Metro Nigeria: 8 Reasons Why The Church is Leading You to Hell Fire - Etcetera

[LequteMan]

Nigeria - Controversial Nigerian writer Etcetera in a Punch article listed eight facts why the church is leading Nigerians straight to hell:

1. There is almost no evidence whatsoever that the early church had their “services” on a Sunday. They gathered together ‘from house to house’ virtually every day! People did not dress up and “go to church.” There were no denominations or separate groups with different ‘labels.’ They lived their lives together – And the apostles in Jerusalem preached everyday at a huge open-air gathering, not “hidden away” inside four walls.

Church buildings do not exist in the Bible. They were invented around 200-300 AD, when the church was in serious decline. Church buildings are anti-New Testament, and they bring with them a host of problems and traditions. It was when the church fell into the hands of Rome that this concept of the “cathedral” took over. And today, we are still spending millions building these beautiful monuments while the worshippers are starving.

2. The words “prosper” or ‘prosperity’ were NEVER used by Jesus at all – and only mentioned a few times in the entire New Testament. Yet our greedy pastors have built kingdoms upon them. The words – “sell what you have and give to the poor” and “deceitfulness of riches” and “you cannot serve God and mammon” and “woe to you that are rich” were DEFINITELY used by Jesus and the apostles, but you don’t hear them preached by your pastors, do you?


3. Tithing is not a New Testament practice at all. And it is being shamefully abused by today’s preachers. In the Old Testament, tithing was only applicable to Jews and to the land of Israel and that was at a time when a great number of them lived in Babylon, Ammon, Moab, Egypt and Syria. As a result of that, the land they occupied became tithe-able lands. Tithes were not acceptable from Gentiles’ lands.

So my brothers and sisters, you need to ask your pastor why he is collecting tithes here in Nigeria. Also, the only people authorised to receive tithes were the Levites – (Hebrews 7:5). If your pastor is collecting tithe from you, ask him if he’s from the tribe of Levi. Even Jesus who was a Jew couldn’t collect tithes because he wasn’t from the tribe of Levi but from that of Judah. And if your pastor insists that being a worker in the lord’s vineyard qualifies him as a Levite, please remind him that Levites had no land and did not own properties.


4. The Jesus of today’s church is a “Father Christmas,” a Jesus who exists mainly for our own “happiness;” a Father Christmas who wants to rain down continual blessings upon us; a Jesus of grace and mercy without judgement, righteousness or truth.

Our gross misrepresentation of who Jesus really is, is one of the most serious offences of today’s church. We worship a “plastic” Jesus – one that we have painted in our own image. What an offence to God.


5. What we have today are churches that are so loose that they excuse any sin or misconduct, including homosexuality and adultery. Aren’t we supposed to accept only the truth of God’s word? But instead, we have opted for a modern church that is socially based, smooth and sophisticated, and presented like a Nollywood movie with men and women of ogboni fraternity dressed in their occultic regalia occupying special seats during services. Something is wrong!


6. What happened to the strong calls for repentance that brought thousands down to the altar to repent and ask Jesus Christ to save their souls? This is the litmus test for Christianity; it is the essence of the Cross; it is the great commission that Jesus commanded us with. If your church is not winning souls, then it is like a barren woman, and it is a shame. Something is wrong!


7. What happened to the outpouring of the Holy Ghost? Do we even know what it means anymore to feel the presence of the Spirit of God descend on a service and fill up the room with holiness? Or we just love that party atmosphere and excitement when the choir plays a boogie-down song? Or we love to scream “ride on pastor” in the excitement we get when some charismatic preacher works the crowd? It’s been so long we’ve felt the presence of the Holy Spirit that we don’t know what it is anymore. Something is definitely wrong!


8. Lots of pastors are aware that there is something very wrong with the church today. They know there is little ‘fear of the Lord.’ They know there is no deep repentance or deep moving of the Holy Spirit.

They know that it is just the same old “game” being played every week. A lot of them are very aware of this, but they will not do anything about it. They will not rock the boat. And they will destroy anyone who comes along trying to do something. They do not want any reforms. There is too much to lose.

They have their careers and their “kingdoms” at stake. This is the truth of the matter. Most of you are worshippers of your pastors and not God. Many of you are hell bound. So pray my brothers and sisters. Pray for your souls. Let me stop here and leave room for you to call me names. But do remember that the church is leading you to hell – not me!



