TITHING 101: THE DUE ORDER

THE DUE ORDER

The tithe is defined in Leviticus 27:30-33:

30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S:  it is holy unto the LORD.   31 And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof.   32 And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.   33 He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it:  and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy;  it shall not be redeemed.

The tithe was defined to be "Seed of the Land", "Fruit of the Tree" and the "Tenth of the Herd".

The recipient of the tithe were also given in Numbers 18:

20 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them:  I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.   21 And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

The tithe was to be given to the levites and the priest because the Lord was their inheritance.

It is neccesary to state this definition because, the tithe Abram gave in  Genesis were simply of war spoil. We could not categorically state what it consist of. Also, the tithe Abram gave and the one Jacob vowed were never commanded by God. They could very well be called free will offerings. It was only until under the law did we find God speaking of a tithe and giving a definition to it and telling us who to give it to.

How the tithes has been converted from seed of the land, fruit of the tree and tenth of the herd to hard core currency is a mystery of the modern babylonian church. How the recipient of the tithe went from Levites to Pastors and church leaders is another mystery unsolved.

But lest this be scorned and made fun of as another mantra of anti-tithers, let me relay a biblical story that tells us that God is intent on who should have the tithes and how it should be given.

In 2 Samuel 6 David thought it good to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem. In his wisdom, and rather than following God's blue print, he chose choice men to go along with him to bring the ark. Then he got a brand new cart to carry it. With two guys to ferry it along. Along the way one of them puts out his hand to support the ark and God struck him dead.

In 2 Chronicles 15, David had learnt his lesson. Still intent on bringing the ark to Jerusalem, hear him:

1 And David made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.   2 Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites:  for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.  3 And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD unto his place, which he had prepared for it.   4 And David assembled the children of Aaron, and the Levites... 11 And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab, 12 And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites:  sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it.   13 For because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.   14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel.   15 And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD.

Notice verse 13, there was a due order according to Moses' law on how the ark was to be ferried. David found the due order, excecutetd it according to God's word and God blessed them.

The question we should ask all these people preaching a gospel of monetary tithes is this: where is this found in scripture? What is the due order God ordained for collecting tithes according to scripture? When did tithe become money from agricultural products? When did Pastors become Levites? What is the due order?

In all of scriptures, there have been called ones; there have been prophets of God: Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Samuel, David, Joshua, Jesus, Paul, Peter, etc. Non of these people as great as they were, were given a tithe because the due order God laid down was for tithes to be given to Levites.

Are we in the time and age when God's wrath shall break forth upon tithe collecting men, who have refused to follow the due order. Yes we are. If you are one of them, be warned!!

In conclusion, God is a God of order. The same God who instituted the law through Moses; brought grace and truth through Jesus and brought an end to the law. The due order or the new order today is that God has brought an end to the whole order of the Levitical priesthood. There is no Levite to give a tithe to; there is no tithe to give to a Levite. The new order commands giving out of a free will, out of love to God and in the leading of God's Spirit in our hearts.

Do not be deceived!

See other titles on this Tithing Course:

Tithing 102: http://yesufu.blogspot.com/2014/03/tithing-102-tithing-as-doctrine-of-men.html

Tithing 103: http://yesufu.blogspot.com/2014/03/tithing-103-tithing-as-abraham-did.html

ON THE NIGERIAN ANTI-GAY MARRIAGE LAW

ON THE NIGERIAN ANTI-GAY MARRIAGE LAW

Ever since Nigerian lawmakers begun debating an anti-gay marriage law have I expressed reservations against it. My attitude then and even now is that our government has a penchant for prioritizing things that they should not prioritize and they have perfected the art of ignoring pressing national issues to pursue things that are not important. Take for example the Freedom of Information Bill (FIB).

Jonathan signs Anti-Gay Marriage law

As important as this bill was, it was thrown out of the National Assembly in the last political dispensation and was only passed into law in this present dispensation. Even at that, the bill is only in letters as journalists and lawyers have been expressing their handicap at withdrawing information from government coffers despite a so called Freedom of Information. Most state governments have refused to implement this law as they insist that it must be domesticated in their states before it can become law in their respective states. One then wonders why the whole effort at passing the law, if it will simply remain in the coolers and be non-effective. The same predicament has befallen the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). That bill has been at the National Assembly since forever and no one has thought it right to pass it. But alas, someone wakes up with a useless bill, to curb homosexual marriages, an act that is totally foreign to our culture and whala(!) it is passed into law; with everyone playing the self righteous and applauding it. Apart from the FIB and the PIB, the Nigerian nation is begging for laws that will make it work. For example, the constitution needs to be amended to allow for a true federal state. We need to have a constitution that shares the wealth of this nation equally, that allows regions producing the nations wealth enjoy it and that gives minority tribes voice in the matter of the running of the country. The issue of providing immunity to the President, Vice-President, Governors and their deputies in a corruption ridden society is a matter that is long overdue for an overhaul. There is also the matter of providing laws in this country that will allow local governments, all 774 of them, greater independence from the hegemony of their state governments. The laws of this nation must be strengthened to allow for a truly independent electoral  body, so that elections can begin to approximate to something that is free and fair in Nigeria. And so many other sundry matters; and all our lawmakers can think about is to pass laws banning gays from marrying. The question we should ask is how many gays have we seen in our society who have expressed a desire to marry? The truth of the matter is that the nature of our laws in this country already criminalizes homosexual acts and so a law further banning their marriage is simply not needed.

