Spiritual Blindness

So, one morning, I was having a conversation with a colleague of mine,

I mentioned in passing

(during a conversation about vegetarianism) that I was a Rastafarian many years ago, and was a vegetarian during that time.

My colleague said then that their spouse loves Reggae Music

I asked then, if the love was based in faith or music appreciation. My colleague stated that it was music appreciation, that their spouse attends many concerts, and Loves the Music. My colleague went on to say that their spouse is a schoolteacher and teaches the  students to say... JAH Rastafari!

Surprised, I explained that to declare "JAH! Rastafari"

is a declaration of the deity of Haile Selassie. I broke it down word-by-word, and making clear that it means “YAHweh/Jehovah is Haile Selassie!”

My colleague looked at me with this vacant stare, then said someting along the lines of

The spouse says that if Haile Selassie is watching over all those people (e.g. Rastafarians I assume) then he can watch over the kids…

Now, is that not a FAITH statement???

People blinded by the god of this age...

But the unbeliever does not welcome what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually.The spiritual person, however, can evaluate everything, yet he himself cannot be evaluated by anyone. – 1 Cor 2:14-15 (HCSB)

            

'True Love' a Sermon by pastor.ctj

'True Love'

Preached June 24th 2012 

at

Norwalk United Methodist Church

Norwalk, CT

____________________________________

It is common in the Study of the Bible, to always ask these questions when you read a passage:

Who is talking, Who are they talking to? What is the writer’s purpose?

What I find today however, is that too few of us make a study of the Bible, and are happy instead to draw from the opinions and feelings of others. The disastrous prosperity Gospel is but one example…

But the scripture makes it clear that we are to study…

Paul’s admonition to Timothy immediately comes to mind as does YHWH’s order to Joshua. And the scripture also tells us what it is for…

At the End of the 20th Chapter of John’s Gospel he tells us why He wrote his. He says

John 20:30-31 (HCSB) Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and by believing you may have life in His name.

As for the book of Proverbs, Solomon makes that clear right at the start…

Proverbs 1: 1-4 (HCSB)  - The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: 2 For learning what wisdom and discipline are; for understanding insightful sayings; 3 for receiving wise instruction in righteousness, justice, and integrity; 4 for teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced, knowledge and discretion to a young man—

As Does Luke:  Luke 1:1-4 (HCSB)
Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us,  just as the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us.
It also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed.

And therein are the 3 goals of preaching:

1. So that the hearer may believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and by believing you may have life in His name.
2. For learning what wisdom and discipline are; for understanding insightful sayings; for receiving wise instruction in righteousness, justice, and integrity; for teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced, knowledge and discretion
3. So that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed.  Amen

So we’re here to talk about Love… What exactly is Love?

The dictionary defines it as:

1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.

2. a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.

3. sexual passion or desire.

Love, in our cultural milieu,  is a feeling. It is primarily self-serving often uncontrollable, and rarely permanent. It is a word so often used that it is almost devoid of meaning today… I mean really, do you really LOVE those shoes? That TV show? Really? LOVE?

Today, words like Tolerance and Acceptance are synonyms for love as well.

But listen to what some children say Love is…

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love." - Rebecca - age 8

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.  You just know that your name is safe in their mouth." - Billy - age 4

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other." - Karl - age 5

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs." - Chrissy - age 6

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK." - Danny - age 7

"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss" - Emily - age 8

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen." - Bobby - age 7

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate."   Nikka - age 6

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well." - Tommy age 6 

How does the Bible define Love?  (God Is Love 1 John 4)

We face a problem in the English language because of its constraints… You see, In the original Greek language there were four words for love. Three of them used in Scripture:

Eros- refers to erotic love

Storge - refers to family love – Used as a compound word in Romans 12: 10 - Filostorgos literally  cherishing one's kindred

Phileo - refers to brotherly love - from (philos); to be a friend to (fond of [an individual or an object]), i.e. have affection for (denoting personal attachment, as a matter of sentiment or feeling; Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary.

