Creationism vs. Evolution...

Read this Yahoo! news story. Interesting to say the least: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101227/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_ancient_teeth

Then read this related earlier post that I did:
http://boundaryhomestead.blogspot.com/2010/12/read-book.html

And then, when you have some time on your hands, listen to John Lennox on the subject. He is an Oxford mathematician: http://vimeo.com/12835145

Three wise men came...

Bethlehem was the hometown of Joseph's ancestor, King David.  The Old Testament says this about the lineage of King David, There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse (King David's father), and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. (Isaiah 11:1 ESV) We also find this verse, But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. (Micah 5:2 ESV)

So, three wise men visited Jesus after His birth and brought gifts, but when did this happen?  Folklore has it that they visited Jesus at his birth, at the manger in Bethlehem. Let's see what the Bible says.  Let's start with the Gospel of Luke.  Luke was a physician and is also well known as a reliable historian of the time period.

[2:1] In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. [2] This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. [3] And all went to be registered, each to his own town. [4] And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, [5] to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. [6] And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. [7] And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. (Luke 2:1-7 ESV) In the preceding verses from Luke, we find that Joseph and the pregnant Mary traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be registered for a Roman required census. Here Mary gave birth to the "Fruit" of Joseph's lineage, the baby Jesus.

Did the three wise men (or Magi) then visit Jesus in Bethlehem, at the manger?  Here is what Luke tells us, [8] And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. [9] And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. [10] And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. [11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. [12] And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” [13] And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, [14] “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:8-14 ESV) Then Luke says that these shepherds went and visited Jesus in the manger. And then Luke tells us, [22] And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord [23] (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) [24] and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” (Luke 2:22-24 ESV) Luke has said that shepherds visited Jesus at the manger in Bethlehem, and then after their visit he said that Joseph, Mary and Jesus traveled to Jerusalem. They went to Jerusalem because it was Jewish religious law to offer a sacrifice to God in thanks for the their firstborn male (the law from Leviticus 12:2-8). On a side note, those people who sold the pigeons in the Temple market... they were part of the crowd who Jesus got very mad at in a later Bible story, when he overturned tables and told them they were making the House of God a den of thieves (Mark 11:15-18).  These people really took it to the average guy with the mark up they made on the sacrificial birds they sold for a huge profit, ticked Jesus off. But we did learn from Luke the historian that the Magi did not visit Jesus at the manger in Bethlehem.

When did the wise men travel to meet with Jesus? In the following verse we learn that Joseph, Mary and Jesus left Jerusalem for Nazareth, [39] And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. [40] And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. 

(Luke 2:39-40 ESV) There are many places in the Bible where we learn what a Magi is in the scheme of things, one being this verse, Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. (Daniel 2:2 ESV) They weren't necessarily magicians, but in this and other Bible verses we learn that they were counselors to kings. In the languages of that time, "wise men" can sometimes be translated to "magician". They may have been astronomers also, we can not be sure, but we know that they were counselors. At this point in the story we now know that Joseph's family then for some reason moved back to Bethlehem. King Herod, a descendant of the clan of Esau (Isaacs other son, Jacobs brother), heard of the story about a Messiah, a baby boy, being born in Bethlehem. He sought his counselors for an answer as to where this "child" was now. Jesus was a threat to him. We need to go to Matthew to find out what happened next, [2:1] Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, [2] saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” [3] When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; [4] and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. [5] They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: [6] “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” (Matthew 2:1-6 ESV) We know Jesus was not a baby at this time, he was a few years older. Herod then called in the Magi and we find these verses, [7] Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. [8] And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” [9] After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. [10] When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. [11] And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. [12] And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. (Matthew 2:7-12 ESV) So, now we know the Magi visited Jesus in Joseph's "house" in Bethlehem, not in a manger. The Magi then went home via another route, rather then go back to King Herod to tell him the exact location of the small boy, Jesus. That they had been warned in a dream, not to go back and tell King Herod. At this point we hear in Matthew that Joseph has a dream of warning, [13] Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” [14] And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt [15] and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” (Matthew 2:13-15 ESV) So, "he gets the heck out of Dodge", as the saying goes, and takes his family to Egypt. King Herod is ticked when he realizes that the Magi did not come back and let him know where Jesus was, that the Magi skipped town instead, and went home another way. It is then that King Herod ordered that all male children under the age of 2 must be murdered by his men in hopes of killing the threat to him, the child Jesus.  But Jesus was with his family in Egypt, and Joseph kept his family there until the death of Herod.