#Nigeria #Etcetera #Punch

 

[Le Patriot]

This etcetera guy has lost it

 

[neri akemien]

Nerioya Akemien
April 21 at 7:20am ·
FREE...FROM THE LAW; INCLUDING THAT OF TITHING
I no longer have a righteousness of my own, the kind that is gained by obeying the Law. I now have the righteousness that is given through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is based on faith (Philippians 3:9) GNT

Personally, paying tithe after Christ has redeemed me from the law is like saying, to Jesus,
“thank you Jesus for redeeming me from all the laws such as being unclean during menstruation and childbirth (Leventicus 12:2, 15:24), Sabbath day law (Exodus 35:3), an eye for an eye law (Matthew 5:38), law of the Passover ( Deut. 18:1-8), the law of exclusion from the Lord’s people if you are born out of wedlock (Deut. 23:2) e.t.c. you have done enough! ... I know you mean well but for this particular one- the law of tithe; I mean just a meager one-tenth of my produce; I can handle this thank you...It’s the least I can do to impress God by some personal effort and even if there are no people from the tribe of Levi (Levites: who are they? See: Deuteronomy 18:1-8) to share the tithe with as God commanded (in Deuteronomy 18:1-8, 12:12, 14:27), I could make a Levite out of my pastor for I really need to impress God with 10% so I can spend the remainder 90% however I wish! "

Bear in mind, we cannot impress God:
We are all infected and impure with sin. Our righteousness (our best actions), are nothing but filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6)
Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him (Acts 10:34-35) KJV

Now let’s go down memory lane to reflect on the history of how tithe came about from the Old Testament and what Jesus spoke about it in the New Testament; both Testaments are very relevant to modern day Christianity.
... And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32)

THE FIRST TITHE PAYER:
The first tithe payer is not Cain and Abel as most people perceive. The bible records in Genesis 4:3-4 that Cain and Abel gave OFFERINGS (some unquantified part of their produce) not TITHE (which is quantified as: one-tenth of produce). This makes Abraham the Premier of tithing.
Abraham (and consequently all his seed including Levi. See: Hebrews 7:9-10), the first to pay tithe, by his own free will (i.e. not under any obligation or law) paid one-tenth of all the loot he had recovered to Melchizedek, who was king of Salem and also a priest of the Most High God (Deuteronomy 14: 20). Melchizedek was not descended from Levi, but he collected one tenth from Abraham and blessed him, the man who received God's promises. There is no record of Melchizedek's father or mother or of any of his ancestors; no record of his birth or of his death. He is like the Son of God; he remains a priest forever. You see, then, how great he was. Abraham, our famous ancestor, gave him one tenth of all he got in the battle. (Hebrews 7:3-4)
There is no doubt that the one who blesses is greater than the one who is blessed. (For more information about Melchizedek read: Hebrews 7)

THE SECOND TITHE PAYER – The people of the Law:
The people of Israel where given this law as part of the laws read to them by Moses
The Law of the Tithe Deuteronomy 14:22-29
"Set aside a tithe — a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. Then go to the one place where the Lord your God has chosen to be worshiped; and there in his presence EAT the tithes of your grain, wine, and olive oil, and the first-born of your cattle and sheep. Do this so that you may LEARN TO HONOUR the Lord your God always. If the place of worship is too far from your home for you to carry there the tithe of the produce that the Lord has blessed you with, then do this:
Sell your produce and take the money with you to the one place of worship. Spend it on WHATEVER YOU WANT — beef, lamb, wine, beer — and there, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families are to EAT and ENJOY YOURSELVES. "Do not neglect the LEVITES who live in your towns; they have no property of their own. At the end of every third year bring the tithe of all your crops and store it in your towns. This food is for the LEVITES, since they own no property, and for the FOREIGNERS, ORPHANS, and WIDOWS who live in your towns. They are to come and get all they need. Do this, and the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. GNT5
And those descendants of Levi who are priests are commanded by the Law to collect one tenth from the people of Israel, that is, from their own people, even though they are also descendants of Abraham (Hebrews 7:5).
This Law was so difficult for the Israelites to obey because they had not the Holy Spirit to produce fruits of righteousness- (But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)) and so, nothing they did would please God....
THE LORD WAS NOT PLEASED
The Lord Almighty says, "I will appear among you to judge, and I will testify at once against those who practice magic, against adulterers, against those who give false testimony, those who cheat employees out of their wages, and those who take advantage of widows, orphans, and foreigners — against all who do not respect me (Malachi 3:5)

