“Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.” ~ Arnold BennettAbout 2 months ago we left our church of 14 years. Looking back now, though I didn't want to accept it at the time, I can admit that it seemed as if we were being directed out about 6 months before we actually left. Maybe even longer before that. Though we had not come to a final decision and had wanted to keep the door open, the door was shut once we voiced what we were contemplating. Perhaps this was for the best, especially since we were hesitant. We had stuck it out through so many low points over the years. We all survived a lot of tough things together. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time, to stick it out, and I have no regrets for that. I read recently that sometimes God allows adversity to get you to make a move. I know that to be true!
A great revival is coming to the Church worldwide that will change the understanding and expression of Christianity. The Lord is raising up a forerunner generation of young adults with a foundation of intimacy with Jesus and love for others—a foundation that produces dedication to works of justice, missions, and outreach as these young adults embrace God’s plans for the end times. These burning and shining ones will declare the coming of the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit.You can "attend" online for free, via webcast. Just register HERE.
onething’09 is a gathering of young adults who have set their hearts to discern the times and live with abandonment and devotion to Jesus. Come this December and join thousands of others with like heart and like mind to pursue this call to one thing.
Oh my!
Friendship
They're an odd couple in every sense but a monkey and a pigeon have become inseparable at an animal sanctuary in China.
The 12-week-old macaque - who was abandoned by his mother - was close to death when it was rescued on Neilingding Island, in Goangdong Province.
After being taken to an animal hospital his health began to improve but he seemed spiritless - until he developed a friendship with a white pigeon.
The blossoming relationship helped to revive the macaque who has developed a new lease of life, say staff at the sanctuary.
Now the unlikely duo are never far from each other's side, but they aren't the only ones to strike up an unusual friendship.
Earlier this year a pig adopted a tiger cub and raised him along with her piglets because his mother couldn't feed him.
And in 2005 a baby dear named Mi-Lu befriended lurcher Geoffrey at the Knowsley Animal Park in Merseyside after she was rejected by her mother
Uploaded by Joey & Sarah on 27 Sep 07, 1.05AM ADT.
“Faced with such opposition and the pressure it brings, postmodernism is a form of intellectual pacifism that, at the end of the day, recommends backgammon while the barbarians are at the gate. It is the easy, cowardly way out that removes the pressure to engage alternative conceptual schemes, to be different, to risk ridicule, to take a stand outside the gate. But it is precisely as disciples of Christ, even more, as officers in his army, that the pacifist way out is simply not an option. However comforting it may be, postmodernism is the cure that kills the patient, the military strategy that concedes defeat before the first shot is fired, the ideology that undermines its own claim to allegiance. And it is an immoral, coward’s way out that is not worthy of a movement born out of the martyrs’ blood.” ~ J.P. Moreland
"My mission is to coach women who are in a season of life in which they are seeking new direction, a fresh start, challenging opportunities, spiritual growth, a new vision for using their giftedness and passions, and that by God’s power will help them become more of who they are meant to be, living life in all its fullness." ~ Jenell PluimJenell and I spoke on the phone yesterday and at the end of our conversation, she asked if I wanted time to think about partnering together, or did I want to go ahead and get things started. The only appropriate answer was: let's do this!! She was so warm and understanding. She was easy to talk to. I think we're going to be a great fit. She ended with praying for me, and wow that truly blessed my heart.
"Not to dream boldly may turn out to be simply irresponsible." ~ George Leonard
"As a pastor I hear a lot of emergent leaders talk about what is wrong with the church. It comes across as someone who doesn't love the church. I'm a pastor first and foremost, and I'm trying to offer a solution or a model of what church should look like. I'm going back to scripture and seeing what the church was in its simplest form and trying to recreate that in my own church. I'm not coming up with anything new. I'm calling people to go back to the way it was. I'm not bashing the church. I'm loving it." ~ Francis Chan, author of Crazy LoveHere's an amazing evangelistic video with Francis Chan. My daughter's only word at the end was, "wow". I plan to watch more of his stuff at YouTube.
"What we apply to the skin is just as important - latest tests have discovered that chemical substances may be found in the urine within 30 minutes of application of the skin. It is important to nurture the skin and encourage harmony by adopting an holistic approach, that is by treating the skin as an integral part of the whole body." ~ Lorraine Sutton
"An intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction." ~ Hoshang N. Akhtar
“Silence is the most perfect expression of scorn.” ~ George Bernard ShawYesterday I unexpectedly faced a situation which at first caused me distress, until I realized that all was okay, relatively speaking. Still, I had to muster up the courage to walk into a place where my presence is not wanted by someone. It makes me weepy to think about it, and I wish I could transport myself to an isolated place so I could have a good long cry. I'm way overdue in releasing some pent up sorrow.
"Friendship is evanescent in every man's experience, and remembered like heat lightening in past summers. Fair and flitting like a summer cloud;--there is always some vapor in the air, no matter how long the drought; there are even April showers. Surely from time to time, for its vestiges never depart, it floats through our atmosphere. It takes place, like vegetation in so many materials, because there is such a law, but always without permanent form, though ancient and familiar as the sun and moon, and as sure to come again. The heart is forever inexperienced. They silently gather as by magic, these never failing, never quite deceiving visions, like the bright and fleecy clouds in the calmest and clearest days. The Friend is some fair floating isle of palms eluding the mariner in Pacific seas. Many are the dangers to be encountered, equinoctial gales and coral reefs, ere he may sail before the constant trades. But who would not sail through mutiny and storm even over Atlantic waves, to reach the fabulous retreating shores of some continent man**?" ~ "Friendship" by Henry David Thoreau** "woman" in my case!
"Credo is the word with which the great creeds of early Christendom begin. “I believe. . .” we say. The Latin credo means literally, “I give my heart.” The word believe is a problematic one today in part because it has gradually changed its meaning from being the language of certainty so deep that I could give my heart to it, to the language of uncertainty so shallow that only the “credulous” would rely on it. Faith, as we have seen, is not about propositions, but about commitment. It does not mean that I intellectually subscribe to the following list of statements, but that I give my heart to this reality. Believe, indeed, comes to us from the Old English belove, making clear that this too is meant to be heart language. To say “I believe in Jesus Christ” is not to subscribe to an uncertain proposition. It is a confession of commitment, of love."~ Diana L. Eck
Even God doesn't plan to judge a man till the end of his days, why should you and I? ~ Source Unknown
"Ask all the people of the land and the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted? And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves?" ~ Zechariah 7:5-6 (NIV)
The pattern of the prodigal is:
rebellion,
ruin,
repentance,
reconciliation,
restoration.
~ Edwin Louis Cole
“Never cease loving a person, and never give up hope for him, for even the prodigal son who had fallen most low, could still be saved; the bitterest enemy and also he who was your friend could again be your friend; love that has grown cold can kindle”
~ Soren Kierkegaard
"Spirituality is measured in terms of fruit. Rationalist, pragmatist, mystic nut--whatever our disposition--we are only spiritual to the extent that the fruit of the Spirit grows in our lives. To come to that life in Christ is the aim of us all, and it requires that each of us bear our cross and are "crossed-out" by our opposites, the rationalist by the mystic, the liturgist by the free-worshiper, the common sense fellow by the brilliant scholar, the plodder by the leaper, the artistic by the prosaic, the complex by the simple. Mystics need the counsel of the rationalists--and the rationalists need the challenge and the excitement of the experiences of the mystic. "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another" (Prov. 27:17)."
~ John Sandford, "The Elijah Task"
I MANY times thought peace had come,
When peace was far away;
As wrecked men deem they sight the land
At centre of the sea,
And struggle slacker, but to prove,
As hopelessly as I,
How many the fictitious shores
Before the harbor lie.
~ Emily Dickinson
"You don't have to be around the church long to learn that where there is unity God blesses, and that where there is discord, He doesn't. Unity is the prelude and primary condition for power in prayer (Matt. 18:19). Unity always exist in the Spirit in the body, no matter how we fuss and fight, but unity must travel from spirit to soul to heart and mind and action before it bears fruit among men.
