Biblical Principles of Finances – Tithing

“For if something is presented eagerly, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.”  2nd Corinthians 8:12   The Great Commission commanded by Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20) is a very expensive endeavor that has been going one for nearly 2,000 years.  This is part of God’s plan for those who have been Saved, for those who have repented towards God and by faith believed into Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior (Acts 20:21) to be a part of, in one form or another.   The question arises how much should a Christian give, to whom or what should the money go towards and must they give 10% of their income or not?  These questions are going to be addressed, noting that much of this is a heart issue of an individual before the Lord, yet the Bible provides clear guidance and direction, as well as examples on tithing.   What sort of example do the members and attendees of a Church set when they allow their building, one set aside for God, to go into disrepair, also allowing a pastor to go without any sort of salary or a salary that would not sustain even a modest form of living?  Further said, what about foreign missions funding, money for the distribution of tracts or Bibles, money to support biblical evangelical work or the numerous other things that can/could be done in a fashion that is honoring to God Almighty, as those who proclaim to walk in ‘newness of life’ (Romans 6:4) with Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior?...

Biblical Principles of Financing – Six Days to Work

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, and the seventh day is the Sabbath of Jehovah your God. In it you shall not do any work; you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your sojourner who is within your gates.  For in six days Jehovah made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore Jehovah has blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it.”  Exodus 20:8-11   Believers are not under the law (Matt. 19:18-19) for we are Saved by grace (Eph. 2:8-9), nonetheless we are commanded to not forsake the assembling of ourselves (Heb. 10:25).  So rather than turn a biblical principle of financing written piece into a segment about the Sabbath day, this is simply taking a look at an approach of how much should one work in order to pay the bills.   Before proceeding, there are all sort of financial problems that people, including Believers, get themselves into.  There could be an occasion where you are forced to work temporarily seven days per week.  Perhaps you have made a commitment, perhaps you have a contract for a business that you can not break and things didn’t go as you planned, forcing you to work more (this has happened to me), perhaps your spouse is temporarily unable to work and you have to pick up additional hours or a second job until that source of income can come back or perhaps you need...

Broken

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so persistently harasses us, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners against Himself, that you not become weary and faint in your souls.  You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.  And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked by Him.  For whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and whips every son whom He receives.  If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not discipline?  But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.  Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?  For they indeed for a few days disciplined us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.  Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields...

Think on These Things

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy; think on these things.”  Philippians 4:8   For years there has been and still is talk of ‘how bad things are getting.’  I recall my good friend and mentor, who taught me much regarding the Bible had stated how many bad things that the nightly news in Spokane, Washington would report about.  That was years ago, where the vast majority of news consumed would be a brief nightly show, followed by the sports and weather report, with the daily newspaper also being read by many individuals.    Clearly the Bible teaches that things will “wax worse and worse” (2 Tim. 3:13), but should we take a moment to consider these things in light of the Holy Scriptures?   Just a couple of generations ago, there was a time where news took time to spread and much of the news was more local or state, rather than reporting on every evil that was found around the globe.    While horrific events that happened in far away places could be read eventually in many local or statewide published newspapers, there was a limitation to space in those papers, as well as a certain lack on interest.  For instance, one might not ever hear about a mass stabbing event in rural China, but now with the advent of the internet, likely that news will travel quite quickly and we might pickup the headline...

They Can’t See

“This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the emptiness of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to licentiousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.  But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which is corrupted according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”  Ephesians 4:17-24   One wonders with all of the current directions, often negative, that this world is going in, why people can’t see how the foundations for a futuristic, perhaps near term, end of the world scenario, as prophesied in the Bible, appears to be on the edge of fruition.    A couple of days ago I watched part of a DVD video that I own called A Distant Thunder.  I didn’t make it through the whole video, but there was a scene that seemed to be very relevant to the very day and age in which we live, though the Rapture hasn’t taken place yet and people have yet to have been Left Behind.   In this scene and from previous scenes, there is this pastor who...

State National/Sovereign Citizen

“After these things I saw another angel coming down from Heaven, having great power, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.  And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every unclean spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!  For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual perversities, the kings of the earth have prostituted themselves with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the power of her luxury.  And I heard another voice from Heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, so that you not share in her sins, and so that you not receive of her plagues.  For her sins have reached to Heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.  Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her.  By however much she has glorified herself and lived luxuriously, by the same amount give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.  Therefore her plagues will come in one day; death and mourning and famine. And she will be consumed with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.  The kings of the earth who prostituted themselves and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing...