2020 Christianity 20 Comments

Pastors who want to accumulate lots of money for themselves capitalize on the pronouncement on Malachi 3:10. They make people believe that if they want to be showered with blessings from heaven, they should pay tithes.

That is a clear deception! Why? Because Malachi 3:10 is not a commandment for Christians but for the Israelites.

As written in MALACHI 4:4 (KJV),

Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with statutes and judgments.

Tithing, or the paying of ten percent, is a part of the law of Moses. However, this law is no longer in effect in the Christian dispensation because when the Lord Jesus Christ came, He changed the law; He changed the priesthood. Hence, the change in the priesthood necessitated the change in the law also.

As written in HEBREWS 7:12 (KJV),

For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

Unfortunately, this particular verse is not being read by the advocates of tithing. They want their members to pay tithes regularly because it means sure money for them.

It is apparent that those pastors and ministers do not understand that the law on tithing had its efficacy only during the time of the priesthood of Moses. So, its efficacy had expired. What is in effect now is the law of Christ. That is why in the Christian era, the law of Moses should no longer be enforced.

ACTS 13:39 (KJV) says,

And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

The law of Moses had been superseded by the law of Christ. What we have to fulfill now is the law of Christ.

GALATIANS 6:2 (KJV) says,

Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

The law of Christ does not require us to pay tithes. We have nothing to pay. We do not owe pastors anything so why do we have to pay them?

Christians are not commanded to pay tithes. The commandment to Christians is explicitly stated by the Apostle Paul in his epistle to the brethren in Corinth.

In 2 CORINTHIANS 9:7 (KJV), it says,

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Every man, every Christian in the era of Christianity does not pay; instead, he gives, contributes, or donates, according to what his heart tells him. The desire to give emanates from his heart, and the amount to be given is likewise dictated by his heart. There is no fixed amount and the giving should be done voluntarily, “not grudgingly” because “God loveth a cheerful giver.” Because of this, the first-century Christians who helped the work of God in the Church did not just give ten percent.

2 CORINTHIANS 8:3 (RSV) says,

For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own free will,

They gave beyond their means, by their own free will; nobody dictated to them how much they should give. If you’re giving ten percent, it means that you are not giving by your own free will but by the will of your pastor.

Bear in mind that the law on tithing, which was a part of the law of Moses, was the will of God during the time of the Israelites. But the law of Moses had been replaced by the law of Christ. And under the law of Christ, you have to give, not ten percent, but according to what is purposed by your heart.

Please, don’t be deceived!

20 Comments:

On Wedding Rings, Traditions of Man, and Obeying God
2/22/2020 Christianity 15 Comments

It has been a practice of many people from different societies, from different walks of life to put too much importance on a wedding ring. For one, they regard it as a symbol of love. Because of this, married people, the women especially, are reluctant to remove it from their finger in their fear that others might wrongly interpret it. But most of all, they fear that it might infuriate or displease their husbands.

Basically, a ring, be it a wedding ring, is but an accessory or an ornament whose karat and precious stones intricately laid therein define the social status of both the wearer and the giver.

But even if it is made out of the finest material, still, a ring doesn’t measure the love, fidelity, and commitment of the contracting parties in marriage to each other; and neither is it a permanent possession. A ring can be lost if the owner is careless and negligent; it can be stolen if it captures the interest of thieves; it can be pawned and never be redeemed anymore if the owner experiences financial difficulties.

But does it mean that if the wedding ring is gone, or if the wife removes it from her finger, her relationship with her husband will also go awry? Does it also mean that simply because the wife defies the tradition of wearing a wedding ring, she no longer loves her husband? Absolutely, not!

The Bible tells us of things that we have to follow, and they are the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our obedience should be to His teachings, not to dogmas formulated by man, not to traditions, and not to cultural practices.

Biblically speaking, women are admonished not to wear adornments like rings, even if it is a wedding ring.

1 TIMOTHY 2:9-10 (KJV) says,

9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;

10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

So, if a woman obeys this admonition, if she removes her ring from her finger, it is a manifestation of her fear in God and obedience to God. And husbands should not take that negatively. They should also understand that their wives’ obedience should be rendered, above all, to God, and not to them, nor to traditions.

Obedience to God can make a woman a good wife. Being a good wife does not depend on the wedding ring; the ring has nothing to do with it. To be a good wife, a woman has to be guided by the word of God, and not by the customs and traditions of man.

Furthermore, if a woman obeys Christ’s commandment that she should not wear gold, or pearls, or costly array, she is able to prove that her faithfulness and loyalty is to Him and to His words which, in effect, can make her a better wife to her husband.

