tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32427581269193336842024-03-07T21:07:18.747-08:00The Cash Tithe DeceptionRev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242758126919333684.post-29574544134686434352023-05-07T13:06:00.000-07:002023-05-07T13:06:12.035-07:00Once we know the Bible Truth about the Tithe... What do we do Next?<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 8pt; mso-bidi-font-family: system-ui;">The video for this post
is available at the URL:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 8pt; mso-bidi-font-family: system-ui;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 8pt;">https://youtu.be/WGau-Wa4c0s</span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hello, I'm Pastor Amós and this is the study: Once we know the <u>Bible</u>
Truth about the Tithe… What do we do Next?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">For years, my studies have guided many of you to see God's truth
about the tithe through <u>His</u> Word the Bible. Now some of you might have come to the point
in which you <u>might</u> be asking; What do we do with this information? The answer depends on where you are with our
Lord.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><o:p> </o:p>If you are just starting out (a newborn in Christ) your job is to
get to know the Lord and grow. “<i>So
you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do,
for they do not practice what they preach.”</i> [Matthew 23:3] This means that, if you're in a church that
demands 10% of your income, you should keep in mind that money is only
money. It <u>will</u> perish. Your salvation is worth infinitely more.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: system-ui;">So, for the time being, stay where you are, learn and grow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kick off your spiritual growth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<i>Like newborn infants, long for the pure
spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation.” </i>[1 Peter 2:2]</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><o:p> </o:p>Then, just like a child goes from milk to solid food, you too must
do the same. Keep in mind the dangers
spoken of in Hebrews chapter 5 regarding those that do not move on to solid
food. “<i>Everyone who lives on milk is
unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.</i>” [Hebrews 5:13]</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><o:p> </o:p><i>When we were
children, we spoke as children, we understood as children, we thought as
children: but when we became adults, we put away childish things</i>. [1
Corinthians 13:11] This means that
sooner or later, we have to stop speaking, understanding and thinking like
children.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><o:p> </o:p>A Christian that does not put away the milk of childhood in exchange
for the solid food of adulthood is not growing.
The only way for you to stay spiritually healthy is to grow. And this is something you must do through the
study of God’s Word the Bible. The only
one that can give you growth is God, because “<i>only God makes things grow.”</i>
[1 Corinthians 3:7b] </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: system-ui;">Therefore,<i> “if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who
gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”</i>
[James 1:5]</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><o:p> </o:p>Finally, for those that have reached the stage of spiritual
maturity, the time has come for you to “<i>come out from them and be separate,
says the Lord</i>.” [2 Corinthians 6:17]
For “<i>you have no need for <u>anyone</u> to teach you,</i> because <i>His
anointing teaches you about all things</i>.” [1 John 2:27] Don't be afraid to be on your own. “<i>For God has not given us a spirit of
fear.”</i> [2 Timothy 1:7b] Don't be
like the folks in John chapter 12 that were afraid of being kicked out of a
synagogue.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><o:p> </o:p>Walking alone with Jesus is joyful, pleasant, uplifting, fulfilling,
it truly is beyond words. And your
church-walk with Jesus is as simple as getting together with one other
believer. That's all you need to have a
church and to worship God and to have communion. Although, there is some truth to the saying,
“the more the merrier,” a more spiritual truth is that all you need to have a
church is one other believer because “<i>where two or three are gathered
together in </i>His <i>name</i>, He is <i>there in the midst of them.”</i>
[Matthew 18:20] <i>“You also are complete through your union
with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority</i>.” [Colossians 2:10]</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><o:p> </o:p>So, the idea is not so much a matter of finding a new church to
attend. This is not an argument about
what <u>others</u> should do for us so that <u>we</u> can have a church to
attend. <b>We are the church</b>. Although, if you do find a congregation that
teaches the truth about the tithe, it <u>might</u> be a good idea to stay with
them. These studies, on the other hand,
are more a matter of getting closer to the Man that died for you and getting to
know Him better. God wants you to have
knowledge of Him. [Hosea 6:6] Even more,
He wants you to “<i>know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge</i>.”
[Ephesians 3:19a] Understand this, a
love that requires <u>your</u> continual payments is NOT a love that surpasses
knowledge.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><o:p> </o:p>Just because someone uses the word <u>love</u> doesn't mean that
what they're doing is good. Not all love
is good. T<span style="color: #001320;">he love of money, for example,
is a root of all kinds of evil. </span> And the cash-tithe is one of those evil roots
created by money-lovers. And because the
cash-tithe is a root of evil, it prevents believers from knowing and
experiencing the fullness of God's love.
The cash-tithe also makes accomplices of all those that, while knowing
better, play along with the scheme just to prevent from getting thrown out of
their churches.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><o:p> </o:p>I'll leave you with this thought.
What is a church that teaches lies?
