This post is by no means a comparison to this impactful clip, but the line “I could have done more” is a strong reminder how we each can make a difference.
For our Good Friday, I wanted to honor the elderly. I appreciate that within them is so much of our history, wisdom, and their desire to help. My initial plan was to visit a senior citizen home in our neighborhood.
As you know, the best laid plans sometimes change.
Earlier in the week, my daughter and I visited our local video store. As I sat in the car, waiting for her return, an old, beat-up van pulled in next to me.
An older woman and two teenage girls got out of the van. As the woman walked slowly to my car, I could see her puffy, red eyes; it was obvious she had been crying.
“Sir”, she began, “we haven’t eaten in two days. Can you please help us?”
I sat stunned. “Ma’am, I just gave my daughter my last ten dollars. Whatever change she brings back, you are more than welcome to it.”
When my daughter returned, I quickly gave the woman the change: $3.54.
My heart churned. I felt so helpless. “I’m sorry, I wish I had more.”
She took the money from my hand. “Thank you, thank you,” she repeated.
The woman and her daughters returned to their van. My daughter turned to me. “Daddy, I have a few dollars at home. We can go get it and give it to her before she leaves.”
We raced home. After my wife and son heard about what happened, we rushed back to the video store, hoping to buy them groceries. But the woman was gone. We drove around for an hour trying to find them; we never did.
I felt horrible. Why when moments like this crop up I seem to always be out of pocket? My wife looked over at me. “Don’t beat yourself up; you did the best you could.”
The above clip is humorous, for obvious reasons. However, the untold truth that is preached to the masses is not.
Tithing, according to the Bible, is not a requirement in our day and thus a lie being imposed on the church for the profit of those in spiritual power.
For you to truly understand this misrepresentation, first, let’s examine tithing and its purpose.
Tithe
1. What was the tithe? Tithing means a tenth and was established as an offering to God where the Israelites were required to give the first tenth or 10% of their fruit, grain, herd or flock to God. Leviticus 27:30-33 explains this requirement in detail.
2. What was the tithe’s purpose? The tithes was to support the Levitical priests and their families. When God divided the “Promised Land” for the children of Israel, the tribe of Levi received no allotment. The Levite priests were established through Aaron and his sons. Their responsibility was to offer sacrifices and officiate in the temple. The tithe allowed the priests to manage the temple without concern for food and clothing, allowing them to minister for the people before God. See Numbers 18:20-22.
3. Malachi 3:10, the most misinterpreted verse, “Bring the entire tithe into the storehouse so that there may be food in my temple,” was a literal call for the Priest to bring food that was filling the streets into the storehouse. Pastors lie to their parishioners by claiming the church is the storehouse and money is the food for the church – Hogwash!
4. What did Malachi mean? Read the entire book and not just one verse to understand the context. The tithe was grains and animal offerings for the priest, however if you look at Nehemiah 13:10-13, the Levis were not receiving the tithe and had returned to the fields to work, resulting in the admonishment in Malachi 3:8 of “Robbing God or deceiving God.” The Israelites in Numbers 18:30 were commanded not only to give their first, but also their best to the Levites and the priests were required to sacrifice the best. Yet for their own personal offering, the priests were stealing from God by keeping the best and gave God the sick and weak animals. This caused curses seen in Malachi 1:14“Cursed be the deceiver, which has in his flock a male, and vows, and sacrifices unto the LORD a corrupt thing.”Malachi 1:7-14.
5. Is tithing a requirement today? No. Absolutely not. Tithing was a command for the tithe (grain or animals) to be paid to the Levites or Priests serving the temple and since there is no temple and no Levitical Priesthood ministering the temple then the tithe is not a requirement.
6. Is Tithing required by the law? Before the Law of Moses, all tithes were voluntary and usually given as spoils of war and as a vow to God for His help. Abraham gave a tenth of his plunder to the High Priest Melchizedek and the rest he gave to the King of Sodom so neither could take credit for his prosperity (see Genesis 14:18-24). When Jesus died on the cross, he was the ultimate sacrifice and the change in the Law. Hebrews 7:12-14 states, “For when the priesthood changes, a change in the law must come as well. Yet the one (Jesus) these things are spoken about belongs to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever officiated at the altar. For it is clear that our Lord is descended from Judah, yet Moses said nothing about priests in connection with that tribe.”
