Benefits of Paying your Tithes.

1. What is Tithe? Tithe is a biblical word for the giving to the church or charity organizations the one out of the Ten or your salary, profits, or property that God blessed you with. We can see it in the book of Malachi 3:8-11.

2. The second question is, Why should you pay Tithe? [/b]The reasons why you should pay your Tithe are:
   [b] A. It is commandment  by God to the Children of Israel in the book of Levi 27:30-32; It reads: 
''And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S: it is holy unto the LORD.'' (KJV)

Paying of Tithe is never an option but a commandment from God to all. Your tithe belongs to God according to the scripture we just read in Leviticus 27:30. It is true that you worked for the money but bear in mind today that God is demanding that you should give His portion of the blessing which is the Tithe. 
If you look at the whole story God is not even demanding too much from you He just said that you should give one of the Tenth and live on with the rest of  the money or proceeds. So if you  have not been paying your tithes start today to do so. 
 
B.The second reason why you must pay Tithe is because it was practiced by the people of old. Let see one example from the Bible.Let us see Father Abraham. The book of Genesis 14:18-20 says:
v18: ''And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.'' (KJV)
v 20: ''And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.'' (KJV)

The scripture we just read tells us about Abraham paying Tithe to a high priest Melchizedek the priest of Salem. Abraham paid him Tithes of his substances. So Tithes is a commandment.Therefore the saints of old practiced it.So you too should be ready to practice paying of your tithes from today.
During the time that Abraham paid Tithe, the law had not been given.So those who said Tithes are for the old Testament should note that Abraham paid Tithe before the giving of the law to Moses in Leviticus.

Now having seen Why we must pay our Tithes, let us see:
3. How Tithes should be paid. 
   A. When paying of Tithes ensure that you pay the complete Tithe. Don't be like those who pay their Tithes after they must have removed their expenses for the month, then the remaining money they remove one tenth and pay their Tithe. That is not Tithe. Doing so is not paying of Tithe but you have just given an offering. Offering has no conditions attached to it like Tithe. In offering you pay any amount you choose to pay. But in Tithe it is the one tenth of your profit or salary.And you must remove your Tithe first before spending the money for your needs.

4. Where To Pay Your Tithe. I hope your are following the lesson? We have seen How to Pay our Tithes Now let us see where the Tithes should be paid. The Tithe should be paid to the house of God. The local church where you worship is the right place to pay your Tithe. Look at Abra
ham , He paid his tithe to Melchizedek the priest of Salem. In other words Melchizedek is a type of Christ the High priest of our salvation. If Abraham recognized the office of Melchizedek to pay his Tithe to him you and I should recognize the pastor of our local church who is just a steward in the house of God to pay our Tithe to Him too. When I mean pay your Tithe to him I mean pay it to the church where your local Church  pastor is .
All Tithes should be paid to the church. And who eats it is not our focus of discussion.

5. The consequences of Not Paying Tithes. At this point we shall be looking at the consequences of not paying Tithes. What we mean is the punishment that comes for not paying Tithes.
   A.The first consequence is that you are a Thief in the sight of God. In the book of Malachi 3:8-9
v8: ''Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.'' (KJV)
v 9: ''Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.'' (KJV)
Have you seen it in the two verses just quoted in the book of Malachi. It says that those who are not paying their Tithes are spiritual Robbers. It means that you are not different from physical thieves that our Government is looking for a way to eliminate out our country. In that case God is also not happy with you. That takes us to the second consequence:
B. You are cursed by God.
v 9: ''Ye are cursed with a curse, '' When a man is under a curse he cannot know any blessing in his life. He will  be struggling when others are succeeding. Poverty will be written all over his life. To such a person his problem is not capital or lack of job opportunity. Even if you find him the best job or give him  millions of Naira to start a business because he is under a curse he cannot prosper.
So the alternative is to start paying your tithe so that you will be ushered to the next and final point in the lesson which is:

6. The Blessings of Paying of Tithe. In conclusion to our Topic: The Benefits of Paying Of Tithes.

  A. The windows of Heaven will be opened to you. 

v10: ''Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.''  (KJV)

God promised to pour His blessing to you, by opening the windows of Heaven. When your heaven remains open you will struggle less. little effort will yield bountiful harvest.  Opportunities will be staring at you even you are not there the opportunity will still be waiting for you.

