Tuesday 10 January 2017

Return as G.O or we go to court

Return as general overseer or we go to court, CASER tells Adeboye


The Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights (CASER) has called on Pastor Enoch Adeboye to rescind his resignation as the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

The call came in a statement issued by the Executive Director of the Abuja-based human rights group, Mr Frank Tietie, on Tuesday.

Tietie said CASER would seek a court order to compel Adeboye to reverse his decision should the “holy man of God’’ refuse to voluntarily do so.

Adeboye stepped down as the General Overseer of the RCCG in Nigeria on Saturday on the basis of the controversial Corporate Governance Code of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN).

The code, which stipulates a 20-year maximum tenure for heads of religious groups and civil rights organisations, among other provisions, was suspended by the Federal Government on Monday.

But for the suspension, the regulation could have also seen the exit of other affected men of God from the headship of their churches.

They include Bishop David Oyedepo (Living Faith Church Worldwide aka Winners’ Chapel); Pastor William Kumuyi (Deeper Christian Life Ministry) and Bishop Mike Okonkwo (The Redeemed Evangelical Mission).

“CASER urges the highly revered Pastor Adeboye to change his mind and rescind his resignation as the General Overseer of RCCG.

“Where, therefore, the holy man of God refuses to review his decision to resign, CASER shall seek an order of court to compel him to remain as the general overseer.’’

He said the group was acting, not only in the interest of members of the RCCG who respect Adeboye, but also in the interest the Church generally.

Monday 9 January 2017

ADEBAYO BLAST FG OVER LAWS AGAINST CHRISTIANS, TELLS RCCG TO PREPARE FOR 2019


Adeboye blasts FG over laws against Christians, tells RCCG to prepare for 2019

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General Overseer (Worldwide) of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has warned the Federal Government to stop meddling in church matters.
Adeboye, who spoke yesterday at the Redemption Camp, Kilometre 46, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State, expressed worries over deliberate anti-Christian laws by the Federal Government against Christians.
“The government has been showing increasing interest in church affairs. Unfortunately, for us in RCCG, it might not be very helpful,” Adeboye said.
He accused the government of not allowing the church (RCCG) to continue with its stipulated lifetime 100 per cent salaries to its pensioners.
“For example, when I decided on what will be the pension of our pastors, what I decided is not done anywhere in the world. That somebody will retire and continue to earn full salaries all his lifetime.
“This, I started, but government stepped in and made a law that we should be contributing to pension fund.
“We have to obey and we started doing that. The result is that pastors don’t get as much as they were getting under our own previous arrangement. But, what can we do? We have to obey the law,” he disclosed.
Adeboye disclosed that other fresh laws had been enacted by the government to ruffle the feathers of the church in the country, with a particularly targeted at the RCCG.
Adeboye also urged members of RCCG to register as card-carrying members of political parties ahead 2019 general elections.
His words: “Now there are fresh laws. We have a rough idea of what the law is about.
“Some people believe that RCCG is becoming too influential and we’re going to be more influential. When you get home, tell members to join a political party.
“Join a party and become a card-carrying member of any party. Just join any party. We shall decide issues right from the ward level.
“If you are not active at ward level, you’ll do what they plan and say at the top. Enrol in any party of your choice and have a card. When holding meetings at ward level to choose delegates, be there.”
“One Muslim in Ibadan said years ago that he didn’t know what’s wrong with Christians; that we help them to occupy political positions and refused to capitalise on our population. That’s going to change from now,” Adeboye stated.

