is predestination biblical?

PREDESTINATION

In my undergraduate years, I discovered that the issue of predestination was so controversial like it remain today, that many Christians lived in confusion and disillusionment. Some Christians believe that God has already assigned who will be who in this world. The base of this teaching is ROMAN 8:29. 

    It reads ‘’for whom he did foreknow, he did also predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.’’ The controversy is not derived from the text as a whole but the word Predestination. The question is does God predestine? Is Predestination biblical? Like we have said in the previous topic(get my book ''is the church reprobate?'' on amazon.com), only few people in the history of the world have preexistence before God. Examples are Jesus, our Lord, Jeremiah, Josiah, etc. These few individuals preexisted before God, because even before they were born, their names and acts were already foretold by God.

    Even before his birth, Prophet Isaiah had the privilege to get several information about Christ. In ISAIAH 9:6, the prophet says of Christ, ‘’for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace….’’ Even while he was yet to be born, the Prophets had already declared his acts. Read ISAIAH 53: 1-12. The same could be said of Josiah the king of Judah, Jeremiah the prophet, etc. Read 1KINGS 13:2, JEREMIAH 1:5.

    Besides these few individuals, humans have no preexistence, so there is no way God would determine who is who. If there is predestination, why would God regret creating man in GENESIS 6:1? Would God not have known that man was going to disappoint Him even before creation? Note that we are not trying to determine, here, what God can do or cannot do. But we are only saying that human being, you and I, came to life on a particular day, and assuming today is 27^th February, 2016, at 5.25PM, none of us has any life beyond that particular time.

     Another argument thrown in by Predestination theory is prophesying and dreams. Some people believe that the prophesy they received or dream they dreamed about tomorrow or future is sacrosanct. That is not correct. There are people in scriptures and outside scripture who had prophesies they never realized in their life time. Prophesy and dream is simply a gradient or shadow-cast based on our present positions. For instance, if Mr. A is standing at point D, His shadow cast could simply be at point U. But if Mr. A changes position to point W, his shadow would definitely change from point U. If point U was to be success, now that Mr. A had changed position, would he still be successful? The answer is no. so dream or prophesy is not an attempt for God to allocate destinies; it is simply a sign post as to the suitability or otherwise of your present stands or position.

Ohimai Daniel, +2347032452945

CAN ALLOW NAKEDNESS IN CHURCH, AND KICK AGAINST HIJAB IN SCHOOLS

WHY THIS HYPOCRISY, CAN?

on 3rd June 2016, the Justice of Osun State High Court gave a judgment that permitted female Muslim students in Osun State Secondary Schools to use hijab with their school uniform. In protest of that judgment, the Christian Association of Nigeria, Osun chapter asked their Christian children to wear robes to school.
  To me and many others, the action of CAN was purely hypocritical. The protest was misplaced when you consider what CAN allow in churches. If CAN could allow half-naked women to go to church 'the way they are', is it then not out of jealousy for the same CAN to protest a decent dress in school? If you disagree with me, kindly say so.

 CAN WOULD ALLOW THIS IN CHURCH

 CAN WOULD DISALLOW THIS IN SCHOOL

OHIMAI DANIEL, ohimaidaniel@yahoo.com

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT DIVORCE?

IS THE CHURCH REPROBATE? (4)

The most disturbing anomaly among Christians and Christian’s leader is the recent reckless way the so called believers engage in divorce. Be it initiated by a wife or a husband, divorce in purely unbiblical, and anybody who has engaged in it must do restitution before such a one would make it to heaven. Jesus clearly made it clear that Moses’ law about divorce was only for those with hardness of heart, and no hard- hearted person would ever make it to heaven.

  The question of divorce was clarified by Jesus in MATTHEW 19:4-11. It reads

‘’And He answered and said unto them, have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no man separate. They said to Him why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away? He said to them, Moses, because of the hardness of your heart, permitted you to divorce, but from the beginning, it was not so.

   ‘’And I say unto you, whosoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another commits adultery; and whosoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.’’

   A number of issues are raised in this Bible passage:

Ø  IN THE BEGINNING IT WAS NOT SO. This means divorce is not part of God’s program. Moses is not the last authority of the church but Jesus. Read JOHN 1:17 ‘’for the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus.’’