Agape - This is the one used by far the most frequently, It refers to God’s love – It is defined by action, based (for us) on obedience, and not rooted in feelings.  In the Gospel of John the word agape or a derivative occurs 27 times. Among them John 3:16, (which we often misunderstand. We think that the ‘so’ means ‘so much’ , but what it really means is ‘like this’, or ‘in this manner’... God Loved mankind in this manner: He gave his only begotten son) In the epistles of John another 17 times…

When God repeats a word this many times He expects us to listen.

But this is not our definition. This is not the one that we use… For us, Love is a Feeling…

This is partly why we wrestle with the concept of Loving our enemy, precisely because we have defined this word Love to be primarily feelings based, but the Bible does not say that…

John records Jesus as Giving His disciples the command to Love

John 13:34-35 (HCSB)

“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

But just in case you’re wondering how it is possible to Love your enemies, the Father shows us by example how it’s done:

Romans 5:6-11 (HCSB)
For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly.
For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from wrath.  For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life!  And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have now received this reconciliation through Him.

That Beloved, is Love in Action…

Later John says in his letters 1 John 4:7-11 (HCSB)

Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  The one who does not love (agapao, action) does not know God, because God is love ( Agape/Action) .  God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His One and Only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another.

There it is… Obedience, expressed in, and manifested as, ACTION

And that is the definition of love that I would like to focus on today Agapao/Agape,

Love in Action

Love is a command, therefore it is an act of the will

When I was growing up, My Mother used to tell us something, which I realize now, was echoing GOD…

You Have 2 choices: You can either Do as I say, or you can Do as I say… (repeat)

This is the not so hidden message of Jesus to His disciples… and to us…

You Have 2 choices, if you’re my disciple: You can either Do as I say, or you can Do as I say…

I do not find in the scripture, this pop culture, pleading Jesus who bids you come, and is desperately seeking and knocking and waiting patiently outside for you to let him in so that he can give you whatever you want, make you rich, happy and healthy, and then ‘poof’ take you to heaven… like a genie in a bottle.

I hear you thinking: Well what about when He says ‘Behold I stand at the door and knock?’ In Revelation, well, here. Listen to it in context:

Revelation 3:19-22 As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be committed and repent. 20 Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me. 21 To the victor: I will give  the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I also won the victory and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 “Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Notice he is speaking to the churches… So what we see here is the true Jesus. The Victorious Ruler, the King, the Master who commands and dictates terms and conditions to His Slaves. (Yes, we are his slaves, that is what the Bible declares, more about that later)

He tells of the benefits of obedience and the penalty of disobedience. It is this Jesus who tells His disciples that their (and our) obedience to Him is the proof of our Love for Him.  HALLELU-YAH!!!

Comfort vs. Righteousness, Our desire for self-determination vs. obedience this is the war that we face, this is the tension that we experience every day… But take care, lest we become like those whom God hates…

I just heard you say, But God, who is Love, Doesn’t hate anyone! Does He?

Yes He does. Who and Why, you ask?

Did you know, that when you hate scorn a brother or sister in the Lord, You become someone who God Hates, this is because of the great price that was paid by Jesus, and because of His Prayer

What did Jesus Pray?

John’s Gospel Chapter 17: verses 20-23  

20 I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in Me through their message. 21 May they all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You. May they also be one in Us, so the world may believe You sent Me. 22 I have given them the glory You have given Me. May they be one as We are one.  23 I am in them and You are in Me. May they be made completely one, so the world may know You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me.

This prayer has not gone unanswered, family. If you are in the Body of Christ, We are ONE!

According to Proverbs 6, The LORD hates six things; in fact, seven are detestable to Him:

Arrogant eyes, or as the KJV says, a proud look: This is looking down on another brother or sister. Pride, disdain, arrogance, scorn, you know how we be sometimes… ‘Look at what she’s got on’, etc

A lying tongue,  - That speaks for itself. But Why? Because Lies disguise themselves as truth, and by giving a false impression seek to lead people astray. Words have power… The Bible declares that God’s Words created all that exists, and we being created in His image, have the power to create with our Words as well… Am I saying that we can just name it and claim it, or like Joel Osteen says, that ‘there is a miracle in your mouth?’

Not at all. I am saying that our words can create perceptions and situations, and our words can affect people’s behavior. So when we lie, we create perceptions and situations that can affect people’s behavior… Do you understand?

The next thing: Hands that shed innocent blood, - The killing of the innocent is Murder. Period. No it is not someone’s right to choose… Did I just go there? Yes.

A heart that plots wicked schemes, Feet eager to run to evil, A lying witness who gives false testimony…We see the seriousness of this in Genesis as God decides to wipe out mankind, he says: 

Genesis 6:5-7   - When the LORD saw that man’s wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every scheme his mind thought of was nothing but evil all the time, the LORD regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. Then the LORD said, “I will wipe off from the face of the earth mankind, whom I created, together with the animals, creatures that crawl, and birds of the sky—for I regret that I made them.”

And then again in the book of Acts, 5th Chapter, we see that 2 church members, a couple named Ananias and Saphira are killed by the Holy Spirit for lying to the brethren, and more importantly, lying to God, trying to deceive Him.  (A quick note for those of you who are not sure whether or not the Holy Spirit is God, the proof is there in Acts 5…)

And Finally, one who stirs up trouble among brothers. Or as King James puts it : He who sows discord among the Brethren – This one, is particularly egregious. God HATES THE PERSON. Why? Because ‘the brethren’ are God’s people, God’s Elect. Israel understood that they were God’s chosen people, and as such they were eachother’s brothers and neighbors, they were accountable for and to eachother.

This is also true of the church, the body of Christ. We are the Called out ones, the Elect of God, those whom  as Romans 8 says, He forknew, and predestined to be conformed into the image of His son, that the son would be the first among many brethren. . Listen to

Colossians 1:15-23 : All things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together. 18 He is also the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything. 19 For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile everything to Himself by making peace through the blood of His cross — whether things on earth or things in heaven. 21 Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds because of your evil actions. 22 But now He has reconciled you by His physical body through His death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before Him—

What does all this mean? That it was ON THE CROSS THAT the Reconciliation took place… and it HAD to be a Cross, not a Pole, Not a Stake, BUT A CROSS  arms stretched wide as if, symbolically to embrace the former enemies of God, now adopted children, And it was all about LOVE –

You see, beloved, true Love is the Cross

So when we sow discord, we damage the Church, the body, the very bride of Christ. In fact, Jesus says that whatever we do the to the least of these, HIS BRETHREN, we do to Him… For Him, it’s personal, and it should be for us too… Listen again to Isalah 53

Isaiah 53:1-12 (HCSB)

Who has believed what we have heard? And who has the arm of the LORD been revealed to? He grew up before Him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground. He didn’t have an impressive form or majesty that we should look at Him, no appearance that we should desire Him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like someone people turned away from; He was despised, and we didn’t value Him. Yet He Himself bore our sicknesses, and He carried our pains; but we in turn regarded Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.

5 But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds. We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the LORD has punished Him for the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before her shearers, He did not open His mouth. He was taken away because of oppression and judgment; and who considered His fate? For He was cut off from the land of the living; He was struck because of my people’s rebellion.

9 They made His grave with the wicked and with a rich man at His death, although He had done no violence and had not spoken deceitfully. Yet the LORD was pleased to crush Him severely.

When You make Him a restitution offering, He will see ⌊His⌋ seed, He will prolong His days, and by His hand, the LORD’s pleasure will be accomplished.  He will see ⌊it⌋ out of His anguish, and He will be satisfied with His knowledge. My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will carry their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will give Him the many as a portion, and He will receive the mighty as spoil, because He submitted Himself to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet He bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels.

That is Love in action, Agape on Full display. Glory to God!

Why am I stressing this?

Because: Love is the marker, the gauge, the measuring stick, the identifier.