However, the quest for unity need not prevent discussion, difference of opinion, or even sharp disagreement. It is one thing to agree so deeply in heart and soul and spirit that we can violently disagree in mind, without disturbing unity or breaking the agreement which profits prayer. It is another to so let disagreements enlist angers and party spirit that inner energies are drafted to unconscious battles and conscious debates. Paul and Peter battled heavily (Gal. 1-2) and yet the Father worked stupendous miracles in and through both of them, and wherever they went the church prospered! Men fought Paul everywhere. Most of the letters of the New Testament are written about quarrels or are themselves involved in settling some dispute. Yet the early church was filled with power. We can fuss at each other strenuously without disturbing true unity. We must not so make an idol of unity that we drive necessary irritations of communication underground and so provide lip service to unity while we are inwardly frustrated into hating. The restoration of unity also means the restoration of honest communication. Anger, jealousy, spite, envy and the like tear the fabric of unity, not honest communication. If men's hearts are knit as one, the mental exercise of debate serves only to heighten respect and increases banter and fun. We need not fear to fuss and fight, as long as we immediately forgive and laughingly embrace. Unity moves from spirit to soul and heart by the route of openness, not tight-mouthed silence."
~ John Sanford, "The Elijah Task"
"You and I cannot demonstrate love or joy or peace or patience or kindness sitting all by ourselves on an island. No, we demonstrate it when the people we have committed to loving give us good reasons not to love them, but we do it anyway."He goes on to suggest that if your goal is to love all Christians, then commit yourself to a concrete group of Christians (church) with all their failures and weaknesses. Stick with them through thick and thin for 80 years and then evaluate how successful you were at loving all Christians.
~ Mark Dever, "What Is A Healthy Church"
Unfortunately, in seeing ourselves as we truly are, not all that we see is beautiful and attractive. This is undoubtedly part of the reason we flee silence. We do not want to be confronted with our hypocrisy, our phoniness. We see how false and fragile is the false self we project. We have to go through this painful experience to come to our true self. It is a harrowing journey, a death to self—the false self—and no one wants to die. But it is the only path to life, to freedom, to peace, to true love. And it begins with silence. We cannot give ourselves in love if we do not know and possess ourselves. This is the great value of silence. It is the pathway to all we truly want.
--M. Basil Pennington
"What you are hinting at requires a genuine heart desire filled with love and laying everything else aside. This requires a cost and i'm not sure that there are those who really want to move with God that strongly, because of the work and effort it would take to make a change. The buzz words being mindsets and paradigms."Ah, the path of least resistance! Though I'll never resign myself to the status quo, I guess this confirms once again that I have and always will be a dreamer. :-)
Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. ~ Hebrews 3:1-6 (NKJV)To me this means that Jesus is the Head of each church, he is the "Senior Pastor". So it would appear to me that if Moses was "replaced" by Jesus, can any one then "replace" Jesus'?
“Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, [meaning compensate them monetarily], especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.” ~ 1 Timothy 5:17 (NASB)Through Google Book Search, I found a book called "Discourse on the Official Relations of New Testament Elders”, written by John M. Duncan, a Presbyterian pastor. The book was published in 1826. Originally, it was a discourse delivered to his community as a "service preparatory to the ordination of four elders, who were, there and then, ordained according to the principles therein exhibited." It was expanded and revised for the public at the request of the elders of that church.
Paul and Barnabas appointed elders [plural] for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. ~ Acts 14:23 (NIV)Here's what Duncan had to say:
God has not created offices in his house to afford to one man an opportunity to grow more important than another man; but to furnish every one with an occasion of doing all the good he can: and each minister, instead of growing supercilious because of his official distinction, might say with Moses, "would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them."These are not "support roles". Overseer's jobs are to shepherd the flock, just as the preacher/teacher. No one is meant to bear the burden alone. All elders are called to feed, care for, and protect the flock.
Now, you know that congregations ask their preachers to do a very great deal. They must preach twice or thrice on the sabbath, and, perhaps, two or three times in the week; they must visit the sick; bury the dead; .....and submit to every intrusion which the public at large shall conclude their supposed influence may warrant. Can human beings accomplish all this? Are flesh and blood equal to the task? Must not the preacher neglect the pulpit in order to answer these various calls?
