The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, has issued an apology for his previous statement that any believer who does not pay tithes will not enter heaven.
While addressing the congregation during the ongoing annual national youth convention at RCCG Redemption City, Pastor Adeboye expressed his regret and offered clarification on the matter. He said: “I am going to be talking to everybody as soon as God permit me, I am going to apologise for making a mistake for saying that if you don’t pay tithe, you will not be making it to heaven. That is wrong.
“That is not in the Bible. What the Bible says is to make peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see God. What the Bible says is, to follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man will make heaven.
“It is possible to be right and wrong at the same time. I will prove it to you. For years, we taught that light travels in a straight line. Later we say it travels in waves.”
Adeboye went on to share an experience from one of Kenneth E. Hagin’s ministry conventions in Tulsa, United States. He recounted how a man made a pledge to contribute more than all the other participants at the event. At the time, the total contributions toward the construction of Rhema Bible College amounted to approximately $3.5 million, but the man vowed to surpass the combined donations of everyone else toward the project.
He said: “The man told me how he had started a business with 500 dollars and had told God if he blessed him, he would not insult Him with 10 per cent.
“Five years after the man started the business, he said he was making a turnover of 50 million dollars. And that was what inspired me also to give towards God’s work violently.
“If you want to dominate, you must know how to praise God violently. How did David become king? He was not the first in the family, he was not even recognised but he knew how to praise God, he did not do it gently but violently, with all his might.
“Unfortunately, most of us don’t appreciate that. When we are much younger in the Lord, we praise God freely. As we begin to grow in the Lord, our praise becomes gentle, more civilised, and more polite. David, even after he became king, danced so vigorously that even his wife mocked him.
“Your giving must be of the violent type. King Solomon gave thousands of burnt offerings to God and God said there would not be a king before or after him, and he would not fight a single war, because kings fight war to retain their domain and the Bible records that he has peace all round.”
The Rest of the Message
Let me refresh your memory! My father, Pastor E.A. Adeboye, also said:
"It is wrong to limit yourself to just 10%. At a time when some of you should be giving 20%, 30%, or even 40%. Ten percent is for beginners. If you want to be at the top, if you want to be the one controlling finances, you will need to go far beyond 10%."
I never expected the children of this world to understand the principles of the Kingdom. These concepts are beyond their reasoning. As 1 Corinthians 2:14 (NKJV) states: "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
However, if you are a child of God’s Kingdom, eagerly awaiting the return of Jesus Christ, this statement shouldn’t trouble you. But if you do have a problem with what Baba said, then your spiritual sanctification is questionable.
Prophet Samuel made a mistake when he was sent to anoint a son of Jesse as king of Israel. He looked at the firstborn and assumed he was the chosen one, saying, “Behold, the Lord’s anointed is here.” But the Lord rejected Samuel’s choice and instructed him to wait for David.
Similarly, Pastor E.A. Adeboye made a statement and the Lord corrected him. He then obeyed God and publicly corrected himself, as instructed. Do you think it's easy for a man of his global status to come out and apologize unless God had corrected him privately? It takes someone focused on Heaven and eternal life to do that.
Make jest of him if you wish. Drag him through the mud for following the Lord’s instruction, but understand this: Baba has his focus on Heaven. Earthly honor and human ego mean little to him. It takes true humility for a man of global status to come forward and apologize. Only God could have spoken to him, for God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).
My father has just received more grace from God because of his humility.
The Lesson I Learned from Daddy E.A. Adeboye’s Humble Actions
As a servant of God, I ask myself: Is there anything I have said publicly that the Lord has corrected me about privately? I will be held accountable unless I go back and make an open correction.
To all men of God, preachers, and servants of the Most High—what have you said openly that God has corrected you about in secret? What have you done that requires open confession or restitution, but your pride or ego is holding you back?
If you are serving the Lord with fear and trembling, and you truly desire to reach Heaven, go and do what the Lord has told you to do. If it’s an open apology or confession, do it now, before it’s too late. Getting to Heaven is far more important than your pride or ego!
You have done well. You once said, "The closer one gets to the finish line, the more careful one must be." I understand that now. The truth is, none of us knows who will reach the finish line first. Therefore, we must all be careful in everything we do or say. Our finish line may arrive within minutes when the trumpet sounds.
At over 80 years of age, my father, you will finish gloriously! Thank you for teaching us all the acts of humility and meekness. The children of this world may not understand what drives you, but genuine children of the Kingdom know!
You will finish gloriously against all odds. You will end well, despite all the noise and opposition. And you will reign with Christ, shining in glory eternally, because of the millions of souls that have been brought into God’s Kingdom through your ministry and calling.
My only concern is this: when I get to Heaven, how will I be able to approach your magnificent mansion and shake your hand? So many saints from all nations will want to greet you, but I hope you remember this when you see me there!
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