Tuesday, February 26, 2013

To tithe... or not to tithe... that is the question???

IS THE TITHE A SCAM OR ARE YOU ACTUALLY GIVING YOUR MONEY TO GOD?

(HEBREWS 7:5) And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:

ARE YOU GIVING TITHES ACCORDING TO THE LAW AND ARE YOU LIVING UNDER THE LAW?

     IF YOU LIVE UNDER THE LAW, THEN YOU ARE BOUND BY THE LAW, BECAUSE THE LAW IS NOT OF FAITH, AND IF YOU ARE PAYING TITHES ACCORDING TO THE LAW, THEN YOU ARE BOUND TO THE PENALTIES OF THE LAW, BECAUSE MEN GAVE TITHES ACCORDING TO THE LAW!

(GALATIANS 2:16) Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of JESUS CHRIST, even we have believed in JESUS CHRIST, that we might be justified by the faith of CHRIST JESUS, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

(GALATIANS 3:11-14) But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that does the law shall live in the law. CHRIST JESUS has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through JESUS CHRIST; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

(MALACHI 3:8-9) Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me. But you say, Wherein have we robbed you? In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse: for you have robbed me, even this whole nation.

GOD DOES NOT WANT YOUR MONEY! WHAT GOOD IS YOUR MONEY TO GOD, IF GOD DOES NOT HAVE YOUR LIFE? GOD WANT'S YOUR WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE. HE WANTS YOU TO SERVE HIM WITH YOUR WHOLE LIFE; NOT JUST 10% OF IT!
 
(Luke 14:33) So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.

(HEBREWS 10:5-10) Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. 7 Then I said, 'Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—I have come to do your will, my God.'"8 First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them"—though they were offered in accordance with the law.9 Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second.10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

(Matthew 16:24-25) Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

I WANT TO POSE THESE FINAL QUESTIONS. IS TITHING A MINIMUM REQUIREMENT? SHOULD WE FOCUS ON 10%, OR SHOULD OUR GOAL BE MORE? BY READING JESUS' COMMENTS DO YOU GET THE FEELING THAT HE EXPECTED MUCH MORE OF US THAN JUST A TENTH OF OUR TIME/MONEY/SACRIFICE/LIFE?

      I REALIZE THAT THIS ISN'T WHAT PEOPLE WANT TO HEAR, THEY WANT TO HEAR, "NO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TITHE, YOU CAN GIVE LESS". WHEN JESUS IS SAYING SOMETHING MUCH DIFFERENT, HE'S SAYING, "NO YOU DON'T HAVE TO TITHE, YOU GET TO GIVE MUCH MORE!"

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

WHAT WOULD YOU SACRIFICE FOR FREEDOM?

     Freedom- ability to act freely: a state in which somebody is able to act and live as he or she chooses, without being subject to any undue restraints or restrictions. Freedom of speech, of assembly, of religion, to protection of your family, from tyranny. To what extent would you be willing to go to protect these things for the next generation? How far would you go to make sure that your children and their children lived in a free place? People flocked to America because it was the beacon of light. It was the place you could make something of yourself, no it was a place you were free to make something of yourself. Kitty Werthmann who survived in Austria after the takeover by the Nazi's said, "America is truly the greatest country in the world. Don't let freedom slip away, after America there is no other place to go."


     Let me be clear, THERE ARE NO FREEBIES IN THIS WORLD, everything has a price. Socialization of a nation has a price. In a socialist nation, most children attend public schools that are "free". They're not free however; each citizen pays taxes that pay for that education. Those students who seek a "private" education pay the taxes to the government, plus a fee to the school they attend. In a socialist nation, 1/3 to 1/2 of the population receive free assistance from the government in services like free healthcare, free food, free retirement, and other free services that the government supplies. These aren't free either, however. They might be free to those receiving them, but with some citizens paying between 60-80% of their income to support these "free" programs.


(THESE ARE THE STATES WHERE THERE ARE MORE TAKERS THAN MAKERS)


In a socialist nation, the rate of those reaching the middle class decreases each year, while the separation between the top 5% from the bottom 5% grows each year.

(JUST A REMINDER THAT THE "WAR ON POVERTY" BEGAN IN 1964)


In a socialist nation, the small businessman is put out of business. The large corporation/government is given special privileges to provide however they see fit, while the small/local businessman or woman is restrained by ticky tac legislation that makes it impossible to make a profit. I wonder if any of this is sounding vaguely familiar to you?

