₦airaland Forum

Sophyrocks: I Understand Where you are Coming from @Op. But i think parents are increasingly becoming liberal towards their children nowadays.

Well it may depend from which platform the liberality is springing from. Is it that children are now been guided and left to take those critical decisions growing up or that the parents are not in most cases around to guide thereby leaving the child with no choice?

SAMBARRY: So what is the significance of this epistle and it's contribution to knowledge?

Thanks for reading the "epistle". Since this is a family thread, thought I should put in some few lines of advice to parents
and would be parents to loosen their grip on growing children.

Relax! don't get all too serious!

Every generation fails its sons and daughters in one way or another. Because of challenging experiences of the past, parents would resolve within themselves not to allow such painful challenges under their watch, hence leading parents to over-parented their own kids.

As Parents, we knew that we should protect and provide. But we protected our kids from everything and we provided too many options.

Young people, we have failed you in three specific ways:

1. We didn't give you the gift of risk.

We padded the corners on the tables. When you fell, we rushed to catch you. If you looked like you might hurt yourself, we were there with safety nets. As you grew older, we kept in constant contact when you were away. We didn't let you fail and understand that it is normal and necessary.As a consequence, many of you struggle to make decisions and don’t know how to fail. You back away from risk and struggle to commit.

2. We didn't give you the gift of pain.

Hoping to protect you, we shielded you from pain. Not understanding that pain is legitimate and normal, we deprived you of what you needed to grow. We were your buddies—we loved you but were afraid to teach you discipline. The irony is that despite our best efforts, we couldn't shield you from pain. You needed the legitimate pain of natural consequences. When you touch a stove, you get burned. But then you never touch it again. Instead, we substituted the illegitimate pain of broken, inauthentic families.

3. We didn't give you the gift of responsibility.

In place of responsibility, we gave you options. You came to expect something for nothing. You were the center of our attention. We gave you trophies just for participating. We didn't teach you how to commit to a thing and stick it out. One of the defining characteristics of childhood is that children need protection and provision. They are too weak to protect themselves. But by continuing to coddle you after you had become teenagers, we didn't allow you the opportunity to test your muscles and build your strengths. Instead, we indulged you and created in you the expectation that you could simultaneously be irresponsible and be an adult. You cannot. Out of the best of intentions, we delayed your progress. We spoon-fed you when you were ready to feed yourself. We rescued you when doing so gave you permission to repeat the same mistake without feeling the consequences.

But wait a second—hang on before you claim your "Get out of jail free card." Does saying all this give you an excuse to wallow in your status? NO! You may be tempted to go there because we’ve coddled you so much that nothing is ever really your fault.
Because we don’t give you responsibility, things are out of your control—they happen to you. So when things go wrong, all you can ever be is a victim.

It's an insidious cycle that keeps you from growing up. If you really want to become the best version of yourself, here's my advice: Please, just resist the temptation and decide to take responsibility for your future from here on out. Decide to give grace to your parents—it's the very grace that you yourself will need from your own children when you make mistakes. Decide to exercise a statute of limitations.

What's past is past. It was awful and it kept you from growing up. But, having diagnosed it, put it to bed and turn the page. It's time to move on and finish the job of growing up. Who knows how the parenting pendulum will swing when you are ready to have children? How will you react to your parents’ failures?

For now, maybe the best place to start when we try to overprotect you is to say, “Mom, Dad, thanks. You’re awesome, I’ve got this."

We may argue. We may go through the motions of rescuing you again. Yet if we're smart, we'll bite our tongues and let you do what adults do when life is hard.

You were made for greatness. You were made to soar. But you've got to learn to fly first. And when you struggle, you may have to continue to coach us in our new habit of letting go.

When you do, here's what will happen—we will stand down. After all, we both want the same thing, and that's your success. And hey, what leverage do we have anyway?

When we see you flying, know that our hearts will be leaping within us. Know that we'll be telling our friends, "That's my baby there! Have you ever seen anything so awesome in all your life?"

We can't help ourselves. We really do love you more than we can express .

What!!!! The kind of back slapping that go on at that glass house
is wickedly wicked. Those guys "eat" and break the plate; the next administrator
will have to look for his own plate and when he finishes he does same as above. It is a cycle. Government
should just stop funding these guys and leave them for their elder brother, FIFA.

Simply pathetic The level to which barbarism has taken over man.
Reminds me of the Hobbesian state of Nature where life was short, nasty and brutish.

The propensity to exhibit beastly actions in the minds of religious fundamentalist is unimaginable.
This can easily be compared to the documentary I watched on the animal channel the other day how a big baboon
was busy eating alive a young antelope. These groups are not different from such cruel animals.

My condolences to the family of the journalist, we can only imagine the pains you all are
going through at moment like this. Just imagine the video of how your dad, mum, brother, sister
or anyone related to you is beheaded and uploaded online, then you will know how the slain journalist family are feeling now. RIP man!

[quote author=

Mr. Mohammed said he had no option but to heed calls from the people to free Kano from “decades of lack of progress”.[/quote]No Politician will ever agree their predecessors has ever made any positive impact on governance.
Well wish him all the best.

Great! Battle continue from last season. The Real one in Madrid will have the last laugh

Libkid: i forgot this too.they dont vote during election

Whenever they decide to stop spending any National Currency, then I will take
them serious, after-all currencies are part of the world system too.

Several of their kids in a private school at Lugbe in Abuja, where asked to leave
the school last term. The reason being their disregard for the National Anthem.
According to the school rules, students are expected to remain standing wherever they
arrive at the school premises when the anthem is being rendered, but no; they
wouldn't take it. They where warned repeatedly, but where finally asked to leave.

Just wondering if they also discourage the usage of the National Currency; the Naira?

Q: why did the atheist throw her watch out of the window?
A: She wanted to see if it was designed intelligently enough to evolve into a bird.

Q: What is so ironic about Atheists
A: They're always talking about God.

Q: why did the Atheist cross the road?
A: He thought there might be a street on the other side, but he wouldn'd believe it until he tested his hypothesis.

Q: How many Atheist does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Two. One to actually change the bulb, and another to video tape the job so that fundamentalists won't claim that god did it.

Q: why can't atheists solve exponential equation?
A: because they don't believe in higher powers.

Q: how do you make an atheist appreciate lif?
A: break his legs.

Add yours if you have any.

It's a new dawn. It's a new day. It's a new life. So who is really feeling good entering the 2014-15 English Premier League campaign?

Arsenal is improved, Manchester City is the champion, Liverpool is relevant, Manchester United is rebounding rather impressively and Everton is as strong as it has been in recent memory. But no one is feeling as good as Chelsea about its Premier League title chances.

Since returning to West London, manager Jose Mourinho has publicly pleaded for a top striker. Over the summer, he finally found his man in Diego Costa. The Brazilian-born forward who pledged international allegiance to Spain is so striking that his arrival at Stamford Bridge overshadowed the return of the king, Didier Drogba.

Within a minute of his first appearance at Stamford Bridge – 57 seconds to be exact – Costa found the back of the net. He would score again in Chelsea's 2-0 friendly victory over Real Sociedad, but the preseason goals only hinted at the quality Chelsea acquired at its point of attack.

Costa finished one goal behind Lionel Messi and four tallies behind Cristiano Ronaldo when time was called on the last Spanish season. His production was on par with the two top scorers of this, or any, generation, and had Costa not been dealt a thigh injury late in the season, he may have well finished ahead of Messi and Ronaldo in terms of not just goals but also meaningful trophies.

If Costa was the only major acquisition for the Blues, one could argue Chelsea could still dethrone City for league honors. Chelsea was intertwined in a three-way title race with Manchester City and Liverpool late in the 2013-14 campaign when Mourinho, arguably, prematurely renounced his club's chances and abdicated from the title race.

With Costa alone added to the mix, Chelsea should have been good enough to challenge City as title favorites. However, the additions of Cesc Fabregas and Felipe Luis promulgated the Blues as a clear step ahead entering the new Premiership campaign.

