GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA: FOR WHO THE BELL TOLLS NEXT.

Just five people shy of Sandy Hook elementary school mass shooting incident that claimed 26 lives, the Uvalde Texas Robb elementary school mass shooting at 21 victims, now ranks among the highest grossing gun carnage in America. It is sad that such frequent blood spilling has tragically become part of our culture as a society. May the souls of the killed now rest.

25th AMENDMENT: ITS NOW ALL CRICKET.

Madam Speaker Nancy Pelosi once questioned former President Donald John Trump's fitness to remain in office due to what she claimed was his declining mental capacity. Does anyone know what Madam Speaker presently thinks about the incontrovertible case which America is now saddled with? Just curious!

WHO WILL REBUILD UKRAINE?

The West should convert frozen Russian assets, both state's and oligarchs' owned, into a full seizure and set them aside for the future rebuilding of Ukraine. Like the Marshal Plan, call it the Putin Plan.

A HERO IS BORN.

I am staying put. I will not run away and abandon my people. The fight is here in Ukraine. What I need are weapons and ammunitions, not a ride out of town like former Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani - President Volodymyr Zelensky.

IT IS WHAT IT IS.

"There is too much hate in America because there is too much anger in America." - Trevor Noah.

WORD!

A life without challenges is not a life lived at all. A life lived is a life that has problems, confronts problems, solves problems and then learns from problems. - Tunde Fashola.

NOW, YOU KNOW.

When fishing for love, bait with your heart and not your brain, because you cannot rationalize love. - Mark Twain.

JUST THE FACT.

In our country, you can shoot and kill a nigger, but you better not hurt a gay person’s feelings - Dave Chappelle

DO YOU?.

“What you believe in can only be defined by what you’re willing to risk for it." - Stuart Scheller.

HEDGE YOUR CRISIS.

Never get in bed with a woman whose problems are worse than yours. - Chicago PD.

PROBLEM SOLVED.

'The best way to keep peace is to be ready to destroy evil. If you Pearl Harbor me, I Nagasaki you.' - Ted Nugent.

OUR SHARED HUMANITY.

Empathy is at the heart of who we are as human beings. - Cardinal Matthew Kukah.

WORDS ON MARBLE.

"Birth is agony. Life is hard. Death is cruel." - Japanese pithy.

REPENT OR PERISH - POPE.

Homosexuality is a sin. It is not ordained by God, therefore same sex marriage cannot be blessed by the church - Pope Francis.

CANCEL CULTURE IS CORROSIVE.


FOR SAKE OF COUNTRY.


MAGA LIVES ON: NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER!

TWITTER IS BORING WITHOUT HIS TWEETS. #RestorePresidentTrump'sTwitterHandle.


WORD.

"If you cannot speak the truth when it matters, then nothing else you says matters.” - Tucker Carlson.

#MeToo MOVEMENT: A BAD NEWS GONE CRAZY.

"To all the women who testified, we may have different truth, but I have a great remorse for all of you. I have great remorse for all of the men and women going through this crisis right now in our country. You know, the movement started basically with me, and I think what happened, you know, I was the first example, and now there are thousands of men who are being accused and a regeneration of things that I think none of us understood. I’m not going to say these aren’t great people. I had wonderful times with these people. I’m just genuinely confused. Men are confused about this issue. We are going through this #MeToo movement crisis right now in this country." - Harvey Weinstein.


RON DELLUMS: UNAPOLOGETICALLY RADICAL.

"If it’s radical to oppose the insanity and cruelty of the Vietnam War, if it’s radical to oppose racism and sexism and all other forms of oppression, if it’s radical to want to alleviate poverty, hunger, disease, homelessness, and other forms of human misery, then I’m proud to be called a radical.” - Ron Vernie Dellums.