(SMALL BUSINESSES SHARE OF THE MARKET FROM 1977-2009)


In a socialist nation, the push becomes greater and greater for a "one-world" unified governmental system. No strays, no dissension, just compliance. In a socialist nation, they would restrict travel by many means, shutting down roads, militarization that forces the community to stay in its own areas, or by making it too expensive for the average citizen to travel. I could go on and on, but I believe that you're beginning to see the point.



(LED THE SOVIET UNION FROM 1958-1964)

 
Socialist takeover principles:
1. Establish a terrifying internal and external enemy: (Hitler used communism, Russia used socialism, We used terrorism)
2. Create a gulag/camps with special rules: (Russian gulags, German camps, Guantanamo Bay/Internment camps)
3. Develop a THUG caste: (private contracting being immune to prosecution)
After Hurricane Katrina, the Department of Homeland Security hired and deployed hundreds of armed private security guards in New Orleans. The investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill interviewed one unnamed guard who reported having fired on unarmed civilians in the city. It was a natural disaster that underlay that episode - but the administration’s endless war on terror means ongoing scope for what are in effect privately contracted armies to take on crisis and emergency management at home in US cities.
4. Setup an internal surveillance system: (Patriot Act, use of drones on American soil)
5. Control the press: (Really, I mean this is a given right? They tell us that FoxNews is conservative lol)
6. Suspend the Rule of Law: This hasn't happened...yet...

 
      The thing that's separated America from every other nation is the reality that each generation has sacrificed for the next to continue the traditions of freedom. That each generation did things that it felt were important, even though it might have hurt, so that the next generation didn't have to experience these things. I hope that this generation is ready to do the same... I don't think it is though. I mean, only 54% of Americans voted in 2012 in a race that couldn't have been more clearly divided between sides. We're not even willing to do the easiest, most simple things to continue our freedoms. Nope, we're a nation full of couch potatoes who are more likely to vote for American Idol than President of the "free" world.
 
      It blows my mind that Christians have such a hard time with this thought process. The reality that one read of Revelations and even the most simple of interpretations gives us this picture. A picture of a world where the majority falls in line with this agenda, and there is a small minority who through loss of life and large sacrifice don't succumb to things like markings that determine if you can eat. Our congress already tried to pass legislation inside of Obamacare that required RFID chips inside all those enrolled in the program. It was voted down...this time. Listen, I'm not saying this is on our doorstep. I am saying that this is on the horizon. It's coming toward us rapidly. They will manipulate us by saying you can't eat, you can't get healthcare, you can't get electricity, you can't get your trash removed, you can't have credit, etc.... if you don't use this device. Then gradually, after most everyone complies, they'll start eliminating the less desirable: the older, the handicapped, those that have special needs, and those who don't fall in line.

 
      What's the solution? Have you watched movies like The Pianist, Defiance, Uprising, and Charlotte Gray? They do their best to detail the struggle of Jews against German/Russian occupation. They show in part, no movie could show in full, what life is like for those the who defy their government's agenda. You are relegated to hiding with little to no food, no amenities, and no pride. Those who are found are eliminated, or wish that they were. The only true escape for these people was to run to America... Where do Americans go if we ever have to escape?

 

Thursday, February 7, 2013

DEAR CHRISTIANS, IT'S TIME TO TAKE THE POWER BACK

     This is not for the faint of heart, nor for the unconscionably optimistic. If you can't handle the thought of God judging America, stop reading now. If you can't handle the reality that we just might have passed the point of saving ourselves, stop reading. Judgment is coming to our doorstep. Is it too late to stop it? You be the judge.

WE'RE SICK
     Our nation is diseased. We have contracted the worst disease of all too. No not AIDS or Herpes, but of lust. See we'll eventually come up with a cure for AIDS, but it won't end the root of the problem. The root is that our lust has taken over our bodies. It has made our minds its playground, and it's captured the attention of our youth. Did you know that 90% of 8-16 year olds have watched porn? Did you know that 80% of 15-17 year olds have had multiple "hardcore sex exposures"? What about the fact that 29% of “born again” adults in the U.S. feel it is morally acceptable to view movies with explicit sexual behavior? Maybe this is the worst, 37% of pastors say they view pornography regularly. What hope do the people have when the leaders of our nation do this? I can hear your words now, this generation is filth. They're the worst generation since Sodom and Gomorrah. Well, that's not technically true. Of the porn users in our country the highest demographic is the 35-44 year olds. Next is the 45-54 year olds. So why wouldn't kids be looking at porn? That spirit was brought into their house by mom and dad.

