Sunday, July 27, 2014

THE FALSEHOOD IN THE BOOK OF HEBREWS

The fact that a book is in the bible does not mean everything in it is true.

In the debate about sacrifices, Christians put great reliance on the book of Hebrews. However, Hebrews is very unreliable. It is one of those books in the bible that is full of falsehood. As a matter of fact, there is more falsehood in Hebrews than in any other book in the bible except Romans.

Doctoring the Scriptures

Hebrews specialises in re-writing and falsifying the biblical record. David says: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire; MY EARS YOU HAVE OPENED.” (Psalm 40:6). This quote is changed in Hebrews to: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME.” (Hebrews 10:5). How can such blatant distortion still be construed as the word of God?

Hebrews says: “It is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:4). This is pure fabrication. Ezekiel says: “The prince is to provide a bull as a sin offering for himself and for all the people of the land. Every day during the seven days of the Feast he is to provide seven bulls and seven rams without defect as a burnt offering to the LORD, and a male goat for a sin offering.” (Ezekiel 45:22-23). Therefore, the efficacy of the sacrifice of bulls for atonement is in the scriptures.

Hebrews then contradicts itself by saying: “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22). This statement is an outright lie. Nevertheless, Christians persist in referring to it. It is not necessary to shed blood in order to receive forgiveness. For example, money can be used for atonement: “You shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD, to make atonement for yourselves.” (Exodus 30:16). Money is without blood.

Fine flour could be used to atone for sin: “If, however, he cannot afford two doves or two young pigeons, he is to bring as an offering for his sin a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering.” (Leviticus 5:11). Flour is without blood. Jewelry was also used to atone for sin: “We have brought as an offering to the LORD the gold articles each of us acquired- armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces- to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD.” (Numbers 31:50). Jewelry is without blood.

Unnecessary sacrifices

As a matter of fact, sacrifices are only required in the few cases where the sin is unintentional: “When anyone sins UNINTENTIONALLY and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands- if the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the LORD a young bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed.” (Leviticus 4:2-3). Where the sin is intentional, sacrifices are unacceptable: “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD.” (Proverbs 15:8).

Time and time again, the prophets preached repentance and obedience, placing them above sacrifice. Accordingly, God says in Hosea: “I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6). Even praise worship is better than sacrifice. The psalmist says: “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bull, which has horns and hooves.” (Psalm 69:30-31).

Indeed, Hosea says: “The children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice.” (Hosea 3:4). How can they “abide many days without sacrifice” if “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness?” Since sacrifices are only permissible in the Jerusalem temple, how can they receive forgiveness for their sins while in captivity in Babylon, which soon had more Jews than Palestine?

The answer is simple. Forgiveness can be obtained solely through repentance and prayer, for the simple reason that: “In mercy and truth atonement is provided for iniquity.” (Proverbs 16:6). God says: “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14). This means forgiveness is obtainable without blood sacrifice.

Concatenation of falsehood

Hebrews says: “By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.” (Hebrews 11:11). This is not true. Sarah doubted and did not believe. The Ishmael option came from her.

Hebrews says the Law was given by angels. (Hebrews 2:2). This is false. Moses says God gave it to him. (Exodus 33:11). Hebrews says Jesus tasted death “for everybody.” (Hebrews 2:9). This is false. All men continue to die. Hebrews says Jesus was not perfect but was made perfect through sufferings. (Hebrews 2:10). This is false. Jesus was perfect: he did not become perfect. (1 Peter 2:22). Hebrews says: “God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” (Hebrews 4:4). This is false. Jesus says God has never stopped working. (John 5:17).

Hebrews says: “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27). This is false. Some men, like Lazarus, die twice. Hebrews says: “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls.” (Hebrews 13:17). This is rubbish. No man watches over another man’s soul. Jesus is the only Shepherd and Bishop of our souls. (1 Peter 2:25).

Hebrews says Melchizedec is a priest forever like Jesus because he is: “Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life.” (Hebrews 7:3). This is false. Jesus has a genealogical record. We know his father and mother.

Falsifying the New Covenant

Hebrews says: “When there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law.” (Hebrews 7:12). This is false. The new covenant does not imply a change of the law. God says: “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.” (Jeremiah 31:33). It is a new covenant but the same old law.