When the Magi visited Jesus at Joseph's "house", they were said to have brought with them gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Those gifts are actually a representation of Jesus' life. Gold shows us the royalty of Jesus as King. Frankincense was the key ingredient used in the incense used in the sacrifices by the priests at the temple, representing Jesus as the new Priest, or way to God as Messiah. Myrrh was a burial spice of the times, representing the sacrifice to come, with Jesus dying for our sins as Saviour.


Addendum: An ancient text about the Magi has recently been "rediscovered" in the Vatican treasures.  You can hear about it at this site, http://news.yahoo.com/video/world-15749633/mystery-of-the-magi-23613928

Trinity...

I was flying home from LA yesterday, reading a book.  I was on a page reading about the Trinity, I looked out the window of the plane and this is the image I saw of Mt. Rainier.  I didn't have a camera, my view was more from above, but this photo shows the angle I was looking from. Chills ran through me, beautiful...

Read a good book...

Here's my thought for today.  Read a good book, in addition to the Bible.

Suggested here is One Heartbeat Away, your journey into eternity. By Mark Cahill.

A few quotes from the book:

George Greenstein (astronomer), "As we survey the evidence, the thought insistently arises that some supernatural agency - or, rather, Agency - must be involved. Is it possible that suddenly, without intending to, we have stumbled upon scientific proof of the existence of a Supreme Being? Was it God who stepped in and so providentially crafted the cosmos to our benefit?"

Mark Cahill, "Micro-evolution is limited by the genetic code. No features that are not already present in a creature's DNA can ever be produced by natural selection." i.e. A beak can become larger over time due to the bird's environment, say to break a hard to crack nut for food. A beak is part of the birds DNA. But, a fish did not just take a walk on shore and then grow wings to fly, etc. These kinds of changes between species cannot happen, because, for example, feathered wings are not in the fish genetic code, according to Cahill. "Thus, there are always natural limits to biological change. Natural selection is just that - selection. It cannot create anything new; it can only select from information contained in the organism's genetic blueprint."

Sir Fred Hoyle (British astrophysicist), "A common sense interpretation of the facts seems to suggest that a Super Intellect has monkeyed with physics, as well as with chemistry and biology, and that there are no blind forces worth speaking about in nature. The numbers one calculates from the facts seem to me so overwhelming as to put this conclusion almost beyond question."

Moses, the Burning Bush, the Ten Commandments...

[3] And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” [4] When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” [5] Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” [6] And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. (Exodus 3:3-6 ESV)

[13] Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” [14] God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” [15] God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. 

(Exodus 3:13-15 ESV) Again, we must go to the New Testament for the answer about who Moses is speaking with in the above verses, [56] Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” [57] So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” [58] Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” [59] So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. (John 8:56-59 ESV) And in Mark we find these verses, [61] But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” [62] And Jesus said, “I AM, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” (Mark 14:61-62 ESV) Then in Revelation we find this verse, [13] “I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” (Revelation 22:13 ESV)

[18] And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. (Exodus 31:18 ESV) In finishing this Bible study of the past few days about who has seen the face of God, we must say that no one has seen the face of God the Father. But many people, both in the New Testament and the Old Testament, have seen God the Son, Jesus. Based on this evidence, we can also conclude that God the Son actually wrote the Ten Commandments for Moses, Jesus, in the above verse, being the Finger of God. And then in this verse we hear Jesus as Lord, [27] And the LORD said to Moses, “Write these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel (Jacob).” [28] So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 34:27-28 ESV) Jesus then, again, wrote the Ten Commandments with His finger, during His earthly days.  This time to convict the religious or righteous, and this time sin is 'erasable' through Him as Messiah.  Go here for this explanation: http://boundaryhomestead.blogspot.com/2010/11/word-in-sand.html

Abraham saw three...

[18:1] And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. [2] He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth [3] and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. [4] Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, [5] while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” [6] And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” [7] And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. [8] Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate. (Genesis 18:1-8 ESV)


Sure sounds like God was speaking with Abraham. The three were obviously important to Abraham, he bowed down to them, he called one of them Lord, he washed their feet, and he served them his best food and watched while they ate.  Later in the story we see these verses, [17] The LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, [18] seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? (Genesis 18:17-18 ESV) Here the Lord is referencing what he is about to do for him, and that all nations will be blessed in him. Was He referencing His work to come at the cross as Messiah again, and that all who believe in Him will be saved? Then, in the New Testament we find this verse, [56] Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” [57] So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” [58] Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” [59] So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. (John 8:56-59 ESV).


