Beyond Organized Religion

for Christians who are tired of church

recent posts

  • Tithing: Exposing the False Narrative

    Tithing: Exposing the False Narrative

    It’s more than unfortunate that many teachers and pastors teach that tithing was established as an “eternal principle before the law” (through Abraham’s tithe to Melchizedek: Genesis 14:18-20) and that it was also embraced by Christ after the law (Matthew 23:23), propagating the idea that tithing “transcends the law” and is a mandate upon the believer.

    INCORRECT ON BOTH ACCOUNTS.

    1) In Genesis, Abraham gave 10% of the plunder that he took from the spoils of war; wasn’t even his own resources. He did this ONE TIME (to Melchizedek). There’s no biblical record that he ever tithed again. How do we glean an “eternal principle” from a one time gift? How do we make “binding doctrine” from a poorly exegeted Old Testament proof-text?

    2) In Matthew 23:23, Jesus tells the religious leaders of that day that they should pay attention to the “weightier matters of the law” (justice, mercy and the love of God) while not neglecting their “tithing” which was also in their law. Jesus’ audience is Jewish leaders under the Old Covenant law.. The New Covenant had not yet been ushered in since Christ had not yet been crucified and resurrected… the Old Covenant was still in effect and the Jews were therefore required to keep it. THIS IS NOT POST-LAW! Jesus is teaching the law to those under the law. We, as believers, are not under the Jewish law! To project this proof-text upon a New Covenant people as mandate is wholly and totally illegitimate.

    Other teachers will soften their message a bit; they won’t say that tithing is a requirement, BUT…….. (and here comes the hook) they will say things like “since the law reveals the unchanging character of God, tithing (to the local institution, of course) is something that God would WANT us to do. This is a very subtle, sly and manipulative way that pastors influence the psyche of believers to get them to give what they want them to give (10% of their gross income), in the way they want them to give it (to the local institution).

    The spirit of control is as the sin of witchcraft.

    If the law was truly given to believers as a helpful tool to “reveal the character of God,” or to “show us what God is like,” or to somehow function as a means of guidance for the believer, well, apparently the Apostle Paul missed that memo. He makes it clear that the law was “nailed to the cross with Jesus” (Colossians 2:14), so that we would no longer live by the oldness of the letter but by the newness of the Spirit (Romans 7:6). In 2nd Corinthians 3, Paul refers to the law as “the ministry of death and condemnation.” In Galatians 2:19, he states that he “died to the law that he might live for God.” And the author of Hebrews states that with the ushering in of the New Covenant, the Old has been made obsolete (Hebrews 8:13). To try to propagate the idea that the law, as it relates to the believer, is “a revealer of God’s character” or “a means by which to show us what God is like” or “a guide for our life” and therefore “helpful to a believer’s life of faith” is ludicrous. It shows a stunning lack of understanding of the New Covenant and its implications on the life of the believer. Such teaching needs to be recognized for what it is; Old Covenant, performance-based legal bondage dressed in fine-sounding spiritual garb.

    When the Bible says that Jesus “fulfilled the law,” it was in NO WAY meant to exalt the law in a positive light, or to somehow be an example of how believers should embrace the law or follow Jesus’ example in some sort of way. And this is where many pastors and teachers, through a misguided interpretation of this scripture, take believers into a confusing mix of law and grace which hinders one’s growth in Christ. Jesus fulfilled the law in order to deliver us from it, and to introduce a new and better way to relate to, receive from and live before God; the New Covenant. It is nothing like the Old. It’s a better covenant, established on better promises (Hebrews 8:6).

    The law was “our tutor to lead us to Christ.” (Galatians 3:24). We don’t look to the law to reveal the character of God; we look to Christ. We don’t look to the law to show us what God is like; we look to Christ. We don’t look to the law as a helpful guide to our life of faith; we rely on Christ and His Spirit which indwells our hearts. Jesus declared, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” The author of Hebrews states that Jesus is “the express image of God and exact representation of His likeness.” Through Jesus, we see the unchanging character of God, and the demonstration of how life is to be lived in relationship with a loving heavenly Father. It’s in Christ (our union with Him) that we find all the sufficiency we need for all faith and practice. And as it pertains to giving under the New Covenant, as people living in Christ, we are called to give to whoever, however, whenever and wherever as we are led by His Spirit. It’s really that simple.

  • God Can Handle Our Doubts

    God Can Handle Our Doubts

    Sometimes we perceive doubt in fellow believers as something we must immediately eradicate, or that it should only be indicative of those outside the faith. In certain Christian circles, there’s an inordinate amount of time spent emphasizing the importance of walking in awe-inspiring, even perfect faith. If someone doesn’t have an experience that others think they should have, it’s quite common for it to be chalked up to a “lack of faith.” After all, the disciples and those we read about in the Old Testament were super-saints who never doubted… Well, some of you may already know where I’m going with this.

    Think of Gideon… one of the most doubtful and fearful men in the Old Testament, yet God worked with him and still used him mightily, even in the midst of his doubts. Even Abraham, when told by God that Sarah would have a son in her old age, actually laughed concerning the audacity of such an idea. Although the book of Hebrews says that Abraham “never wavered but was strong in faith” concerning the matter, it’s clear from the Old Testament account that both Abraham and Sarah did doubt initially. Then there was “doubting Thomas,” the disciple of Jesus who said he would never believe in the risen Christ unless he placed his hands inside Christ’s wounds. Yet Jesus still revealed Himself to Thomas out of His great love for him, allowing him to indeed place his hands on His wounds. When Christ taught about certain things concerning the Kingdom of God, his very disciples exclaimed, “Increase our faith!” Paul, when arriving in Macedonia, spoke of experiencing fears within. The reason I’m bringing up these examples is to show that one does not have to walk in “perfect faith” to have a relationship with God, walk with God, experience God or be used by God. Even Jesus taught that if you have faith “as a mustard seed,” miracles can happen.

    I had a recent discussion with someone I know who was coming alongside a new believer to help him in his spiritual journey. He explained how he was taking this gentleman through the Old Testament and was becoming increasingly frustrated with the man’s “lack of faith.” This new believer in Christ had believed the good news of the gospel; that Jesus died for his sins, rose again, and that through faith in Him was eternal salvation. Yet he was not able to believe the Old Covenant account of the sun standing still for a day, along with a few other Old Covenant items. I listened as my friend shared how he started to question the man’s lack of faith, why he couldn’t believe it, that if he didn’t believe everything in the Bible, then how does he know any of it is true….but to no avail.

    People are at different maturity levels and different places in their journey; that’s OK. For this new believer, if he believes that Jesus died for his sins and rose from the dead on his behalf, that through faith in Him one is saved, that God is present within the Body of Christ to lead us in repentance and transform us, then praise God; let’s rejoice in that! Why he cannot right now receive the account of the sun standing still for a day is not for us to judge; it is what it is. It’s Jesus Christ and His finished work that is supposed to have preeminence in a believer’s life anyway… everything else flows from this. Believing every Old Testament account of things is not a prerequisite for saving faith in Christ, being born again and walking by the Spirit.

    As a general principle, I think it’s beneficial for a new believer to first be grounded in his identity in Christ, the reality of the Holy Spirit within, the teaching of Christ, and to have his or her heart established in the grace of God extended to us in Christ. It’s out of these realities, when they become real to a person, that obedience flows…they don’t walk in obedience to God because they have to (out of obligation), but because they want to (they are grateful for his grace, are empowered to obey and have the desire to do so). When our submission to God is gained by the revelation of God’s love and acceptance freely given to us in Christ, it makes all the difference in the world.

    In conclusion, I think Paul’s teaching on the subject matter is excellent: “And we earnestly beseech you, brethren, admonish (warn and seriously advise) those who are out of line (the loafers, the disorderly and the unruly); encourage the timid and fainthearted, help and give your support to the weak souls, and be very patient with everybody (always keeping your temper).” -1st Thessalonians 5:14

    The challenge in helping new believers is to learn to listen to them, discern where they’re at, and not getting ahead of God by insisting they believe something that they’re heart isn’t ready or able to grasp. Faith in Christ and Him crucified and resurrected is central. If there are some other things that we have difficulty with along our journey, well, we serve a God that’s big enough to handle our doubts. They certainly don’t negate our life in Christ. 

  • What Your Pastor Doesn’t Want You To Hear

    What Your Pastor Doesn’t Want You To Hear

    Long ago, I remember the periodic Sunday night “testimony time” at the local church I attended. Perhaps once a quarter, the congregation of about five-hundred would gather, and after the singing of a few songs together, the pastor would hand the microphone to various people who had their hand raised… who wanted to share their testimony.

    Invariably, “testimony time” seemed to always include someone who wanted to share a financial blessing. It usually went something like this:

    “Hi, my name is Bob, and I’ve been attending this church for 10 years. I recently heard pastor Joe’s sermon on how tithing to the local church in obedience to Malachi 3 is vital if we expect God to bless our finances and keep the enemy from devouring our money. Well, six months ago I started tithing, and out of nowhere I just received a promotion at work with a 5% pay raise! I praise God that I listened to pastor Joe and started tithing in obedience to God’s Word (as he proudly pouts his chest for being such a faithful tither, unlike the non-tithing slackards in the congregation).”