Moreover, the priesthood does not determine the law. Hebrews talks about a change of priesthood. But Moses talks about an everlasting priesthood. (Exodus 40:13-15). In truth, the priesthood does not change because Jesus is a descendant of Levi. Mary, Jesus’ mother, was a cousin to Elizabeth, who was “of the daughters of Aaron.” (Luke 1:5).

This means Mary’s mother was either a sister or aunt to Elizabeth, making her a pure bred “daughter of Aaron.” This makes Mary herself to be from both the tribes of Judah and Levi. Mary’s mother was from the tribe of Aaron, but her father, Heli, was from Judah. (Luke 3:23). In effect, Jesus is also of the tribe of Levi. Hebrews is wrong in talking about a change of priesthood.

Do not be deceived. The fact that a book is in the bible does not mean everything in it is true.

 

By Femi Aribisala

Sunday, July 20, 2014

THE SACRIFICE OF FOOLS

To sacrifice the valuable, Jesus would have had to give up his eternal life in heaven.

God said to the Israelites: “What do I care about incense from Sheba or sweet calamus from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please me.” (Jeremiah 6:20). It is not surprising therefore that Solomon also says: “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.” (Ecclesiastes 5:1). Christians would do well to heed these counsels.

Ungodly sacrifices

Why are sacrifices so objectionable to God? Jesus teaches that if something is of men, it cannot be of God. He says to Peter: “Get behind me, Satan! You are an offense to me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matthew 16:23). Jesus also says if something is from men, it cannot be from heaven and vice-versa. Accordingly, he asked the Pharisees: “The baptism of John- was it from heaven or from men?” (Mark 11:30). Sacrifice is of men; therefore it cannot be of God.

Men have always seen sacrifice as the way to worship deities. Primordial man sacrificed. Idol-worshippers sacrifice. Devil-worshippers sacrifice. In the bible, men sacrificed even before the Law of Moses. But God has no need for sacrifices. Hear him: “I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens.” (Psalm 50:9). “Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?” (Psalm 50:13). Thanks to Jesus, we now know that: “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24).

Jesus says: “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’” (Matthew 9:13). When we follow this injunction, we discover that sacrifice is incompatible with the abundant mercy of God. God does not withhold forgiveness to the penitent, pending the offering of a sacrifice. If he does, the Father of the prodigal son in Jesus’ parable would not have rushed out to embrace his returning errant son. He would have asked him first and foremost: “Where is your sacrifice?” However, instead of requiring the blood of bulls and the fat of rams, it was the Father who killed the fattened calf in celebration of his son’s return.

Inadequate sacrifices

God desires love without sacrifice. By its very nature, a sacrifice is hardly ever given whole-heartedly because we are required to sacrifice what we love. However, the love God requires comes “with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind.” (Matthew 22:37). That means it cannot be sacrificial. A sacrifice involves loss. The man who gives sacrificially loses the valuable thing he gives. Therefore, there is often discontentment in sacrifices.

But with love, there is no loss: there is only gain. When we truly love, we don’t give sacrificially; we give wholeheartedly. The man who gives out of love loses nothing. There are no grounds for disgruntlement because he delights to do the will of God. Accordingly, David acknowledges to God: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire; my ears you have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering you did not require. Then I said, ‘Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do your will, O my God, and your law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:6-8).

When Jesus told the chief young ruler to go and sell all he has and give the proceeds to the poor as precondition for inheriting the kingdom of God, the man saw the requirement as a sacrifice and refused to fulfil it. But the love God desires is not sacrificial. It is one where we give God everything without batting an eyelid because we are completely overwhelmed by his love. This is why Jesus says: “Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33).

Jesus insists on love and not sacrifice. God never takes anything valuable from us. He only insists that we give up rubbish in order to receive the Excellency of all things, which is God himself. Just listen to Jesus: “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45-46). Buying this precious pearl does not involve any sacrifice.

Bloody sacrifices

Sacrifices are evil and unjust. Jesus says: “If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.” (Matthew 12:7). With every blood-sacrifice, the innocent is killed. Such injustice contravenes the mercy of God. Therefore God says: “Whoever sacrifices a bull is like one who kills a man, and whoever offers a lamb, like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever makes a grain offering is like one who presents pig’s blood.” (Isaiah 66:3).