My humble advice is that for you to still enjoy God's  blessing at the remaining months of this year try God and pay your Tithes; you will discover that God does not tell lies, your life and business will have a drastic turn around.

What Must I Do to Be Saved?

. What Must I Do to Be Saved?

If God has provided a wonderful salvation through Christ as revealed in the Bible, how can anyone be sure that he has received Christ and is the beneficiary of this marvelous grace of God?

The question of what one must do to be saved was asked long ago by the Philippian jailor in Acts 16:30. Paul and Silas had been beaten and thrown into prison in Philippi, with their feet fastened in the stocks. In this painful condition they could not sleep, so they sang praises to God. Scripture records that at midnight, as they were praying, there was an earthquake that broke them loose from their bonds and opened the prison doors. The jailor, rushing out and seeing the doors opened, assumed that the prisoners had fled. Because the law demanded that a jailor who lost prisoners should be put to death, he was about to commit suicide when Paul called out to him to do himself no harm because they were still all there. In response to this information, Scripture records that the jailor, after calling for some lights, fell down before Paul, trembling and pleading, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). Paul and Silas both immediately responded as recorded in Acts 16:31, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” As a result of the jailor’s conversion, his entire house also believed and was saved, and he took Paul out of the jail, washed his wounds and had fellowship with him. But how can one living today be assured that he is saved?

In discussing God’s wonderful plan of salvation in Ephesians 2:8-10, the apostle Paul sums it up in three verses, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

By Grace

The most important aspect of salvation is mentioned in the first part of Ephesians 2:8 where it states that we are saved “by grace.” The word grace has various meanings, but as it relates to salvation it speaks of kindness bestowed on one who does not deserve it. In other words, grace pours favor on those who do not deserve favor. In grace, the question is not whether or not a person deserves favor or blessing, but only whether he has been judged to qualify for such favor.

An examination of scriptural texts brings out how prominent this is in our Christian faith. In Romans 3:24 Paul says that Christians “are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” In other words, because Christ paid the price and provided redemption, it is now possible for a Christian to receive grace, or favor, that he does not deserve. In Ephesians 1:7-8 the apostle speaks of the riches of grace in Christ when he says, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished upon us with all wisdom and understanding.” In every instance where grace is mentioned, it is entirely due to God’s favor, not human works.

Through Faith

According to Ephesians 2:8, grace is received by those who exercise faith in Jesus Christ. This introduces, however, a very practical question as to what is meant by faith. It is rather obvious for any careful observer of the church today that there are many who have made some outward profession of faith in Christ who never have been born again and show no evidence that they are saved. How then can one know whether he has put his faith in Christ or not? According to James 2:19, “Even the devils believe that-and shudder.” From these passages it is clear that there is saving faith and faith that does not save.

Convicting Work of the Holy Spirit

True faith in Christ is preceded by the work of the Spirit as Jesus Himself described in John 16:7-11:

But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

Before a person can intelligently believe in Christ, he has to be aware of the guilt of his sin. He also must face the fact that God is righteous and that He judges sin. This is further defined in verse 9, “in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me.” An unsaved person needs to realize that while he is a sinner, as all men are sinners, this constitutes only a part of his condemnation before God. The one sin that prevents him from entering into grace and favor with God is the sin of unbelief. Accordingly, he must realize that salvation is by faith alone. He also needs instruction on the matter of righteousness. Scriptures reveal various kinds of righteousness, for instance, the false righteousness of human works. Scripture makes clear that any human works that we offer, even if they are good, do not qualify us for salvation. Isaiah 64:6 says, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” What the sinner needs to learn is that nothing short of the righteousness of God will allow him to be saved.