Ø  DIVORCE WAS INTRODUCED BY MOSES BECAUSE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL LACKED GRACE. The bill of divorce was actually a ploy by Moses to make divorce more complicated, so that those who had already made up their minds could have a rethink when they consider the legal process involved.

Ø  DIVORCE IS ONLY CONSIDERED AT THE SIN OF FORNICATION. Who commits fornication? One who has not already made the MARITAL VOW? Like Mary and Joseph; Joseph thought that Mary had committed fornication when he discovered she was pregnant, and so he thought within himself to put her away privately. That is the only circumstance divorce is allowed. The lady had just been betrothed; no marital vow had been involved. Read MATTHEW 1:18-21.

       Betrothal is similar to today’s ENGAGEMENT, but by the Jewish law, stronger.

So once a MARITAL VOW has been taken, marriage is irreversible, whether the vow was made in error or not. Read what PSALM 15: 4b says: ‘’He who swears to his hurt and changes not.’’ Whether the marriage is favorable or not they must endure. But unfortunately, the end time Church is teaching otherwise. Even when Jesus clearly said, EXCEPT SEXUAL IMMORALITY, Pastors are fashioning several other reasons for divorce.

WHY DID JESUS TALK ABOUT ADULTERY?

Jesus’ words on adultery in verse 9 does not mean that Jesus supported separation without remarry. No. in that verse Jesus was delving more into other sins that divorce could lead one to. So divorce is a separate sin with or without remarry.

WHAT THEN DID PAUL MEAN BY SEPARATION?

Like I said in my book, IS THE CHURCH REPROBATE? (The book is available on AMAZON.COM), many Christians claim to be ignorance of what the Bible says when they are on their way to being reprobate. In 1^st CORINTHIANS 7: 15, Paul says ‘’But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.’’ Note from this Bible passage that a marriage that is properly contracted by Christians is BONDAGE, a vow. But where one marries when one was yet unbeliever, Paul said any vow made at that point could not be said to be binding, particularly when such a partner wants a separation. But Paul cautioned: ‘’ but if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.’’ 1CORINTHIANS 7:11

WHAT OF IF THE DIVORCE IS FILED BY THE OTHER PARTNER?

Divorce is a sin, whether it was initiated by the woman or the man. In fact, before a woman files to divorce a man, the man had already divorced the woman in his heart, and so such a man is already in sin. How do I know?  Read 1 TIMOTHY 5:8 ‘’But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of the household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.’’ This means that every man must provide for his partner sexually, morally, financially, etc. once this is done, the other partner would not have any moral ground for divorce. Even when the partner is hell bent on divorce, the child of God must do the unimaginable. Be humble enough to beg your partner.

WHAT ABOUT PASTORS WHO HAD DIVORCE THEIR WIVES?

They are all guilty before God and His Word, and only RESTITUTION can save them

  Remember lastly that this teaching is not for everyone. It would be taken by those it is meant for, MATTHEW 19:10, 11.

OHIMAI DANIEL, ohimaidaniel@yahoo.com

why christians should not direct request to Angels

 Is the Church Reprobate? (3)

ANGEL AS MINISTERING SPIRIT

Hebrews chapter 1 verse 14 tells us than Angels of God are ministering spirit sent by God to minister to us, children of God.  But recently, some believers and pastors believe they could either give command or make request to angels. 

    The Bible does not contain such teaching. Every request is supposed to be directed to God, and every command directed to Satan or his works. Jesus’ teaching was that whatever we need is in God’s hands, therefore we are to pray to God in the name of Jesus, JOHN 14:13. 

   Angel of God only receives instruction from God, not even Jesus let alone man, because while Jesus was here, he was made a little lower than the angels, HEBREWS 2:7. Even when Jesus would have needed the help of angels in Gethsemane, he told Peter,     ‘’thinkest thou that  I cannot  now pray to my  father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?’’MATTHEW 26:53.

    We must understand that petition is part of worship. Angels of the devils are such because they deprive men from going to their creator to get help instead they stand on the way to proffer counterfeit solutions. 

    Any angel we engage with that gives any help or solution is not an angel of God. None of us is expected to communicate to either  saint or an angel, but Jesus says ‘’when you want to pray, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to THY FATHER WHICH IS IN SECRET, AND THY FATHER WHICH SEETH IN SECRET SHALL REWARD THEE OPENLY, MATHEW 6:6. God could decide to answer you by dispatching His angel for help, MATTHEW 4:6; 26:53, PSALM 91:11. 