“<i>Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?”</i>
[James 3:11]</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><o:p> </o:p>Until next time. May your
walk with our Lord be free of those “<i>who think that godliness is a means to
financial gain</i>.” [1 Timothy 6:5b] </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: system-ui;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>God
bless you.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Rev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242758126919333684.post-85570876172821369082022-05-01T10:26:00.000-07:002022-05-01T10:26:36.376-07:00Can Wages be Tithes?<p> </p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">The video for this
post is available at the URL:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p><a href="https://youtu.be/mHhhC-n2cGs">https://youtu.be/mHhhC-n2cGs</a></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Hello, I’m Pastor Amos and this
is the study; Can Wages be Tithes?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Malachi 3:10 is probably the most ill-quoted Bible verse in
modern history.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Although it reads, “<i>Bring the whole tithe into the <u>storehouse</u>,
that there may be <u>food</u>…</i>” (and thus identifies God’s tithe as being
food), money lovers emphatically claim that when God said “<i>food</i>” what He
<u>really</u> meant was “money”.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Some money lovers even claim that people didn’t work for money
during biblical times. According to
these pastors, workers were paid with food because wages did not exist when God
said, “<i>that there may be food</i>.”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>But look here, we don’t have to go far to learn that wages <u>did</u>
exist when God said, “<i>that there may be food</i>” because wages are mentioned
in Malachi chapter 3. That’s right, the
word wages <u>and</u> the word tithes are both found in Malachi chapter 3.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>In verse 5 the Lord speaks of a coming judgment, “<i>against
those who defraud laborers of their <u>wages</u></i>.” </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Note that it does not say those who defraud laborers of their
food, because workers were <b><u>not</u></b> paid with food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They earned wages.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>By mentioning labor wages on verse 5 and a food tithe on
verse 10, God has made a distinction between labor wages and the food tithe. And in so doing He has <u>separated</u> earned
income from tithes.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>There is another chapter in the Bible with a similar verse
structure in which God makes a distinction between money and tithes. In Nehemiah chapter 10; on verse32 God speaks
of <u>money</u> for the service of the Temple, then on verse 37 God speaks about
a tithe from the <u>ground</u>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>There is even a third chapter in the Bible in which God makes
a distinction between their currency (called shekels) and the food tithe. Leviticus chapter 27; on verse 3 God speaks
of vow assessments in shekels; then on verse 30 He speaks of a tithe of seeds
and fruits.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Believe it or not, there are more chapters like these in the
Bible, but for now these will do.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Thus far, we’ve seen a chapter in which God separates wages
from tithe, a chapter in which God separates money from tithes, and a chapter in
which God separates currency from tithes; nevertheless, for the sake of
argument, let’s give money lovers the benefit of the doubt by asking the
following question:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><a name="_Hlk82784630">Could an </a><a name="_Hlk87348248">Omniscient God</a> that declares to have numbered the hairs on
our heads have mistaken the words <u>labor wages</u> for the words <u>food tithes</u>—or
the words <u>temple money</u> for the words <u>tithe of the ground</u>—or the
words <u>silver shekels</u> for the words <u>seeds and fruits</u>, each of
these within just a few verses of Scripture?</p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk82784630;"></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Well, coming from an Omniscient God, that kind of oversight
would be a contradiction in terms. It would
be the equivalent of saying that our Omniscient God had an Omniscient memory lapse.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>The God that said<a name="_Hlk82764079">, “<i>the worker is
worth his keep,</i>” </a>would never say that we have robbed Him of what He has
already we are worthy of.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>A key component of wages is merit. When the Lord says that “<a name="_Hlk82764099"><i>the wages of sin is death</i>,” </a>He means that sin
causes us to deserve death. This same
merit principle is true of the wages we work for. We merit our paycheck. God would never request or demand a percentage
of the wages that <u>we</u> merit. To do
so would open the door for wicked men to merit salvation (or at least 10% of
salvation). And that would be disadvantageous
to our doctrine of Salvation by Grace.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Dear brethren, God said that if you are a worker, then you
deserve the money you earn. It’s yours. I’ve read the Bible from cover to cover many
times over and I have not found a single verse where God requires us to pay tithes
from our income.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>If you’re struggling to pay your bills and are being pressured
to pay 10% of your income to the local church, it’s time to let go of that
tithe burden. The cash-tithe idea did
not come from God. That’s why it’s so heavy
for you to carry it.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><a name="_Hlk82766846">While money lovers are placing
burdens on you (which they don’t carry themselves), God wants to do the opposite. He’s saying, </a><a name="_Hlk82764110">“<i>Come unto me, all ye that <u>labor</u>
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest</i>.” Matthew 11:28.</a></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk82766846;"></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk82764110;"></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Do as the Pilgrim’s Progress did. Present yourself before the Lord and in the
name of Jesus, allow Him to set you free of that guilt-burden that you’re
carrying.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>It’s like our sister Elvina M. Hall wrote in one of the
greatest hymns ever written, “Jesus paid it <u>all</u>.”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Thank you for listening. Until next time, please keep in mind that God
loves you, not your money. God bless
you.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Rev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242758126919333684.post-13918981907148532792021-05-02T11:06:00.000-07:002021-05-02T11:06:17.857-07:00Tithing and the Law<p> </p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">The video for this
post is available at the URL:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">https://youtu.be/6X-xUt3w2w8<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hello, I’m Pastor Amós and this is the study: Tithing and
the Law.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The apostolic church debated whether Christian gentiles
should keep the Law of Moses, or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The conclusion of their argument is found in Acts 15:28-29a it reads…<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“<i>It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to <u>burden</u>
you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from
food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and
from sexual immorality</i>.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Because it is clear that we are not to be <u>burdened</u>
with matters of the Law (among which we find God’s tithe), money lovers tell us
that God’s tithe is <u>not</u> a part of the Law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By doing this, money lovers turn <u>their</u>
