Saturday, July 26, 2014

OUR EASY EGG SANDWICH – A RECIPE FROM GEORGIA MOSSHOLDER

OUR EASY EGG SANDWICH


Serves 2


 


 


INGREDIENTS:


 2 Eggs                         


Pat of butter and 1 or 2 teaspoons olive oil                


1-1/2  cups spinach, washed & chopped 


Clove of garlic – slivered thin


 Salt and pepper


2 slices of Sharp Cheddar Cheese


Swab of catsup or a swab of Pesto Sauce


2 Oroweat Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins


 


 Rinse the spinach and slice/dice it up a bit.  Add olive oil to your heated frying pan. When oil is warm, add garlic and spinach, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and cook two or more minutes until spinach shrinks up and the loose liquid is gone. Remove from pan, set aside and keep warm.


 Turn on your broiler.


 Clean your frying pan and add a nice sized pat of butter. When it is melted, add egg, and break the yolk so the sandwich won’t be a drippy accident waiting to happen.  I use a handy dandy gadget which is a round metal form so the egg perfectly fits the Oroweat Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins circular slices.  If you don’t have that handy dandy gadget just try to keep the shapes of the eggs roundish.  After the first egg has cooked almost a minute I loosen the egg from my gadget and then slide the gadget and some butter aside and add the other egg into the form and break its yolk as well.  Optional: sprinkle with salt and/or pepper


 While eggs are cooking, very lightly warm your Oroweat Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins under the broiler. You don’t want them to get crisp, just warmed up a bit. Then divide the spinach onto two of the slices and put cheese slices on top. Remove the two plain circles from the oven.  If you love catsup like Ray does, now is the time to put that splat of catsup on the plain slice.  I like the pesto sauce.


 By this time check to see if your eggs are about ready.  If the cheese has melted, turn off broiler, remove the sandwiches and add eggs on top of cheese. Then put on the Oroweat Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins lids and ring the breakfast bell.  Enjoy!  ;~)


 




OUR EASY EGG SANDWICH – A RECIPE FROM GEORGIA MOSSHOLDER

FIVE REAL FRIENDS by Ray Mossholder Chapter 1

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FIVE REAL FRIENDS by Ray Mossholder Chapter 1

THE DIAMONDS: LIL" DARLIN" #1 "57 TOM HANKS FATHER SINGING (L)


THE DIAMONDS: LIL" DARLIN" #1 "57 TOM HANKS FATHER SINGING (L)

THE BILL KEITH REPORT AND COMMENTARY July 25, 2014

The Bill Keith Report


News And Commentary


June 6, 2014


Greetings to our readers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 59 foreign countries.


If you believe the information in this edition of The Report is worthwhile, please pass it on to your friends and contact your congressional representatives about the issues.


Hooray for Governor Rick Perry


     Finally, someone in public office has the courage to stand up and say, “Enough is enough.”


     Governor Perry will send 1,000 National Guard troops to the border with Mexico to stop the tens of thousands of illegals — including thousands of children — coming into this land as well as immigrant gang members.


     The Governor says he’s been trying to get President Obama to do something about the border for several years yet nothing has been done.


     Contrariwise, the President and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid continue to say the “border is secure.”


     Governor Perry appeared on the Sean Hannity television program and made a startling statement — illegals coming into Texas have committed 3,000 rapes and 8,000 murders in the past five years.


     He says the “details of the criminal activity” are so catastrophic that “we can’t wait on Washington.”


     Comment: Former Border Patrol Chief Ronald Coburn says one in five of all illegals coming into this land have violent criminal records These are not illegals with parking tickets or shoplifting. These people are rapists, murderers, drug dealers, and gang members.


     Yet, what do we hear from the President? He won’t even go to the border to see the catastrophe. Rather, he just wants to grant amnesty to all of them regardless of the consequences.


     There is a better solution — deport all the illegals who do not have valid work permits. Then make sure employers provide health insurance for the workers so they won’t bankrupt our healthcare system.


