Of The Rats And The Giants. (Part Three)

Of The Rats And The Giants. (Part Three)

Bolaji O. Akinyemi.

Question and questions and more questions have taken over the public space since Dr Abel Damina got backed off from money chasing ministry in the name of the Lord to preach the Gospel of Christ and his kingdom. In the course of his materialism driven ministry. Abel Damina is not the only one who has gotten converted from Mammon to Christ. I was also snared in the trap of money ministry, till deliverance came my way. How can I forget my moment of stewardship on Apostolic mission to several cities in the name of the Lord, but our operations were tinted with mammonic pursuit.
There are many examples of, “once I was blind and now I can see” men and women of a money centered ministry. Many who are bringing fruits worthy of repentance. John the Baptist wasn’t just expecting repentance from Israel; He expected the fruits more than the claim of it, (Matthew 3:8).

In the words of Jesus, stories shouldn’t make up for worthy fruits of repentance.
Luk 3:8 KJV Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

Our interest shouldn’t be how worse an individual was in the Mammon inspired ministry. It’s a shame to personalise such a brand of wickedness and pride in it as one’s template.

Many for example has never shared their repentance from the ministry of filthy lucre publicly. They are just committed to the true way of doing church and ministry advancing the Kingdom and benefiting the Body of Christ. Majoring on the major which is soul winning and leaving the minor to minor minds.

Please, I hope you aren’t misunderstand me. This is not an endorsement for materialistic gospel. May I never be found back to a vomit like a dog.

Damina, however is acting contrary to the counsel of the Lord to Peter,

Luk 22:31 & 32 (KJV)
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

The brothers of Abel Damina are still held down in what he was delivered from, but he isn’t ready to follow the counsel of the Lord at recognising the place of prayer in the delusion of Mammon to which his brothers mind are given to.

The air and carriage of superiority of knowledge makes it look like his years of service to mammom were entirely his choice and he left Mammon only when he felt he had enough of its filthy lucre. Could this perspective be informed by the possible unrepentant nature of the class concerned for which a name and shame publicly is the only option left? Damina no doubt has made some mileage if not spiritually at least psychologically. Many today are affriad of talking about money the way they would love to because of online police watching for their clips.

One of the Giants claimed there had been too much gap between their cubs of lion and his Damina’s “pups of rats”. That he needs to choose discrediting them in languages most times fits for the gutter, is this really an unholy competition among brethren?

I have watched many a video from Damina and have read a couple of materials from others on social media and many of the questions in the mind of the public are left unanswered. This piece is not intended to answer all the questions, because human reasoning is dynamic. And position will always shift from time to time which we call for further study and clarification of facts and representation of the same Truth, for Truth is constant.

Now, to the many questions, this article is seeking to answer.

Did Christ collect tithe? Yes!

Did Jesus collect tithe? No!

In response to the question about his identity, “but who do you say that I the son of Man is”? Peter answered and said; thou art Christ the Son of the Living God”.

The Eternal High Priest who through the Father officiated the first wedding in the Garden was revealed beyond the limitation of flesh and blood. The King of Salem who as the Priest of God received tithe from Abraham and made him partook of the communion of the Gospel was unveiled before his disciples. The one with whom Joshua drew the sword to know if he was on the side of Israel. Who made Joshua realise, it is not for man to decide on whose side God will fight, shew forth himself as the Captain of the Host of the Lord. The fourth man in the fiery furnace whose presence stripped the fire off its potency to burn the three Hebrew.

Christ our High Priest after the order of Melchizedek! I will come back to his manifestation and appearance to Abraham regarding tithe.

Is tithes collection scriptural and should churches collect tithe? Tithe is scriptural on the context of its mentions and purpose as a means of welfare in the local assembly of Believers that adopted it as a church practice, and unscriptural if its status as an old testament ordinance is what we sought to defend.

As ministry gifts, our callings are to study the word of God and to RIGHTLY DIVIDE the same, meaning to break the same down. We mash the molecular composition of the solid to soften it for easy consumption, like mashing Agidi into pap.

There is a season for milk and then pap of the word in kingdom matters.

1Pe 2:2 KJV As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

But some people for immaturity of emotions particularly will stick to approaches that fan their egos and end up giving them out as babies.

1Co 3:2 KJV I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

The milk of the subject of tithe has overshadowed the meat of the subject of kingdom giving to which we all must be drawn.

Some teachers are even worse than their students in exuberance of emotions on the subject.

Heb 5:12 KJV For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

Shame has been the conduct of both sides on the subject. While arrogance of knowledge is on one side, avarice of the flesh and the gain that comes with it is depriving the other of the humility needed to consider tithe for what it is meant to serve, a welfare purse for a selected session of the congregation in a local assembly and place it thus!

It’s time to grow up!

Heb 5:13 KJV For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

How much skills in the word of righteousness have been on display on the subject of tithe from you and me?

We aren’t called to rewrite the Bible.

The basic duties of all ministry gifts; Apostle, Prophet, Pastor, Evangelist and Teacher is biblical interpretation. We are not called to help the Bible to say what we think the Bible intended to say; we are to say what the Bible says and its saying.

There are rules to follow in Biblical interpretation. There is what is called the rule of first mention; often, it provides the foundation, thought and direction on the topic when juxtaposed with at least two or three other places in the scripture. Because out of the mouths of two or three witnesses the truth is established.