WHAT REALLY MATTERS IN LIFE - STEVE JOBS

“I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world. In others’ eyes, my life is an epitome of success. However, aside from work, I have little joy. Non-stop pursuing of wealth will only turn a person into a twisted being, just like me. God gave us the senses to let us feel the love in everyone’s heart, not the illusions brought about by wealth. Memories precipitated by love is the only true riches which will follow you, accompany you, giving you strength and light to go on. The most expensive bed in the world is the sick bed. You can employ someone to drive the car for you, make money for you but you cannot have someone to bear sickness for you. Material things lost can be found. But there is one thing that can never be found when it is lost – Life. Treasure Love for your family, love for your spouse, love for your friends. Treat yourself well. Cherish others.” - SJ

EVIL CANNOT BE TRULY DESTROYED.

"The threat of evil is ever present. We can contain it as long as we stay vigilant, but it can never truly be destroyed. - Lorraine Warren (Annabelle, the movie)


ONLY THE POOR WISH THEY HAD STUFF?

“I’m not that interested in material things. As long as I find a good bed that I can sleep in, that’s enough.” - Nicolas Berggruem, the homeless billionaire.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

ADEBOYE'S REDEEMED CHURCH, A PRIVATE PLANE?

The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) led by Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has finally arrived as a world mega church indeed! With their recent acquisition of a new Gulfstream aircraft worth about $28 million (N4billion), the church has joined the league of "show-me-the-money" churches world-wide; which splash their tax-free dollars on such earthly frivolities? The Gulfstream jet is transatlantic-capable and can conveniently seat about 15 passengers in high luxury comfort, depending on the configuration.
Icheoku notes this is the second church in Nigeria to acquire an aircraft following the Living Faith Worldwide (Winners Chapel) of Bishop David Oyedepo, which has a Challenger aircraft?

As high maintenance as these private planes are, Icheoku says these churches are announcing that they have finally arrived in the big players league. From routine maintenance to the rotables (time-bound parts which are changed regularly), to refitting parts which are changed after every 12 or 15 calendar months whether you are flying or not, to operating cost which sometimes runs upwards of $5000 each flying hour, to landing and parking costs as well as crew? The simple summary is that by acquiring a private aircraft you are making a loud and bold statement that you have metamorphosed into an ATM (automated teller machine) spitting money to keep the bird flying?
Fortunately for these mega churches, they are spending other peoples' money:- from the parishioners, to the tithe-payers, to miracle-seeking devotees and thanksgiving people? Icheoku asks, what would Jesus Christ say in lieu of the many hungry mouths that could have been fed, the naked that could have been clothed and the homeless that could have been sheltered? Twenty-eight million dollars is just the down payment for owning and operating a private jet? What a bail-out this whopping amount would have provided for the world poor especially in Nigeria and specifically in the Redeemed Church family? Icheoku asks, are these people really serving the true God or are they just using God as a means to an end of their worldly desires and aspirations? Icheoku remembers vividly during the temptation of Jesus Christ as recorded in Matthew 4:8-9 when the Devil took Him up to a very high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory. And he said to Him, "All these things will I give you if you fall down and worship me." What did Jesus do, he refused to take the bait saying in Matthew 4:10, "Begone, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only". So who are these guys really serving?
The above Bible passage and that ensconced in the eight Beatitudes, it would appear do not appeal to these rock-star preachers; otherwise they would have known that their reward is in heaven and not here on earth? Icheoku says, all these worldly things that seek comfort of the flesh are of the Devil and will only ingratiate and gravitate them away from their primary calling to save lives for Christ into a meaningless indulgence. In a country with such suffocating poverty as Nigeria, with some of Redeemed Church parishioners possibly living without basic necessities of life including food, Icheoku says, it is scandalous for the church to chose now to flaunt such extravagance? At a time of global economic meltdown when families are losing their jobs and homes, children dropping out of schools, malaria killing young Nigerians, this church went on a shopping spree? Except there is a compelling reason for this purchase and the church got a deal on the plane, since many owners are shedding themselves of such money guzzling luxurious toys; Icheoku refuses to see the wisdom of such acquisition. Where is the meek in this church headship or the selfless leadership by example practised by Jesus Christ himself? In this regard and notwithstanding its foibles, the Catholic church is still above board; despite being the richest church in the world, yet her Pope still flies commercial on Alitalia airline?
Anyway if the Bible is true, which we have no reason to argue otherwise, Icheoku says, the headship of this church has received their reward here on earth. Their argument of easily getting around and away to their various ecumenical centers world-over, does not justify this lavish investment. And this plane cost about $5000.00 each flying hour it is airborne? Put in the local currency, Pastor Adeboye will be burning about N735,000.00 every hour the plane is airborne which forces Icheoku to ask, who is then fooling who with talk of salvation?
A caveat however, Icheoku does not begrudge this "Man of God" his earned payment under whatever subterfuge, including the ownership of a private plane; but we disagree with the decision, especially now when the whole world is hurting, economically? It does not show a God-fearing leadership of a church with so many devoted flocks who look up to their leader for direction on their quest to make heaven. Admitted that other super-duper churches, especially in the United States of America and Canada, own private jets but this Nigerian, in a country with such a high poverty rate and over 48million of her youth unemployed, such a vagrant display of wealth will only exacerbate the armed robbery and kidnapping scourge in Nigeria; as more wanna-bes shall become more desperate to try and belong! In their parlance, they have to "kill dead body" (make it) in order to finally join the privileged few, private-jet owning elite Nigerians!

