TITHES AND OFFERINGS...NOT JUST FOR THE CHURCH

REV. FR OKITE EXPLAINS THE LAW ON TITHES IN THE LIGHT OF GOD'S CONCERN FOR THE POOR

I call on all priests & ministers of the Gospel to rethink the meaning of our life and vocation as priests/ ministers. Each person should ask himself why he chose to become a priest or a Gospel minister. What does God expect of me as a priest? The priest is alter Christus, another Christ. What this means is that people who encounter me should be able to see the touching presence of Christ in and through me. They should be able to feel Chist's love and compassion, his care and concern. My words should reveal and reflect Christ's message of hope and salvation. During our retreat, I told the retreatants the story of a young priest (and this is a true story) who, intending to bamboozle his audience with high sounding theological terms, kept repeating to them "As a priest, I am altar Christi." And I said to him what do you mean by that? He replied, you know nah, it means another Christ. I corrected him. He intended to say "alter Christus". But I added, how I wish you meant the one you said, "altar Christi" because that is also a grammatically possible expression in Latin, and it means "altar of Christ". You see being a priest involves sacrifice. The priest should be ready to become the altar upon which the sacrifice of the Christian community will be offered. He should be ready to bear the sacrifice upon himself.
But what we find is a situation where the priest/pastor thinks he is there to enjoy life. The priest/minister of the Word craves a life of affluence and excessive wealth.
The minister/priest  should take a look at the inaugural message of Christ in Luke 4,16-30 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor. .." The priest who models himself after Christ cannot but take seriously this mission to the poor. But what we find in the Church today is an overall exploitation of the poor masses. Some parish priest/pastors cannot begin and end a Sunday mass/without calling for two or more extra collections outside the regular offertory. This is highly unacceptable. I call this "exploitation of the people's faith and devotion." Presently Nigeria is going through one of the worst economic downturn in its history. Life is at its ebb. Families can't afford their food daily. Yet they somehow manage to give some to the Church and the priest. We should all be grateful for this. But the greedy priest is not satisfied with this. He must, like Oliver Twist, ask for more, and more and more, until the pockets are drained. That is exploitation. The priest should take cognisance of the real life situations of his flock. Part of our duty as priests in these hard times is to help our people to navigate through the difficulties that face them, and we cannot do this if we exploit them financially.

Let me give you another example of how we are exploiting the people. Recently the idea of tithes and tithing has crept into the Catholic Church in Igboland. Clearly this is one of those influences we are picking up from Pentecostalism. However, is it justitifiable biblically and otherwise? My answer is a categorical NO. In the Old Testament texts which speak about tithes, the whole idea was that of a redistribution of wealth, in order to make sure that the people who don't have would get something from those who have more. It was not something principally to be offered to priests or those who served at the altar. If you take Deut 14:22-29 for instance, this point becomes clear. I call on everyone, both priests and lay faithful to go and read this passage very well. The idea here is that there was an annual occasion for tithing, in which each family was to take one tenth (i.e. the tithe) of their year's produce to the temple, and there in the temple the family itself (not the priests) will together eat what they have brought. In their feasting however, they are enjoined not to forget the Levites, "because they have no property or inheritance". They should also remember to share some of it with "the resident foreigner, the orphan and the widow." So tithing as the book of Deuteronomy makes clear is an occasion for feasting, in which a part of it is shared with the poor, namely the Levites, the resident foreigners, the widows and orphans.
One may argue that the priests are the Levites of our time. That may be correct, but in this passage what entitles the Levites to a share in the tithe is not his serving the Lord, but the fact of his possessing no property. The priests of today (or in the Protestant and Pentecostal churches, the pastor, minister, evangelist) all have possessions: cars, landed property, fat bank accounts, etc. They no longer belong to the poor who were meant to eat the tithes with the people. The primary concern in the Deuteronomic law on tithes is that the people, by means of a communion meal before the Lord, involving one tenth of their produce, should recognise God as the one who gave the land and its increase, and that they should share it with those who do not have.
When we come to the famous passage in Malachi 3, God laments that the people rob him by not bringing in their tithes. This passage in Malachi can only be interpreted in reference to the bringing in of tithes means in Deuteronomy. That is to say, God laments that people were not bringing their tithes to the temple to eat as the Law requires, but were eating them them at home. And by doing so, the poor people including the Levites, the widows and orphans, could not get their own share. God's concern for the poor is offended.
Now leaving the Bible aside, let's talk of morality and justice. What moral justification can a priest/pastor who owns a car, sometimes the latest model in town, has millions in his bank account, owns buildings all over, lives in Parish house that is paid for and catered for by the parishioners, whose feeding and overhead expenses are taken care of by others. What moral justification can such a person ever have to demand that a poor parishioner, whose earning is so meagre, should give him 10% of it, under false pretence that you are the modern day Levite. There is a huge difference. The difference is that the modern day priest/pastor is, to say the least, well-to-do while the ancient Levite was destitute. When the priest or minister or pastor under the pretext of being a Levite, demands tithes from his congregation, that would amount to exploitation and forming part of the oppressive machinery. Only a warped sense of rightness, fuelled by egoism, will allow that.
So my advice to fellow priests/pastors/ministers of the Word is that we should keep the seeking of self interest and financial gains by the side and focus on service to the people.
On a further note, discipline and self control are very important in our lives as priests/pastors.

