₦airaland Forum

Mikefrik:
Malvisguy212- why quote me? can't you read? didn't you read the thread and other comments? u just jump to quoting abi? well I belong to the group of (working out my salvation with fear and trembling) Although salvation free, will everyone enter the kingdom of God? no but working out your salvation would. but that doesn't stop me from preaching the Gospel. " if I no preach the gospel, wetin I gain"

Mikefrik:
I don't accept/believe that Jesus Christ was born on 25. I believe that 25th December has a pagan origin. And let's say Christ was born on 25th December. should we really be celebrating his birthday going to club and dancing shaku shaku. and fornicating all in the name of celebrating Christ? No wonder the Muslims don't regard Christians.

iliyande:
Christ was not born on 25th December, those celebriting Christmas are doing so on their own... The only celebration accepted by Christ is Easter/Communion.

malvisguy212:
There are many people who seems to disagree with the celebration of Christmas. Jehovah's Witnesses, teach that it is a sin to observe Christmas at all. Is it a sin to celebrate Jesus' birthday?.
Yes, Christmas is not mentioned in the Bible. There is NO command for believers to observe or celebrate Jesus' birthday. It is a matter of PERSONAL CHOICE . I think it is acceptable to observe Christmas; or not to observe Christmas. I think it is not a sin to celebrate Christmas to a degree, anymore than it would be sinful to celebrate the birthday of a family member. I think it is appropriate to celebrate the Lord's birthday for those who choose to do so.

This lead us to many questions such as :
Jesus was not born in December? What about the pagan origin? Santa clause, e.t.c
First, a person who was born on February 29 (leap year) only celebrate his birthday after 4 years, is it sinful to chose another day to celebrate it ? I personally do not think so. Likewise, I see no harm in celebrating Jesus' birthday on December 25th,even if His actual birthday rests in a different month and date.I think it is a wonderful thing to celebrate the birth of the Savior, God's gift to mankind.

Doesn't Christmas has pagan origin ? So does the names of the week, if your birthday fall in Saturday (Saturn) will you celebrate it as a devoted christian because Saturn is one of the pagan gods? The truth is that Christians today celebrate the holiday in an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT MANNER. There are many wonderful Gospel hymns which have been written to worship Jesus at Christmas time; such as, Silent Night, Hark The Herald Angels Sing, Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem, Joy To The World. I think it would be a mistake to overlook Christmas entirely, and miss out on the opportunity to witness to the lost during the emotional Christmas season. Many hearts have been turned to the Lord during the Christmas holiday , is it sinful to present track to the lost ?No evidence exists that the Christian leaders who began this practice consciously wanted to compromise with paganism.

In conclusion, there are two ways in celebrating Christmas;
Conclusion
1. The Worldly Way :
Santa Claus, the north pole, elves, , secular songs about Christmas, booze, parties, Rock music,et cetera.
2. The Christian Way:
Jesus Christ, Christmas carols, soulwinning, a nativity scene, helping the poor in Jesus' name, et cetera.

Romans 14:5-6
One man regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. LET EACH MAN BE FULLY CONVINCED IN HIS OWN MIND . HE WHO OBSERVES THE DAY OBSERVES IT FOR THE LORD , and he who eats, does so for the Lord, FOR HE GIVES THANKS TO GOD ; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and GIVES THANKS TO GOD .

HAPPY CHRISTMAS.

exlinkleads:
Have you ever wondered if you are indeed doing the right thing when it concerns Christmas celebration?

Have you ever taken your time to research about what you have been celebrating right from the day you were born? Have you questioned if Jesus Christ was even born on 25th of December or are you just going with what the world has been led to believe?

To be honest, I used to be that way until I came of age. Have you? When I was a kid I believed in Santa Clus and Father Christmas but obvious you know now that those are simply myths. Well, so as many things you believe and practice blindly today. I used to even believe their were three wise men who came to great Merry when Jesus was born. Research guys, it is a lie.

Well, leader of Free the Sheeple Movement, Daddy Freeze has asked those celebrating Christmas to stop fooling the world into believing it’s Christ’s birthday when it’s actually a pagan god, Nimrod’s birthday.

The Controversial On Air Personality was reacting to a video where an American pastor, Brother Benx disagreed with Christmas and Ester celebration stating that there was no biblical documentation to back up such dates.

Daddy Freeze added that birthdays are pagan rituals under pagan gods and not of Christian origin. He went further to add that Christ never celebrated his birthday or any birthday at all.

His Instagram post reads:


You can’t just conjure up a date and fool the world into believing it’s Christ’s birthday when it’s actually Nimrod’s birthday that coincides with the winter solstice of the druids and pagans.
–

Christ NEVER celebrated his birthday or any birthday at all, so why bring him into your pagan rituals and under your pagan gods?
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At the request of pagan ruler Herod Antipas step daughter Salome, at his birthday party, John the Baptist was beheaded.
–

Birthdays are of pagan, NOT Christian origin! Celebrate your birthdays all you want, JUST KEEP CHRIST OUT OF IT! ~FRZ

More @ http://www.exlinklodge.com/2018/12/celebrate-christmas-if-you-want-but.html?m=1

Vocnewsblog:
An excerpt of my full interview with the NIGERIAN TRIBUNE, on our campaign to lift 1000 Widows and their families out of poverty.

1) Who is Apostle Azemobor Gregory and what do you do for a living?

Azemobor Gregory is a messenger of Truth, a servant of God with a divine calling to preach the message of love to the world. By the grace of God, I am the Chief Servant of the Voice of Divine Truth International Outreach, a non-religious humanitarian organization propagating the virtue of love amongst humanity.
You see, there are two sides to the life of everyone: what you do to fulfill God's purpose for your life is your 'calling', while what you do to earn a living is your 'career'. And so, my understanding of the dual nature of our existence has guided me to create a perfect balance between my calling and my career.
I am the MD/CEO of Bethel Mendels Group. I started a marketing company in 2001, from a seed capital of N20,000 I borrowed from my mother. Over the years, our company Bethel Mendels Group has grown into a conglomerate with interest in local footwear manufacturing, Promotional printing, Landscaping, and interior decoration services.
It is important to emphasize here that your career (business) should fundamentally provide for your calling (purpose) that is why you see people like Bill Gate, Warren Buffet spending almost their entire riches supporting noble causes. Bill Gate has spent millions of dollars fighting polio and improving the quality of life of several poor Nigerians. I like most white people; they understand how to live a 'balanced life'. They are not religious like Nigerians, but very godly, godly in the sense that they are compassionate to the needs of others.

2) You said your organization is 'non-religious, can you explain?

Yes, we are non-religious, but we are believers and followers of Christ. May I say here that Jesus Christ is not the author of the 'Christian religion', He came with a message of God's kingdom to a world that has gone astray from God. His mission was to restore humanity back to the rulership of God on earth. The world today is not ruled by Godly principles, but by human ideologies and philosophies that have created an unstable world.
The Christian religion today, at best, is a perversion of the gospel of love and the kingdom of God that Christ came to preach. Look at most of the churches and those who called themselves 'Christians' Do they behave like Christ? Why have they abandoned the tenets of Christ teachings, which are love that could heal a sick world, to preaching prosperity (a euphemism for greed), miracle and healing? No wonder, the great soul, Mahatma Ghandi once submitted, “I like your Christ, but not your Christians, because your Christians are unlike your Christ".
Religion generally was invented by man, God is not the author of any religion and He does not belong to any of them. Look at how religion has divided humanity. Please don't tell me that I am different from you simply because I do not subscribe to your religion. God created us as a human family called humanity. All of us are one irrespective of our race, color, language, creed or religion. I think the time has come for us to push for the abolition of religion if we are serious about creating a peaceful world. If we don't kill religion, religion will kill humanity.