    May we all sing the praises of Bob for doing such a wonderful job of apparently earning God’s blessing which can never be earned (financial or otherwise), and for validating Pastor Joe’s Old Covenant, performance-based theology which has no legitimate place among a New Covenant people. Of course, never mind the slew of “faithful tithers” who have been tithing for years yet are grossly in debt, many behind on their house or car payments, and who have credit card balances up the wazoo. No, these people aren’t raising their hands during testimony time; neither does the leadership want to hear from them. They just want to prop up guys like Bob, whose testimony validates them and their obligatory tithe doctrine.

    “Tithing as a mandate” permeates modern-day Christianity. The levitical law of tithing which was nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14) is continually resurrected by the professional clergy; some do it because of a lack of understanding of the implications of the New Covenant upon the life of the believer, and others do it primarily because it is the means by which to have their salaries paid, the staff salaries paid, the building costs and operating expenses paid, and to support the at-large institution they serve. To show them that their tithe doctrine can in no way be supported through a New Covenant interpretive perspective will, with rare exception, be met with the strongest of resistance. It was Upton Sinclair who rightfully said, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.”

    But there’s another testimony I want to share that you’ll never hear in church… a testimony that is much more representative of New Covenant reality, revealing the preeminence of Jesus and His grace in a believer’s life. For the sake of privacy, I will call her “Wendy.” The details I’m about to share as to what has been transpiring in her life are 100% accurate and true. If Wendy was given the microphone during “testimony night” at a local church, you would hear something like this:

    “Hi, I’m Wendy! I used to attend church, but I don’t go anymore. And I used to be a meticulous tither, but I ditched that many moons ago. Back in February, my car engine went bad. I was about to take out a loan to purchase another, when out of the blue, someone close to me said that God laid it on his heart to buy me a brand new 2016 car…. no strings attached! I love my new car! Two months ago, I was looking for a job, went to my first job fair with over a thousand other “job hunters,” and landed a wonderful position in my chosen field, with a 10% pay raise to boot! Over the last few weeks, I’ve been looking for a new place to live and have been astonished at how high rent prices are. Then, out of nowhere, through no effort or influence of my own, a married couple informed me that they would allow me to live in their beautiful 3000 square foot second home, RENT FREE!! All I have to pay is the utilities, and it’s 10 minutes from my new place of employment! I’m so grateful to God and His grace extended to me in Christ!”

    Oh, by the way…. Wendy is 100% debt free.

    Someone may say, “But she doesn’t even attend church, so she’s probably one of those independent lone ranger types! And since she doesn’t tithe, she must not be very generous! Perhaps she’s not even a Christian!” Nothing could be further from the truth. No, she doesn’t attend “church,” but she’s experiencing authentic community with other believers to a greater degree than most who do attend church. It’s just not within the institutional church structure. She doesn’t embrace “tithing” as the way to order her giving; rather, she’s sensitive to her surroundings and the needs of those within her relational and social spheres, being generous with both her money and time as the Spirit leads. Best of all, Wendy knows who she is in Christ.  You’ll never hear her say, “Because I gave some money to my needy co-worker, God did this or that for me…” No no… she understands New Covenant grace; that she is the object of her heavenly Father’s love, and that even in the midst of her fears, flaws, failures and life’s difficulties, His grace is extended to her in countless ways as a free gift, aside from any contributing factor on her part. Her obedience is simply the fruit of her relationship with God and the by-product of living loved. And His blessing on her life is the result of her spiritual union with Christ; nothing more, nothing less.

    Bob and Pastor Joe can learn a lot from Wendy. So can all of us.

  • The Community-less Church

    The Community-less Church

    I was recently enjoying a light-roast at my favorite local coffeehouse when I entered into a conversation with a gentleman sitting close to me, who happened to be a pastor. Having found out that I’m a Christian, he asked me, “So, where do you go to church?” Over time, I’ve learned to enjoy answering that question. I answered the way I now always answer, which is, “I don’t.” Then I just stay silent, see what the reaction is, and wait for a reply.

    His response was typical; he assumed I had no real fellowship with others because I didn’t attend church, and felt compelled to share Hebrews 10:25 with me, which states in the King James Version, “not neglecting the assembling of ourselves together, which is the manner of some, but encouraging one another daily….” It was his attempt to show me the “error of my way” by not going to church.

    I then politely explained to him how I actually did have regular, rich and encouraging fellowship with many, but my community experience was outside a traditional church setting. However, that wasn’t good enough for him; in his view, it didn’t matter and couldn’t possibly be legitimate if it didn’t involve going to church.

    It was at that point that I shared with him how the “not neglecting the assembling of ourselves together” phrase from the King James Version was a very poor translation of the early manuscripts (due to Roman Catholic bias), and that the 1599 Geneva Bible translation was much truer to those manuscripts, which says, “not neglecting the FELLOWSHIP we have among ourselves, but encouraging one another daily….” I then asked him, “So, how much actual “fellowship” takes place during your Sunday morning service?”

    His reaction was priceless; didn’t have a clear answer for that. But rather than considering the validity of what I shared, and accepting the fact that there is no real “fellowship one with another” during a typical church service (one “talking head” while everyone else listens), he doubled down in defense of his position of needing to “go to church” to experience community. One thing you can know for sure: for those whose livelihood depends on people faithfully attending Sunday services, they will defend it to the death.

    Aside from being part of the ultimate community (the Trinity), Jesus’ “community reality” on earth was that of investing in an inner circle of twelve people…. people whom He shared life with, loved, served and ultimately gave His life for. But in our day and age, getting in the trenches with real people in the arena of real life, lifting one another’s burdens, and sacrificing our time, talent and treasure for each other just doesn’t fit well within our American culture of comfort, convenience, and narcissism (church culture included); we’d rather passively hear hot preaching, attend Sunday morning services, slap the name “Community Church” on it all, and then invite others to come enjoy our fake communities. What a sham.

    Rather than modeling Christ in relational reality, it’s grievous to see how many people are still embracing an impersonal and artificial model instead; assembling together for the Sunday morning church service… something that will never produce community, although Pastors always say it will.

    There’s a large mega-church in our area; apparently one of the fastest growing churches in America. If I mentioned the name, you all would recognize it. The pastor and other leaders there talk much about community from the pulpit, and share how coming to services and being a part of one of their many small groups (structured, someone assigned to lead, controlled from the top) is the key to community. Well, I lost count of the people I’ve met who have gone to this church, have done everything the pastor and other leaders have said, for 1 year, 2 years, 5 years, and have walked away from that place relationally bankrupt; no real friends, no experience of family, community, etc… But oh, the preacher is so eloquent and preaches great sermons on community!! How ironic it is that one can preach great messages on the subject of community, yet all the while be the main character in the Sunday morning service… a religious exercise that acts as one of the greatest obstacles to Christians ever experiencing community.

    Now, for those who say they’re always hearing about what the problem is but they never hear a solution, well, I’m going to share a solution; I’ve actually been sharing it for the last 15 years. The degree to which we are willing to relationally engage with others in the arena of real life will determine our community reality. Period. End of story. There are no short-cuts. A large mega-church, smaller community church, house church, small group, meetup group or any other organized gathering, regardless of how formal or informal, does not inherently have the power to magically produce community in anyone’s life, regardless of how often one attends. Only lives relationally engaged with one another in real life and given to each other in time, love and service will produce that. And it doesn’t have to be very many people! Unfortunately, most of us are more committed to a group meeting and hearing our pastor preach than we are to one another in the arena of real life.

    Finding our tribe outside of a traditional church environment undoubtedly takes time, and it can be a lonely road for awhile. But if you can hang in there and avoid being sucked back into the system, it’s well worth the wait. May we be open to the people who come across our path, and find environments that are actually conducive to meeting people AND having casual, open conversation. If you sense good vibes with someone, be intentional and reach out to that individual for future connection. You never know who may become a true, life-long friend. Personally, I would rather get together with a few people where open sharing and genuine love is present, than join the masses on Sunday morning to get a weekly Jesus-fix.

  • Stop Searching and Start Embracing

    Stop Searching and Start Embracing

    Have you ever come across Christians who always seem to be striving, laboring and craving for the ever-so elusive “something more” that God has for them? For some, this merry-go-round never seems to stop. Aside from the spiritual narcissism behind the incessant motivation, Christians who fail to embrace who they are and what they’ve already been given in Christ become easy prey for the razzle-dazzle, celebrity preachers of our day who love to promise the “something more” to the spiritually naive through their books, conferences and teachings.

