₦airaland Forum

Busy_body:
If you insert a "help me move on" into the first post, people would be more caring in their responses to you. The last thing you need is people castigating you and flaming you. We all have had our heart broken at one time or the other and believe me I know it hurts and literarily feels like someone is squeezing your heart or attempting to suffocate you . . .

He has already made his mind up by telling you he does not want nothing sexual with you, most men would break up with you but want to hang around for sex on tap with the ex, its obvious he is getting it elsewhere. Most importantly, listen to Donchichi, when he says the guy does not love you. He is too careless. Your picture was not even in his phone

Honey, what you need is words of encouragement to help you heal and move on. I remember reading Topup's thread and really feeling what she was going through, she got over it, moved on pretty quickly because of the soothing words and tough love metted out to her, and before you knew it, became the resident agony aunt.  

You will get over this within a maximum of three months because you know why you guys broke up. Open yourself up, allow your crush to take you out on a few platonic dates . . .

well done. well said. it is not the end of the world. God and time will heal you. there is someone beter for you tomorrow. i am a living witness

TV01:
Like I said, please show us exactly where in scripture and how Christians - be they Jew or Gentile - were " practicing so many things derived directly from the Law of Moses". Could I ask that they not be inferred or mysterious or ordained but not specifically referenced. Ta !

you probably have missed Jesus saying in Luke 11:42  GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
"How horrible it will be for you Pharisees!

You give [God] one-tenth of your mint, spices, and every garden herb.

But you have ignored justice and the love of God. You should have done these things without ignoring the others.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
"But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.

King James Bible
But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.


Jesus  would have seen them tithe dont you think so?

Sam-jp:
Here's the best deal you can ever find if you are here to really buy a car.AMG Mercedes Sports for just 150,000 Naira only or a Toyota Lexus Jeep for only [b]200,000 Naira.[/b]The cars are in already somewhere in Delta State.Don't miss this chance because I am here for serious business,not just sending the cars for brothers to see,I need a potential buyer to bargain,come to conclusion and pay to enable me run my business smoothly.Comments only is of no help to me.Waiting for your urgent contact.Pictures of interior & exterior attached below.
Thanks for your patronage in advance.

are these typo errors?

can i  move that we press the normal  IGNORE BUTTON on these people please

@ str Nwando, look for The Cross and the Switchblade - that is his story told. beginning of his mnistry. you will be inspired

mazaje:
Robert Kiwashki predicted the same thing in much more detail back in 1999. . . and he the way he is non religious. . . .

too bad who told you he is not religious? apart from reading his book do you know him personally?

you can go to the bank with anything from David Wilkerson. he is one man with integrity and past accuracy on his side.

MAY GOD HELP US. with people like these

sexual sin very ugly

gamechange:
I have a friend who thanks and praises God everyday for the period he was employed at NNPC, whilst there, he was able to buy himself a house and other luxuries one can imagine. To be candid, the assets he acquired would probably have taken a diligent and honest employee a lifetime to achieve. My problem is why does he think that was God's doing, why does he believe it was God's intention for him to be in a position where he can corruptly enrich himself. This I find very common amongst Nigerians. We thank God for what the proceeds of corruption and crime have gotten us, what is it that makes us think it's Gods plan? or Could it be ?

haha someone is somewhere in nairaland talking about how moral nigerians are> God help us

customer service1 custoer service and more customer service. plus do a buy 2 get a third free promotion i.e pay for 2 treatment and get 3rd free

another foolish man plant mango for main road story. how did we get ourself to this stage as a people?

oghene! oturugbeke. chei this small girl you no dey fear God you no dey fear man abi?God help you

origina9ja:
so u thought i was gone so u decided to turn this place 2 Jesus worship centre

there are messengers of the devil too.  this is not inspired by Jesus gospel. the devil surely wears prada

Dealing with the fornication temptation

Sex is so strong that it is even stronger than you that is why the bible says flee fornication.
But people make the mistake of resisting it  that is why they fall for it.
You cannot resist fornication you only resist the devil and he flees but fornication cannot be resisted. No matter how strong you are if you don’t flee you will fall. The bible did not say run it said flee. To flee is to forget whatever you have even if is your shoe. Even if it is to jump through the window. Remember Joseph How he fled from potiphars wife. You cannot be too spiritual not to fall for fornication if you do not flee.

Do not jeopardize your destiny for just 5 mins pleasure wait till you are married. Fornication is sweet but your destiny is sweeter.

So flee whenever the temptation comes because it may come.