3) Project in all Countries of the world.
The e also going to establish a free university, primary and secondary schools for indigent kids and youth. The Charity City will also have a massive warehouse that will provide free food and clothing items for the needy on a daily basis. A free food kitchen will also be built to feed about 200,000 people on a daily basis. Another facility in the City will be a state of the art hospital that will provide free medical services for millions of poor Nigerians.
The City will also have a rehabilitation center that will provide rehabilitation, training and skills empowerment for drug addicts, ex-convicts, prostitutes, street kids and many more. And lastly, we shall have an empowerment training Centre for widows, poor families, and unemployed youths.
Please, do not ask me how we are going to get funds for the Charity City Project. I believe strongly since this is God's vision, He is able to make provision for it.
For over ten years of our existence as a humanitarian Movement, we have done several life-touching projects that are basically a subset of our bigger vision. We regularly organize free Food kitchen events, distribution of free clothes and food items, free medical outreach, a compassionate visit to prisons and hospitals. For many years we have been involved in an advocacy for the welfare of indigent kids, through our Project-Help-a-Child Global Campaign. Many indigent kids with heart ailment got funding for free heart surgery and many more.

4) Why are you so committed to the course of widows?

The book of James 1:27, says ''True religion and undefiled before God the father is this: to visit the widows and the orphans in their moments of afflictions..." I see this project to support and empower poor widows as an act of true service to God. That informs our commitment to lift widows and their families out of poverty.
It is important for most of us religious folks to understand that the religion we practice is meaningless before God when we fail to help the poor and the needy around us. Nigeria is acclaimed to be a highly religious country, and yet, just recently we have infamously become the poverty capital of the world. How do you reconcile such contradictions?
Basically, we do not have the resources to help all the poor widows in Nigeria, but we believe that the little we are doing should inspire individuals and the government to come to the aid of poor widows.

5) Do you have any close relative who is a widow whose suffering moved you to go about touching widows lives?

Not really. I think the inspiration to economically empower poor widows came during the last Free Food Kitchen we organized at Saint Leo Catholic Church, Toyin Street, Ikeja, Lagos, in March this year, that was Easter period. And I noticed that about 50 percent of the over 1000 people that we fed were widows. Many of them had to trek long distances just to get a plate of food. I was really touched by that experience. So after the event, we had a chat with them and what they shared with us motivated us to lunch the widows empowerment project since May this year,2018. We realized that it is better to teach them how to fish (economic empowerment) rather than giving them fish all the time (surviving on charity).
Our target is to support a thousand (1000) widows with a free grant of N20,000 each to enable them to start or boost their petty businesses. We assess those already doing petty businesses and support them with the money to boost their trade. And those who do not have businesses are trained on petty business opportunities and given a seed capital of N20,000 to get started.
The goal of this project is to lift the beneficiary widows and their families out of poverty, but most importantly we are also using the project to draw the attention of government, individuals and religious organization to the plight of several widows in our society living in lack and abject poverty.

6) How do you raise funds for the project?

Like I said our target is to support 1000 widows with N20,000 each. That means, we need about N20 million to support the 1000 widows. So far so good, since May this year, we have been able to put smiles on the faces of at least a hundred (100) widows. The funds have come from the little we have from our few team members and my friends who see what we do on social media. We are yet to get any corporate organization that will partner with us to put smiles on the faces of poor widows around us. Frankly speaking, if we have any sponsorship, we can increase our target to ten thousand (10,000). Let me use this opportunity to appeal to the corporate organization to support this cause because this is a project that directly impacts the lives of the vulnerable.
But most importantly, we also want the Nigerian people to imbibe the core message of this campaign, which is showing love and support to indigent widows around us.
My special appreciation goes to the Management of Tribune Newspapers for this interview opportunity to pass this message across to the world. We would also appreciate enormous support from other media organizations to intensify this campaign to lift poor widows out of poverty.

7) Perhaps you are doing this because you are a rich man?

I do not know what you mean by being a 'rich man'. In the kingdom of God, being rich is not a function of your accumulated possessions on earth; you are not rich by what you have, you are rich by what you give to help others. I think the time has come for us to begin to redefine the worldly concept of riches. In our society, we celebrate greedy, self-centered, egoistic individuals on the basis of their 'net worth' instead of their 'net-giving'.
Would you say some of our politicians who looted our treasury in spite of their material wealth, are rich? No, they are not. They are suffering from the poverty of the soul. They are sick and their souls are afflicted by an ailment called greed.
Recently, we visited a poor community in Idimu area of Lagos, their makeshift shanty houses were surrounded by beautiful edifices, obviously owned by 'rich people'.
I do not need to have much money to help anybody, because I understand what true riches is all about. That is the message we preach to the world.

Since when did you start doing this?