We don't find any references as to who two of the three were that visited Abraham, but One of the three that visited and then spoke to him, was God the Son, Jesus. Jesus said that Abraham saw Him, and was glad, and rejoiced to see Him.

UFC 124 pick...

Koscheck vs St. Pierre

This is a tough choice, bad guy or good guy? I like the good guy, I hope he prevails, but this may be Koscheck's night. He's hungry and feels he has a lot to prove, with no father in his life, and with taking a lot of crap all his life because he is mulatto. Playing the ultimate bad guy most of his life, he took himself thru elementary, high school, was a Collegiate Nat'l Champion wrestler out of Edinboro University, and now a shot at the UFC Championship. Maybe this title can change things around for him, and he can then change his persona. I think he just might win it.

I'm picking Koscheck in a dog fight, bad guy becomes king of the hill.  Fight goes the distance with Koscheck winning a split decision, or Koscheck knocks him out.

Jacob leads to...

In my Bible study yesterday on Jacob, my eye was caught up in seeing references to Jesus throughout the whole Jacob story. The following verse is the Lord speaking to Rebekah, Isaac's wife, the mother of Jacob and Esau. “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.” (Genesis 25:23 ESV) On the surface, of course, it seems as if God is talking of Jacob and Esau being foes, which they were, over the birthright through Isaac. But under the surface, it's almost like God is speaking of the Jewish nation being divided among the saved thru Jesus, and the unsaved.  Or...the Old Testament being subservient (probably not the right word to use, but tired here right now) to the New Testament, the older serving the younger, the younger being stronger than the older.


[11] And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. [12] And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! [13] And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. [14] Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. [15] Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” [16] Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” (Genesis 28:11-16 ESV)
Stay with me here... In John, we find this verse,  And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (John 1:51 ESV) Here, in this verse from John, Jesus just described Himself as that Ladder to heaven in Jacob's dream. And who in Jacob's dream, says that He is the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac? When Jacob awoke he said, The Lord is here and that he didn't realize it, he thought he wrestled with God the Father, but the Lord here, is God the Son. Well, just as I thought in my Bible study yesterday about who Jacob wrestled with, it can only be God the Son, Jesus.  Also, on what did Jacob lay his head, before he had the dream? A rock, and what did Jacob do with that rock? He made it the cornerstone of God's house. The "Cornerstone" is found in these verses, [17] And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” [18] So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. [19] He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. [20] Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, [21] so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, [22] and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.” (Genesis 28:17-22 ESV) In the New Testament, these verses are found about Jesus, [17] But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written: ’The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’?” (Luke 20:17 ESV) And in 1 Peter, this verse about Jesus is found, For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” (1 Peter 2:6 ESV) In the earlier verse about Jacob's dream, the Lord of Abraham and Isaac said he was going to give all of the land to "Jacob's" people. How was the Lord going to do that? At the cross as the Messiah. Christian believers are the "offspring" of the lineage to Jesus.


Jesus is all over Jacob. Jacob leads to Jesus.

Jacob wrestles with God...

[22] The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. [23] He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. [24] And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. [25] When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. [26] Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” [27] And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” [28] Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” [29] Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. [30] So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” [31] The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. [32] Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob's hip on the sinew of the thigh. (Genesis 32:22-32 ESV)


Well, it sure sounds like Jacob wrestled with God.  But was it God the Father, or God the Son? In Exodus when Moses is conversing with God, we find this verse, “But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” (Exodus 33:20 ESV) In a previous Bible study from Dec 8th I talked of this verse found in John, No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. John 1:18 ESV. If, as a Christian, I believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God the Father, then I have to conclude that Jacob did not see the face of God the Father. Even Jacob was marveled when he said, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” It has to be God the Son, because as John states, God the Son makes God the Father known to us, and this has to include Jacob. Jacob's whole being is in the lineage that leads us to Jesus.

God's face...

Has any human ever seen the face of God? Well, that's a tough question. There are many places in the Bible where it seems that God is present during face-to-face encounters with human beings.  But, the Bible also states:
No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. John 1:18 ESV (the ancient manuscripts use a word that can also mean unique or one-of-a-kind where the English word only is placed in the above verse, the same ancient word, meaning only, is used in John 1:14)


Huh? The first part of this verse, No one has ever seen God, is speaking of God the Father.  The second part of this verse, the only God, who is at the Father's side, is speaking of Jesus, or God the Son.  Jesus is at the Father's side, because He always was, or as John states in an earlier verse, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1 ESV). If you go back to the beginning of the Bible in Genesis, you will find this verse, Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26 ESV). Did you see the US and the OURs? So, God the Son, Jesus, the Word, has always been, He was there in the beginning with God the Father.  And also, in the beginning, in Genesis, there is another Being, the third part of the "always was". God the Spirit is revealed in these verses, 1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2 ESV) In the story of creation in Genesis, we have only 3 super natural beings, none others are mentioned, besides animals, and then humans when Adam and Eve were created. The Trinity is present in the beginning, God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit. We know that God the Spirit is present with us now, because Jesus said he would leave us with Him, but we can't physically see Him. The Bible, the inerrant Word of God, says that no man has ever seen God the Father. But many people saw, mingled with, ate with,  fellowshipped with, learned from, eventually hanged on the cross, and then witnessed in resurrection, God the Son. At the end of John 1:18, he tells us that God the Son (Jesus), has made God the Father known to us. When you know Jesus, you know God. This is the New Testament, the Gospel, the Good News about God, the Messiah, the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Saviour, come to earth to mingle with little old us.

So, yes, man has visually seen/saw God, in God the Son. How about God the Father, have any humans ever seen His face? Again, John 1:18 says no, but what about Abraham, Moses, Jacob? Who did Abraham serve food to and talk with? Who did Moses see and talk with? Who did Jacob talk to and actually touch? That's another Bible study.

Tithing...

[23] “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. [24] You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! [25] “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. [26] You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.  (Matthew 23:23-26 ESV)
Money, oh the problems it can cause. The worry about it will tear you up, at least in my case. My wife always tells me that my worry about money is probably my worst fault. I have to agree, this worry is probably the main reason I lose sleep, weather the worry is about my company's product issues and losing an account that I service, or worrying about a bill that's coming up, or worry about my 401k performance. The list could go on and on. Then comes tithing, should you tithe to the church? A tithe is an amount of monetary value, specifically 10% of your income, and some people believe that 10% is the minimum giving amount. Whether it's based on the gross, or take home, I just don't believe that is important, but it is a substantial amount, that's for sure. What does Jesus say?  Well, he basically states that the tithe is a given. If you follow Him, the tithe is important, but it's only part of the picture. From what I gather from his views on the subject, you need to come to faith in Him first, then everything that is important will follow, you'll want to do what is right, including a tithe.  Some religious people tithe just to show PEOPLE that they follow the law, and that because they follow the law, they are right in God's eyes. Jesus says, nonsense! Work on the important stuff, you, and following Him. Everything will fall into line behind Him. Salvation is not based on "works", "lest any man boast", it is based on Grace, Him. Don't do things to show people you are righteous, it is between you and Him, it's no one else's business. He knows what is in your heart.

(What image is on the Roman coin?) They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.”  (Matthew 22:21 ESV)

Jesus wasn't talking about money here, he was talking about the giving of ourselves to God, that's the most important thing.  The religious people were trying to trap Him here, to get Him to say things bad about the government in order to get Him arrested based on secular, or non-church, law breaking.

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  (2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV)

Here, again, I think the overall thought is that you'll do what is right, not because it's the law, but because you follow Jesus.  When you follow Him, the other stuff will eventually just fall in line.  Start giving, and eventually you'll give more and more, it will just come naturally. Clean the inside of the cup first, the outside will eventually take care of itself.  It's just the way it works when you follow Him.  I'm definitely still working on this issue, and I talk to Him often about monetary worry. I think that helping other people is just as important as tithing, and the giving of yourself could be be a bigger part of the equation when you are a Christian. This money stuff is between you and God, no one else. Just my take on the subject. Debate back and forth on the money subject need not pull the Christian community apart, let's give it to God.  He'll take care of us, he know's what is in our heart, and in Hope, for our sakes, it's in following His teachings. I have to give this worry to Him.