The kingdoms of men are built on the injustice of sacrifices. We build kingdoms on the blood of others. We sacrifice slaves; we sacrifice blacks; we sacrifice minorities; we sacrifice the poor; we sacrifice women; we sacrifice the under-privileged. Therefore, God who is love cannot be part of any sacrificial system, including the one allegedly ascribed to Jesus. But God is at the centre of every truly loving system.

False religion justifies violence as sacrifice. But true religion exposes this as deception. Sacrificial systems are founded on violence and killings. Once sacrifice is falsely construed as a basic requirement of faith, cruelty is the answer. Sacrifice often entails the shedding of blood. In the bible, the children of Israel sacrificed their neighbours, sacrificed their prophets, sacrificed their children and they sacrificed Jesus, their Saviour. Leviticus depicts a bizarre society that regarded the spilling of blood as a means of maintaining an ungodly religious civilisation.

Hatred of life

Jesus sacrificed nothing by allowing himself to be killed. On the contrary, he traded the futility of this world for the glory of the Father. That is the antithesis of a sacrifice. Jesus said to his disciples on his departure: “If you loved me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father.’” (John 14:28). Where then is the sacrifice?

Jesus teaches that: “The man who loves his life will lose it.” (John 12:25). Accordingly, Jesus himself hated his life on earth. If he had lived to a ripe old age, that would have been a sacrifice for him. But he died young; ensuring that he went back quickly to the Father he loves. That is not a sacrifice. A man who gives up what he hates does not make a sacrifice. A man who hates his life cannot sacrifice his life.

Jesus says: “Love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:12-13). Jesus is not asking us to sacrifice here: he is asking us to love. A sacrifice implies the loss of something valuable; but life in this world is disposable. To sacrifice the valuable, Jesus would have had to give up his eternal life in heaven.

 

By Femi Aribisala.

Saturday, July 19, 2014

PASTOR, DON'T TEACH ME NONSENSE (PART 2)