This essay is not a justification for homosexuality. Indeed the urgency of the matter of gays and homosexual acts gaining ground in our society was brought home to my consciousness when Edmund Obilo recently played an  interview he had with four gay men on Splash FM Radio - a local radio station in the city of Ibadan. Obilo wanted to have their response to the anti-gay marriage law and in

the process these boys let out some really gory details. They insisted that they were gays not because they were involved in homosexual acts but because they were born gays. They argued that the United Nation no longer considers homosexuality an abnormality or a mental problem. They said they were born with gay genes (whatever that means). In spite of what they said one of them related the story of how he became involved with homosexuality. He said that his own uncle introduced him to the act as a young boy. He claimed that their illicit action continued on for some twelve years, right into his teenage years, until his uncle ended the "relationship"; leaving him hurt and used. That story betrays the thought that homosexuality is natural; it is not. Homosexuality is a learned act! Simple. If someone does not introduce another to it, such an individual will never learn the act. For those of us who are religious, it is easy to see this from a spiritual point of view. Take the example of men that become bloodthirsty and sometimes turn out serial killers. No one is ever born a serial killer or with a taste for blood. One thing leads to another. First, it starts with simple anger and then an opportunity to kill. After the act is done and the killer is not punished but let loose, he finds it easy to settle every score with death. If he does it long enough, he becomes bloodthirsty and quick to kill. It is a spirit that latches on him and continues to propel him on. He can very say also that he has a killer gene in him - a gene that should be best exorcised with an electric chair! The same thing goes for the homosexuality. God forbids that the first time turn out "enjoyable", the spirit of homosexuality latches on and he keeps looking for men (or women as the case may be) to carry out the act with.

The solution does not lie with a law prohibiting gay marriages but the need to strengthen families values. Most of the gentlemen that get themselves involved in homosexuality and lesbianism for the ladies, were introduced to it in childhood by trusted individuals in families, friends or at the boarden schools. Parent have a great role

"Are You Sick?"

to play here. Parenthood is not all about making money and giving the children the best in life. It includes teaching our children right cultural and religious values. When a child is  taught the way that he should go, he would not depart from it in adulthood says the Christian Bible. It is possible for parents to know the where about of their children at every point in time. It possible for them to be able to notice a child's change in demeanor. A parent who is sensitive enough must be able to discern if a child has become sexually active. And, God forbid, if it turns out to be homosexuality, that parent must be able to first discipline the child, then counsel him/her, before helping him/her get back to their feet. Parents should hold themselves accountable for how their children turn out in life. And most of all, parents must pray continually for their children/wards, trusting the Lord to keep them from evil temptations - including homosexual ones. The government can also take a step further in strengthening already existing laws that criminalizes gay acts. If a number of these people can get some convictions and be sent to jail, it will act as a deterrent to others. It is abundantly clear that Nigeria's problem is not the absence of laws but the absence of those who will enforce them. Solving the homosexual debacle will start from the home and then unto a strong and reliable law enforcement. Enacting laws against gay marriage is as good as pouring water on the back of a duck; it will achieve nothing.

The Nigerian bias against homosexuality stem mainly from our religious and cultural beliefs. Homosexuality is simply a taboo in our culture and there is very little we can do about this. What I have a problem with is the religious bias against homosexuality, especially the Christian stance against it. One would think that Christians should know better but it seems we do not. Homosexuality is no less a sin in Christianity than adultery, murder, covetousness, malice, stealing, corruption, hatred, etc. God does not see a homosexual more of an evil doer than those listed above. This is the reason why if society vilifies homosexuality, Christians cannot afford to do so. When we join them in doing this, we condemn ourselves also - as God brings up our own sins against us in judgement. Do we then permit homosexuality to thrive in society? No. Rather, gay people must be treated with great care and concern. The church must be at the forefront of ministering to gays as their numbers are increasing more and more. What the anti-gay marriage law is going to produce are people who will go further into their shells and continue to perpetrate this evil and probably recruit more people into the act. The church should however encourage that folks like this will come out and be ministered to. We must start with the gospel of Jesus Christ and show gay people, along with all sinners, that Christ died to redeem men from sin. We must then help those who express desire to know Jesus to understand him more and more. We must teach them the word of God, which is the truth and that has enough power to set men free from every bondage to sin. We must then accept them

into our fellowship and love them enough until Christ completely transforms them. Christians must not join society to condemn homosexuals, rather we must raise the flag of Christian love that loves the sinners but detest the sin.