    Lastly take this Paul’s counsel: ‘’let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.’’ COLOSSIANS 2:18. 
ohimai daniel, +2347032452945

ohimai daniel, 

why christains call Jesus God http://servedbytrackingdesk.com/576cbdab6019f8205cb391ba/click/1

WHY CHRISTIANS CALL JESUS GOD

We are taking just a little break from our usual topic IS THE CHURCH REPROBATE, to consider a bunny issue, one that I have tried to explain to my Muslim friends. I decide today to publish this topic here because of my belief that it would benefit several people both Christians and non-Christians alike. Happy reading

   To the non-Christians, this is the most controversial aspect of Christianity that they cannot fathom. They would ague, ‘’why must you equate any one with God?’’ This feeling of human beings always trying to fight for God did not start today. In fact it was why Gideon’s father named him Jerubaal, meaning, ‘let baal fight for himself'. The Jews, during the Old Testament era, FOUGHT very hard to see that nobody ‘dethroned’ God. But do we really need to defend God? Can’t God defend Himself? He can, and He always did defend Himself when He needs to.

   For clarity and simplicity purpose, we would consider this topic under sub-topics. We would see the positions of Jesus IN THE BEGINNING, WHILE HE WAS ON EARTH, and WHEN HE WAS GLORIFIED.

1) IN THE BEGINNING

a) JESUS THE WORD OF GOD

It is important, in the first place, you believer in the HOLY BIBLE before you could appreciate this discussion. The Bible consists of the 39 books of the Old Testament, and the 27 books of the New Testament. In fact if there is any part of the scripture you do not believe then this article would not be beneficial to you. All scriptures, including the New and the Old are products of God’s inspiration 2Timothy 3:16.

      Jesus was in the beginning with God as HIS WORD. Revelation 19:13 says ‘’He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called THE WORD OF GOD.’’ Also in John 1:1,2 the Bible says ‘’In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with God, and the WORD was God. He was in the beginning with God.’’ These Bible passages clearly showed that JESUS was in the beginning with God as His WORD.

b) ALL THINGS WERE CREATED BY JESUS AND FOR JESUS

The book of Genesis has a vivid account of the creation of the world. In chapter 1:3, it says ‘’Then God said, let there be light, and there was light.’’ Here makes it quite unarguable that God did not use His hand, or His legs in creating the World but He used His Word. Remember in section (a) above we have shown that Jesus was the World of God at the beginning. By God using His Word to create the world, it simply means that Jesus was used to create the world, hence John 1:3 says ‘’ All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.’’ Also, read Colossians 1:16, 17.

2) JESUS AS GOD’S MESSENGER

a) JESUS DECLARED THE SON OF GOD

We have seen how that in the beginning  Jesus was with God as His word. But in the process of time when God needed to fulfill the salvation plan He declared in Genesis (read Genesis 3:15), He needed to send a Savior into the world. Note that what a Savior was coming to remedy was sin, so there was the need for one that was not born by ‘’the will of the flesh’’, that is sexual intercourse. So in that light God needed to first and foremost declare His Word as his son. Psalm 2: 7 says ‘’ I will declare a degree: the LORD has said to Me, you are my Son, today I have begotten You.’’ So for those who argue if God had a wife, Jesus became the Son of God by DECLARATION. Besides, Jesus is also called the Son of God because He is a product of God, that is, His Word, just like THINGS FALL APART could be called the brain child of Chinua Achebe.

b) JESUS MADE FLESH

 The redemption of man needed to be undertaken by a man. There was no way God would use an Angel to redeem man, that is pay for man’s sin. The person that was to do that, like we said earlier must not be by the will of the flesh, but He must carry flesh so as to relate with man and feel the pains of man. For that reason, Jesus was transferred as a fetus into the womb of a woman: ‘’The WORD was made flesh and dwelt among us…’’ John 1:14. Read also Hebrew 2:9-11. Remember that man was also first created before he was made flesh. Read 1:26, 27 and 2: 5-7; so like man, Jesus was made flesh to perform the priestly assignment: ‘’ For we do not have an High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in our point tempted as we are, yet without sin.’’ Hebrew 4:15.

