Tuesday, February 9, 2016
WHO IS GOD?
"I think God, in creating man, somewhat overestimated his ability."
When I look into my heart and think about God or as I'm told "my God", this is who He is:
I know that God, Allah, Jesus, Bhagwan, Buddha are all names of the same higher power that created all of us. The same powerful being that created all of us from love, yet we separate ourselves from each other trying to prove that our religion is better than the other. We are fighting wars, killing people trying to prove how we are the righteous ones and it is our right to demean and destroy others who don't agree with our religious rituals or the name we give to our creator. What we need to remember is the
Sunday, February 7, 2016
WHY 'MEN OF GOD' DONT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD
The kingdom of God is not for “men:” the kingdom of God is for “children.”
In Nigeria, “Men of God” come by the dozen. You see them regularly on television. They are fixtures in newspapers and magazines. They always have something noble to say on the radio. They sit on the high table at every major social gathering or event. They are the counselors and prayer gurus of presidents, governors and other public officials. There is only one problem with “Men of God:” they don’t inherit the kingdom of God.
“Men of God” don’t go to heaven for a simple reason; the kingdom of God is not for “men:” the kingdom of God is for “children.” Indeed, it is not just for children, it is for “little children.” Jesus says: “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3).
Jesus’ “assuredly” should be enough to convince the prudent. Nevertheless, many still insist on being “Men of God” instead of “little children of God.” Jesus says children are representative of the citizens of the kingdom of God. (Matthew 10:14). Therefore, every time you see a so-called “Man of God,” know that “of such is not the kingdom of heaven.” Like Nicodemus, “Men of God” need to be “born again” so they can become “children of God.” (John 3:3).
Bigmanism
Check out the handbill of a church crusade, outreach or any other program and you will see how boastful it is about the preacher and his ministry. “God has been using this pastor to depopulate hell.” “Pastor John has been raised by God to do mighty works in these end-times.” “This man is anointed for stupendous and bombastic signs and wonders.” The more boastful, the greater the public appeal.
However, Jesus had a healthy disregard for public appeal. He shunned the glory of men. When the people insisted on making him a king, he ran up the mountain. When he healed people, he often instructed them to tell no one about it. (Matthew 9:30). When he raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead, he told her family members to make sure no one knew about it. (Mark 5:43). When a man in the synagogue acknowledged him grandiloquently as the Holy One of God, he told him to keep quiet and promptly cast the demon out of him. (Mark 1:23-25).
The Zebedee brothers wanted to be “big men” in Christ’s kingdom. They even brought their Mama to plea-bargain with Jesus for such special status. But Jesus warned them and the other disciples that such striving for pre-eminence was inappropriate in God’s kingdom. He said to them: “Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:26-28).
Celebrity pastors
When a Lagos pastor invited Bishop T.D. Jakes of The Potter’s House, Dallas (Texas) to minister in Nigeria, he spent over thirty minutes introducing the great “Man of God.” He ended the introduction literally on his knees before the bishop. The “great Man” accepted the worship.
Another church invited yet another American superstar to Lagos; the gospel singer Kirk Franklin. The pastor’s introduction was equally effusive. But when he finished, Franklin refused to get up from his seat. When he finally obliged, he complained that he was merely a singer and not Jesus Christ. Such an introduction, he insisted, was totally inappropriate. The psalmist prays: “May the LORD cut off all flattering lips.” (Psalm 12:3).
Jesus says all men will hate us because of him. (Matthew 10:22). This means if they love us, we are not his. He says furthermore: “You are the light of the world… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14/16). How can we have a private faith when we are supposed to be the light of the world? Light must be seen. How can people see our good works and yet not glorify us?
The difference between “Men of God” and “children of God” lies in the ability to unravel this kingdom dynamic. People see the good works of “Men of God” and glorify them. Because they receive glory from men, their good works in the world become bad works according to the estimation of the kingdom of God. However, people see the good works of “children of God” but don’t glorify them. They only glorify God. This happens because “children of God” consciously and deliberately leave themselves out of the equation. They do their good works in secret. Their right hand is not allowed to know what their left hand is doing. They don’t stand up or raise their hands in church to make lavish donations. Instead, they write anonymous cheques by issuing bank drafts. They give money to people and organizations that don’t know them and therefore cannot thank them in person. All they are able to do is to thank God for whoever they are.
Ungodly charity
Where charitable acts are concerned, Christians should practice self-abnegation. We should not be seen. Our light must shine but we must not shine. Do we carry our bibles publicly? Do we litter our speech with vignettes of scripture? Do we drop one “hallelujah” here and another “praise the Lord” there? Do we hold hands to pray before eating at home or in a restaurant? Do we bring all-comers up to speed with jaw-dropping testimonies about the wonderful works we are doing for the Lord? Then we have missed the way of Christ. Then we are on “Broadway” and have derailed from the narrow path that leads to life. Jesus says: “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1). This means conspicuous charitable organizations are ungodly. Yes, that includes even the Red Cross. Once they are formal and institutionalized, they attest to man’s righteousness and not to the righteousness of God. It also means charitable programs organized by churches are ungodly. They are acts of righteousness put on public display; therefore they do not speak the righteousness of Christ.