A Footnote


     The Obama administration announced on Thursday that they are considering sending planes to Honduras to pick up more children and bring them to America so they won’t have to walk hundreds of miles to our southern border.


     Although details are sketchy at this time, it is believed once the children are in the U.S., the President would grant them amnesty.


     There is no information on how much it will cost, what will become of the children once they arrive here, what welfare benefits they will receive, where they will be educated (since they do not speak English) and how many hundreds or thousands will be considered in the amnesty program. Neither are we told if the President plans to bring children from other countries. Story is unfolding.


Who’s in Charge in Washington?


     Has anyone seen the President lately? He’s been AWOL for some time. He’s been crisscrossing the country three days a week giving fundraising speeches for Senate democrats up for reelection.


     Americans are falling from the skies over the Ukraine as President Putin of Russia and his thugs are shooting down airplanes (23 American citizens died in the recent  plane crash); swarms of illegals are crossing the border into the U.S, as the border is not now, nor has it ever been, secure; Hamas has fired more than 2,000 rockets into Israel (more than likely funded by the $3.6 billion our government gave the Palestinian National Authority of which Hamas is now affiliated); and Russia is on the verge of an all-out attack on the Ukraine.


     So what does the President do? He refuses to go to the border to see the devastation first hand, plays golf when he’s in Washington, drinks beer and plays pool in Colorado and eats hamburgers in Delaware.


     He soon will begin a 15-day vacation in Martha’s Vineyard.


     To make matters worse, Congress just adjourned for a five-week vacation.


     So who’s in charge? I don’t know. The President is AWOL and Congress just went home.


     We need a major house cleaning in Washington.


EBT/Food Stamp Cards and a Culture of Corruption


     WE THE PEOPLE spend $80 billion each year on EBT (the cards replaced food stamps) cards that allegedly allows the poor to purchase food.


     However, as in so many other areas, there is little accountability on the part of the card users. Although the cards are to purchase food only, the users have violated the USDA guidelines in creative ways. They have used the cards in tobacco shops, liquor stores, casinos, strip clubs, race tracks, tattoo parlors and even at Disney World resorts.


     This week we learned that the people of Colorado are using the cards to purchase marijuana, just weeks after voters approved sales in the state. According to National Review, beneficiaries of the EBT cards have used the cards 259 times to purchase pot.


     So what’s the problem? Little oversight and typical lack of government accountability.


     But most of it is the government’s fault. They fail to deal with the pathologies of human nature and allow the card holders to use them as they will. They take few precautions to make sure the taxpayers’ funds are not wasted or misused.


     For instance, I found the following information from the USDA that administers the program. They extend a hearty welcome to the EBT card users and give them detailed information on how to use the cards to purchase food. That’s okay.


     But they also give them detailed information on how to use the card to get cash back at supermarkets or cash from ATM machines.


     The GOVERNMENT shows them exactly how to do it!


     Hence, the fraudulent purchases.


     Comment: When President John F. Kennedy initiated the national food stamp program it was for a worthy purpose — to feed hungry people. But, like most programs, they become large, expensive, uncontrollable and filled with fraud and waste.


     Today we have $80 billion a year floating around and no one knows for sure just how much of it is spent on food.


Arizona Governor Brewer vs. Phoenix Suns Owner


      Last week Robert Sarver the owner of the Phoenix Suns basketball team hammered Governor Brewer and the state’s immigration law that would require identification.


     The feisty Governor issued the following statement in response to Sarver’s criticism:


     “What if the owners of the Suns discovered that hordes of people were sneaking into games without paying? What if they had a good idea who the gate-crashers are but the ushers and security personnel were not allowed to ask these folks to produce their ticket stubs, thus non-paying attendees couldn’t be ejected. Furthermore, what if the Sun’s ownership was expected to provide those who sneaked in with complimentary eats and drink? And what if, on those days when a gate-crasher became ill or injured, the Suns had to provide free medical care and shelter?” ~Governor Jan Brewer.


     Comment: It’s strange that Attorney General Eric Holder files suit against any state — including Arizona — that requires all voters to present identification. Holder says it discriminates against minorities.