I ask you, is it right for a person to cheat God? Of course not, yet you are cheating me. 'How?' you ask. “In the matter of TITHES and OFFERINGS”. A curse is on all of you because the whole nation is cheating me. Bring the full amount of your tithes to the TEMPLE (we are His temple-See: Acts 17:24-25, Acts 7:48-50, Isaiah 66:1-2, 1 Corinthians 3:9b,16,17, 2 Corinthians 6:16, Ephesians 2:22, Matthew 25:40) so that there will be plenty of FOOD there. Put me to the test and you will see that I will open the windows of heaven and pour out on you in abundance all kinds of good things. I will not let insects destroy your crops, and your grapevines will be loaded with grapes. Then the people of all nations will call you happy, because your land will be a good place to live (Malachi 3:8-13) GNT

...And so God was never pleased with their tithes as well as the offerings of the Levite Priests and He said:
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi (Levites), and purge them as gold and silver, THAT THEY MAY OFFER UNTO THE LORD AN OFFERING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS (Malachi 3:1-3).
The only scripture where Christ mentioned tithe to the people of the law:
Matthew 23:23-28- "How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You give to God one tenth even of the seasoning herbs, such as mint, dill, and cumin, but you neglect to obey the really important teachings of the Law, such as justice and mercy and honesty. These you should practice, without neglecting the others. Blind guides! You strain a fly out of your drink, but swallow a camel! "How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You clean the outside of your cup and plate, while the inside is full of what you have gotten by violence and selfishness. Blind Pharisee! Clean what is inside the cup first, and then the outside will be clean too!
"How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look fine on the outside but are full of bones and decaying corpses on the inside. In the same way, on the outside you appear good to everybody, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and sins.GNT

THE THIRD TITHE PAYER:
I am the third tithe payer and my Priest is CHRIST himself!
This priest unlike the others chose to give rather than receive. He gave not just one-tenth, He paid not only my tithe,...but He paid all of my debts 100%- backlog, futurelog wiped my debt slate clean and put PAID TO MY NAME. He shed his precious blood once and for all

Remember God wants an offering in righteousness and that’s what Christ did for us:
I no longer have a righteousness of my own, the kind that is gained by obeying the Law. I now have the righteousness that is given through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is based on faith (Philippians 3:9)
Now, however, we are free from the Law, because we died to that which once held us prisoners. No longer do we serve in the old way of a written law, but in the new way of the Spirit (Romans 7:6) GNT
Romans 8:2
For the law of the Spirit, which brings us life in union with Christ Jesus, has set me free from the law of sin and death. GNT

ALL I NEED DO IS WALK IN THE SPIRIT...
Colossians 2:16, 23- So, don't let anyone make rules for you about eating and drinking or about Jewish customs (festivals, New Moon celebrations, or Sabbath days)... These rules may seem to be wise as part of a made-up religion in which people pretend to be humble and punish their bodies. But they don't help people stop doing the evil that the sinful self wants to do
John 14:16-17- I will ask the Father and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever. He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God. The world cannot receive him, because it cannot see him or know him. But you know him, because he remains with you and is in you.
John 14:26- But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

John 16:7-8- But I am telling you the truth: it is better for you that I go away, because if I do not go, the Helper will not come to you. But if I do go away, then I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove to the people of the world that they are wrong about sin and about what is right and about God's judgment. GNT
Romans 8:1-16
8 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;
KJV
Galatians 5:24-25
24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have put to death their human nature with all its passions and desires.
25 The Spirit has given us life; he must also control our lives.

Hebrews 9:24
For Christ did not go into a Holy Place made by human hands, which was a copy of the real one. He went into heaven itself, where he now appears on our behalf in the presence of God.
GNT

Hebrews 9:15-17
For this reason Christ is the one who arranges a new covenant, so that those who have been called by God may receive the eternal blessings that God has promised. This can be done because there has been a death which sets people free from the wrongs they did while the first covenant was in effect.
16 In the case of a will it is necessary to prove that the person who made it has died,
17 for a will means nothing while the person who made it is alive; it goes into effect only after his death.
GNT

Hebrews 10:29
29 What, then, of those who despise the Son of God? who treat as a cheap thing the blood of God's covenant which purified them from sin? who insult the Spirit of grace? Just think how much worse is the punishment they will deserve!