7. How will the church and ministers survive without tithes? The disciples including Peter and Paul did not use biblical tithes for any of their work. Luke 8:3 shows where Jesus and the disciples were supported by the gifts of their followers. Acts 2:42-45: “They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Reverential awe came over everyone, and many wonders and miraculous signs came about by the apostles. All who believed were together and held everything in common, and they began selling their property and possessions and distributing the proceeds to everyone, as anyone had need.” Paul worked as a tentmaker by trade in Acts 18:3.
Prosperity Message has created a Slot Machine Jesus!
Paying tithes won’t save your life or make you rich, despite what any pastor says. Ephesian 2:8-9 states: “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.”
1 Peter 1:18-19 shows: “You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed – not by perishable things like silver or gold, but by precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ.”
There are pastors that will tell you outlandish things to rob you of your money God has given you. They encourage that the more you give, the more you get from God, creating the slot machine concept in the ‘New Christian’ faith.
One such pastor is Kenneth Copeland, who claimed that Adam and Eve were thrown out of the garden because they didn’t tithe. Genesis 3: clearly shows they were banished for disobedience – read for yourself.
Another prosperity pastor with odd claims to the tithe is RobertMorris. He claimed people who have problems were cursed for not paying tithes. On May 21, 2011, he offered everyone who tithed to Gateway Church for the remainder of year a money back guarantee with their tithe. If they were not fully satisfied, he would give them their money back. How? If you are giving your tithe to God, and that tithe is God’s money. How can a man promise and decide he will give it back – satisfaction guaranteed? Who is Robert Morris to give it back to you? I also wonder if there will be any refunds given in 2012.
Creflo Dollar, who says if he had his way, all members that didn’t tithe he would have them shot.
Abraham and Jacob
Many prosperity teachers use Genesis 14:18-24 to show that a mandatory tithe was paid by Abraham. Genesis 14:22, But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I raise my hand to the Lord, the Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth, and vow that I will take nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal. That way you can never say, ‘It is I who made Abram rich.’” Abraham gave one hundred-percent of his spoils of war (not his income) on his own accord, not under compulsion, so unlike the greedy preachers of today.
The other Genesis verse they use is Genesis 28:20-22, “Then Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God is with me and protects me on this journey I am taking and gives me food to eat and clothing to wear, and I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will become my God. Then this stone that I have set up as a sacred stone will be the house of God, and I will surely give you back a tenth of everything you give me.’” Since there was no law requiring Jacob to give a tithe, he no doubt offered it out of his heart in exchange for safe passage.
Giving a tenth was a once in a lifetime event for both Abraham and Jacob. Just because they gave a tenth, does not make it a tithe. The mandatory tithe for the Levite priests came some four hundred years after Abraham. In fact, before the Mosaic Law, the Bible does not record one single event of anyone giving tithes to God on a continual basis.
Giving was Reciprocal
Most preachers know how to collect tithes, but do not acknowledge that under the Law, every three years the priests were to open the storehouses to the needy, and the needy were to eat until they were full. Deuteronomy 14:27-29 says, “As for the Levites in your villages, you must not ignore them, for they have no allotment or inheritance along with you. At the end of every three years you must bring all the tithe of your produce, in that very year, and you must store it up in your villages. Then the Levites (because they have no allotment or inheritance with you), the resident foreigners, the orphans, and the widows of your villages may come and eat their fill so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work you do.” How many times have you seen your church open up their treasury to the needy until they were full?
Resistance to the Lord through Selfishness
Today, there are many wicked pastors who no doubt will continue to fleece the flock. Any pastor that tells his congregation the tithe is mandatory is a crook. Remember the tithe in today’s church is the same as the issue of circumcision in Paul’s day. Titus 1:11: “…who must be silenced because they mislead whole families by teaching for dishonest gain what ought not to be taught.”
Giving Under the New Covenant
However, as Christian how should you give under the New Covenant? This is what the Bible says:
1. “Each one of you should give just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, because God loves a cheerful giver.”2 Corinthians 9:7.
2. Don’t be like Ananias and Sapphira; give out of a pure heart. Acts 5:1-11.
3. Remember, don’t just take your pastor or anyone’s word as gold. “But examine all things; hold fast to what is good.”1 Thessalonians 5:21.
4. Romans 12:2 says, “And do not imitate this world, but be transformed by the renovation of your minds, and you shall distinguish what is the good, acceptable and perfect will of God.”
As you look at the videos below and realize how sad the prosperity gospel has become, keep in mind 2 Corinthians 11:13-15“For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will correspond to their actions.”
Remember,we should read, study and pray for spiritual guidance in all we do!
How forgiving are you? Need to inject some kindness in your heart? Take this test to find out.
1) Your neighbor lets his dog poop on your yard, plays loud music every night, and lets his kids throw rocks at your brand new car. Later, the parents question why you haven’t been waving back lately. Do you unleash the wrath of hell upon them, or smile and pretend nothing is wrong?
2) Your spouse did something to tick you off-twenty years ago. Do you still remember every exact detail?
3) You have unresolved issues in your past. When’s the last time you forgave yourself?
Bitterness is you drinking poison, and expecting someone else to die. I heard this many years ago, but I haven’t always heeded that wise counsel.
For this Good Friday, it was time to change. Our neighbors have always treated my family like an unwanted step-child. After many attempts to connect, we always came up empty. Over the years, I cemented my heart and drank the poison that eventually led to the vicious hope of them dying. But they weren’t dying. I was.
Just like the puppy in the picture, I decided to go with head down to each neighbor and ask if I had offended them in any way. And if I had, “I wanted to apologize for being a jerk.”
Out of the four families, all accepted my apology-except one. The husband in the fourth family, despite his wife’s sincere tears, kept his jaws locked and his eyes aloof.
Right away, the vile drink of hate churned in my stomach. But I remembered the scripture in 1 Corinthians 6:7-Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated?
I did feel cheated. I had envisioned everyone would be open and forgiving too. But I would not guzzle down the bitter brew. What I truly realized is forgiveness has nothing to do with the other person’s acceptance. I took my leave. And I vowed in my heart to never let anything or anyone force me down that road again.
Grudges hold too many people hostage. Let your heart be unchained from the weight of bitterness. Tell us your story of forgiveness for this Good Friday in the comments below.
Have you ever been bullied? How bad was it? Did it ever stop? In the movie Bully, for some, it ended in tragedy.
The victims and their parent’s pleas to the school for help met with failure.
With the parents hands tied and the bullied kid all alone at school, the consequences were unimaginable.
What is a kid to do when some heartless jerk stabs him with a pencil, punches him repeatedly, and calls him ungodly names? For one, he found peaceful escape in being a loner, until the bullies came knocking.
“Violence begets violence.” I agree. Somewhat.
When I was thirteen, two bullies harassed me and a girl who sat next to me. She finally broke down one day and wet her pants to the amusement of those fools. Fed up with their insults, I kicked the crap out of both boys. No more bullies for her or me. Period!
It was so worth the two-week suspension.
Am I advocating violence? No, I’m not. What I am advising is that people need to find ways to protect themselves from abuse.
Bullying can be as silent and as deadly as a venomous snake. Listen to the non-verbal cries for help:
Unexplained minor bruises, such as small scratches
Moodiness toward parents
Aggressiveness toward younger siblings
But are you a bully yourself? Do you…
Rule your house with an iron fist?
Spank or beat your child? There is a difference.
Allow your children to make mistakes?
Confuse aggressiveness with assertiveness?
As a parent, I know how difficult it is raising and protecting children. But as challenging as it is for us, it’s even more difficult for our children to learn how to protect themselves.
Remember, if we stand together, we can stomp out this senseless crime.
Share your bully stories in the comments below. Let us know how you survived.
No one, other than those brave young soldiers and their families will ever truly know the nightmarish hell of war. We owe a debt to them that can never be repaid. Every U.S. citizen has their luxuries today because these men have answered their call to duty.
For my Good Friday, I called the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post and asked if they would accept our offer to buy lunch for today. “Yes,” came a voice over the phone, “we’ll be honored.” I wanted to tell each man face to face how much I appreciate their service to our country.