     But on a personal note, I have to show my ID when I renew my driver’s license; open a bank account; apply for a passport and a visa; when I use my credit cards at department stores; and others.


Working the Welfare System


     Remember back in 2012 when Governor Mitt Romney said that far too many people have become dependent on government land by learning how to work the system.


     The owner of a Ford dealership learned firsthand what Romney was talking about. He said a lady came into his showroom and said she wanted to lease a brand new Focus. As he looked at her credit app, he noticed she was on social security disability.


     “You don’t look like you’re disabled and unable to work,” he commented.


     “Well, I’m really not. I could work if I wanted to, but I make more now than I did when I was working and got hurt…” 


     She then explained that the government sends her $1,500 a month for her disability and she gets $700 a month on an EBT card (food stamps), and $800 a month for rent.


     “Oh yeah, and 250 minutes free on my phone.”


     She told him that when she was working she was taking home $330 a week and that she’s much better off receiving disability and welfare checks.


     Comment: Think about it — why should she go back to work? When you multiply her income by millions of others, you begin to see the scope of the problem we face in this land.


Military Can Only Find a Few Good Men


     More than two-thirds of America’s young people would fail to qualify for military service, the Wall Street Journal reports, because of physical, behavioral or educational shortcomings.


     According to the newspaper, this poses serious “challenges to building the next generation of soldiers even as the U. S. draws down troops from conflict zones.”


     “The military deems many youngsters ineligible due to obesity, lack of a high-school diploma, felony convictions and prescription-drug use for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder,” the Journal reported. “But others are now also running afoul of standards for appearance amid the growing popularity of large scale tattoos” and other appearance problems.


Keystone Pipeline, Canadian Oil and China


     The Canadian government has approved a major new pipeline to the Pacific Coast that would allow the country’s oil to be shipped to China and other Asian countries, the Associated Press reports.


     According to AP, the approval was expected since Prime Minister Stephen Harper has favored the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline after the U. S. delayed a decision on building the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta to the U. S. Gulf Coast.


     The Northern Gateway pipeline will transport 525,000 barrels of oil a day from Alberta’s oil sands to the Pacific to giant oil tankers from oil-hungry China and other Asian countries, the news service said.


     Comment: It’s a shame that the President continues to pander to the powerful environmental lobby in Washington. He has held up the pipeline for years and apparently has no plans to approve its construction.


     Comment: There are always consequences for our actions. Keystone would provide 40,000 jobs immediately and greatly reduce our dependence on foreign oil. But politics and agendas trump common sense and the will of the majority of the people.


The VA Mess and the Future of ACA Healthcare


     Retired pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson believes the Veterans Administration scandal gives us a picture of what nationalized healthcare will be like when handled by the Washington bureaucracy.


     “I think what’s happening with the veterans…shows us what happens when you take layers and layers of bureaucracy and place them between the patients and the healthcare provider,” Dr. Carson said.


     He added, “And if we can’t get it right, with the relatively small number of veterans, how in the world are you going to do it with the entire population? You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure this out.”


     Dr.  Carson, 62, an African American, retired last summer as chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.



THE BILL KEITH REPORT AND COMMENTARY July 25, 2014

BACK TO THE 50"s – NOT EVERYTHING WAS RIGHT, BUT SO MUCH WAS


BACK TO THE 50"s – NOT EVERYTHING WAS RIGHT, BUT SO MUCH WAS

JEANNE ROBERTSON "You"ll get a bat out of this!" – Ray


JEANNE ROBERTSON "You"ll get a bat out of this!" – Ray

Thursday, July 24, 2014

DISNEY"S THE MIRACLE WORKER – MOVIE OF THE WEEK


DISNEY"S THE MIRACLE WORKER – MOVIE OF THE WEEK

PBS: PRESIDENT BILL AND HILLARY CLINTON, THE SECOND TERM Part 1


PBS: PRESIDENT BILL AND HILLARY CLINTON, THE SECOND TERM Part 1

PBS – MOUNT RUSHMORE – HOW DID IT GET THERE?


PBS – MOUNT RUSHMORE – HOW DID IT GET THERE?

DOES GOD EXPECT CHRISTIANS TO TITHE FOR FINANCIAL BLESSINGS?

From Grace Communion International


Is Tithing Required in the New Covenant?



 


Does the Bible tell us to pay at least 10 percent of our incomes to the church?


Abraham and Jacob


The first biblical mention of tithing is in Genesis 14. After four Mesopotamian kings had taken Lot captive, Abraham attacked them and recovered all the booty. After his victory, the king of Sodom came out to meet him, and so did Melchizedek, a priest of Goen Abraham “gave him a tenth of everything” (Genesis 14:20).


The text does not tell us whether Abraham had ever tithed before, or ever tithed afterwards. Perhaps it was a custom of his culture. Abraham was generous, and gave the rest of his booty to the king of Sodom (verses 23-24). Abraham kept all of God’s laws that were relevant in his day (Genesis 26:5), but Genesis does not tell us whether tithing was a law in Abraham’s day. Many of God’s decrees and requirements were built around the nation of Israel and the Levitical priesthood and tabernacle. Abraham could not have kept such decrees and laws. He may have tithed regularly, but we cannot prove it.


The next mention of tithing is in Genesis 28:20-22. Jacob had a miraculous dream at Bethel. In the morning, Jacob vowed to tithe if God helped him during his journey. He was trying to make a bargain with God. He wanted special help, and in return for that help, he was willing to worship God, and to tithe as a part of that worship. Tithing may have been part of the common worship practices of that time and culture, or it may have been an extra-special vow for those who desperately desired divine help.


Firstlings


Biblical commands about tithing are generally about grain, wine and oil.1 A different system of giving was required for some animals. In the last plague on Egypt, God killed the firstborn male of every animal and human, but he spared the Israelites and their animals. Therefore, God claimed ownership of every Israelite firstborn and firstling male animal (Exodus 13:2Numbers 3:13).


This applied not only to the generation that left Egypt,but every future generation as well. Firstlings of clean animals were to be given to the priests and sacrificed (Numbers 18:15-17); priests and people ate them during the festivals (Deuteronomy 15:19-2012:61714:23). Unclean animals and humans were to be redeemed (Exodus 13:12-1534:19-20). This continued to be the law in Nehemiah’s day (Nehemiah 10:36) and in Jesus’ day (Luke 2:23).


The people also gave firstfruits of their harvest (Exodus 23:1934:26Leviticus 2:14), but these firstfruits do not seem to be a fixed percentage.


Tithes


Tithing was required on flocks: “every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod”(Leviticus 27:32). Was this in addition to the firstlings, or was it instead of firstlings? We do not know exactly how these laws would be administered. It is not necessary for us to take a position on these details.


“A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord” (Leviticus 27:30).4 The tithes and firstfruits belonged to God, and he assigned the Levites to receive them on his behalf (Numbers 18:12-132124). They could keep 90 percent of what they were given, but had to give 10 percent as an offering (verses 26-32).


Tithing was done in the days of Hezekiah (2 Chr. 31:5-6), Nehemiah (Nehemiah 10:35-3912:44) and Jesus (Matthew 23:23Luke 11:42). In Malachi’s day, tithing was required (Malachi 3:8-10), and physical blessings were promised for obedience, just as physical blessings were promised for obedience to the old covenant.


Additional tithes?


God gave the tithes to the Levites, but the people could eat their tithes during festivals (Deuteronomy 12:5-717-1914:23). Some have concluded that Deuteronomy is talking about an additional tithe, a festival tithe. It is possible to have two tithes, but it is not possible to have two sets of firstborn animals. The firstlings were holy to the Lord, and given to the Levites (Numbers 18:15-17), but Deuteronomy 15:19-20 says that they were eaten by the people. Apparently the firstlings were shared between the original owners and the Levites. It is possible that the same is true of the tithe.5


The people needed a tithe for the festivals, since the festivals constituted about 5 percent of the year, plus travel time. During sabbatical years, farmers would not have their regular income, so they may not have been able to go to every festival in every year. Or perhaps they saved the festival tithe from year to year.