    This highly popular yet phony teaching is typically presented in either one of two forms:

    1. You must “do” to receive your “something more” experience. Indicative of an Old Covenant performance/reward mindset, the answer to the believer’s supposed dilemma is to simply do something more to receive something more. Just fill in the blank; pray more, give more, fast more, read your Bible more, evangelize more, worship more, etc… and at some undetermined point in time, you’ll receive your “breakthrough experience” with God. Rather than pointing people to the all sufficient Person and finished work of Christ and encouraging people to enter the rest of faith, notice how this teaching clearly puts the onus on the believer to “work” for God’s blessing. It’s the epitome of performance-based, oppressive religion… unfortunately with Christ’s name attached to it. If you’re on this road, take some advice from a fellow sojourner whose been there before; you’re on a dead-end street. Best to get off now and learn to live in the realm of grace than to pass out from exhaustion on the side of the road… becoming yet another casualty of religion.
    2. Your “something more” will come through new revelation/deeper knowledge. I gladly stand in and espouse New Covenant grace. Yet I’m seeing a disturbing trend among grace-folks these days: an inordinate focus on obtaining “new revelation” and deeper knowledge…. on grace! Much of this is being brought on by the many pop-up grace teachers who claim that their “new and better teaching on grace” is what believers need to “go to the next level” with God. Unfortunately, the religious arrogance that emanates from those who travel this road for too long is no different than the religious arrogance typical of many evangelical fundamentalists; both erroneously think that adding “knowledge upon knowledge” will somehow elevate them to a greater spiritual maturity and “God-experience.” Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. I mean, how much knowledge on grace does one really need to just get on with life and start living? How much more “deeper revelation” do we need to simply begin embracing God’s love for us, and extending this same love to others? Evidence of spiritual maturity isn’t based on the knowledge we possess, but the relationships we cultivate and keep which bear good fruit. If your “new and better revelation on grace” isn’t translating into fruitful relationships, then your knowledge is about as valuable as a used paperback at the local Goodwill.

    As believers, we’ve been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph 1:3), are complete in Him (Col 2:10), more than conquerors through Him (Rom 8:37), have been granted everything pertaining to life and godliness through Him (2 Pet 1:3), and are empowered by His love within (Rom: 5:5). Rather than frantically searching for the “something more,” we should be living right now in the “more than enough” that has been freely given to us in Christ. Indeed, the whole “God has something more for you” teaching is nothing more than a side-show distraction to walking in the fullness of Christ and living a life of love right now for the benefit of humanity.

    However, encouraging believers to live in this reality won’t keep people coming to (and paying for) our “anointed” conferences, or buying our “breakthrough” 10 part teaching series. By keeping God’s people in a perpetual state of need (there’s more out there for you!), the money continues to flow, the system continues to operate, and the pews (and preacher’s pockets) remain full. As the old adage goes, “The show must go on.”

  • Sermons Aren’t The Answer: We Are

    Sermons Aren’t The Answer: We Are

    I was recently drinking a cup of coffee at a nearby Starbucks when I saw a poster-card on the bulletin board with the following words… placed by a local Baptist church in our area:

    “Life can be hard, and its difficulties can touch people in different ways. Some people feel absolutely exhausted and unsettled. Others are forced to battle with depression, addiction, and chronic illness. Still others are left to contend with the relentless pressure of guilt. God has a word of hope for every person that is overwhelmed. Will we listen?”

    And then there was a list of sermon titles with the date of each church service.

    It’s unfortunate that this mindset permeates church-world Christianity. Are you overwhelmed? Exhausted? Unsettled? Depressed? Addicted? Sick? Feeling the sting of shame? Then come to our church to hear our pastor’s sermons on these topics! Get a “Word from God” so you can go back home and feel better. If you will just listen enough, believe enough and obey the Bible enough, you should be able to pull yourself up by your own boot-straps and get it together!

    I wonder if the following scripture ever made it into the pastor’s sermons:

    “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took me in, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to me.’” (Matthew 25:34-36)

    Or this one:

    “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” (1 John 3:16-18)

    My point is this: The hurting of this world don’t need or want to hear our pastor’s preaching on “the Bible” nearly as much as they need the Body of Christ to function as the Body of Christ. But this poses a problem, especially within our culture of comfort and convenience. It’s easy to invite people to church so folks can hear our pastor while we silently sit by and do nothing. But to actually lift up the needy by investing our time, abilities, emotional energy or money into people who are depressed, or addicted, or sick, or broke, or overwhelmed, or exhausted, or lonely, or damaged in some other way, to the point that it costs us and perhaps costs us significantly…. well, that ethic is foreign to many. Yet this is the ethic of Christ and the ethic of the Gospel. And since His Spirit resides in us, it’s an ethic that should characterize His Church.

    Could you imagine if the following words were on the above poster-card?:

    “Life can be hard, and its difficulties can touch people in different ways. Some people feel absolutely exhausted and unsettled. Others are forced to battle with depression, addiction, and chronic illness. Still others are left to contend with the relentless pressure of guilt. But our church is filled with people who want to give hope to every person that is overwhelmed. Please come on the following dates; We want to listen to your story, get to know you and do something to alleviate your pain. No strings attached… we want to help.”

    Now that, my friends, is the spirit of the gospel, and it’s what this world longs for.

  • A Sincere Churchgoer’s Struggle

    A Sincere Churchgoer’s Struggle

    Richard would be described by most as a sincere Christian, having come to faith in Christ twenty-five years ago. Being a faithful church attender ever since, his life largely revolves around church life; that is, activities and programs promoted by his church.

    The following is a typical week in Richard’s life:

    • On Sunday morning, Richard rises early to attend church. After the song service, his pastor delivers a six-point sermon on a particular topic; Richard listens intently and takes notes on the back of the church bulletin which is provided to each member for this express purpose.
    • On Sunday evening, Richard attends his church’s Sunday evening service where the associate pastor delivers a sermon on a particular topic. Although no bulletin is provided, Richard brings his own notebook so he can take notes and glean over them during his daily quiet time.
    • On Monday night, Richard attends his “small group” which consists of six other people; they share a meal and go over their notes from Sunday morning’s sermon (as instructed by the pastoral staff), discussing how they can apply it to their daily lives.
    • On Tuesday evening, Richard attends his church’s Bible Study in the fellowship hall. One of the pastors or elders leads it. During this particular week, the study is from the book of James; the goal being for members to gain insight on how to apply its teaching to their lives.
    • On Wednesday evening, Richard attends church to hear yet another sermon by his senior pastor. Bulletin for taking notes provided.
    • On Thursday evening (since it’s the 2nd Thursday of the month), Richard participates in a “ministry night” which is predetermined by the church leaders. One month it may be the providing and sorting of clothes for a thrift store located on the poor side of town; another month may be the serving of food at the local homeless shelter.
    • On Friday evening, Richard gets off work and goes home to prepare for the night. Rather than joining folks from work who enjoy dinner and drinks at a local restaurant, Richard always opts out and goes to church instead because it’s “game night.” Each week, the church bulletin lists the particular game that will be played the following Friday; sometimes a board game, and sometimes a more interactive activity. Plus, recent sermons have discussed how Christians should not participate in the “unfruitful deeds of darkness,” so not being around wine-drinkers is seen by Richard as the path of holiness.
    • On Saturday evening, Richard typically stays home to watch a few preachers/teachers on Christian TV who have been highly spoken of by the church staff and some in his small group. Or, he may read a portion of a book from the church’s approved book list. Richard won’t deviate from the list as he wants to spiritually “stay on the same page” with all the other members, as directed by the pastor.
    • It’s Sunday morning again, and Richard rises early to prepare for church. He attends Sunday School and then heads to the sanctuary for the morning service. During the brief intermission between worship and the sermon, he shakes hands with other members. People ask, “How are you?” and Richard replies, “I’m doing great!” But inside, Richard knows he’s not doing great. He carries a burden of guilt for failing to meet “biblical standards” which are the strong focus of his pastor’s teachings, frequently battles depression, has no real friends, feels aimless, is inwardly discontent and is deep in debt (although he tithes regularly). But he keeps it all to himself; he doesn’t want to be judged for his “lack of faith” or for not praying enough or reading his Bible enough. After all, people who are truly “on fire for God” don’t have these problems. He just needs to “press into God” even more (as his pastor routinely suggests) and things will get better.

    Outside of church, Richard has a full-time job. He’s a good employee, has high morals and is known to follow the rules. Nonetheless, he’s seen by most as relationally aloof… spending his break-time in his cubicle where he eats his bagged lunch and studies his Bible. And conversation with Richard has always been a bit awkward. His insular life serves as an obstacle to meaningful dialogue about current events, sports, business and other things that folks like to chat about; he’s just not “in-the-know.” Finally, he periodically seems to “force Jesus” into conversations… the result of the guilt and stress he carries for not “sharing the gospel” with everyone he comes into contact with. After all, if he doesn’t, “their blood shall be on his hands” as his senior pastor recently suggested.

    Friends, although the above scenario is fictional, it’s not at all uncommon. I’m going to cut right to the chase… How does a life that is supposed to be lived from the heart… a life that should be characterized by love, inner desire, spontaneity, passion, generosity, creativity, and (most of all) relational connectedness, become an insular life lived from the head, within a neat little box arranged by others, and characterized by the ordinary and mundane? How does a life that is supposed to be lived from the heart… a life animated by Christ Himself…. become a head-strong life animated by sermons, Bible studies, and the expectations of others within church culture?

    Welcome to organized religion.

    So many Christians are divorced from their heart and don’t even know it. Unable to think for themselves, they’re always looking to their pastor-idols for direction, and worship their Bibles by living off principles and instructions written in ink… rather than responding to the Holy Spirit written on their hearts. It’s why I maintain that very little that goes on with those plugged into church-world and mass media Christianity is authentic, organic, original. Rather than being animated by their own hearts, they routinely live off the revelation of others and are master copy-cats.

