THE BIBLE IS NOT THE WORD OF GOD (2)

The word of God came to me the very first time during an armed-robbery attack. “Femi,” he said, “nothing is going to happen to you here.” Immediately, one of the robbers contradict-ed him by firing a bullet into my left leg. Even so, the word continued: “Femi, there is nothing wrong with your leg.”
These words are not in the bible. Nevertheless, they are spirit and life to me. A few weeks after I heard them, the Lord miraculously fused back the broken bones in my leg.

Good Shepherd’s voice

Those who cannot hear God often contest the witness of those who can. However, Jesus says: “My sheep hear My voice.” (John 10: 27). He does not say: “My sheep read the bible.” David read in the scriptures that God desires sacrifices and offer-ings. But when God opened his ears, he discovered that in the beginning it was not so.  Therefore, he declares in the psalms: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; my ears you have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.” (Psalm 40:6). Christians need to askGod to open our ears.
On the Mount of Transfiguration, God said concerning Jesus: “This is My beloved Son, hear him!” (Mark 9:7). He did not say: “read about him in the scriptures!” Jesus says: “He who is of God hears God’s words.” (John 8:47).
Salvation comes from hearing and heeding the spoken word of God and not from just reading the bible. (John 5:24-25).
Jesus says: “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him–the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” (John 12:48).
The problem with most Christians is that we don’t have a relationship with God. We can read the bible and quote some scriptures; but we cannot hear the word of God.
This was my predicament for the longest time. But when I finally met Jesus at the age of 41, he opened my ears so I can now hear him.  He then quickened a scripture, which meant nothing to me before, into a vibrant word of God for my life.
In the scripture, Jesus says: “Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear.” (Matthew 13:13-16).

Mouth of God

Hebrews says: “In the past God spoke to our ancestors many times and in many ways through the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us through his Son.” (Hebrews 1:1-2). God is the author of what God speaks. But man is the author of what is written in the script-ures. Jesus says: “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63). But the words written in the scriptures are dead. The word of God must be spoken by God, not written by men.
God spoke to men before any bible was written. He has continued speaking to men since the bible canon was closed. Therefore, the word of God cannot be limited to what is in the bible. Indeed, the overwhelming proportion of the word of God is not documented in any bible. The bible is important because it provides us with a historical record of some of what God spoke in the past. This tells us that since God spoke to men yesterday; he will speak to us today. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8).
To receive the word of God today, we don’t need a bible. We only need the Holy Spirit. Isaiah says: “Your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” (Isaiah 30: 21). But Solomon says: “The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the LORD has made them both.” (Proverbs 20:12). It is through the inner “hearing ear” that we hear the guiding voice of the Good Shepherd. That is why Jesus often says: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matthew 11:15).
This ensures the word of God can come even to the deaf and the blind. It can come to the illiterate who cannot read. Jesus says: “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.” (John 6:45). By implication, those who hear and learn from men and the bible don’t usually go to Jesus. (John 5:39-40).
When Christians want to hear from God, we go to our pastors and ask them to tell us what God is saying to us. The pastors hardly ever admit they don’t know. They come up with scriptures and maintain they are the word of God for us.  But this is often like reading someone’s old letters and then insisting they are actually addressed to us. Scripture from the mouth of our pastor can be a “word of knowledge.” It can be a “word of wisdom.” But it cannot be the word of God. According to Jesus, the word of God is: “every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4).

Fulfilling the scriptures

For the dead scriptures in our bible to come alive, they have to be spoken again by the mouth of God. This is fulfilled when the Holy Spirit gives them to us personally; tailoring them precisely to our different situations and circumstances. Otherwise, we can recite scriptures a million times; they will still not be fulfilled in our life. Isaiah 61:1-2 remained as dead scripture in a scroll for over 700 years. But one day, Jesus spoke it again to some people. Only then, did it become spirit and life again. Jesus told them: “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21).
Thus, as we read the bible, some scriptures suddenly come alive. They literally jump off the page and hit us in the face. That is God speaking them again. There and then, there is a catharsis; an epiphany; a burning-bush experience. Thereafter, heaven and earth can pass away, but those words can never pass away in our life. They are no longer scriptures: they are now the word of God.
Therefore, I jokingly tell Christians to skip certain scriptures because they now belong to me. One of them says: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10).
Don’t even bother to read this scripture ever again: God has spoken it to me as an everlasting possession.