You will make it through your relationship sex free till it leads to marriage in Jesus Name

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-184593.0.html#msg2955975

have mercy

origina9ja:
lol everything it start frm
THE BOI my baby girl i miss u, how u dey
YOU i dey fine ooo, even me i miss you,  plenty gist dey

before i know watup my thread is full of rokiatu conversation
tori kini
then the person join thread,  hello everybody i'm bored what is the thread about, all because you have change the whole topic

you dont want another person to get preggy on your watch abi?  you see you are being careful now which is good. at least you have learnt something

origina9ja:
i feel like u have change the whole reason why i quoted u
Nigeria people with dere 419 sense

419 indeed

Missy B:
Tell her jare.
You are only stupid enough to use Condom abi?

condoms fail do you know. one day monkey go go market he no dey return as they say

Missy B:
please!!Your reason doesn't hold water.
You give the mama 90%?You are crackin' me up!!
One thin' is . . . as humans we ALWAYS have a way of givin' blame
to someone for our actions . . . Adam blamed Eve . . . Eve blamed Satan . . .
Robbers blame the economy . . . .I get banned and I blame Seun . . .
Pregnant child blames devil and you wanno blame the parents?
I'm not surprised but bear in mind that there are orphans who still possess good morals.
I was in a boardin' house durin' my secondary skl days and
it was a mixed skl and u knw . . . .boardin' life is kind of free style.
Most of my crew had bfs but there were still some of us who until we  
left sec skl  reported every love letter to our  principal.
In other words . . . . the parents mite have failed but it's not enough for you to blame 'em.They both have blames?Prolly the parents mite have
contributed to what led her to it but I still say it's not enough reason for her
to go astray.

how do you say that? is that notthe same thing you are disagreeing with earlier.

origina9ja:
sharrp dere jo
what u chatin bout
because she pregnant doesnt mean i would be stupid enough 2 do the same thing

okay relax now girl. thought you said you were going  AWOL?  dont fight my gamine o. i odnt take that lightly.  seriously relax this matter has been an eye opener for you i should think.  if you ever get pregnant yourself within the next 12 months i would request you have twins. kids should not be having kids. it is grossly wrong. this girls life is never goingto be the same again and if sadly she has been inviting the local saturday league we may have to wait for jeremy kyle or trisha for  verdit.  this is what you guys have reduced this thing to.

origina9ja:
God bless u missy
that y i love u

so you blame your friend 100%. now tell me where the parents were when she was doing the business

good news

tope2000:
Why should a 14yrs old even know what pills are for sef
She should be concentrating on her education, instead shes too busy having unprotected sex.

u know i have been wondering where u are. this was your territory and didnt see your signature. was nearly begining to think you were dealing with your own morning sickness thing (joking)

you would have made positive contribution here too. your sisters did well  in your absence

hope u are well and doing good?

Missy B:
Gamine and JJYOU
Wait . . . . Okay . . . . . please . . . .
You 2 shouldn't tell me you are givin' the blame to the parent!!
We all know that  . . . YOU CAN TAKE A HORSE TO THE STREAM BUT CAN'T FORCE IT TO DRINK WATER
It's one thing for the parent to talk . . . It's anutha for the child to listen.
The parents cannot monitor her movement 24/7.

i give the mama 90% the silly girl is just 10%. most of these kids are looking for the love and attention they dont get at home outside

Missy B:
Blame the parents?Why?

truth be told majority of the moral failures of these kids are direct result of parental failures. our people keep blaming govt for not allowing smacking as if smacking is a cure for everything. how many kids in this part of the world come home from school to meet the parents at home? majority of the spoilt kids in this land you can easily blame the parents. they have lost their kids in the quest for money and parties and religious activities

janami:
Well, having supportive parents is the best she can ever ask for right now, i would say she is lucky, she got off very lightly.

Their decision isnt the main thing, their support is all that counts

Gamine:
mehn.

people are getting stupider everyday.

i can't imajin my 14yr old sister in this position, kai!

she is smarter than this o! Thank you LORD!


Anyways, its best she keeps the baby.

Why should a child pay for sins he/she didnt commit?

The girl wont regret this later, i tell ya.

The Womb that is supposed to be the safest place on earth is now a warzone!
God help us o!

you 2 have great minds. you must rule that country one day.

Gamine:
The friend who is posting this, i wonder how many abortions this one has done sef.