    As for Richard, he’s bought into the narrative that it’s “the world” that will distort his life, cause him to stumble, and serve as an obstacle to his growth. It certainly can. But what if Richard’s biggest obstacle to living a life characterized by inner desire, passion, generosity, creativity and spontaneous acts of love is his preoccupation with following his pastor’s six-point sermon? What if his biggest hindrance to social and emotional growth is his insular life lived within the four walls of his church? And what if his biggest stumbling block to relational connection with others and being in tune with his surroundings (so he can manifest light and love) is a head always down and buried in Bible?

    Will Richard ever break free from the religious system that has usurped the preeminence and simplicity of Christ in his life? Will he be able to forsake church-world methodologies and ideologies which promise him fullness and freedom while continuing to experientially keep him in bondage? And will he ever discover his true identity in Christ and as a man, and freely live, laugh and love in the arena of real life?

  • Is the Bible your Idol?

    Is the Bible your Idol?

    “Our worship of the letter of the Gospel has denied its power. Men are more concerned about who has the right doctrinal interpretation of scripture than they are concerned with whether or not the reality of the Gospel is being demonstrated in their daily lives.” -William Law

    Have you ever heard someone say that Christians should be “people of the Book?” I have. Honestly, that statement makes me cringe. Let me explain why.

    Through our faith in Christ, the very life and love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. We’ve been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. We’re united with Him in spirit. We’ve been made righteous through His grace. By His divine power we’ve been given everything we need to live a God-honoring life of love and good works, thus impacting our world for good. All of this is ours because Jesus, through His finished work, ushered in a New Covenant…. a covenant whereby believers can share in the very life of God through the Holy Spirit within.

    This New Covenant has FOREVER CHANGED the way that man can relate to, receive from and live before God. Rather than relating to God and living before Him through an Old Covenant “performance-reward” paradigm which drives us to follow law, code, routine, principles and precepts in order to “be blessed by God,” we can now live from a place of 100% acceptance and favor in Christ as His Spirit influences our spirit from within, producing a “faith obedience” for the fulfillment of His plans and purposes in our lives.

    It’s an unfortunate truth that many people have been stunted in their spiritual growth by embracing “the Bible” as the center of their faith rather than Jesus Himself; living by principles and instructions written in ink rather than responding to the Holy Spirit written on their hearts… the very life of Christ to lead them and guide them into His plans and purposes for them.

    I recently came across a John Hagee broadcast on TV. Hagee, in front of thousands of people at His church, lifted up the Bible and loudly proclaimed over and over, “The Bible Is The Owners Manual To Life!” If Jesus were in attendance and approached Hagee after the service, I think Hagee would be surprised when Jesus disagreed. Jesus IS the life, and He is not an owner’s manual.

    So, yes, when I hear people, or worse yet, Bible teachers say that we are called to be “people of the Book, I cringe. Such a statement gives the appearance of deep spirituality, but when analyzing it from a New Covenant perspective, it’s not very spiritual at all. It also reveals a painful truth about our brand of Christianity in America: For many, the preeminence of the person of Jesus Christ has been usurped by “the Bible” as their source for “Life.” The result? People order their lives around following the New Testament, trying to do all the things that are written in it. Worse yet, some even try to order their lives around following the Old Testament! We fill our mind with “Bible.” We read about grace, talk about love, and try to dutifully mimic the life of Jesus and His commands. We gain knowledge and do our best to obey what we read through our pre-determined self-effort, yet all the while we woefully lack experiential reality…. that is, the manifestation of His life in us, and through us, to humanity.

    It’s entirely possible to be a walking, talking Bible encyclopedia, doing all the things the Bible says…  yet still be relationally disengaged from God and others, and be numb to the Holy Spirit…… exuding knowledge and possessing impressive theology, but having no Christ-life to back it up. Few things stink more to the world than a walking, talking Bible man who has “all the answers” but cannot adequately exhibit the love and compassion of Christ to his neighbor.

    A friend of mine once said that modern day Christianity has become the “transfer of knowledge” rather than transformation by the Spirit. He nailed it.

    Thus far, you may think that I am “anti-Bible.” I am not. I have a Bible right here sitting next to me! The Logos (written Word of God) is a valuable tool that God uses to encourage us in our faith. We can learn much about God’s character. We can read stories that attest to the majesty of God. We can read about the life of Jesus and embrace various promises written for us. We can receive correction and instruction through it. Our doctrine can be tested through it. The Holy Spirit can speak to us through it. But the Bible was never meant to be the center of the Christian faith, or the source of our life. That honor belongs to Jesus, and Jesus alone.

    Yet in today’s day and age, to even suggest to a faith community that the Bible isn’t supposed to be the focal-point of our relationship with God will, with rare exception, be looked upon with contempt. How dare someone even suggest such a thing! That type of reaction proves my point. Many have indeed come to worship the Bible, thinking (whether consciously or not) that it’s “the Book” that empowers their life…. failing to recognize that Jesus, the living Word, was made flesh, dwelt among us, and now dwells in the heart of those who have received Him. It’s His Spirit within us that empowers our life, and it’s that same Spirit which makes the Scripture come alive in our hearts. Truly, apart from the Holy Spirit, we wouldn’t even be able to understand the Bible beyond what our natural mind could comprehend.

    If I told you that the early Church had no Bible like we do today, would you believe me? It’s true. There were none. There were scrolls in the synagogue that certain qualified people would read from, but they  weren’t even reading to reveal Christ…Jews for Jesus were being thrown out of the synagogue. It was possible for a Jew to own his own scrolls, but historians and scholars overwhelmingly agree that it would be very rare for a common Jew to pay a scribe to hand-write scrolls that he would carry around with him. Furthermore, most scholars agree that the literacy rate in Jesus’ day was somewhere around 10%, so the majority of believers wouldn’t even be able to read a Bible if one was available. Question: Did they experience daily life in the power of Christ? Were they obedient to God? Did they grow spiritually and walk by faith? Of course they did. But how? What did it look like? They were “hearing from God” through the Holy Spirit, and doing what He told them to do. They were sensitive to the promptings, the impressions, the “still small voice” of His Spirit, and responding in faith.

    This all leads to an intriguing question. Can a Christian today still experience the Life of God, 24/7 on a daily basis, walk by faith and grow spiritually apart from daily Bible reading? Absolutely. From the beginning, the essence of Christianity was not mere “scripture obedience,” but a people infused with the very life and love of God who were manifesting His life to humanity. The fruit of our living in Christ should in every way be in accord with the will of God as revealed in Scripture, especially as it pertains to Jesus’ command to love one another. The problem lies in us trying to produce this fruit through Bible-obedience. The life of Christ cannot be produced through human effort. The end result will always be arid religion. The life of Christ is a FREE GIFT given to those who would receive Him by faith, and it manifests as we learn to walk in the Spirit…. to yield to our new life source within. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. Nothing has changed. Welcome, my friends, to normal Christianity:

    “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

    Yet there is such an overemphasis on reading and studying the Bible in our culture that many people aren’t even open to the reality that there is the person of the Holy Spirit who has been given to us to be our helper, our guide, our counselor, and our strength….. at any time, at any place, and in any given situation. The Holy Spirit can influence and direct the human heart, with or without Bible in hand.

    Now, there’s some who think the Holy Spirit is not for today. “Oh, He spoke to and directed believers back in the early church, but that’s not for today…that was just for the times of the Apostles. All that stuff, and the gifts of the Spirit have passed away. For today, God has given us “the Bible” and this is the “full counsel of God” and that’s all we need and all we’re supposed to have to live the life God has called us to live.” Utter and complete nonsense. And what a cop-out to walking by faith. The temple of the Old Covenant has been replaced by the indwelling of the New Covenant. Do we not know that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit and gifts of the Spirit are for today just like they were back then. If you’ve embraced the error of cessationism…. the teaching that the Bible is “the full counsel of God” and therefore all we need, and that living in the power of the Spirit is not for today, I can assure you, it came from man, not from God, and I couldn’t care less what your pastor says. You’re being spiritually ripped off and side-tracked from experiencing your full inheritance in Christ.

    There’s precedent for what I’ve been sharing with you. The stark difference between “scripture-centered living” and Christ-centered, Spirit-led living is addressed no clearer than by Jesus Himself.

    The Pharisees were the most scripturally literate people of His day. They were the “Bible experts,” so to speak. After being persecuted by them for healing a person on the Sabbath and claiming that God was His Father, Jesus exposes their dead, lifeless religion by proclaiming the following. What He says has implications for today and is the “Atomic Bomb” on modern-day cessationist theology:

    “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. YOU STUDY THE SCRIPTURES DILIGENTLY BECAUSE YOU THINK THAT IN THEM YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. THESE ARE THE VERY SCRIPTURES THAT TESTIFY ABOUT ME, YET YOU REFUSE TO COME TO ME TO HAVE LIFE. I do not accept glory from human beings, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.” (John 5:36-42, emphasis mine)

    Wow. To those who were the most zealous about living by the Book, Jesus declared they were 1) spiritually deaf to God’s voice, 2) void of God’s love in their hearts, and 3) destitute of the “true life” they claimed they had.