Not the cross on your neck, not the number of years of faithful membership, not the denominational identification or affiliation ( I was born a Methodist and I will die a Methodist). Not whether or not you tithe, It is LOVE OF THE BRETHREN that Identifies you to the World , and to the Lord…

Because: Salvation , Justification, Adoption into the family of God, was for us, free, ‘For By grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.” That is of course Ephesians 2:8-9

BUT FOR JESUS, the price paid was tremendous, incalculable, and since we, having been bought with that incalculable price are slaves, it behooves us to know what the Master’s commands are.

Don’t let the King James, and other Version’s gentle rendering of this word fool you, family.  Paul did not call himself a bondservant, neither did Peter. They used the Greek word Doulos. And Doulos has only one proper meaning… SLAVE.  Consider Jesus’ saying to those who make it into Heaven ‘Well done, my good and faithful SLAVE’ That is the correct rendering of the Word Doulos…

Yes, we are Slaves, Jesus is the master, who has bought us… We are set free from the Law of sin and death, but are now His slaves… (The Hymn says it all: The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ our Lord… From Heaven He came and sought Her to be His Holy bride, With His own Blood He BOUGHT HER, and for her life He died.)

Hallelu-YAH

You see Family, the selective, compartmentalized,  brand of ‘convenience Christianity’ that we are taught and practice today, is a direct result of the teaching that declares that you 'choose' God, and is an affront to the Scripture. It turns the sovereignty of God on its head, making man the deity.

The truth: You making a decision for God, you choosing Jesus, is like the chicken parts that you buy at the supermarket 'making a decision' for or choosing or you... The chicken’s dead, it can't choose, and as a dead thing, it is completely subject to the whim of the one who purchases it.

As are you, who were dead in your trespasses and sins. (Eph 2:1, Col 2:13)

Until you understand that the fact that you have been bought with a price (1 Cor 6:20) and are therefore property (a slave) you can never fully live a life for Christ. Period.

Jesus Commands that we Believe, We Repent, We Forgive, and that we LOVE…

When Asked what the greatest commandment was, He repeated the Shema, You shall Love the Lord thy God with ALL, your heart, soul, mind and strength, and then He added that the Second is like the first: Love your Neighbor as yourself… On these two things, He said, hang the Law and Prophets, meaning that the entire Old Testament Law, and all the Prophetic books are summed up right there… LOVE

Love is purposed, and it is intentional. It is neither happenstance nor is it accidental. It is the command of God…

We are bought By Love, We are Slaves to Love, and it is our duty, it is our privilege, and it is our calling, To LOVE…  To God Be the Glory, Amen

The Pastoral Philosophy of the Repairer's Fellowship

- By pastor.ctj
I was asked this week what my beliefs about Pastoring are. I began to consider what the ‘pastoral philosophy’ of the Fellowship is. I came up with this:

Big Sheep, not Big Pens. 

To that end, from the outset, the goal has been to train, equip, empower and send men and women into the world to serve Christ and be the community of faith right where they are. We believe that is the Biblical model. Personally, I look at Jesus and see one who:

 1) Trained his disciples, putting them to work in the midst of their training: John 4:1-3 (HCSB) 1 When Jesus knew that the Pharisees heard He was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), 3 He left Judea and went again to Galilee.

  2) He gloried/rejoiced in their successes:
Luke 10:17-21 (HCSB) 17 The Seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.” 18 He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a lightning flash. 19 Look, I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; nothing will ever harm you. 20 However, don’t rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” 21 In that same hour He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and the learned and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, because this was Your good pleasure. 