Last week, in the first part of this article, I argued that pastors are not immune to error. Ecclesiastical impostors are having a field day dredging up fables that impoverish the spiritual, mental, financial and emotional wellbeing of many. In fact, in a bid to make Christianity a syncretistic, money-spinning, show biz religion, some Nigerian pastors have inadvertently become couriers of delusion. It is worthy of reiteration, if a pastor is swayed by the spirit of seduction, he will be Satan’s bait to those within the orbit of his authority. Doom looms when people uncritically accept theological nonsense.
There is hardly any catastrophe as huge as having a pastor that is Satan’s bait to his flock. It fosters satanic colonisation of the minds of weak-knead churchgoers. Baits do numb minds. They induce false happiness, senseless actions and blind loyalty.  It is safe to assume that was why some South African Christians eagerly ate grass under the instruction of their pastor, claiming it will get them “closer to God.” Generally, heresies have the effect of a lullaby, when dripping from the mouth of a respected preacher. Or better, tsetse-fly effect; causing the sleeping sickness of the soul. If a Christian starts listening to “doctrines of devils”, he would inevitably cultivate dangerous habits of the mind and become docile in Spirit, even though he may still be hyper-active in church.  
It appears religious people do not primarily use their minds to seek truth, but to authenticate falsehood they wish were true. Hence, we sometimes justify twisted truth, condone apostates and castigate those who warn us about their antics.  Largely, we do not bear in mind the forewarnings of Paul at Miletus to the pastoral elders of Ephesus, as recorded in Acts 20:29-31:  “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.  So be on your guard!” 
As promised in the first part of this article, let me draw your attention to some mushrooming nonsense in the Nigerian church. I am not well predisposed to name and shame game; so, this is not to expose anyone to vulgar taunts, but to contribute to stemming the rising tide of error. Time and space will fail me to highlight many common errors. However, I will endeavour to state their working principles.
Nonsense number one: This witch-must-die syndrome, fall-down-and-die prayer. These nonsensical practices affront the integrity of God’s word. Spirits don’t die.  Praying for the death of your perceived enemies is not consistent with biblical truth. Jesus is a life-giving saviour, not a terminator. He wants all men saved, not dead. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, not the doers (1 Jn. 3: 8). Hence, during his earthly ministry, he did not call angels from heaven to consume those who vehemently opposed him. 
It seems to me that churchgoing witch hunters are not seekers of God and truth, their longing is not to live the Christ life.  They are ensnared by fear and drowning in delusive superstitions, so, they clutch burning straws. Don't be fooled. Your blessing is not in the devil's storeroom. No enchanter can bury your glory.  Witches don't have to die for you to live your best life. You can reign in their midst.  
Noticeably, hermeneutic laxity marks the way some pastors approach the sacred duty of studying and feeding God's flock. Also, some manifest paucity of knowledge about exegesis, which is the art of drawing meaning from biblical text.  What is common is “eisegesis”, which is reading ones meaning into biblical text.  Some read their cultural idioms, biases and stereotypes into scripture. This has given rise to many doctrinal errors, predicated on pre-conversion experiences.
For example, in Yoruba mythology, Ṣàngó is venerated as the god of thunder and lightning, his double-axed attribute makes him a willing destroyer of wrongdoers. Someone raised in this cultural milieu may read Elijah’s fire-from-heaven encounter with the prophets of Baal and their eventual death as a biblical parallel of Ṣàngó’s workings and enact a prayer doctrine out of it. 
This is worrisome, for Nigerians unduly place religious leaders on the pedestal of avatar of enlightenment. Hence, many people without thinking or testing the biblical validity of what their spiritual leaders say, act as told and spread their sayings.  
Nonsense number two: Praying to the God of your pastor in the name of your pastor. Proxy access to God is erroneous.  Apostle Paul did not confront controlling spirits by flaunting his impressive spiritual pedigree. He did not pray like this:  I am Paul, the author of two third of the New Testament, erudite Apostle to the Gentiles, veritable church planter and leader builder, o God hear me, or you demons get out.  His spiritual sons did not wage war against the forces of evil by alluding to his exploits of faith. His testimony was not their weapon of war, or access to God. 
So, why do some of us pray in this fashion: The God of Pastor Fire Abu, whom I serve answer me now by fire?  Remember the error of the seven sons of Sceva. Don’t relieve their mistake. Devils don’t bow at the mention of the name of celebrity preachers. Their names cannot cure a rat’s headache.   
The faulty beliefs that pastors are infallible and mediators between God and men have fuelled this practice of name-dropping while praying.  It also makes us to accord greater significance to their words than scripture. As a result, the expression “my pastor said” is used more frequently than “the Bible says.” This indicates shift of authority and loyalty.  Where the Bible is not revered as the final authority in matters of Christian doctrine and practice, unthinking religious parrots would confer false primacy on the words of their pastors.  
Nonsense number three: Physicalising weapons of spiritual warfare and idolising symbols. Biblically, it is nonsensical to fight spirits with physical instruments and symbols. Koboko services are Pentecostal jamboree. You cannot flog demons. Prayer shawls from Holy Land are not access code to God’s heart. Jerusalem candles don’t repel evil. Holy water sanctifies nothing.  Olive oil is not the anointing. You cannot “give the devil a hot slap in his face” by waving and offering dollars.  I am sure you have read: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,  casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled” 
Pastor, don’t teach me nonsense. The fact that you are always digging deep for fresh revelation is salutary. But the feverish quest for “new truth” could lead to error. It is detestable to elevate Jewish mythology to the rank of canonised truth. When you say things like Lilith was the first woman, not Eve, without situating it in its proper mythological context, makes the occasional use of earplugs desirable when you are speaking. 
Pastor, don’t teach me nonsense. God is not money-oriented. He does not esteem men based on their possessions. Buying a customised Bentley 2014 model is not a proof of God’s love. 
God is not a money doubler.  Yes, He is in the business of blessing generous people. But it is not consistent with His character to bless people, because, psyche pressure was mounted on them to give. Some sold their cars after listening to action-inspiring messages about “24-hour miracle”, and nothing happened.  Others gave $119: 99 to activate the blessing of Psalms 119: 99, yet, nothing happened. 
The clarion call is: Pastor, don’t teach me nonsense. Protect the sanctity of the pulpit. Be a custodian of truth. Uphold the inerrancy of scripture.  What and how you teach matter. Habitual failure to differentiate biblical truths from personal opinions demeans the pulpit.  Dogmatism, which is about conferring the force of truth on opinion, often fuels heresies. This is because; it is hostile to enquiry, and open to unquestioned acceptance of propositions. This mode of transmitting knowledge cannot raise defenders of truth. You cannot force feed people and hope they will become heroes of faith poised to extend kingdom frontiers.  Imitate Paul.  He had an effective teaching ministry.  He wasn’t dogmatic.  He was a master of the arts of polemics.  Hence, his spiritual seeds could smash warped philosophies, break down barriers erected against truth and heal massively corrupt cultures.
Pastor, don’t teach me nonsense. It may bring quick fame and fortune; make you the pastor of the fastest growing, always-in-the-news church in town. But at the end, stardom is vain. Make your works free of Satan’s fingerprints. 



 By Omozuwa Gabriel Osamwonyi
@omozuwaspeaks (On Twitter)

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

ATHEISM AND HYPOCRISY OF NIGERIANS

This piece is elicited by the string of tweets going on recently on the Twitter space about a boy who purportedly left Islam to become an atheist. He goes with the Twitter handle @mubarakbala and claims to be from Kano. His Twitter profile then reads ex-Muslim. Why an ex-Muslim? Why not just ‘I am an atheist’?
An Ex-Muslim can be a Christian, an Atheist, a Hindu or Buddhist. Is he ashamed of his new faith? When someone leaves other religions to Islam, s/he does not say I am an ex that. S/he says I am a Muslim. And I think this also applies to other faiths, probably, except this new form of atheism.
Then I decided to go through his timeline. As expected, his ex-Muslim tag fetched him a lot of the backing he desired. There was deluge of messages of support for his newfound freedom of belief. Many people, especially the non-Muslim, tweeted on his right to believe whatever he wants to believe in. They were outdoing one another to get this ex-Muslim out of  a psychiatric bed to which his relation has confined him as a befitting place. But, I was able to discern the hypocrisy which defines Nigerians as being religious people and human right champions. Annoyingly, prevalent among the so-called enlightened youth. I found out that the support he enjoys for his freedom of belief was because he was an ex-Muslim-whatever that means-not because he actually enjoys any sort of freedom of worship.
Nigeria is a religious space, you know. So, when the congregation of one religion depreciates, the other gets happier. This is just the mentality here, no matter how we pretend that one people’s religion is accommodating while the other is intolerant.
I was able to see further the Nigerian human right activists in their true nature as just religious people behind the mask of civil society groups. I even saw a write-up on the situation ex-Muslims face in Africa by one Leo Igwe. But it is understandable why Nigerian pseudo human right activists would be in the active mode when the issue at hand goes against Islam and Muslims, but become silent when crimes are perpetrated by a particular religion or region.
I recall I couldn’t count the number of lawyers jostling to represent Muhammed Masaba in his 86 wives saga, as they were so many. However, I vividly remember that only one insignificant lawyer took up the case of the little girl who was slapped by a prominent pastor for claiming to be a witch for Jesus. Does that little girl not deserve freedom of belief? Why have our human right activists not fought for the daughter of a pastor who converted to Islam in Niger state to let her be? Is she not entitled to freedom of religion which we so much sought for ex-Muslims? She was kidnapped by the Emir, they say.
What of the pervasive cases of children being violated in churches across eastern Nigeria under the label of witchcraft? Yeah, only Almajirai in the North is a problem. What about the rampant cases of baby factories in Christian populated southern Nigeria? Okay, it is only child marriage an issue worthy of signing phantom petition for. What of the little girls who are picked from southern Nigeria villages to be used as housemaids in Christian households of Lagos, Ibadan or Enugu, but are chained to pillars, tortured and burnt with pressing iron. You know they are actually bewitching the children of their aunties/madams and therefore the pastor ordered that they be exorcised. It is okay for some people to commit crime because of their region and religion. Hypocrisy! Hypocrisy!!  Hypocrisy!!!
Now coming to the topic of atheism, is atheism actually a lack of belief? It is not. It is essentially a belief in nothing, but nature. It is the belief that God is non-existent. Atheists believe there is no life after death. Things by themselves happen by nature. May Mubarak and other atheists be guided.
Well, the way I have come to decipher atheists is that they are misled by ‘freedom’which in essence is their belief. Atheists suffer from freedom of thinking. While you have freedom to think, you should also have freedom to think rationally. This is what an atheist lacks. The problem of atheists is that they think they have a limitless knowledge of universe or nature. This is where most people don’t get it. Human knowledge is very limited. The limitation of human knowledge makes him discover things from time to time. If human being has complete knowledge, there would not have been need for researching. Man should have just made a list of future knowledge, discoveries, advances and the end of them.
Atheists are misled in the belief that they possess a comprehensive knowledge, and through their adding together of events of the universe they conclude that God does not exist. But one can easily see through the shallowness of atheists’ intelligence by their analysis of events. They question why there is hunger, oppression, inequality etc., if God exists. Indirectly, they accuse God of injustice and unkindness, if really He exists.
For instance, in @mubarakbala’s timeline, an evidence of his non-existence of God is the picture of a crawling, close-to-skeleton man devastated by hunger. I believe @mubarakbala eats at least twice a day and yet a man walks around without a meal but he does not deem it fit to get him a ration of his meal and still he accuses God of lack of generosity. He wears nice shirt as I can deduct from his profile picture. I guess he has more than one of that shirt. Yet, many children walk about in Kano in tatters. Did nature not teach him to be kinder than God by sharing his nice shirts with those children? Or free-thinking does not enjoin sympathy, kindness and justice.
The very nature of the confusion we have in the world today is what strengthens my belief in God and the hereafter. Someone, greater than all of us, must ask that pastor why he slapped that little girl. So, you mean if Shekau the Boko Haram leader dies today, he will not account for his many atrocities against innocent people. You must be kidding. Then if such is the case, nature does not worth believing in because it makes people not to answer for their crimes. God may decide to forgive as well. The atheist would say injustice. Why does the atheist see anything wrong when s/he wrongs someone and the person decides to forgive?
Freethinkers may wonder what sort of punishment would God hands down to some criminals that will commensurate with their crime. As much as we may think any punishment is lenient, yet someone who commits multiple murders will not want to go to jail for 50 years or be killed. Is a 50-year jail sentence or his being killed equal to a single murder?
Atheists think nothing must be left to God to decide and everything must be open to them like black and white. Yet they never question their examiner at school, a fellow human being, why s/he decides to ask some questions but leaves others out in a test. These are very basic things that atheists have been unable to understand, yet they think they possess knowledge of creations.
In conclusion, the very problems of human, which the atheist uses as testimony of non-existence of God, are human being themselves. Humankind accuses God for what it has brought upon itself. The atheist opined that if God exist, He should not have made the opposite of whatever we consider as being good. Then the essence of the Day of Judgment would be negated.What use is the court or justice department when everyone obeys the law? Whereas humanity has blamed God for destruction of wars, it has not blamed God for technology which give birth to the former. Have the atheists question nature why it created them, unless they also believe there is nothing call ‘purpose’. Then nature must be stupid for creating for no purpose.
Ramadan Mubarak to all my readers.