cash-tithe scheme into a requirement of our Salvation by Grace.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In good faith towards money lovers, I have done an
exhaustive search of the Bible, trying to find the verse, or verses, to back up
<b><u>their</u></b> idea about God’s tithe <u>not</u> being a part of the Law,
and, well, I’m still searching for such a verse.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Nevertheless, while I have not been able to find scriptures
to support their <u>fake</u> tithe, I have found a few scriptures that identify
God’s tithe as being a part of the Law.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the <b>first</b> scripture I found, the Law says that
tithing is a part of the Law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the
purposes of the book of Leviticus is to list the laws, and in chapter 27,
verses 30, 31 and 32, the tithe is included in the list of <u>laws</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, as per the Law, tithing is a
command of the Law.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the <b>second</b> verse I found, the Prophets say tithing
is part of the Law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nehemiah 12:44
clearly expresses that the tithes are “<i>the portions required by the <u>Law</u></i>.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the <b>third</b> verse I found, the Apostol Paul says
tithing is part of the Law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hebrews 7:5a
reads “<i>they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the
priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the <u>Law</u>…</i>”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the <b>fourth</b> verse I found, Jesus says tithing is
part of the Law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Matthew 23:23, Jesus
said “<i>you <u>tithe</u> mint and dill and cumin and have neglected the
weightier matters of the <u>Law</u></i>.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Therefore, as far as I’ve been able to research: The Law,
the Prophets, the Apostles and Jesus, say that God’s tithe is part of the Law
of Moses.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Because of this, I challenge anyone that believes that God’s
tithe is <u>not</u> a part of the Law, to leave a comment with the <u>scripture
verse</u> or verses that back up <u>their</u> idea.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Prove me wrong by means of God’s Word and I will recant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For I derive NO monetary benefit from teaching
God’s truth.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this much I do know; it is not safe for
us to go against the testimony of Scripture.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now, I understand that many of us are concerned over
supporting our churches and that’s fine—except if it is being done based on
lies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God’s church cannot have a
foundation of lies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Extortion is <u>not</u>
an acceptable behavior for Christian leaders.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For information on how to finance your church without
accepting the cash-tithe lie, please see my study video titled, “How to Finance
a Church.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For as Christians we should <u>not</u> base our giving on
lies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is because many of us have
accepted the cash-tithe lie, that many of us have <u>never</u> experience the
fulness of God’s <u>burden-free</u> love for us.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So, let money lovers continue searching for ways to promote
their schemes.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As for the rest of us, we should stand on God’s Word, and we
should all go by the verses that are on the board which empower us to say that without
a doubt—God’s tithe <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">is</b> a part of the
Law of Moses.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">God wants you to “<i>have the power, to grasp how wide and
long and high and deep is the love of Christ</i>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ephesians 3:18.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“<i>Who shall separate us from the love of Christ</i>?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Romans 8:35a.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Is a money lover’s guilt-trip preventing YOU from
experiencing the fullness of God’s love?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I pray that this study and the knowledge of God’s Word has
empowered you to a closer walk with our Lord.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thank you for listening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Until next time, remember… God loves you, not your money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God bless.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Rev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242758126919333684.post-12158142184291743762020-05-05T15:28:00.001-07:002020-05-05T15:28:51.402-07:00The Tithe Challenge
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
The video for this
post is available at the URL:</div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://youtu.be/UtXrziHmD00">https://youtu.be/UtXrziHmD00</a></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
The Tithe Challenge</div>
<br />
Hello, I’m Pastor Amos, and this is the study: The Tithe
Challenge.<br />
<br />
According to the Bible, God challenged Israel to tithe in
Malachi 3:10b.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It reads, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Test</u> me in this, says the LORD
Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour
out so much blessing that there will <u>not</u> be room enough to store it</i>.”<br />
<br />
As we have learned, the Bible teaches that God’s tithe is
food—not money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, we can test the
validity of this biblical truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You see
the same tithe challenge that God gave Israel can also be used to prove that
the modern <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">cash</b>-tithe is a scam.<br />
<br />
In the tithe challenge, God <u>clearly</u> promises that He
will bless the tither in such a way that, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">there
will <u>not</u> be room enough to store it</i>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I ask you, do these words make sense if
we’re talking about money?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When in the
history of banking has there ever been a bank that said, “Sorry sir, but you
have too much money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s not enough
room in our bank to store it?”<br />
<br />
This proves, yet again, that the Lord’s tithe is food,
because we can understand that the amount of space needed to store food is
limited, but when it comes to money there will always be plenty of room in the
bank for more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not even Bill Gates has
problems storing money.<br />
<br />
Just think about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Hlk38894900">If the tithe challenge in Malachi 3:10 is applicable to money</a>,
then money tithing would become the greatest enterprise on earth. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The whole world would be tithing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just imagine, you give ten percent of your
income and soon the Lord will give you so much money that the bankers are
telling you they don’t have enough room to store it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, you take ten percent of that blessing
(which is already so big that banks are turning you down) and you tithe
that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You continue this way until you’re
filthy rich.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine, after tithing for just
two or three months, you won’t have to work another day in your life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think about it, you won’t have to pay rent
anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can buy a mansion without taking
out a mortgage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You won’t need to pay
the electric bill because you can buy the electric company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Forget about high prices at the supermarket,
you can buy the farm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll be better
off than the wealthiest CEO of the richest company on earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Malachi 3:10 is applicable to money, then
tithing would replace social security and the stock market.<br />
<br />
Sounds too good to be true, correct?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s because it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Malachi 3:10 God clearly identifies His
tithe as edible when He instructs Israel to bring it into the “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">storehouse</b>, that there may be <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">food</b>…”<br />
<br />
Now I’ve been around cash-tithing Christians for over 50
years and I’m yet to see a money tither receive so much money from the Lord
that there is not enough room to store it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it comes to money, the most I’ve <u>witnessed</u>
is a one for one blessing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words,
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">some</b> people get back what they put
in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this is in accordance with the
words of Jesus when He said, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">with the
measure you use, it will be measured to you</i>.” Luke 6:38b<br />
<br />
Of course, if you don’t believe that God’s tithe is food,
you are<u> welcome </u>to take the tithe challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It shouldn’t take long for you to realize
that you are <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">NOT</b> going to get back so
much money that there is no room to store it.<br />
<br />
Now some people may say that the tithe “blessing” with no
room to store it doesn’t necessarily have to be food or money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It could be anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To which I answer, regardless of what form
the “blessing” takes; in over 50 years, I am yet to see a Christian receive a
tithe blessing that is so big that there is no room to store it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reason for this is that tithing is not a
part of the Gospel of Jesus.<br />
<br />
Now some money-loving ministers will tell you, “The Lord is
talking about Heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Heaven, that’s
where there will be no room to contain our blessing.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that answer only proves that when we lie
about God’s Word, other areas of the Bible don’t make sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this case, the part that doesn’t make
sense is verse 11.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Malachi 3:11a reads,
“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I will prevent pests from devouring your
crops</i>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, <u>if</u> the
blessing (with no room to store it) is in Heaven, then there are problems in
Heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One problem would be that
storage space is limited and another problem would be that there are devouring
pests in Heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if an idea doesn’t make
sense—it’s wrong.<br />
<br />
I understand that because the Bible is ancient many of us believe
that it is out of date with our <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">modern</b>
society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, for today’s <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">modern</b> Christians, God has a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">modern</b> tithe challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simply ask a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">modern</b> rabbi.<br />
<br />
Our faith came from the Jewish faith. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was started by a rabbi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is why we refer to our faith as a
Judeo-Christian faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore,
although the writings are ancient, modern Jews live all around us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we are blessed to have many rabbis with
us here today.<br />
<br />
You owe it to yourself to know the truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, why not take the modern tithe
challenge?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why don’t you see for
yourself whether God’s tithe is food or money?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You have nothing to lose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just go
to your nearest Synagogue and ask to speak with the rabbi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go ahead, ask the rabbi if the Jews tithe
their income.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ask him if they tithe <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">cash</b>-money.<br />
<br />
And when you get your answer, go back home and thank the
Lord Jesus for having paid it <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">all</b>
for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Salvation is a gift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And tithing our income does not show
appreciation for the gift of salvation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It shows contempt towards God’s holy tithe and it belittles the Grace that
we have been given.<br />
<br />
And so, I pray that all those who hear these words and
believe be set free from the shackles of the modern cash-tithe fraud, in the
name of Jesus.<br />
<br />
“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It is for freedom
that Christ has set us free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stand firm,
then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery</i>.” Galatians
5:1.<br />
<br />
Thank you for listening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Until next time, God bless you.<br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Rev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242758126919333684.post-24225688724559568422019-05-05T12:13:00.000-07:002019-09-04T16:31:44.133-07:00Money and the Bible
<br />
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<span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">The
video for this post is available at the URL:</span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://youtu.be/tMg71YwUW-s"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">https://youtu.be/tMg71YwUW-s</span></a></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Money
and the Bible</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Hello, I’m Pastor Amós and this
is the study: Money and the Bible.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">In an attempt to promote the use
of cash as a form of tithing, many pastors claim that the biblical tithe was
food <i>only</i> because the Israelites did not use cash money. These pastors
allege that because of this, God was <i>forced</i> to establish a food-tithe in
place of a cash-tithe.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Nevertheless, the Bible contains
plenty of evidence of money being used.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">That said, this study is <i>not</i>
about tithing or percentages, this study is <i>not</i> about the Law or faith,
and this most certainly is <i>not</i> a study about what you should do with
your money. Like the widow that gave two mites, you are free to do whatever you
want with your money. Even if you want to give 100% of it to your pastor, that’s
your prerogative.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">This study is about how Satan
has infiltrated the Church with his lies and has made liars out of many pastors.