 By Femi Aribisala

THE BIBLE IS NOT THE WORD OF GOD (1)

Nowhere in the bible is it said or implied that the bible is the word of God. As a matter of fact, the bible is not even in the bible. Scriptures referring to the word of God never refer to the bible. For example, Moses says: “The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram.’” (Genesis 15:1). It was not the bible that spoke to Abram. The word of God came to him before any scriptures were written and before the bible was compiled. Therefore, neither the scriptures nor the bible can be the word of God.
John says: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and with-out Him nothing was made that was made.” (John 1:1-3). This immediately disqualifies the bible as the word of God. Just think how incongruous it would be to substitute “the word” in John’s verses for “the bible.” It would read: “In the beginning was the bible, and the bible was with God, and the bible was God. The bible was in the beginning with God. All things were made through the bible, and without the bible nothing was made that was made.”
However, the bible was not with God in the beginning; and the bible is not God. The bible did not create the world. It was not even in existence at the creation of the world. The first Christian bible was not published until 1516.
Living word
John says: “I saw heaven opened,and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True … He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.” (Revelation 19:11-13). John did not see the bible: he saw Jesus.
Hebrews also proclaims: “The word of God is living and powerful.., and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12). Certainly, this is not referring to the bible. The bible contains dead letters. It cannot discern the thoughts and intents of its readers. But that is Jesus’ specialty. Jesus says: “I am He who searches the minds and hearts.” (Revelation 2:23). It is Jesus, and not the bible, that is the word of God.
A definitive feature of the word of God is that it has and gives life. John says of the word: “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:4). But Jesus maintains there is no life in the scriptures. He says to the Jews: “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” (John 5:39-40).
The Jews searched the scriptures in the mistaken assumption eternal life could be obtained by reading them. But alas, they could find no life in them because the life is in Jesus. God himself is eternal life and it is vain to seek the living among the dead. (Luke 24:5).
The scriptures are signposts identifying Jesus as “the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:6). But in order to inherit eternal life, we have to come to Jesus himself, and not just read the bible.
Divorced from God, the letter in the bible kills, but the spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:6). Jesus says: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63). It is the word that Jesus speaks, the word that comes directly from the mouth of God, which gives life. It is God’s spoken word and not the inspired written word that is the word of God. Jesus says: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4).
Living bible
This explains why Jesus had no secretary, and why he asked no one to record his words in a book. Jesus did not promise that God would inspire the compilation of his words into a bible for future reference. Instead, he promises his disciples that: “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” (John 14:26).
This makes the Holy Spirit our living bible. He delivers the word of God to us directly at critical junctures in our lives as required. John confirms this: “You have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, in your hearts, so that you don’t need anyone to teach you what is right. For he teaches you all things, and he is the Truth, and no liar.” (I John 2:27).
Thus, if the word of God was with God in the beginning, where is it now? One thing is for sure, it cannot be in a bible. Even Moses, the law-giver, tells us where to find it. He says: “It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, ‘Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, ‘Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’ No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.” (Deuteronomy 30:12-14).
New Testament
Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, God has placed his word in our hearts and minds. Indeed, that is the promise of the New Testament. God says: “This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.” (Jeremiah 31:33-34).
Thus, the word of God is delivered to us directly by the Holy Spirit and not through a bible. Jesus says of the Holy Spirit: “He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but what-ever He hears He will speak.” (John 16:13). This means the Holy Spirit will never contradict the words of Jesus in the bible.
The bible reveals the word of God came to some people in the past. Thereby, it encourages us to establish similar relationships with God today. John says: “That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.” (I John 1:3-4).
Continued next week

By Femi Aribisala

FLAMBOYANT NIGERIAN BISHOP OYEDEPO FACES N2 BILLION LAWSUIT FOR ASSAULTING FEMALE CHURCH MEMBER

Popular pastor and founder of the Living Faith Christian Church International, David Oyedepo, will face a legal action for slapping a young lady during church service, last year.
Robert Igbinedion, a Lagos based lawyer, confirmed to Premium Times Friday that he had filed a suit, on behalf of the young lady, at the Ogun State High Court for the enforcement of the lady's fundamental rights to freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment, human dignity, fair hearing, and freedom from discrimination.

Mr. Igbinedion is seeking an award of N2bn as 'general and exemplary damages' against Mr. Oyedepo.



 
"If a wrong is done to the young lady, she is bound to receive justice for that wrong," said Mr. Igbinedion, a Solicitor at Salus Populi Chambers.
In the suit, Mr. Igbinedion said that the young lady, while answering an "illegal" alter call, was trying to explain herself when the pastor gave her "a dirty and thunderous slap."
"The respondent (Mr. Oyedepo) made the alter call for witches to come out, he did not make a similar call for other categories of sinners like illicit drug dealers, contract inflators, fraudsters, adulterers, and fornicators in the church," read the suit.
Mr. Igbinedion, who represented the victims of the celebrated Pastor Emeka Ezeugo (popularly known as Reverend King) at the Magistrate court, in 2006; stated that cases of violence in the place of worship if not nipped in the bud could escalate into 'uncountable' dimensions.
Furthermore, he said the calling out of the young lady (and others) as witches are illegal, unconstitutional, and a breach of Section 34 of the Constitution of Nigeria, African Charter on Human and People's Right, and United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Right.
The suit asked the court to compel Mr. Oyedepo to issue a self-signed public apology to be published in two national dailies and one international satellite television station.
It also wants the respondent to issue a similar alter call for drug dealers, corrupt government officials, bribe-giving contractors, and other category of sinners who are members of the church.
In December last year, a video of Mr. Oyedepo viciously slapping a teenage girl during church service for saying she is "a witch for Jesus" appeared on popular site You Tube.
Though later removed, the video went viral within days with the pastor, fondly called Papa, receiving a lot of stick from outraged viewers and members of the public.
One viewer described the act as "unbiblical, barbaric, and a disgrace."
Days later, another video surfaced in which Mr. Oyedepo tried to justify his action saying "it is my ministry to slap" and that the fact that the witch, rather than going to court, apologized showed his superiority.
"People now complain on the Internet that I slapped a witch.  If I see another one, I'll slap," he said in the video.

