Blog Archives

Beliefs you thought were scriptural but aren't; about the tithe, 2 of 3

2/26/2022

Hi all,
To hear some pastors you would think you are under a curse if you give 9.999% of your income to their church, but pass into blessing if you give 10.001% or more. What does scripture actually say about tithing?

First mention
Genesis 14:18-20 is the first mention of tithing, where Abram gave 10% of the spoils to Melchizedek, Priest from the nearby city of Salem. I personally believe Melchizedek was a pre-incarnate appearance by the Christ for several reasons. First is Hebrews 7:4-7 makes the point the lesser gives to the greater. His name means 'king of righteousness' and 'king of peace'. Hebrews 7 says he was 'made like the Son of God' and brought bread and wine to Abraham, which is a type of the body and blood of Jesus to be shed centuries later. He has no genealogy. He was King of the city of Salem. In Hebrew the word 'Jeru' means 'city of' and Salem or shalom means 'peace'. Melchizedek we are told was King of the city of peace, Jerusalem. Just some thoughts...

Back to the tithe
Abraham's tithe was given voluntarily, not of coercion, nor to get something from God. If we believe Melchizedek was the Lord giving Abram a picture of Him coming as the Lord Jesus centuries later, the passage shows that the tithe is given in the heart first to God, in voluntary giving.

God's problem
The word 'righteous' in Hebrew is tzedakah. It is also the word 'charity' or giving with good reason. Righteousness is both vertical in our walk with God where He gave to us, and then horizontal to our fellow man as we give of this Life to others. The idea is that because we have been made righteous vertically, that Life flows horizontally to our fellow man. Righteousness is more than just being right before God, it also means being right with your fellow man.

That is why the whole of the OT law hangs on 2 commands, as stated by Jesus in Mark 12:29-31:"You will love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and strength, and the second is similar; You will love your neighbor as yourself." Tzedakah. Love fulfilled the Law. Love God, love your neighbor. Romans 13:8

But Israel wasn't born again. They were unbelievers whose forefathers had entered into covenant with God. How does the Lord incorporate care for one's fellow man to a people who only care about themselves? Enter the tithes and offerings of the Old Testament, which were and remain to this day, vertical AND horizontal. Tzedakah is at the very heart of the tithe - giving vertically and horizontally.

The 4 tithes of the Old Testament; 'tithe' means 'the tenth'
The first is 'terumah', or the 'first fruits offering' - it went to the Levite priests who served in the temple.
The second is 'ma'aser rishon', or first tithe - it went to the people of the tribe of Levi not serving in the temple.
The third is 'ma'aser min hama'aser, the tithe of the tithe - the Levites gave the tithe of what they received to the priests who served in the temple.

The fourth is 'ma'aser sheen', or the second tithe - this was given back to the people who gave it.

These 4 were offered at different times over a 6 year period, with no tithe given that 7th year, a Sabbath year.

On years 1, 2, 4 and 5 the 'second tithe' was taken to Jerusalem and offered to the Lord, and after the priests took their portion, what was left over was given back to the people who offered it. When they received the remainder of their tithe back, they used it to provide a big party for all, to celebrate God's goodness.

On years 3 and 6 the 'second tithe' stayed within the community, not even going to the temple, and was used to care for the poor, fatherless, and widows and all in need around that person's community and neighborhood. It was the responsibility of each tither to spend the tithe on those around them in need, as they saw fit.

The priests had no inheritance of land or other business, so they were considered the same as the poor, entitled to be supported by the community. The purpose of the tithe therefore was in large part the support of the people. Tzedakah or righteousness is demonstrated in giving both to leaders and to each other, as seen in the OT tithe. But remember, its foundation is grace, for one first gives to God in their heart, and then to the people.

Paul mentioned this same thing in NT giving in II Corinthians 8:4-5:"They urged us to take the donation, so they could participate in serving the saints in what we are doing, and this they did after first having given themselves to God, and then to us."

Freedom to give 10% and more; You and Christ in you must decide
When the temple became obsolete on the day of Pentecost because God moved from the building into people, the people just transferred their tithing and giving to leaders and those around them. They realized with Christ in them, they had become living temples and a kingdom of priests to God, so they could both give and receive from other people who have Christ in them for they were all living temples of God.

So they and we are justified in giving to leaders, to each other, as needs arise. Ancient Israelites gave an estimated 22% in tithes and offerings. When Christians set aside their tithe or offering, and remain open to give to those in need as they are able, they will find they give over and above 10% as well.

