Without Him You Can Do Nothing
Posted on March 8, 2017 Leave a Comment
“The battery is dead.” Try as you may, the car just won’t start. Perhaps, you left the lights on while you shopped, or dined, for hours, and now that you are tired and ready to go home, your battery is totally powerless. It can do nothing!
Ever been in Read More
The Greatest of These Is Love
Posted on March 1, 2017 Leave a Comment
Over and over again, the New Testament exhorts us to grow in faith, hope, and love. God desires these three graces to mark us and distinguish His children from those who do not know Him. But how does this actually happen? What causes our faith, hope and love to increase? Read More
Overcome Sexual Immorality
Posted on February 23, 2017 1 Comment
Sexual temptation is real and pervasive. Cultural taboos against sex outside of marriage have virtually disappeared. We are constantly bombarded with images and messages, subtle and blatant, enticing us to sin. In this highly sexualized world we live in, what can you as an unmarried Christian man or woman do to avoid falling into sexual immorality? Read More
Settle the Issue
Posted on February 15, 2017 1 Comment
Would you like to live a life that can change and bless your family, your community, and perhaps, the world? You can! Listen to what Wayne Cordeiro has to say in this regard:
“In every fish is a school. In every bird is a flock. In every boy or girl is a man or woman who can influence many. In every life is contained all the potential through which God can accomplish great things….Wrapped up inside a young lady awaited the noble works of Florence Nightingale. Inside a seemingly arrogant dreamer was Joseph, and within a wiry teenager named David lay hidden a giant-slayer…God hides his treasures in the most inconspicuous wrappings…He hid the survival of Israel in a Hebrew inmate locked in an Egyptian prison—Joseph; He hid the great, great grandmother of King David in a discouraged prostitute—Rahab; And He hid a king in a manger—Jesus.”
Excuses, Excuses, Excuses
Posted on February 8, 2017 1 Comment
Excuses, excuses, excuses, we all make them! It started with Adam; it continues today. Instead of taking responsibility for our actions, it is often more convenient to just blame someone else. But neither you, nor I, will be able to stand before the throne of God and say, “It’s not my fault that I didn’t follow Jesus and did not do His will. My parents were not there for me. The pastor did not give me his attention. The hypocrites in the church Read More
God Is In Love With You
Posted on February 1, 2017 5 Comments
“The entire earth is mine,” says the Lord,,”but you are my treasured possession.” That is, even though I own the earth and everything in it, I prize you more than them all. You are the crown jewel of my creation.
A treasured possession is something most dear to you, not necessarily because it is worth a lot of money, but often because of some personal and emotional reason. Why are we His treasured possession? Why is the Father so personally and emotionally attached to us?
I can think of three reasons: Read More
Is God Punishing You?
Posted on January 18, 2017 9 Comments
Does our Heavenly Father punish us if we misbehave? Threatening children with painful punishment is one way some parents seek to induce good behavior. And the fear of punishment is sometimes enough to cause conformity to parental authority. Not always, but often. Is this God’s way? Let’s see.
“And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”” (Hebrews 12:5-6 NIV)
So, we know for certain God disciplines His children. And we also know the only reason He disciplines us is because Read More
Flourish Like a Palm Tree
Posted on January 11, 2017 5 Comments
In Psalms 92:7, David says, “the wicked spring up like grass,” which is here today and gone tomorrow. Then, in verse 12, he says, “the righteous shall flourish like a palm tree.” He is making a contrast between the two.
Grasses grow quickly, and die quickly. Expose grasses to extreme heat, and their leaves dry up, wither, and die. That’s the way the Read More
The Inheritance
Posted on January 4, 2017 3 Comments
How can you be sure God will favor you and bless you today? I’ve got news for you. It’s not because you will earn it, work for it or deserve it. No, God will favor you, increase you and do only good to you because of His covenant with Abraham!
Listen to what God said to Isaac. Read More
Do I Have to Tithe?
Posted on December 28, 2016 10 Comments
Do I have to tithe in the New Covenant? When it comes to tithing, there are two extremes. One extreme is the legalistic view that makes tithing a law which you must obey, or else! The other extreme is that of some grace preachers that say tithing is irrelevant since we are not under the law anymore. Both groups are wrong.
No New Covenant believer should tithe out of fear that if he does not, God will be angry with him and pronounce a curse upon him. God does not curse His children. Furthermore, God loves a cheerful giver and would not be glorified by forced giving.
But neither should any New Covenant believer think that tithing has no place under grace. That cannot be true because the first time tithing is specifically mentioned, it is in Genesis 14, when Abraham tithed to Melchizedek. Abraham is the father of all who are justified by faith and not by works. He related to God on the basis of a covenant of grace, not law.
So the first time the subject of tithing is brought up, it is within the context of a covenant of grace, being practiced by the man God lifts up as an example of justification apart from law. This is significant because in interpreting Scripture, one important principle is the law of first mention. Simply put, this principle teaches that the first time an important subject is mentioned in the Bible, the truths revealed there about that subject are guiding truths that should inform your understanding of this subject subsequently.
Tithing, therefore, should first and foremost be associated with the covenant of grace, and not with law. It should not be regarded as a tax being levied by God, with penalties associated for not paying up. Instead, tithing should be to us what it was to Abraham–an act of worship, an expression of faith and gratitude, in response to God’s grace.
Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the 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 has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all. (Genesis 14:18-20 NKJV)
For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated “king of righteousness,” and thenalso king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,” without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually. Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils. (Hebrews 7:1-4 NKJV)
Notice, Melchizedek, a type of Jesus, “king of peace” and “king of righteousness” offered Abraham bread and wine, the symbols of the New Covenant. And then he blessed Abraham, apart from any works Abraham had done.
There are no tablets of stone here. Is this not a picture of grace? Surely, this is unmerited favor being bestowed upon Abraham.
And it is to this undeserved favor being lavished upon him that God’s man of grace and faith responds by offering a tenth of all his increase. He was not commanded to do so. He did not have to do so by law. It was not forced upon him, but he did so freely, willingly, joyfully. He did so because it was the only appropriate way to honor so great a person as Melchizedek; the only appropriate way to express faith, love and gratitude to One so great and so kind!
Child of God, you don’t have to tithe to be righteous. You are righteous by grace through faith. But if you, who are righteous by faith, ever truly understand the greatness of God and the magnitude of the undeserved blessing He has bestowed upon you in Christ, like Abraham, you will want to worship Him. And worshipping Him with at least a tenth of your income will seem to you the only appropriate way to respond.
So, do you have to tithe? No, you can go to heaven, even if you are not a tither. Grace takes care of that! You will just miss out on a lot of experiences you could have had with God along the way, if your failure to tithe is the result of your unwillingness to trust God with your finances.
But the good news is, you get to tithe! And when you do, don’t be surprised if God decides to bless you again and again. For the truth is, every time you choose to trust and honor God, He will honor you in fact. Try as you may, you can never out give God!
Tithing is not a burden. It’s a blessing.
God gave us His best. Seems to me the least we should worship Him with is the tithe! What do you think?
A Moment of Grace 