On a final note, the government of Nigeria and the international community's attitude to the gay matters is sitting on two unhealthy extremes. While the west thinks that gay culture has come to stay and should be allowed to thrive in modern life, the African and Nigerian attitude is that homosexuality is foreign to our culture and must be resisted. My position is to go with the Nigerian attitude but nonetheless accepting the fact that homosexuality is a reality in our societies today. The law against gay marriage will not solve the problem of homosexuality. It has the tendency to make gay people go under and in that hidden position the act will only fester. Our lawmakers may consider reviewing that law and if they cannot, the government could build institutions that will help cater for individuals seeking to be liberated from the homosexual lifestyle. There are former gays and lesbians who are happily married today and who can help in rehabilitating those under the yoke of homosexuality. Homosexuality should best be considered a psychological dis-order and gay people should be made to understand their need for rehabilitation. Rather than vilify these people, society through government institutions and religious bodies must be at the forefront of helping former gay people find liberation from this insidious lifestyle.

THE VISION

THE VISION

(Summary Text of the message delivered by Deji Yesufu at the retreat program at Akobo, Ibadan, on the 11th January, 2014 to kick start the Christian Fellowship at the Yesufu Home)

Introduction.

The vision for this fellowship is birth from the need we see in the body of Christ. A need is met by a provision and thus we trust God that the following provisions as stated below will help meet this need and realize the vision we have in Christ Jesus.

The Vision:

Matthew 28:16-20

·         Providing an avenue for the word of God to be taught thoroughly for the building, equipping and maturing of God saints.

·         Providing a platform for aggressive evangelism. To win, to train and to send.

·         Providing a fellowship were gospel truths are studied, researched and preserved.

·         Providing a fellowship were the needs of God’s people are met. That there will be no needy person among us, Acts 5:32-35.

·         Providing an avenue where men will be led to Jesus and not to church organizations, other men, church traditions and so on.

·         Providing a template for true ministry.

·         Being the salt of the earth and the light of the world in truth and verity: becoming a blessing to humanity.

The Gospel Truth:

·         Preaching and teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

·         A Personal Commission “to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant” – Jeremiah 1:4-10.

·         Distinguishing the gospel from other “gospels” in the land

v  The Prosperity Gospel

v  A Motivational Gospel

v  Word of Faith

v  Holiness Movement

·         Encouraging sound biblical truths like DISPENSATIONS, etc.

·         Distinguishing clearly between Bible Doctrines and Man made doctrines like tithing, etc.

The Wants of our times

·         National Issues

·         Prevalence of false churches and prophets

·         Jesus’ imminent coming

·         The matter of two spirits in the church

The Vision in a Nutshell:

The vision of this fellowship is to raise up Saints that will see Jesus clearly; hear Jesus soundly; and have a heart that understand Jesus to follow him purposefully by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Below are links to the messages delivered at the retreat. You may download and listen to the messages. We believe God that you will be blessed as you do. If you have any enquiry as to the fellowship or questions in regards to the messages preached, you may send an email to me at yesufudeji@yahoo.com. Please forbear with the poor audio quality of some of the messages.

1. By Deji Yesufu: https://www.dropbox.com/s/sha00u92vade1cb/The%20Vision.mp3 

2. By Pastor Arimoro: https://www.dropbox.com/s/wcf7f9but7ehv2l/APOSTACY%20IN%20THE%20CHURCH.mp3 

3. By Pastor Eryinna: https://www.dropbox.com/s/mojtiap7ruqyxgw/The%20True%20Gospel.mp3

THE CHRISTIAN MINISTER’S PAY

There is the debate as to whether Christian ministers should be paid a salary or not. The argument rages between those who are of the opinion that there are no records of ministers being paid in the New Testament and that ministry is too lofty a work for anyone to measure its worth in dollars, pounds or naira. The other party believes that ministry is just like any other work people do today and that those involved in it should be paid for whatever service they render, even in God’s name. I share the latter view on Christian ministers’ remunerations. This position is however not without a “but” that should be clearly understood according to scriptures.

First, we must understand that there is no such thing as a full-time minister in the New Testament. The term full-time is the making of modern day church people to distinguish between those who work in church and do nothing else from those who though work in church but have other avenues of making money. The Apostles of the Lamb were both full time and part time ministers. There was no such distinction in their time and there is no record of any of them being paid by a local church. The truth is that there really were no organized local church settings as we have them today in their time. These men had been commissioned by Jesus Christ simply to go into the world and preach the gospel. They had received the power of the Holy Spirit to aid them in this work; they were consumed by zeal to do the work and they just could not do anything else. Paul said: “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of:  for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16). So for them ministry was neither full-time or part-time, ministry was all-the-time and the distinction between full time or part time never came because they didn’t have paid ministers in a so called full-time ministry capacity like we have today. Nevertheless, in 1 Corinthians 9, Paul the apostle makes a case for minister to be paid. It is however important to note the real gist of that scripture, as we will see that the apostle had more to say on the subject than just ministers’ pay.