God-ward devotion
Jesus warns that if our righteousness does not exceed that of the scribes and the Pharisees we will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:20). The righteousness of the Pharisee is public: the righteousness of the son of God is private. The righteousness of the Pharisee is designed to attract public commendation. Jesus says: “Everything they do is done for show.” (Matthew 23:5). But the righteousness of the son of God has just one objective: the keeping of God’s commandments. Jesus teaches that private faith is far more important than public faith. Private faith purifies the heart. It makes us honest and not two-faced. It makes our devotion God-ward. The wise man says: “The purity of silver and gold can be tested in a crucible, but a man is tested by his reaction to men’s praise.” (Proverbs 27:21).
By Femi Aribisala
By Femi Aribisala
Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/02/why-men-of-god-dont-inherit-the-kingdom-of-god/
The kingdom of God is
not for “men:” the kingdom of God is for “children.”
In Nigeria, “Men of God” come by the dozen. You see them regularly on
television. They are fixtures in newspapers and magazines. They always
have something noble to say on the radio. They sit on the high table at
every major social gathering or event. They are the counselors and
prayer gurus of presidents, governors and other public officials. There
is only one problem with “Men of God:” they don’t inherit the kingdom of
God.
“Men of God” don’t go to heaven for a simple reason; the kingdom of God
is not for “men:” the kingdom of God is for “children.” Indeed, it is
not just for children, it is for “little children.” Jesus says:
“Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little
children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew
18:3).
Jesus’ “assuredly” should be enough to convince the prudent.
Nevertheless, many still insist on being “Men of God” instead of “little
children of God.” Jesus says children are representative of the
citizens of the kingdom of God. (Matthew 10:14). Therefore, every time
you see a so-called “Man of God,” know that “of such is not the kingdom
of heaven.” Like Nicodemus, “Men of God” need to be “born again” so they
can become “children of God.” (John 3:3).
Bigmanism
Check out the handbill of a church crusade, outreach or any other
program and you will see how boastful it is about the preacher and his
ministry. “God has been using this pastor to depopulate hell.” “Pastor
John has been raised by God to do mighty works in these end-times.”
“This man is anointed for stupendous and bombastic signs and wonders.”
The more boastful, the greater the public appeal.
However, Jesus had a healthy disregard for public appeal. He shunned the
glory of men. When the people insisted on making him a king, he ran up
the mountain. When he healed people, he often instructed them to tell no
one about it. (Matthew 9:30). When he raised Jairus’ daughter from the
dead, he told her family members to make sure no one knew about it.
(Mark 5:43). When a man in the synagogue acknowledged him
grandiloquently as the Holy One of God, he told him to keep quiet and
promptly cast the demon out of him. (Mark 1:23-25).
The Zebedee brothers wanted to be “big men” in Christ’s kingdom. They
even brought their Mama to plea-bargain with Jesus for such special
status. But Jesus warned them and the other disciples that such striving
for pre-eminence was inappropriate in God’s kingdom. He said to them:
“Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And
whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave- just as
the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his
life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:26-28).
Celebrity pastors
When a Lagos pastor invited Bishop T.D. Jakes of The Potter’s House,
Dallas (Texas) to minister in Nigeria, he spent over thirty minutes
introducing the great “Man of God.” He ended the introduction literally
on his knees before the bishop. The “great Man” accepted the worship.
Another church invited yet another American superstar to Lagos; the
gospel singer Kirk Franklin. The pastor’s introduction was equally
effusive. But when he finished, Franklin refused to get up from his
seat. When he finally obliged, he complained that he was merely a singer
and not Jesus Christ. Such an introduction, he insisted, was totally
inappropriate. The psalmist prays: “May the LORD cut off all flattering
lips.” (Psalm 12:3).
Jesus says all men will hate us because of him. (Matthew 10:22). This
means if they love us, we are not his. He says furthermore: “You are the
light of the world… Let your light so shine before men, that they may
see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew
5:14/16). How can we have a private faith when we are supposed to be the
light of the world? Light must be seen. How can people see our good
works and yet not glorify us?
The difference between “Men of God” and “children of God” lies in the
ability to unravel this kingdom dynamic. People see the good works of
“Men of God” and glorify them. Because they receive glory from men,
their good works in the world become bad works according to the
estimation of the kingdom of God. However, people see the good works of
“children of God” but don’t glorify them. They only glorify God.
This happens because “children of God” consciously and deliberately
leave themselves out of the equation. They do their good works in
secret. Their right hand is not allowed to know what their left hand is
doing. They don’t stand up or raise their hands in church to make lavish
donations. Instead, they write anonymous cheques by issuing bank
drafts. They give money to people and organisations that don’t know them
and therefore cannot thank them in person. All they are able to do is
to thank God for whoever they are.
Ungodly charity
Where charitable acts are concerned, Christians should practice
self-abnegation. We should not be seen. Our light must shine but we must
not shine. Do we carry our bibles publicly? Do we litter our speech
with vignettes of scripture? Do we drop one “hallelujah” here and
another “praise the Lord” there? Do we hold hands to pray before eating
at home or in a restaurant?
Do we bring all-comers up to speed with jaw-dropping testimonies about
the wonderful works we are doing for the Lord? Then we have missed the
way of Christ. Then we are on “Broadway” and have derailed from the
narrow path that leads to life. Jesus says: “Be careful not to do your
‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you
will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1).
This means conspicuous charitable organisations are ungodly. Yes, that
includes even the Red Cross. Once they are formal and institutionalised,
they attest to man’s righteousness and not to the righteousness of God.
It also means charitable programs organised by churches are ungodly.
They are acts of righteousness put on public display; therefore they do
not speak the righteousness of Christ.