 3) He gave them grace even as he covered their failures:
Mark 9:14-29 (HCSB) 14 When they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes disputing with them. 15 All of a sudden, when the whole crowd saw Him, they were amazed and ran to greet Him. 16 Then He asked them, “What are you arguing with them about?” 17 Out of the crowd, one man answered Him, “Teacher, I brought my son to You. He has a spirit that makes him unable to speak. 18 Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I asked Your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn’t.” 19 He replied to them, “You unbelieving generation! How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to Me.” 20 So they brought him to Him. When the spirit saw Him, it immediately convulsed the boy. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 “How long has this been happening to him?” Jesus asked his father. “From childhood,” he said. 22 “And many times it has thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 Then Jesus said to him, “‘If You can’? Everything is possible to the one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the boy cried out, “I do believe! Help my unbelief.” 25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly coming together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!” 26 Then it came out, shrieking and convulsing him violently. The boy became like a corpse, so that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus, taking him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up. 28 After He went into a house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 29 And He told them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer [and fasting].” 

I believe that Ephesians 4 is clear that ‘pastor’ is a GIFT to/for the body, not a rank, so I try to do those three things with the people that God has assigned to me to lead. I also make sure to point people past me to the cross, and past me to the throne.
I cannot save them, nor would I be foolish enough to think that I can.

Now as a practice, we try to adhere to the model set forth in Acts 2:42-47, namely:
• Study the Word,
• Live the Word,
• Love the Lord,
• Love your Neighbor.

It is often messy, and sometimes problematic in practice because people tend to want to resort back to the Pastoral model that they grew up with, or got saved under, namely that it is the pastor’s job to be responsible for their spiritual health, growth and development, and not they themselves.
That is FAR too much weight for this one man to carry…

An examination of the tithe...

Blessings to you dear reader.
Thank you for taking the time to read the following. It is my prayer that it will edify, and bring clarity, and provoke thought and a closer walk with our Savior. Please note that wherever scripture is quoted, it is taken from the American Standard Version (ASV)
In His service,
Pastor.ctj

One of the most heavily debated doctrines of the modern church is the doctrine of the tithe.
Many Christians generally accept that the law of tithing, as other Jewish laws, was abolished upon Jesus' crucifixion, when he fulfilled the Old Testament law.
For the most part, Christians do not follow Jewish community laws such as the extensive dietary restrictions in the Old Testament, for example, and tithing was part of that group of laws.

Others believe that because Jesus spoke about tithing, he was instructing his followers to continue the practice, and for many, not only is the tithe still an active doctrine, it is proof of one’s commitment to God.

The doctrine is a simple one: The believer is required to give 1/10th of their earnings/wages to their home church. The word ‘tithe’ means simply ‘a tenth’.
The doctrine is based on the following passages of scripture:

The first is Malachi 3: 8-11 which states:


Will a man rob God? yet ye rob me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with the curse; for ye rob me, even this whole nation. Bring ye the whole tithe into the store-house, that there may be food in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith Jehovah 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. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before the time in the field, saith Jehovah of hosts.
(Malachi 3:8-11 ASV)

The second is found in Genesis 14, specifically verses 14-20:

And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued as far as Dan. And he divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. And he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him, after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, at the vale of Shaveh (the same is the King's Vale). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be God Most High, who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him a tenth of all.
(Genesis 14:14-20 ASV)

While these passages are indeed admonition and example, two questions must be asked;
1) For whom? And
2) Do these passages constitute a doctrine that should be in effect for the church?

Specific Points re: the tithe

Section a:  Abraham’s tithe

While Genesis 14, (and it's reference in Hebrews 7) is commonly used to bolster the claim that we (Christians) should tithe, I think that we should take a closer look: Please take a moment to read the ENTIRE 14th Chapter of Genesis…

After you’ve read it beloved, consider the following:
1.  That Abraham's tithe was a ONE TIME event. (There is no other Biblical record of Abram/Abraham EVER tithing again)


2.  Abraham's tithe WAS NOT on his personal possessions; rather it was only on the war plunder that resulted from his rescue mission for Lot, his nephew.  . (Note: In Numbers 31:31-41, God only required 1% of spoils of war.)

3. There is NO evidence that Abraham tithed on his personal possessions to anyone at any time. 4. As it was from the spoils of war, and pre-dated the law, Abram’s gift was NOT a holy tithe from God’s holy land gathered by God’s holy people under God’s holy Old Covenant. For this reason alone, this example should not be used in conjunction of Malachi 3.