    Friends, knowing and obeying scripture is not the same as possessing life. A.W. Tozer explains:

    “The error of textualism is not doctrinal. It is far more subtle than that and much more difficult to discover, but its effects are just as deadly. Not its theological beliefs are at fault, but its assumptions. It assumes, for instance, that if we have the word for a thing we have the thing itself. If it is in the Bible, it is is us. If we have the doctrine, we have the experience. If something was true of Paul it is of necessity true of us because we accept Paul’s epistles as divinely inspired.”

    To close, I want to leave you with a few more quotes. They strike right at the center of what we’ve been exploring here:

    “This basic error is much encouraged by the pitiful reasoning of great Bible scholars and preachers who affirm that God no longer communicates with men except through the words of Scripture: and who, on the grounds of the completed canon, deny the reality of the Holy Spirit’s inspiration and communion presently active in the soul and spirit of man…. without the present inspiration of the Spirit, a man’s knowledge of the letter of scripture can be no more than ideas in his head.” -William Law

    “For a generation certain evangelical teachers have told us that the gifts of the Spirit ceased at the death of the Apostles or at completion of the New Testament. This, of course, is a doctrine without a syllable of biblical authority back of it. Its advocates must accept full responsibility for thus manipulating the Word of God.”  -A.W. Tozer

    “For what is Christianity but Christ living His resurrected life through the members of His body which is the Church.” -William Law

  • Divorce: The Contemporary “Job” Experience

    Divorce: The Contemporary “Job” Experience

    One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, a messenger came to Job and said, ‘The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!’ While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, ‘The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!’ While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, ‘The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!’ While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, ‘Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you’ (Job 1:13-19)

    The man that many refer to as the one who suffered more than any other. Through a series of catastrophic events, Job lost his wealth, his livelihood, his children and then his health, which rendered him completely unable to provide for himself or anyone else. Although it’s abundantly clear that job suffered much, there’s a contemporary “Job” experience I want to talk about. The suffering can be just as painful and intense as Job’s.

    I’m talking about the pain and suffering that comes through separation/divorce.

    Those who have never experienced it should be thankful that they have avoided one of the most painful experiences known to man. For those who have experienced it, their stories are real; some worse than others but all with their share of pain.

    Many theologians believe that Job’s suffering experience lasted about seven months. But divorce is an experience where the consequences and suffering are typically felt many years beyond the actual separation-divorce moment. And although some might have been fortunate enough to have had a friend or two walk with them  through the experience, it’s typically a very lonely, private suffering where encouragement and support is hard to find.

    Families divided. Financial resources completely exhausted. Possessions lost. Children uprooted and separated from parents and in some cases intentionally alienated from a parent. Emotional and mental distress. Physical ailments associated with the emotional pain. The effect on someone’s ability to produce. I can go on, but you get the picture. It’s the contemporary “Job” experience.

    There’s someone I know who has suffered much through his separation/divorce. In the very beginning and at one of the lowest points of his experience, those closest to him began to hurl their judgments at him…:

    “Then Job replied (to his friends): ‘I have heard many things like these; miserable comforters are you all! Will your long-winded speeches never end? What ails you that you keep on arguing? I also could speak like you, if you were in my place; I could make fine speeches against you and shake my head at you…’” (Job 16:1-4)

    There was also the pain and humiliation he experienced when learning of 3rd party relational involvement. His home was foreclosed on. The bill collectors were calling. His children were suffering. Then one day he had a nervous breakdown at work, and by doctor’s orders had to take a leave of absence, coming very close to being hospitalized:

    “If only my anguish could be weighed and all my misery be placed on the scales! It would surely outweigh the sand of the seas…” (Job 6:1-2)

    Not long ago he visited a close relative who happened to ask him how he was doing with recent events. After testifying  how God’s grace had brought him through thus far, he was met with a sharp reply that went something like this: “Well, so much for your God! You were better off before you got involved in that whole ‘Jesus’ thing…..”

    “Then Job’s wife said to him, ‘Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9)

    There is another person’s story I want to share. For sake of privacy and out of respect for his kids, I won’t use his real name. Jack’s experience was incredibly painful. We first met while working together at a local company. He and his wife had young children and when they planned a birthday party, my wife and I were there with our kids to celebrate with them.

    I recall when Jack first began to chat with me about marital problems, and those problems quickly grew worse. Jack had a huge heart and desperately wanted things to work out, and was taking steps in the right direction. I remember giving him several books, offering counsel to him and suggesting the counsel of others. But it takes two willing parties for a marriage to continue.  Infidelity didn’t help with the situation, either. They divorced, and his ex moved into her boyfriend’s 500k mansion about 400 miles away with their kids.

    Jack’s life began to spiral downhill. He lost his job. Then he was in a different industry for several years, but a weakened economy forced him out of that. He suffered from depression. Then he had some other jobs but they never lasted; I believe the depression had such a foothold that holding down a job wasn’t possible. We would get together periodically over lunch, and I could tell he wasn’t doing well. Support from friends was minimal, and help through faith in God wasn’t taken seriously. The one thing that was bringing him the most pain was his situation with child visitation. He had not seen his children for eight months.

    His home was ultimately foreclosed on, and then I hadn’t heard from him for quite some time. I tried calling about a half dozen times, but he wouldn’t pick up the phone.

    Then one day I bumped into Tom, a gentleman who owned a restaurant that Jack frequented. I asked, “Have you heard from Jack at all?

    “”Jack died,” replied Tom.

    I was in utter shock. Tom went on to explain that after the foreclosure, Jack moved into an apartment and he began to “party very hard.” One day, a neighbor saw his door open and looked inside, and there was Jack, lying on the floor, dead.

    The coroner’s report said my friend died of cardiac arrest. But that’s not why Jack died. My friend, at forty-two years old, died of a broken heart.

    There are many people in my sphere who have tasted the pain of divorce, and I myself have experienced it. I remember becoming frustrated, wondering why God was allowing the pain to continue. I decided to contact a friend by email to vent. The main theme of my rant was, “Will the pain from it ever end?” The reply I got wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. But it was what I needed to hear, and I think it may prove helpful to others that are experiencing pain from divorce. Part of the reply is below:

    “I understand the divorce dynamics. My wife’s ex-husband sued us three times for custody, slandered us, slandered me, alienated the children from us. Our eldest boy left home when he was 12 and did not talk to us for 20 years. Our daughter left when she was 16 and did not talk to us for a somewhat shorter time. You have to take it. You have to believe. The good news, that for us, after 20 years of rejection and pain, our family was gloriously restored, and our daughter  never spoke to her natural father again and called me her Dad for the rest of her life. Pain today . . . Redemption tomorrow, if we don’t lose faith. It’s a glorious story, but I can tell you what, when your wife curls up in a ball and makes in-human noises like an animal as her children are taken away from her . . . Well, let me tell you . . . That’ ain’t easy. Thinking your son is going to show up some day with a gun and kill you is not fun. Not having a word, not seeing a grandchild for 20 years is not fun. Jesus was slandered and rejected by those in his family. Jesus did not receive “justice” . . Neither will we.   We will receive redemption and resurrection. Being able to endure injustice and to enter into faith for resurrection/redemption, is the essence of Christianity. It is part of being conformed to his image.”

    What a great word. The response I received brought to my remembrance something that the Apostle Paul stated:

    “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead..” (Philippians 3:10-11)

    If you’re a Christian, I’m sure that you, like me, have heard various teachings on knowing Christ in the power of His resurrection….oh yeah….bring it on!!! But wanting to know Him by sharing in the fellowship of His sufferings….well….I haven’t heard that preached enthusiastically of late, or ever…. We want one (the power of His resurrection part) apart from the other (the sharing in His sufferings part). But we cannot truly know Him without experiencing both. In order to be conformed to His image, we cannot…we will not escape suffering. Jesus Christ suffered, leaving us an example, that we should follow in His steps. (1st Peter 2:21). Suffering by experiencing and feeling the very same things Jesus did is a part of knowing His heart.

    Let me close with some final thoughts. Because we live in a fallen world, all kinds of sufferings come. How we respond to them will determine the end of the story. Will we trust God to mold us and change our heart through our suffering experiences, for His glory? Will we endure, and believe that although we are experiencing the pain, that God is our helper who is for us and not against us? As my friend stated above, although there may be pain today, there’s redemption tomorrow, if we don’t lose faith.

    And that was the outcome with Job. In the end, He was gloriously restored, receiving twice as much as he had before, being blessed in the latter part of his life more than the first. And he even was blessed with additional children.

    Job kept his faith in the midst of his sufferings, enduring the hardship. And ultimately, he received redemption/resurrection.

    So can we.

    So, my friends, I say to you what my friend said to me: Endure hardship, and believe.

  • Tithing vs Spirit-led Giving

    Tithing vs Spirit-led Giving

    This will be the final part to my current series on tithe doctrine. I want to share some personal experience in regards to the subject and end with some final thoughts. I hope you find it helpful for your own walk of faith.

    There was a day that I was a scrupulous tither in every regard. In fact, in my thirty-one years as a believer, I spent the first twelve completely “sold” on tithing as a New Covenant mandate for believers, based on embracing what was preached from the pulpit.