This study is about liars on our pulpits, and one of their lies is this: “the
Israelites did not use cash money during biblical times.” That is a lie. The
Bible evidence about cash-money being used is overwhelming. Hence, for the sake
of this short study I will only go over these <i>few</i> Bible references.
Here’s the biblical truth about money…</span><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><div style="margin-left: .25in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Genesis 17:12 Abraham was able to buy <i>servants</i> because he had enough <i>money</i>.</span></div>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Genesis 42:35 Joseph’s brothers had pouches full of <i>money</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Exodus 38:26 over 600,000 Israelites paid the atonement <i>money</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Leviticus 25:37 the Israelites were warned not to charge interest when lending <i>money</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Numbers 3:48 the parents of first-born were <i>ordered</i> to pay the redemption <i>money</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">2<sup>nd</sup> Kings 5:26 Elisha’s servant thought it was a good idea to ask Naaman for <i>money</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">2<sup>nd</sup> Chronicles 24:5 the Israelites paid their <i>annual</i> temple dues with <i>money</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Nehemiah 5:4 the Israelites paid the king’s tax with borrowed <i>money</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Esther 4:7 the destruction of the Jews was funded with <i>money</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Micah 3:11 some prophets told fortunes for <i>money</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Matthew 17:27 even in the mouth of a fish, Peter found <i>money</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Matthew 21:12 there were tables full of <i>money</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Matthew 22:21 Caesar’s image was on the tax <i>money</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Matthew 25:27 the Israelites went to the bankers to deposit their <i>money</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Matthew 26:9 perfumes could be sold at a high price so the poor could be given <i>money</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Matthew 28:12 the soldiers were given a large sum of bribe <i>money</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Luke 16:14 (like today’s money-loving ministers) the Pharisees loved <i>money</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">John 2:14 one of the businesses within the temple courts was the exchange of <i>money</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Acts 3:3 some people begged for <i>money</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Acts 4:34 houses were being sold and church members were supported with the <i>money</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Acts 5:3 (like today’s money-loving ministers) Ananias and Sapphira lied about the <i>money</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Acts 8:18 the Spirit was given at the laying of hands, but someone offered to buy it with <i>money</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Acts 16:16 by fortune telling, a young girl earned a great deal of <i>money</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Acts 22:28 Roman citizenship could be purchased with a lot of <i>money</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Above all these, Matthew 27:3, even our Lord Jesus was betrayed for <i>money</i>.</span></li>
</ol>
<br />
<span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">But don’t take my word for it.
You can do a Bible search by using the key words on this board to see for
yourself the many Bible references on money.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">So there we have it, straight
from God’s Word. Therefore, “let God be true, but every man a liar.” (Romans
3:4a)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">We cannot promote the Gospel of
Jesus with lies and expect to have God’s approval. God does not work salvation
through lies. Lies are the work of Satan, for “there is no truth in him. When
he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
(John 8:44b) And “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i>
liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone,
which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8b)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">The Bible makes it clear that
lying is not an option for us. Unfortunately, many liars <i>have</i>
infiltrated the Church. Even if your pastor has blessed your life with a
healing miracle but then lies about money in the Bible, he <i>is</i> a child of
Satan. For it is written, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we
not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name
perform <i>many miracles</i>?’” (Matthew 7:22-23) And the Lord’s answer will
be, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">We are in the midst of a savage
spiritual war. In the past, Satan’s attacks were a direct assault against the
Church by means of persecution. But in these last days, Satan’s attacks are
coming from within the Church. By poisoning the Church with the cash-tithe lies,
Satan has neutralized many Church leaders and is slowly putting the Church to
sleep; many are already dormant. The only way for us to survive is to stay
alert by means of God’s <i>written</i> word. We must never lose sight of the
fact that one day our Lord will return for “a radiant church, without stain or
wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” (Ephesians 5:27)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">While we cannot put an end to
the surmountable amount of money-loving liars that have infiltrated the Church,
I urge you to take a stand for the truth by sharing this video with every
Christian you know.</span> <span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">I
honestly wish you success during this life, and I look forward to spending time
with you in the heavenly realms.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: ""calibri"",serif;">Thank you for listening. Until
next time, God bless you.</span><br />
<br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span>Rev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242758126919333684.post-58667390492382916952018-05-06T11:27:00.000-07:002019-08-14T16:48:05.263-07:00How to Finance a Church
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">The video for this post is
available at the URL:</span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://youtu.be/bikYv7z-518"><span style="color: #0563c1; margin: 0px;">https://youtu.be/bikYv7z-518</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">How to Finance a Church</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Hello, I’m the Rev. Ortiz, and this is the study: How to Finance a
Church.</span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Over the years, thousands of you have watched my videos and
learned that God’s tithe has absolutely <i>nothing</i> to do with our income.
In light of this fact, a few of you have expressed concerns about how to
finance a church. Thus, with the help of my accounting degree, I’ve prepared
this study to answer your questions.</span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">But before I begin, I want to make it clear that Jesus <i>never</i>
used the word “church” to refer to a building. He only used the word “church”
to refer to us, His followers. We’re the ones that have changed the meaning of
the word” church” so that it also refers to buildings; however, if having a
building were a necessary part of the church, then Jesus would’ve built a church
building, because He was a carpenter by trade. In spite of having this ability,
Jesus did <i>not</i> build a building for the church, nor did He tell us to
start building.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">On the contrary, when Jesus was told about the temple buildings,
He said “Not one stone will be left on another.” (Matthew 24:2b) And when Peter
said “Let us put up three shelters…” (Mark 9:5) Jesus ignored him.</span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Jesus knew that if a building became a requirement for the church,
then God’s children would be burdened with the costs necessary to maintain a
brick and mortar structure. He also knew that we would start accumulating
treasures here on Earth. Unfortunately, we have overlooked this lesson and, like
Martha, we have become “worried and upset about many things, but only one thing
is needed”—God’s Word. (Luke 10:41-42a)</span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">This might come as a surprise to you, but God <i>never</i>
established worship buildings. The only structure that God requested was the <i>portable</i>
Tabernacle, also known as the <i>tent</i> of meeting. Aside from the sacred
portable tent, the Israelites were told to worship in their <i>houses</i> at
the start of every Sabbath. The idea of a temple came from King David, not God.
It was the Jews that wanted a temple, and it was the Jews that later built synagogues
on their own accord.</span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Although Jesus did not establish a church building, I do believe
that He agrees with our idea of having church buildings, in the same way that
God accepted the ideas of a temple and synagogues. That said, I now present to
you five easy ways to finance a church without turning God’s holy tithe into a
scam.</span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">First, we have the <i>Synagogue Method</i>. The Jews have a long-standing
relationship with the Almighty, longer than any other ethnic group on Earth,
and they do <i>not</i> tithe their income. So, if what they’re doing has kept
synagogues open for thousands of years, then it will work for us too.
Ecclesiastes 5:4-7 speaks of the promises made to support synagogues. At the
start of each year, those willing and able make a freewill promise to support
their synagogue. In addition to promises, the Jews also collect offerings. In
Luke 21:1-4, Jesus observed that the widow gave more. This means that Jewish
offerings are also based on freewill. These two sources of income support
synagogues all around the world.</span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Next we have the <i>House Church Method</i>. This is the same
method used by the Primitive/Apostolic Church. As the name implies, these
believers worshiped in private houses. The Bible does not mention any intention
to acquire a church building; therefore, the first Christians were content to
worship in their homes. According to 1</span><sup><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0px;">st</span></sup><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"> Corinthians 16:2, on the
first day of every week, a freewill love offering is collected based on how the
Lord has blessed each member. And with that, these believers have done away
with the overhead costs of maintaining a building. They can now direct their
love offerings to the needs of the poor. An online search will allow you to see
that there are many house churches today.</span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">The third form of church financing is the <i>Amish Method</i>. The
Amish do <i>not</i> tithe, nor do they collect a weekly offering. Instead, they
give alms twice a year, and give freely whenever a need arises. Search as you
may, but you will <i>never</i> find an Amish church building. That’s because
our Amish brothers and sisters have been worshiping in their houses for
hundreds of years. But instead of designating one house to hold all of their
worship services in, they use all of the houses within their community. Every
week, a different house is designated to serve as the house church of the week.
This way, the burden of preparation and cleanup is shared by everyone.</span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">This brings us to the fourth method of church financing which I
call the <i>Christian Transparency Method</i>. In this method, all expenses are
presented to the church for approval, and even voted on if necessary. Then we
simply take the total monthly expenses, minus the weekly offerings, and let the
church know the amount required to keep the church afloat. The transparency
method works, because when Christians are allowed to <i>see</i> the needs of
their church, they give. The only obstacle this method has is that money-loving
pastors do <i>not</i> want church members to <i>see</i> where their hard-earned
money is going.</span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">My last form of church finance is a <i>combination of any of these
four methods</i>. We shouldn’t limit ourselves to only one of the financial
methods. As Christians we should use all available tools to promote the Gospel.