Verse 3 gives us an idea of what prompted this subject in the first place: some people had been criticizing Paul’s method of ministry. In their time the people held their leaders accountable and were not afraid to ask questions. The leaders themselves did not see it strange that people asked these questions. Instead of using his apostolic authority to shut them up, Paul, here, is giving an “answer” to those who “examine him”. Paul goes on to state what his rights are as a Christian minister in verses 4-6 and these rights should be accorded all ministers of the gospel at all times: 1. A minister has the right to a good life, to be merry, to eat and drink. A minister can own properties, have holidays and enjoy life generally. 2. A minister has the right to marry and have children. So, enforced celibacy is alien to scriptures. 3. A minister has the right to be fully committed to the work of ministry and do nothing else: he may “forbear working”. These were Paul’s rights and these rights should be accorded any minister of the gospel in any age. In verses 7-12 the apostle resorts to reason and the Old Testament to make a case for the minister’s pay. He ends this with verses 13 and 14: “Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple?  and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel”. Paul is here comparing the Levithical Priesthood to New Testament ministers. The Levites worked full time in the temple and were sustained by the tithes, first fruits and various types of offerings the people dedicated to God. Likewise Christian ministers should be supported by the people they minister to. Some people use these verses as the reason why tithes must be given in church today. I believe that if Paul thought so he would have stated clearly that tithes should be given to the ministers he was making a case for – I can see no better opportunity than now to mention tithes. The fact that he was silent on it showed that Paul saw tithing in its proper form: a form of giving which translates as free will giving in the New Testament church (2 Corinthians 9:7). Both the gentile and Jewish church of Paul’s day understood that the tithes were agricultural products that were to be given to Levites. Paul, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, could not ask anyone to give him tithes. The best he could argue for was that they who ministered “spiritual things” should enjoy material blessings from people.

In spite of the rights and privileges of Christian ministers, Paul shows us in verse 12 and 18 that there are somethings that were of greater priority to his rights and privileges: 1. That the gospel should not be hindered. 2. That ministers do not abuse their powers or rights by charging money for the gospel. Because of the possibility of these two scenarios occurring, Paul gave up his rights and privileges when ministering to the Corinthians. Some argue that this is peculiar to Paul alone and should not be used as a yardstick for all ministers. While this is true, we must not loose track of Paul’s discuss here. He is showing us that there are somethings that are more important than others. As good as the matter of a minister’s welfare is, the hindering of the gospel and the abuse of ministerial privileges is even more important. We must appreciate the enormous power a minister of the gospel wields and the great tendency for this power to be abused. When a man stands over a people and speak to them as God’s oracle, he stands in a position of great authority and power. That man may use that position to make or mar God’s people. One area where this position can be greatly abused is in the area of money. The gospel that Paul talks about here is a free gospel that should be ministered free of charge. When all a people hear when they attend church service is give money, give money, give money… are they hearing a free gospel? In this scenario, will the gospel not be hindered? What does hindering the gospel mean? People will not go to church because they believe that Pastors are looking for their money. The power of God that accompanies the preached word will be withdrawn because the Holy Spirit that brings conviction has been grieved. The name of the Lord will be blasphemed. Churches will be called “In the Name of God PLC”. Non Christians will say “I cannot afford to be a Christian because it costs too much financially”. Christians will be maligned as sheep that cannot think but who pour all their finances into churches where Pastors live large and ostentatious lifestyles. In short, the gospel will be hindered – it would not produce the effect it is designed to produce. It is because of these that the apostle traded his rights and privileges so that the gospel may have a free course in people’s hearts. We see proof of these when the apostle shows us in verses 19-23 that his priority is to bring GAIN to God’s kingdom and not to amass GAIN for himself. We see him exploring all kinds of wisdom, within a righteous context, to gain men for Christ.

Paul ends this discusses with verses 24-27 by showing that ministry is a race that requires temperance and discipline. He shows us that Christian ministers have a crown to seek for; there is something to gain which is not in this life. He shows us that he keeps his body under and disciplines it so that he may not be a castaway. Some interpret this as a need to fast, so the minister does not sin and then loose his salvation but we must remember that Paul had mentioned earlier that ministers had some privileges to eat, drink, marry, have sex, and earn a wage. We can see then that bringing the body under subjection would mean giving up some of these privileges for a higher calling. That is to say that it is wisdom for a minister to stop some of his privileges to be more effective in ministry. And the implication is that if he does not do this he will be a castaway. He would loose a heavenly gain because he has sort earthly ones. So, this position is not something peculiar to Paul alone but should be the position that every Christian minister should seek for so as to gain a heavenly reward.

