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Posts Tagged ‘Giving’

The Power of Ninety is not what it seems, think of it this way, ten is the 10 percent that we give in tithes. Ninety is the percent that is left and what we do with it is the power of Ninety! Or like David Green says, The power of ninety cents is greater than the dollar.

Tithing is expected from us to support the work of the Church, Giving is over and above the tithes and what we do with it can be powerful.
This story is about how God works through people who practice giving over and above. It is also about how God works through people like Oral Roberts, The Green family and Mark Rutland.

ORU in trouble:

Oral Roberts University was in financial distress, $70 million in debt and lawsuits pending. With rumors of misused funds the closing of ORU seemed close at hand.
In 1981 the City of faith Medical and Research Center opened with a 60-story hospital but closed in 1989 because of financial problems.
In 1986 the university closed its law school and gave the library to another Bible College.
And in 2007 Richard Roberts took a leave of absence over a lawsuit filed by former ORU professors.
The operation budget for 2007-2008 was more than $82 million and student enrollment is down.

Was Oral Roberts’ message from God wrong or  the wrong people in charge? Large schools and Churches are no different form large business when it comes to management. The larger the organization the harder it becomes to keep expenses and employees under control.
Just when you think all is lost and a vision gone, God steps in with a plan.

Hobby Lobby Executive:

Some have referred to Mart Green as An Angel for ORU and this may be true. Mart Green, and his brother Steve Green have stepped up to the plate to do Gods work at ORU.  Mart Green is now the Board Chair for ORU. And Steve Green, Hobby Lobby Executive is now a  member of the Board of Reference at ORU.
They have stepped in with aid to get Oral Roberts University out of financial distress and build a foundation of economic stability. The Green family donated $70 million to bail out ORU, but the
most important thing they bring to ORU is sound management skills that made Hobby Lobby what it is today.

David Green, father of Mart and Steve, started the art supply store Hobby Lobby in 1972. When the Oklahoma economy declined in 1985, David brought the family together to discuss the survival of the business. The company was built on sound financial and business plans plus a
faith in God that guides company decisions. David was the only child out of six that did not either become a minister or marry a  minister. However, David carried the example of giving
shown by his mother, Marie, into the business world. After some major changes and a decision to simplify its line of products, Hobby Lobby returned to record profits in 1986. Through endurance and faithful giving the company has grown in thirty-six years to 407 stores with 2007 sales of about $1.8 Billion. With Steve Green serving as president in their Oklahoma City headquarters.
In 1998 Hobby Lobby joined other Christian-owned stores in a policy of closing on Sunday. The company has donated property for hospitals, churches and other ministries. They also funded the
movie project, “End of the Spear,” and a follow up documentary, “Through Gates of Splendor.”

The Green family believes in supporting a few ministries well rather than giving a small amount to many.
but personal support as well. They had no prior connection with ORU and felt that the university was worth saving as an institution for building faith. Steve Green stated, “We don’t need fewer colleges or institutions building faith – we need more of them.”

Retired Missionary:

Successful business and institutions look for the best people to be in charge. The Green family found one of the best when they recruited Dr. Mark Rutland. During the last 10 years he has brought Southeastern University of Lakeland, Florida to one of the most respected and well known Christian liberal arts colleges in the world.
Part of the package was an additional $10 million donation to Southeastern University by the Green family.

Dr. Mark Rutland is the right man for the job. If you look at the web site for ORU, you will see a picture of the new president talking
with a group of the students. This is where you will find Dr. Rutland almost every day. He will get to know not only many of the students but all of the faculty as well. The Mission Statement for Southeastern makes this apparent, “Southeastern, a dynamic, Christ-centered university, fosters student success by integrating personal faith and higher learning. Within our loving Pentecostal community, we challenge students to a live time of good work and of preparing professionally so they can creatively serve their generation in the Sprit of Christ.”

He also brings the experience needed for the growth that is coming to ORU. God has been preparing Mark Rutland for just such a task. As a missionary and founder of Global Servants, with strong mission and evangelism efforts in Thailand and West Africa. With his wife, Alison, they have taken time to conduct Couples’ Conference on a regular basis. In a typical month in 2005 Dr. Mark Rutland preached in Canada, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Maryland and South Carolina. And I know that the students at ORU will be hearing him preach at most of the chapel meetings.