5.  Abraham kept nothing for himself; he gave everything back. Genesis 14, verse 21-23, is the key text.

6.  Abraham’s tithe is not quoted anywhere in the Bible to endorse tithing to Israel or to the church. If Abraham is an example for Christians to give 10% to God, then he should also be an example for Christians to give the other 90% to Satan, or to the king of Sodom! (Thanks to Russell E. Kelly PhD for that one)

(Please note that I am purposefully not dealing with the identity of Melchizedek. That discussion is for another time, and will only serve as a distraction from our central theme)

Section b:  Malachi 3, and the Mosaic Law


1. The Mosaic tithes were always edible and from the crops and flocks.
Mal 3 says "bring all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be Meat/Food in my house." Meat/Food is a very specific thing, in that it means something edible. In the Hebrew, the word is:  טרף    ṭereph (teh'-ref)
Meaning: From H2963; something torn, that is, a fragment, for example a fresh leaf, prey, food: - leaf, meat, prey, spoil.


2. The teaching which states that everybody in the Old Testament was required to begin their giving to God at the ten per cent level is false.
The poor were not required to tithe at all! Neither did the tithe come from the results of man’s craft, hands and skill. Only farmers and herdsmen gathered what God produced as tithe increase.
Note: Please note the implication here, beloved: Jesus was a carpenter; Paul was a tentmaker and Peter was a fisherman. None of these occupations qualified as tithe-payers because they did not farm or herd animals for a living.  It is, therefore, incorrect to teach that everybody paid a required minimum of a tithe and, therefore, incorrect to teach that in keeping with the law, New Covenant Christians should be required to at least begin at the same minimum as Old Covenant Israelites.
This common false assumption is very often repeated and completely ignores the very plain definition of tithe as food gathered from farm increase or herd increase. The easy argument to make here, is that being that we are no longer in a primarily agricultural society, we give money instead of food, but if we are honest with the text, how do we decide who is to tithe?


3. There are three Different Tithes Described in the Bible.

The first religious tithe, called the “Levitical tithe,” had two parts. Again, the whole first tithe was given to the Levites who were only servants to the priests (Numbers 18:21-24; Nehemiah10:37). The Levites, in turn, gave one tenth of the whole tithe to the priests (Numbers 18:25-28; Nehemiah10:38]. According to Deuteronomy 12 and 14,

The second religious tithe, called the “feast tithe,” was eaten by worshipers in the streets of Jerusalem during the three yearly festivals (Deut. 12:1-19; 14:22-26).

The third tithe, according to Deuteronomy 14 and 26, called the “poor tithe,” was kept in the homes every third year to feed the poor (Deut. 14:28, 29; 26:12, 13).

Here is some more info re: the tithes discussed in Deut 14:

Occasionally, the discussion of Deut 14:22 comes up. This verse is often taken out of context, because if one reads verses 22-29 in context, the passage puts the tithing doctrine to bed once and for all: Here is it (continuing in the ASV)

22 Thou shalt surely tithe all the increase of thy seed, that which cometh forth from the field year by year.

23 And thou shalt eat before Jehovah thy God, in the place which he shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there, the tithe of thy grain, of thy new wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herd and of thy flock; that thou mayest learn to fear Jehovah thy God always.

24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it, because the place is too far from thee, which Jehovah thy God shall choose, to set his name there, when Jehovah thy God shall bless thee;

25 then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thy hand, and shalt go unto the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose:

26 and thou shalt bestow the money for whatsoever thy soul desireth, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul asketh of thee; and thou shalt eat there before Jehovah thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou and thy household.

27 And the Levite that is within thy gates, thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no portion nor inheritance with thee.

28 At the end of every three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase in the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates:

29 and the Levite, because he hath no portion nor inheritance with thee, and the sojourner, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that Jehovah thy God may bless thee in all the work of thy hand which thou doest.