4 comments:

  1. $28m Jet for Pastor Adeboye
    Thursday, 19 March 2009 18:46 Saharareporters, New York
    Recently there has been a rash of commentaries on the decision of the Redeemed Church to spend $28m on a jet for the GO. In America here there is outrage that $165m is paid by AIG to some fatcats who messed up the economy. Christians and indeeed Redeemers ought to be outraged by the profligacy of the leadership of Redeemed Church. Not strangely nothing outrages Nigerians anymore.

    I was intrigued by Ike Eweama's article, one of the few Nigerian pastors with a conscience. Please share and lets hope we can kinder outrage in Nigerians to reject such deceptive living by church leaders in the midst of the mass deprivation in the land. Read on:

    "The article on Pastor Adeboye spending N4bn buying a jet is acutely painful for me. I am one of those who respect him greatly. I am also one who has seen many friends give a large portion of their hard-earned money to the Redeem Church while they struggle daily to pay their bills. In America here where I live, many of them do not have papers to get better jobs yet they are so faithful to their tithing and giving towards God's work.

    It is totally incomprehensible and somewhat scandalous to me that the GO spends $28m to buy a Jet while a Redeem pastor friend of mine is having a hard time paying for where he and his congregation worship. I really hate to see preachers of the Gospel who preach in the name of Jesus, the one who came "not to be served but to serve" maintain what appears to be such an opulent lifestyle while they portray the face of thrift. Why can this money not be used to help the community where many congregations struggle daily to make ends meet under very challenging circumstances? The only reason one may give for this mind boggling insensitivity to the suffering of the members of the congregation is that the GO needs the Jet for evangelism. How did Christ and the Apostles do it? $28m would have been enough to pay off the mortgage of small struggling Redeem congregations all over the world. No wonder, the great Mahatma Gandhi was quoted as saying to visiting Christians, "I like your Christ, I do not like you Christians. You Christians are so unlike your Christ."
    Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com
    It is a pretty controversial thing, as a priest and a friend to many Redeem members, to be critical of their general overseer - though I do think that God calls us, as Christians, to bring each other to account. When I read the article "Redeemed Church acquires N4bn aircraft" and hear of other pastors getting rich off of the tithes people are giving to God I am completely sickened. Once again we find ourselves in a dilemma where we give tools to people who hate Christ to look at the church leaders as being greedy and working not for the extension of the Kingdom of God but for the extension of their own personal kingdoms. I do not think that the priests of Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, or the Imams of Islam etc will ever think of private jets not in a Nation like Nigeria with one of the lowest per capita income in the world. What a place we find ourselves as Christians? The funniest thing is that when I brought this up to another friend who attends one of the Redeem churches, the response I got was, "Be careful pastor how you criticize the work of Daddy GO or you will incur the wrath of his followers..."