    I was more than a scrupulous tither. I was about as legalistic about it as one could be. After all, it was “God’s money” and I wasn’t about to “rob Him.” I was going to ensure my financial blessing by meeting the requirement. If my weekly paycheck was for $1,115.25, then I would write my tithe check for $111.53 (10% of gross, of course). I was the one shouting “Amen” to the preacher’s message about the need to tithe so as to not be a God robber and to be blessed financially. I was the one questioning why others weren’t giving what God required; after all, if I was doing it, certainly they should, too. I was the one who was blind and indifferent to the plight of the poor, while I continued my quest to “please God” through my tithe obedience. And as much as it shames me to admit it, there were a few times over those years that I actually borrowed money off my credit card to “be obedient to what God commanded.” Yep….went into debt so “the devourer would be rebuked for my sake.”  

    But this wasn’t enough; I also needed to give offerings. I was told that offerings could be given to the church or other ministries outside the church, but the tithe “belonged in the storehouse” which was, of course, my local church. After giving 10% of gross, I barely had anything left to give as an offering. In fact, most of the time, I had nothing left to give. Nonetheless, I would periodically scrape up $20 or so to scatter some offerings elsewhere, fulfilling my Christian duty….

    But as time went by, God started to deal with me. It all started when He laid it on my heart to give about $350 to the International Fellowship of Christians & Jews, the money to be used to rescue an elderly person out of Russia and fly them back to their homeland. I followed my heart and sent my highly cherished tithe money to this ministry. I had some serious difficulty doing it, but I couldn’t ignore what was being spoken to my heart. Then there was another time when I was having lunch with a Christian brother who just had knee surgery, was out of work, had no insurance, had no car, and was broke. REALLY broke. As I was driving him back to his house, I was prompted in my spirit to give him $100. Immediately, there was resistance. I would have to give again from what I set aside for my tithe. I then thought, “Well, I can pay my tithe and still scrape up $20 for my friend,” at which point I became disgusted with my mindset. I knew what God was telling me to do. I turned around, took the $$$ out of the ATM and gave it to my friend. Praise God for His heart towards the poor.

    My friends, the reason I’m so passionate about this particular subject is because I’ve experienced first-hand both performance based, self-centered, legalistic giving, and also grace-based, Spirit-led giving, and I can tell you, unequivocally, I will never go back to those early days again. Oh….how I wish I could have all that money back that I blindly put in the offering plate at church all those years. It would be nice to have a second chance to scatter those seeds from a sensitive heart.. But I was deaf to God’s voice concerning the matter as I embraced the voice from the pulpit.

    After everything I’ve written thus far on the subject, I think “Spirit-led giving” can be summed up in this: Hear from God, and do what He says…….. If He says to give a financial gift to your brother in Christ, then do what He says. If He says to give to a financially struggling unbeliever as a testimony of His love, then do what He says. If He says to take care of next week’s rent for the single Mom who lives across the street, then do what He says. If He says to gather all your extra money over the next two months to give to a missionary, then do what He says. If He says to give 5%, 10% or 15% to your church, then do what He says. And if He says to give nothing for a season and to direct your money to paying your debts…then do what He says. The amount we give is not the issue. Hearing from God and doing what He says is the issue. God’s not keeping score and neither should we.

    I know a man who was making 100k yearly and attending church regularly. By his own admission, he wasn’t giving anywhere near 10% to his local church. In this scenario, the typical reaction from church leadership would be quite negative.  By most church standards,  a minimum of 10k yearly should be given to the church when making that amount of income. Yet this is the same man who recently adopted a child and spent 40k to do it…….

    “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after widows and orphans in their distress…. “(James 1:27)

    Who could point the judgmental finger in such a scenario? Only the contemporary Pharisee. But even in the above scenario, we have to be careful, because again, the issue is not how much one gives, but the issue is hearing from God, and doing what He says. To one man God may say to give more; to another man God may say to give less. So be it. God doesn’t operate by rote; he deals with each one uniquely. Which is one reason why typical tithe doctrine is so shameful. We narrow our giving down to a rote formula for everyone to follow, and in so doing snuff out the life and creativity of the Spirit in this area of our lives. If believers worldwide were to break free of a “system of giving” and truly discovered their freedom in Christ to give as the Spirit leads, could you imagine the impact on the poor and needy? Could you imagine the incredible testimony for Christ that could come through  Spirit-led giving?

    On the flip-side, there would also be an impact on the institutional church. It’s my personal opinion that if believers discovered that they were not required to tithe to their local church, but had the freedom to scatter their seed to other ministries and people, 80% of the church as we know it would come crashing down. This raises a most serious question: “What foundation are our churches built upon? Jesus Christ, or money?” While many a pastor would proclaim, “If you aren’t tithing, you’re not trusting God….,” it would be far more accurate to say that those who insist on putting people under an obligatory financial yoke as a safety net for themselves, rather than allowing God’s people the freedom to give as the Spirit leads, are actually the ones having the most difficulty trusting God.

    “Ministry” should not cost nearly as much as we’ve made it to cost through our own methods of “building more buildings” or “having more events.” Lets get back to a more relational focus. It takes little or no money for me to share the gospel with my neighbor. And when we do give of our resources, may we truly be good stewards, distributing to the needs of others, supporting the poor, and scattering our seed upon ground that will yield a fruitful harvest for Christ.

  • Tithing and the Quenching of the Holy Spirit

    Tithing and the Quenching of the Holy Spirit

    Tim and Mary lived in a middle class suburb just outside of  Charlotte, NC. They were committed Christians, desiring to follow Christ in all they did, and wanting others to know Him. They were both involved in serving in their local church (Tim as a Sunday School teacher and Mary in Children’s Church), and with three kids of their own along with their careers in the insurance industry, life was busy.

    Over time, Mary had befriended a co-worker at her office; a young single mother named Tara. Tara wasn’t a Christian but was open to spiritual truth. She enjoyed her talks with Mary on a range of subjects, including the Christian faith. Both ladies started spending more time together during lunch and break-times. But over time, Tara started to pull away and was showing visible signs of intense stress on the job.

    Out of sincere concern, Mary approached her one day to ask if everything was OK. At this point, Tara became teary-eyed and opened up. She was struggling financially in a most terrible way. Just one of the many pains of divorce. And recent medical bills, along with her ex-husband’s recent inconsistencies with child support payments, had put Tara at the end of her financial rope. Rent was past due, and if she didn’t come up with $800 by the end of the week, she would be evicted. If that happened, she didn’t know what she and her young son would do.

    Mary drove home that evening with a heavy heart, wanting to help Tara in a tangible way. Upon arriving, she spoke to Tim about the situation, asking if they had enough money to help Tara. “As much as I’d like too, we just don’t have it,” replied Tim. “Even with our tight budget and our modest lifestyle, we can only squeeze out $50, but how much is that going to help?”

    “But what about the money we set aside this month for our tithe?” replied Mary. It was  the end of the month, and Tim & Mary had $750 already set aside to give to their church that Sunday; $700 for the tithe, and a $50 offering.

    Tim was moved by the situation with Tara and wanted to help. But according to the teaching that he grew up with and embraced (and Mary to a lesser extent), the tithe “belonged to the Lord.” It was supposed to be brought into “the storehouse” (the local church) to support “the ministry.” Only offerings above the tithe could be given as freewill offerings elsewhere. As a Christian, to not give in such a way was to “disobey God” according to Malachi 3, and much worse, was considered robbery of God. It also gave the enemy entrance into one’s finances to wreak havoc.

    Mary thought she might have been hearing from God concerning Tara, but after further discussion with Tim, they both agreed that it just wasn’t possible to help Tara….at least not at that moment. That Sunday morning, they dropped their $700 tithe check into the offering plate.

    When Mary arrived to work Monday morning, she was surprised to see Tara’s office unoccupied and empty. When she inquired as to where Tara was, she was shocked by the response. Apparently, it was no joke that Tara needed immediate help to pay her rent. She was evicted from her apartment that Friday, and called in to work early Monday morning to explain to her boss that she wouldn’t be back, and that she and her son were moving in with relatives 2 hours away.  Furthermore, she still had to figure out how to move all her stuff and pay for it.

    Mary walked to her office feeling horrible. Not only for Tara, but for Tara’s son, who would now have to start over in a new school. And what about Tara’s personal belongings? How would she afford moving expenses for the stuff left behind? On the inside, Mary hurt. She wanted to help, and she and her husband had $750, but $700 of it had to go to the church. Or did it?

    At that point, the only option was to appease her own conscience by just accepting what the preacher taught about the tithe. After all, the situation with Tara was over….

    My friends, although the above story is fictional, it’s not too far a stretch of the imagination.  Mary had a budding relationship with someone who wasn’t a Christian but was nonetheless open to spiritual truth and the Christian faith. Lets just for a moment pretend that Tim, Mary and Tara did exist. Could you imagine the impact Mary and Tim could have had on this single mother by providing her a love offering for her rent, in Jesus’ name? Could you see the powerful testimony that could have been given through tangible, spirit-led giving? But instead, a budding relationship with promise was cut short, and a financial blessing was eliminated, all in the name of performance based Christian religion.