A.S.M Jimoh (anehi2008@gmail.com)

Sunday, July 13, 2014

PASTORS ARE JESUS KILLERS

It is these pastors that decided to sacrifice Jesus. And their descendants are the pastors currently running our churches.

Jesus is our redeemer. But from whom exactly does he redeem us? Does it make sense to presume he redeems us from God?

Some terrorists kidnapped a rich man’s children and held them hostage; asking for a ransom before they could be released? When the incident was reported in the press, they said it was their father who kidnapped them. That is ludicrous. It only shows the press is controlled by the kidnappers.

A father does not kidnap his own children, demand a ransom for their release and then pay the ransom himself to himself. God is not the wicked one who holds men hostage. But he is the loving Father who ransoms his children. “For the LORD will ransom Jacob and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they. They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion.” (Jeremiah 31:11-12).

It is the devil who keeps men in bondage. It is Jesus who comes to set the captives free. Jesus says: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28).

Kinsman-redeemer

Jesus is our kinsman-redeemer. He is the door by which we escape from bondage to eternal life. He is the gate by which we pass from death to life. Jesus says: “(God) has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors.” (Luke 4:18).

Men are imprisoned by our sins. But God is not our jailer. God says: “Which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? For your iniquities you have sold yourselves.” (Isaiah 50:1). We are the ones who sell ourselves into bondage; and we sell ourselves to men and not to God.

We are also held in bondage because of our ignorance. God says: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6). Therefore, Jesus promises to provide the knowledge that opens the prison-doors to those in captivity. He says: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32).