Pls forward this message if you found it enlightening and eye-opening. Help save our poor masses from the greed of those who should know better.....

COCA COLA AND AFRICA...

EXPOSED!!! How Coca Cola is planning mass killing

New Nation TVWednesday, March 15, 2017 A+ A-

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!

They are killing us slowly in Nigeria, and we do not know.

Apparently, for 9 years, a civil law case has been going on against Coca Cola Bottling Company, manufacturers of Fanta and Sprite,

 That impacts directly on our health and lives.

Let me try and paraphrase it, so una no go sleep off.

Basically, one Dr Fijabi, had in 2007, bought  about N12 million worth of Fanta and Sprite drinks from Coca Cola Ltd, and exported same to the United Kingdom.

However, on reaching England, under Health and Safety regulations, the authorities tested the products and found them to contain "poisonous levels of  Benzoic Acid and Sunset addictives"

And were therefore declared "unfit for human consumption".

The whole export consignment was consequently destroyed.

Dr Fijabi therefore, sued  Coca Cola for Negligence, breach of duty of care to its customers, and loss of earnings.

Fine.

Now comes the interesting part, so sit your yansh well :

The Almighty Coca Cola offered only one defence in court :

That Mr Fijabi did not tell them he was going to Export the Fanta and Sprite to England;

That they were indeed manufactured "FOR LOCAL CONSUMPTION ONLY."

What???

For local consumption?

Make I continue?? Hmmmmmmmmmm

So what Coca Cola Bottling Company is telling us, is that,

If they knew the Fanta and Sprite were to be exported to England, they would not have added so much poisonous acid;

But for the people of Nigeria, it is normal to poison us.

Chikena.

That is the official courtroom statement of Coca Cola Bottling Company of Nigeria.

Yesterday, The Lagos High Court under Justice Adedayo Oyebanji, was 'crying'  when She gave judgement against Coca Cola, declaring them callous and negligent.

She 'cursed the parents' of NAFDAC  for not carrying out proper laboratory checks on 'minerals' production in Nigeria.

Cancer was listed as one of the ailments that the present Fanta and sprite can cause, especially if taken with Vitamin C tablets.

She therefore, ordered Coca Cola to henceforth add a WRITTEN WARNING on Fanta and Sprite bottles that "this product must not be taken with Vitamin C."

Once again, Oyinbo has come to our rescue.

This is stuff you people in Nigeria should concern yourselves about,

Not whether Dollar has gone up or down.

Nor the sex scandal between Apostle Sulaiman and Miss Otobo (Utobo). Nor the President's health.

http://www.newnationtv.com/2017/03/exposed-how-coca-cola-is-planning-mass.html?m=0

BIAFRA by Col.Achuzia

Biafra by Col Achuzia
Published December 23, 2016 by George Israel

'BIAFRA ‘

Col Achuzia recently published that ‘Biafra does not mean secession ‘. According to him ‘WE’ are proud Biafrans living in Nigeria. The Biafran agitation is an expression coming from perceived general frustrations of ‘some’ Igbos as a result of deliberate marginalizations & deprivations.

However, the approach is wrong. Why? Igbos have more to lose in Biafra than being part of Nigeria. The economic losses from the 30 months civil war have been recovered and our people do not seem to know that that dominant progress angers the other federating units who hate the Igbos.

Unfortunately, Igbos have not been able to collectively organise themselves politically – both at the local levels of tradition, intellectual – towards a central command for national relevance. It is this failure that gave credence to the costly, life threatening, ill-timed, disconnected struggle for Biafra; generally ancored around under informed “seemingly” jobless youths.

Biafra quest, remains in the spirits of all segments of the Nigerian “fabric” – from North to South, East to West etc. This is why there are so many groupings – from the 19 Northern Governors Group, to Arewa Consultative Forum, the South West Odua Peoples Congress with a strong, influential respectable political blocks. What is common with these groups is their respect for their traditional kingship systems that give them a central voice, command & control posts. So they are more organised. That explains why the quests for their “BIAFRAs” is more organised, better planned and *silently* being executed.

  For example the 19 Northern Governors have successfully disconnected the dependence of their economies from the national power grid by signing an MoU with the General Electric ((GE) to instal a massive SOLAR POWER Project. So they are independent as long as electricity is concerned. That’s their “Biafra”. The Kaduna refinery is to receive crude from Niger. That’s another “BIAFRAN” independence. Their River Basins are producing and providing food.
North East is to rehabilitated from a statutory percentage of the Nigerian annual national budget. Their airports & roads are being upgraded to international standards. Their rail lines are working, connecting cities & new routes being constructed – Kaduna – Abuja route. In the whole Nigeria, its ONLY Kaduna that is connected to Abuja by both road and rail. That’s the true quest for “Biafra”!
THE WEST