Having stated all this, the question still remains as to whether ministers should be paid or not. The answer to that is that no size fits all. There may be a need to pay a minister and their may be a need not to pay a minister. A minister may choose to collect money for a work he does in ministry; he may choose to decline. The important thing is for men of God to truly discern whether their action or in-actions in ministry is hindering or furthering the gospel of Jesus Christ. Consider this example: a people attend Sunday service and in the space of two hours the following offerings are received: Workers Anointing Offering, Sunday School Offering, Sunday Love Offering, Building Offering and Mission Offering – while tithes, first fruits and some prophets offering as considered obligatory. Can the people who attend such an assembly be said to have received a “free” gospel? The implication of not preaching a free gospel is that the gospel will be hindered in one hand and the ministers themselves will be cast away on the other hand. Is it possible for a church to run without collecting tithes and offering? Were tithes and offerings collected in the churches the apostles of the lamb led? The perfect scenario that 1 Corinthians 9 shows is that a church should be a place where people come to hear the gospel and not a place to collect money from them. Ministers should be afraid that in the process of collecting money, people may be “put off” and souls denied heaven. But do Christian ministers really care about these things? I think that both tithes and offering should never be collected in church services. A collection box may be available somewhere in a church auditorium for people to put their monetary support for the ministry. I also think a minister could have a number of people who will partner with him and support him financially and prayerfully so that money issues never take center stage in a church. Because God and mammon are rivals any day, it can be pretty difficult to notice when one has veered off worshiping God and started worshiping mammon.

When we understand the crux of Paul’s discuss in 1 Corinthians 9 and we look at the way and manner Jesus Christ handled the subject of money, and as well see scriptural admonitions to ministers in regards to money (Matthew 10:7-10; Phillipians 3:18-19; 1Peter 5:2; 1 Timoth3:3), we will realize that the minister’s remuneration is a vital aspect of Christian ministry. Christian ministers should be men and women of skill who can work secular jobs to provide for their needs and the needs of their family – Paul, himself a foremost apostle of the Lamb, was a tent-maker. In cases were the minister, however, feels led to “forbear working” and be fully committed to ministry, he must be ready to bear the cost that will come with such a decision (1 Corinthians 4: 9-13). Ministry is not a business venture; ministers are not Chief Executive Officers and therefore should not expect to rival CEO’s lifestyle and remunerations. Ministry comes with sacrifices and some of those sacrifices are what Paul will have us see in 1 Corinthians 9. God is faithful to meet the needs of his servants but God’s servants must not use ministry as a cloak for covetousness. In most cases when a man veers into full time ministry, it is always wise to have a group of people who believe in his ministry enough to support him financially on a regular basis. With Paul letter to the Philippians, it is safe to say this is how the apostles of old and even Jesus financed their ministry. If this cannot be done, such individuals should work with their hands and earn a living. This is very important in the light of the two issues that Paul discusses in 1 Corinthians 9: the fact that the gospel must not be hindered and the fact that it must be presented free of charge. When money begins to occupy a crucial part of ministry and men who venture into ministry begin to use it as a platform to make money, they will begin to tear down the things that they were sent to build up.

PS: I wish to state that my writings are not directed at any church or minister in particular. My messages are to the body of Christ in general.

Happy New Year: 2014!

BOKO HARAM AND THE NIGERIAN CHRISTIAN

Two reports coming from Borno State gives us a fair idea of the dilemma that section of the Nigerian nation is experiencing at the moment. They are the attack on Baga village by soldiers from the Nigerian military in April 2013 and the carnage that occurred in a military base in December 2^nd for which the Boko Haram sect has claimed responsibility. In the former case, the Nigerian security forces are accused of carrying out something close to genocide on a village that was suspected to be harboring Boko Harm terrorists.

Boko Haram

In the latter case these terrorists are seen to have carried out a very successful campaign against a Nigerian military formation that has caused the Nigerian military a great deal of embarrassment. In both incidences, we are at the mercy of the press to know the exact figures of the causalities and we are left to a great deal of speculation as to how these incidences occurred and what informed them. Whatever conclusions may be arrived from them and others like them, something is sure: Borno State is not at peace and the rest of Nigeria has every reason to be bothered about this. It is Borno today, it can be Oyo tomorrow.

This essay is concerned about discussing the Boko Haram challenge and helping the average Nigerian Christian to have a balanced view of it so that we can work together as Nigerians to see the end of this insurgency. It must be stated from the onset that the Boko Haram sect is not Muslim. Yes, they may be said to be an Islamic sect but because of their resort to violence and murdering of innocent people – Muslims and Christians alike – their ideas are far from being Muslim. Rather they have invented a new religion that must be clearly seen as un-Islamic. It is important to state this because it is not uncommon to hear Christians refer to Muslims, in a bid to spite them, as Boko Haram. If a man holds the Islamic ideals but does not support or is not involved with men who kill others to make a political statement, that individual is not Boko Haram and Christians must understand this distinction. I have listened to messages that teach Christians that at the heart of the Islamic message is a love for violence – the Jihad. We

are told that there are a number of verses in the Quran that calls faithful Muslims to kill those who do not accept their religious beliefs. My answer to such is that any warped mind can take any holy book and make it say whatever his demented thinking wants it to say. Even the bible can be interpreted to teach that Jesus supported violence. Consider these scriptures:

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force – Matthew 11:12

Think not that I am come to send peace on earth:  I came not to send peace, but a sword – Matthew 10:35-36

These verses are the very words of Jesus and these are the kind of verses some Christian groups stood on as they embarked on the Crusades in the Middle Ages to restore Jerusalem to Christianity. History is replete with the horrors, murders and un-Christian things these men meted out in the name of Christianity. I am too sure no Christian is ready to call those people “brethren” today when we read of their escapades. This is the same challenge that the average Muslim is facing in the wake of the Boko Haram challenge that has gripped the Nigerian state. Nigerian Christians must understand that these Boko Haram are best referred to as Boko Animals – yes, brand

President Jonathan lending a hand of support to the Military

new animals that have undergone some mutation from human beings. They have become animals not by any supernatural work of the Almighty but by their own resort to be brainwashed by some ideas that are far from Islamic.

Another reason why the average Christian must understand Boko Haram is so that we may realize that these animals are succeeding in planting the seed of hate and distrust in our minds. Boko Haram’s activities have as much Muslims as victims as Christians. At the outset of their campaign they were basically attacking Muslims and only began attacking churches some two years ago. When Mohammed Yusuf, the founder of sect, began preaching in 2002 or thereabout, his messages stood in stark contrast to those of the orthodox Islamic clerics in Maiduguri and most of these clerics warned their people to stay away from the sect. Even way back then Boko Haram was seen as a dangerous group, for even though their violent campaigns had not started in earnest, their messages of hate were incongruous with the messages Muslims listened to on their worship days. For this reason, when these animals took up arms against Nigerian security formations, they also attacked and killed Muslims that did not share their ideas. It was when the scope of their violent campaigns began to widen that they included attacks on churches and the killing of Christians. Boko Haram activities are well documented in the media and they are things of recent history that anyone can cross check. These Boko Animals knew that if they could attack Christians they

Borno State is in North East Nigeria

would set Christians against Muslims and with time a culture of hate and distrust will lead to religious violence that has the likelihood of engulfing the whole country. They have succeeded in doing this in Kaduna state where there is an almost equal population of Muslims and Christians; they are presently stoking the embers of ethnic violence in Jos; and they are simply waiting for the hate and distrust they are succeeding in planting in the hearts of people in the South-West to spill over into full blown religious violence. Christians must understand this plan and resist it with the opposite spirit that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ enjoined on us – a spirit of love. We must think clearly and distinguish the regular Muslim from Boko Haram. We must remind ourselves of the fact that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God – this weapon is that of love enmeshed in a spirit of tolerance and understanding; such spirit that has characterized the relationship between Muslims and Christians in the South-West and which must not be lost to the confusion in the land.

While this essay may be directed more to Christians in this country, I would also use this opportunity to call upon all Muslim to publicly denounce Boko Haram and show that there is a difference between them and these terrorists. There is a sense in it that the actions or inactions of some Muslims have contributed to the fears and suspicion of their Christian counterpart. I have seen only very few Muslim organizations and even clerics denounce these group’s activities in recent times. I can understand the peril they themselves face with the increased popularity of this sect among northern youths who

The Streets of Maiduguri

are mostly poor and ignorant. There is a void in the mindset of this army of jobless youths that Boko Haram has taken advantage of. To speak against their activities in some states in Nigeria can be suicidal. Nonetheless, it must be done. Southern Muslims can help their northern counterparts by championing this course. This will go a long way in dispelling the fears in Christians and it will help them to see the distinction between the true Muslim and Boko Haram.

One thing is certain on my mind: Nigeria will see the end of the murderous sect. We have gone through worse situations before and our God has delivered this nation. God is a Nigerian and because Nigeria is His primary constituency, He will yet save this nation. With this spirit of optimism Christians must approach the place of prayer and call upon God to save Nigeria. Let us pray for our men and women in the armed forces: that God will help them in this onerous job of keeping the security of our fatherland. I look forward to the day when Christians will organize relief efforts for people who have been ravaged by these insurgents’ activities. Let brotherly love continue in Nigeria and let us ensure that hate, suspicion and fear comes to an end. Nigeria is an idea from God and not Lord Luggard. He has his reason for setting up this country and for endowing it so much. We must be the generation that will not fail God but rather be instrumental in bringing his good purpose to pass. Christianity and Islam have clear distinction in beliefs, and for us Christians who are earnest about winning souls for Christ, this attitude of suspicion and mistrust will defeat that purpose. However, an environment of love, tolerance and peace is what will allow us share our convictions with our Muslim counterparts while giving them the freedom to accept or reject our ideas.