At the end of every three years of farming, the Israelites were to set aside a tithe for the Levites, resident aliens, orphans and widows (Deuteronomy 14:28-2926:12-15). It is not clear whether this was an alternative use of a previous tithe, or an additional tithe.6


Tithing in the new covenant


Now let us consider whether tithing is required in the new covenant. Tithing is mentioned only three or four times in the New Testament. Jesus acknowledged that the Pharisees were very careful about tithing (Luke 18:12), and he said that they should not leave it undone (Matthew 23:23Luke 11:42). Tithing, like other old covenant rules and rituals, was a law at the time Jesus spoke. Jesus criticized the Pharisees not for tithing, but for treating tithing as more important than mercy, love, justice and faithfulness.


The only other New Testament mention of tithing is in Hebrews. The fact that Abraham was blessed by and gave tithes to Melchizedek illustrates the superiority of Melchizedek and Jesus Christ over the Levitical priesthood (Hebrews 7:1-10). The passage then goes on to note that “when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also” (verse 12).


There was a change of the priesthood from the Levites to Jesus Christ, and this implies a change in the law that assigned the Levites to be priests. How much has been changed? Hebrews says that the old covenant is obsolete. The package of laws that commanded tithes to be given to the Levites is obsolete.


Humans should honor God by voluntarily returning some of the blessings he gives them — this is still a valid principle. The only place that a percentage is required is within the old covenant. There is good precedent for tithing before Sinai, but no proof that it was required.


Responding to the better covenant


Under the old covenant, tithing was required for the support of the old covenant ministers. The Israelites were required to give 10 percent — and their blessing was only a physical one! Christians in the new covenant have much better blessings — spiritual ones. How much more willingly ought we to give in thankfulness for the eternal blessings we have in Christ Jesus?


The Israelites were commanded to give 10 percent under a covenant that could not make them perfect (Hebrews 7:199:9). How much more joyfully should we give to God under the new covenant? We have the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which does cleanse our conscience (9:14). And yet it seems that in America today, even though we have so much more than the Israelites did, people give on average a much smaller percentage. Many people give less to the church than they spend on luxury items. Some people cannot give very much, but many people could if they wanted to. God calls on us to examine ourselves, to examine our priorities, and to be generous.


The old covenant gave us condemnation; the new covenant gives us justification and peace with God. How much more should we be willing to give freely and generously so God’s work can be done in the world — to proclaim the gospel, to declare the new covenant ministry that gives us true life, and gives that message of life to others?


People who entrust their lives to Jesus Christ do not worry about whether tithing is commanded in the New Testament. People who are being transformed by Christ to be more like Christ are generous. They want to give as much as possible to support the gospel and to support the poor. Christians should give generously — but giving is a result of their relationship with God, not a way to earn it. We are given grace through faith, not through tithing.


Some people act as if Christ liberates us from the law so that we can keep more physical blessings for ourselves. That is false — Christ liberates us so that we can be free to serve him more, as loving children and not merely as slaves. He frees us so we can have faith instead of selfishness.


When it comes to money, the real question is, Is our heart in the gospel of Jesus Christ? Are we putting our money where our heart is? We can tell where our heart is by seeing where we are putting our money. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” Jesus said (Matthew 6:21).


Needs in the new covenant ministry


In the new covenant church, there are financial needs — to support the poor, and to support the gospel by supporting those who preach it. Christians are obligated to give financial support for these needs. Let’s see how Paul explained this obligation in his second letter to the Corinthians.


Paul describes himself as a minister of the new covenant (2 Corinthians 3:6), which has much greater glory than the old (verse 8). Because of what Christ did for him in the new covenant, Christ’s love compelled Paul to preach the gospel, the message of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:11-21).


Paul exhorted the Corinthians “not to receive God’s grace in vain” (6:1). How were they in danger of doing this? Paul had gone out of his way to serve them, but they were withholding their affections from him (6:3-12). He asked them for a fair exchange, for them to open their hearts to him (6:13).


Paul told the Corinthians that they had a duty to give something in response to what they had been given. This response comes in terms of morality (6:14-7:1), which the Corinthians had done (7:8-13), and in terms of affection, which the Corinthians had also done (7:2-7), and in financial generosity, which Paul addresses in chapter 8. This is the way in which the Corinthians had closed their hearts to Paul and withheld their affections.


Paul cited the example of the Macedonian churches, who had given generously, even to the point of self-sacrifice (8:1-5). The example is powerful; the implications are strong that the Corinthians needed to respond to Paul’s sacrifices by making sacrifices themselves. But Paul did not make a command (8:8). Instead, he asked first for a turning of the heart. He wanted the Corinthians to give themselves to the Lord first, and then to support Paul. He wanted their gift to be done in sincere love, not from compulsion (8:5, 8). Paul reminded them that Christ had become poor for their sakes; the implication is that the Corinthians should make financial sacrifices in return.


But then Paul reminded the Corinthians that they could not give more than they had (8:12). Nor did they have to impoverish themselves to enrich others; Paul was only aiming for equity (8:13-14). Paul again expressed confidence in their willingness to give, and added the peer pressure of the Macedonian example and the boasting he had done in Macedonia about the generosity of the Corinthians (8:24-9:5).


Paul again noted that the offering must be done willingly, not from compulsion or given grudgingly (9:5, 7). He reminded them that God rewards generosity (9:6-11) and that a good example causes people to praise God and puts the gospel in a favorable setting (9:12-14).


This was a collection for the poor in Judea. But Paul said nothing about tithing. Rather, he appealed to the new covenant environment: Christ had made many sacrifices for them, so they ought to be willing to make a few sacrifices to help one another.


In asking for this offering, Paul was also making a financial sacrifice. He had a right to receive financial support himself, but instead of that, he was asking that the offering be given to others. Paul had not asked for any financial support from Corinth (11:7-11; 12:13-16). Instead, he had been supported by Macedonians (11:9).


Paul had a right to be supported by the Corinthians, but he did not use it (1 Corinthians 9:3-15). This passage tells us more about our Christian duty to give financial support to the gospel. Workers should be able to receive benefits of their work (9:7). The old covenant even made provision for oxen to be given benefits of their work (9:9).


Throughout his appeal, Paul does not cite any laws of tithing. He says that priests received benefits from their work in the temple (9:13), but he does not cite any percentage. Their example is cited in the same way as the example of soldiers, vineyard workers, herdsmen, oxen, plowers and threshers. It is simply a general principle. As Jesus said, “The worker deserves his wages” (Luke 10:7). Paul cited the oxen and wages scriptures again in 1 Timothy 5:17-18. Elders, especially those who preach and teach, should be honored financially as well as with respect.


Jesus also commanded, “those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:14). This implies that those who believe should provide a living for some who preach. There is a financial duty, and there is a promised reward for generosity (though that reward may not necessarily be physical or financial).


A need to be generous


Christians have received riches of God’s grace, and are to respond with generosity and giving. Christians are called to a life of service, sharing and stewardship. We have an obligation to do good. When we give ourselves to the Lord, we will give generously.


Jesus often taught about money. “Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me,” said Jesus to a rich man (Luke 18:22). He said the same thing to his disciples (12:33). The new covenant demands all that we have, and that is fair, since Jesus gave all he had for us. He praised a widow who put two coins into the temple treasury, because she gave “all she had” (21:4).


Wealth is often an enemy of faith. It can “choke” people and cause them to be spiritually unfruitful (8:14). “Woe to you who are rich,” Jesus warned (6:24). He warned us about the dangers of greed (12:15) and warned about the danger of storing up wealth for self without being “rich toward God” (12:16-21). When we use wealth to help others, we gain “treasure in heaven” (12:33). This helps us have our heart in heavenly things instead of earthly, temporary things (12:34).