Lets look around the West for their quest for their “BIAFRA”. Lagos – A Mega city project projected on the local and migrant populations in Lagos State & environ; AT THE EXPENSE OF THE SETTLER ENTREPRENEURS, BUSINESSMEN (including the Igbos) DEVELOPMENTS, TAXES and ENTERPRISES. Expansions of Murtala Mohammed Int & Local Airports, concessions, The Free Trade Zone (copied after the moribund TINAPA), ANOTHER ongoing AIRPORT and the SEAPORT CONSTRUCTIONS at the Lekki axis, New towns and sprawling HOUSING ESTATES (including EKO ATLANYIC CITY Project), the  10 (Ten) Lane expansion of the Lagos – Badagry EXPRESSWAY into the international gateway to the Rep. of Benin and by extension the West African subregional economies, the Fashola’s Rail line linking Badagry through Alaba Int. Mkt, Aspanda, Orile, Arts Theatre, CMS, VI, Lekki to the Free Trade Zone(FTZ), the 4th Mainland Bridge concessioned to a Japanese Consortium to link Ikorodu to Lekki/Aja axis, by extension the FTZ, the Expressway Road links to all South West cities.

Today you can practically exit Lagos by choice, through Ikorodu, Ajah, Lagos Ibadan Expressway. And if you are coming from Badagry, you can connect from Ijaniki – Eba axis to Lagos/Abeokuta linking you direct to Shagamu (without getting into Lagos). Same developments are going on in all South West major cities of Abeokuta, Ijebu Edo axis, Akure, Oshogbo, Ado Ekiti, Ife (and Ile Ife), Ibadan,  linking Ilorin, Lokoja and Edo; energising their economies. THESE ARE THE TRUE QUESTS OF THEIR “BIAFRA”.
Now the question “Is there a solid economic base to support this South Eastern Biafran agitation”?.

Your answer is as good as mine. The Southern governors cannot come together (like the South Western, Northern Governors) ON ANY common economic activity. The roads that link Anambra to Imo are motorable to the limits of Anambra boundry. Neither Ohakim nor Rochas saw the need to link the comkon communities of the 2 states on that axis. Same goes to Imo/Abia/Akwa Ibom (Umuahia) axis. They will say… Federal Roads. Are the South West / the North not also Federal roads?

South Eastern governors CANNOT come together for a common front on regional or national issues. They are endlessly, mutually distrusting. Our Igwes and Ezes (Kings) have been decimated using President General (PG) structures (by same clueless Governors) for selfish politics to destroy our strong traditional institutions. Now the Igbos are being ridiculed for lack of respect for themselves, their institutions and their heros and hardly any consensus on regional/national politiacl issues. So how can the “Biafran” project stand?.

The 2nd Airport in Igbo land, at Owerri was built by commendable community efforts and thereafter handed over to the Federal government without any compensation – end of story! Our people who had occupied the select positions of Aviation Ministers – Kema Chikwe, Stella Odua, Osita Chidoka etc., must have tried their best but they could not see their own “Biafra” by improving the facilities beyond making Owerri Airport a Cargo Airport! By the way, its ONLY Owerri Airport, in the whole Nigeria that was built with the “slave” deprevations of Igbo contributions and without compensation for community land and resource contributions and levies.

About a month was the Annual Zik’s Lecture Series which held at the Social Sciences Faculty of the UNIZIK Awka and sponsored by no less an Igbo personality as Sen Ndi Obi. Laughably, no South Eastern Governor was in attendant. The highest attendant was just the Deputy Governor of Anambra State Dr. Ikem Okeke. Whereas the former VP Atiku ABUBAKAR had time to come as the Chairman of the occassion to honour the Great Zik, whereas the former Kenyan Prime Minister – Odinga was the Guest Speaker. How can we push the quest for the struggle if we do not care to honour our internationally acknowledged best – The Great Zik of Aftica. When the West remembers their AWO, our people will be lobbying to be invited! Here we can’t honour ours. November 26, was the date of  Odumegwu OJUKWU’s memorial. No advertorial nor any rememberance was recorded. I can go & on. We don’t need to bring our youths, the future leaders, in a defenseless agitation for “Biafra”. We need to act like a blessed people of God who came from after the civil war to great heights worldwide. We need to hold on to our control of the Nigerian commerce & move into industrial monopoly of the Nigerian economy like the Chinese, Indians, Lebanese. We need to build developmental capacities for the Igboland. We need more Innosons. Anambra, Imo, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi States previous and serving governors should set up fora, create and selflessly impliment SOUTH EASTERN INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT PLANS – in the areas of agric, roads network infrastructure, ecomony, education, power, natural resources, strategic positioning for political orientation. Gov. Peter Obi initiated the Anambra Intrgrated Development Strategy (ANIDS). Why  not also create  as governors, the South Eastern Integrated Development Strategy (SEIDS) and membership will be made up of all the current & previous Governors and 1st Class Kings and Igwes.

That should be the starting point for the real quest for “BIAFRA”. Therefore we must start guiding OUR YOUTHS to stop presenting themselves through the current Biafran Agitations to the trigger-happy Nigerian Soldiers for ETHNIC CLEANSING of our valuable youths.