Judgment is also defined as referring to the fact that sin was judged when Christ died on the cross, and Satan was condemned and now awaits the execution of God’s judgment. Obviously, many who are saved do not completely understand this doctrine, but, nevertheless, under compulsion of the Holy Spirit, turn to Christ in faith in order to be saved. The three aspects of the Spirit’s convicting the unsaved are (1) that a person seeking salvation must understand the nature of sin in contrast to the righteousness of God, (2) that God provides a righteousness which is by faith and is not earned or deserved, and (3) that God has judged sin in Christ on the cross, including the condemnation of Satan. As we enter into salvation through faith in Christ, Christ becomes our sin-bearer. As John the Baptist expressed it, Jesus Christ is the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

Salvation is from the Lord

When one considers all the facts relating to salvation and the preparatory work of the Spirit before one can be saved, it becomes obvious that simply assenting to the fact of the gospel and believing mentally that Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world does not result in salvation and is not really what can be called “saving faith.”

In the nature of faith, it is also important to realize that it must come from the whole man, that is, from his intellect, sensibility, and will. There has to be some mental understanding of what the gospel is in order to be saved, and the sinner coming to Christ should enter into the fact that it requires more than assent—it requires an act of the whole person. This may involve not only the mind but the feelings, or sensibility, and, most of all, it involves the will, for faith is actually a step authorized by our will. The English word belief comes somewhat short of what is anticipated in the Bible, which is more accurately expressed as trust, or committing oneself to faith in Christ.

This is illustrated by the use of an elevator. A person may believe that the elevator is in good working order and would take him to the top floor of the building if he chose to get on board; but as long as he is outside the elevator, his belief that the elevator would take him to the top floor does not do him any good. Faith would mean that he stepped in the elevator and put his weight into it and committed himself to its mechanical perfections. Likewise, there is more than mere assent in the matter of believing in Christ. Saving faith involves the work of the Spirit as well as the whole person—intellect, sensibility, and will. Because a person is dead spiritually, it also requires a work of God to draw him to Christ. Christ expressed it this way: “No one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him” (John 6:65).

Accordingly, in Scripture faith in Christ is an act of the whole person. It involves the work of the Spirit in the conviction of sin and righteousness and judgment, and it involves God’s providing special enablement to one who is spiritually dead to believe in Christ. This is what the Bible defines as “saving faith.”

While in our limitations it is not possible to understand completely what happens when a person trusts in Christ, the Scriptures are clear that it requires not only our action, but an act of God to bring it to consummation. Yet, the Scriptures make it plain that it is not faith plus works but faith that produces works that results in the salvation of an individual. The Father must draw the seeking sinner to Him for Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44). Accordingly, on the divine side there must be an activity of God in drawing the sinner to Himself; there must be the convicting work of the Spirit; and then the individual, empowered by God, must respond by an act of his will to put his trust in Christ as his Savior.

The Role of the Church in Rebuilding Nigeria

Many would describe Nigeria as being in a crisis, with the intractable problems of terrorism, insecurity, kidnapping, corruption, a stagnant economy, epileptic power supply, unemployment, poor governance, breakdown in healthcare delivery and the education system amongst others. The stupendous amounts of wealth acquisition by the few to the detriment of the many – by way of cronyism and plain corruption flies in the face. I believe the church can make an invaluable contribution to the transformation of Nigeria.

The Nigerian church is gradually freeing itself from the ‘locked-in’ syndrome, which in the name of building formidable and mega churches made the churches focus on ‘our brand, our image, our programmes, our members’, and locked us into the four walls of the church building, competing with each other for members and seldom venturing out except in the most dire of circumstances. This syndrome has resulted in growth in numbers, but not in quality.

It is common to find people professing to be Christians whose character and lifestyles do not emulate the life and character of Christ, and leave much to be desired. It could be said that our standards have been lowered to accommodate all comers. Thankfully the understanding is now growing that the church is relevant in every facet of human endeavour, that the church can no longer be consigned to the sacred, but is indeed responsible for influence amongst the secular. Indeed most of the systems that modern governments employ, such as judicial systems and separation of powers are rooted in Christian doctrine. We can no longer bury our heads in the sand and bemoan the travails that Nigeria faces, it’s time we arose to our responsibilities as the salt of the earth and the light of this world.

It is often said that ‘as goes the church goes the nation’, and truly with the numbers that claim adherence to the Christian faith, the church should be one of the most influential institutions in our land today. It follows therefore that the church must become whatever it wants the nation to be. If we desire to see more transparency in government, commerce and industry, then we must take the lead by demonstrating transparency through our own operations, leading by example, in other words we must become the change we desire.

IS THERE LIFE AFTER DEATH?

The Bible tells us that there is not only life after death, but eternal life so glorious that “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, came to the earth to give us this gift of eternal life.

 “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Jesus took on the punishment that all of us deserve and sacrificed His life to pay the penalty for our sin. Three days later, He proved Himself victorious over death by rising from the grave. He remained on the earth for forty days and was witnessed by hundreds before ascending to heaven. Romans 4:25 says, “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”

The resurrection of the Christ is a well-documented event. The apostle Paul challenged people to question eyewitnesses for its validity, and no one was able to contest its truth. The resurrection is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Because Christ was raised from the dead, we can have faith that we, too, will be resurrected. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the ultimate proof of life after death. Christ was only the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again. Physical death came through one man, Adam, to whom we are all related. But all who have been adopted into God's family through faith in Jesus Christ will be given new life (1 Corinthians 15:20-22). Just as God raised up Jesus' body, so will our bodies be resurrected upon Jesus' return (1 Corinthians 6:14).

Although we will all be eventually resurrected, not everyone will go to heaven. A choice must be made by each person in this life, and this choice will determine one’s eternal destination. The Bible says that it is appointed for us to die only once, and after that will come judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Those who have been made righteous by faith in Christ will go into eternal life in heaven, but those who reject Christ as Savior will be sent to eternal punishment in hell (Matthew 25:46). Hell, like heaven, is not simply a state of existence, but a literal place. It is a place where the unrighteous will experience never-ending, eternal wrath from God. Hell is described as a bottomless pit (Luke 8:31; Revelation 9:1) and a lake of fire, burning with sulfur, where the inhabitants will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10). In hell, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, indicating intense grief and anger (Matthew 13:42).

God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but desires them to turn from their wicked ways so that they can live (Ezekiel 33:11). But He will not force us into submission; if we choose to reject Him, He accepts our decision to live eternally apart from Him. Life on earth is a test, a preparation for what is to come. For believers, life after death is eternal life in heaven with God. For unbelievers, life after death is eternity in the lake of fire. How can we receive eternal life after death and avoid an eternity in the lake of fire? There is only one way—through faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die...” (John 11:25-26).

The free gift of eternal life is available to all. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him” (John 3:36). We will not be given the opportunity to accept God’s gift of salvation after death. Our eternal destination is determined in our earthly lifetimes by our reception or rejection of Jesus Christ. “I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). If we trust the death of Jesus Christ as the full payment for our sin against God, we are guaranteed not only a meaningful life on earth, but also eternal life after death, in the glorious presence of Christ.

IS THERE LIFE AFTER DEATH?

The Bible tells us that there is not only life after death, but eternal life so glorious that “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, came to the earth to give us this gift of eternal life.

 “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Jesus took on the punishment that all of us deserve and sacrificed His life to pay the penalty for our sin. Three days later, He proved Himself victorious over death by rising from the grave. He remained on the earth for forty days and was witnessed by hundreds before ascending to heaven. Romans 4:25 says, “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”

The resurrection of the Christ is a well-documented event. The apostle Paul challenged people to question eyewitnesses for its validity, and no one was able to contest its truth. The resurrection is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Because Christ was raised from the dead, we can have faith that we, too, will be resurrected. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the ultimate proof of life after death. Christ was only the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again. Physical death came through one man, Adam, to whom we are all related. But all who have been adopted into God's family through faith in Jesus Christ will be given new life (1 Corinthians 15:20-22). Just as God raised up Jesus' body, so will our bodies be resurrected upon Jesus' return (1 Corinthians 6:14).