God-ward devotion
Jesus warns that if our righteousness does not exceed that of the
scribes and the Pharisees we will by no means enter the kingdom of
heaven. (Matthew 5:20). The righteousness of the Pharisee is public: the
righteousness of the son of God is private. The righteousness of the
Pharisee is designed to attract public commendation. Jesus says:
“Everything they do is done for show.” (Matthew 23:5). But the
righteousness of the son of God has just one objective: the keeping of
God’s commandments.
Jesus teaches that private faith is far more important than public
faith. Private faith purifies the heart. It makes us honest and not
two-faced. It makes our devotion God-ward. The wise man says: “The
purity of silver and gold can be tested in a crucible, but a man is
tested by his reaction to men’s praise.” (Proverbs 27:21).
Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/02/why-men-of-god-dont-inherit-the-kingdom-of-god/
The kingdom of God is
not for “men:” the kingdom of God is for “children.”
In Nigeria, “Men of God” come by the dozen. You see them regularly on
television. They are fixtures in newspapers and magazines. They always
have something noble to say on the radio. They sit on the high table at
every major social gathering or event. They are the counselors and
prayer gurus of presidents, governors and other public officials. There
is only one problem with “Men of God:” they don’t inherit the kingdom of
God.
“Men of God” don’t go to heaven for a simple reason; the kingdom of God
is not for “men:” the kingdom of God is for “children.” Indeed, it is
not just for children, it is for “little children.” Jesus says:
“Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little
children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew
18:3).
Jesus’ “assuredly” should be enough to convince the prudent.
Nevertheless, many still insist on being “Men of God” instead of “little
children of God.” Jesus says children are representative of the
citizens of the kingdom of God. (Matthew 10:14). Therefore, every time
you see a so-called “Man of God,” know that “of such is not the kingdom
of heaven.” Like Nicodemus, “Men of God” need to be “born again” so they
can become “children of God.” (John 3:3).
Bigmanism
Check out the handbill of a church crusade, outreach or any other
program and you will see how boastful it is about the preacher and his
ministry. “God has been using this pastor to depopulate hell.” “Pastor
John has been raised by God to do mighty works in these end-times.”
“This man is anointed for stupendous and bombastic signs and wonders.”
The more boastful, the greater the public appeal.
However, Jesus had a healthy disregard for public appeal. He shunned the
glory of men. When the people insisted on making him a king, he ran up
the mountain. When he healed people, he often instructed them to tell no
one about it. (Matthew 9:30). When he raised Jairus’ daughter from the
dead, he told her family members to make sure no one knew about it.
(Mark 5:43). When a man in the synagogue acknowledged him
grandiloquently as the Holy One of God, he told him to keep quiet and
promptly cast the demon out of him. (Mark 1:23-25).
The Zebedee brothers wanted to be “big men” in Christ’s kingdom. They
even brought their Mama to plea-bargain with Jesus for such special
status. But Jesus warned them and the other disciples that such striving
for pre-eminence was inappropriate in God’s kingdom. He said to them:
“Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And
whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave- just as
the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his
life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:26-28).
Celebrity pastors
When a Lagos pastor invited Bishop T.D. Jakes of The Potter’s House,
Dallas (Texas) to minister in Nigeria, he spent over thirty minutes
introducing the great “Man of God.” He ended the introduction literally
on his knees before the bishop. The “great Man” accepted the worship.
Another church invited yet another American superstar to Lagos; the
gospel singer Kirk Franklin. The pastor’s introduction was equally
effusive. But when he finished, Franklin refused to get up from his
seat. When he finally obliged, he complained that he was merely a singer
and not Jesus Christ. Such an introduction, he insisted, was totally
inappropriate. The psalmist prays: “May the LORD cut off all flattering
lips.” (Psalm 12:3).
Jesus says all men will hate us because of him. (Matthew 10:22). This
means if they love us, we are not his. He says furthermore: “You are the
light of the world… Let your light so shine before men, that they may
see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew
5:14/16). How can we have a private faith when we are supposed to be the
light of the world? Light must be seen. How can people see our good
works and yet not glorify us?
The difference between “Men of God” and “children of God” lies in the
ability to unravel this kingdom dynamic. People see the good works of
“Men of God” and glorify them. Because they receive glory from men,
their good works in the world become bad works according to the
estimation of the kingdom of God. However, people see the good works of
“children of God” but don’t glorify them. They only glorify God.
This happens because “children of God” consciously and deliberately
leave themselves out of the equation. They do their good works in
secret. Their right hand is not allowed to know what their left hand is
doing. They don’t stand up or raise their hands in church to make lavish
donations. Instead, they write anonymous cheques by issuing bank
drafts. They give money to people and organisations that don’t know them
and therefore cannot thank them in person. All they are able to do is
to thank God for whoever they are.
Ungodly charity
Where charitable acts are concerned, Christians should practice
self-abnegation. We should not be seen. Our light must shine but we must
not shine. Do we carry our bibles publicly? Do we litter our speech
with vignettes of scripture? Do we drop one “hallelujah” here and
another “praise the Lord” there? Do we hold hands to pray before eating
at home or in a restaurant?
Do we bring all-comers up to speed with jaw-dropping testimonies about
the wonderful works we are doing for the Lord? Then we have missed the
way of Christ. Then we are on “Broadway” and have derailed from the
narrow path that leads to life. Jesus says: “Be careful not to do your
‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you
will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1).