Paul told the Corinthians in I Corinthians 16:2 to 'set aside something weekly according to how God blessed you'. It's up to us and Christ in us to decide who we give to. If you are moved by a mix of discipline to set aside a percentage and also have some uncommitted money to give, you'll find you will end up giving more than 10% and will be blessed and surprised by the freedom.

For the historical record:The first mention of Christians tithing came after they moved out of homes and into buildings for their meetings, which required giving to maintain the buildings. First formal mention of a rule was Charlemagne in the 788 AD, king of France, who imposed the tithe on those he had conquered as a requirement to support the 'church'. From there it became imposed on all.

Yet it still exists today in the form of the grace and free-willed giving as did Abraham. Today, you and I are living temples of God and a whole kingdom of priests. We have the freedom to set aside 10% and more coupled with the freedom to give to one another that there be no needs in our midst.

Set aside money to give as God has blessed you. You are a temple of God, you are a priest of God. We have a responsibility to be righteous vertically and horizontally, but the Father relates to us through the blood of Jesus, not your bank account.

New subject next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.or and email me at cwowi@aol.com

0 Comments

Charismatic beliefs you thought were scriptural but aren't; 1 can put 1000 to flight. 1 of 3

2/19/2022

0 Comments

Hi all,
When I was a teenager and just getting to know the Father and Lord, I was reading the gospels for the first time in my life. I was amazed at the success Jesus had when dealing with people. Healings, miracles, individual challenges like the Rich Young Ruler and Lazarus' sisters all yielded different results, but the results always seemed to be the most He could get for any given situation. He was effective limited only by the faith or unbelief of others.

Why is the Lord so effective?
I asked the Father:"Why was the Lord so effective (in the gospels)?" and His immediate response was:"Because He is 100% the Word, with no traditions of men, therefore He got 100% results in any situation according to how He was allowed (He hasn't changed)."

In Matthew 15:6 Jesus criticized the Pharisees saying:"...you have made the Word of God of no effect by your tradition." The Greek of 'made no effect' is one word, 'ekyrosate' from the root 'akyroo' and 'kyros' meaning 'authority'. Jesus is saying they make God's Word null and void by the authority of their traditions. In other words, they placed their traditions in authority above the Word of God.

Requires intellectual honesty
The degree to which a person has placed a tradition of man above God's Word in their heart is seen by how quickly they will remove that idol from their heart when they hear the truth of the Word. To do that requires a heart that is genuinely seeking the truth. It requires intellectual honesty born of humility and teachability (meekness).

Some if not most just want to argue. These are the ones in house church where no matter where the discussion or study is going, they find a way to insert their favorite doctrine. They become evangelists for the truth as they see it. But truly walking in the fullness of the Word means a willingness to learn, leaving man-made tradition aside.

One such stronghold that has been around for decades is this:If 1 can put 1,000 to flight, 2 can put 10,000 to flight.

It is so commonly expressed it is taken as gospel truth. If a preacher wants a loud 'amen' from the congregation, all they have to do is proclaim that to make the point their victory is coming, and all go away feeling good. The passage says this, based on Deuteronomy 32:30:

"How can 1 chase 1,000 and 2 put 10,000 to flight except their Rock had sold them, and the Lord shut them up?"

Somewhere, years ago, someone lifted that verse out of context, put it in a sermon saying it was a promise for God's people, and it became foundational to thousands of believers struggling for victory in various areas of life. They have taken it as a promise from God that they will rise up and chase 1000 demons and together in the prayer of agreement with another, they two will put 10,000 to flight, thus gaining the answered prayer and victory.

Wrong. That's not what it says. And by believing that and praying that and standing on that, they haven't realized they are standing on traditions of men, actually having the opposite effect in their lives, making the Word of God of no effect. All because they have placed the traditions of men in authority over the Word of God.

What is the context?
The book of Deuteronomy is the re-telling of the Mosaic law to the children born in the wilderness from the people who had come out of Egypt. Their parents came out of Egypt to the edge of the Promised Land within a few months, but rejected the Lord's will, refusing to enter into the Land. Rejecting Him, He gave them what they had continually said, that they would rather die in the wilderness than take the Land. So they wandered for 40 years until they had all died out of that generation, except for Joshua and Caleb.

Deuteronomy means 'words' and is Moses' last words to those born in the wilderness, it is the retelling and summarization of much of Exodus and Leviticus to those 'kids'. In chapter 32 Moses is retelling the failures of their parents and warning them not to live by their example of unbelief. He explains why after God told them they would wander the wilderness in Number 14, they tried to enter the Promised Land on their own and were soundly defeated.