Fabregas is a proven commodity from his tenure in North London as Arsenal's captain. The Barcelona native provides Mourinho with creativity and scoring out of the midfield that was lacking a season ago. Softening the departure of Frank Lampard, Fabregas plays in dimensions that even Lampard did not touch. The two players are vastly different in their skills, strengths and abilities, but Chelsea surely did not lose quality by sending off the 36-year-old Lampard and adding the 27-year-old Fabregas.

To add to Chelsea's defensive strength, Mourinho recalled goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois from Atletico Madrid. Barely even an argument, Courtois was one of the best goalkeeper in Europe a season ago. Further, Chelsea brought in Felipe Luis to bolster the back four. Adding strength to the league's top defense only further promoted Chelsea's standing as title favorites.

Adding three players from Atletico Madrid – a team that was a 93rd-minute Sergio Ramos miracle goal away from winning the Champions League – and a special talent from Barcelona, Chelsea elevated its status from a team vying for a Premier League title a season ago to a team that would be devastated if it did not collect the fifth league title in the club's history.

With Mourinho getting everything he wanted over the summer, winning the 2014-15 Premier League is not an option. It is a requirement.

You have a different opinion? Let us in.

Emmaesty: OOU students are not protesting against the reduction of the school fees but are protesting against it taking effect from the next session..... Love live OOU #SaveOOU #Oke-Imosan2014

Thanks! I was just wondering why they would be demonstrating instead of jubilating.

Yeh! May the Month of August open a new chapter of greatness to this great country; Nigeria. Wisdom to our President, intelligence to the security agents as they contain the boko haram and other wicked groups, insights to us all on what to do to improve on ourselves and lastly protection to all the Nigeria security forces at the center of the fight against terrorism, we thank you for all your effort and pray that you be strengthened and encouraged to tackle this war to its logical conclusion. We love you all and stay safe.

cococandy: If girls that young aren't terrified to kill themselves,then these people are bigger than what wet take them to be.

Maybe their families are threatened to put them in a defenseless/helpless position

These girls may have been compelled to do it.
Probably they may have been wired against their will with someone
with the remote not far off. You know these guys can be very crazy.

This is so sad. My heart goes out to the families of those affected.
These girls may just be "unwilling bombers". They may have been wired,
with one of the boko boys around the corner with a remote.

I was imagining the President telling SLS: shegi na God save u o!

And SLS replying: walai you are a bad guy, so you intend to wound me, thank Allah for the turban.

Hala Madrid! Always going for the best. Hoping James continues his exploit on the pitch.

These questions where actually in response to an experience I had at the winners chapel in Abuja. The feet washing accordin to the pastor was akin to you having dominion over wherever your feet may thread. I was not really confortable with this because reading the whole account leading to Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, you will realize he was teaching them about humility and service. According to the Jewish tradition, because of the dust the feet may have gathered from their usual long journeys on foot, the moment they get to their destination, their feet are usualy washed and this is normally done by the servants, but in this story, Jesus stupped in humility to wash his disciples feet, and instructing them to do likewise; that accounted to why Peter said Jesus will not wash his own feet, but later conceded.

What did the Lord intend to teach in John 13 when He washed the disciples feet?

Did He institute a church religious worship ritual, or did He set an example of individual humble service?

Does washing of feet (foot-washing) in modern denominations serve the same purpose and is it done in the same way as Christ did it?

Do Bible examples show that washing of feet was an individual act of hospitality or personal hygiene?

Some churches practice washing of feet as a church worship ritual. What do you think?

It seems when it gets to the white skin, majority just seems
to want to make excuses. What is wrong is wrong, whether we
have public toilet or not . A bus driver was caught by a camera doing it in
a public bus in the UK some years back, what can be used to excuse him in such situation, since there are
available public toilets? We are all not mad in this Country, irrespective of what we may be going through..

Can you just imagine this This guy was caught on camera this
morning "watering the flowers" on the bridge linking the 3rd
Mainland to Obalande

WE ARE TO WORK WITH OUR HANDS NOT DECLARE RICHES BY OUR WORDS SPEAKING FAITH!

Prov. 6:6-11: "Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, Which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, Provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest. How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep— So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man."