     Having been made flesh, Jesus became subject to the frailty of the flesh; He needed to rely on the Father to overcome. This underscored his constant prayers and His self-confessed reliance on the Father: Hebrew 2:13, Psalm 16:10. Besides, having been flesh, Jesus became less honorable than the Angels: ‘’But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the Angel s, for the suffering of the flesh crowned with glory and honor, that He, by grace of God , might taste death for everyone.’’ Hebrew 2:9.

    This understandably was why Jesus made it clear why on earth that the Father who sent Him was greater than Him because He could of His own self do nothing: ‘’I can of my own self do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the Father who sent me.’’ But in spite of making it clear that He was on the assignment of God, and the Son of God, the Jews crucified Him because they felt that He was promoting Himself. Note that Jesus never disproved the existence of the Father, and His authority over Him, but the Jews only could not understand why He made Himself so special as though He was not the child of Joseph: ‘’ therefore, the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was his Father, making Himself equal with God.’’ John 5:18

    So, we have examined the three stages Jesus had gone through. In stage one; He was the WORD OF GOD. In the second stage, He was MADE THE SON OF GOD; and the third stage, He was MADE FLESH. Understandably, the word ‘made’ presupposes that another being was doing the making, and that was the FATHER.

WHY THEN DO THE CHRISTIANS CALL JESUS GOD?

It should be noted that the John 1:1 that most Christians quote to explain why Jesus is God did not even say ‘’THE WORD IS GOD’’, but ‘’THE WORD WAS GOD’’. That means John was not speaking in the present tense but in the past. Having said that, why do Christians call Jesus God? The reasons are as follow:

i)                   JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD.

 When you call somebody a son, you are indirectly saying that that person is you. What would you call the son of a man? Man, of course. What about the son of a lion? A lion. The Jews understands this such that even though Jesus did not tell them directly that He was God, they said: ‘’…He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, MAKING HIMSELF EQUAL WITH GOD.’’ (Emphasis, mine) John 5:18. So being God’s Son makes Jesus God.

ii)                 HE PROCEEDS FROM THE FATHER.

‘’Jesus said to them, if God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God …’’ John 8:42. As The Word of God made flesh, Jesus was right to say He proceeded from God, and being a product or issue of God He is God.

iii)               GOD GAVE THE NAME TO JESUS

Isaiah 9:6 -   ‘’ For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor,  mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.’’

Psalm 45:6 - ‘’ Your throne, o God (Jesus) is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom’’ Also Hebrew 1:8

John 10:34- ‘’Jesus answered them, is it not written in your law, I said you are gods? If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the scripture cannot be broken) do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, you are blaspheming because I said I am the Son of God?’’

iv)                WE MUST HONOR THE SON AS WE HONOR THE FATHER

‘’…That all should honor the Son as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him’’ John 5:23

3) JESUS AFTER RESURRECTION

After God raised Jesus from death, He was glorified and honored with a name that is above all names, and made the ONLY SAVIOR OF MANKIND. So presently, what concerns the believer is not JESUS AS THE WORD, JESUS AS THE SON, JESUS MADE FLESH, but rather JESUS AS THE CHRIST: ‘’ And I say unto you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gate of hell shall not prevail against it.’’ What did Jesus mean by the rock? Read verse 16, ‘’ And Simon Peter answered and said, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’’ HE IS THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD. That is the Rock, the foundation of the New testament Church. Anyone who disbelieves this does not belong to Christ.

WHAT WAS PROPHESIED OF JESUS THOUSAND YEARS BEFORE HIS BIRTH

1)    HE IS THE SEED OF THE WOMAN:  Genesis 3:15

2)    HE IS THE PROPHET THE PEOPLE ARE TO LISTEN TO: Deuteronomy 18:15, 18; John 5:46

3)    HE IS THE PROMISED CHRIST: Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:4-6; John 4: 25, 26;

4)    HE IS THE PROMISED LAMB OF GOD:  John 1: 29, 30; Isaiah 53: 1-12; Acts 8:32-35

WHAT JESUS SAID OF HIMSELF AFTER RESURRECTION

‘’I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the LORD who is and was and to come the Almighty.’’ Revelation 1:8. If JESUS who humbly identified Himself as THE SON OF MAN, and THE SON OF GOD now says He is THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA, BEGINNING AND THE ENDING, would you continue to fight Christians because they called JESUS GOD? JESUS IS GOD!

 OHIMAI DANIEL, +2347032452945