Jesus redeems us from the wicked. God says: “Among my people are found wicked men; they lie in wait as one who sets snares; they set a trap; they catch men.” (Jeremiah 5:26). Wicked men, acting knowingly or unknowingly as the agents of the devil, hold other men in bondage to sin.

Therefore, Jesus gives charge to the redeemed to redeem others: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues.” (Matthew 10:16-17).

Ferocious wolves

It is important to determine the precise identity of those wolves that are of the utmost concern to Jesus here. According to him, they are “ferocious” although in “sheep’s clothing.” (Matthew 7:15). They have their own synagogues and even refer to Jesus as “Lord.” But this means nothing. Jesus says: “By their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:20-21).

That means today they will be Christians, for Christians are the ones who proclaim Jesus as Lord. Indeed, these wolves are most likely to be the pastors of our churches. Jesus says: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” (John 10:10). What the thief steals, kills and destroys is our very relationship with God. Jesus reveals that God himself is defined by the resurrection of that destroyed relationship. (John 11:25). Jesus is the giver of the life of eternal fellowship with God. Thus, Jesus declares: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10).

The key people who steal God from our hearts are our priests and pastors. They are the ones who are determined to displace God and become the gods of our lives. They are the ones who fill our heads with false notions about God. They use the name of God to rob us blind. They use religion to turn us into zombies. “They are as greedy as dogs, never satisfied. They are stupid pastors, all following their own path, all of them intent on personal gain.” (Isaiah 56:11).

Jesus’ life is the ransom given to redeem us from these pastors who shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for they won’t enter or let others enter.” (Matthew 23:13). Jesus himself was hounded by these evil men. It was these men: the chief priests and the scribes; the pastors and bishops and popes of Jesus’ day, who plotted against him and handed him over to the Roman authorities to be killed. (Mark 10:32-34).

Jesus killers

Then and now, it is these pastors that are the thieves and the robbers of God in our lives. Then and now, it is these pastors that are Jesus killers. It is these pastors that decided to sacrifice Jesus. And their descendants are the pastors currently running our churches.

Jesus endangered the exalted positions of these evil men. He subjected them to ridicule. He provided original interpretations of the Law of Moses contrary to theirs. He disrupted their sacrificial system in the temple. Moreover, God backed up his words with great signs and wonders. The priests and the pastors reasoned that if Jesus’ ministry was not terminated with extreme prejudice, they would soon lose their privileged status in society.

They were convinced that if Jesus was not silenced, all the people they had kept in spiritual bondage would be set at liberty. The more Jesus preached, the more people came to see the light. The more he preached, the more he opened prison doors. The more he preached, the less regard the people had for their pastors. Therefore, they had to kill him in order to protect their selfish interests.

After he died, they put the people back into captivity by claiming he died for their sins. In truth, they killed him in the bid to cover their own sins. They reasoned that a dead Jesus would cease to be a threat to their churches of lies and falsehood. But then God confounded their plans by raising Jesus gloriously from the dead.

Whose report?

Jesus healed a sick man by telling him to get up and carry his bed. However, the priests said it is unlawful to carry a bed on the Sabbath. Whose report should he believe? The redeemed must believe the report of the Lord. It is the Lord who ransoms us from the power of the grave; and redeems us from death. (Hosea 13:14). Therefore the healed of the Lord should beware of the hypocrisy of those who now sit in Moses’ seat.

Jesus warns: “Do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.” (Matthew 23:3-4).

 By Femi Aribisala

PASTOR, DON'T TEACH ME NONSENSE (PART 1)