What we shouldn’t do is lie about God’s tithe. Doing the wrong thing for the
right reasons doesn’t work with God. Remember that Abraham tried to help God’s
plan by having a child with the slave woman, and we all know how that ended.</span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Lying about God’s Word is a very serious matter, especially when
pastors are doing it to exploit the poor in spirit. Those that continue the
modern practice of making a fraudulent scheme out of God’s Holy Tithe will soon
discover that “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
Hebrews 10:31.</span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">If you find this study useful, please share it with others so we
can get these churches financed.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And
remember, God loves you, not your money.</span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Thank you for listening. Until next time, God bless you.</span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
Rev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242758126919333684.post-1106178402846537542017-11-10T11:08:00.000-08:002019-08-14T16:08:09.844-07:00Jesus is our Tithe<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">The video for this post is available at the URL: <a href="https://youtu.be/x6kOJsLuhBE"><span style="color: blue;">https://youtu.be/x6kOJsLuhBE</span></a></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Hello, I’m the Rev. Amós Ortiz, and this study is called Jesus
is our Tithe.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Today we’ll learn that although there is no Scripture Verse
that specifically reads “Jesus is our tithe,” the Bible does teach that Jesus
is our tithe. This concept isn’t new to us; for example, the word Trinity is
not in the Bible, yet we know that the Bible does teach us about the Holy
Trinity.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Our study reading is found in Deuteronomy 12:11. Here God
is giving the Israelites instructions concerning the yearly sacrifices and He
instructs them with these words: “you are to bring everything I command you:
your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts.” In
accordance with our study reading, this verse teaches us that God asked men to
present themselves before Him and, as we read, to “bring everything I command
you,” which included the tithe as a necessary part of the yearly sacrifice
needed for forgiveness.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">We know that Jesus also presented Himself before the Lord.
In John 20:17a we read “Jesus said, Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet
returned to the Father.” So we must ask ourselves, “Would the Almighty have
required less of His own Son Jesus than He did of us men? Would Jesus, after
making the ultimate sacrifice and knowing that the fate of all humanity was
riding on this, present Himself before the Father without bringing His tithe?
Would He disobey His Father’s Law?”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">If Jesus had presented himself to the Father without
bringing the tithe, His Sacrifice, which was for everybody (including you and
me), would have been incomplete and therefore, by law, unacceptable to God. By
this we know that Jesus paid our tithe, because Jesus paid the full price of
our redemption. As Christians, when we say “I must tithe to the Lord,” we are
actually stating that the sacrifice of Jesus is incomplete. What’s more, a
cash-tithe stomps upon the Body and Blood of Christ, because a cash-tithe
implies that our money is an acceptable substitute for the Body and Blood of
Christ. I’ll explain this…</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Malachi 3:10a reads “Bring the whole tithe into the
storehouse, that there may be <u>food</u> in my house.” The word “food” in
Malachi 3:10 should never be used to refer to money, because food and money are
two very different things! The Holy Spirit made no mistake in His inspiration
of the Word; food is food, not money!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">In Deuteronomy 14:23 God instructs His People to “Eat the
tithe … [while] in the presence of the LORD.” So, the tithe was edible. Can you
imagine the believers in Malachi 3:10 going to eat money in the presence of the
Lord? No…the tithe is food!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Jesus is food too. He called Himself the Bread of Life. In
John 6:53, Jesus said “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the
Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Just
as when the Israelites ate their tithe while in the presence the Lord, when we
have our communion, we are eating our tithe, which is the Body and Blood of
Christ, in the presence of the Lord. By this we know that the Bible does teach
that Jesus is indeed our tithe. The tithe was another typology of our Lord
Jesus. This same lesson is found in the Passover. The Passover Sacrifice was
eaten by the recipients of God’s forgiveness. Unfortunately, our cash-tithe is
now casting a shadow over the true life giving tithe: Jesus.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">However, Malachi 3:10 is clear: “That there may be <u>food</u>
in my house…” God is a Spirit, and today, right now, we are His house! 2<sup>nd</sup>
Timothy 1:14b reads “the Holy Spirit who lives in us.” So, just like the house
mentioned in Malachi 3:10 needed food, so does God’s new house need food, and
we feed it Jesus; He is our Manna that descended from Heaven. You see, Israel’s
journey to the Promised Land was a foreshadowing of our own journey to Heaven.