A wife should not worry about her husband’s would-be reaction or displeasure if he sees that she has taken her wedding ring off her finger. The Lord will enlighten the mind of her husband for them not to have any trouble. She just has to deal with him very well.

1 PETER 3:1 (KJV) says,

Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

By her good behavior and by her modest attitude, a wife can win her husband. When her husband sees how her obedience to the word of God works in her positively, she can easily convert him to be of God also. She does not have to say anything. With God’s help, his mind will be enlightened. And eventually, he will become a follower of Christ too.

A simple piece of advice: Instead of adhering to traditions and beliefs of man, obey the Lord and the Lord will take care of your problems, including your marital concerns.

As written in 1 PETER 5:7 (RSV),

Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you.

Entrust to God all your anxieties and problems, even the problems that you and your husband might encounter in the future. Trust Him for He cares about you. AMEN.

15 Comments:

Is It True Love? Finding the ‘One’ Without Looking for Them
2/15/2020 Christianity 26 Comments

Every man and woman who enters into marriage always dreams of having a blissful married life that will last until death. Although it does not always happen, it is achievable. For one, this can be achieved if you happened to marry a prudent man or woman; otherwise, the relationship would surely be shaky and troublesome.

The question is, how can you find a prudent spouse?

If you are going to search for a partner in life or for a spouse using your own standards, chances are, your search might be in vain. Or perhaps, the spouse that you’ll find is not really prudent. Why?

PROVERBS 19:14 (KJV) says,

House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD.

A prudent spouse comes from God. And you will be able to determine that he/she comes from God if he/she upholds and abides by the teachings of God.

2 TIMOTHY 3:17 (KJV) says,

That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

The people of God are thoroughly taught of all good works. That being the case, you can be sure that they can be prudent husbands and wives when they get married.

Yes, it is very possible to find a prudent husband or wife. Just be patient enough to wait. And when the right time comes, you’ll be able to meet somebody who fears God and puts great importance to His teachings.

Do not marry a drunkard; do not marry somebody who is laden with all kinds of vices; do not marry a person who is ill-tempered and is easily provoked to anger. Actually, God does not even want you to associate or have a relationship with ill-tempered and furious persons.

PROVERBS 22:24-25 (KJV) says,

24 Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shall not go:

25 Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.

Instead of befriending or associating with them, God wants you to avoid them, especially those who have bad temper and have the tendency to be violent and disrespectful. If you marry such a kind of person, you might just end up being abused, physically and verbally.

It is best not to jump into marriage hastily for you not to suffer in the end. Wait for the prudent person that God will give you. Always remember that a God-given spouse is prudent – he/she is without any vices, and he/she heeds to the teachings of God. And with that person, you could have a blissful and lasting marriage.

26 Comments:

Baptism Washes Away Sins
2/08/2020 Christianity 8 Comments

Will all the sins committed by a person be forgiven upon receiving baptism in the Church of God?

To answer the question, let us consider the declarations of the Apostle Paul. According to him, in his assessment, he could be considered as one of the chief sinners in the whole world. This is because he committed lots of grave sins against God, against the Lord Jesus Christ, and against the early Christians. Nevertheless, he was able to obtain mercy.

1 TIMOTHY 1:12 (KJV) says,

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

The Apostle Paul was thankful to the Lord Jesus Christ because He counted him faithful. He was fully aware that in counting him faithful, the Lord surely employed lots of consideration and mercy.

1 TIMOTHY 1:15 (KJV) says,

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

He knew how great a sinner he had been; in fact, he called himself a “chief sinner.” To regard himself as a chief sinner in the whole world, not just in Israel, not just in one of the tribes of Israel, but in the whole world, was indeed a very bold claim. But he had reasons to believe so.

1 TIMOTHY 1:13 (KJV) says,

Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

There was a time in his life that he was a blasphemer; he said things and did things which were against God. Aside from being a blasphemer, he was also injurious and a persecutor of the Church and of the early Christians. However, he obtained God’s mercy since he did those things out of ignorance and unbelief.

In other words, he was forgiven from all those contemptible things that he did. How? What did God command him to do, so that his sins would be forgiven?

God told him to be baptized.

ACTS 22:16 (KJV) says,

And now what tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Very clearly, the baptism taught by the Bible is a requisite to the forgiveness of all sins.

Baptism washes away a person’s sins, even if that person was a “chief sinner” like the Apostle Paul.

May God bless you!