1 Cor. 4:11-12: "To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. And we labor, working with our own hands. " The apostles did not confess with their mouths they worked with their hands.

Prov. 21:5-6: "The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty. Getting treasures by a lying tongue is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death." Those who state God promises to those who are a kings kid everything we ask for in faith are not telling the truth. No Father who was training their child to appreciate the things in life would give him whatever he asked for, unless he wanted to spoil him. This is not instilling character into a person nor is it the nature of Christ who denied himself.

Prov. 13:11: "Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, but he who gathers by labor will increase." Ask yourself as you watch the sermons of the faith teachers why they are saying certain things?

Prov. 15:8: ‘The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight." If your giving to get this is the wrong motivation and is not acceptable to the Lord.

Prov. 23:4-5 "Do not overwork to be rich; because of your own understanding, cease! Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven."

Nowhere can you find a passage in the New Testament were Jesus Christ or His Apostles discipled believers to get money or be rich? Jesus Christ taught the opposite, He told the rich man to sell all that he had and give to the poor, come follow me and you will have treasure in Heaven! (Luke 18:22; 12:33-34)

Last of all the warning in Rev.3:17 for today's church: "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot." So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'-- and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked-- "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your unclothedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent."

"Because you say I'm rich, have become wealthy and have need of nothing-and do not know that you are wretched miserable, blind and naked..." What a summation of where the rich Laodicean Church of today is. God's remedy is to buy gold refined in the fire from him, that you may be rich, and white garments that you may be clothed..." Real riches that Christ is concerned with are spiritual ones, our self righteous rags will never do from a church that is self empowered. Until we have God's eye salve applied to our eyes we will continue to look at the outward, and ignore our spiritual bankrupt condition on the inside. Selah

What does Jesus teach about riches

Kenneth Hagin claims not only for himself but for the Bibles written promise, "He [also] wants His children to eat the best, He wants them to wear the best clothing, He wants them to drive the best cars, and He wants them to have the best of everything." (Quoted by D.L. McConnell a different Gospel p.175)

Did not Jesus say, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God." (Luke 6:20) Whose right? Was it riches he was promising or spiritual blessings?

Throughout the Bible there is a constant warning of riches being a snare. David who had it all prayed that the Lord would not give him too little, that he would be in need or too much that he would forget God. In the middle ages the church thought that for one to to be poor was equivalent to being spiritual. Today it is on the opposite extreme, to be rich shows God's blessings. They have fixed their eyes on earth and become subject to the earthly law of gravity, instead of fixing their eyes to heaven above by true faith.

Do riches prove God's blessings? Nothing could be further from the truth. Their are many a heathen and atheist who are rich despite their disbelief. Prosperity is not an absolute to show Gods hand in ones life, it might in fact show the opposite.

Proverbs 16:16: tells those who want to pursue God - it is better to get wisdom instead of gold.

Matt 6:19-21: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Jonathan Edwards said "Aim at heaven and you get earth thrown in, aim at earth and you get neither."

Matt 13:22-23: "Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

V.23"But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

Avanzini distorts this scripture like no other saying that the seed is money and that we can get a hundred fold return. Do we see this taught by Jesus or the disciples? No! This is an insertion to attract increase, mainly to himself.

Jesus explains the parable of the sower by saying in vs.19 the seed is the word and before that he explains how the people need ears to hear so they can understand and be fruitful. In vs. 37 he explains further that the sower of the good seed is the son of man which is either Jesus himself or those who preach the same message of his word. The good seeds are the sons of the kingdom. In other words those born of incorruptible seed which is the word of God 1 Pt.1:23 are in the world as a growing plant to produce fruit of the spirit.

Matt 10:38: "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. Mark 8:34-37: "When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? "Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? In other words the pursuit to be financially free and keep on gaining is not what we are to be focused on. Denying oneself may mean to give up a lot. It depends on how attached and attracted ones soul is to the comfortable things of life.

Luke 12:15-21: And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." Then He spoke a parable to them, about a rich man who was planning his future expansion, he sums it up in vs.21"So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." Do we ever hear sermons on the TV of being rich toward God without money? I think not!