The whole of Deuteronomy 32 is a song Moses sung because music is easier to remember I am guessing, so that it could be sung repeatedly to remind them how to act and not act. Notable verses include v4:"He is the Rock, His ways are perfect. Just and right is He", which was a popular 1970's prayer meeting song back in the day.

By v15 Moses sings warnings, saying:"...he (Israel) forsook God who made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his (Israel's) salvation." and in v18:"Of that Rock that gave you birth you are unmindful, and have forgotten God who formed you." He is talking about how Israel worshipped the Golden Calf and other idols along the way.

By v30-31 the Lord is talking about the enemies of Israel, asking how it could be that a single enemy man could chase 1000 (Israelites) and how 2 of them could make 10,000 (Israelites) flee, 'except their (Israel's) Rock had surrendered them and sold them (to allow them to be taken by their enemy)? For their rock is not as our Rock..."

In v36-37 the Lord says:"For the Lord will judge His people...and when He sees their power has left them (Israel) He will ask them; "Where are their gods? Where is the rock they trusted?" After that the song concludes with a promise of ultimate victory for Israel after their repentance, and that the Lord will take vengeance on their enemies.

So when a Christian uses that passage to justify their spiritual strength, they are actually using a passage about God's enemies putting 1000 and 10000 Israelites to flight because He surrendered them to give them what th3ey wanted - to die in the wilderness. Yikes.

Let the weak say I am strong (let the poor say I am rich)
A similar lifting out of context is the passage from Joel 2:9-11, which is actually about the Battle of Armageddon. Years ago there was a popular song with the lyrics as seen above:"Let the weak say I am strong. Let the poor say I am rich, because of what the Lord has done..."

But the verse it is lifted from is about the enemies of the Lord preparing to fight Him at the last battle:"Proclaim this among the Gentiles (God's enemies); Prepare war. Wake up the mighty men (professional soldiers). Let all the men of war come up, let them prepare for battle. Beat your plows into sword and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say I am strong. Assemble yourselves you heathen, and come round about (Jerusalem)..."

And yet how many of you are singing that old song right now as you read this, singing it to the Lord, never realizing the Lord is talking to heathen people who fighting Him?

I hope this has been food for thought, and an exhortation that we examine what we think is just and right in Him. Very often we say we believe the Word, when in fact much of what we believe is man-made, which makes the Word of God void in our lives in those areas. Isn't this fun? More next week, lol. Blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com

0 Comments

Questions about the Sabbath, 3 of 3

2/12/2022

0 Comments

Hi all,
I've been sharing how Jesus is our Sabbath-rest, and anything we do in the natural like taking a day off, is a type of the rest in Christ we have.

Another example of types would be clothing - when the Lord God made the first clothes for Adam and Eve, they were a type of something to come. Genesis 3:21 says the Lord God made the first clothes, specifically stating made of skins of animals. The animals were the first blood sacrifice which covered the nakedness of man, as a temporary picture of the Lord God's final sacrifice on the cross.

Therefore every time we put on clothes we are reminding ourselves of the covering God provided, first and last, to cover our nakedness. Is it any wonder man has twisted the original intent of clothing to make it both worshipped and often something design NOT to hide a person's nakedness fully?

As it relates to our topic, when we take a day off we are rehearsing the true meaning of rest, which came when God sent His Son to make peace, reconciling us to Himself, that we may be at total Sabbath-rest in Him. Just being.

Faith is not the issue. Faith is of the spirit and Spirit,
So faith cannot be touched by the devil. Consider that you believe in and know Jesus. Satan can't touch that. The demonic attacks our soul, our thoughts and emotions but can't touch our spirit. So faith isn't the issue, working to enter into His rest by ceasing our own efforts is the issue. The effort is to enter into rest, to enter into peace. That is the battle.

Why does he say to work to enter into rest right before he tells us of the sword of the Spirit in v12-13? The answer is because entering into His rest involves a real person, not a set of rituals or formulas to move God or position ourselves for better standing with Him. Here he is writing about real peace found in Jesus, and the Word of God he writes about is not chapter and verse, but the Person of the Word, the Lord Jesus:

"For the Word of God is living and alive and shaper than any two-edge sword. Piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and judging the thoughts and intentions of the heart. There is nothing hidden, all things are open and naked before the eyes with whom we have to do. Seeing that we have such a high priest who has passed into the heavens, Jesus Christ the righteous....let us come boldly to the throne (of the Father) to receive mercy and grace." (12-16 in part)

Hebrews 4 presents the totality of our Sabbath-rest in Christ. He is the fulfillment of the 7th day Sabbath. He is the fulfillment of the type of the family gathered for their day off. He is the fulfillment of every sacrifice made in days of old to bring peace and reconciliation between the Father and the worshipper.