Thursday 5 January 2017

HOW MY PASTOR LOST HIS POWER


One aspect of Delilah that broke my guard was her food! ‘Delicious’ was an understatement when it comes to her dishes... as soon as she came, my fasting life died! The grace of fasting just dissipated. At 6.00am, she woke me up with a cup of cold juice, then followed with ‘fries’ – it could be fried chicken, fried turkey; fried goat meat; fried fish, fried snails and other bush meat from their country home of Gaza. Her service was another thing! She never delegated my food to house girls, she brought it herself: She never served me standing. She went on her two knees and pulled me by the ear with the pet name she coined for me: “Sam, the Great”... “Great is my Samson”! I also responded with “Del, the Den” My head swells up any time she tickles me with her finger and whispers “Sam, the Great”, but my heart shrinks. Some measure of anointing just drop off my spirit... She perfected my drinking spree, she never rushed me to finish a bottle. She knows how to mix different grill of wine. She served me sip by sip; “sip by sip’, I wouldn’t know when I have finished five bottles. She had all the time. She gave me full time attention! I never begged her for sex. She satisfied me to the full. I was the one who usually begged her to release me. I had no need to go out any more. She was never boring! She changed her dresses like chameleon, with assorted perfumes. As soon as I married Delilah, I was also a full time ‘househusband’. I never went for raids any more. You know before now, despite my backsliding; these were occasions when the Spirit will remind me of my call: and my call was to kill and route out the Philistines from our Father’s land. I will just jump up and go furiously looking for any Philistine’s camp to raid. That was my own form of evangelism. All of this finished for me. I began to actually cherish the Philistines. I reasoned: ‘why should we insist they leave the land?’ I began to propose a co-existence with these uncircumcised. Besides, I had put on so much weight that I could not carry myself easily about again. I had no disciple to send or any army that I have raised and taught the principles of warfare. I did not transfer the anointing to anyone. I was a loner. I was alone, now trapped between the breast and the lap of ‘Del, the Den’. When I proposed that we should have children, Delilah objected, saying the honeymoon had not finished; besides Children will interrupt our “love play” too early. Little did I know she was planning to cut me short out of the land of the living. That was why I had no descendant or do you know any of my sons that I gave birth to? My father’s name perished in Israel with me. I squandered my father’s inheritance, I left no next of kin. I was a useless son to my father and my cherished mother Manoah’s name had since been forgotten in our tribe of Dan... Delilah occupied me so much, I forgot my calling; I lost my vision and I lost contact with my people. None of them could visit me while Delilah was around, she stood at the gate and told them I was sleeping and none should disturb me. She cut me off from all who would have reinforced my life in fellowship; all who would have prayed with me, she estranged me from! She got me isolated from my roots. She so occupied me with vanities.

Brethren, let's watch out for every Delilah in our lives as we are 2017. And if you are already trapped by one, even the lawful captive can be delivered. Let's trace back our steps to the cross, to where we 1st met Him and ask Him to fix us up again. He can restore lost hope, lost vision and lost lives. And if you are yet to give your life to Jesus, this is just the right time to ask Jesus to come into your heart as your Lord and personal Savior and lo all things will become new.
 Have a blossom 2017 .
God loves you and so do I.

© 2017 Rhemanites

Friday 16 December 2016

THE JOURNEY IS SO SHORT


A young lady sat in  public transport: an old grumpy lady came and sat by her as she bumped into her with her numerous bags. The other neighbor got upset, asking the young lady why she did not protest and insist on her rights: she responded with a smile: "It is not necessary to be rude or argue over something so insignificant!' I'll alight at the next stop, our journey together is so short, replied the young lady".

Here's a response which deserves to be written in golden letters in our daily behaviour and everywhere:
It is not necessary to argue over something so insignificant, our journey together is so short

This touched my heart and set me thinking.

If everyone would realize that our passage down here has such a short duration and; to darken it with quarrels, futile arguments, unforgiveness, ungratefulness and bad attitudes would be a waste of time and energy.

Did someone break your heart? Be calm, the journey is so short!!

Did someone betray, bully, cheat or humiliate you? Be calm, forgive, the journey is so short!!

Whatever penalty anyone serves us, let's remember that the journey together is so short...

Let us therefore be filled with gratitude and sweetness. Sweetness is a virtue never likened to bad character nor cowardice, but better likened to greatness.

Our journey together down here is really short and cannot be reversed...
No one knows the duration of his/her journey!!

Even Methuselah, the longest lived man got to his bus stop and alighted from bus

Two years ago, a well known Minister of God, Dr Myles Munroe and his wife Ruth Munroe, together with Pastor Richard Pinder, Pastors Lavard and Rudel Parks and their two children took off from Bahamas going for a crusade; none of them got to the crusade ground. They all got to their last bus stops and all alighted with a plane crash.

As we wake up to see each day light, millions of people: young, old, mid-age somehow get to their respective bus stops and must alight. We all pray to live long. And I pray for you reading this post; that you shall live long and fulfill God's purpose for you on earth in Jesus name.
But REMEMBER, the journey is so short.