OMG listen you are something else.  they have a no question asked abortion policy here. kids can go the Gp and collect morning after pills without parental consent. she could have even gone to kill this child without the parents ever knowing. i know girls back home are sexually active it is worse here.  escpecially the ones they bring from naija.

anyway you make me laugh with your smartness

nawao. God pls help and intervene in my bros life quickly

origina9ja:
sorri bout ma slag
yes shez keeping d baby but jamming in nigeria for the main time
is that meant 2 be a punishment anways her parent her yet to conclude when she going 2 nigeria

probably the worse decision ever

you think so. well surprice surprice she had her chance. plus the small matter of them saving thier face. so better take her awy before the belly starts showing for all to see. dont say i told you

you got off lightly then. you mean they are taking her to naija?

hope this makes you wiser 

[b] I SEEK NOT WHAT IS YOURS BUT YOU[/b]: A Sermon on Tithing
John Piper, Pastor   Bethlehem Baptist Church  January 24, 1982 (Morning)


     
    Several weeks ago I spent four days at Shalom House, our Conference retreat center. The text that filled me with most longing and soaked through my prayers was 2 Cor. 12:15, "I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls." The last morning I was there I took a walk before breakfast down through the birch trees to the lake and walked out on the frozen water beside the little rotting pier that had a big bread loaf of snow on it. The sun was just coming up through the pine trees yonder, at the end of the point. There was no wind, but it was 24 below zero. I stood as still and quiet as I could and this word came to my mind: Only live for what is essential! Only live for what is essential! Which I interpreted from Scripture like this: With all joy spend and be spent out for the souls of your people. It was one of those immeasurable moments that go on feeding you long afterward. I came away from those retreat days with a longing to pour myself out in the ministry of the Word and prayer for the advancement and joy of your faith. That's what I want to live for.

    And so as I pondered the possibility of preaching on tithing, the text that lay closest to hand was in the verse just before the words, "I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls." In verse 14 Paul says, to the church at Corinth, "Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden for I seek not what is yours but you." I seek not what is yours but you! What a great sentence. That is the flag waving over this sermon. It is the preface, heart and conclusion. I seek not what is yours, but you. I seek to build up a church of whom it can never be said, "They honor me with their tithes, but their heart is far from me" (cf. Matt. 15:. Of whom it will never be said, "Woe to you, Bethlehem, for you tithe every honorarium, birthday gifts and before-taxes-income, but have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith" (Matt. 23:23). I seek not what is yours but you.

    How many marriages deteriorate into empty motions because husbands do not hear the silent yearnings of the wife: "I don't want your money, I want you." How many parents have lost their children because they failed to interpret the signs: "I don't want your presents, Daddy, I want you." And how many tithing churchgoers will be lost to the kingdom because the word of God never reached their hearts: "I will seek not what is yours but you." So let there be no mistaking it, in this sermon on tithing I seek not what is yours but you. My desire is to spend and be spent out for your souls not your silver. Things are utterly subordinate. Life essential is the life of the heart.

    What I would like to do then is get before us an overview of the Old Testament and New Testament teaching about tithing and then draw some implications for how people today who have first given themselves wholly to God should then give of their possessions to the work of God. You may want to look up the passages with me or jot them down for later perusal.

    The oldest reference to tithing in the Bible is found in Genesis 14 where Abraham pursues a king named Chedorlaomer to rescue his kinsman Lot who had been captured. With 300 armed men Abraham defeats Chedorlaomer and not only saves Lot, but regains all the goods stolen from Sodom. On the way back a mysterious figure named Melchizedek, called priest of the Most High God in verse 18, met Abraham and blessed him. Verse 20 simply says, "And Abraham gave him a tenth of everything." There is no command in the later Mosaic law or anywhere in Scripture that men are to give one tenth of their captured booty to the priest. But Abram did it, evidently as a token of gratitude to God who had just given him such a great victory. So our first encounter with tithing is one where the giver is not paying God to stir him into action, but one where the giver is responding to God who has just fought for him and given him victory and great blessing. That is a pattern we must not forget.

    The next time we hear of tithing is in Genesis 28:22. Abraham's grandson, Jacob, had a dream at Bethel in which God promised to be with him and give him a great land and many descendants (Genesis 28:13-15). Jacob responds with a vow in verses 20-22 which climaxes with this promise: "And of all thou givest me I will give the tenth to thee." Notice well that Jacob recognizes everything that he has disposal of as a gift from God. Therefore, his tithe is not really something he has produced that he then transfers over to God's possession. Instead the tithe seems to be a symbolic statement that all we have is from God and that we do not count it our own. It is all at God's disposal and we signify that by letting a tenth of it go completely out of our control for some uniquely religious purpose. Surely Jacob did not mean that since God gave him everything therefore he would glorify God with a tenth, but not with nine-tenths. Surely if God gives us anything it is for us to handle in trust for his glory. Giving a tenth to him in a burnt offering, or the service of the temple or the like is a token, a pledge that all we are and have are at his disposal all the time.