Mark is well rounded with many interests, one is the love of music. He said, “Willie Nelson’s soulful rendition of Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain touches me any time I hear it. It is one of my favorite songs but one that is little known and even less appreciated.” He reads books on many subjects on a regular basis and plans ahead for future projects. He once told us that during his years as a minister he would lock himself into a Motel Room for a week and outline all of his sermons for the coming year.

As a manager, I cannot think of a better person to work for. I have heard many on the staff at Southeastern talk at length about working with him. He can and will make decisions, bring in the right people for the job at hand and bring the leadership that is required to manage the great university, Oral Roberts University.

Oral Roberts used his power of Ninety to establish ORU. The Green family used their power of Ninety to save ORU. Mark Rutland will use his power of Ninety to place ORU on God’s path for the future. When we give of our time and money over and above what is required, great things happen!
God brought these strong men and women of God together in order to continue the work that
affects thousands of students who attend Oral Roberts University. I can assure you from personal
experience that under the leadership of Mark Rutland, ORU will grow and prosper. I have seen that at Southeastern University, and at our own church, Mt. Paran North Church of God, during the leadership of Pastor Rutland.

Tithes and The Prosperity Gospel – Christianity’s Deception

Joseph Ho, February 18th, 2009.

The world has never seen such great commercial profiteering in the body of Christ until the turn of this century. What is going on? Jesus has already said a long time ago that his Father’s house shall be a house of prayer, in the book of Matthew, Matthew 21:13, “
And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.” The people in God’s temple of old were selling sacrifices of animals for a price and that has turned a Holy Site into a market place. Does this resemble what is happening to the Church today? Now people are selling the Material Prosperity blessings for a price, they say, give and it shall be given onto you. So if you give money you get money. Strangely enough, in Asia, we call it the 4D, Toto and the Big Sweep. That’s what one gets when you buy a $3 dollar ticket and then you may get the big price on the date of draw.

“4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead [a] us, such as all the other nations have.”

6 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. 7 And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.”

10 Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle [b] and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day.”

19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. 22 The LORD answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.””

The ten percent Tithe which was given to the High Priests is now given unto the king. Now who are the kings of the world today, they are now called Governments and Monarchs. And where is the Tithe now being paid? It’s to the Government of each country that every citizen has to pay this Tithe.

So what is this Government Tithe?

It’s called the INCOME TAX guys. Simple as that, we do not need to burden ourselves by paying another tax to the church. Now the Pastors of the modern church calls this “PROTECTION MONEY”, since if you pay this Tithe, you will never get your money stolen nor loose your Job which gives you income nor will you loose your possession to scams and conmen. When you paid this Tithe as preached, it’s an INSURANCE against the devourer, and God will ensure this devourer will not steal from you ever again. It’s a promise as preached.

Isn’t this Pay Back Time?

In time of wealth and prosperous economy this Principle of Tithe works. But when the entire world is under severe economy recession and crisis, I would love to see how these pastors and preachers of prosperity are going to ensure this devourer never affect the Tither’s piggy bank. Now its time to test this principle as preached. For God will bring every works to the Test of FIRE. The “HOLY INSURANCE” sales guy must now prove that their product is going to work for all Christians. They did not say if you Tithe and Sin God will not bless. No, they say if you Tithe God have to bless. If you don’t mean what you say don’t say it, for we all have to give an account of all our words before the Lord God on the day of Judgment, as mentioned in Matthew,

Matthew 12:36, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”

As far as I know, everyone will be affected by this Economy Crisis in 2009; even the Christian who Tithes. Because the pagan are also bosses of the Christian so if God will not bless them since they do not Tithe, their business will suffer and then it will affect their Christian employees. Jesus says do not remove the weed from the wheat until the time of Judgment, so I don’t think this will work as well. Pagans and Christians coexist and prosper materially in this world because money is not a Spiritual Fruit.

Imagine if you tithe constantly and monthly yet you bear false witness against your brother, yet you steal, yet you rape, yet you beat your wives, will God still bless you when you Tithe? If not, the Tithe can not be a blanket guarantee of you not loosing your materials possessions and even your money during times of crisis. What is you best hope then? The Lord is our Shepherd and Provider, Psalms 23:1-3.

So should you Tithe or not Tithe that is the question?

Dear people, we have to know that God’s priests do not do any industrial activity but they teach and preach, so they have to eat. Paul says, in 1 Corinthians 9:9-12,

“9For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain. “Is it about oxen that God is concerned? 10Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. 11If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?”