When Jesus said Christians are the salt of the earth, he was pointing us to a characteristic that we possess inherently and that is our ability to preserve. Our presence in this nation is preserving its unity. And it is because of our beliefs. The moment we sell our belief in love, tolerance and peace for that of mistrust, suspicion

Says these kids from the north and south of Nigeria

and hate we would loose our ability to preserve this country. Jesus said if salt has lost its flavor, it is only good to be discarded. May we not be the generation that will be recorded in history that witnessed the disintegration or "discarding" of this country. Let us free our minds of suspicion; let us turn our back on hate message; and let brotherly love continue. This way we will see the end of our mutual enemy: Boko Haram, and Nigeria will be saved.

MENTAL ATTITUDE SIN

Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man:  but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man – Matthew 15: 17-19

In Matthew 5 Jesus Christ, in His characteristic revolutionary manner, redefined the purpose and intent of the laws God gave through Moses by stating “You have heard that it was said of them of old…, but I say unto you…”: he showed that it was not just enough to murder and break the law, the mere fact that a man is angry or unforgiving already attracts the penalty of murder. He also showed that we need not commit

The "righteous" Pharisee and the "sinful" Tax-Collector

adultery before the act is done; lust has broken that law already. Jesus was saying in effect that there was another kind of sin, a heart sin, a sin we could say is greater than other sins, a sin that is many times not overtly obvious but hidden in the heart but is equally as ignominious to God as the very obvious sins and might be even more heinous than they. These sins we may term: Mental Attitude Sins¹.

Mental attitude sins are sins that originate from the heart and can lead to very obvious “physical” sins. The challenge with mental attitude sins is that sometimes these sins do not leave the heart; they originate from there and remain there and can be there for years; dormant and waiting. The individual who is guilty of them may not even know he is in such a mental state of mind. Mental attitudes sins are pride, lust, anger, malice, jealousy, rudeness, bitterness, hatred, envy, uncleanness, revenge, unforgiveness, self righteousness, covetousness, insecurity and a host of others such sins. They are what one may term first grade sins because, like Christ showed us in Matthew 5, they form the root from where arise more heinous sins. Jesus Christ taught about mental attitude sins (although he did not call them that) to point us to two things: that the dispensation of grace would demand more from us in terms of righteousness and holy living than the time of Moses; and that true holy living is beyond keeping the letters of a set of laws. It is important that we remind ourselves these lessons again.

In first century Palestine when Jesus walked the face of the earth, the Jewish religion, Judaism, was experiencing some renaissance.  Having been delivered from the Babylonian captivity and having the likes of Ezra and Nehemiah teach them the laws of

Jews taken in Captivity to Babylon

Moses all over again, there was a new found hunger to serve God. If not for the sake of serving Him, but to at least prevent another captivity. What they did not realize was that the religion that Ezra passed to them had again deteriorated, leaving behind a lifeless form of Judaism. It was this religion Jesus met during his earthly sojourn in the flesh and it was this religion that crucified him. Jesus Christ was a contemporary minister. He did not make vague references about the issues he was teaching on, except when he gave parables in fulfillment of scripture. Jesus’ teachings came in stark contrast to those of the religious teachers of those days, so that while ordinary people loathed listening to these men, whose self righteousness shone as the noon day, they listened to Christ gladly (Mark 12:37). And our Lord did not disappoint them. Jesus did not bind heavy demands of the law on the people; rather he showed the true intent of the law. Jesus Christ was real and very compassionate to people who had sinned (John 8:10-11) but condemned the people who seem not to have sinned because of their outward religiosity but were guilty of a greater sins in the heart: mental attitude sins. This was the matter that was being thrashed out in the text that introduces this essay. The religious teachers of His days were accusing his disciples of transgressing some traditions. But Jesus responded by saying that if anyone was breaking God’s laws it was the religious leaders themselves who had “transformed” God’s laws and its original intent to doctrines of men, that gave rise to laws and traditions of the elders. Then Jesus said that it was not what went into a man that defiles him, but what comes from his heart. Defiling in this context will certainly mean sin. Jesus would have us believe that the root course of all sins is from the mental state of a man’s mind; if the man’s mind is oriented towards the laws of God and their true intent, he would obey God’s laws naturally. But if they are not, he will disobey God’s laws. Jesus, like he did in most of His ministry on earth, was redefining the actual purpose of the laws of God. We would see this play out clearly in the trial of Christ that led to his crucifixion. The religious leaders who were bound in a mental state of hatred and malice conjured all sorts of lies to see Jesus crucified, but they did not have any qualms with keeping the demands of the laws even at that period of time.

So it is not a legalistic adherence to a list of codes written in a book that makes a man holy, rather it is a conscious attention to the state of a man’s heart that makes him holy. For example, the man who has learnt the art of shielding his mind from lustful advances and guides his eyes, is more likely to win over sexual sins than another who has a head adherence to the law: “thou shall not commit adultery”. The day he takes leave of his senses because of the enormity of the temptation at the moment is the day he will commit adultery because he simply will just forget the law and do the act.