    At the time of Moses, tithing was made part of the law which governed the people of Israel. There are two key texts. The first is Leviticus 27:30-33. "All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord's. It is holy to the Lord. If a man wishes to redeem any of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it. And all the tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal that passes under the herdsman's staff shall be holy to the Lord." Here the law made explicit what is to be tithed: namely, the produce of the field -- grain, and the produce of the trees -- fruit, and the herds and flocks.

    In Deuteronomy 14:22-29 some instruction is given as to how to give the tithe and what it is for.

        You shall tithe all the yield of your seed which comes forth from the field year by year. And before the Lord your God, in the place which he will choose, to make his name dwell there (Jerusalem), you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine and of your oil, and the firstlings of your herd and flock; that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always. And if the way is too long for you so that you are not able to bring the tithe, when the Lord your God blesses you, because the place is too far from you, which the Lord your God chooses to set his name there, then you shall turn it into money, and bind up the money in your hand, and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses, and spend the money for whatever you desire, oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves; and you shall eat there before the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household. And you shall not forsake the Levite who is within your towns, for he has no portion or inheritance with you.

        At the end of every three years you shall bring forth all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns; and the Levite because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner and the fatherless and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled; that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.

    Let me make six brief observations from this passage about the practice and purpose of tithing. First, according to verse 23, there was to be a yearly trip to the holy place, the place God puts his name (later Jerusalem). The people were to take their tithe to that place and then eat it there, or at least eat part of it in a feast of joy. Tithing was not to be reduced merely to the pragmatic function of paying the priests and sustaining the temple. It was an expression of joy and gratitude. God did not need the tithe. In commanding it, he was seeking not what was theirs but them.

    So the second observation at the end of verse 23 is that the purpose of the tithing feast was "that you may learn to fear the Lord your God." Take a tenth of your year' s produce, go to the holy place, offer it to the Lord, eat it (or part of it) to his glory in gratitude "that you may learn to fear him." Tithing was a means of remembering how dependent they were on God and how much one should fear to displease such a God by joyless ingratitude.

    Third provision was made for those whose grain was too heavy and flocks too many to take them all the way to the holy place. They could sell them and then use the money to purchase substitutes when they arrived in the holy place. Fourth, the tithe is not to be totally consumed by the family bringing it. The Levites who were scattered through the tribes of Israel with no land of their own were to be supported by the tithers of the other 11 tribes (v. 27). The Levites were set apart for special religious purposes and had no crops or herds. The tithe was given to God not only in the sense that it was eaten in a feast celebration of his faithfulness (cf. 'blessing" in v. 24), but also in the sense that part of it supported God's institution of the Levitical order.

    Fifth, verses 28 and 29 describe a triennial tithe which was designed not only to support the Levites, but also the three most helpless groups of people in that society: the refugees, the orphans, and the widows. It seems that a sort of benevolent fund was replenished every three years for the needs of these people, by the calling in of a special tithe.

    Finally, the section closes with a promise of blessing on the people if they are faithful in this act of mercy to men and gratitude to God. And this is a good place to remind ourselves of two things. One is that the way most tithes were "given to God" was by giving them to people. God cannot be enriched by us. He has no needs that our possessions can satisfy. But he can be honored by the way we treat others in his name by special acts which celebrate his bounty and by our willingness to trust him to supply all our needs when we give. And the other thing we must remember is that God always honors people who tithe from a good heart of faith. The promise is not to make us rich, but it is this: those who love and trust God enough to honor him with at least a tithe will never lack the resources they need. I believe that is still true today.

    Two other important passages on tithing in the Old Testament are Numbers 18:21-24 and 2 Chronicles 31:4-18 which I won't read for lack of time. But the point of both is that the tithes are especially for the Levites. Numbers 18:24 says, "The tithe of the people of Israel which they present as an offering to the Lord, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance." And 2 Chron. 31:4 says that Hezekiah, "commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion due to the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselves to the law of the Lord." Thus, tithing was God's prescribed way of supporting certain ministries which he had ordained.

    In summary, then from the Old Testament tithing goes back to the very beginning of Israel's history before the law was given and seems to have been an expression of gratitude to the Lord who fights for his people and gives them all they have. Then as a part of the Mosaic law, tithing was made a part of Israel's formal worship and its various forms and purposes were prescribed. It was used to support religious orders; it was used for religious feasting in celebration of God's goodness; and it taught the people to fear the Lord, that is, to fear not trusting him to meet all their needs.