“No servant can serve two masters…. You cannot serve both God and money” (16:13). But money competes for our allegiance; it tempts us to seek our own desires rather than the needs of the kingdom. After the rich man went away sad, Jesus exclaimed: “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God” (18:24-25).


All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™  Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com


Other popular articles


This article was written by Michael Morrison in 1995 and updated in 2012. Copyright Grace Communion International. All rights reserved.


Conclusion


Christians need to give, to share their resources and blessings with others. They have a duty to support the preaching of the gospel, to give financial support to their spiritual leaders, and the church needs this support. If disciples of Jesus Christ can give, but do not, they are falling short.


The old covenant required 10 percent. The new covenant does not specify a percentage, nor do we. However, the new covenant admonishes people to give what they can, and tithing still provides an instructive point of comparison. For some people, 10 percent may be too much. But some will be able to give more, and some are doing so. Christians should examine their own circumstances and the better blessings they have been given in the new covenant through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ for us and the gift of the Holy Spirit to us. Contributions should be given to the church for its collective work of preaching the gospel and the expenses involved in the local ministry and congregational needs.


Likewise, the new covenant does not specify any particular percentage for assisting the poor. Instead, it asks for equity — and we certainly have room for improvement in this.


The old covenant required simple percentages. Everyone knew how much was required. The new covenant has no set percentages. Instead, it requires more soul-searching, more training for the conscience, more selfless love for others, more faith, more voluntary sacrifice and less compulsion. It tests our values, what we treasure most, and where our hearts are.


Endnotes


1 The Bible describes tithing in an agricultural economy. It does not tell us whether, or how, potters, carpenters, merchants, etc. calculated tithes.


2 For the generation that left Egypt, God made a grand substitution: Instead of the firstborn male of each family and flock, God accepted the tribe of Levi and all its animals (Numbers 3:40-508:16-18).


3 It is not clear how this worked. Was the entire flock counted, or only the lambs? In bad years, the flock would come back no larger than it had been the previous year, so it wouldn’t make sense to tithe on all the adults again, since there would have been no increase. Perhaps the “rod” served in some way to separate lambs from adults.


4 It might be argued that the tithes were holy and therefore had always been holy, even before the old covenant was made. That is possible, but it cannot be proven. The firstlings were also holy to the Lord, but this was based on events of the Exodus, not on creation. “Once holy, always holy” is not a valid principle.


5 A separate tithe for festival use is described in the apocryphal book of Tobit 1:6-8, Josephus’ Antiquities 4.4.3; 4.8.8; 4.8.22, and the second-century B.C. book Jubilees32:10-14. Some sources suggest that this second tithe was calculated on the basis of the 90 percent left after the first tithe, not the original 100 percent (Sanders, Judaism: Practice and Belief 63 BCE–66 CE, p. 167; International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, “Tithe,” vol. 4, p. 863, citing the Mishna Maaser sheni 2.1.)


6 As noted above, Tobit, Josephus and Jubilees give evidence for three tithes. The Mishnah, however, combines the festival tithe and the poor tithe: the second tithe being used for the festival in years 1, 2, 4 and 5, and being used for the poor in years 3 and 6 out of the seven-year farming cycle (Sanders, p. 149). Since farmers had an increase in only six out of every seven years, they gave on average 3.3 percent of their increase to the poor. If tradesmen tithed (and no biblical law required them to) they would give about 2.8 percent on average, since they had income even during sabbatical and jubilee years.





DOES GOD EXPECT CHRISTIANS TO TITHE FOR FINANCIAL BLESSINGS?

1 Goober And The Bomber Brothers

[jwplayer mediaid="7376"]



1 Goober And The Bomber Brothers

SURF PHOTOGRAPHER CLARK LITTLE RIDES THE BIG ONES


SURF PHOTOGRAPHER CLARK LITTLE RIDES THE BIG ONES

SURF PHOTOGRAPHER CLARK LITTLE RIDES THE BIG ONES


SURF PHOTOGRAPHER CLARK LITTLE RIDES THE BIG ONES

Tuesday, July 22, 2014