8 Comments:

Why Does God Allow Suffering?
2/01/2020 Christianity 17 Comments

Whenever man experiences misfortunes and sufferings, his tendency is to question God’s love for him. Indirectly though, he is somehow rationalizing that he is suffering because God forsook him. That is, of course, a very wrong line of thinking. Man should realize that all his sufferings are but results, or consequences, of his sins and disobedience to God.

God created man in His image and likeness, according to the Bible. Man was upright when God created him. There was no evil on earth in the beginning; there was no death either. If there was no death, it implies that there was no sickness or illnesses also. There was practically nothing that could pose a threat on the life of man then. At the same time, God also made available to the first man and woman everything that they would need for their sustenance.

GENESIS 2:16-17 (KJV) says,

16 And the LORD God commanded man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

God placed Adam and Eve in a garden that was both botanical and zoological. They were given the freedom to eat every fruit there except that of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; otherwise, they would surely die. This means that death would only come if they would disobey God’s commandment, but if they would faithfully abide by His instructions, they would never experience death. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve failed to obey this one commandment of God. And because of this disobedience, death and sufferings came.

ROMANS 5:12 (KJV) says,

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

It is apparent that the sufferings of humanity are but a penalty to men’s misdeeds. Sad to say, whenever these things come, instead of acknowledging their wrongdoings, they even question God’s love, mercy, and sense of justice. Others even make it appear that God is a party to their sufferings.

God is a God of justice. And justice must be exercised in every way possible. The universe functions because of justice. As we have learned in science, there is a pull of the sun upon the earth. Aside from the sun, other heavenly bodies around it likewise pull the earth. There has to be an equal pull for the earth to be maintained on its axis and on its path where it revolves around the sun. The sun cannot pull more than what it is allowed to pull because there is gravity that emanates from the sun and there is also gravity that emanates from other heavenly bodies around us, from planets.

Justice, or equal and symbiotic pull, maintains life on earth. If there is no justice, things will go wrong. According to scientists, if we happened to be much closer to the sun, we will be burned; and if we happened to be a little bit farther from it, we will freeze. So, mathematically speaking, we are in an exact place, or spot, in the universe where life could be maintained.

Even social justice is also very important. That is, there should be justice between husband and wife, between parents and children, among members of a family, within a race, within a community, within a nation.

To maintain justice and good relationship within a family, parents must be good providers to their children, and children should be helpers to their parents. It would be injustice to parents if all the tasks will be assigned to them; the same way that it would be injustice to the children if all the duties and responsibilities will be assigned to them.

Justice means equality. In the Greek Bible, it is dikaiosune. In every area of life there must be dikaiosune, or equality. If we go against the law of God, if we go against the rule of equality, we have to suffer the consequences of our disobedience.

This is the reason why people now suffer. Man’s disobedience has destroyed the DNA. What the DNA should contain has been polluted by man’s sins, by his refusal to listen to the justice of God, by the abuses that he does to himself, like taking drugs, and the abuses that he does to the environment. Now, the air is only 21% oxygen and has a very high percentage of carbon which causes lung problems, allergies, and other diseases. The presence of pollutants in the air is a result of man’s abuse of our natural resources.

Many years ago, people who were studying the environment conducted a test. They dug the layers of ice in the North Pole and in the South Pole. The layers, or strata, of ice represented a particular age or period in the history of this planet. In their study, they discovered the presence of a higher percentage of oxygen in a particular layer of ice (which represented a certain age or period). And it was much, much higher than its percentage in our present time.

No wonder why so many bacteria and viruses thrive now. The presence of oxygen at a certain percentage can kill viruses and bacteria. This has been discovered by alternative doctors. That is why, whenever there is an infection, alternative doctors introduce oxygen to the body by injecting the patient with a fluid known as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Hydrogen peroxide will introduce more oxygen into the bloodstream to control the spread of the virus. Sometimes they also use Ozone treatment. Ozone is Oxygen3 (O3). If Oxygen 3 is injected to the bloodstream, much of the bacteria and viruses that infect a person are destroyed.

What am I trying to drive at? People today experience different kinds of sufferings because of their own recklessness and abuses, and because of their disobedience to God. If people did not disobey God, they would not die. God is capable of sustaining our lives even unto what the Bible calls, eternal life.

Definitely, our physical body will age, but God has the power to give us extra strength and extra years. Remember, Methuselah reached the age of 969; Noah lived until he was 950 years old. Imagine, Noah was already 600 years old when God commanded him to build a ship! And at that age, he was still very strong. But look at the people now; they easily grow weak and they die quite young. Sometimes, people already die at the age of 50, 60, or 70. Why? It is because of their abuses in life.

In other words, sufferings are borne out of man’s wrongdoings and abuses, and because of his refusal to obey the words of God.