Following this pattern on tithes, we will examine, the first mention in Genesis witness to conclude this teaching on purpose, there is the foundation for tithe established and the quadrant set for our direction on the subject for the writer of Hebrew will close the Biblical mention of tithe on his reference to the Genesis. If there is such a rule as the law of last mention, this would have been it.

Our 2nd witness will be its place in the ordinance of the law of Moses.

The prophet Malachi is our third witness, but the first we are going to look at here:

Is tithe the portion due to God in what he freely allowed into our hands 100%, to manage for his kingdom and purpose on earth? Is tithe a must for a Believer? Is not paying tithe a sin? Will anyone go to hell for not paying tithe? The answer to my rhetorical questions is No! No!! No!!! and No!!!!

Malachi is an admonition to the house of Israel which progresses towards sins enabled by the conduct of the Priests among them, from the 6th verse of the 1st Chapter talking about the quality of the offering offered by the people but received by the priest to be offered on their behalf. Blind animals were finding their ways to the Altar of the Lord through acceptance of bribes by coordinating Priest, whose duty it was to inspect animals and certified them fit as offering unto the Lord. 2nd Chapter squared down on the Priests.

Mal 2:1 KJV And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.

The group of persons to which the commandments was directed was made clear, “and now”! O ye Priests, THIS COMMANDMENTS IS FOR YOU!

Within the context of God’s dissatisfaction with them was their marital conduct for which he remarked in verse 16:

Mal 2:16 KJV For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.

In the last verse of chapter 2 God cautioned against pervert messages:

Mal 2:17 KJV Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?

The priests then, like the priests now were calling evil, good and good they call evil.

Chapter 3, brought us into the heart of the matter for which this article is written; tithe!

Levi by ordinance as a tribe had the Lord as his portion in Israel. The sin of the community of Priests who were all sons of Levi was that while their portion was being received from the people, the portion of the High Priest wasn’t being passed on to him as the ordinance demanded. Malachi is not an instruction for all of God’s people. It was a rebuke of the priest of God’s people. But at that, does the context of; 1Co 10:11 apply to the Bible or should it be kept to the issues it sought to address to the Corinthians; “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come”.

I will go with its application to us as an admonition as a generation to whom the end of the world has come.

The witness of the laws is not too much of a do! I have written earlier of the liberty from the 10 Commandments that Christ represents how much more of ordinances. I therefore wouldn’t want to waste too much time explaining the law. But readers can study Leviticus 27:30-32, Numbers 18:24-28, Deuteronomy 12:6-17, 14:22-28, 26:12. 2 Chronicle 31:5-12, Nehemiah 10:37-38, 12:44, 13:5,12 and Amos 4:4 in the old testament and proceed to the new testament to take a study of Matthew 23:23, Luke 11:42 and 18:12, for establishment of facts and clarification of what the truth is.

The conclusion of the matter; the first mention of tithe in the light of his last mention.

Genesis 14:20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

What was the dynamics of this chapter before the appearance of this personality to whom Abraham gave tithe?

My interest is the valley of decisions painted by two encounters we can assume were simultaneous.

Gen 14:17. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale.

Gen 14:18 KJV And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

I don’t think we should conclude the chapter by what happened in verse 18.

The King of Sodom, whose name was given as Bera was the first to appear, he hasn’t tabled his mission before Melchizedek the king of Salem showed up for Abraham. Bera, means the son of evil who is the King of Sodom (burning). Would that be a figure of the king of hell who is the son of evil?

Faced with these two; the king of Sodom and the King of Salem, Abraham was promoted by instinct to make a decision to give his tithe to Melchizedek, the Priest of Righteousness and not Bera who has a king should be a priest in his own right. Melchizedek made no offer to Abraham, but Bera, the king of Sodom did, he wanted the people in exchange for goods. How many of our ministries are trading souls for worldly goods.

The giving of tithe by Abraham to Melchizedek was a confirmation of the person to whom he belonged between the two. Which was the pronouncement of Melchizedek.

Gen 14:19 KJV And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:

It is an insult to the eternal God to say that God doesn’t have the capacity to bless. It is unacceptable by any stretch of imagination. The Priest after whose order the Priesthood of Christ would be patterned blessed Abraham and it was to him, as the Priest of God declared.

Read Hebrew; 7: 1 – the End.

In the 4th verse, it says; “Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

The idea that tithe is only given out of farm products is the limitation of the ordinance. Here Abraham paid tithe of the spoils of war and made reference to his determination not to take a thing; not even the shoe laces. Could it be that there were shoes in the spoils of war?

I disagree with the theology that seeks to bound those whom Christ has set free to the ordinance of tithes. But my liberty in Christ won’t allow me to trivialise the appearance of Christ and the reason for which that was done. Tithe is one of the experiences through which Christ was revealed to Abraham, the 2nd was the offering up of Isaac on Mount Moriah.

We are made perfect in Christ but not perfect in understanding; though Paul counselled us to be men in understanding.

1Co 14:20 KJV Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

Our conduct on this tithe debate shows the children in us and we are far from being men in understanding. May grace be found of all to grow up to Him who is the head of all Principalities and power in the mighty name of Jesus.

I rest this case for now!

Watch out for the book; Theology of Tithe Versus Church Thesis.

Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi is an Apostle and Nation Builder. He’s also President Voice of His Word Ministries and Convener Apostolic Round Table. BoT Chairman, Project Victory Call Initiative, AKA PVC Naija. He is a strategic Communicator and the C.E.O, Masterbuilder Communications.Email:bolajiakinyemi66@gmail.com

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