NB:
This is my personal conviction testimony, not an imposition on others and certainly not saying obeying the law is wrong for Jesus came not to abolish the law but to make it better. But, I would rather lean on the finished work of Christ though the Holy Spirit than on my works through the law.

 

[neri akemien]

Nerioya Akemien
May 9 at 11:59pm ·
WE ARE UNARGUABLY... FREE FROM THE LAW! Galatians 3: 1-14

1 Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ's death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross.
2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ.
3 How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?
4 Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it?
5 I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.
6 In the same way, "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith."
7 The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.
8 What's more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would declare the Gentiles to be righteous because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, "All nations will be blessed through you."
9 So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.
10 But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, "Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God's Book of the Law."
11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life."
12 This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, "It is through obeying the law that a person has life."
13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."
14 Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.

 

[neri akemien]

@ Etcetera, Matthew 7:1 says: be careful not to judge others...

Nerioya Akemien
April 30 at 3:05am ·
Do Not Judge Others Romans 14:1-23:
Welcome those who are weak in faith, but do not argue with them about their personal opinions.
Some people's faith allows them to eat anything, but the person who is weak in the faith eats only vegetables.
The person who will eat anything is not to despise the one who doesn't; while the one who eats only vegetables is not to pass judgment on the one who will eat anything; for God has accepted that person.

Who are you to judge the servants of someone else? It is their own Master who will decide whether they succeed or fail. And they will succeed, because the Lord is able to make them succeed.
Some people think that a certain day is more important than other days, while others think that all days are the same. We each should firmly make up our own minds.Those who think highly of a certain day do so in honor of the Lord; those who will eat anything do so in honor of the Lord, because they give thanks to God for the food. Those who refuse to eat certain things do so in honor of the Lord, and they give thanks to God.

We do not live for ourselves only, and we do not die for ourselves only.
If we live, it is for the Lord that we live, and if we die, it is for the Lord that we die. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
For Christ died and rose to life in order to be the Lord of the living and of the dead.

You then, who eat only vegetables — why do you pass judgment on others? And you who eat anything — why do you despise other believers? All of us will stand before God to be judged by him.
For the scripture says, "As surely as I am the living God, says the Lord, everyone will kneel before me, and everyone will confess that I am God."
Every one of us, then, will have to give an account to God.

Do Not Make Others Fall:
So then, let us stop judging one another. Instead, you should decide never to do anything that would make others stumble or fall into sin.
My union with the Lord Jesus makes me certain that no food is of itself ritually unclean; but if you believe that some food is unclean, then it becomes unclean for you.
If you hurt others because of something you eat, then you are no longer acting from love. Do not let the food that you eat ruin the person for whom Christ died!
Do not let what you regard as good get a bad name.
For God's Kingdom is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of the righteousness, peace, and joy which the Holy Spirit gives.
And when you serve Christ in this way, you please God and are approved by others.
So then, we must always aim at those things that bring peace and that help strengthen one another.

Do not, because of food, destroy what God has done. All foods may be eaten, but it is wrong to eat anything that will cause someone else to fall into sin.
The right thing to do is to keep from eating meat, drinking wine, or doing anything else that will make other believers fall.
Keep what you believe about this matter, then, between yourself and God. Happy are those who do not feel guilty when they do something they judge is right!
But if they have doubts about what they eat, God condemns them when they eat it, because their action is not based on faith. And anything that is not based on faith is sin.

 

[neri akemien]

1 Timothy 6:2-10
False Teaching and True Riches You must teach and preach these things.
3 Whoever teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the true words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the teaching of our religion
4 is swollen with pride and knows nothing. He has an unhealthy desire to argue and quarrel about words, and this brings on jealousy, disputes, insults, evil suspicions,
5 and constant arguments from people whose minds do not function and who no longer have the truth. They think that religion is a way to become rich.
6 Well, religion does make us very rich, if we are satisfied with what we have.
7 What did we bring into the world? Nothing! What can we take out of the world? Nothing!
8 So then, if we have food and clothes, that should be enough for us.
9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and are caught in the trap of many foolish and harmful desires, which pull them down to ruin and destruction.
10 For the love of money is a source of all kinds of evil. Some have been so eager to have it that they have wandered away from the faith and have broken their hearts with many sorrows.
GNT