When we cast our cares on the Lord, when we give up all ritual and formula realizing we cannot influence the Father to any greater degree because He already gave us His only Son, we rest. We are at peace. We live as if in a river of life flowing in life in Him, knowing He has provided all things for our life and godliness, and all He wants is us to walk with Him in that rest, in that peace...

What about the sabbath command being a forever command?
One final question is often brought up by those who want to ignore the work of Jesus on the cross to bring us the True Sabbath rest, and that is that God commanded Israel the Sabbath would be a perpetual command. This is especially strong among Messianic Christians and 7th day Adventists. One passage used is Exodus 31:13 & 16:

"...my sabbaths you will keep; for it is a sign between me and you throughout all your generations..."
"...to observe the sabbath throughout their generations; it is a perpetual covenant."

I could bring up the first rule of Bible interpretation is to understand who was being spoken to which would be therefore to whom the command applies. In this case God is talking to Israel in about 1400BC, not to gentile nations nor to New Testament people. But even with that said the passage still applies to us through Jesus.

It is in that statement of the sabbath being a perpetual covenant where we find Jesus. For Jesus is the sabbath and keeping Him is perpetual. Forever. Entering into His rest is forever. This statement in Exodus is a statement of a forever Sabbath found in Christ Jesus, the Lord and Master of the Sabbath. It is perpetual covenant.

This should bring peace to all who struggle, wondering if 10,000 years from now they may lead a rebellion in heaven and lose their salvation - they fail to recognize one our full spirit and soul and body are made of heavenly material, and the devil is dealt with, we will forever be one with the Lord. There is no possibility of rebellion for it just isn't in us any longer. Jesus is our perpetual covenant of rest.

How do we enter into that rest?
In Philippians 4:6-7 gives us understanding for how to enter into that sabbath-rest.

"Be anxious (worried, fearful) for nothing. But in every thing by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God (Father). And the peace of God (Father) which is beyond all understanding, will keep (hem in) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

For years I found myself as worried and afraid after I prayed as I did before I started praying. Then one day I realized I needed to take scripture as a command, not as reading material or a suggestion.

Step one:Be anxious for nothing.

I took that as a command. I started not praying until and unless I had first dealt with the fear and worry. One issue that turned my life in this direction had to do with a situation at work with the church where I was the Bible school Director. The auditorium church is political by nature because it patterns the federal government of Israel set up by Jethro on Exodus 18 with 'captains' over 1,000's, 100's, 50's, and 10's. It can't help being political with all the territories guarded and climbing over one another to be noticed that goes with political structures.

Just such a situation where I was being attacked verbally by someone on staff had me worried and afraid. But I was determined to 'be anxious for nothing' before I ever made my request to the Father. I struggled for 2 or 3 weeks going over and over it in my mind. The worst case scenario of losing my job over false accusations born of greed for my position and budgeted departmental money played over and over in my mind. How would I provide for my family? What would we do? What about the kid's tuition at the Christian school? And so much more.

About 2 or 3 weeks later each issue, one by one, had been met by 'the Lord hasn't brought us this far to let us down', and the realization He had always taken care of us. One by one each fear was dealt with in that way. Finally free from fear, I made my request to the Father, and suddenly peace came upon me. Flowing in my spirit and up to my soul, I was bubbling over with peace and joy....and the problem was dealt with without me having to do anything.

The work is to get into His rest, and that is done by ceasing our own works. I had to cease and desist worry and fear. Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. He IS that rest. No formula, just conversational relationship, and dealing with life and our own heart as needed so that we may grow in Him. Rest.

New subject next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com

0 Comments

Questions about the Sabbath #2 of 3

2/5/2022

0 Comments

Hi all,

We left last week with the statement that worshipping on Saturday is fine unless someone insists that is the only right way. Paul ran into this issue with the Romans and addressed it in chapter 14:

"Why are you judging another man's (Man's) servant?...One man considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them needs to be convinced within their own mind. Whoever one day as special does so unto the Lord...and whoever doesn't does so unto the Lord. 14:4-8

Paul also told the Colossians in 2:16-17: "Therefore let know one judge you in food and drink or holy days, or the new moon or sabbaths, for these are shadows of what is to come..."