So, in short:
--- One Tithe---
v.25 exchange your livestock and/or crops for money if you have to travel too far,
v.26 Spend the money however you see fit
v.27 Don't forget the Levites, because THEY CAN OWN NOTHING (Some of you who attend traditional or megachurches may wish to ask your Pastor about that one)
---Another Tithe----
v.28 Bring the tithe every three years
v.29 so that the Levites (who could not own anything) , the travelers, the orphans and the widows may have food. THAT was the reason for the tithe... Clearly,this is NOT a New Covenant practice of doctrine...

Also, according to First Samuel 8:14-17, the ruler collected the first and best ten per cent for political use. During Jesus’ time Rome collected the first ten per cent (10%) of most food and twenty per cent (20%) of fruit crops as its spoils of war.


Conclusion: The current tithe teaching ignores all other tithes and focuses on an incorrect interpretation of the first religious tithe.


4. What does the phrase ‘windows of heaven’ mean in context?

No other Scripture has had greater mileage than Malachi 3:10
“Bring ye the whole tithe into the store-house, that there may be food in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith Jehovah 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.

Malachi 3 has been greatly misused for God's blessing to come to his people.
A closer look of this verse in the context shows that it has nothing to do with wealth or material blessings. The term ‘windows of heaven occurs 3 times in the scriptures: We first find this same term used by God back in Genesis 7:11 the windows of heaven were open and rain contributed to the flood, as the fountains of the deep were broken open.


In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
(Genesis 7:11-12)


In Genesis 8:2 it says the windows of heaven were stopped and the rain from heaven was restrained.

And God remembered Noah, and all the beasts, and all the cattle that were with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged; the fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; and the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of a hundred and fifty days the waters decreased.
(Genesis 8:1-3)

Clearly this phrase is consistently used for water. In Genesis it was a judgment. In Malachi 3 it was to be a blessing on their crops. The nation lived by their agriculture (Husbandry) and depended upon the rain. God's blessing had to do with his provision of water; no rain and they would starve. If they did not give God their tithes which was part of the blessing in the Mosaic covenant God would bring a curse on them, the ground would not yield food because he would not allow it to rain.

Here is a video by a brother who goes by the handle NYTNinAmerica on Youtube:

Summary:
Let’s take a side by side look at the life of the Mosaic Law abiding Jew, and the Christian:

The Jew:
God's Mt. Sinai legislation regarding tithing is spelled out in the books of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. As we discussed earlier, there are as many as three separate tithes that can be distinguished:

1) The annual tithe for the support of the Levites, the tabernacle/temple workers Leviticus 27:30-33; Numbers 18:21-24). This was the only visible means of support for them, since they inherited no land when Canaan was conquered under Joshua. The Levites, in turn, passed along a tithe of this tithe to the priests, the highest echelon of worship leaders (Numbers 18:26).

2) An annual feast tithe, which apparently went for the support of the house of God and its services (Deut 14:22-27).

3) A "social ministry" or ‘poor’ tithe, received every third year, for helping the poor and needy (Deut 14:28; 26:12).

4) A further examination of point 1: According to Deuteronomy 18, and Numbers 18, the priests and Levites were not allowed to own anything. Please consider that carefully, beloved. The priests and Levites could not own anything.

The priests, the Levites, all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the offerings of Jehovah made by fire, and His inheritance. Therefore they shall have no inheritance among their brothers. Jehovah is their inheritance, as He has said to them.
(Deuteronomy 18:1-2 ASV)

And Jehovah said to Aaron, You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any part among them. I am your part and your inheritance among the sons of Israel. And behold, I have given the sons of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.
(Numbers 18:20-21 ASV)

5) Also remember that the Old Testament tithing code specified the bare minimum amount to be contributed; it commanded the starting point for giving, not a goal toward which the worshipper should strive. The tithing code presupposed an agricultural existence, targeting the offering of grain, wine, oil, and livestock.


The Christian:

1) Keeping in mind that several things happened After Christ died on the cross for our sins:
1. He rose from death on the third day,
2. ascended into heaven to rule all things, and
3. He sent his Spirit on all flesh.