This means conspicuous charitable organisations are ungodly. Yes, that
includes even the Red Cross. Once they are formal and institutionalised,
they attest to man’s righteousness and not to the righteousness of God.
It also means charitable programs organised by churches are ungodly.
They are acts of righteousness put on public display; therefore they do
not speak the righteousness of Christ.
God-ward devotion
Jesus warns that if our righteousness does not exceed that of the
scribes and the Pharisees we will by no means enter the kingdom of
heaven. (Matthew 5:20). The righteousness of the Pharisee is public: the
righteousness of the son of God is private. The righteousness of the
Pharisee is designed to attract public commendation. Jesus says:
“Everything they do is done for show.” (Matthew 23:5). But the
righteousness of the son of God has just one objective: the keeping of
God’s commandments.
Jesus teaches that private faith is far more important than public
faith. Private faith purifies the heart. It makes us honest and not
two-faced. It makes our devotion God-ward. The wise man says: “The
purity of silver and gold can be tested in a crucible, but a man is
tested by his reaction to men’s praise.” (Proverbs 27:21).
Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/02/why-men-of-god-dont-inherit-the-kingdom-of-god/
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
WHEN "I DON'T KNOW" IS THE BEST ANSWER
Creation stories attempt to explain the creation of the Earth (or universe) and the creation of humans (or of life on Earth). There are hundreds of creation stories but let's just imagine there are only two: the Jewish story and the Norse story.
The Norse story says the god Odin battled the ice giant Ymir. After an epic battle, Odin defeated Ymir and used the giant's body parts to create the Earth--his blood formed the rivers and seas, his bones the mountains, his hair formed the trees, and the sky was made from his skull. Humans came from the giant's armpits.
The Jewish story says that Yahweh created the universe by thinking it into existence. He made a man from dust and a woman from the man's rib. He created everything that exists in just six days.
More than a thousand years later, humans invented a new way of explaining things. They looked at facts (evidence) and formulated possible explanations that were consistent with the facts. They called these explanations 'hypotheses'. Then they asked, if this hypothesis is true, what further evidence should we expect to find? And what evidence would prove the hypothesis false? They searched for evidence or carried out experiments and discarded falsified hypotheses. They continued to test, debate and refine surviving hypotheses until they explained the facts extremely well.
This process has proven phenomenally successful. It is now known as the scientific method. We know it works because we create tools from its successful hypotheses and these tools work. My computer is such a tool. So are passenger jets, cars, medicines, televisions, eye glasses and space rockets.
So here we are in the second decade of the 21st century, and we have a choice. What should we believe about how the universe came to be? We can chose the Jewish creation story or the Norse creation story or we can see what science can tell us.
Science has formulated a handful of hypotheses to explain the origin of the universe but they are very difficult to test. Work is proceeding but we cannot yet be confident that any of these hypotheses are correct. Right now, science can only say, "We don't know".
What will you bet on:
The guess made three thousand years ago by the Jews?
The guess made almost two thousand years ago by the Norse people?
Or will you say, I don't know?
Only one of these answers makes sense.
By Bill Flavell
Saturday, January 23, 2016
NHS PSYCHIATRIST PRESCRIBES NIGERIAN CHURCH TO PATIENT
Dr Julius Awakame,
pictured above, a 50 year old Ghanaian psychiatrist in the UK, is in
danger of being struck off the General Medical Council's (GMC) register
for allegedly telling his patient to seek help from a Nigerian church for her 'possession' by demonic forces.
His
patient, who happens to be a satanist, was, according to Dr Awakame's
medical history notes on January 23 2014, the subject of satanic ritual
abuse and in his parochial opinion, she could not be helped by medical
science since there were special forces at play. He recommended the "nice holy water"
from the church and even confided in a psychiatric nurse, who had
enquired about his patient's condition, that she was indeed possessed.
He was fired the next month from the North Essex Foundation Trust, which
also passed his case on to the GMC.
His misconduct is being heard in Manchester where the panel was told that Dr Awakame gave his patient the website of the church tv station (which he said specialised in handling cases like hers) to access, even after being made aware she had a Dissociative Identity, a personality disorder. He told her that her demonic possession was a result of all the static rituals she had undergone, and that she should consider writing a book. The distraught woman said she had "switched off" after hearing her doctor tell her that no psychiatrist or psychologist could help her, the same way her parents had told her, throughout her childhood, that no one would believe, or help her.
I have no doubt that the 24 hour online tv station is Emmanuel tv, owned by prophet TB Joshua, the leader and founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN). Mr Joshua brazenly promotes his 'prophetic' and deliverance (exorcism) abilities on his Emmanuel tv, and also the ability to heal all sorts of ailments. He has been mired in more controversy following the death of at least 108 persons after an illegal multi-storey guesthouse which was still under construction near his church, collapsed. He was also inexplicably absent for at least six months, only to resurface dramatically a few days into the new year, and consequently missed the first day of his trial, last November, for his involvement in the deaths caused by his collapsed building.
It is not surprising that Dr Awakame would do this, given his origins, but it grossly undermines his education (he has a masters degree from the University of London, and a PhD from the University of Leeds, as well as a medical degree from Ghana) that he should even be party to such an absurdity. Like they say, "you can take the monkey out of the jungle, but you cannot take the jungle out of the monkey," and "a pig in a suit is still a pig."
Kudos to Vinotemia for the link.