Although we will all be eventually resurrected, not everyone will go to heaven. A choice must be made by each person in this life, and this choice will determine one’s eternal destination. The Bible says that it is appointed for us to die only once, and after that will come judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Those who have been made righteous by faith in Christ will go into eternal life in heaven, but those who reject Christ as Savior will be sent to eternal punishment in hell (Matthew 25:46). Hell, like heaven, is not simply a state of existence, but a literal place. It is a place where the unrighteous will experience never-ending, eternal wrath from God. Hell is described as a bottomless pit (Luke 8:31; Revelation 9:1) and a lake of fire, burning with sulfur, where the inhabitants will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10). In hell, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, indicating intense grief and anger (Matthew 13:42).

God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but desires them to turn from their wicked ways so that they can live (Ezekiel 33:11). But He will not force us into submission; if we choose to reject Him, He accepts our decision to live eternally apart from Him. Life on earth is a test, a preparation for what is to come. For believers, life after death is eternal life in heaven with God. For unbelievers, life after death is eternity in the lake of fire. How can we receive eternal life after death and avoid an eternity in the lake of fire? There is only one way—through faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die...” (John 11:25-26).

The free gift of eternal life is available to all. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him” (John 3:36). We will not be given the opportunity to accept God’s gift of salvation after death. Our eternal destination is determined in our earthly lifetimes by our reception or rejection of Jesus Christ. “I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). If we trust the death of Jesus Christ as the full payment for our sin against God, we are guaranteed not only a meaningful life on earth, but also eternal life after death, in the glorious presence of Christ.

FECA NIGERIA PRESENTS HER 11TH NATIONAL CONVENTION

      FECA (federal ex-students Christian association) Is inviting Nigerians and Non-Nigeria who would love to join in redeeming the desolation of our land and generation for this program themed “Kingdom First”. The kingdom first convention is the 11^th National conventaion of feca Nigeria. God is establishing his kingdom on the earth and he is using us to carry out this end time assignment.

          The event will feature music performances, a “meet and greet” session worship affair, intercession for Nigeria election of new national and regional executives, undiluted and second word of God from Pastor David Ogbuechi Pastor Ezekiel Atang, Papa Adeolu Ogunbi, Malachy Onuwa, Pastor Ndukwe and other anointed men of God.

ABOUT FECA

FECA (federal ex-students Christian association) is embodied in a statement “to redeem the desolation of our land and generation” it is our conviction that the ruins of our land (Nigeria) and generation can be rebuilt.

          The FECA network began with a group of nine girls who finished from the federal Government Girls college calabar in 1990. Their purpose was to fellowship and look out for one another after school from backsliding. 20 years down the lane, FECA (federation ex-students Christian association) has grown into a network of more than 95 chapters across the nation divided into four regions: north-east, north-west, eastern and western regions.

          Some of the categories of FECA members include university undergraduates high school leaders, as well as working class and mained categories who are referred to as “FECA forum of senior member (FOSM).

          The chapters meet one every week for fellowship and major meetings at chapter and zonal levels are usually at the discretion of the leadership. Once in every year however, all chapters in Nigeria converge at a 4-day convention at National and regional levels alternately.

OUR MISSION

          Especially towards the youths from the teenage years till young adulthood, we want to make sure there is a positive and consistent change on every sector of our economic by affecting the leaders of tomorrow, who are being tutored and groomed for effective ;leadership. Our vision is to redeem the desolation of our land and generation.

           On registration with CAC in August 2008 in Nigeria, our name changed to federation of colleges ex-student’s Christian Association (FECA)

The scope of the vision is not only spiritual, but also embraces, physical, mental, social, psychological and financial areas. This vision has crossed over 23 states with over 80 chapters planted presently, outdoor and indoor outreaches are regularly being organized in schools to reach out to both the saved and unsaved.