    My intention is not to criticize but to vent my anguish at this injustice. We all know of slick, opulent-living operators of Churches in American with private jets like Benny Hinn, Frederick K.C. Price, Creflo Dollar, Jan and Paul Rouch, K.A. Paul, Joyce Meyer, Paula and Randy White, Mike Murdock, Kenny Copeland, Rod Parsley. I did not think that in my lifetime such unthinkable waste could come into the Nigerian Church. I guess Pastors Enoch Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God and David Oyedepo of Living Faith Church joined them and are setting the unenviable standard for upcoming "overseers" to follow. But we all know of the one Pastor who they all purport to be following who said that he," had no place to lay his head."(Matthew 8:20)

    I know some Redeem members will not accept my evaluation of their GO's action. I will make my statement very clear. I think that the Church whether Redeem or Winners ought to stand up, speak with a clear and unequivocal voice and bring these church leaders into account. This is an injustice to the masses of poor people who throng these churches and these people should not be protected by cozy, non-confrontational, pacifist Christians who are afraid to speak out against such injustices. I am not oblivious in any way about the consequences of speaking out in most of these churches. My problem is that these churches preach, fasting and austerity of life yet the pastors live in opulence. The bible states clearly, "Is not this the kind of fast I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice to share your food with the hungry" (Is. 58:6, 7). $28m is enough to create Redeem owned cottage industries that will give employment to millions of its unemployed poor graduates.

    I think because of so much pressure to be successful in today's Nigeria and measure with politicians, church work has become a viable business. A friend told me that 419ers even invest money on pastors for certain percentages when the money starts flowing. I strongly feel that people who want to accumulate personal wealth should steer clear of the church. I want to believe that when people give money to the church, they can be assured that the money they are investing into the Kingdom of God is not padding the pockets of the Church leaders.

    One needs to attend one of the Church services of these opulent pastors in Nigeria to notice that these services have become milking machines and the congregation is the cash cow. I could just imagine how much money Jesus would have made if he had milked his mega multitudes at the Sermon on the Mount or his feeding of 5,000 plus. It certainly would have been a great day to sell a scroll or two.

    I am definitely troubled by the wealth accumulation habits of some of the "spiritual" leaders in Nigeria. I hear stories of lavish weddings of the children of these Church leaders. It seems no one holds these pastors accountable for how they spend member's money. Many of these parishioners live meagerly (many in debt especially here in America). I have known people who patronize these churches because they think that is where they will get rich quick because the pastor preaches prosperity. My message for you is that God does indeed love a cheerful giver but be sure you are never to give to God with the same sort of attitude as you might play the stock market. Please let your giving be done out of faithfulness to churches work. If you are giving to get, I am afraid you will find yourself disappointed.

    I also have to say that I know many faithful Christians who attend these churches. It is not my intent to make them feel offended or defensive. I do think that they ought to take a close look at what is happening around them. I pray that God could turn this situation around and that these Church leaders could humble themselves and receive correction even from the secular world. I am thinking of Warren Buffet who is the no 2 on the list of the richest people in the world, who still lives in the same house that he bought for $37,500 in 1958. My personal anguish stems from the fact that many of these pastors have taken from people and have coerced them into giving so that they can live on earth in pleasure and luxury. I don't understand how anyone can be without a guilty conscience when they live in their mansion and buy private Jets by financial sacrifices that others have made.

    A number of people I know in the States here faithfully attended these churches with their families. I have been impressed with their knowledge of Scripture gained as a result of the sermons and Bible studies and their quest for holiness. I have never witnessed any appreciable improvement in the financial lives of their families as a result of their attendance at these churches, let alone seeing them approach a standard of living commensurate with that of their leaders.

    The lifestyle of these pastors and their families discredit their message. The theology of many of these churches, promotes a message that God want us all to be rich. Believing this misguided theology makes these leaders blind to the reality of life and equally blind to the needs of others. Jesus' example of an austere life should be our goal. Unfortunately, this "name it and claim it" gospel reflects more the values of our current narcissistic society than it does the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This attitude demonstrates the clash of faith and materialism, the use of charity money and the apparent lack of oversight either by members of the congregation or legal authorities in the actions of religious institutions and leaders.

    In my reading of the piece by Tunde Fagbenle, "Pastor Adeboye: Buying a plane to see God", what disturbed me the most was that the writer's friend like many Christians seem to associate wealth with God's blessing. When one considers that millions of people around the world, not to mention our own impoverished cities, live in abject poverty, the idea that wealth equals God's love is perverse. Let us not forget that Christ was poor. True Christianity calls for a radical sense of solidarity and love for those who lack material goods. It would be interesting to see the response of the defenders of Pastors Adeboye and Oyedepo to Christ's challenge to "go, sell everything you have and give to the poor" (Mark 10:21). For those Christians who associate wealth with God's blessing, they might want to remember Jesus' teaching: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God" (Mark 10:25).

    Jesus never lived above the means of his disciples and modern day ministers should not live so lavishly above their congregations and staff. Sometimes the lifestyle which they claim God blessed them with is in reality a by product of what happens when all the money stays at the top and the wealth that God blesses the church with is not properly distributed.

    It is my belief that many Church leaders are on the horns of a moral dilemma. I cannot understand how they can preach to the poor, while they surround themselves with the world's riches in much the same way as the Pharisees did during the time of Jesus. They claim to promulgate the teachings of Christ, yet they lead a life of privilege, all seemingly provided to them by their congregation peopled by many members who are living way below poverty line by any standard. Church members should wake up from their slumber and demand accountability from leaders. Private Jet is not necessary for evangelism

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fresh Facts Emerge on ‘Redeemed Jet’
    By Chinedu Eze, 04.02.2009

    Add To Favorites
    Print This Article
    Post Comment

    The purchase of a private jet, a Gulfstream 4XP with registration number 707EA, might have been attributed to the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, in error.
    Documents available to THISDAY yesterday showed that the aircraft was purchased by five members of the church and will be run as a charter service, but priority is to be given to Adeboye who will be given “free rides” to ease his movement within and outside the continent.
    THISDAY had erroneously quoted a price of $28 million but the aircraft papers showed that the aircraft, a 1996 model, was purchased at $10 million (N1.4 billion).
    The five members of the church, whose names are being withheld for confidential reasons, made a down payment of 30 per cent of the cost while a first generation bank gave a loan of $7 million for the balance.
    “The aircraft is the collateral,” a bank official conversant with the transaction told THISDAY.
    The aircraft is to run private charters, with proceeds to be used to offset the loan and pay for its maintenance as well as settle the personnel cost of running the aircraft.
    “The business plan is well laid out,” another source told THISDAY. “The Redeemed Church did not put down a kobo. It is not their aircraft. Pastor Adeboye does not have a kobo in it. It is unfortunate that the man is being savaged all over the media and on the internet for something he knows nothing about. Unfortunately, he is not the type to come out and be defending himself or issuing media statements.”
    The source told THISDAY that some members of the church had expressed concern about the cumbersome flight schedules the pastor of one of Nigeria’s biggest churches has had to cope with.
    “If he wants to go to Banjul, in Gambia, it is a tortuous journey, flying from one connecting point to the other,” the source explained. “This obviously influenced the decision of some entrepreneurs in the church to have this sort of arrangement in which Pastor Adeboye will enjoy free rides and can readily organise his journeys. But the aircraft will pay for itself eventually. It neither belong to Redeemed Church nor Adeboye.”
    The aircraft arrived Lagos from Bahamas on Sunday, March 8, 2009.
    It is a transatlantic aircraft that has the capacity of about 15 passengers – depending on the customisation.
    Adeboye had come under criticism in the media and on internet discussion rooms for allegedly being “insensitive” at these economic crunch times and for allegedly abandoning his simple lifestyle for the flamboyance of jet-age pastors.
    The General Overseer of Living Faith Worldwide, a.k.a. Winners Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo, has a Challenger aircraft, with number D6640.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good explanation, hoping that this is true. Yet, there's no debate that most of our men and women of God, running after money and worldly acquisitions while they claim to be serving God. Agreed that there's so much suffering in Nigeria, inflicted on us by our corrupt brothers and sisters, where unless you're rich, you can't enjoy living but shouldn't those who call themselves Christians remember that this world is not their home?

      Delete
  3. Thanks for this information, I just looked into the List of Nigeria Rich Pastors, but can not see Pastor Adeboye on the list.
    Does the church still use the plane?

    ReplyDelete