy first.
@all
Do words like meat, bread, flight, braid/broided/plait really mean exactly what they meant or were referred to in NT times? I'm not here to win an arguement, I'm just sincerely looking at 1Timothy2. Of course, I may be wrong, but you've got to prove that with points not sentiment, or what we've always being taught.

Honestly, you still have not answered my question brother. I also believe 100% in 1Tim 2 but I specifically asked you this and solicited either a YES or NO response from you which you have not put forth.

Can women braid their hair, wear expensive clothes, gold and pearls or not?

[b]Yes or No? to one or to all? -->[/b]the braids, expensive clothes, gold and pearls?
I promise to indulge your question fully once you respond unequivocally. Thanks.

Blame it on Global Warming erhm I mean Cooling . . . or is it warming? Lol they say GW can cause both extremes right? actually I think they revised that recently?  who knows which train or set of incomplete data train are they riding on now.