So Paul expects the people in the church who were fed Spiritual Food to share with them material needs. That is to say, we are to give unto the Priests and Pastors a Free-Will Love Offerings to sustain them in their work, while the Tithe is already paid to the Government of each country in the terms of PERSONAL INCOME TAX. Surely a good God will not burden his people again by requiring them to pay double taxation. When God does not even require of us to be circumcised, why then would God require us to pay such heavy duty tax to both the Government and to his Church. The bible says, God loves a cheerful giver and we are to give according to our means and be happy about it. So how to be a cheerful giver when we are required a fixed amount, we must give from our hearts.

So why are the Prosperity Churches growing when they deceive the world?

There was not a dry eye in the church. The ushers were frozen in place and a deep hush had come over the congregation. This was one of those “once in a lifetime” moments for me as a pastor, defining the love of God in real, everyday terms; and it was happening in our church.

Months earlier, my wife and I were on tour visiting missionaries that our church supported. While visiting one interior city in India, we came across Amy (a name that we would later give her). She was dragging herself through a garbage heap looking for morsels of food.

Our guide told us that she was probably one of the many children abandoned by their impoverished families. “Don’t worry”, he said, “it’s just the way things are here”. His calloused words fell on deaf ears as we hurried across the mud-soaked street and knelt near the little girl. She couldn’t have been more than five years old.

Turning her over, we were shocked to find open, gaping abrasions from where she had dragged herself across the stones and debris, apparently unable to walk due to malnutrition. My wife shrieked, “Kenneth, there are maggots in her wounds”.

Gathering her up in our arms, we ran her back to the jeep. Laying her in the back seat with my wife at her side, we hurried back to the mission. There we bathed her, fed her and dressed her wounds.

She was resilient, as children often are. Despite her weakened state, she clung tenaciously to my wife and would not let go of her. This was obviously the first parental care she had ever received. It so touched the both of us that almost in concert we blurted out to each other “can we adopt her?” Having no children of our own, it seemed like a Godsend fit.

For the remainder of our stay, we nurtured and loved Amy as much as was humanly possible. I gave her a Raggedy Ann doll and promised we would be back for her. This must have been her first gift, because for the rest of that week that doll was never out of her arms.

After what seemed an eternity of paperwork and telephone calls, Amy was finally ours. She had regained her health and quickly assimilated to American life. She learned English, started school and most importantly, eventually accepted the Lord as her savior.

Amy was the darling of the congregation. Everyone pampered her and gave her gifts. But the Raggedy Ann remained her favorite. It was this doll, or at least Amy’s love for it, that brought our church to a standstill during an evening service during our mission’s conference.

On evening, a young missionary poured his heart out to the congregation. His moving challenge was for believers to give sacrificially to the Lord’s work. At the close of the service, a special missions offering was scheduled. When the offertory prayer ended, the ushers turned to pass the plates. The usher in the center aisle started to move past Amy, who always sat in the front center row.

Before the usher could move past her, Amy reached out and grabbed his coat sleeve. The man immediately stooped down and said “what is it dear?” Amy, apparently moved by the message, started to place her Raggedy Ann in the offering plate. It was her dearest possession and in child-like understanding of the sermon, she was sacrificially offering it to the Lord’s work.

At the last moment, however, Amy quickly drew her doll back and clutched it tightly. By this time, the attention of the entire congregation had shifted to Amy. The ushers stood still and the pianist faltered as they watched Amy battle with her emotions, wanting to do what she thought was right, but not finding the strength to do so.

After a few more embattled attempts, Amy finally placed her doll in the plate and, well, that is where this story began. Everyone was in tears. A small castaway, who once wandered garbage heaps, just preached one of the strongest sermons ever delivered in our church. As a result, missions offerings skyrocketed and several young people surrendered to become missionaries.

When asked later why she did what she did, Amy simply answered “Because I knew it would make my Father happy”. I didn’t ask which father she meant, earthly or heavenly, but I think both were very happy with her that day.