-PREMIUM TIMES

NOT IN THE NAME OF THEIR GOD

The real tragedy is that this dysfunction is being imported to Nigeria along with used cars and toothpicks. The West can probably afford this shallowness but we see the effect on a nation like Nigeria. Why are we mimic-people? The new church of dollars and euro has been part and parcel of the rape and plunder of Nigeria. Must we live like this? It comes down again to a rank failure of leadership. Our intellectual and political leaders have failed to manage the change that is necessary to move our nation forward.
The new Christianity has flourished like a plague under “democracy.”  What Christianity has done to black Africa is worse than the combination of AIDS and the worst wars. What kind of God will allow adults to brand children as witches and then maim and murder them? As we speak, there is genocide going on in Akwa Ibom orchestrated by the some adherents of the new Christianity, against children. I say, let’s sweep them off our land. And then maybe our children will smile again.
It breaks my heart to think that Nigerian pastors are doing this to our people. I say, get your heads and hearts out of those temples of doom. Build your own gods in your own likeness. Mimicry is killing our race.
I am deeply wary of organized religion, because, using Christianity as an example, it has been an instrument of subjugation and state-sanctioned terrorism. The so-called holy books are similar in one aspect – they are great works of fiction crafted by insecure men to subjugate and keep under control women, children and those that were born different from them (gays and lesbians). The bible actively endorses slavery and bigotry against homosexuals.
In the name of their God and bible in hand, they bound our ancestors with chains and threw them in the holds of massive ships to be slaves. Whenever I think of what it would have meant to cross the seas under those conditions, I want to find someone and exact my revenge. The expansion of Western civilization and the creation of mimic-fiefdoms (Nigeria, Haiti, Dubai, etc) have been built on the backs of the conquered. Let’s be frank, the yardstick today is the Eurocentric and we are the other. And what is this nonsense parroted by Dinesh D’Souza and others that Christianity brought Africa the great benefits of civilization?
At what price? Did our civilization not have poets, musicians, art pieces, etc, etc, before the coming of the white man and his bible? Did they not loot, bible in hand, our people and artifacts? And what has happened to our people who are now told they must know Jesus before they enter a fairy tale? Is my grandfather going to hell because he was unfortunate to die before Jesus pamphlets came to our village? What has been the unintended consequence of this conquest?
 We have lost everything and all we do is mimic the conqueror. The loss of a people’s language is the loss of self. Everything gets lost in the translation. They don’t eat fish eggs, they eat caviar, and they say my people eat termites. There is no word for termites in my dying language, and we don’t eat termites, we eat irikhun.
The movement of civilization has been at the expense of people of color. We have been hunted and haunted by the demons that inhabit their narcissistic God.  There is no excuse for what Christianity and other alien religions have done to Black Africa, none. When Dinesh D’Souza says that slavery and colonialism were the transmission belts that brought civilization to Africa and Asia, I shake my head.In Nigeria, the new Christianity is the new alcoholism ravaging the already dispossessed daily. Watch this video and reflect upon the caricature nation that our people have created.
Deeply upsetting. And deep. My initial thought is that thieving pastors have rushed whoosh into a yawning vacuum that was created by generations of failed leaders. These new thieves are now raking in millions from their own self-serving failure to lead. We are muttering to ourselves and our people are chanting themselves to lunacy and irrelevance. In today’s Nigeria, the Christian God is a loud judgmental drama queen keeping the “unfaithful” up at night with unctuous tuneless songs.
The weather is warming up here in America and thieving Nigerian pastors with their jheri curls and fake American accents will soon be jetting down here to buy designer crap with money stolen from the doubly dispossessed. Why anyone would tithe ten percent of money they do not have so that these pastors may live in sinful opulence is beyond me. What manner of God will allow this pillage?
They are all thieves and I hope they all end up in heaven praising their drama queen. I wouldn’t want them in hell with me and Fela.

by Ikhide R. Ikheloa