    As we come over to the New Testament the picture changes significantly. Jesus mentions tithing twice, both times in reference to its legalistic abuse. He says in Matt. 23:23, "Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you tithe mint and dill and cummin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy and faith; these you ought to have done without neglecting the others." In Luke 18:9-14, "He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.'" Obviously Jesus did not regard tithing as a spiritual cure all. He does not reject it. He affirmed it for Israel. But he is much more intent on the weightier matters of the law like faith. You can tithe everything and not trust God. Jesus was not seeking what was theirs, he was seeking them: the love of their soul, not the load of their silver.

    The apostle Paul never once even refers to tithing. Whether he taught his churches to tithe when he founded them we don't know. But his rules in his letters seem to be as follows. First: "On the first day of the week each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper" (1 Cor. 16:2). And second in 2 Cor. 8:3, "they gave according to their means and beyond their means of their own accord." And third in 2 Cor. 9:7, "Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." And finally 2 Cor. 9:8, "God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work."

    The only other place in the New Testament where tithing is mentioned is Hebrews 7:4-12 where the reference is back to Genesis 14 and the point is simply to show that Christ is like Melchizedek. Therefore, with regard to positive, explicit teaching on tithing, the New Testament is almost totally silent.

    I have a growing conviction why this is the case. I think God took the focus off giving a tithe in the early church because he wants his people to ask themselves a new question. The question that Jesus drives us to ask again and again is not, "How much should I give?" but rather, "How much dare I keep?" One of the differences between the Old Testament and New Testament is the Great Commission. By and large the Old Testament people of God were not a missionary people. But the New Testament Church is fundamentally a missionary people. The spiritual hope and the physical and emotional sustenance that Jesus brought to earth is to be extended by his church to the whole world. The task he gave us is so immense and requires such a stupendous investment of commitment and money that the thought of settling the issue of what we give by a fixed percentage (like a tenth) is simply out of the question. My own conviction is that most middle and upper class Americans who merely tithe are robbing God. In a world where 10,000 people a day starve to death and many more than that are perishing in unbelief the question is not, what percentage must I give?, but how much dare I spend on myself?

    It is a Biblical truth beyond all dispute: that all your money is God's (Ps. 24:1) and has been loaned to you as a steward to use in ways that maximize the glorification of God's mercy in the world (Matt. 25:14-30). And it is irrational to think that giving ten percent of that money to the church settles the issue of good stewardship. In a world of such immense need, and in a country of such immense luxury, and under the commission of such a powerful Lord the issue of stewardship is not: Shall I tithe?, but rather, How much of God's trust fund dare I use to surround myself with comforts?

    I had every intention, as I began to write this message, to argue that even though the New Testament is almost silent on tithing; yet, surely we who know Jesus should do no less than the Old Testament saints who did not know him. I was going to urge everyone to tithe and give reasons why you can always afford it. I still believe that is true. But that is not the lightning bolt of God Is word in the New Testament. The word of God is always more radical than percentage. To commend tithing as the ideal simply does not capture the New Testament view of discipleship. "He who has two coats let him share with him who has none. And he who has food let him do likewise" (Luke 3:11). That's 50% not 10%. Zacchaeus stood and said, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor" (Luke 19:8 ). Again 50%. Jesus said to the rich young man, "If you would be perfect, go sell what you possess and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow me" (Matt. 19:21). That's 100%. "So therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:33). Again 100%. "A man said to him, 'I will follow you wherever you go.' And Jesus said to him, 'Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head'" (Luke 9:57f). "All who believed were together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need" (Acts 2:44f). "There was not a needy person among them for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet" (Acts 4:34f). "In a severe test of affliction their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of liberality on their part. For they gave according to their means,  and beyond their means" (2 Cor. 8:2,3). The best way that I know how to capture the spirit of the New Testament generosity is simply to say: the issue is not, How much must I give?, but How much dare I keep? Not: Shall I tithe? But: How much of the money that I hold in trust for Christ can I take for my private use? The financial issue in the church today is not tithing, but exorbitance of life-style. The question is not can I afford to tithe, but can I justify the life-style that consumes 90% of my income? And behind that is the question: Do I love to use God's money to spread justice and mercy and spiritual hope in the world, or do I prefer to embezzle his money to purchase more and more personal comfort? The question whether the work of Christ here at Bethlehem in 1982 will be adequately supported is really the question of where your treasure is. And where your treasure is there is your heart. Therefore, I do not seek what is yours but you. Amen.

© COPYRIGHT 1982, 1997 John Piper.  January 24, 1982 (Morning)
Bethlehem Baptist Church
John Piper, Pastor    http://www.soundofgrace.com/piper82/012482m.htm

enjoy your humanitarian activities you hear.