Church doctrine

We run across the word “church” 114 times in the New Testament. So what can we learn from the scriptures about the original church (the church we read about in the New Testament)? Here are the essentials:

Jesus established the church. (Matthew 16:13-18)

Jesus purchased the church with his own blood. (Acts 20:28)

Jesus is the head of the church. (Ephesians 1:22-23) (Ephesians 5:23)

Jesus is the foundation of the church. (1 Corinthians 3:11)

The church was a part of God’s eternal plan before creation. (Ephesians 3:9-10)

The purpose of the church was to: “display [God's] wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 3:9-10)

The church is not a building but saved people. “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47)

The church is not a denomination. (1 Corinthians 1:12-13)

The Gospel and teachings of Christ (church doctrine) are not subject to change. (Galatians 1:8-11) (2 John 1:9-11)

Scriptural names of the church:

the body of Christ (Colossians 1:24) (Ephesians 1:22-23)

church of the living God (1 Timothy 3:15)

church of God (Acts 20:28) (1 Corinthians 1:2) (1 Corinthians 10:32) (1 Corinthians 11:22) (1 Corinthians 15:9) (2 Corinthians 1:1) (Galatians 1:13) (1 Timothy 3:5)

churches of God (1 Corinthians 11:16) (1 Thessalonians 2:14) (2 Thessalonians 1:4)

churches of the saints (1 Corinthians 14:33)

church of the first-born (Hebrews 12:23)

churches of Christ (Romans 16:16)

Scriptural names for members of the church:

Members of Christ (1 Corinthians 6:15)

Disciples (Acts 6:1,7) (Acts 11:26)

Believers (2 Corinthians 6:15)

Saints (Acts 9:13) (Romans 1:7) (Philippians 1:1)

Priests (Revelation 1:6)

Children of God (Galatians 3:26-27) (1 John 3:1-2)

Christians (Acts 11:26) (Acts 26:28) (1 Peter 4:16)

How to become a member of the original church:

Hear the Gospel, “for faith comes by hearing the word of God.” (Romans 10:17 NKJV)

Believe in Jesus Christ, “for without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:6); Also see: (Acts 16:31) (Romans 1:15-17) (1 John 5:1-6)

Repent of your sins, “for [God] commands all people everywhere to repent.” (Acts 17:30); Also see: (Luke: 15:10) (2 Peter 3:9)

Confess Jesus as Lord, for he said, “Whoever confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32 NKJV) Also see: (Romans 10:9)

Be baptized for the forgiveness of sins, for Peter said: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” (Acts 2:38) Also see: (Mark 16:16) (Romans 6:3-4)

Church organization:

Elders

Elders (also called presbyters, bishops, overseers, pastors, or shepherds, without distinction of office or rank) were men (always men) chosen from the members to oversee and set an example for the congregation. Also they are to encourage the congregation with sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. (1 Peter 5:1-4) (1 Titus 1:9) For the requirements for this position see: 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.

Deacons

Deacons were men chosen to serve the congregation (overlook the daily distribution of food or wait on tables.) (Acts 6:1-7) For requirements for both the deacon and his wife, see: 1 Timothy 3:8-13. Paul also mentions deacons in his address to the church at Philippi. (Philippians 1:1) At least two men, Stephen and Philip, chosen as deacons in the Jerusalem church also preached or evangelized.

Evangelists

Evangelists (preachers, ministers) are preachers of the Gospel. (Ephesians 4:11) (1 Timothy 4:13-16) (2 Timothy 4:1-5)

Those three positions were the only ones created for Christ’s church. Notice that no singular person was placed in charge of any congregation. And there was no higher organization than the local congregation. Synods, Councils, Conventions, Popes, Ecclesiastical Legislative Bodies, Associations or Conferences with delegates from different congregations are nowhere to be found in the Bible. They didn’t exist in the church you read about in the New Testament.

Church worship:

Over the past two thousand years, Christians have worshipped God in various ceremonies and rituals including: baptism, the Lord’s Supper, fasting, foot washing, prayers, reading scriptures, reciting creeds, singing, miraculous powers, prophecies, healings, and speaking in tongues. You may wonder what lies behind these traditions. Are they merely customs of the church? Or is there something more to it?