Food and drink are a type of the time we will have with the Lord, a great marriage celebration feast. The new moon is a reference to the rapture of the church that Paul taught in I Corinthians 15 and in his letters to the Thessalonians. The Feast of Trumpets which was given by God and includes the catching away of believers in Messiah, is the only festival that starts at the new moon phase. The new moon is when there is no moon, said to be hidden from view and is the opposite of the full moon. Believers in Judaism use the moon as their type, while the sun is a type of the Lord - so the resurrection blast happens at the new moon, showing believers will be hidden in Christ at a future fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets.

Sabbath days are a shadow of the earth at rest, we ourselves at rest in Him, never again to face the struggles found in this earth-body and world ravaged by the devil.

Jesus our Sabbath - Jesus our rest
In Hebrews 4 the author addresses the issue of the Jewish day of rest, the sabbath. He sets the tone saying in v3: "We who have believed have entered into rest."

This is the same point Paul made in II Corinthians 5:17-19, that we have been recreated in our spirit man because God the Father reconciled the world to Jesus, charging their sins to Him. Therefore we as new creations in Christ, are a rest and peace with the Father God - we've been reconciled.

The author of Hebrews says 'we who have believed have entered into rest', meaning being in Christ is rest. The Father is at peace with us.

Hebrews 4:7 continues talking about this rest time in Christ. His point is the weekly sabbath is a type of rest in Christ. Every week when Israel took their day off to rest as a family, it was a divine appointment and picture of a time when the family of God would rest in God as a family. These 'holy gatherings' were seen as rehearsals before the True would come.

So the author of Hebrews continues in v7: "God (Father) set this certain day and called it 'Today', saying as He spoke through David later: 'Today if you hear His voice don't harden your hearts.'"

That line is a partial quote of Psalm 95:7-8 which every Jewish person reading it would have known, but it is often missed by us. The full quote of those 2 verses says this: "He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the flock in His care. Today if you hear His voice don't harden your heart as in the days in the wilderness at Meribah (quarreling) or as at Massah (testing) in the wilderness."

This is why Hebrews 4:8-9 continues: "If Joshua had given them rest God would not have spoken about a later day of sabbath (rest) to come. Therefore there is a Sabbath-rest for the people of God. For anyone who enters into His rest must also cease (rest) from their own works, as God did."

"Anyone who enters into His rest must cease from their own works."

This is why Jesus said in Mark 2:27 and 28: "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."

Jesus here made the case that HE is the Sabbath-rest long predicted with each day off every Jewish person took through the centuries. HE is the Sabbath-rest who was made for man because that Sabbath day off was made for man - and so was He. With each bull and goat and sheep and bird offered as a blood sacrifice it spoke to a time where a final sacrifice would be made to bring a rest between God and human kind once and for all. Jesus is that rest. Jesus brought that Sabbath-rest.

But to enter into His rest, you have to cease from your own works. You have to accept the grace. And once accepted, you can't go back to working formulas to find peace with God the Father. Once you have Jesus, as Paul stated in Romans 8:32, you have all things.

This is why Paul in his letters to the Corinthians and Colossians and as we see in Hebrews, the teaching that Jesus is our Sabbath-rest, which makes every effort on our part to make peace with the Father obsolete. Jesus is all we need. Once we have Him, it is proof we have ceased from our own works (efforts) to get to God.

Faith feels like peace
Back in the day when I was first learning about faith and grace, I would face a problem and then try to stir up faith, try to work up faith. I would speak or declare 'words of faith' thinking that is what faith was. I would be scared or worried about a bill to be paid for which I had no money, and speak out positive things about provision - and I thought that was being 'in faith'.

But a curious thing happened. I noticed when I just stopped all my efforts and worked through my fear and turned it over to the Father, a peace came into my spirit that my mind picked up on. And then the answer came. There was a direct correlation between ceasing from my own works, receiving peace, and then receiving the answer. In the same way the reverse was true. When I worked hard to speak and declare while I was worried and doing it truth be told, out of fear the need wouldn't be met, then it never happened, or took lots of work on my part to make it happen.

Faith feels like peace, is a lesson I learned through the school of hard knocks, trial and error. And yet it was written here in Hebrews 4 all along: He that is entered into His peace has ceased from his own works."

This is why Hebrews 4:11 says: "Let us make every effort therefore to enter into that rest (peace) lest we end up in unbelief."

Faith feels like peace - work to enter into the rest of peace by ceasing from your own efforts of worry, fear, or religious formula designed to 'do something' to help your situation and/or move God. Just let it go. Let Jesus be your rest. Work to get into His rest.

And we'll pick it up there next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com

0 Comments