Under all these views, it appears to me, that, while the preacher is taken from among the elders to expound the scriptures and conduct the public services of the sanctuary, they in their places are called to discharge whatever belongs to parochial visitation.
But here it may be necessary for me to state, that I am not seeking a retreat for myself, nor expressing any intention to decline my usual parochial services.....Yet whatever I may do, or may not do, your elders are called upon, by the Word of God, to exhort, to comfort, to reprove, to warn, to pray, among you, as opportunities may occur, or your situation may demand.
Paul, in his exhortation to the elders of Ephesus, addresses, not a single elder, but a number. And he admonishes them as having a spiritual charge entrusted to them in common....Peter, in like manner, addresses, not an elder, but the elders [not only that but refers to himself as a fellow elder]; and he requires them to feed the flock of God, and cheerfully to take the oversight thereof.....Feeding the flock of God calls for much more than mere sanctuary services; and oversight is much more than mere preaching. Terms like these express full provision for the spiritual necessities of the church, that she may be edified, enlarged, sustained, refreshed. They include all that belongs to exhortation, prayer, watchfulness, consolation, warning, reproof, rule, &c. The elders must do all this, each one labouring in his own place, and according to his own ability; or, as the scriptures speak, some elders must preside well, and others must labour in word and doctrine. All are not intended to do the same thing, but a plurality exists to meet various wants.Duncan, in referring to the elders being ordained in his church, says this about them:
They consider themselves to be invested with spiritual functions, and called to render spiritual services. They may exhort you to duty; they may comfort you by unfolding the merits of our beloved Redeemer, and the precious promises of our covenant God; they may warn you of the fearful consequences of sin; they may pray with and for you; they may sustain a spiritual parentage to your children;—in a thousand ways they may be helpers of your joy, and companions in your sorrows. And all this may be done from the purest, the kindest, and the most magnanimous motives, and with an assiduity which cannot fail to be a blessing.Wow. Now, this is what he says to the church:
Now then, brethren, your duty is to "know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake." And again, I say, "obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves; for they Watch for your souls, as they that must give account: that they may do it with joy, and not with grief; for that is unprofitable for you." It will be yours to receive them affectionately when they call upon you; to send for them when you are sick; to ask counsel of them when you need it; to converse freely with them of things divine; to listen in patience and love to their brotherly admonition; to bear them habitually on your hearts to the mercy-seat; and to afford them every facility in the discharge of their duties. What a glorious spiritual alliance is here! What a mingling of christian hearts! How well adapted the opportunity to a fine display of the social attributes of moral character! What tender sympathies, most happily elicited! These things never can be forgotten.Sounds like a huge responsibility no matter where you find yourself, but it also sounds healthy and full of promise.
"Our checkered careers, our utter sinfulness and degradation, our falling into all manner of vain seeking, become by the grace of God on the cross and in the resurrection, the inevitable writing of wisdom on our hearts. Our hurts and sins have become our schooling and preparation. Would that we could learn purity the easy way. Praise God that His mercy is such that He turns the depth of our sin into the strength of ministry. We're not proud of our wrongdoing, but the sweet grace of God is such that in the end we thank Him for it. Our sins have rather become our training for high calling than our disqualification." ~ John Sanford, "The Elijah Task"Living in gratitude for being a rescued one...
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.Here's my journal entry written 5 days prior to last night's meeting. These words still ring true for me:
It occurs to me that one might be tempted to think that everyone has been relatively happy with the state of affairs at church, despite escalating signs that all is not well. Thankfully the tide is turning and there is a conviction within the community to re-evaluate*.*time will tell just how willing we are to face the truth about ourselves as a community, and if we'll continue to pretend that Paul's words to Titus are not also applicable to us when he said, "At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another." (Titus 3:3)
I feel it's important to ensure that we cultivate an environment where people's cautions and concerns for the community are not brushed aside or disregarded. To settle for anything less than this is to be guilty of "groupthink", where maintaining the status quo is more important than the genuine needs of the community.
I personally hope that we can strive to come to a place where trust can be restored to the point where we can challenge each other in love and friendship, without fear of abandonment or rejection.
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. ~ Titus 3:4-8
"The profound solutions to the ills of the community
are born at the feet of Jesus Christ"
~ Father Ignacio Larranaga
To be mature does not necessarily mean just a fully grown up individual. It is a combination of many things that includes age, awareness, intelligence, decision making ability and more. To be mature means:
1. to be realistic, to be in touch with reality and to be guided by facts,
2. to be responsible to self and others and to accept responsibility for self preservation,
3. to be willing to examine ones beliefs, fallacies, prejudices and assumptive behavior in an objective way and let them go,
4. to be guided by reason rather than emotions, to be able to distinguish the two and also at the same time accommodate them appropriately and intelligently in one's life and priorities,
5. to be assertive without being aggressive, to be friendly without the need to get attention, to disagree without the need to compete and to seek without the fear of failure or rejection,
6. to be flexible and open-minded rather than rigid and judgmental, to be amenable to new situations and receptive to new knowledge, to be willing to learn new skills and new responses,
7. to be inquisitive and exploratory, seeking answers to questions one does not know, gathering information before arriving at conclusions, stretching the mind to explore hidden possibilities and hidden potentialities,
8. to act spontaneously to an occasion or situation, free from preconceived notions, the compulsion to be perfect or correct, habitual or mechanical reactions
9. to be in touch with the present and enjoy the passing moment
10. to know what is possible and achievable and to acknowledge that which is not.
"But if the the church is following the life of God who indwells it, it will never produce those nonscriptural practices this book addresses. Such practices are foreign elements that God's people picked up from their pagan neighbours as far back as the fourth century. They were embraced, baptized, and called "Christian". And that is why the church is in the state that it is in today, hampered by endless divisions, power struggles, passivity, and lack of transformation among God's people"In this quote he cites the following essays of his in his footnote:
Is tithing Biblical? Sure, if you happen to be a non-Christian Jew who is still erroneously living under Old Testament law. But tithing is not Biblical for Christians.
In brief, tithing is never once taught in the New Testament, which is the blueprint for the Church and for Christian living. Some argue that Jesus upheld tithing in the New Testament. But what they fail to recognize is when Jesus told various men in the New Testament that they should not neglect the tithe is because those men were Jews, not Christians and Jesus had not yet died and rose from the dead redeeming us in general from ceremonial Jewish law.
It is absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to keep the Bible’s command to not give under compulsion while believing that we owe a compulsory tax of 10% of our income...
The same men who teach the tithe gladly eat pork (which is OK for any Christian to do). But anyone who keeps any Old Testament ceremonial law (such as tithing) must keep all the Old Testament ceremonial laws (including the law that states that eating pork is forbidden). We also do not see these tithe teachers slaughtering bulls and goats as sacrifices to God (not that any Christian should). The point is, these men pick and choose to pull forward from the Old Testament law whatever they want and they have chosen to keep the tithe and throw out what is inconvenient (such as the prohibition on owning personal property, the prohibition on eating pork, animal sacrifices, etc.) in a nutshell whatever they don’t like and whatever does not suit them.
Is Tithing Biblical?
Who would have tithed in the Bible?
Apparently, only those who owned land in ancient Israel (the promised land itself) would have tithed an average of 23.3 percent of agricultural produce. There is no evidence that the tithe was ever applied to those who did not own land, or to those who did not live in Israel, with one exception: the Levites would give a tenth of the tithe to the priests, who also were commanded to tithe from what had been given to them (Numbers 18:26-28). This shows us that “even ‘full-time religious workers’ were subject to the laws of tithing” (Blomberg, Neither Poverty nor Riches, 46). However, Israelites who had become poor and lost their land or those who had moved to cities and engaged in non-agricultural trades almost certainly would have been exempt from tithe under Old Testament law. This casts considerable doubt on the applicability of a “10 percent” tithe for all Christians today. Instead of settling for a hard-and-fast legal requirement of 10 percent, we should instead pay careful attention to the New Testament’s radical teaching on generosity.
