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Are we robbing God and cursed financially if we do not Tithe?

Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, In what way have we robbed You? In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this says the Lord of hosts If I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing that there will not be room for you to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field says the Lord  -  Malachi 3:8-11   Everyone in the church knows these verses, and many can quote them word for word. These are the premiere verses used to explain the tithe, and why many preachers and parishioners believe we are obligated to “pay” it. I will submit to the reader that these verses have been grossly taken out of context – totally divorced of their original mea...

Is there unrighteousness with God?

The reason why I ask the question is because for many God is not fair, they believe. Is this accusation true? Are there times in our lives where we feel we have been dealt a bad hand by God and He can longer be trusted? Perhaps we prayed to God for something and it did not come to pass, or He did not answer our prayer the way we expected Him to? Also, God takes way too long in answering our petitions. What is God’s problem – Is He even listening to us? If God is love, shouldn’t we get what we want from Him? Would it be safe to say some believe God is “ obligated” to meet their need since they are good (in their own eyes of course)? Yes, let us be honest. We have all felt that way. In fact, some of you feel that way right now as you are reading this article. And sadly for some, they have turned their backs on God never to trust Him again because they feel they have been let down by God too many times to count. They have concluded this God everyone talks about is no longer real. ...

Jesus the Most Unique Man in History

The reason why I need to write about this is because it is important that I point out some extraordinary features of what happened at Christ’s crucifixion and prove why He is unique. First, the prophecies predicting His death. 1.        Isaiah 53:12c declares that the Lord was numbered with the transgressors; meaning He was crucified between two thieves (Luke 23:34). Also in the same verse in Isaiah it says Jesus interceded (or prayed) for the transgressors. Jesus did exactly this when He was dying in agony on the cross and said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). 2.        David some 1000 years before the birth of Christ prophesied that our Lord hands and feet would be pierced (Psalm 22:16). This prophecy was fulfilled in the gospel records (Matt 27:56; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:33-49; John 19:18). 3.        In Zechariah 12:10 the prophet said speakin...

Retro Articles From July 2005

                                     Have the Fallen Angels become Demons? This subject matter isn’t for the casual bible reader nor for the faint of heart. The subject the author is engaging into would be considered mccabe and spooky. Some may regard it as a study in demonology and Angels. Though I will touch on both, that’s not my intent at all. What I will attempt to do is distinguish the differences between fallen angels and demons. So back to the original question, have the fallen angels become demons? No one knows for sure.   Let’s travel back in time.                                         ...

The Tattooed Christian

There are different views on the matter of Christians sporting tattoos. Does the Bible permit or forbid it? Is it a violation of our bodies which God said are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19)? Is it a compromise, too worldly, carnal or outright disobedience? Or, is it just body art, trendy, a form of expression, an addiction, or a form of self -mutilation? In Leviticus 19:28 it says, “You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you. I am the Lord”. In antiquity, cuttings and markings on one’s body was connected to ancient pagan religious practices. These activities were supposed to appease their gods and were a part of their worship. The children of Israel were prohibited from practicing the evil cultic practices of the nations surrounding them. We read in 1 Corinthians 10:23 we read, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify”. So, regarding Leviti...

Is God dispensing new revelation today?

                                            There are many that say God has given them a “fresh word” for today. Or that “the word of the Lord came until them saying”…. Point being is many believe God is talking to them just like He spoke to the prophets of old. Is this true? Is God speaking to us just like He spoke to them? Many say, “Of course He is! Why wouldn’t He?” While others are saying “He is not”, while others are perhaps not so sure. The reason why I believe it is important we discuss this is because if God is giving prophetic words like He gave in the Old and New Testaments, then we would have to conclude that God is providing new revelation in the 21 st century. While I am not going to argue if God spoke to someone (either in their own spirit they believe or audibly)  privately for their own benefit and direction; for only the individuals know...

Why is Jesus called the only Begotten Son of God?

There are many that make the mistake of thinking when the Bible declares that Jesus is God’s only Begotten Son that it must refer to the Father God having a conjugal relationship resulting in Jesus being born. That reasoning is a gross error. There are also many that believe since the Bible says that Jesus is the firstborn among many brethren that He had a beginning and therefore He is not eternal. This is also an unfortunate conclusion. Since both views are wrong, how do we define begotten and firstborn? The Greek word is prōtotokos. This is a compound word. Proto means first. The second Greek word is tikto which means to beget. Naturally It refers to Jesus being born of the virgin Mary (Luke 2:7). Jesus was the firstborn among his half brothers and sisters (Matthew 12:46-48;13:55). In the Hebrew culture the firstborn male in the family was privileged. He would inherit a double portion of his father’s estate because he is the beginning of his father’s strength (...