Actually we have been involved in massive humanitarian activities as an organization since, 2006, but specifically, we started this widows empowerment project in May this year, 2018. It will last till June next year by the grace of God when we hope to have successfully lifted 1000 widows and their families out of poverty.

9) People are skeptical about the activities of some NGOs because some merely use the platform for self-enrichment, one wants to know if you are not one of them?

Let me correct a notion, we don't see our self as NGO (social enterprise), we are a spiritual Movement with a divine mandate to propagate the virtue of love amongst humanity. Back to your question, I agree with you totally that several NGOs have abused humanitarian activities, especially those owned by African. They are set up for self -enrichment and it is sad. And this is why the few of us that are genuinely involved in positively impacting society have to struggle with credibility crisis. This is the basic challenge that we face: When many people are suspicious and skeptical about your activities, this would obviously diminish the public support and goodwill to achieve your set goals
Let me advise, fraudulent NGOs and individuals making merchandise of the sufferings of the poor to desist from such a heinous crime against humanity, as it is a grievous offense that God would punish severely.

10) Are you into politics; perhaps you are doing this to ventilate your future political ambition?

I do not believe in worldly politics. I am a representative of the government of God on earth. I am an ambassador of heaven here on earth. I am here to promote God's government and His plans and purpose for humanity. I am a citizen of heaven sent to entrench the culture of heaven on earth.
The earthly government designed by human ideologies cannot, I repeat cannot deliver good governance and create a better society that would provide for the good of all. The great prophet and music icon, Fela of blessed memory aptly described our system of government, when he defined democracy as a 'demonstration of craze'.
Take, for instance, I do not know, how we can rationalize and justify that a country, tagged the poverty capital of the world spending about N143 billion on organizing just an election to select people into political offices. For goodness sake, Nigeria is about 200 million, if we share that N143 billion by empowering each poor Nigerian family with N100,000 each to do business, over 14 million Nigerians families will be lifted out of poverty. If each family has about 5 dependents, we are talking about lifting 70 million Nigerians out of poverty.
I interface with poor Nigerians daily because of the widows' empowerment projects, I know how much difference, the N20,000 we give to widows makes in their lives. So what are we saying? I am sure you are also aware that over 70% of Nigeria's budget is spent on the cost of governance. Does that make moral sense in a country where over 80 million people go to bed sage do you have for government in bridging the gap between those who have and those who don't have?

.

Pr0ton:
e was supposed to die in the flesh and wake up in the spirit. Isn't that what baptism is about? Why the fuzz?

BluntBoy:
Show us where Jacob paid tithes?

Unik3030:
just one question for their G. O.... where in the New Testament can we find tithing?

abdulazeez1002:
Save me from you? Like what the Bleep. You're so dumb. Simple logic and you can't take and you're here saying rubbish

abdulazeez1002:
Do you understand Arabic?? No. How are you sure of the person that translate the Quran to the English you are reading. That's why you have to listen to commentaries of people that have more knowledge than you.
Or if it so why don't you just sit at home and just be reading your books and don't go to school.

AHCB:
you're daft. Why do I say this? Because you assume too much. Just like you readily assume i'm an atheist.
so it doesn't bother the few that the many are painting their religion black?

Robynwelo1:
Does that answer the question at hand? Does this stop Christians and muslims from knowing other gods and religions before deciding that theirs is the true God?

You see me on the Christian threads because that is my forte. Also, I didn't say I know nothing about Islam. From the little I know, it's bullshit.

AHCB:
over the course of my life, i've discovered many who tag themselves christians, speak from both side of their mouth. That is they're the opposite of what they say they are.

AHCB:
this is very simple. The Muslims don't go about telling people their way(s) of life is wrong, and they're sinners, if they don't change their sinful way(s) they'll go to Hell.

The bolded is what many of you christians love to do. Whatever happen to live and let live.

Robynwelo1:
Dumb thread. I used to be a Christian, now an atheist. Should I disturb the Muslims, when I only know little about Islam? If I was a Muslim turned atheist, my major focus would be on Islam, No?

PS: not all atheist are anti-theist or against Christianity. Some simply do not care.

LuciferElohim:
Rubbish.