     You know one of the stats that always makes me proud to say is that America is responsible for more missionaries and money to missions than every other nation combined. That stat pales in comparison to this one; America is responsible for nearly 90% of the pornographic web sites on the internet. This Christian nation, the light of the world, the salt of the earth, supplies nearly 23x's the porn to the world as then next closest nation. American individuals gave somewhere between 8-12 billion to missions, while the pornography industry had 14 billion in revenues from the same crop of people.

WE'RE DISOBEDIENT
     The most simple of biblical commands are disobeyed and disregarded by us all. Love your wife, respect your husband, keep the marriage bed pure, give, don't be drunk, don't have any other gods before me, etc... We can't seem to get it right. We try, we fight, we claw, but we constantly come up short. This is the theme of Paul's letters, of messages being given at your local church this Sunday, yet I can't help but to wonder, is this true? Are we actually trying? Are we actually fighting the good fight? The fact that the church has the same divorce rate as the world, the fact that being religious has no effect on the rate of those who cheat on their spouse, or the fact that only 6% of Americans tithe. The reality that we spent 100 billion on alcohol last year, while individuals gave almost 90 billion to the church. SAD JOKE: "Why do you always invite more than one Christian to the lake with you? Because, if you only invited one, they'll drink all your beer."

     Scripture and prayer has been replaced by our televisions. We aren't a Christian nation, we were once, but those days have passed. My honest belief is that our only hope is to tell the world that we don't represent Christ in any way. That our only hope, to distance ourselves from God's judgment, is that we stop proclaiming to be a Godly nation (Rev. 3:16). Maybe He'll have mercy on us then. Because if we proclaim ourselves to be his, but our actions show the world a different story, God will not put up with it. He will make an example out of us to the Christians around the world. It will tell them that if you say you're my child, but you constantly disobey my words, I will have to discipline you (Prov. 13:24).

WE'RE GODLESS
     We've got every kind of perversion of scripture imaginable. The fact that there are whole denominations allowing homosexuals to be ministers inside of their churches blows my mind. I understand that no one is perfect, but allowing an open acceptance of sin blows my mind. They say things like "God's grace is enough", yet they forget the life that Paul talks about so clearly throughout Galatians and Ephesians saying strong words like:




Galatians 5:16-17; 19-21 (NLT)
     So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

    There are whole church movements who don't want to talk about anything controversial at all. Let's not tell them to give, let's not do salvation calls, let's not tell them abortion is wrong, let's not tell them homosexuality is a sin, let's not tell them to stop living together, let's not tell them masturbation is a sin, WE WOULDN'T WANT TO HURT SOMEONES FEELINGS. My heart breaks for these churches. They're growing, who wouldn't want to go to a place that says: SIN AWAY, GOD ALREADY PAID THE PRICE. Yet we know that when we follow our sinful nature it means that we're not following our Holy Spirit, and those who don't follow the Spirit will not inherit the Kingdom of God (see above).

    I'm reminded constantly that the Holy Spirit has no place in our lives. He's not allowed in our churches, our schools, our public squares, or our government buildings. He's reminded constantly by half of our nation that He's to remain separate from the public sector. That private businesses are boycotted for even presenting his name (Christmas) on their storefront. That speaking in tongues is taboo, that you're considered CRAZY if you actually do what the bible says in red letters (Mark 16). We've trivialized the scriptures as out of date. I don't need scriptures that tell me how to live; I'll just use my feelings. If it feels good, it must be right.

ONE FINAL WORD:
     Stop reading this and go to 2 Peter 1:16 and read through 2:9. God knows how to deliver the just, and the Godly from these times. We, the Christians, have to hold our ground. Quit drinking the cultures kool-aid, as Ed Young would say, and wake up. Use the bible as a guide for our actions. Re-think positions that we hold so tightly to be true because of relationship, and open our eyes to the truth that God offers us so freely. God has rescued his children from times of destruction over and over again. Examine yourself through and through. I know that I'm not perfect by any means, but my hearts desire is that I never put a frown on the face of God. That if I do, I repent immediately.

     Christianity needs a Kobe Bryant style makeover. It can't be done by the loud mouthed, hypocrites either. It has to be done step by step, day by day, by you. You live the life that God has called you to live. You call on the carpet those around you who claim Jesus as Lord and Saviour, yet live as though they've never met the man. You live above the fray, a life above reproach, like A CITY SET UPON A HILL. That's what will either turn the tide of judgment, or at least spare you from the midst of it. (See Psalms 91 and Isaiah 65:8)