Fela Kuti


Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, for many reasons, will remain evergreen in our national memory. He was a maverick cultural icon that sought to illumine society’s conscience.  He bravely spoke truth to power consistently. With his legendary Afro-beat creation, he fiercely fought to protect the fundamental rights of Nigerians to determine their future and elect leaders in accordance with democratic principles. For these and many more reasons, he enraged military dictatorships and was a victim of their brutal assaults.  Almost pointless to state, the title of this article is a slight modification of his song, Teacher Don’t Teach me Nonsense. 
More than ever before, pastors are prone to embrace errors and teach nonsense. It is apparent to every discerning believer that teachers of heresies are everywhere.  Streams of error are as common as sand. Apostate teachers have access to revered pulpits and Christian television channels.  First shocker, you are likely to find some on TBN. Well, it happens to be one of my favourite channels, that is why I know. These teachers of errors generally manifest as apostles of syncretism. Some infuse New Age concepts and practices like contemplative spirituality into Christianity.  Others wed Christianity with Afro-Caribbean Spiritualities, amongst this group, are those who see God as a serial killer ever-gloating in the death of the wicked, or better said, in the death of their imaginary progress-retarding enemies.  I see on TBN some religious teachers who syncretise Judaic customs with Christian doctrine and practice. And there are those who promote the rituals of Neo-paganism, polytheism fuelled by Eastern religions. They have given rise to a new form of phoney Christianity, which could be termed voodooistic Christianity.  
One of the greatest Christian thinkers in modern era, C.S Lewis, aptly posited that: “When poisons become fashionable they do not cease to kill.”  Regrettably, wells of poisonous errors are commonplace in the churches of Nigeria.  Note, I didn’t say the Church in Nigeria.  Worse still, is that our famed it-is-well attitude has blinded us to prophetic red flags. Hence, many heroes of faith are sleepwalking through terrains thick with landmines. 
Let me offer some contextual clarifications before proceeding any further. Nonsense in this context denotes beliefs, doctrines, rites and rituals, or practices that are not rooted in scripture, yet are upheld by pastors.  Any theology, deliverance methodology, prescriptive formulaic prayer, or practice that lacks sufficient biblical evidence espoused and observed by a pastor could be considered as ecclesiastical nonsense. In other words, whatever is against scripture is nonsense, regardless of the ecclesiastical pedigree of the purveyors. 
To hold back the tide of heresies from eroding the foundation of truth requires consistent scripture-based spiritual enlightenment, a willingness to cast off from our minds pious fables that have formed multilayered refuge from harsh realities and expose the spirit of error. Error detection demands Berean-like vigilance, as opposed to uncritical acceptance of whatever emanates from the pulpit.  I wish it could be said of Nigerian Christians as it was said in Acts 17: 11 that: “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” 
In this day when it pays to market falsehoods, error exposure requires the fearlessness of Maccabean martyrs. 
One of the befuddling ironies of our time is that wolves are leading sheep. Devourers parade as life coaches, ever churning out self-help books. Soul-care giver, which is a New Age terminology, is increasingly becoming popular amongst hype-charismatic. A pastor that designates himself as a soul-care giver is likely a courier of delusion, particularly, if he did it with full understanding, not that he is being faddish.   One that prefers “As above, so below” to “as it is in heaven ... on earth” may be steep in New Age philosophy.  Don’t be fooled into New Age mysticism. There are no “new territories of consciousness” to be explored. 
One common attribute of sheep led by wolves is that their worldview is not Christ -centric, because the gospel proclaimed to them is largely man-centric. The need for pastors to make people feel good has given rise to a form of warped humanism. In many seeker-friendly churches, there is a gradual shift from God’s authority and capabilities to humanism, which is about faith in human-based morality, values and abilities. Sin rules and reigns where the righteousness of God, which comes by faith in Christ, is made secondary to human-based morality. The gospel of humanity according to humanity and for humanity is an obscene travesty of the Gospel of Christ.   
The fountain of all error is to put man at the centre of theology and God at the fringes. Anthropocentric theology is not God-glorifying, faith-building or life-changing, at best, it is a psychological prop for world-wearily escapists hopping from one miracle arena to the other.   
Ordinarily, these are danger signals.  But our spiritual alarm system is dysfunctional. To expose error is to run the risk of being tagged an alarmist, or an outlier with humanistic sentiments. The big question of today is do we have sentinels like Apostle Paul in the watchtower of truth? For  me, the critical need of our generation is spiritual shepherds who are committed to guiding our cherished apostolic legacies of true faith and maintaining high fidelity to scriptures in all things. 
Believers are now pleased to be deceived on purpose and for purpose. Any pseudo-religious, psychology-based scheme that promises flourishing health and wealth holds a universal appeal in Christendom. This explains why some Christians will elatedly eat grass.  It is the same reason why some husbands will allow their wives to sleep on the miracle-performing beds of apostles of fruitfulness.   
In the concluding part of this article, I hope to x-ray common nonsense streaming from the pulpit. Guard your heart. Refuse sweet-coated errors. The bitter truth is better than anything. 

By Omozuwa Gabriel Osamwonyi 
@omozuwaspeaks (On Twitter)