It also leads us to the spirit of the New Testament: which is that God has taken His laws, which hitherto he had written on tablets of stone, and has put them on our hearts (Hebrew 8:10). If those laws were written externally, we will need to continually resort to external forces to keep them. If they are written on our hearts and entrenched there, we would simply breadth out what is already inside: holiness (remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 15). Some are of the opinion that the grace that came with the New Testament came to help us keep God’s laws of the Old Testament. This is far from the

truth of scripture (2 Corinthians 3:3,6; Hebrew 8:13). The nature of the New Testament laws is that these laws of God are more in number; richer and more demanding than the laws of the Old Testament. These laws were structured to tame the flesh (Colossians 2:23b) and they are meant to be progressively applied to the New Testament believer. While the Old Testament placed its the demands on the Jews all at once, the laws in the New Testament come one after the other, by the witness of the Spirit in our hearts. And as the Christian learns to obey them, he grows progressively in grace and holiness.

One primary difference between the Old and the New Covenant is grace. In the New Testament there is grace to keep God’s demands in our hearts. We will find them as we resort to God in prayer and the study of His word. But one other means of grace must not be forgotten and that is preaching. It is important that God’s people, who are being discipled in the way of righteousness, place themselves under the ministry of a godly, sanctified, grace-filled minister of the New Testament, who will feed them with the word of God; with which they can go out to live righteous lives (John 21:15). Many Christians fail in their Christian walk because they either do not have godly role models to pattern their lives after; or the messages they hear every Sunday lack the grace ingredient to live holy during the week (Hebrew 13:9); or the ministers themselves have traded the oil of holiness at the lap of Delilah and are passing to the congregation a defiled spirit that leads the people to act likewise. God intends to give his people grace to live the Christian life – for there is yet a temptation that will arise that God has not made adequate means of escape from.

One other reason why we need to remind ourselves of the concept of mental attitude sin is so that Christians may learn to shed off the toga of self righteousness that perfection of works seem to impart on us. When we realize that God does not measure sin the way we do, and also discover that mental attitude sins are as grave or if not more serious than some overtly obvious sins, then we will learn to be humble and talk more in terms of the righteousness that proceeds from grace than the one that comes from works. God hate sin. God will judge every sin. And for those in Christ, God has judged their sins in Him. We need to be continually humbled by the fact that the most upright Christian is as much a sinner as the carnal one, because there is no one without sin (1 John 1:8),  both of them are equally guilty before God (Romans 3:19). But because they

Mental Attitude Sins

are Christians, scripture refers to them as “saints” (1 Corinthians 1:2); this title does not originate from the Pope but from the righteousness of Christ Jesus imputed on us, as we identify with his death and resurrection in faith (1 Corinthians 1:30). When we do this we see that we are all debtors to God’s mercy and grace – regardless of our state of maturity. This does not remove the fact that if Christians are found in overt sins, they must be cautioned and sometimes disciplined, but only with the hope of restoring the erring brother and it must be done in love (Galatians 6:1).

When Jesus said we should not judge our brother, I believe he meant it in the sense of labeling some other Christians as sinners while we are the righteous. The truth of the matter is that some of us come from well shielded and protective backgrounds and would not have been exposed to the temptation that some other believers are. Even if we come from the same background, we are all at different levels of grace, faith and exposure, and God’s expectations of every one of us differ. We cannot judge another Christian because we do not see the whole picture. And while we judge and label them as something, the believer, who is a Priest before God, may have entered the holy of holies by the blood of the Lamb, found forgiveness and cleansing for his sins, and proceeded out to be a new person in the Lord. All this while, we join the devil in the ministry of accusation and condemnation. If there is one lesson this author has learnt: it is never to judge Christians on some mere acts of sin – regardless of how grievous. I will take up issues with any man on matters that border on doctrine and scriptural interpretations; but I thread very carefully in the matter of practice and overt sin. And I think it is a good practice for every one of us because we may be the one in need of restoration from some sin tomorrow.

The wonder of the New Testament is the blessing of the cross of Jesus Christ. Christ Jesus lived and died that we might enjoy the fullness of being sons of God. By Him we have a righteousness that is sure. By him we have access to the presence of the Father.

Put your hope in the Done Work of the Cross
and you shall be be Saved

By Him the written code, the laws of Moses, are abrogated and we are free to follow the leading of God’s Holy Spirit. By Him we have a Sure Hope, heaven, a place of rest, comfort and everlasting enjoyment of God. By Him we have peace in this world despite every tribulation. And by Him we can overcome the deepest mental sin state in our heart that we alone know; and sometimes we do not even know, but God knows. Jesus came that he may deliver men from their sins: including the worst of them all, mental attitude sins (Matthew 1:21).

1.     The Concept of Mental Attitude Sins is taught by many ministers including the Late R. B. Thieme (Jnr). You will find them in his books.
2. I would be very glad if anyone, by reading this essay, came to the consciousness of his own sinfulness and a need of Savior. I would enjoin you to call upon the name of Jesus Christ, in your own words, as you truly feel in your mind, in the privacy of your heart; and you will be saved. You can send me an email: yesufudeji@yahoo.com and I will rejoice with you and find some ways to encourage you along in this new found faith in Christ.