Let’s start with a definition of church. Our English word “church” is based on the Greek word “ekklesia” which means an assembly. Sometimes “church” refers to a local congregation; at other times the word is used in a universal sense including all believers in Christ. Christ is the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20), foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11), and head of the church. (Ephesians 1:22-23) (Ephesians 5:23)

But Jesus himself had very little to say about the church. In Mark, Luke and John, Jesus never utters the word “church.” Matthew, and Matthew alone, gives us our only two quotes. In one passage, Jesus says the church should resolve disputes between its members. (Matthew 18:15-17) In the other reference, Jesus says: “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18)

Outside of Revelation, these are the only two instances where Jesus directly refers to his church. Even so, he did introduce the two sacraments of the church — baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Baptism

We have mentioned it before, but it bears repeating. The resurrected Jesus ordered his apostles to make disciples in every nation “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19)

Jesus says baptism is essential for salvation. (Mark 16:16) And Peter says it is required for the forgiveness of sins. (Acts 2:38)

The book of Acts records much of what we know about the history of the early church. Here we find a series of sermons, teachings, and baptisms. Who was baptized? Simon the sorcerer (Acts 8:13), the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:38), Saul, who was later called Paul (Acts 9:18), Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth (Acts 16:14-15), the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:33), Crispus, the synagogue ruler (Acts 18:8) (1 Corinthians 1:14), twelve disciples at Ephesus (Acts 19:1-5), and men and women at city in Samaria. (Acts 8:5-12)

What did all of these people have in common? They were all believing adults. Were children also baptized? Some claim there were, and they cite these passages to support their position. Acts 16:15 states that “[Lydia] and members of her household were baptized.” Acts 16:33 reads: “[The jailer] and all of his family were baptized.” And Acts 18:8 says that Crispus and “his entire household” were baptized.

The question is: Does “members of her household,” “all of his family,” and “his entire household” imply that children and infants were also baptized? Probably not. Notice that the jailer “and his whole family” had come to believe in God. (Acts 16:34) Similarly, Crispus “and his entire household believed in the Lord.” (Acts 18:8)

In both instances, all believed, and all were baptized. Clearly we are not speaking of infants or very small children in this context. Those who were baptized were mature enough to believe in Christ.

How were these believing “adults” baptized? Romans 6:3-4 speaks of baptism as a symbolic burial with Christ. And in Acts 8:38 Philip took the Ethiopian eunuch “down into the water” to baptize him. Baptism was and is emersion. Throughout the first century baptism and emersion were synonymous.

Lord’s Supper; The Eucharist; The Holy Communion

In Matthew we read: “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’

“Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’” (Matthew 26:26-28)

In the Gospel according to John, the significance of this act becomes clear. Jesus: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51)

He repeated and emphasized his words: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:53-54)

Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, explained where this custom originated. He says: “The tradition which I handed on to you came from the Lord himself: that on the night of his arrest the Lord Jesus took bread and after giving thanks to God broke it and said: ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in memory of me.’

In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said: ‘This cup is the new covenant sealed by my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this in memory of me.’ For every time you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord, until he comes.’” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26 REB)

Paul informs us that the early church carried on this tradition and tells us when they did it. “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.” (Acts 20:7)

The apostle again speaks of the Lord’s Supper when he warned the Corinthians: “A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.” (1 Corinthians 11:28-29)

Such respected historians as Eusebius of Caesarea and Johann August Wilhelm Neander tell us that Christians in the early centuries of the church took the Lord’s Supper every Sunday.

Fasting

Jesus to John the Baptist’s disciples: “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.” (Matthew 9:15)

And Jesus issued instructions on fasting. Don’t put on a show when you fast like hypocrites do. Let your fasting be a secret between you and God. He knows, and he will reward you. (Matthew 6:16-18)

Luke speaks of the Antioch church worshiping the Lord and fasting. “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’” (Acts 13:2) In the next chapter we read, “Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in each church [in Lystra, Iconium and Antioch] and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord.” (Acts 14:23)

We find no command in the New Testament to fast. However, in Acts chapters 13 and 14 we discover instances in which the early church did fast.

Foot Washing

“[Jesus] got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” (John 13:4-5)

“When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?’ he asked them. ‘You call me “Teacher” and “Lord,” and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:12-15)

“Washing the feet of the saints” is also one of good deed qualifications Paul lists for widows seeking support from the church. (1 Timothy 5:9-10)

Even so, washing feet is nowhere declared a part of the church’s worship service.

Prayer

Prayer is our way of communicating with God. Jesus offers us an example. “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:9-13)

Notice that the Lord’s prayer is simple, short, and to the point. It asks for daily help, guidance, and forgiveness.

