What do Joel Osteen and the Timothy McVeigh have in common? Mother Teresa and Hitler?

Pastor Don Green of Truth Community Fellowship preached an excellent sermon on February 2, 2014 titled Who is Satan?

He posed a question at the beginning of the sermon, asking, "Have we underestimated satan?" It is a question that I believe has a resounding 'yes' for an answer. I recommend the sermon, which is unvarnished truth about satan, satanic schemes, and the demonic horde, combined with a look at the grace of Jesus. Meanwhile, here are some transcribed excerpts,

Paul wrote, "But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons," (1 Timothy 4:1)

These doctrines of demons, Pastor Green said, are "not necessarily going to be fiery displays of evil, it will be things cloaked in things that sound palatable to the human ear, things that sound plausible. Things that give you the sense that you can work your way into heaven, or that ultimately God is going forgive everyone and no one will go to hell. Or perhaps that God isn’t as holy, or that you’re not as bad as the scripture says you to be. The vast diversity of evil that the devil propagates through so many different systems shouldn’t confuse us to the ultimate fact that there is a common root."

Pastor Green made the point that there are only two sides. There is the Spirit of truth, and the father of lies. There is no in between. He said, "Satan is the father of every lie that opposes the Gospel. He is a liar and the father of lies."

You know that if someone is not from God, they are of the devil. Truth is not relative. Biblical truth is either/or. (Mark 9:40).

Pastor Green explained,

When we see false doctrine being taught, we need to understand there is more going on than a man who is mistaken. There is a spiritual force at work whether the man is aware of it or not. Men become the mouthpiece of the deceiver of souls. What should frighten us is that satan has the supernatural capacity to make himself look like, to present himself as one who is bringing light, not darkness.

In my never-ending quest to starkly illustrate the truth of the bible's words, and that it is the same evil behind all that opposes God, no matter how 'gentle' it first appears, here are a series of paired photographs.

The same evil that spurred Charles Manson to become a cult leader and a murderer is behind the Pope, too, who is also a cult leader and a murderer of truth and souls, creating sons of hell. (Matthew 23:15)

The same evil that whispered to Hitler to roast Jews in ovens

is behind the Catholic Mother Teresa, whose refusal to share the Gospel sent many to roasting in hell forever, and who said, "There are so many religions and each one has its different ways of following God. I follow Christ".

The same evil that is behind Timothy McVeigh and his bombing of the Murrah building in Oklahoma City, killing children in the daycare there along with many others,

is behind Joel Osteen, whose doctrines of demons delude millions every week. Many wither on his vine and die weekly

Too awful to contemplate? Yes, it is. The murderous, unsaved men such as Manson, Hitler and McVeigh are children of the father of lies and it is the same spirit that popes, preachers, and religious workers in false religions serve, too. When they die, unless they repent, they all will go to the place where the father of lies is prepared for, hell. Popes, "Mother" Teresa, and Joel Osteen all present themselves as workers of light, but they are in fact all darkness and their evil deeds are the same as the aforementioned men in the murderous category. They all have a common root. Satan.

Here is another either/or: 
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life." (Galatians 6:7-8)

The good news is that satan has been vanquished by our holy and wonderful Jesus. Jesus came to live as a man for 33 years, teaching and preaching for the last three. He was unjustly killed, shedding His blood for sinners, and exhausted God's wrath for us. Pleased with His Son's sacrifice, Jesus was raised from the dead by the power of God on the third day, and has ascended to the Father. Jesus will return in glory to judge the living and the dead.

I'll paraphrase what Pastor Green said about the urgency of the message. I don't know if you will be here tomorrow to read these things on this blog or any other blog. I don't know if I'll be here tomorrow to repeat them. Your eternal soul is at stake. Please take this seriously. Satan is real, he is a devourer of souls, and if you're not in Christ at this moment, you're blinded to the fact that you're standing on a gossamer web hanging over hell. Your foot shall slide in due time, and your fate will be sealed. Come to Christ now,

"And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain-- for He says, "AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU." Behold, now is "THE ACCEPTABLE TIME," behold, now is "THE DAY OF SALVATION." (2 Corinthians 6:1-2)

NINE MARKS OF A PROSPERITY GOSPEL CHURCH

By D.A. Horton | 1.7.2014

How do you assess a prosperity gospel church?

The first nine years of my walk with Christ were spent in such an environment, followed by two years in theological rehab, which prepared me for the next six years of pastoring in the urban context. What’s become clear to me is that the nine marks of a healthy church provide a useful grid for assessing any church, including those that teach the prosperity gospel.

And what we find is that a prosperity gospel church is a purely anti-nine marks church.

Some of the examples in what follows are specific and may not identify with you the reader. Many however are universal and are propagated by preachers on the internet, radio, and television. Since the prosperity gospel movement is inter-denominational, the teachings expressed in this article are not to be associated with any one denomination within evangelical Christianity.

1. EXPOSITIONAL PREACHING

Preaching in prosperity gospel churches is far from expositional. Instead, the purpose of preaching is to motivate hearers to give financially, and you give to get. Preachers exploit the passages that deal with the sacrificial giving of tithes and offerings week in and week out. They instruct hearers to activate their faith by sowing a “faith seed,” thereby taping into God’s law of reciprocity and leading to their own financial breakthrough.

Isolated Old Testament passages are often used as examples of God's abundant reward for faith giving. One passage often used to manipulate hearers into giving more is Malachi 3:10. Prosperity preachers highlight two points from this passage. First, they tell hearers they are robbing God by not tithing. Second, they assure hearers that God wants them to test him by giving more, so that he can give them more.

But consider Malachi 3:10 in its proper context. The Israelites were robbing God by not giving enough food to the national storehouse that was used to feed the priests of Israel. So the priests were having to leave their priestly duties and take up farming to survive (see Neh. 13:10-13). God therefore exhorts Israel to test him by giving obediently. If they did, he would reward them as he did in the past (2 Chr. 31:7-10). The point of this entire passage concerns a historically specific episode in the life of Israel. Preaching it as a Christian sermon, however, requires more than transferring its commands and promises to Christians on a one-to-one basis. Yes, there are larger applications for the Christian concerning giving, but first one needs to account for the differences between old covenant and new, especially the nature of God’s promises to Israel and the manner in which they are fulfilled for the Christian in Christ.

A healthy church uses preaching to communicate God’s words to his people. It confronts the hearer with God’s truth and leads to conviction, encouragement, clarity, and a call to action. It also centers every text around the gospel in order to show the hearer how central and necessary Jesus Christ is to the believer living in obedience to God's word. A healthy church will inform believers that the results of holy living will not necessarily be financial gain but rather godliness that honors our Lord.

2. BIBLICAL THEOLOGY

Prosperity gospel theology rests upon the foundational error that man shares a form of deity with God, such that our words carry the same creative power as God’s words. Psalm 82:6, Proverbs 18:20-21, and Romans 4:17 are popular proof texts used to support this falsehood. It is often said that man is a “lower-case god” and possesses the power to demonstrate deity by speaking things into existence, creating and controlling our destiny with words, and even mandating a frustrated and limited God to act on our behalf for our benefit.

But none of these proof texts support these prosperity teachings. In Psalm 82:6, the Psalmist is crying out to God regarding the immoral judges who were governing the nation of Israel. God speaks directly to the erring judges by addressing them as “gods” to highlight the fact they were judging the nation in his place. They were to use his word as their standard of judgment. In the very next verse God reminds them they are not eternal beings. Instead they are mere men who have failed to live and judge righteously. This passage is not elevating man to a demigod status. Neither is it providing man with the ability to act with sovereign authority. Instead, the only true and living God is judging the immoral actions of these judges.

Proverbs 18:20-21 is a principle, not a promise, and it outlines two truths. The first is that our words do not dictate our destiny; rather, they display the conditions of our heart. Secondly, there are times when our words will cause us to endure consequences. This passage does not promise us the power to declare the length of our life. Neither does it pronounce God powerlessness to save us if we curse ourselves to death, as some prosperity teachers have taught.

In Romans 4:17 Paul teaches that God justified Abraham and declared him the father of nations while Abraham was still childless. This passage has nothing to do with saints speaking into existence more money, job promotions, or even the salvation of lost loved ones. This passage is in fact championing the truth that God is the only one who can call things into existence.

A healthy church teaches its members sound doctrine that is rooted in Scriptures that are kept in context. Sound doctrine is healthy teaching that provides the hearer with the biblical nutrients needed to grow to maturity in Christ (2 Tim. 3:16-17). In order for a church to be healthy, they must teach the whole Bible, in the context of the whole Bible, and root all of their doctrinal convictions in the whole Bible, instead of pulling passages out of context (1 Tim. 1:5; Titus 2:1-10; 2 John 1-6).

3. THE GOSPEL

In many prosperity gospel churches the message of the gospel is identified with the material blessings of the Abrahamic covenant. Although Christ’s perfect life, death, burial, and resurrection are proclaimed, and salvation through Christ alone is championed, many prosperity gospel preachers say the evidence of a person’s belief in the gospel is whether they receive the blessings promised to Abraham by God (Gen. 12-15).

I’ve found this teaching leading people to one of two conclusions. If someone has prosperity and health, they conclude that they are saved because they’re enjoying the promises of Abraham. But if these blessings are not seen in the life of the believer, they don’t have enough faith. They’re in sin. They need to give more tithes. Or perhaps they have not fully trusted in Jesus Christ and need to become born again in order to receive the blessings of Abraham.

In contrast, healthy churches unashamedly proclaim the whole counsel of the biblical gospel. This includes the truth that we were created in God's image (Gen. 1:26-27), we once had open fellowship with God (Gen. 2:7-25), and yet because our first father Adam sinned all of humanity was separated both physically (Gen. 3:1-19) and spiritually (Rom. 5:12) from the holy and righteous God who created us. Since humanity has been separated from God because of sin, the penalty to atone for sin is the shedding of blood and death (Lev. 1:3-17). The beauty of the gospel is fact that Jesus Christ, who has eternally existed as God (John 1:1), became a man (John 1:14), lived a perfect life according to God’s law (Heb. 7:26), and shed his blood while dying in the place of sinners (Mark 10:45 and 2 Peter 2:24). Jesus was buried in a tomb for three days (Matt. 27:57-66) and on the third day rose from the grave (Matt. 28:1-8). Now he calls all people to repent of their sins and trust in him in order to be reconciled to God and receive eternal life (Jn. 3:16).

The biblical gospel does not promise that Christians will be wealthy and prosperous in this life in fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham. Instead, Christians are “blessed” in Abraham in that we receive the Spirit (Gal. 3:14), and we will receive not just land, but the entire new creation, in the age to come (Rom. 4:13, Rev. 21-22).

4. CONVERSION

Conversion in a prosperity gospel church involves an uneasy mix of opposites: easy-believism and salvation by works. Prosperity preachers are known to teach a sinner is “saved” when they finish reciting the “sinners prayer.” After this simple salvation takes place, the new believer is to submit him or herself to the leadership and teachings of the church, tithe regularly, give offerings often, and strive to serve on a continual basis in ministry at the church. As long as a person does these things, he or she maintains salvation. But if one stops them for an elongated period of time, one can lose it. In order to advance this teaching, pastors have been known to use psychological and scriptural manipulation to get the members of the church to do various acts of service in the name of ministry to the Lord. Their service, he promises, will prevent them from “falling from grace” and losing their salvation.

Some prosperity gospel adherents burn out and become angry with their leaders. They begin to question the ministry’s methods and refuse to comply with its demands. I’ve watched pastors who sensed they were losing control of this type of person respond by claiming that the member is in rebellion, causing division, and on a trajectory to lose their salvation unless they repent and begin serving again. In these cases 1 Samuel 15:23was used as the proof text to point out the consequences of the person’s actions and to dissuade others from following. But this verse speaks of King Saul’s direct disobedience to a command of God, not a genuine believer who questions unbiblical teaching or church practices. 

A healthy church lovingly teaches the biblical view of conversion. In the Bible we read that conversion takes place when the biblical gospel is preached (Rom. 1:16-17, 10:9-17) and the sinner repents of their sins and puts their trust in Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19; Rom. 3:21-26). Conversion happens when God the Holy Spirit causes the sinner who is dead in sin to become alive in Christ (John 3:3-8; Eph. 2:1-10). Biblical conversion puts the focus on repentance and belief in the work of Christ, not simply saying a prayer and serving to the point of exhaustion for fear of losing one’s salvation.

5. EVANGELISM

Prosperity gospel churches often teach evangelism must be coupled with a demonstration of signs and wonders. When these two elements are combined it is said that sinners will repent and believe in Jesus. I’ve heard people say in pre-evangelistic times of prayer that sinners will not repent unless they see physical evidence of the supernatural work of God the Holy Spirit as listed in Mark 16:15-16.

Since the inclusion of this passage in the original and oldest most trusted manuscripts is disputed, it is unwise to build one’s doctrinal stance on this passage alone. Further, mandating that people demonstrate the signs in this passage in order to be effective in evangelism is dangerous and manipulative.

Biblical evangelism is proclaiming the gospel and calling sinners to repentance. The gospel needs no upgrades, bells, or whistles in order to be effective (1 Cor. 15:1-4). The Bible is clear that the preached gospel is powerful to save sinners (Rom. 1:16, 10:17).

6. CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

Prosperity gospel churches often equate church membership with regular attendance, tithing, and service—with or without a formal commitment. People are often “grandfathered” into church membership if they do these things long enough. In one case I recall a person who attended the church for over two decades, received the benefits of membership, yet never formally joined the church. They felt no need to since they gave financially and served weekly. I’ve watched people in such circumstances live in open sin and avoid church discipline.

A healthy church presents church membership as a blessing and mandate for the believer. The blessing is that the church affirms the believer’s faith and builds the believer up in love (Eph. 4:11-16). The mandate is that Jesus requires Christians to submit to his authority by submitting to the church’s authority. You’re not truly a member of the body if you can simply detach at will.

7. CHURCH DISCIPLINE

I’ve witnessed church discipline in prosperity gospel churches land on one of two extremes. The first was an informal excommunication where the biblical protocol for church discipline was not followed (i.e., Matt. 18:15-17; 1 Cor. 5:1-13; 2 Cor. 2:6; 2 Thess. 3:6-15). The individuals said to be living in sin were “disfellowshipped” from the church in private only to be spoken of in public as those we were not have contact with because of their rebellion.

The second extreme was for leadership to completely ignore the sin of either another leader, popular member, or both. When this approach was used, the leaders who knew the person’s unrepentant habitual sin willfully refused to acknowledge and deal with it. Sadly, I witnessed leaders members who brought up the sin of other members with statements like, “God forgives and his love covers the multitudes of your sins,” and “only God can judge them.” In the case of sinning leaders remaining in ministry, it was said “the gifts of God come without repentance” a distortion of Romans 11:29. Prosperity preachers often use 1 Chronicles 16:22(“Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!”) as a repellant for questions from members of their congregation. Sometimes prosperity gospel churches have been known to cover the sin of a leader by sending them on a sabbatical in place of practicing 1 Timothy 5:17-20.

Healthy churches embrace God’s desire for a pure, holy church. As they help their people grow in Christlikeness, they will shine like stars in the world (Eph. 4:11-32; Phil. 2:1-18). Healthy churches understand that leaders are not exempt from temptation, lapses of judgment, and sin. Healthy churches then teach and follow the biblical prescription for church discipline, including discipline of leaders (1 Tim. 5:17-20).

8. DISCIPLESHIP

Discipleship in prosperity gospel churches often tends toward co-dependency with the pastor or another prominent church leader. The entry level of discipleship is known as the “armor-bearer” stage. An armor-bearer in Scripture was a person who carried the weapons of their leader and protected them (1 Sam. 14:6-7and 2 Sam. 18:15). But in prosperity gospel churches, armor-bearer has become an unofficial office. New converts who want to grow in their walk with God are placed in a cohort. This cohort is trained to serve the emotional, physical, and spiritual needs of the pastor or church leader. The pastor will often commission armor-bearers to engage in activities ranging from carrying his Bible to paying his bills, all in the name of “ministry.” In some extreme cases I’ve counseled ex-armor-bearers who were instructed to give the pastor massages after he preached, and even sexual favors.

If an armor-bearer sticks around long enough, they can earn a promotion that comes with a title, licensure to preach, and even ordination. Most often, the pastor does this to pad the stats of his ministry as many of these ordained men (and sometimes women) sit on the sidelines cheering the pastor on while he preaches. I’ve known some pastors to boast in having dozens of ordained men sit under them for decades. Rarely are these ordained ministers sent out to plant churches, revitalize dying churches, or engage in vocational ministry overseas. Sadly, in one instance I counseled someone who sat under a pastor for over fifteen years as an ordained minister and was never once instructed about the biblical qualifications of an elder.

A healthy church disciples its people to depend more on Jesus, not a pastor or church leader. Believers grow by deepening their knowledge of Jesus (2 Pet. 3:18), and, by the power of the Spirit, imitating Jesus (1 Cor. 4:16, 11:1; Eph. 5:1). Biblical disciples produce more biblical disciples, not dependents (2 Tim. 2:2; Titus 2:1-8).

9. CHURCH LEADERSHIP

Prosperity gospel preachers often receive undying support from their members because the people live vicariously through their pastor. If the pastor’s platform and bank account grow, the members of the flock celebrate as if the prosperity were their own. Some congregations want their pastor to have the newest top-of-the-line car, wear expensive name-brand clothing, and live in a large home in order that God’s blessings would trickle down to them. I was once told, “If my pastor is living large, he's paving the way for me and my family to live large.”

In many cases, the pastor is said to be God's voice to the congregation, and therefore has unquestioned authority. The leadership structure varies between a C.E.O. model and a monarchy. I’ve often seen others appointed as pastors or elders not based on biblical qualifications but because of their occupation and closeness to the pastor.

A healthy churches champions biblically qualified leaders. 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 are passages that clearly lay out qualifications for the men who would lead God’s church. The qualifications emphasize the man’s character, not his occupation or friendship with the pastor. Elders are to shepherd the flock, feed them with healthy doctrine, lead in humility, and defend them from false teachers.

SHEEP WITHOUT A SHEPHERD

There is unceasing grief in my heart for people who are under all or some of the teachings highlighted here. They are like the weary, scattered sheep without a shepherd on whom Jesus had compassion (Matt. 9:36). These precious souls of Jesus’ day were being abused, distressed, and harassed by their leaders. They knew no other way of life since it was their own religious leaders who treated them this way. Jesus responded by telling his disciples to pray for the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.

The grief I share for the weary and scattered sheep of today drives me to do two things: pray for the Lord to send out laborers who will seek and serve these scattered sheep, and labor to lead a healthy church in order to reach the sheep in my city. I pray this article has helped kindle a fire in your heart for seeing healthy churches serving cities across the globe.

D.A. Horton is executive director of ReachLife Ministries, the non-profit ministry of Reach Records. Prior to serving at ReachLife, D.A. was an urban church planter in Kansas City, Missouri.

The story of Lucy Nduta: of ravenous false prophets and dead sheep

This post originally appeared here

Readers of this blog are aware that I enjoyed the good biblical preaching at the recent Strange Fire conference. That was a conference that sought to refute the claims of the Charismatic movement, to rebuke the leaders of it, and to urge the brethren to pray for discernment so they will be able to detect falsity if it creeps in to their church (or heart).

The Charismatic movement is a movement which is based on the unbiblical notion that personally delivered prophecies, babbling tongues, and healing by men laying hands on the sick (sign gifts) are still going strong as they were at Pentecost and during the Apostolic era.

These sign gifts have ceased, and the preaching at the conference showed this. One of the speakers was Pastor Conrad Mbewe. Pastor Mbewe is pastor of Kabwata Baptist Church in Zambia, Africa. He spoke at John MacArthur's Strange Fire conference in Sun Valley, Calif., on Oct. 18, 2013. His first sermon was titled,  The African Import of Charismatic Chaos. He has been observing the growth of the Charismatic movement in his nation and beyond, for over thirty years. He has personally been impacted by it, as he said, not just from books but in every day life.

His second message was titled "Are We Preachers or Witch Doctors?" In this sermon, Pastor Mbewe related how the African mindset of the lost person, having been drenched in witch doctor superstition, will readily accept the unbiblical precepts inherent in the Charismatic movement because the two are extremely similar.

The lost person is desperate. It is the default condition of the lost person. They are wandering, empty, their lives are void of meaning. They also have life issues that may be very difficult to deal with and because they don't have Christ, they do not have a lasting coping mechanism.

The sick, particularly, look for cures from any quarter: medicines, homeopathic, psychology, or spiritual remedies. The sick are often all too vulnerable and willing to grasp any person who claims to have a way, a cure, a method.

This is where Lucy Nduta comes in.

This woman is from Kenya. She calls herself Prophetess Lucy Nduta, and she preaches. In 2007, Worldwide Religious News printed the following, originally printed in the East African Standard

Churches Sow Miracles
"Nairobi, Kenya - The sprouting of countless charismatic churches in the country has heralded a new breed of church leaders and worshippers with strong faith in the power of miracles. An increasing number of Kenyans are turning to 'sowing the seed' (giving huge sums of money for offering and tithe) at the prompting of church ministers who promise them to expect prosperity. However, it appears there are 'men and women of God' who are out to take advantage of the unwavering faith and ignorance of worshippers. These are people who hide self-interest under the cloak of religion. They quote biblical verses to suit their intentions and convince the congregation of the need to give more in order to receive more."

What Lucy Nduta did was, in the name of Jesus, take sick people's money, supposedly pray for them, and lie to them they were healed. But it gets worse, because it gets more diabolical.

Nduta preyed on people with HIV/AIDS, a scourge that particularly affects the people of the African continent. Nduta would claim that she had the power to heal people suffering from HIV/AIDS through her miracle working porayers, and then herd them to a clinic/lab she had built near her church. The sick people would get tested there, and because Nduta owned the lab, she would have the workers give clean bills of health to these unfortunately trusting people, lab reports that were totally bogus. The people really thought they were cured, and sought no further treatment. And of course in gratitude they tithed heavily to Nduta. They, they died.

The Africa Report stated, "The police later found out that the clinics were her own creation to lure people. She was consequently sentenced to two years in prison. Despite these revelations, thousands still fill churches each Sunday waiting for miracles to happen in their lives."

Nduta was sentenced in 2008 and got out of prison in 2010.

False pastors who shred the sheep are a scourge. When the verse says-

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves."(Matthew 7:15)

Ravenous means, 'Extremely hungry; voracious, Rapacious; predatory, Greedy for gratification'. Ravenous predators never stop. They eat and kill and eat and kill. That is what they do.

Nduta and now her son, are at it again. This report is from last week, Nov 4, 2013-

"Self-styled prophetess Lucy Nduta Mwangi has called in to defend her activities and that of her son, another self-declared prophet Victor Kanyari. Nduta says there is nothing wrong with what she and her son have been doing adding that they will continue asking for what is called seed money.

The report above ends with the announcer stating that the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya will convene to discus and strategize how to deal with the sudden rise of fake preachers in Kenya.

Ravenous is what wolves are. So if you believe that opening yourself just a tiny bit to doctrines which false prophets bring, you are very, very wrong.

An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?  (Jeremiah 5:30-31)

FALSE PROPHETS AND LYING WONDERS

John MacArthur
Have you noticed that no matter how many times charismatic televangelists make outlandish false prophecies, they never lack for followers, and they don't stop claiming the Lord has spoken directly to them?
Benny Hinn, for example, made a series of celebrated prophetic utterances in December of 1989, none of which came true. He confidently told his congregation at the Orlando Christian Center that God had revealed to him Fidel Castro would die sometime in the 1990s; the homosexual community in America would be destroyed by fire before 1995; and a major earthquake would cause havoc on the east coast before the year 2000. He was wrong on all counts, of course.
That did not deter Hinn, who simply kept making bold new false prophecies. At the beginning of the new millennium, he announced to his television audience that a prophetess had informed him Jesus would soon appear physically in some of Hinn's healing meetings. Hinn said he was convinced the prophecy was authentic, and on his April 2, 2000, broadcast, he amplified it with a prophecy of his own: "Now hear this, I am prophesying this! Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is about to appear physically in some churches, and some meetings, and to many of His people, for one reason: to tell you He is about to show up! To wake up! Jesus is coming saints!"
Hinn's failed prophesies are more outlandish but nearly as memorable as the notorious claims Oral Roberts began making about three decades ago. In 1977 Roberts said he saw a vision of a 900-foot-tall Jesus, who instructed him to build the City of Faith, a 60-story hospital in south Tulsa. Roberts said God told him He would use the center to unite medical technology with faith healing, which would revolutionize health care and enable doctors to find a cure for cancer.
The building, completed in the early 1980s, was a colossal white elephant from the very start. When the City of Faith opened for business, all but two stories of the massive structure were completely vacant.
By January of 1987 the project was saddled with unmanageable debt, and Roberts announced that the Lord had said unless Roberts raised eight million dollars to pay the debt by March 1, he would die. Apparently not willing to test the death-threat prophecy, donors dutifully gave Roberts the needed funds in time (with the help of $1.3 million donated at the last hour by a Florida dog-track owner).
But within two years, Roberts was forced to close the medical center anyway and sell the building in order to eliminate still-mounting debt. More than 80 percent of the building had never been occupied. The promised cure for cancer never materialized, either.
A list of similar failed charismatic prophesies could fill several volumes. And yet, amazingly, the "prophets" who make such fantastic claims now appear to have more influence than ever—even among mainstream evangelicals. And the idea that God routinely speaks directly to His people has found more widespread acceptance today than at any time in the history of the church.
The charismatic movement began barely a hundred years ago, and its influence on evangelicalism can hardly be overstated. Its chief legacy has been an unprecedented interest in extrabiblical revelation. Millions influenced by charismatic doctrine are convinced that God speaks to them directly all the time. Indeed, many seem to believe direct revelation is the main means through which God communicates with His people. "The Lord told me ... " has become a favorite cliche of experience-driven evangelicals.
Not all who believe God speaks to them make prophetic pronouncements as outlandish as those broadcast by charismatic televangelists, of course. But they still believe God gives them extrabiblical messages—either through an audible voice, a vision, a voice in their heads, or simply an internal impression. In most cases, their "prophecies" are comparatively trivial. But the difference between them and Benny Hinn's predictions is a difference only of scale, not of substance.
The notion that God is giving extrabiblical messages to Christians today has received support from some surprising sources. Wayne Grudem, popular author and professor of theology and biblical studies at Phoenix Seminary believes God regularly gives Christians prophetic messages by simply bringing spontaneous thoughts to mind. Such impressions should be reported as prophecy, he says.[1]
Similar ideas have found sweeping acceptance even among non-charismatic Christians. Southern Baptists have eagerly devoured Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby and Claude King, which suggests that the main way the Holy Spirit leads believers is by speaking to them directly. According to Blackaby, when God gives an individual a message that pertains to the church, it should be shared with the whole body.[2] As a result, extrabiblical "words from the Lord" are now commonplace even in some Southern Baptist circles.
Why do so many modern Christians seek revelation from God through means other than Scripture? Certainly not because it is a reliable way to discover truth. All sides admit that modern prophecies are often completely erroneous. In fact, the failure rate is astonishingly high. In my book Charismatic Chaos I quoted one leading "prophet" who was thrilled because he believed that two-thirds of his prophecies were accurate. "Well that's better than it's ever been up to now, you know. That's the highest level it's ever been."[3]
In other words, modern prophecy is not a much more reliable way to discern truth than a Magic Eight-Ball or Tarot cards. And, I would add, it is equally superstitious. There is no warrant anywhere in Scripture for Christians to listen for fresh revelation from God beyond what He has already given us in His written Word. In fact, Scripture unsparingly condemns all who speak even one word falsely or presumptuously in the Lord's name (Deut. 18:20-22). But such warnings are simply ignored these days by those who claim to have heard afresh from God.
And not surprisingly, wherever there is a preoccupation with "fresh" prophecy, there is invariably a corresponding neglect of the Scriptures. After all, why be concerned with an ancient Book if the Living God communicates directly with us on a daily basis? These fresh words of "revelation" naturally seem more relevant and more urgent than the familiar words of the Bible. Is it any wonder that they draw people away from Scripture?
That is precisely why modern evangelicalism's infatuation with extrabiblical revelation is so dangerous. It is a return to medieval superstition and a departure from our fundamental conviction that the Bible is our sole, supreme, and sufficient authority for all of life. In other words, it represents a wholesale abandonment of the principle of sola Scriptura.
The absolute sufficiency of Scripture is summed up well in this section from the Westminster Confession of Faith:

The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man's salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men (1.6, emphasis added).

Historic Protestantism is grounded in the conviction that the canon is closed. No "new" revelation is necessary, because Scripture is complete and absolutely sufficient.
Scripture itself is clear that the day of God's speaking directly to His people through various prophetic words and visions is past. The truth God has revealed in Christ including the complete New Testament canon is His final word (Heb. 1:1-2; cf. Jude 3; Rev. 22:18-19).
Scripture—the written Word of God—is perfectly sufficient, containing all the revelation we need. Notice 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Paul tells Timothy:
From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
That passage makes two very important statements that pertain to the issue we are looking at. First, "All Scripture is inspired by God." Scripture speaks with the authority of God Himself. It is certain; it is reliable; it is true. Jesus Himself prayed in John 17:17: "Your word is truth." Psalm 119:160 says, "The entirety of Your word is truth."
Those statements all set Scripture above every human opinion, every speculation, and every emotional sensation. Scripture alone stands as definitive truth. It speaks with an authority that transcends every other voice.
Second, The passage teaches that Scripture is utterly sufficient, "able to make you wise for salvation ... [and able to make you] complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." What clearer affirmation of the absolute sufficiency of Scripture could anyone ask for? Are extrabiblical messages from God necessary to equip us to glorify Him? Certainly not.
Those who seek fresh messages from God have in effect scorned the absolute certainty and absolute sufficiency of the written Word of God. And they have set in its place their own fallen and fallible imaginations.
If the church does not return to the principle of sola Scriptura, the only revival we will see is a revival of the superstition and darkness that characterized medieval religion.
Does this mean God has stopped speaking? Certainly not, but He speaks today through His Word.
Does the Spirit of God move our hearts and impress us with specific duties or callings? Certainly, but He works through the Word of God to do that. Such experi­ences are in no sense prophetic or authoritative. They are not revelation, but the effect of illumination, when the Holy Spirit applies the Word to our hearts and opens our spiritual eyes to its truth. We must guard carefully against allowing our experience and our own subjective thoughts and imaginations to eclipse the authority and the certainty of the more sure Word.

---

[1]. The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testa­ment and Today (Wheaton: Crossway, 1988).
[2]. (Nashville, TN: LifeWay, 1990), 168.
[3]. Charismatic Chaos (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992), 67.



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THIS 'N' THAT

One might think that a man's dinner menu isn't exactly newsworthy. That is, unless you're the pope. Apparently if you wear a big, sparkly hat and allow millions of people to call you Holy Father, then what you put into your mouth is worthy of a news write-up by Religion News Service: 

Baked skinless chicken, salad, fruit and a glass of simple wine hardly seems like food fit for a king. But it does seem to be a meal fit for a pope. 

Pope Francis is becoming well known for his simple tastes: As Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, he carried his own bags when traveling, preferred public transportation to chauffeur-driven limousines, and, the stories go, cooks meals for himself. 

His humble lifestyle extends to the kitchen, a stark contrast with his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who before becoming pope relished feasting on fettuccine with shrimp, zucchini and saffron.

(Source)

photo credit: amanky via photopin cc

Look, we get it. We're supposed to revere Pope Francis not just because he's miraculously been granted powers of infallibility, but because he's 'humble.' Never mind the fact that the very office of pope is an ostentatious one. Let's face it, humble popes don't exist.

And if we're going to judge a man's humility by his menu, well, then us bloggers ought to be some of the most humble men and women of them all. Sure, Pope Francis used to live in a little apartment, take the bus, and eats skinless chicken and salad. But us bloggers live in our mother's basements, spend our days in a beanbag chair, and maintain a steady diet of Cheetos and Mountain Dew. I mean, if we want to have a humility contest, who do you really think is going to win? The guy in the robes with a massive silver cross around his neck, or the sweatpants-wearing blogger?

Well, it's about time for me to go prepare a humble lunch, so while I do that, please go ahead and enjoy your week in review (kind of):

• Heads up: the Holy Spirit and the Shekinah glory are scheduled to be in Houston from 28–31 March. Plan your calendar and your prayers accordingly.

• Interesting questions on this Texas fifth-grader's exam about 9/11.

• The Cripplegate has had a few really good articles about Roman Catholicism, the papacy, etc. In this one, Steve Meister talks about alleviating the protestant inferiority complex. He also rightly observes, "Since the Pope misrepresents the evangel, the gospel, I fail to grasp how he could ever excite evangelicals."

• Up to 20 churches are leaving C.J. Mahaney's Sovereign Grace Ministries "because of disputes over the leadership capabilities of the group's president, Pastor C.J. Mahaney, and its executive board."

• Steve Lawson on Proverbs 31.

• Hm. I thought everyone who has been praising 'The Bible' miniseries said it would lead people to read the actual Bible, not a chintzy novel written by a New Age Roman Catholic.

• Jim Wallis likes 'The Bible' miniseries and has produced commentary video clips that appear on the production's website. Think about that.

• The Internet probably knows more about you than does your family. Something to think about. 

• You can't deny that this is mildly amusing.

• Brian McLaren supports Rob Bell's stance on gay marriage. Well, color me not-shocked-at-all.

• I've heard a lot of Christians praising the television show Duck Dynasty. I've never watched it myself, but those who do may want to examine just what kind of a gospel the Duck Dynasty family proclaims.

• He and He alone.

• Michael Kruger reviews A New New Testament.

• And this week's Eisegetical Nonsense award goes to . . . Saddleback Church!

• An interesting article asking, "Where are the honest atheists?"

• The Mormons have once again changed their scriptures, specifically updating references to blacks and to polygamy. Kinda makes you extra thankful to know that the true and living Word of God never changes, doesn't it?

• Here's your weekly dose of adorable.

• I've always said 'Earth Hour' — those 60 minutes every year where everyone is supposed to sit in the dark and not use any electricity — was utterly ridiculous. (In fact, I usually celebrate by turning on as many lights and electrical appliances as possible). Turns out it's not just ridiculous,it's downright backwards.

• Here's some interesting photographs of children from across the globe each posing with their toys.

• Only Carl Trueman could write a blog post entitled, "The Yuck Factor" and still have it be taken seriously (as it should be).

• Tim Challies shares the background of a favorite hymn, How Firm a Foundation.

• Are you a pastor who has spent so much time preparing for your church's Easter Egg Drop that you haven't had time yet to prepare an Easter sermon? Well, look no further. Here's a full Easter sermon all prepped and ready to go.

• The Alpha Course's Nicky Gumbel is excited about Pope Francis I.

• Former 'pastor' Jack Schaap has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for his relationship with a minor.

• The TSA managed to utterly humiliate an injured marine.

• The University of Tennessee has withdrawn some of the funds from its upcoming 'Sex Week' event. Organizers only have a few days to find over $11,000. Good, I hope it gets canceled.

• First comes gay marriage, then comes polygamy.

• Speaking of gay marriage, this North Carolina church has promised to stop performing marriages until gay marriage is permitted.

• Back to 'The Bible' miniseries: there's a little—no, a huge—something missing in the scene of the Last Supper.

• Blasphemous. There are no other words.

• Never make a Gospel appeal to people's emotions: 

140 QUESTIONS TITHE-TEACHERS SHOULD HONESTLY ANSWER

1.       According to Genesis 14:11-16 were the spoils of war Abram received holy tithes from God's holy land? Would they have been "holy" tithes in the Law? Answer: Of course not. There was no holy land yet. They do not fit the description of “holy” tithes under the Law and could not have been used to support the Levites and priests as Levitical tithes. 2.       According to Genesis 14:18-20 and Hebrews 7:4 does the Bible say that Abram freely gave tithes of spoils of war to the priest-king Melchizedek? Answer: No. Genesis 14:21 suggests that he was obeying the Arab law of the land which required tithes from spoils of war be given to the local king-priests. 3.       According to Numbers 31:21-30 what percentage did the statute of the Law for Israel later require as a tithe from spoils of war? Answer: One tenth of one per cent (.1%) (One half of one five hundredth): this was only one tenth of what Abram paid to Melchizedek. 4.       Why did Abraham tithe 10% of spoils when the Law later required far less? What controlled his actions? Answer: The Bible does not say “why”. Recorded tradition found in archaeology suggests it was the required law of the land throughout his world. 5.       From Genesis 14:20-21 could there be another law or Arab tradition involved?   Yes, No, Perhaps. Do some deep research on this. Answer: This is repetition of previous questions. Research many commentaries for a surprise answer. 6.       Would Abraham's tithe have been accepted as a holy tithe to enter the Temple? Answer: Only that which could be purified after passing through fire. And then it could only be used for temple maintenance.  Compare First Samuel 30:20-35. 7.       How often did Abraham tithe? Answer: The Bible does not record any other instance. Therefore, we really do not know. 8.       Is Abraham an example of tithing personal property and tithing regularly? Answer: Not at all. If we followed his example, we would only tithes from spoils of war and only once. 9.       Is Abraham's example of giving 90% to the king of Sodom an example for Christians to follow? Answer: Not at all. Yet tithe-preaches do not discuss this. 10.     From Genesis 20 and 21 is it possible that Abraham also paid tithes to the Philistine priest-king Abimelech whom he served? Answer: It is possible if it was required by their law. He obeyed the law of the land. 11.     Referring to Genesis 28:20-22 would Jacob's tithe from Haran have been accepted as a holy tithe to enter the Temple system? Answer: It does not fit the description of a holy tithe to be used for normal sustenance of Levites and priests. 12.     Referring to Genesis 28:20-22 should we follow Jacob's example and only tithe after God has met our conditions? Answer: No.  Yet this is not discussed by tithe-teachers. 13.     According to Genesis 28:20 was Jacob's tithe a freewill "vow" or a commandment of God? Answer: A freewill vow. And there is no record that he kept the vow. 14.     Is Jacob an example of tithing for Christians to follow? Answer: Not at all. 15.     How common was money, gold, silver, precious stones and shekels in Genesis? Answer: The word “money” occurs 32 times in Genesis. Check an exhaustive concordance.   16.     According to Genesis 13:2 and 20:16 did Abraham have a lot of money? Answer: Yes. It was already an important part of that economy. 17.     Was money essential for routine worship in the sanctuary?    Answer: Very much. Do your own research on the words "money" and "shekel." 18.     Is it honest to teach that tithes were only food because money was not common? Answer: No. It is dishonest and comes with dishonest ulterior motives to change God’s Word. 19.     According to Exodus 19:5-6 was tithing part of God's "original plan" before the incident of the golden calf? Answer: No. Tithing is not mentioned in Exodus. While Aaron’s house was intended to be resident priests, every Hebrew from every tribe was to be his/her own priest before God. Levitical priests were not mentioned. 20.     According to Leviticus 25:3-7 no food tithe could be taken every seventh year. Why is this ignored by churches today? Answer: Churches would have no grounds for collecting tithes every seventh year. 21.     According to Leviticus 25:12-13 no food tithe could be taken every fiftieth year. Why is this ignored by churches today? Answer: If one followed all of the OT tithing law, tithes could not be requested every 7th and 50th years. 22.     According to Leviticus 27:30, 32 (and 14 other texts), tithes were only food from the land of Israel and herds inside God's holy land of Israel which God had miraculously increased. Where in the Bible --over 1400 years from Leviticus to Luke -- are tithes defined as income or money? Answer: Nowhere. God’s definition of a holy tithe never changed. 23.     According to Leviticus 27:30, 32 the tithe was the tenth of the total crop and the tenth animal. Since the word "tithe" means "tenth" when did it change to become the "first" in the Bible? Answer: Nowhere. This is man’s change of God’s Word. 24.     According to Leviticus 27:34 the first tithe was not the "best." Where in the Bible does the first whole tithe become the "best"? Answer: Nowhere. Tithe-teachers dishonestly change God’s Word and ask for the first tenth of one’s paycheck. 25.     According to Leviticus 27:34 tithing was part of the Law given only to national Israel as a unique covenant.  When were the Gentiles, (pagans) or Church commanded to tithe in the Bible? Answer: Nowhere. None qualified as tithe-payers. They were not Hebrews and they did not grow food inside God’s holy land. 26.     Since only farmers and herdsmen living inside Israel produced tithes, where is the principle that says everybody was required to begin their level of giving at 10%? Answer: Nowhere. It is a tradition of man. 27.     Where does the Bible say that non-food income was tithed and that carpenters (Jesus), fishermen (Peter), tentmakers (Paul) and tradesmen tithed? Answer: Nowhere.  It is a tradition of man. 28.     Did God command the pagans to tithe? Answer. Absolutely not. 29.     Would Israel have accepted tithes from the pagans or pagan lands? Answer: No. And that should also be true today since God never changed the definition of holy tithes. 30.     Although Psalm 24:1 says "The earth is the LORD's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein" this was not given as a reason to collect tithes from pagans and from lands outside of Israel. Why is that true? Answer: Holy tithes were limited to food from God’s holy land of Israel. 31.     Why don't Christians observe all of the other things called "holy" and "most holy" in Leviticus? Answer: They say that these do not apply to the Church today because they were fulfilled or ended at Calvary.  32.     Where in the Bible is the exact wording of the ordinance or statute of tithing? Answer: Numbers 18. 33.     What is the difference between tithes and first-fruits?  Compare Lev 27:30-35; Num 18:13-18, 20-24; Deut 26:1-4; Neh 10:35-37; Prov 3:9. Answer: Tithes were tenth-fruits from God’s holy land which were brought to the Levitical cities where they were needed for food per Neh 10:37b. Firstfruits were very small token offerings which were brought to the Temple and eaten by the priests on duty. See Deu 26:1-4 and Neh 10:35-37a. 34.     Where are tithes equated with first-fruits in the Bible? Answer: Nowhere. This is a tradition of man designed to scare believers into giving their first to God whether or not they had met their family essentials per First Timothy 5:8. 35.     Weren't first-fruits very small token offerings from the first of the harvest? Answer: Yes, as previously discussed. 36.     OT Levites who received the first whole tithe were merely servants to the priests and later political workers. How is this principle applied in churches today? Answer: It is totally ignored. 37.     OT Levites gave the best tenth of their tithe to the priests --only one per cent of the total. How is this principle observed today? See Num 18:25-28. Answer: It is totally ignored. 38.     OT priests and Levites who received the tithes were not allowed to own or inherit property. Why isn't this principle observed today (Num 18:20, 23)? Answer: Modern tithe-teachers ignore every single OT principle concerned with tithing. They only apply their own re-definition. 39.     The OT tithe was never used for mission work to evangelize the pagans. What biblical principle authorizes it for missions today? Answer: None. This is a tradition of man. 40.     According to Deuteronomy 12 and 14:23-26 a festival tithe was to be eaten in the streets. Why is this tithe principle ignored by churches today? Answer: Their idea of tithing is not biblical. 41.     According to Deuteronomy 14:26 some festival tithes could be turned into alcoholic strong drinks. Why is this principle ignored by churches today? Answer: It does not fit into their change of God’s Word to suit their own needs. 42.     According to Deuteronomy 26:12-13 every third year a tithe was kept in the homes for the poor.  Why is this principle ignored by churches today? Answer: Again, it does not fit into their own change of God’s Word to suit their own needs. 43.     According to Deuteronomy 26:12-13 the Levites were included among the poor, strangers, fatherless and widows. Does this mean that the Levites and priests were to be counted among the poor? Answer: Yes.  It is highly likely that God expected the Levites to give away much of what they received to the poor at all times. 44.     Where does the Bible say that the poor were required to tithe? Answer: Nowhere, unless they were landowners or herdsmen living inside Israel. 45.     Many OT Levites who received the first whole tithe were political servants of the king (1 Chronicles 23 to 26). Why is that principle ignored today? Answer: Again, it does not fit into their own change of God’s Word to suit their own needs. 46.     In the OT the first and best tithe went to the king. Why is that principle ignored today (1 Sam 8:14-17)? Answer: We are not under a theocracy. Under Roman rule the first tithe went to Rome and often even the second tithe of fruits. 47.     Where did the Levites and priests live most of the time? See Joshua 20-21, Numbers 35 and First Chronicles 6. Answer: Far away from Jerusalem in their Levitical cities. At first there were 48. Judah had 13 originally but may have expanded them later. 48.     How often did the Levites and priests serve in the Temple?  See 1 Chron 28:13, 21; 2 Chron 8:14; 23:8; 31:2, 15-19 35: 4, 5, 10; Neh 11:30: 12:24; Luke 1:5-9. Answer: At a minimum of once every 24 weeks in a rotation (cycle). They spent the other 23 week either raising tithed animals or learning trades necessary for temple maintenance. 49.     ***Since 98% of the Levites and priests were not working in the temple most of the time, why would God tell the people in Malachi 3:10 to bring all of the tithe to the Temple when 98% of it was needed for food elsewhere? Answer: He did not. The “you” of Malachi 3:10 only makes sense if it only refers to the priests. The typical interpretation of Malachi 3:10 contrasts with Nehemiah 10:37b and common sense. 50.     What covenant was the curse of tithing part of?   See Neh 10:29; Deu 28:12, 21-22; Gal 3:10-13. Answer: Only the Old Covenant.  God is today dealing with His Church in terms of the New Covenant (Heb 8:8-13). 51.     According to Nehemiah 13:5-10 who was guilty of stealing the Levites' portion of the tithe? Answer: The priests. 52.     ***According to Nehemiah 10:37b where were the people commanded to take the tithes?  Why? Why is this text ignored today? Answer: (1) To the Levitical cities. (2) That is where 98% of those who needed it for food lived most of the time. (3) Again, it does not fit into their own change of God’s Word to suit their own needs. 53.     According to Nehemiah 10:38 where were the priests located when they received the tithes? Why is this text ignored today? Answer: In the Levitical cities. Again, it does not fit into their own change of God’s Word to suit their own needs. 54.     According to Malachi 1:6-14 who was guilty of stealing vows of tithes? Answer: The priests from 1:6. 55.     Who was cursed in Malachi 1:14? Answer: The priests. They were not commanded to tithe, but they were expected to give generous vow offerings from the tenth of the tithe which they received from the Levites. Num 18:21-28. 56.     Who was cursed 3 times in Malachi 2:2? Answer: The priests. 57.     Who is questioning God in Malachi 2:17? Answer: The priests from 2:13-17. 58.     To whom is God replying in Malachi 3:1-5? Answer: The priests from 2:1-10, 13-17. 59.     Are the priests also "sons of Jacob" in Malachi 3:6-7? Answer: Of course. They text does not have to refer to all sons of Jacob. 60.     Cannot Malachi 3:8 be referring to the priests stealing a third time? Answer: It makes sense that God has not changed from cursing the priests. 61.     "Curse" refers to the priests four times in 1:14 and 2:2. Is it possible that God is still cursing the priests in 3:9 instead of suddenly having pity on them? Answer: Common sense says yes.  God has not suddenly changed to feeling sorrow for priests. The “you” of 1:6 and 2:1 has never changed away from the priests. 62.     Does the pronoun "you" refer to the priests from Malachi 1:6 to 3:5? Answer: If it has not clearly changed, then it must. 63.     Is there concrete evidence that God has changed his address from the priests to the people in Malachi 3:6-7? Answer: Not in the context. 64.     Has God changed from cursing the priests to having pity on them in Malachi 3:8-10? Answer: This would be illogical. 65.     Since "you" has thus far referred to the priests and since Nehemiah 10:37 proves that the people brought their tithes to the Levitical cities, then is it reasonable to conclude that "you" in Malachi 3:10 also refers to the priests of Nehemiah 10:38? Answer: Yes. 66.     Again according to Nehemiah 10:37 where was most of the tithe needed and stored? Answer: In the Levitical cities. 67.     According to Nehemiah 13:5-10 how large was the storeroom in the Temple? Answer: If it was made from combining two rooms, the largest would be about 10 ft by 20 ft. Compare 1 Kings 6:6 for room size. 68.     Could the Temple have physically held all of the tithe of the nation in Solomon's time or Nehemiah's time? Answer: Absolutely not. 69.     Is it possible that the Temple "storehouse" idea has been misunderstood? Answer: Yes. Levites and priests living far away from the Temple would have to travel long distances for food. And the early church had no legal buildings for almost 300 years after Calvary. 70.     In Second Chronicles 31:15-19, why did King Hezekiah choose to relocate the tithes from rotting heaps in the streets of Jerusalem to the Levitical cities? Answer: After consulting with Levites and priests, they realized that it was the logical thing to do. The temple storerooms only supplied food for the Levites and priests who ministered in the temple on weekly rotations. 71.     The "outlaw" early church met in secret in catacombs and graveyards for over 200 years after Calvary. They had no building to call "storehouses." Why does the modern church use the term "storehouse tithing"? Answer: It is dishonest and wants ignorant believers to think that they must bring the first ten per cent of their paycheck to the church. 72.     The OT Temple has been replaced, not by a building (1 Cor 3:16; 6:19), but the body of individual believers. Why does the modern church ignore this and teach that tithes should be brought to the church building as a replacement of the Temple? Answer: Again, it does not fit into their own change of God’s Word to suit their own needs. 73.     Matthew 5:19-48 refers to all 600+ commandments of the Law. Why is 5:17-18 used only to argue that tithing is still valid? The text is self-destructive for that argument. Answer: Again, it does not fit into their own change of God’s Word to suit their own needs. The text must be interpreted to teach that we are either under all of the law or none of it. 74.     Did Jesus (a carpenter), Peter (a fisherman) and Paul (a tentmaker) qualify as tithe-payers under the Law? Answer: No. They were neither landowners nor herdsmen inside Israel. That which the produced was from their own increase and not from God’s miracle. 75.     How do you explain Matthew 5:19 "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."? Answer: It means that you cannot keep tithing while discarding most of the law. A consistent principle of interpretation is needed. 76.     Does not Matthew 5:19 obligate one to keep all 600+ commandments of the Law? Answer: In its context, yes. 77.     According to Matthew 12:1-2 Jesus and his disciples gleaned food on the Sabbath Day. Were they accused of not tithing?  Why? Answer: No. Because by allowing them to glean, the law recognized them as poor. It also proves that the poor were not expected to tithe from gleanings. 78.     According to Mark 12:42-44 a widow gave at the Temple. Was she tithing or giving a freewill offering? Answer: She was giving a freewill offering of money. Money was never a tithed item. 79.     Since Paul's tents came from pagan lands, did his income from selling tents qualify as tithe-able income under the Law? Answer: Absolutely not. 80.     According to Matthew 23:2 who were the recognized interpreters of the Law? Answer: The scribes and Pharisees. 81.     According to Matthew 23:2-3 why did Jesus tell his Jewish disciples to obey the scribes and Pharisees? Answer: They were the current recognized authorities who sat in Moses seat to interpret the law. 82.     According to Matthew 23:3-4 did the addition of herbs and spices change the tithing law into a burden? Answer: Yes. Counting small seeds would be a great burden. 83.     Did the Law command tithes from garden spices and herbs? Answer: The tithing law did not include those items. 84.     Why did Jesus tell His Jewish disciples to tithe garden spices and herbs? Answer: They were partially responsible for allowing the scribes and Pharisees to sit in Moses seat. 85.     In Matthew 8:4 why did Jesus command the Jews he healed to show themselves to the priests? Answer: The Law was still in full effect before Calvary. 86.     Why did Jesus NOT command the Gentiles he healed to show themselves to the priests? Answer: They were not under the Law. 87.     Did Jesus tell his Gentile disciples to tithe to the Temple system? Answer: No. It would not have been allowed. It was illegal. 88.     To whom does the word "you" refer in Matthew 23:23? Answer: The scribes and Pharisees. 89.     What three words in Matthew 23:23 describe its context? Answer: "of the law" 90.     Is Matthew 23:23 an Old Covenant command or a New Covenant command? Answer: Old Covenant before Calvary. 91.     Why did Jesus tell the rich young ruler and Zaccheus to give their money to the poor instead of the Temple as tithes? Answer: Their wealth must not have been in land and animals inside Israel. Jesus was not breaking the law which required tithing. 92.     Do pastors today allow visiting evangelists to tell their congregation to "sell all that you have and give it to the poor"? Answer: Of course not. They do not tell their congregations to do this either. Again, it does not fit into their own change of God’s Word to suit their own needs. 93.     Why do not pastors today command their church members to tithe garden spices as Jesus commanded in Matthew 23:23? Answer: Again, it does not fit into their own change of God’s Word to suit their own needs. They have no consistent hermeneutic. 94.     According to Luke 22:20 when did the Old Covenant end and the New Covenant begin? Answer: The Old Covenant ended and the New Covenant began when Jesus shed His blood at Calvary. 95.     According to Acts 2:42-47 and 4:32-35 did God command the disciples to share communally or did they make a freewill choice? Answer: There is no record that Cod commanded this. It is very possible that it was done in anticipation of Christ’s imminent return. 96.     According to Acts 2:42-47 and 4:32-35 were the disciples tithing to church leaders or sharing everything equally? Answer: This is not an example of tithing. It is an example of sacrificial freewill giving at the extreme. It should not be preached as an example of tithing because everybody shared equally. 97.     According to Acts 2:46 did the early church withdraw itself from worship in the Temple? Answer: Not at all. Evidence is that they continued supporting the Temple. If they had stopped financially supporting the Temple, they would not have been allowed to use it. 98.     According to Acts 15:10 did Peter argue against putting the yoke of the law on Gentile Christians? Answer: Most definitely. 99.     According to Acts 15:19-20 did James agree with Peter? Answer: Most definitely. Yet most pastors today place their churches under the law of tithing while rejecting most of the law as irrelevant. 100.   According to Acts 20:29-35 was Paul self supporting most of the time? Answer: Yes. He even boasted about it. 101.   According to Acts 20:35 did Paul expect church elders to follow his example? Answer: Yes, but it was not a command. 102.   According to Acts 20:35 whom did Jesus tell to work and give to the weak? Answer: Church elders. This has been reversed by the modern church. 103.   According to Acts 21:20 were the Christian Jews in Jerusalem still "zealous of the law"? Answer: Yes, and this was 30 years after Calvary. The compromise of Acts 15 split the church and still required Jewish Christians to obey all of the Old Covenant Law. 104.   According to Acts 21:20 is it logical to conclude that the Christian Jews in Jerusalem were still paying tithes to the Temple system? Answer: Yes, otherwise they would not be “zealous of the law.” The Law required payment of tithes to the Levites and priests and not to gospel workers. 105.   According to 1 Corinthians 9:7-14 did the vocations of soldier, herdsman, farmer, mill-grinder, temple worker and gospel worker each operate under different principles of support? Answer: Yes. Each had its own principle. 106.   Comparing 1 Cor 9:13 with Numbers 18 and Leviticus, were temple workers supported from tithes, offerings, vows, freewill gifts, portions of sacrifices and many other sources? Answer: Yes. Far more than tithing. Levites only received the tithe while priests had many sources of income other than a tenth of the tithe. 107.   Comparing 1 Cor 9:13 with Numbers 18 and Leviticus, was tithing the only "thing of the temple"? Answer: Of course not, but this fact is ignored. 108.   Referring to 1 Cor 9:14 does even so ("in the same way") command gospel workers to be supported by every means of support used for temple workers? Answer: Of course not. The argument used by tithe-teachers is self-defeating. It proves too much. 109.   Referring to 1 Cor 9:14 does "even so" command gospel workers to be supported by 'gospel principles' of grace and faith "in the same manner" as the previous six vocations had been supports by their own principles? Answer: Yes. The principle refers to all vocations mentioned in verses 7 to 14. 110.   Referring to 1 Cor 9:14 is it dishonest to teach that 9:13 only referred to tithing? Does not the text teach too much and destroy the tithing argument? Answer: It is very dishonest. Paul knew that holy tithes were only for Levites and priests and could not come from Gentiles lands. Again, the text is self-defeating for tithe-teachers. It proves too much. 111.   According to 1 Cor 9:12, 15-19 did Paul accept tithes as a salary? Answer: Absolutely not. He usually did not even accept freewill offerings. As a highly educated rabbi, Paul had been taught that teaching God’s Word for pay was not the manner of rabbis. 112.   Comparing 1 Cor 9:14 with 9:12, 15-19 if Jesus commanded tithing to support gospel workers, was not Paul disobeying that command? Answer: Yes, but this fact is ignored by tithe-teachers. 113.   According to 2 Cor 3:10, how much glory does the OT have in comparison to the New Covenant?  Answer: Zero glory. 114.   Where is tithing repeated to the Church in New Covenant terms of grace and faith? Answer: Nowhere. And neither are gospel workers required to forfeit land inheritance rights and obey any of the tithing statute of Numbers 18. 115.   According to 1 Peter 2:9-10 has the OT priesthood been replaced by church leaders or by every believer? Answer: By every believer. And this should have enormous implications against New Covenant tithing. 116.   Referring to 1 Peter 2:9-10, how does the "priesthood of believers" affect tithing? Answer: Believers do not tithe to themselves, plus Old Covenant priests were never commanded to tithe. 117.   Were non-Levite OT prophets supported by tithes? Answer: Absolutely not. They were either self-supported or received freewill offerings. 118.   Were OT and NT Jewish synagogue rabbis supported by tithes? Answer: No. Never. And this should be important. The synagogue system using rabbis did not replace tithing to the Temple. 119.   Are NT pastors and elders supported similar to OT priests or prophets and rabbis? Answer: The comparison is better to OT prophets and rabbis. 120.   Is First Timothy 5:1-20 a discussion of discipline or pastoral salary? Answer: Discipline. 121.   According to First Timothy 5:8 are family essential needs more important than church support? Answer: Definitely. 122.   How can First Timothy 5:8 be true if the first 10% of income must be given to the church? Answer: Both cannot be true for the Church. 123.   Does "double honor" in First Timothy 5:17 refer to "double caution in discipline" or "double salary"? Answer: The context is discipline. 124.   According to First Timothy 6:6-11 should gospel workers expect to be better off financially than most? Answer: No. 125.   According to Hebrews 7:5, did the Law give the priests authority to receive tithes? Answer: Yes. 126a. Were the OT priests also kings? Answer: Not the HOLY Hebrew priests defined by the Law. 126b.  What does Hebrews 7:8 refer to? Answer: The priests who were still literally receiving tithes before A.D.70. 127.   According to Hebrews 7:11 and Psalm 110:4 was the Messiah to be a priest-king? Answer: Yes. 128.   According to Hebrews 7:11-12 did the prophecy that the Messiah would be a priest-king necessitate a change in the law? Answer: Yes. 129.   According to Hebrews, chapters 5 to 7, was OT Melchizedek qualified to be a priest under the Law? Answer: No. 130.   According to Hebrews 7:13-17 was Jesus qualified to be a priest under the Law? Answer: No. 131.   According to Hebrews 7:18 how was the Law which also commanded tithing in 7:5 "changed" in 7:12? Answer: It was disannulled, or abolished. It ended. It was not carried over into the New Covenant. 132.   According to Hebrews 7:12, 18, why was the Law which also commanded tithing to support the Levitical priesthood "annulled" or "set aside"? Answer: It was weak and not profitable. It had been replaced with better New Covenant principles of sacrificial giving. 133.   According to Hebrews 7:16-28 was the king-priesthood of Messiah to be based on eternal moral principles? Answer: Yes and those include sacrificial freewill giving which are written in the heart and conscience. 134.   Tithing existed in most nations long before Abraham's time and those nations also practiced idolatry, child sacrifices and temple prostitution. Does the fact that tithing existed before the Law make it an eternal moral principle? Answer: No. The HOLY tithe was only given later by special revelation to Old Covenant Israel. 135.   According to the entire book of Leviticus, how can tithing be retained as  a "holy" principle and almost everything else called "holy" and "most holy" in Leviticus be discarded? Answer: By using poor principles of interpretation. 136.   According to Hebrews 8:6-13 Christ's "more excellent ministry" replaced the Old Covenant on stones and paper with the New Covenant in the heart. Does a new-creation Christian know in the heart that he/she must give a ten per cent tithe to support the church? Answer: No. 137.   According to Second Corinthians 8 and 9, does a new-creation Christian know instinctively to give: freely, sacrificially, generously, joyfully, not of commandment, regularly and motivated love for God and love for lost souls? Answer: Yes. It is part of the new creation with the indwelling Holy Spirit. 138.   According to Second Corinthians 8:12-15, what is the "equality" principle of giving? Answer: Many give much more than 10% while some cannot give that much. Yet both give sacrificially.  The giving equals out. 139.   According to Second Corinthians 3:10-18 which principle of giving has the blessing of the Holy Spirit? Answer: Post Calvary New Covenant Holy Spirit blessed giving (and every other doctrine). 140.   Should most affluent Christians lower their standard of living in order to give more to promote the gospel? Answer: Yes.