No one knows when they will get to their last bus stop where they will have to alight !! Meditate on this my brethren. The journey is so short.  50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, or 150 years all start with one day. You surely know how many years you have spent, but do you know how many more you have to spend? 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 or 99 year(s), months, weeks or days, hours, minutes or seconds. The journey is so short.

Therefore, cherish and hold on to friends, family and the people around you! Be calm, be respectful, be kind, and be thankful. Love God; hold no offence.!! Be forgiving!!!
The journey is so short!

No matter what anyone has done to hurt you, always remember that: "it is so insignificant." Be quick to forgive. Hold no grudge; the journey is so short.

Never forget that however long we pray to live for; the journey down here is so so short!!
Everyone will account.
God bless us all.
With all my love
"From your friend and sibling in Christ".

©2016 Prince Umez

Tuesday 13 December 2016

MMM – ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD



By the recent count in Nigeria, over three million people have subscribed to MMM and 90% of them don’t even know what the acronym MMM means and not bothered to check their history.
MMM was established in 1989 by Sergei Mavrodi, Vyacheslav Mavrodi and Olga Melnikova in Russia during one of their worst economic period and hyperinflation. They adopted their surnames and derived the name MMM. The company grew very fast as people were eager to cash in and make quick returns based on the promise that they could make as much 30,000% in annual returns. MMM founder was soon arrested for tax evasion and the company ceased operations. At this point, MMM owed their investors between $50 million and $1.5 billion. It is recorded that at least 50 investors, having lost all of their money, committed suicide.

MMM is banned in China because it is believed that it is fraudulent. It operates in South Africa, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. It has recorded phenomenal growth in Nigeria because of the current recession and the fact many people are easily carried away by such opportunities to make quick money and ‘hammer’.

Just like it did in South Africa and Zimbabwe, Nigerians are requested to register and invest money and after 30 days, they receive a 30% profit plus the invested money. But people really just do not realise or understand that what they simply do is take money from you to pay the next person. Nigerians must understand that the money collected are not invested in anything tangible income generating asset.

History about to repeat itself – the story of Umana Bank

For people who were born in the late ‘80s and beyond, you may not be familiar with the story of Umana Bank. Dr. Umana ran his ‘bank’ in Port Harcourt and paid his depositors 100% interest on any amount they deposited after four weeks. Customers were given the option to withdraw their principal and interest or re-invest the money for another four weeks. It was Nigeria’s first experience with wonder banks and everyone – rich and poor, wives and husbands, educated and illiterate, teachers and university lecturers and even politicians, invested their money with Umana Bank. Many people sold all they had and deposited the money with Umana Bank. It was like wild fire. As a matter of fact, many banks in the eastern part of Nigeria ran out of cash as people trooped in to withdraw their money to deposit with Umana Bank.

The rest is history as Umana Bank crashed within a few months and all these people who put their faith in an unknown Umana suffered losses. Many of them could not recover from the loss and some of them committed suicide as all their savings had been invested. Umana E. Umana was arrested by the IBB government and that was the last people heard of him and his wonder bank.

Is MMM a fraud?

This is the question many people have asked. While some people believe that MMM is a great opportunity and have proceeded to invest their money, some others are waiting for their doubts to be cleared before they put their money there.

First, who are the promoters of MMM and what is their history? Mavrodi was convicted of fraud in 2007 in Russia and sentenced to four and a half years imprisonment. This was many years after over 50 people had committed suicide after losing their money. He had also declared bankruptcy and disappeared for several years. The MMM fraud is considered one of the biggest financial frauds in Russia. MMM is banned in China.

Second, who are their regulators? None. They are answerable to no one. This also means that there’s no insurance for your money. Should anything happen, you will be on your own.

Final Decision

The decision is ultimately yours. But at least you are aware that MMM has a long history of fraud and Mavrodi himself was sent to prison for fraud. If your money is there already, pray that you recover the money before the bubble bursts and if you do not have money there, you should not. The truth is, sooner or later, just like Umana Bank, the bubble will burst and everyone who invested money will suffer the consequence. When investing your money, always remember that all that glitters is not gold and if it’s too good to be true, maybe it is not.

©2016 Rhema News.