Sunday, January 17, 2016
GETTING CHIEFTAINCY TITTLES IN THE CHURCH
When Christ called his disciples, he did not instruct them to register in Bible schools, go to theological seminaries or get degrees as Masters of Divinity.
When I wrote my first Christian book, I sent free copies to many pastors in Lagos. One of those to whom I sent a copy sent it back with “return to sender” written on the package, even though it was addressed to his church office. I thought this was strange until Lucky Polete asked to see the package. When I showed it to him, he said: “No wonder. That is a wrong address.”
“What is wrong with it?” I asked. “He is not a pastor. He is a bishop,” Lucky replied. “If you don’t address it correctly, it will not be given to him.”
I thought Lucky’s idea a bit far-fetched. Why would a bishop return a gift because it was addressed to him as pastor? But I was curious to see if there was any truth to Lucky’s position. Therefore, I changed the title to “bishop” and instructed my secretary to send the package again to the same address.
Guess what happened? This time, not only did the book get to the man, he wrote me a reply in person, thanking me for it.
Vanity of vanities
How can anyone reconcile Jesus’ demand that his disciples shun highfalutin titles with the myriad of chieftaincy titles Christians award themselves today? We call some people Overseers, Wardens, Provosts, Knights of John Wesley, Guild of Stewards, Cardinals and Popes. We address some as those of old addressed God. We call them “Monsignor” (“My Lord”), “Venerable,” “Your Eminence,” “Your Grace,” “Holy Father,” and “Supreme Pontiff.” We even have a “Vicar of Christ,” which means Vice-Messiah.
Jesus is particularly scathing about this. He says of the religious elite: “Their lives are perpetual fashion shows, embroidered prayer shawls one day and flowery prayers the next. They love to sit at the head table at church dinners, basking in the prominent positions, preening in the radiance of public flattery, receiving honorary degrees, and getting called ‘Doctor’ and ‘Reverend’. Don’t let people do that to you, put you on a pedestal like that. You all have a single Teacher, and you are all classmates.” (Matthew 23:5-8).
Divine validation
True servants of God don’t need human pedigrees or validation. Amos says: “I’m not a prophet! And I wasn’t trained to be a prophet. I am a shepherd, and I take care of fig trees. But the LORD told me to leave my herds and preach to the people of Israel. And here you are, telling me not to preach!” (Amos 7:14-16). They told Amos not to preach because he was not a graduate from their bible colleges. He did not have their spiritual certification.
However, Jesus says: “that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15). Titles and positions of honour are highly esteemed among men. Therefore, they are abominable to God. Seminaries and Bible Colleges need the approval of the state. This makes them of men and not of God. Credentials are used to gain and impress the world. But we are to love neither the world nor the things in the world. (1 John 2:15).
When Christ called his disciples, he did not instruct them to register in Bible schools, go to theological seminaries or get degrees as Masters of Divinity. He taught them by himself then told them to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:8).
The Holy Spirit is our certification. Jesus says: “when the Comforter has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me.” (John 15:26). If we are truly working in the Lord’s vineyard, the Holy Spirit will also testify of us. This is what happened with the Apostles: “God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with different kinds of miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will.” (Hebrews 2:4).
Validation of Jesus
Everything physical or natural about Jesus was designed to make natural men have little regard for him. It pleased God that Jesus should be inadequate according to all those superficial standards the world holds dear. He was born in a manger. He settled in a non-descript town, so much so that someone asked: “Can there be any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46).
Jesus came from a poor background. His father was a mere carpenter. Jesus did not go to school. Neither was he a graduate of some theological seminary. Therefore, the Jews marveled about him, asking: “How does this man know letters, having never studied?” (John 7:15).
By God’s deliberate design, Jesus was not even a Levite but was from the tribe of Judah. Therefore, he was not a priest and could not have been a priest according to the Law of Moses. He had no civil or ecclesiastical authority as a Jew. Nevertheless, signs and wonders followed him wherever he went. Thus, the Jewish religious elite demanded of him: “By what authority do you do these things? And who gave you this authority?” (Matthew 21:23).
The Pharisees maintained only they and the rulers of the Jews had the authority to validate a man’s ministry. So they denigrated Jesus: “Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him?” (John 7:49). Since they refused to certify that Jesus was a prophet, they were convinced he did not have a leg to stand on.
Church of men
But Jesus was contemptuous of man’s validation. He did not only refuse to submit to their authority, he insisted their authority was invalid because it came from men and not from God. Therefore, he asked them: “Who gave John the right to baptize? Was it God in heaven or merely some human being?” (Luke 20:4). Clearly, John’s authority came from God and not from men.
John the Baptist did not establish a bible school and insist men must register and take courses before they can be baptised. Nevertheless, in most churches today, you have to take several weeks of bible study before you can be baptised. Isaac and Rebecca did not have to take ten spiritual classes before they were married. But that is de rigueur in some churches.
Some even insist a man must have such worldly things as a cooker, a fridge and a television before he can be allowed to get married. Some have blood-tests as a prerequisite and refuse to marry anyone who is HIV-positive. Others refuse to marry those whose blood-types makes them susceptible to having children with sickle-cell anaemia.
In short, our churches are the churches of men. They insist on the credentials of men when God clearly has no regard for them. Our pastors establish their own commandments that take men back to Egypt.