Generous Giving: Questions About Tithing
Jews Do Not Tithe Today
...thirty–five years ago when I was just starting to study theology in college, a letter had been given to me for answering. It was from a woman who heard that modern Jews were not tithing. She wanted to know whether the information was true, and if so, why the Jews seemingly violated the plain laws of the Bible which spoke of tithing as a law to be obeyed?
Having read the letter, I began to share her concern. To resolve the matter I telephoned three rabbis in the Los Angeles area for their explanation. Much to my dismay, all three independently of each other informed me that no religious Jew should tithe today. I was startled at their replies. This appeared to be evidence that the Jews were so lax with their biblical interpretation that they were abandoning even the simple words of their own Scripture about the laws of tithing.
By the time I spoke with the last rabbi, my youthful indignation was beginning to emerge. But that rabbi then wisely began to show me my ignorance (not his) in the whole matter. First, he admitted that none of his congregation paid one penny of tithe that was demanded in the Old Testament. He then said: "If any member of my synagogue paid tithe in the scriptural manner, he would be disobeying the law of God—he would be sinning against God."
I was staggered by his answer. He went on to inform me that since the Bible demands that the tithe be paid to Levites, he said it would be wrong to pay it to anyone else. And further, because there is presently no official Levitical order of Priests ministering at a Temple in Jerusalem, this makes it illegal at this period to pay any biblical tithe. He went on to say, however, that the moment a Temple is rebuilt, with its altar in operation and with the priesthood officiating at that altar (and the Levites there to assist them), then every Jew who lives in the tithing zones mentioned in the Bible will be required to tithe according to the biblical commands.
This teaching was a revelation to me (as it may be to some of our readers), but the rabbi gave the proper biblical answers. To pay the biblical tithe at this time, without Levites and Priests in their regular ordained offices and doing service in the Temple, would be "sin" both to the giver and the receiver. The rabbi told me: "If we are to obey the law, we cannot pay tithe unless we pay it to the ones ordained by God to accept that tithe."
The rabbi explained that though he was the chief rabbi of his synagogue, he was not a Levite. He said he was descended from the tribe of Judah and was thereby not eligible to receive tithe. The same disqualification applied even to Christ Jesus while he was on earth since he was also reckoned as having come from the tribe of Judah. This same restriction was applicable to the activities of the apostle Peter (because he was as well from Judah) and it applied to the apostle Paul (because he was from the tribe of Benjamin). Neither Christ nor those apostles were Levites so they were all disqualified from receiving any part of the biblical tithe. It is just that simple. And listen, if Christ, Peter and Paul did not use the biblical tithe for any of their work in the teaching the Gospel, Christian ministers today should not use the biblical tithe either. The Jewish religious authorities are wise enough to read what the Word of God states about the tithe and, thankfully, they abide by it. But our Gentile preachers and priests care very little what the biblical texts actually state and go merrily on their way by devising their own laws of tithing which are different from those of the Bible.
Jews Do Not Tithe Today
Financing a Church Organization
It is a foregone conclusion that any religious organization that provides a good service to the people who are members ought to have adequate funds with which to operate. And though it is wrong to use the laws of tithing in the Bible to support any organization, there should be means to do the job. And how much should one pay for such services? Really, it is not a matter of whether one gives ten percent, twenty percent or any percent to the work of teaching the Gospel. To Christ, it was all a matter of attitude. The voluntary giving of free will contributions was to Christ the proper way to support his work. It is one that Christ approves.
The Bible provides a logical and very workable voluntary system for financing any Christian work. It is similar to that which supported the Old Covenant "Israel" before the introduction of tithing in the second year of the Exodus. Its principle is found in Matthew 10, Mark 6, Luke 9 and 10 and 1 Corinthians 9. The whole matter—from beginning to end—is that of free will offerings—not tithe. Paul also referred to it in his first letter to Timothy:
"Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine." ~ 1 Timothy 5:17
Next to the word "honor" in verse 17 of the King James Version is found a marginal reference that refers to Acts 28:10. This shows where the same Greek word is used. The Revised Standard Version renders the word "honor" as "gifts." Does not the word "gift" mean something other than a debt? Such "honors" are perfectly proper to give Christian workers when they carry on their work in the teaching of the Christian Gospel.