He tells us to pray for those who persecute us; (Matthew 5:44) pray to God privately, don’t make a spectacle out of it; and don’t babble on. God already knows what you need. He’s not impressed by the length of your prayer. (Matthew 6:5-8)

So what are we to pray? Paul tells us to give thanks in all circumstances; (1 Thessalonians 5:18) for God’s help; (1 Timothy 5:5) for each other; (James 5:16) for whatever we want to request; (Philippians 4:6) for rulers, officials, and everyone. (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

James says we don’t get what we want because we don’t pray for it. Or if we do pray for it, our request is denied because of our wrong motives. (James 4:2-3) Pray whenever you are sick or in trouble, advises James. (James 5:14)

Prayer was a part of the New Testament church’s worship. (Acts 2:42) (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

Giving

Paul tells us of the collection taken for God’s people in the Galatian and Corinthian churches. “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.” (1 Corinthians 16:2)

Reading Scriptures

By the early part of the first century, Jews had established the tradition of reading the Law and Prophets in their synagogue services. Paul told Timothy to devote himself to the “public reading of scriptures, preaching and teaching.” (1 Timothy 4:13) Thus the Jewish custom was carried over into church worship.

In Colossians we find Paul instructing the Colossians and the Laodiceans to exchange letters he had written and read both. (Colossians 4:16) And in Thessalonians, he tells the church to read his letter to all the brothers. (1 Thessalonians 5:27) Thereby, what was to become portions of the New Testament was already being read in the church along with the Law and Prophets of the Old Testament.

Reciting Creeds

A creed is a compact statement of faith recited by the congregation during the worship service. Creeds, however, are nowhere to be found in the New Testament. No common human creed, no catechism, no confession of faith are authorized in the scriptures. They were all added later.

It’s true, the Lord’s Prayer is frequently quoted word for word. Did Jesus intend for that prayer to become a creed? Evidently, he did not. Jesus introduced his prayer saying, “Pray, then, in this way.” (Matthew 6:9 NRSV) That sounds very much like general guidance – “Do it in this fashion” rather than, “I want you to repeat every word of this verbatim.”

Singing

Here are all the New Testament references to hymns, songs, and spiritual songs.

After Jesus and the apostles’ Passover meal, “they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” (Matthew 26:30 NKJV)

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” (Acts 16:25)

Paul: “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:19)

Paul: “I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.” (1 Corinthians 14:15)

Paul: “What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation.” (1 Corinthians 14:26)

Paul encourages us to: “admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16)

James: “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” (James 5:13)

Notice musical instruments, choirs, and solos were not mentioned in church worship. Like human creeds, they were later additions not authorized by the scriptures. Historically, the first appearance of instrumental music in church worship was not until the sixth century A.D., and it was not widely accepted until the eighth century. A number of religious leaders including: John Calvin, John Wesley, and Charles Spurgeon strongly opposed the use of instrumental music in worship because of its absence in the New Testament.

Miraculous Powers, Prophecies, Healings, Speaking in Tongues

Jesus preformed miracles; the apostles preformed miracles; members of the early church performed miracles.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul lists nine spiritual gifts of the infant church: “To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.” (1 Corinthians 12:8-10)

What was the purpose of these miracles? Jesus confirmed his deity with his miracles. “When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, ‘Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?’

“Jesus replied, ‘Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.’” (Matthew 11:2-5)

Likewise, Jesus gave his apostles the power to perform miracles to confirm their message. “In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

“After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.” (Mark 16:17-20)

Those gifts to the early church Paul lists: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing miracles, prophecy, discerning spirits, different tongues and interpretation of tongues were all necessary for the revelation and the confirmation of the unwritten gospel message. When the gospel was completely revealed and confirmed, the purpose for miracles, tongues, healings, and prophecies ceased.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul provides us with this explanation: “As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.” (1 Corinthians 13:8-10)

In the original Greek, “perfect” in this verse means “completeness” or “fulfillment.” So, those miraculous gifts ended in the early church when the revelation of God’s word was complete or fulfilled. That is why you don’t see authentic miraculous events in churches today.

Permit me to conclude this church worship section by mentioning three practices found in some modern churches which are nowhere to be found in the early church: alter calls, pleas to “just accept Jesus into your heart,” and repeating “the sinner’s prayer.” Those are all man-made traditions, not supported by scriptures.

Questions to Consider:

1. Since Jesus established his church, and the New Testament describes his church, do you think it might be a good idea to follow the biblical example: in church name? in what we call our church members? in the requirements to enter the church? in church organization? in doctrine? in church worship? in baptism? in the Lord’s Supper? in prayer? in reading scriptures? in preaching? in singing?

