The Founder of Salvation Ministries, Pastor David Ibiyeomie, has warned Christians against neglecting the payment of tithes, claiming that failure to fulfil the religious obligation could expose them to problems they might wrongly attribute to the devil.
The Press Nigeria reports that the clergyman made the remarks in a viral video circulating online, where he urged believers to prioritise tithing over personal expenses, including the purchase of Christmas clothes.
“Don’t buy a Christmas cloth when you have not paid tithe. It’s dangerous. It’s very dangerous,” Ibiyeomie said.
The pastor cautioned Christians against paying tithes arbitrarily, insisting that believers should calculate and pay what he described as the correct amount rather than contributing whatever they considered convenient.
To reinforce his message, Ibiyeomie recounted incidents involving vehicle tyre bursts, which he attributed to the alleged failure of drivers to pay their tithes.
In one instance, he claimed that two tyres on a vehicle conveying him burst during a journey. He said he subsequently questioned the driver about his tithing practices.
“I said to the driver of the passenger, I said, you don’t pay tithe,” he recalled.
Ibiyeomie also claimed that two tyres on his Rolls-Royce burst while a driver who allegedly did not pay tithes was behind the wheel.
“I said, go and check his record. Truth was not a tither,” he claimed, referring to the driver.
He added that he had experienced similar situations involving other Christian drivers whom he alleged were not consistent in paying their tithes.
According to the clergyman, such experiences strengthened his conviction that not every misfortune should be blamed on the devil, urging Christians to examine their religious commitments when confronted with difficulties.
“Not everything is the devil,” he said.
The pastor also issued a warning concerning the consequences of neglecting tithes during the festive season, suggesting that failure to comply could have implications for believers’ families.
“I’m telling you this December, don’t tamper with your tithe. Otherwise, they may rush your children,” he said.
He further criticised Christians who, according to him, paid tithes inconsistently or failed to calculate the amount properly.
“Many of you are Christians, but don’t pay the correct tithe. You pay as you like. It’s not pay as you go. Pay correct tithe,” he said.
Ibiyeomie concluded by urging believers to take tithing seriously and reconsider the tendency to attribute every difficulty to spiritual attacks.
His claims linking unpaid tithes to vehicle tyre bursts and other misfortunes were presented as personal accounts and religious interpretations rather than independently established causal relationships.