As a result, the New Testament church is under a new (and better) covenant, of which Jesus is the surety of, and the Old Testament had been fulfilled. This means that the ceremonial laws which pointed to Christ have served their purpose, and are now no longer in effect. From the day of Pentecost onward the rite of circumcision, the temple sacrifices, and other observances have lost their Spiritual importance. Clearly, the early church knew this, which is why the practice of tithing seems to have fallen by the wayside in those days. The Jewish historian Josephus states that all three tithes listed above were firmly in place in first century A.D. Judaism, but nevertheless tithing is never mentioned in the New Testament's description of the first century church.
If tithing was to be practiced by and in the church, I would think that it would have been mentioned in the Epistles, especially to the church at Galatia, because they were primarily a gentile congregation.


2) All three tithes became obsolete.

1. The tithe for the Levites became unnecessary when the Levites were replaced by the apostolic ministry. Concerning the material support of ministers of the Gospel, all the New Testament says is that they should eat what is set before them (Matt. 10:10) and that the church should take care of them (Gal 6:6).

2. Secondly, the tithe for the support of the temple services outlived its usefulness: the sacrifices of the temple, soon to be leveled in AD. 70, gave place to the one Sacrifice for all sin.

3. Thirdly, the "social ministry" tithe was no longer needed because Christian brothers and sisters helped one another by way of special collections, as was the case with the famine-stricken Christians in Jerusalem (1 Cor 16). While giving for the Lord's work obviously continued in the church, no amounts or percentages are prescribed in the New Testament. All that is said is that early Christians had everything in common (Acts 2:44 – this is not a tithe, it is 100%!), that they gave sacrificially (2 Cor 8:1-3), and that they gave as God had prospered them (1 Cor 16:2)


3) Jesus' comments in Matt 23:23 were directed at those still under the Mosaic Covenant.
Clearly this is so, and the proofs of this are many, so I will not go into detail… Additionally, many things Jesus did and commanded would be sinful to bind on Christians.
- Jesus commanded animal sacrifice, in accordance with the Law. Once HE, the perfect sacrifice was given, there was no longer any need for animal sacrifice (Matt 8:4)
- Jesus observed the Sabbath (Luke 4:16) although he rejected their man made up regulations concerning the Sabbath.
- Jesus observed the Passover (Matt 26:18)
-  Jesus commanded JEWS (Matt 23:23) to tithe their crops and flocks to support the Levitical priests, but such would not work well as the support system for the work of the Church.

4) The early church DID NOT TITHE!
According to the Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of The Bible, P. 758
"For several centuries in the early Church there was no support of the clergy by a systematic giving of a tithe...rather freedom in Christian giving was emphasized."


So what then do we say dear reader? Is tithing for the church? For the believer?
No, but GIVING is! Give freely, abundantly, and with Joy!
May God richly bless you!
Pastor.ctj


Sources and Resources:

Pastor George Greene
In Your Bible Ministries
http://www.inyourbible.com/video.html

Dr. Russell Earl Kelly
Should the Church teach tithing?
http://www.tithing-russkelly.com/


Gary Amirault
The tithe is illegal
http://www.tentmaker.org/books/TheTitheisIllegal.html

Let us reason website
http://www.letusreason.org/Wf34.htm

Dr. James Bollhagen
Tithing: The 10% Rule and the Church
A Topical Summary for "Issues, Etc."
Broadcast July, 2001
http://www.mtio.com/articles/bissar56.htm

One man’s experience…
http://www.hydesvilletithing.com/

Pastor CT Jermin
Repairer’s Fellowship Ministries
http://www.repfel.org
My Blog:
missiongroove.blogspot.com

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A woman kisses the glass case containing a wax figure of Pope John Paul II with relics and a vial of the ex-pontiff's blood at the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City, Thursday Aug. 25 2011. Relics of Pope John Paul II have arrived for public display in Mexico City for a four-month tour of the country, the third country most visited country by the pope, behind his homeland of Poland and France. He died in 2005 at the age of 84. He was beatified in May. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

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