    You may think I’m being a bit harsh, but I truly believe that the tithe, as it is typically taught in most church circles, is the greatest example of  “theology gone wrong” and the epitome of spiritual abuse in those environments where pastors and teachers have personally been exposed to a New Covenant interpretive perspective on the tithe, but continue to teach otherwise. Jesus was not silent on the issue. Here He is, speaking to the religious leaders of His day:

    And he said to them: “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.” (Mark 7:9-13)

    Wow. There it is right here. Jesus rebuking the religious teachers of His day for teaching false doctrine in regards to giving. These Scribes and Pharisees were not allowing people the freedom to live from a heart motivated by compassion and love in their giving, but instead were putting the people under religious requirement, saying the gifts were to be “devoted to God” instead. The result was that the needy among the people were routinely neglected.

    Nothing much has changed in 2000 years. Statistics show that 85% of funds received by church are directed toward internal operations of the organization; 50% of it going to staff salaries. Mission outreach & evangelism accounts for about 3% of the average church budget. The rest of the money remaining can be used for other practical purposes.  (John & Sylvia Ronsville, “The State of Church Giving Through 2000,” Champaign, Ill.: Empty Tomb, 2002, 1:  also, Lifeway Research, Average Church Budget Spending, n.d.”)

    The New Covenant paints a different picture as to how Christian giving should look, and 2nd Corinthians 9: 6-14 is a hallmark chapter on the subject. Lets get a breath of fresh air and start there, spending some time talking about spirit-led giving:

    “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: ‘He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.’ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.  And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.”

    In this portion of scripture, Paul is praising those in Achaia for the generous gift they were preparing for the believers in Macedonia, who had obvious tangible needs that needed to be met. A few things to take note of:

    A. They were instructed not to give out of compulsion, but according to what each one decided to give, based on searching his/her own heart regarding the matter.

    B. their giving was directed at supplying the needs of the saints in Macedonia, not an organization.

    C. “Joy” would be their experience since their giving was not compulsory, but a freewill offering from the heart.

    D. God would receive much glory

    Now compare this to the typical mode of giving (tithing) that is routinely taught by the institutional church.

    1. It is clearly compulsory. It is taught from the pulpit as such, typically through Old Covenant doctrine, or through a few “proof texts” from the New Covenant that are incorrectly taught or taken out of context.

    2. As mentioned before, on average,  85% of the funds a church receives goes toward the internal operations of the organization, not to people (inside or outside the church) who have tangible needs.

    3.. Joy is unmistakably lacking in environments that adhere to a strict tithe to support “the church.” I attribute this to exactly what the Apostle Paul touches on in 2 Corinthians 9:1-5; that such giving really takes no preparation, forethought or heart-sensitivity on the part of the giver. In other words, it takes no relationship with God to do it, it takes no sensitivity to the Holy Spirit to do it, and it takes no relationship with your neighbor or sensitivity to their need to do it. Just have your checkbook ready, and write out the check before the offering plate gets to you. Instead of our giving being relationally oriented, we’ve opted for a rigid, mechanical, obligatory system of giving which quenches any direction and creativity that the Holy Spirit might want to bring to this area of our lives. What a shame. And we wonder why joy is lacking in our giving!

    Who should primarily be benefiting from our giving? As basic and elementary as the question may sound, I believe many have lost sight of this. According to 2nd Corinthians 9:8-9, we are called to abound in every good work. And the good work we are called to abound in is, primarily, supporting the poor:

    “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: ‘HE HAS SCATTERED ABROAD HIS GIFTS TO THE POOR; his righteousness endures forever.’ (emphasis mine)

    Now before some of you may be thinking that I’m using “proof text theology” to make this claim, lets look at the New Testament a bit closer. When it comes to giving, a noticeable theme rings out:

    So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:2-4)

    Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’” (Matthew 19:21)

    For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor. (Matthew 26:9)

    Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham.” (Luke 19:7-9)

    Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the Lord’s people there. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord’s people in Jerusalem. (Romans 15:25-26)

    They only asked us to remember the poor, the very thing which I was eager to do. (Galatians 2:10)

    Perhaps the one portion of scripture from the New Testament that defines what our attitude should be toward the poor is found in James chapter 2:

    My brethren, do not hold your faith in our Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “sit down by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? Listen,  my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. (James 2:-6)

    My friends, when I read the New Testament, I see a recurring theme as it relates to our giving: be generous to the poor. Even in the Old Testament, this theme rings loud and clear, and you may be surprised to learn that EVEN THE MAJORITY OF THE OLD COVENANT REQUIRED TITHES REVOLVED AROUND SUPPORTING THE POOR!

    The Lord’s tithe (Numbers 18:20-32) supported the Levites for their service in the Tent of Meeting, and 10% of this tithe was given to the priest by the Levites. The Festival Tithe (Deuteronomy 12 :17-19, Deuteronomy 14:22-27) was for the purpose of the Israelites enjoying a great feast. The Poor Tithe (Deuteronomy 14:28-29) was meant to support the poorest of the poor (the fatherless, the alien, the widow, and the levites since they had no inheritance to call their own).

    The Israelite people did not live in a western, capitalist society with our industrial opportunities or various socio-economic statuses. The people were generally poor, living in an agricultural society; life was NOTHING like it is for us in our culture. I find it interesting that even the Old Covenant tithing system primarily revolved around supporting not only the common people who were generally poor (through the Festival Tithe), but also the poorest among the poor, being the fatherless, the widows, the aliens, and the Levites who had no inheritance to call their own (through the Poor Tithe).

    Yet in our culture, our giving usually has “Me, Myself and I” at the center, not the poor. It’s all about meeting the expected tithe amount so we can be blessed. Certainly there is a universal law of sowing and reaping, but “what we can get” shouldn’t be at the center of our giving. Communion with God and others should be at the center of our giving.  Only then can we be sensitive to how the Spirit might lead, sensitive to the tangible needs of those within the community of faith, and sensitive to the tangible and spiritual needs of those outside the faith.

    I do believe that typical “tithe doctrine” needs reform in a very big way. If a church cannot survive financially without putting people under the obligatory system of the tithe, perhaps it is the church that needs restructuring. Maybe that particular local church is not necessary. Tough questions when people’s paychecks hang in the balance, but questions nonetheless that we should ask. I will share a brief personal testimony on the subject of tithing vs spirit-led giving in the next post.

  • Tithe Doctrine: Challenging What’s Preached From The Pulpit

    Tithe Doctrine: Challenging What’s Preached From The Pulpit

    It was a typical Sunday morning like any other. My wife and I got all the kids ready, we hopped into the mini-van, and off to church we went. Not having attended the church for long, we didn’t realize that this particular Sunday was “Family Sunday,” so the kids would be in the main sanctuary with their parents. I remember the worship that morning to be wonderful; God honoring, Christ-centered praise and worship. We sang about His power, His blood, His mercy, His grace, among other things, and when the music and singing had stopped, I can truly say that there was a beautiful awareness not only of His presence, but of God’s grace and favor bestowed on His children in Christ Jesus.

    Then came the message. With the sanctuary filled with adults and children alike, the pastor took it upon himself to teach everyone a lesson on tithing. In my 31 years as a believer, I have never heard a message laced with more poisonous, Old Covenant performance based bondage than that message. We were told how we were required to tithe, but only about 5% of the families in the church tithed, that we were “God robbers” if we didn’t, that we would never prosper if we didn’t, that in essence the “curse of the law” would be our experience if we didn’t “obey God” in the matter.  I can recall a few families on the front pew saying an occasional “Amen” to the message; they were the “really good Christians” compared to all the other Christians who didn’t tithe and weren’t as spiritual as they. Performance based religion will always promote a spirit of superiority and elitism.

    After the sermon, I was stunned. How could we have moved from such beautiful, God honoring, Christ centered, grace based worship just moments before, into one of the most legalistic, oppressive, repressive, authoritarian performance based religious messages that an ear can hear? And we wonder why Christians are confused, and the world shakes their head like we’re crazy. We talk out of both sides of our mouth. The worship and the message that morning not only didn’t compliment one another, but were at opposite sides of the spiritual spectrum.

    After taking 20 minutes to de-program my kids, I emailed the pastor to challenge him on his message. But in reality, it’s not “his message” but is THEE message that is coming from most pulpits today in regards to a mandatory New Covenant tithe. I couldn’t disagree with the message more strongly:

    “The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, ‘the man who does these things will live by them.’ Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, ‘cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’ He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” Galatians 3:12-14

    “For sin shall not be your master, for you are no longer under law, but under grace.” Romans 6:14

    “When you were dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was contrary to us and stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13-14

    One of the hallmarks of the Christian faith is the simple fact that because of the finished work of Jesus Christ, we are now able to have a relationship with God, no longer relating to Him on the level of law (Old Covenant order) but on the level of grace, through faith. The blessing and favor of God has forever been secured for believers through the finished work of Christ, not through our determined effort to keep the law. Any preaching to New Covenant, born again believers in Jesus Christ that tells them that they can fall under “the curse of the law” based on something they did, or didn’t do, is a gross mishandling of the scripture. Jesus either bore upon Himself the curse of the law in our place (that would include the Malachi curse associated with Old Covenant tithes), or He didn’t. Are we really willing to say that somehow the finished work of Christ was insufficient to do away with the entire curse of the law…….that somehow the “Malachi curse” was greater than the Blood and still applies to those who would not tithe? I hope you can see the pure nonsense of this notion.