Jesus was oh so different from the pastors of today. Mark says Jesus taught as one that had authority and not as the scribes. (Mark 1:22). Jesus himself says the works he does in the name of the Lord are his credentials. (John 10:25). When a man raises the dead back to life, he does not need human validation. “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater.” (1 John 5:9).
By Femi Aribisala
Monday, January 4, 2016
NIGERIANS ARE SLAVES TO DICTATORS ON THE PULPIT
As a child, I remember the antics of the likes of the late Benson Idahosa (pictured above), Patrick Ngozi Anwuzia (Zoe Ministries), and later Ayo Oritsejafor (current president of the Christian Association of Nigeria) along with his regular guest prosperity preacher, Reinhard Bonnke, who used to grace our screens with their miracle crusades which featured testimonies of the blind regaining their sight, the deaf being able to hear, and those in wheelchairs getting up and walking, or even running. One thing that struck me then was the way my dad and his friends sneered at these televised miracles while quaffing bottles of beer in our living room. They doubted the veracity of these miracles, but they still held strongly to, and never once (at least not to my hearing), questioned their christian beliefs. Chris Oyakhilome (pictured below) enacted these same 'miracles' in the late 90's and early noughties in his very popular 'Atmosphere for Miracles' program which was banned by the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation in 2004, and South Africa did the same to his miracle broadcasts sometime in 2011. Mr Oyakhilome was recently divorced from his wife, pastor Anita, who has accused him of repeated emotional, physical, and psychological abuse, and infidelity. Let me share a personal experience of the deadliness of these miracle healing pig fart. A friend of my younger brother suddenly 'disappeared' in their fourth year of secondary school in the mid 90's. It turned out he had a brain tumour for which he underwent a very expensive, but sadly unsuccessful, surgery at the University College Hospital in Ibadan, south west Nigeria. The symptoms included some really violent seizures and very bad headaches. It was a traumatic time for this poor family whose resources were drained by this unfortunate illness. One day, I saw the young boy, on the tv, on stage with pastor Chris (as he is commonly addressed) during one of his 'atmosphere for miracles' program. My brother's friend claimed to have been healed and even did the usual 'victory (over the devil) lap' on stage with pastor Chris. He died at home about a week later. His name was Eta Ikomi; I will never forget him.
Of course there are still those who claim to perform such miracles today, but in this day of the social media and smart phones with HD video recording capabilities, it has become quite difficult to stage such 'miracles'. Many still do, but most of what they do today could pass for a magic show on stage by a veteran illusionist, but the difference here is that stage magicians do not claim any extraordinary or supernatural powers. We all know they are tricks, but we continue to be amazed at how they are able to fool us so convincingly. James Randi, a sceptic and stage magician, exposed Peter Popoff as a fraud in May of 1986. Randi was able to prove that Popoff relied on radio messages from his wife to accurately tell those who came to him for 'healing' their names, addresses and ailments. Megalomaniacs like David Oyedepo, who regularly boasts about his relationship with God on the pulpit, is a seasoned bully, conman, and liar. He has so far been unable to translate this relationship into a cure for his diabetic wife. Mrs Faith Oyedepo has a history of long absences from public appearances and nearly had her leg amputated after a small injury following a fall. She spent weeks in hospital in South Africa as doctors battled to save her leg. We can begin to ask these people very uncomfortable questions, because our monies, reverence for them, and culpable silence, keep them comfortable and snug, and enable them to continue to devise ingenious ways to fleece us.
We should not forget the last moments of many dictators such as Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi, and Nicolae Ceaușescu who had ruled their countries with iron fists; they were all scared to die in the end. Our prosperity preachers are no different - they rule from the pulpit and enslave minds. They promise eternal life where there is most probably none, allowing us to focus on an afterlife while they enjoy all the best things that this world has to offer. Nigerians were witnesses to David Oyedepo's scam when he led his vast congregation to believe they were contributing to the building of Covenant University, one which would offer world class education, and not be plagued by the regular strike actions of grossly underpaid lecturers which characterized Nigeria's state-owned universities. The poor congregants were coerced into contributing to a special fund separate from the normal church offerings, and after the university was completed, a great majority of these people could not afford to send their children to Covenant University with its prohibitive tuition. Mr Oyedepo's excuse was that good education was not cheap. He (pictured below) currently has under construction a 100,000-seater indoor stadium-like church auditorium which will boast so many facilities, it could pass for a town; that is how stupendously wealthy he has become, in a country where at least 70 per cent of the population are poor and even more lack access to potable water. This scenario is not so different with other prosperity preachers.
We are being bullied and raped by these charlatans and despicable deceivers. They themselves are the very devil that they accuse of being responsible for our faults and failures. And like the victims of bullying and rape, we are too afraid, and too ashamed to do anything about it. That period of fear and shame is over, we can no longer watch these plunderers control our minds and take our money. We refuse to be cash cows for these clowns who strut the pulpit in their sanctimoniousness. They are not holier than we are; it is time their filthy facade was stripped away to expose their even more putrid interior. All the fake accents, false declarations and 'prophecies', stage managed healings and miracles, and Jheri curled hair will no longer impress us. We are not sinners from birth, we are humans with the right to enjoy our lives free from the psychological bullying of an oppressive and thieving clergy. Our women should no longer be labelled "barren" nor should they be treated as second class citizens, our kids are not witches and wizards, and disabled persons deserve the love of family and friends, and favourable laws from the Nigerian government; not the false hope of a miraculous healing. We are Nigerians; we are loaded with so much potential, and we can certainly do without their god who (which) is "arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully (thank you Richard Dawkins!).