When we arrived at the post, the same woman I had spoken to earlier greeted us. “I told them you were coming.” She introduced us to a group of about seven men at a poker table.
“Hello, my named is Paul. My family and I wanted to buy you lunch today. We just wanted to say thank you all for your service to our country.”
Each man stood up without hesitation and shook our hands. I struggled to fight back tears; they were so gracious. It was like shaking hands with celebrities. To me, they are more important than any superstar I could ever meet.
On March 02, 2012, I drove a stake through the heart of the beast Tomorrow.
As a family we wrote short stories with the hope of one day publishing them. For years our hard work languished in flash drives and drawers.
On that morning, I was fed up. With determination burning inside me, I gathered the family and said, “No matter what, this week we’re going to write a whole new short story collection and publish it next Friday on Smashwords. Period!”
In that week, every conceivable and inconceivable thing that could go wrong did go wrong. People we hadn’t heard from in years called; both cars broke down; we butted heads with neighbors, and family spats suddenly increased. However, this time we would not let the dream assassins win. This time we would not be denied.
On March 09, 2012 we released our first book-Poies: A New Beginning. Two weeks later, we went through hell again and eventually released Swan Song.
Gone forever was the beast Tomorrow.
Slay your tomorrow beast just like Rocky did. Battle that monster, and you will emerge victorious.
Check out the book trailer for Swan Song and Poies: A New Beginning.
My wife is my best friend. She deserves more than I, or this life could ever offer. And yet, she fell in love with me. I’ll never understand how a guy like me wound up with an angel like her. All I can say is THANK YOU LORD! And thank you my one and only!
A few days ago, I hurried out to our backyard and cut some roses she wanted. Sent the kids off to school, started her bath, and made breakfast. Her meal included hash browns, her favorite.
For the rest of the day, whatever my angel wanted or needed, I was there at her beckoning call.
When it comes to eBooks, the answer is a resounding “NO!”
There is a belief that books have to be of a high page count to really be worth reading.
That’s nonsense! And those who perpetuate that lie are robing you of living your real life. Books with countless pages are often times pumped with so much filler they make a hot dog look wholesome.
How many times have you purchased one of these clunkers with high hopes of truly being entertained? Long before you force yourself to its disappointing conclusion you feel your blood boil.
“Another twenty-five dollars for a book that wasn’t good.” And there’s no place for it on your overcrowded shelves.
A 400 (or more) page novel often taunts its readers: “My bloated book is more important than your life. Let me steal you away from your family and friends. Help me make my dreams come true while I rob you of yours.”
Short stories are vastly different. They tell the story faster and better. (For example, check out Swan Song at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/146704 it’s less than 2500 words, but it packs a powerful punch.) Short stories writers spend time with you, not steal time from you. This way, you have more time to work on your treasures.
When you get those precious few hours to yourself, do you want to spend all of it reading about empty characters when you can be living the life you desire?
This cautionary plea goes out to all aspiring writers with the hopes of becoming a better writer by reading other long-winded writers. STOP. You will become a better writer by writing. Period.
Unleash that novel of respectable size that’s locked inside your head. Or that new movie idea that’s sure to be a hit- if you can just get to it. Then you’ll breathe that full breath that you haven’t breathed in a very long time. Don’t let your death clock run out by wasting time on fluffed writing. Better get going.
Hello, everyone. I hope today you are enjoying our second Good Friday on this Good Friday. Sadly, for many in Texas, Tuesday’s storm has taken a toll on many people, especially those living in Arlington, Kennedale, Lancaster, and Forney, the hardest hit of the areas.
So, for our Good Friday, I loaded up the family and headed for Texas to do whatever we could to help. When we got there, we found the devastated areas blocked and guarded by local police. Not even the residents in those spots were allowed back in until Wednesday, with temporary passes. Permanent passes were granted on Thursday to those residents.
We wanted to help, even though it seemed like we wouldn’t get the chance. So, we went shopping and bought food and toiletries for the nearest shelter, promising to return with more.
Please say a prayer for these storm victims-they absolutely need it.
Cop A Squat 