2. Why would Luke, Paul, Peter, James, and John provide us with such extensive details of the original church, if they did not intend for us to follow this pattern?

Quote of the Day: “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.” G. K. Chesterton (1874 -1936) English author

Note: All Scripture References are taken from the New International Version unless otherwise stated.

NKJV – New King James Version

NRSV – New Revised Standard Version

REB – Revised English Bible

Tithes and The Prosperity Gospel – Christianity’s Deception

Joseph Ho, February 18th, 2009.

The world has never seen such great commercial profiteering in the body of Christ until the turn of this century. What is going on? Jesus has already said a long time ago that his Father’s house shall be a house of prayer, in the book of Matthew, Matthew 21:13, “
And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.” The people in God’s temple of old were selling sacrifices of animals for a price and that has turned a Holy Site into a market place. Does this resemble what is happening to the Church today? Now people are selling the Material Prosperity blessings for a price, they say, give and it shall be given onto you. So if you give money you get money. Strangely enough, in Asia, we call it the 4D, Toto and the Big Sweep. That’s what one gets when you buy a $3 dollar ticket and then you may get the big price on the date of draw.

“4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead [a] us, such as all the other nations have.”

6 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. 7 And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.”

10 Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle [b] and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day.”

19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. 22 The LORD answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.””

The ten percent Tithe which was given to the High Priests is now given unto the king. Now who are the kings of the world today, they are now called Governments and Monarchs. And where is the Tithe now being paid? It’s to the Government of each country that every citizen has to pay this Tithe.

So what is this Government Tithe?

It’s called the INCOME TAX guys. Simple as that, we do not need to burden ourselves by paying another tax to the church. Now the Pastors of the modern church calls this “PROTECTION MONEY”, since if you pay this Tithe, you will never get your money stolen nor loose your Job which gives you income nor will you loose your possession to scams and conmen. When you paid this Tithe as preached, it’s an INSURANCE against the devourer, and God will ensure this devourer will not steal from you ever again. It’s a promise as preached.

Isn’t this Pay Back Time?

In time of wealth and prosperous economy this Principle of Tithe works. But when the entire world is under severe economy recession and crisis, I would love to see how these pastors and preachers of prosperity are going to ensure this devourer never affect the Tither’s piggy bank. Now its time to test this principle as preached. For God will bring every works to the Test of FIRE. The “HOLY INSURANCE” sales guy must now prove that their product is going to work for all Christians. They did not say if you Tithe and Sin God will not bless. No, they say if you Tithe God have to bless. If you don’t mean what you say don’t say it, for we all have to give an account of all our words before the Lord God on the day of Judgment, as mentioned in Matthew,

Matthew 12:36, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”

As far as I know, everyone will be affected by this Economy Crisis in 2009; even the Christian who Tithes. Because the pagan are also bosses of the Christian so if God will not bless them since they do not Tithe, their business will suffer and then it will affect their Christian employees. Jesus says do not remove the weed from the wheat until the time of Judgment, so I don’t think this will work as well. Pagans and Christians coexist and prosper materially in this world because money is not a Spiritual Fruit.

Imagine if you tithe constantly and monthly yet you bear false witness against your brother, yet you steal, yet you rape, yet you beat your wives, will God still bless you when you Tithe? If not, the Tithe can not be a blanket guarantee of you not loosing your materials possessions and even your money during times of crisis. What is you best hope then? The Lord is our Shepherd and Provider, Psalms 23:1-3.

So should you Tithe or not Tithe that is the question?

Dear people, we have to know that God’s priests do not do any industrial activity but they teach and preach, so they have to eat. Paul says, in 1 Corinthians 9:9-12,

“9For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain. “Is it about oxen that God is concerned? 10Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. 11If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?”

So Paul expects the people in the church who were fed Spiritual Food to share with them material needs. That is to say, we are to give unto the Priests and Pastors a Free-Will Love Offerings to sustain them in their work, while the Tithe is already paid to the Government of each country in the terms of PERSONAL INCOME TAX. Surely a good God will not burden his people again by requiring them to pay double taxation. When God does not even require of us to be circumcised, why then would God require us to pay such heavy duty tax to both the Government and to his Church. The bible says, God loves a cheerful giver and we are to give according to our means and be happy about it. So how to be a cheerful giver when we are required a fixed amount, we must give from our hearts.

So why are the Prosperity Churches growing when they deceive the world?