Sunday, January 3, 2016
A CRITICAL PHENOMENOLOGY OF CHRISTMAS (3)
The Christian religion in its early form is the work and expression
of the Christian church. But we cannot say that, speaking of Jesus as an
individual man, we know that he explicitly intended to found the
Christian church.” Now that we have looked at Christmas and the views of
some scholars concerning the status and historicity of Jesus, let us
harvest the main fruits of our discourse.
First of all, whatever the historical status of Jesus of Nazareth, it is incontrovertible that Christmas, as it is being celebrated worldwide, has no biblical warrant. It is the crystallisation of superstitious ideas and practices drawn from ancient Rome and other Mediterranean communities that constitute the substance of the Gospels. The Bible does not contain a precise statement of the actual day and month when Jesus was born.
It follows that Christmas celebration is not based on actual historical event. We have noted already how Pope Julius 1 imposed that date on Christendom, although the Jehovah’s Witnesses have consistently refused to mark the birthday of Jesus on December 25, or on any other day, because, according to the sect, he never commanded his followers to celebrate it. A devout Christian is likely to consider it sacrilegious if anyone expresses scepticism about whether Jesus of the Gospels actually lived.
However, Christian dogmatism and sentiments apart, there is no solid evidence to back the claim that he did, or that the narratives in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are historical records of real events. Indeed, there is abundant evidence indicating that Jesus is a composite figure created from the synthesis of ancient Egyptian, Persian, Greek, and Roman mythological traditions, blended with some strand of the messianic tradition in Judaism. These facts, and more, are well known to serious students of the New Testament.
Therefore, as believers celebrate Christmas, they should bear in mind that the event is more of mythology and fantasy than reality. And no matter how blasphemous it might appear to the faithful, they should know that there are good reasons for thinking that Jesus Christ, as depicted in the New Testament, is a myth as well. There might well have been a bohemian Jewish rabbi born around 4 B.C., who taught a form of Judaism different from the conventional version. But all the supernatural attributes and occurrences attributed to Jesus in The Bible were derived from, and are analogous to, superstitions and legends in ancient Mediterranean and Oriental worlds.
Take the story of virgin birth, which is very popular in many antiquated communities. In ancient Egyptian mythology, for instance, the god, Toth, was said to announce the forthcoming birth of a son to the virgin-queen Mautmes. In Persian mythology, Saoshyas, the future savior of mankind and conqueror of death, was miraculously conceived by his virgin-mother from the seed of Zarathustra, who himself was born of a fifteen year old virgin, Dughdova, after the latter had been visited by a shaft of light from the supernatural realm. Indian mythology proclaims that Krishna was born from the rib of a virgin who belonged to the royal line of Devaci. Even Buddha was said to have been born through divine intervention, not through the natural process. It is clear, from the foregoing, that the myth of virgin birth is not unique to Christianity.
We have examined the Christian celebration, Christmas, and concluded that it is not biblical. We have thrown doubt on the historicity of the character named Jesus, indicated that even if there was one, he probably was not born in December 25, and drawn attention to the fact that the miraculous stories in the gospels stories about Jesus also exist in other world religions. The implication of all this is that the historical basis of Christmas celebrations is extremely weak.
Evidently, belief in Jesus, his virgin birth and alleged mission on earth are both mythological and eschatological at the same time. They are mythological because the key events, such as his virgin birth and purported resurrection, are ruled out by science. They are eschatological given the fact that Jesus’ birth is ultimately meaningful because it has a redemptive mission for believers in the so-called judgment or last day when God would judge humankind. For Christians, the significance of Jesus’ birth does not lie in its historicity or in its agreement with the research findings of science. Rather, the “coming of the son of man” is a momentous event in human history since it provides a unique opportunity for humans, especially “the chosen ones,” to be reconciled with God after the Original Sin.
Yet, for an unapologetic unbeliever like me, the Jesus narratives instantiate the futile efforts of humanity to project its fears, hopes, anxieties, dreams and aspirations to an imaginary divine realm where the glaring evils and imperfections in the real world would be eliminated. It is unfortunate that a religion, which ought to help humanity grow spiritually, has become an instrument of deceit, glorification of self-indulgent materialism, and plain fraud. Ordinarily, one would wish that Christianity, and therewith, the Christmas celebrations associated with it, would be consigned to the dustbin of history. Unfortunately, that is not likely to happen any time soon, because religion is an attempts to satisfy, in a grossly inadequate and mostly irrational manner I must say, certain existential needs of humans. Moreover, as long as human beings continue to waste scare resources of the earth in planning to kill each other instead of deploying their incredible cognitive and emotional intelligence to reduce drastically both manmade and existential evils, religion will continue to play an important role in the lives of billions of people globally.
With specific reference to the Nigerian situation, it is obvious that for millions of people, this year’s celebrations would not be as enjoyable as they expected at the beginning of the year. Things are generally difficult, and the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is grappling with the serious challenges of nation building in a stochastic economic environment characterised by dwindling crude oil prices and steady decline in the value of the naira in relation to other currencies such as the dollar, pound sterling and euro.
Fortunately, Nigerians are very resilient people. Despite the hardships, people would eat, drink and make merry during Christmas. In my opinion, however, the best way to celebrate the occasion is for those that have to share with those that do not have. It is silly for one to have too much to drink, too much to eat and even throw away when there are thousands of people who do not have enough to eat and enjoy the festive season. At this time, and always, we should be our brothers’ keepers, in the knowledge that inspite of our differences, we are all members of the same family who need one another to be fully human. Merry Christmas in arrears to everyone. Concluded.