Financing a Church Organization
Paul did not Receive Tithes
Paul’s missionary efforts should make it abundantly clear to everyone that the tithe, whether on agricultural products, livestock or 10 per cent of income, is not a New Testament teaching. Of all the New Testament writers, Paul of all people should have been able to use the Old Testament Scriptures to get people to tithe to him so that his expenses would be taken care of. But Paul did not quote a single tithing Scripture to make people give, not one. He most certainly could have, because the Temple and its sacrificial system was still going on during his life-time. But Paul knew only Levites could collect tithes. Paul could have made some Levites his treasurer and then gotten the tithes, but he did no such thing. When he quoted the Old Testament to justify receiving financial help from Christians, he quoted Deuteronomy 25:4, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain." (1 Cor. 9:9) He quotes it again in 1 Timothy 5:17,18, "Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads the grain,’ and ‘The laborer is worthy of his wages.’" (The words for double honor in the Greek include monetary remuneration.)
Why didn’t Paul just blast them with some real good strong tithe Scriptures and then throw the Malachi "you are robbing God" thing at them like many preachers do? Because Paul knew the Old Covenant much better than modern preachers do! He knew that there was a new temple, a new priesthood, and new covenant, and a new way of giving—out of the love of Christ in your heart! Just as our Father gave.
The Tithe is Illegal
"The church needs to make a complete paradigm shift from the Old Covenant way of thinking and living to the New Covenant way. Mixing the two doesn't work. It's like putting new wine into old wine skins. The result is a dysfunctional system of religion, which most people consider to be normal Christianity, but is not what God intended. Tithing is one way that Christians mistakenly try to express their new nature in Christ through an obsolete system of worship and financial stewardship."You can read the above book here for free, or purchase your own copy. You know what's ironic (or not)? A lot of these writers/teachers/pastors who teach on the topic of non-tithing GIVE their work away, be it book or a 4 1/2 hour video series. Does that not say a LOT?
~ Matthew E. Narramore, "Tithing: Low-Realm, Obsolete & Defunct"
1) Do you need an effective, proven, affordable, and GUARANTEED ways to help your congregation become more generous?How about throwing one of these images out in a PowerPoint presentation:
2) Would you like to help your people be more generous without preaching any or many giving sermons?
Tithing Tracts
Groan. First of all, it's a farce to suggest that this has anything to do with generosity. Second and worst of all they have twisted the original meaning of the verse. No surprise there. The book of Proverbs is traditionally attributed to Israel’s King Solomon. It's also the Old Testament/Covenant. What it is really referring to is tithing on "all thine increase" (Young's Literal Translation), or "the firstfruits of all your crops" (NIV), which is absolutely in line with the laws given to the ISRAELITES for that place and time.Honor the LORD from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; (NASB) *notice it says "wealth" and "produce"And so on and so forth. I couldn't even find the version they used, if they used one at all. I can't decifer the cryptic symbol on the image.
Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best. (The Message) *as much as I struggle with The Message's tendency to water down the Word, I like Peterson's version of this verse
Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency [from righteous labors] and with the firstfruits of all your income; (Amplified Bible) *at least this speaks of "capital" etc. and not tithing on your poverty, though I disagree with the use of the word "income" according to the definition of the Biblical tithe
Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. (New Living Translation) *again "wealth", not giving what you don't have
Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: (KJV)
"A thorough study of all the New Testament exhortations that apply to financial giving reveals a different perspective than what is often preached today. Jesus himself is the highest example of the motivation and purpose of all giving. He gave because he loved and he gave to bless."
~ Matthew E. Narramore, "Tithing: Low-Realm, Obsolete & Defunct"
"Bernie Dehler interviews Russell Kelly and George W. Green. Why is the doctrine of "Christian Tithing" so wrong? What is the best argument from tithe teachers, and why is it wrong? Are those against "Christian Tithing" just simply being stingy?"