Ever since the day I staked straight win for Real Madrid vs Deportivo Alaves.
Game was 0-0 at 60 mins so I started praying.
I sang praises & called upon every heavenly name I knew at the top of my voice.
My neighbours knocked yet I didn't answer cuz I was in the Spirit.

I spoke in tongues too.
Even MFM couldn't have held a stronger revival.

30 mins later the commentator yelled "Goal! Goal! Goooaalll!!!" & I opened my eyes...


Don't even ask me what I saw.



Prayers don't work.

*spits

johnydon22:
I honestly don't know though I'd say it is morally neutral.

What do you think?


Lol

hahn:
Yes.

If you feel the world is not for you then you can self exit and stop occupying space that can be used for something of more benefit to the world.

The right to persuade people to kill themselves should be legal. Some people just don't know they are a waste

johnydon22:
No they don't. Suicide is a crime in Nigeria

Gloriawinning:
I'm a Christian but Islam is truly a religion of Peace, they live peacefully amongst themselves and religion is a way of life.

Scholar8200:
Indeed, longest time. How is everything?

malvisguy212:
There are differences between Christianity and religion, Many are GOING TO CHURCH but few are GOING DOWN THE ROAD WHICH LEADS TO LIFE. Many are RELIGIOUS but few are RIGHT WITH GOD.

Religion is DOING while Christianity is DONE. When Jesus cried on the cross, "it is finished" The work of our salvation was FINISHED, DONE, ACCOMPLISHED and COMPLETED. A religious man may be likened as a man who try to swim from river kaduna to niger by his own strength, he will never make it. But the man who is save by faith is likened to be a man who get on a ship, hoping it will take him to his destination. This man simply rests upon the ship and lets the ship do all the work.

THIS ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN RELIGION AND CHRISTIANITY.
1. RELIGION: "Salvation is something I must do. I must somehow earn or gain salvation by the way I live."

CHRISTIANITY: "Salvation is something only God can do. Salvation is of the LORD!" (Eph. 2:8-9).

2. RELIGION: Religion is summed up in one word: DO--man trying to DO different things to please God and earn His favor.

CHRISTIANITY: Christianity is summed up in one word; DONE--Christ dying on the cross to save sinful man (John 19:30).

3. RELIGION: The religious man is busy
"working" (doing good works) in order to
be saved.

CHRISTIANITY: The saved person is "not working" (Rom. 4:5) but is RESTING upon the finished work of Another. Although he must beware (1 peter 5:

4. RELIGION: RELIGION is man trying to BRING HIMSELF TO GOD (by human effort, good works, ritualism, traditionalism, sacraments, etc.).

CHRISTIANITY: CHRISTIANITY is Christ BRINGING US TO GOD on the basis of what He did for us on the cross, NOT by our own effort. (1 Peter 3:18).

5. RELIGION: Man trying to please God in the wrong way (Rom. 8:8--"So then they that are in the FLESH cannot please God".

CHRISTIANITY: Man truly pleasing God in the only way (Hebrews 11:6--"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him".

6. RELIGION: The religious man is seeking to establish his own righteousness by ignoring the way of the righteousness of God (Rom. 10:3).

CHRISTIANITY: The saved man is satisfied with the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:21).

7.RELIGION: Religion is pictured in Genesis 3 by the fig leaves that Adam and Eve made for themselves--a terrible covering (Gen. 3:7).

CHRISTIANITY: Salvation is pictured in Genesis 3 by the coats of skin which God provided by way of the shedding of BLOOD--a perfect covering (Gen. 3:21).

8.RELIGION: CAIN'S RELIGION--"I bring to God the labour of my own hands" (Gen. 4:3).

CHRISTIANITY: ABEL'S FAITH--"I bring to God a blood sacrifice. An innocent substitute must die to save me" (Gen. 4:4).

Good works done by sinful man can never please a holy God. The greatest good work is GOD'S WORK accomplished by Jesus Christ who offered Himself on the cross as the sinner's Substitute.Thus we are not saved by good works but we are saved unto good works: "For we are
his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).

Are you resting fully in the finished work of Christ? Are you trusting in Jesus Christ, WHO HE IS, WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR YOU and WHAT HE HAS SAID IN HIS WORD? "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else" (Isaiah 45:22).