₦airaland Forum

Goshen360: Zikky is not taking praise from men. He teaches the truth of God's word and consistency is the bedrock for any sound teaching. You should know that not everything in the bible is for Christians just because it is written therein. The bible is written to 2 major groups but subsequently three. We are under a better covenant and our high priest don't demand tithe in order to bless us or as a per-requisite to bless us. When you understand this truth, you are free for you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. God bless you.

I like the diagramatic explanation.

Christmas is actually a pagan festival that was introduced to the Christian faith by the Romans.

So should Christians continue to celebrate the christmas tradition...read the new book by Pope Benedict titled, 'Jesus of Nazareth'.

If this is coming from Goldman Sachs, let us be careful.

We have not changed much since the time of our independence, we still experience the same old problems in this country.
Unfortunately,these problems starts much closer in our homes - right from within our families (e.g. brothers fighting brothers), which has now graduated into the national scene.
If we don't love or value our family set up, how can this translate to having a common national identity.
Our collective orientation needs to greatly change, how this will happen, it so difficult to ascertain.
It will surely take a generation.

This is one thing I really like about our brothers from the North, they are very loyal to one another.
This loyalty is what is seriously lacking in other parts of the country, where back-stabbing is the norm.
Goes to show why they have ruled our nation and taken us for a long ride since our independence.

The picture actually speaks a million word.

lagerwhenindoubt: This is exactly why I think Nigerian Christians have no hope in heaven because our forefathers have sinned greatly and shylock must have his pound of black flesh, all those centuries of pagan worship, baby sacrifices and pastor incest have now reached harvest time, neither Shiloh nor Experience nor Mountain-Climbing will save Nigerian Christians from the Hellish punishment to come. Have you ever asked yourselves why the World's 3rd Largest Nation of Christians have been beset by soo many problems and demonic (boko-haram) attacks

Words of a deep-thinker!!!

Why does sitting arrange have to disrupt a service.

We should all read the whole book of James, the half-brother of Jesus Christ.

We are not behaving Christlike in our attitude if this kind of thing is happening in our churches.

Our brand of 'Christianity' in Nigeria really needs to be seriously addressed.

Goshen360: King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

New Living Translation (©2007)
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. - Ephesians 3:20

In Today's "Churchianity", we often hear the phrase "Double Portion" of this or that especially as it relates to anointing, oil and blessings. There's nothing like double portion anointing under the New Testament because we are under a better covenant. We are under a covenant that blesses beyond and without limited to only double portion. Many of us Christians don't know what we have being given under the NT; hence we run after the shadows thinking they are substance. Asking or going after a double portion is to limit God to only a "double" dose of blessing in your life.

Good article, short but heavily packaged.

The heart of the book of Hebrews is the comparison between the Mosaic covenant and the New covenant in Christ. The New covenant in Christ is much "better," "superior," "more excellent," "more valuable," "higher rank", than that of the Mosaic covenant, which spells out 'death' as a consequence for not following it to the letter.

One thing that must be made clear is that Christians are not mandated to tithe, that practice has long gone, discarded, stopped after Jesus Christ came to fulfill the law.

I believe the NT guidelines for regular giving (if there are any) are found in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, which go far beyond tithing.

The New Testament does not once introduce tithing into the grace of giving. Tithes are mentioned only three times in the New Testament:
(1) in censoring the Pharisees for neglect of justice, mercy, and faith while giving meticulous care to the tithing of even garden produce (Matt. 23:23; Luke 11:42)
(2) in the exposure of the proud Pharisee who 'prayed to himself,' boasting that he fasted twice each week and tithed all his possessions (Luke 18:12)
(3) in arguing for the superiority of Melchizedek, and hence of Christ, to Levi (Heb. 7:6-9).

It is clear that Jesus approved tithing as a part of the Temple system, just as in principle and practice he supported the general practices of the Temple and the synagogues. But there is no indication that he imposed any part of the Temple cultus on his followers.
Tithes were chiefly produce, formerly eaten at the sanctuary by the one tithing and later eaten by the priests. Tithing as set forth in the Old Testament could be carried out only in a religious system built around a system of animal sacrifice.

Many Christians find the tithe to be a fair and workable plan for giving. So long as it is not made to be a coercive or legalistic system, it may prove to be a happy plan. However, one may not validly claim that tithing is taught in the New Testament. It is recognized as proper for Jewish observance (Matt. 23:23; Luke 11:42), but it is not imposed upon Christians. In fact, it is now impossible for Jews or Christians to tithe in the Old Testament sense. Tithing today only faintly resembles the ancient ritual practice belonging to the sacrificial system of the Jews.

While much may be said for adopting the tithe voluntarily as a standard for one's giving without rigidly imposing it upon others as a Christian requirement, it is clear in adopting such a practice that one is not carrying on the Old Testament practice. At most one is doing something only remotely analogous to the tithing practice of the Old Testament, which was a tax to support the Temple and the priestly system, a social and religious system which no longer exists. Tithes were obligatory in Judaism as a tax until the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D, but they are not thus binding upon Christians. Even the Jews have stopped the legalistic system of tithing, why, because after the destruction of the temple in 70A.D, all the Levitical records were destroyed, making it impossible for them to continue the practice. We Christians have got a better covenant (called: Grace) in the order of our Lord Jesus Christ, who for once and for all, gave His life on the cross of calvary. What more do we want.

This is not to discredit tithing, but it is to clarify its relationship to the New Testament. It is to deny that the New Testament supports the coerciveness, legalism, profit motive, and the bargaining which so often characterise the tithing appeals today. As a voluntary system, tithing offers much; but it must be redeemed by grace if it is to be Christian. To plead that 'it works' is only to adopt the pragmatic tests of the world. Much 'works' that is not Christian. Tithing, if it is to be congenial to New Testament theology, must be rooted in the grace and love of God.

In conlcusion, Christians should give because we are blessed and that we love God, not by giving grudgingly because we anticipate we would be cursed if we didn't adhere. Our God surely loves a generous giver.