    Yet this is routinely preached to God’s people; that if I tithe, I’ll be blessed….but if I don’t tithe, I won’t be blessed, and worse yet, cursed in my finances. I would also like to point out that in Malachi’s day, there were 3 required levitical tithes (the Lord’s tithe, the festival tithe, and the poor tithe) that accounted for about 30% of one’s resources. Where did the church ever come up with just 10%? It’s completely arbitrary, and those who confidently declare that “if you don’t give 10% to the church, you are robbing God…” are themselves thieves and robbers of God according to their own theology. If you want to keep the law, you are required to keep all of it (Galatians 3:10, James 2:10); you can’t arbitrarily pick and choose what you want to follow, and what you don’t want to follow. So for those who insist on a mandatory new covenant tithe using Malachi 3 as their back-drop, I would encourage them to start tithing 30% of their gross annual income immediately, along with keeping all the other levitical laws laid out in the Old Covenant. I’ll see you in a year to see how your “faith walk” is doing.

    But the question still remains, “Is some form of tithing required in the New Covenant age?” My answer to this is a resounding, “No.” Although the word “tithe” or “tenth” is listed over 100 times in the Old Testament, they are only listed a handful of times in the New Testament, and never in a way that supports tithing as a required practice for one to be blessed, or for one to avoid being cursed.

    Lets look at the scriptures that do mention this subject in the New Testament, within context:

    “Woe to you, teachers of the law and pharisees, you hypocrites. You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” Matthew 23:23

    This scripture is often used to support tithing in the church (Luke 11:42 is its counterpart), but it’s important to understand that Jesus is speaking to teachers of the law and pharisees; folks who are still under the Old Covenant. Since Jesus was not yet crucified and resurrected, the Old Covenant order was still in effect, and therefore those he was speaking to were rightfully required to keep all the law. As believers, we are not under the Old Covenant! The four gospels can be a bit hard to interpret from a New Covenant perspective because, in reality, the “New Covenant” really didn’t start with the book of Matthew…..it began after Calvary. This is the interpretive challenge of the gospels; figuring what applies to the believer, and what does not, based on context and the audience that Jesus is speaking to.

    The only other area in the New Testament that mentions tithing is in Hebrews 7. Instead of wading through this, I would like to refer to Matthew Narramore’s book, “Tithing, low realm, obsolete and defunct” as he does a great job with the exegesis of this passage to show that it in no way supports tithing in the New Covenant age. Narramore writes:

    Hebrews 7:8 has been taken out of context and misinterpreted. It is erroneously considered by some to be teaching that tithing is the customary way of giving in the New Covenant. This passage of scripture is part of a weighty and complex theological argument. The casual reader may not comprehend its meaning. It requires a careful study of the whole passage, verse by verse and word by word, to get a clear understanding of what is being said. Hebrews 7:8 in the King James Version reads: “And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.” This verse is absolutely not saying that the practice of tithing was being followed by the New Testament church at the time the book of Hebrews was written. It is also not talking about a practice of tithing that is supposed to be in effect permanently, throughout the church age. The phrase, “here men that die receive tithes” is not talking about Christian ministers in the church, now or then. It is talking about priests at the temple in Jerusalem. The “he” that is being referred to by the phrase, “but there he receiveth them” is Melchizedek, 4000 years ago, not Jesus. This verse is incorrectly interpreted by some to say in effect: And here (in the New Covenant), men that die (our pastors and other ministers) receive tithes (from born-again Christians); but there (up in heaven) he (Jesus) (is the one who actually) is receiving them, of whom it is witnessed that He liveth. This erroneous interpretation of the verse does not comprehend the theological argument that is being made in the passage. This misinterpretation is carelessly taken to be a scriptural proof that tithing is the will of God and the standard mode of operation in the New Covenant. Objectively interpreted within its context, the verse is actually saying: And here (in Israel at the time that Hebrews was written) men (who are priests under the Old Covenant) that (will eventually) die (and be succeeded by another mortal man after them) receive tithes (from those who are following the Law of Moses); but there (2000 years prior, during the time of Abraham in Genesis 14) he (Melchizedek) receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. Scholars and theologians debate whether this language referring to Melchizedek’s endless life is literal or symbolic. In either case the verse is not a reference to tithing in the New Covenant. “Here men that die receive tithes” is referring to Old Covenant priests, not to New Covenant ministers. “There he receiveth them” is referring to Melchizedek in Genesis 14:18–20, not to Jesus up in heaven now. Nowhere in the verse is the New Covenant being referred to. This passage is not teaching that tithing is the way of giving that God has ordained for the New Covenant.”

    Well said. I think it is also interesting to note the passage of scripture immediately following what was just mentioned above:

    “If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come—one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law. He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless, and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.” Hebrews 7:11-19

    Wow. If I read this correctly, Paul is basically saying that the law (which included the whole tithe system) was found to be weak and useless, and therefore there was a need for a better hope (Jesus) by which we draw near to God. This passage of scripture makes it even more clear that Hebrews 7 cannot be used to support the Old Covenant levitical law of tithing for the New Covenant church.

    One more item for now. On many occasions I have heard from the pulpit that tithing was an “eternal principle” established even before the law, and Genesis 14 (Abraham’s tithe to Melchizedek) was the scripture used to back up this claim. I decided awhile back to look at this myself. After all, a “principle” by definition is something that is established through repetition. Here are a few things to take note of: 1) After Abraham’s tithe to Melchizedek in Genesis 14, there is no biblical record that he ever tithed again. How does one glean an eternal principle from a one time gift? 2) Abraham’s tithe didn’t cost him anything. He tithed from the spoils of war, not from his own income.

    What I presented in this post is nowhere near a comprehensive look at the subject. It goes far deeper. For those interested in looking into it further, I would highly recommend Matthew Narramore’s book, “Tithing: low realm, obsolete & defunct.” I would also recommend a book by Stephen R Crosby entitled, “Wealth Transfer and Marketplace Ministry: tracing trends in money and ministry” as this is a great short treatment on commonly taught legalistic teachings on finances in the church. I look forward to getting into the subject of Christian giving in the next post.

  • Tithe Doctrine: Are You In Bondage To The Tithe?

    Tithe Doctrine: Are You In Bondage To The Tithe?

    As a believer in Jesus Christ who enjoys the blessing afforded by the New Covenant, I’m grateful for God’s grace extended to us in Christ. Instead of trying to earn God’s favor through our own strength and performance, we’re invited to enter into the rest of faith, embracing the fact that in Christ Jesus we are truly blessed beyond measure, having been redeemed from the curse of the law through His finished work. We relate to God and receive from God by grace (his undeserved, unmerited favor) through faith, living in the newness of the Spirit. Relating to God through a performance/reward paradigm or through any other legal means was dealt a death-blow when the law was nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:13-15). This took place for our benefit, so that we may experience relationship with God over performance based religion. A New Covenant has been ratified through Christ’s finished work; a covenant not dependent on man’s ability to fulfill duties and obligations, but on God’s faithfulness to keep covenant forever.

    I first came to faith in Christ in 1991 and was blessed to be in a church environment which established me in some strong, foundational truth. But over the years, and it really didn’t matter which church it was, I always heard the same basic message about “the tithe.” If you wanted to be blessed in your finances, you had to. It was God’s money, not yours. It belonged to the local church. It’s how you honored God. It was an eternal principle applicable to New Covenant believers. If you didn’t, you were giving the enemy entry to mess with your finances, and on and on. Worse yet, to not tithe was the equivalent of “robbing God.” I’m sure many of you can relate.

    As I continued to read and study the Word, and as God began to establish my heart in New Covenant grace, I seriously began to question the idea of a mandatory New Covenant tithe. Things I heard from the pulpit simply weren’t jiving with what I was seeing in the New Covenant, especially as it pertained to basic Pauline apostolic doctrine pertaining to grace. It seemed that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, except for the Malachi curse….that one seemed to slip through the blood of Christ and still applied to those who would “rob God” by not giving their 10%! I think it was also about this time that God started to deal with me on a personal level when it came to practical giving. What I was being led to do was so contrary to established religious norms that it made me feel very uncomfortable. But in time, what I discovered, both through sound new covenant teaching  and through practice, is that when it comes to our finances, like anything else, we are to relate to God and receive from God by grace, through faith, and are to be led by the Spirit, rather than quenching the creativity of the Spirit by mindlessly adhering to a  a system of obligation that cannot be justified from a New Covenant interpretive perspective (more on that in future posts).

    Over the next few posts, I plan on looking at some of the most common arguments  used to support tithing, and refuting them, not through my own opinion, but through the Word. The New Covenant isn’t silent on the subject and how we are to be generous givers, but I believe the voice of the Spirit has been drowned out by the inordinate, illegitimate tithing focus coming from the pulpit. I will also give some real life examples of giving that are “outside the box” of what is typically taught, yet right in line with what Jesus would have his followers do. It’s all meant to help us reassess what we’ve been taught, what we’ve believed, and to make any adjustments necessary to live more impactful lives in this world.