Luke 14:33: "So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple." This again is a hyperbole. Give up your possessions for self use (sometimes completely divorcing oneself from them) so as not trusting in the world but God alone.

There are many today who are teaching that Jesus was rich. Jesus and the disciples were rich, only rich people could take off for 3.5 years. (Fred Price, Ever Increasing Faith, recorded 11/23/90)

Frederick K.C. Price states: "The Bible says that He [Jesus] had a treasurer-a treasury (they called it "the bag"; that they had one man who was the treasurer, named Judas Iscariot; and the rascal was stealing out of the bag for three-and-a-half years and nobody knew that he was stealing. You know why? Because there was so much in it, He couldn't tell. Nobody could tell that anything was missing..., if Jesus didn't have anything, what do you need a treasury for? A treasury is for surplus. It's not for that which you're spending. It's only for surplus-to hold it until you need to spend it. Therefore, He must have had a whole lot that needed to be held in advance that He wasn't spending. So He must have had more than He was living on." ("Ever Increasing Faith" program on TBN [23 November 1990.)

Among those who teach Jesus and the apostles are rich are Oral Roberts, and Creflo Dollar, Kenneth Hagin. John Avanzini attacks and mocks theologians for teaching that Jesus was poor. "I don't know where these goofy traditions creep in at, but one of the goofiest ones is that Jesus and His disciples were poor".

Was Jesus Rich? Lets look at the clear biblical evidence. Jesus was born in a stable (his parents knew the approximate time of his birth so they could have reserved a place, God could have made sure he had a room) but it was to be in a stable, a cave. Lk.2:22-24 Mary sacrifices two turtle doves which is a poor households sacrifice (Lev.12:2-.Why did Mary in her praise say “He has filled the hungry with good things and the rich he has sent away empty.”

Jesus gave up all the riches that are his in heaven to become a man and was born to a poor family (not homeless and destitute), his stepfather was carpenter, if they had money from the gold given at his birth (as some claim) he would not have had to work. The Bible does not mention his riches but many teach this from silence.

Archeological excavations of Nazareth from the 1950’s show the village of Jesus' day were occupied by poor agricultural people. As Jesus grew up he worked in the trade of a carpenter, not a trade known for its wealth. How did Jesus become rich with a step-dad who was only a carpenter? There is absolutely no indication anywhere that he was wealthy from his family or from traveling with His disciples. By the way, He took no tithes.

In Luke 2:22-24, Jesus is taken to the Temple by his mother a poor families sacrifice is made -two pigeons (according to Leviticus 12:8.) If they had been rich as the prosperity teachers claim they would have had to make a larger sacrifice. If they did not and were rich they broke the law.

Matt. 11:7-8; Lk. 7:25 "As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?" But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings' courts." Neither John or Jesus dressed as those who show God's blessings today with thousand dollar suits and shoes. Why does Jesus' cousin John wear such bad clothing while Jesus is walking around in expensive clothing (a seamless garment), didn’t He share?

Avanzini says "Jesus had a nice house, a big house big enough to have company stay the night with Him at the house. Let me show YOU His house. G0 over to John the first chapter and I’ll show you His house. Now, child of God, that’s a house big enough to have company stay the night in. There's His house." (Believers voice of Victory program, TBN Jan.20,1991)

I couldn't find it! How about you? Avanzini says "Jesus had a big house" but it was Peters mothers house in Capernaum that was often used as a base, it was not His. so one must decide if this is true or false.

Matt. 8:19-20: "Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, 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." Jesus himself he had no place to lay his head, no permanent home, he constantly traveled. He dressed like everyone else, he even said to forsake this world to inherit his kingdom. His kingdom is not of this world and he made it perfectly clear in His teachings. Some seem to think that Moses may have gotten it all wrong to have forsaken the riches and pleasures of Egypt and suffer affliction with his brethren looking by faith to him who is invisible." (Heb.11:24-27). He didn't have to, he could have had the best of both worlds.

The rich young ruler came to Jesus and he responded by telling to him to give all his riches to the poor and follow him. Was Jesus telling him to rid himself of riches while he actually possessed them Himself? Would he ask someone to do something he himself would not?

In 2 Cor.8:9 Paul states of Jesus " being rich , yet for your sakes he became poor, so that through his poverty you might become rich" (this is spiritual riches). In the only place where it might give a hint of wealth it says he became poor. Did Jesus become poor during his lifetime so we can become rich financially later? This is not a trick question and should be obvious to all familiar with the scriptures. This "being rich" is speaking of his preexistence in his position of glory? He became poor in becoming a servant in position and also in his social life. Zech. 9:9 " Behold, your King is coming to you; he is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey." Even his fulfilling prophecy as a king was in humility of his position. He came as a servant, not a king, but today we have those who want to have crowns recognized for their positions now. Quite the opposite in the Scripture, he who is exalted will be humbled. We are to follow Jesus' pattern, yet some actually think if Jesus came today he’d have the best clothes, drive a Roll’s and eat steak every night. We better look carefully at the Bible before we choke on what is being dished out.

He was buried in another mans tomb, a rich mans. If he was rich or his family, they would have buried him in his own family tomb. But this again proves that He had no money for this. Neither did his family nor the apostles have the money to by such a burial, it was borrowed, actually donated to be exact. After all it would not be permanent. Jesus in his ministry had borrowed many things. A manger, He borrowed boats, He borrowed a colt; He borrowed a house for Passover and He was buried in a borrowed tomb. Christ came in complete humility as stated in 2 Cor. 8:9 “Christ, that though He was rich, (owning everything) yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” (Meaning spiritually rich.)

To continue.........

Today we have thousands of groups (often categorized as cults) that claim to keep or restored true Christianity.

The definition of true Christianity must be found in its source, the Bible. There are numerous doctrines one must hold to have the Christian distinctive. Certain teachings were not accepted and were challenged in the infancy of the church. Some can be found in the Bible. Other challenges are found in early church history.

So we need to find in the Bible the main teachings to know whether we are practicing the Spiritual way Jesus gave us to be the church and called Christian.

First and foremost we must believe in the gospel which is about his death, his crucifixion to forgive us our sins and bring us into a relationship with God, our creator. Three points are part of the gospel message, Jesus died was buried and rose again unto life (1 Cor.15:1-4)

Historic Christianity, no matter what denomination or non denomination one may be, adheres to the core doctrines presented in the Bible. And the church preaches Jesus Christ alone for salvation, they use the Bible to confirm what they say and practice.

True Christianity does not say one must join a particular church denomination, but a church that teaches and practices the Bible. There were no denominations in the early church only churches known by their city. Each church was different in how they worked among the people they were placed with. Everyone who is born again becomes part of the church by being put in the body of Christ that had begun at Pentecost.

Christianity is categorized as a religion but it conducts itself as a relationship that works from the inside out. It is about mans heart and soul being changed by God’s Spirit, not about outward rituals or ceremonies he obeys. It is about changing mans sinful condition becoming more like the saviors sinlessness. This is the result of the gospel; every believer is given the Holy Spirit to live in them who conforms us as individuals to the savior.

It is life changing in that one is no longer what they were but are being changed from day to day into the image of God’s Son who is Holy. Sin becomes detestable and is resisted and overcomes instead of a lifestyle of repeated harm to oneself and others.

Jesus said we are to be in the world but not of it. In other words we live as others do but our affection is first toward pleasing God, obeying Him. So we avoid following the trends of the world that promote carnality and grow the fallen nature. The ways of the world and philosophies are not to influence us. We are to be separate, following Christ to grow our spiritually through the word of truth.

The early church was not about wealth and success, but about the gospel and discipleship; they spoke on sin. The Church grew by being bold and presenting the truth, at the center of the early church was the gospel message (Acts 13:29-39). They taught and encourage the believers in their adversity and trials. Suffering was a way of life to the early Church that was among pagan and heathen culture.

The early church was devoted readers of God’s Word and read of other religions and philosophies so they could better reach them. They were bold and confronted deceivers in the church that brought in new or distorted teachings, whether it was the Judaizers or the Gnostics.

Christianity is a new life where there should have joy in place of depression or anguish. It is a daily transformation by faith - that we no longer depend on our talents or abilities but on God. That He cares for us as his children and whatever is taking place in our life has a reason and a purpose.