P.S.  Someone must have been listening during my Bible study this morning...one of those God moments I guess? In church later in the morning after my study, the sermon was about God speaking in the story about Zechariah and Elizabeth (John the Baptist's parents), after a 400 year silence from God since the Book of Malachi was written.  (Don't quote me on the 400 year silence being exactly between the two references above, I think thats what the pastor said, I was busy running a camera in the tech booth).  Anyway, in Malachi it talks about tithing and one of the pastor's points was, how can you expect God to care about your finances, if you don't care about Church finances as part of your giving abundance?  I think he was referencing Malachi 3:10, saying that if you give abundantly, God will abundantly watch out for you needs. This is all a bit sketchy to me as I'm still growing in my walk with Christ. However, the Bible states it, and as Christians we believe the Bible is the inerrant Word on all subjects.  For another take on giving, go here: http://mind-your-head-jim.blogspot.com/2010/12/four-main-keys-to-abundance.html

Born again...

[3:1] Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. [2] This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” [3] Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” [4] Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” [5] Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."  (John 3:1-5 ESV)


What does it mean to be "Born Again"? Jesus says that with faith in Him, your old life is gone, and a new Life is here (you're born again). Read about Him with an open heart/mind, I dare you. It doesn't matter what happened in the past, it's all forgiven. The old is on Him, you're forgiven in Him. What matters is a rebirth with Him in your heart/mind. A new Life for you, and for me, promised to all who accept Him. This isn't exclusive, you don't have to become 'religious'. Unlike religion, there are no limitations with Him. However, even with Him, life will still have it's struggles. Will being Christian gain you wealth?  No, Jesus was not wealthy in monetary terms.  Before Solomon was a believer, he was probably the wealthiest person of his time.  But, wealth did not bring him happiness, happiness came thru God. When Solomon started listening to God, it filled the hole in his being. God's will will be done, and we can't understand His plans for us, nor His plans for those surrounding us. But with Christ in your life, how you handle those struggles will be different, to the positive different. Persistent faith in Him, and study of Him, will get you through anything that is thrown your way. Talk with Him daily, throughout the day, as a friend.  I used to call this my daily prayers, but now I just call it talking with Him. It's amazing the clarity that can be gleaned from Him when things are bothering you.  Somehow, just talking with Him and studying His Word will help to clear up problems or roadblocks in life. I don't know how, I just know that it happens. He said that He is with us right now as the Holy Spirit, some might call this your conscience, I believe it's Him. Who do I follow?  Not self, I know self. Learn about Christ, listen to what He tells us.  I didn't choose Him, He first chose me, and now I listen.  Why?  Because He loves me, and you. We are why He died on the cross, He died for you, and for me. Why? Because He said we're broken, and we need Him. No matter what, He doesn't change, He's there for you. Learn from Him, hear His call. One of His favorite sayings is, "Let him who has ears, hear Me."  To hear real life stories about how God turned things around for the wealthy, or the broken, go here: http://iamsecond.com/#/seconds/Wayne_Huizenga/

Foresaken...

 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  Matthew 27:46

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?  Psalm 22:1

King David wrote Psalm 22 about 1000 years before Christ died on the cross.  The beginning of this Psalm is a prayer of longing to know if God really hears us, or really cares about us.  David writes that, amidst the ultimate pain and suffering, Jesus is asking (yes, David is writing about Jesus 1000 years before Jesus completed His Mission on earth), "Where are you my God?  Can't you see what they've done to me?  They have taken every last thing that I have, they are mocking me, they have pierced my hands and my feet, what now my God?  Where are you?"  We've all felt this, haven't we?  Of course, not in the same way as Him, but we've all asked, "What the heck, Lord?"  Why this? Are you really there, do you really care?  But when we continue reading Psalm 22, it is ultimately a chorus, a song, about the end of the earthly life of Jesus, the completion of God's plan for helping broken men and women come to Him.  In the end it is a Psalm about the greatness of God's plan, and a Psalm of praise to God.  It is the beginning of the Great Commission, to tell all people about Jesus, all corners of the earth.  Before they came to take him away, remember what Jesus prayed in the garden?  His prayer there was one of hope, "Please, Lord, if this doesn't have to happen, then take it from me."  But in the end, he said, "Your Will [Plan] be done." He was like, let's get this going, he submitted to God even though he knew what kind of suffering was about to take place.  When Psalm 22 is complete, what are the last words he cries out on the cross?  "It is finished!"  And then the curtain tears, and the heavens open, our sins are forgiven, the fences of religion are torn down, and then Psalm 23 follows with the promise to all who believe in Him, Jesus. Unbelievable?  Not to me, what a God I serve and praise, my hope is him!  My hope certainly is not in self, not in man, not in chance. What hope have you?