By Douglas Anele
First of all, whatever the historical status of Jesus of Nazareth, it is incontrovertible that Christmas, as it is being celebrated worldwide, has no biblical warrant. It is the crystallisation of superstitious ideas and practices drawn from ancient Rome and other Mediterranean communities that constitute the substance of the Gospels. The Bible does not contain a precise statement of the actual day and month when Jesus was born.
It follows that Christmas celebration is not based on actual historical event. We have noted already how Pope Julius 1 imposed that date on Christendom, although the Jehovah’s Witnesses have consistently refused to mark the birthday of Jesus on December 25, or on any other day, because, according to the sect, he never commanded his followers to celebrate it. A devout Christian is likely to consider it sacrilegious if anyone expresses scepticism about whether Jesus of the Gospels actually lived.
However, Christian dogmatism and sentiments apart, there is no solid evidence to back the claim that he did, or that the narratives in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are historical records of real events. Indeed, there is abundant evidence indicating that Jesus is a composite figure created from the synthesis of ancient Egyptian, Persian, Greek, and Roman mythological traditions, blended with some strand of the messianic tradition in Judaism. These facts, and more, are well known to serious students of the New Testament.
Therefore, as believers celebrate Christmas, they should bear in mind that the event is more of mythology and fantasy than reality. And no matter how blasphemous it might appear to the faithful, they should know that there are good reasons for thinking that Jesus Christ, as depicted in the New Testament, is a myth as well. There might well have been a bohemian Jewish rabbi born around 4 B.C., who taught a form of Judaism different from the conventional version. But all the supernatural attributes and occurrences attributed to Jesus in The Bible were derived from, and are analogous to, superstitions and legends in ancient Mediterranean and Oriental worlds.
Take the story of virgin birth, which is very popular in many antiquated communities. In ancient Egyptian mythology, for instance, the god, Toth, was said to announce the forthcoming birth of a son to the virgin-queen Mautmes. In Persian mythology, Saoshyas, the future savior of mankind and conqueror of death, was miraculously conceived by his virgin-mother from the seed of Zarathustra, who himself was born of a fifteen year old virgin, Dughdova, after the latter had been visited by a shaft of light from the supernatural realm. Indian mythology proclaims that Krishna was born from the rib of a virgin who belonged to the royal line of Devaci. Even Buddha was said to have been born through divine intervention, not through the natural process. It is clear, from the foregoing, that the myth of virgin birth is not unique to Christianity.
We have examined the Christian celebration, Christmas, and concluded that it is not biblical. We have thrown doubt on the historicity of the character named Jesus, indicated that even if there was one, he probably was not born in December 25, and drawn attention to the fact that the miraculous stories in the gospels stories about Jesus also exist in other world religions. The implication of all this is that the historical basis of Christmas celebrations is extremely weak.
Evidently, belief in Jesus, his virgin birth and alleged mission on earth are both mythological and eschatological at the same time. They are mythological because the key events, such as his virgin birth and purported resurrection, are ruled out by science. They are eschatological given the fact that Jesus’ birth is ultimately meaningful because it has a redemptive mission for believers in the so-called judgment or last day when God would judge humankind. For Christians, the significance of Jesus’ birth does not lie in its historicity or in its agreement with the research findings of science. Rather, the “coming of the son of man” is a momentous event in human history since it provides a unique opportunity for humans, especially “the chosen ones,” to be reconciled with God after the Original Sin.
Yet, for an unapologetic unbeliever like me, the Jesus narratives instantiate the futile efforts of humanity to project its fears, hopes, anxieties, dreams and aspirations to an imaginary divine realm where the glaring evils and imperfections in the real world would be eliminated. It is unfortunate that a religion, which ought to help humanity grow spiritually, has become an instrument of deceit, glorification of self-indulgent materialism, and plain fraud. Ordinarily, one would wish that Christianity, and therewith, the Christmas celebrations associated with it, would be consigned to the dustbin of history. Unfortunately, that is not likely to happen any time soon, because religion is an attempts to satisfy, in a grossly inadequate and mostly irrational manner I must say, certain existential needs of humans. Moreover, as long as human beings continue to waste scare resources of the earth in planning to kill each other instead of deploying their incredible cognitive and emotional intelligence to reduce drastically both manmade and existential evils, religion will continue to play an important role in the lives of billions of people globally.
With specific reference to the Nigerian situation, it is obvious that for millions of people, this year’s celebrations would not be as enjoyable as they expected at the beginning of the year. Things are generally difficult, and the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is grappling with the serious challenges of nation building in a stochastic economic environment characterised by dwindling crude oil prices and steady decline in the value of the naira in relation to other currencies such as the dollar, pound sterling and euro.
Fortunately, Nigerians are very resilient people. Despite the hardships, people would eat, drink and make merry during Christmas. In my opinion, however, the best way to celebrate the occasion is for those that have to share with those that do not have. It is silly for one to have too much to drink, too much to eat and even throw away when there are thousands of people who do not have enough to eat and enjoy the festive season. At this time, and always, we should be our brothers’ keepers, in the knowledge that inspite of our differences, we are all members of the same family who need one another to be fully human. Merry Christmas in arrears to everyone. Concluded.
By Douglas Anele
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)