Most importantly Christianity is based on love, our love toward God and toward our fellow man. We cannot love people correctly without loving God. The success of the primitive Church was living out this love: Galatians 5:13: “but through love serve one another.”

If they check very well they will catch more of them. Back then at the university, a friend used to empty some green bottles into the buda (the kettle used for ablution). That kettle only goes to his mouth while he uses another to wash his hands and legs. They should check the buda properly. Lol

Ezedon: Just a little self control is good for you

True! that is the essence of the fast in the first place. Self denial.
Self control is necessary, but if the flesh is about to run wild, do the
needful by drawing your wife close. It is better to do with your wife and return
to fast another day than burning unnecessarily with some dangerous thoughts.

Gombs: Glad u finaaly accepted twas d covenant and not irrigation and wells, i was simply answering the below...my job therefore is done. You can debate whether one needed work or not, practical or theoritical

Come on! You may as well say no believer is suffering lack because we are all
still under Abraham covenant. As James 2:17 puts: Faith in itself means nothing............Faith without works is dead.

The covenant is not in isolation, the willingness to succeed and obedience to God's instructions perfected the increase for Isaac.

Gombs: Why?

For the rest of ur statement, it's back to what I said... the covenant

The convenant would have been of no effect if he had sat down, planted his seedlings and started praying, hoping God will make his plant grow for him to enjoy the harvest. Isaac did something practical for the convenant to have effect. Just like God promised the Isrealite the promise land, but they needed to engage in battles to get in.

@real22. Please consider the following:

NOTE: Nothing in this is intended as an excuse to stop giving as the Lord leads you to give.

1) What is the tithe?
2) What was the tithe for?
3) What is the storehouse?

1) What is the tithe? The tithe is 10% of the increase, established in Leviticus 27:30-33 as an offering Holy to the Lord. The scripture identifies the tithe as grain and fruit, herd and flock. The tithe is food! An example of the tithe can be seen in a shepherd with a flock of 100 sheep who is blessed with the birth of 50 lambs in the spring. Five of the lambs must be offered to the Lord as a tithe. The tithe was brought to the temple in Jerusalem in acknowledgement and appreciation of God’s provision for His people.

2) What was the tithe for? God doesn’t need the food – God doesn't eat. God doesn’t desire sacrifices or offerings ( Psalm 40:6 and Hosea 6:6 ) – He desires mercy. God doesn’t need us to give Him a 10th of everything – when He already owns everything ( Psalm 24:1 and Job 41:11b ). The tithe was used to feed the Levite priests (and their families) who were required to work in the temple day and night ministering to God on behalf of God’s people ( 1 Chronicles 9:33 ). Without the tithe, the Levite priests would have needed to raise their own food, thereby taking them away from ministering before God. Hence the reference in Malachi 3:10 "…that there may be food in my house". Nehemiah 13:10-13 records a time when the Levite priests were not receiving the tithe wherein they abandoned their daily temple responsibilities to work the farms to feed their families. The reference to ‘robbing God’ in Malachi 3:8 is in fact robbing God of ministry and worship by failing to take care of God’s priests through the tithe of food items. Unlike the other tribes of Israel who were given land as their inheritance, the Levites were not given any land – only a few cities in which to live. God was their inheritance ( Numbers 18:20-21 ). Thus, the remaining tribes were obligated to provide the Levites with food since they had no land on which to grow their own.

3) What is the storehouse? 2 Chronicles 31 teaches that the storehouse is the Temple in Jerusalem. When the tithe was re-instituted under King Hezekiah, the king gave orders to prepare storerooms in the temple to hold the tithe. Apparently the grain "tithe" was heaped up in the streets, which caused a traffic jam of sorts. King Hezekiah had the storehouse built to relieve a bad case of urban congestion in ancient Jerusalem.

Walai I have passion for God and the things of God, but I hate it when persons create fear and guilt in others to propel them to give. There is joy in giving and contributing to things of God when the spirit within propels us to give. God loves a CHEERFUL giver and not a giver. Kai Walai.