While they wandered in the desert, they ate Manna and did not tithe! Now it’s
our turn to eat Manna.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Once they
arrived in the Land of Milk & Honey, the Israelites worshipped and tithed
in the place that God had chosen for them, but the place that God has chosen
for us is in Heaven. This is why Jesus told the Samaritan woman that the time
had now come for us to worship, not so much in this place or that place, but to
worship God in Spirit and in Truth.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">When we
worship God in Spirit, it doesn’t matter how much money there is or isn’t,
because the Spirit does not need of a building with pews or instruments or big
screen TVs. You can be in somebody’s living room and be worshiping in Spirit,
because God’s Spirit is within us, not outside of us. For matters of
convenience we do have a church building, but in reality, we don’t have to go
to a specific building or place to worship our God in Spirit.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">And if we
are to worship God in Truth, then we should never refer to the word “food” in
Malachi 3:10 as being “money,” because that’s just a lie. God never said “bring
the whole tithe that there may be money in my house.” The house mentioned in
Malachi 3:10 did not have need for money. There was already plenty of money in
the Lord’s house. Even the walls were overlaid with pure gold.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Jesus said in Matthew 5:17, “Do not think that I have come
to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to
fulfill them.” Jesus fulfilled the tithe law when He presented His own flesh
and blood as our tithe to the Father. Therefore, the demands of the tithe law
have now been fulfilled. It has been completed; it is finished.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Like the
disciples of John the Baptist, many Christians have difficulty understanding
these things. This is why Jesus explained to the disciples of John the Baptist
that an old wineskin, which represents the Old Covenant of the Law, cannot be
filled with new wine, which represents the New Covenant of Grace, because if we
mix the old covenant of the Law with the new covenant of Grace, both blessings
will be lost.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Dear
friends, Jesus paid it all and today we are saved, not by paying a percentage
of our income to a church, but by faith, by God’s Grace. I invite you to learn
the significance of Jesus as our tithe and if you haven’t yet, I invite you to
make a decision for Christ as your personal Savior. And remember, it’s free,
because God loves you, not your money.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">If you
would like to learn more about the tithe, or give your heart to the Lord,
please visit our church blog at the web address on the board and feel free to
leave your comments and questions.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Thank you
for listening and God bless you.</span></div>
Rev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242758126919333684.post-29650906767171545402017-05-12T16:42:00.000-07:002019-07-31T17:01:34.511-07:00Tithe Testimony
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">Tithe
Testimony</span></div>
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">The video for this post is
available at: </span><span lang="EN" style="color: #767676; font-size: 8.5pt; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://youtu.be/xc2Oqszb4V8" target="_blank"><span style="color: #167ac6; margin: 0px;">https://youtu.be/xc2Oqszb4V8</span></a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Hello, I’m the Rev. Ortiz and
this is the study: Tithe Testimony.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Some viewers have commented
about how God has met their financial needs when they tithed their income. Their
testimonies also include the financial struggles they endured whenever they failed
to tithe. They end by asking me “How can you explain the blessings I’ve
received through tithing?”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">I want to start by thanking
everyone that has expressed concerns over my lessons on <i>non</i>-tithing. Your
input is very valuable to me. If it wasn’t for your comments, I would never
have prepared studies like this one. In appreciation, I want to give you a
tithe testimony of my own; but before I do, I’ll answer your question. So,
let’s go over why cash-tithing <i>appears</i> to work at times.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Simply stated, the Bible says “Give,
and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and
running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it
will be measured to you.” This Scripture is not limited to a percentage of
income, so when you give, regardless of the measure, God’s promise goes into
effect. So, what might appear to be tithe related is really the fulfillment of
Jesus’ promise in Luke 6:38.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">In addition to this, I must
mention that <i>most</i> cash-tithing does <i>not</i> end well. The fact that
some folks are testifying about how they miraculously managed to pay their
bills after tithing indicates that income <i>tithing is a burden</i>, because
if it wasn’t a burden no one would testify about it. No one testifies about
common every day occurrences. People testify after they have struggled with an
illness, or a marital problem, or, as in the case of the cash-tithe, after
they’ve suffered through financial burdens.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Money-loving ministers know that
cash-tithing is a burden (1</span><sup><span style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0px;">st</span></sup><span style="margin: 0px;">
Thessalonians 2:9), so they tell us that we must pay 10% of our income, and <i>then</i>
have faith that God will supply our needs, but that’s the equivalent of jumping
off a cliff and expecting God to come to our rescue. Jesus said “Do not put the
Lord your God to the test.” (Matthew 4:7) If we have the money to pay our bills
in our hands, then it’s not a matter of faith, because God has <i>already</i>
provided for our needs. We cannot give it to a money-loving minister and then
expect God to give us more money. That’s <i>not</i> how faith works.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">To all the tithe burdened folks
out there, God says in 2</span><sup><span style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0px;">nd</span></sup><span style="margin: 0px;">
Corinthians 9:7, “let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not […] of
necessity.” (NKJV) You’re helping no one when instead of paying your bills, you
increase the needs of the church by giving 10% of your income to the <i>wrong</i>
person. God’s Word is clear on this: “Let no debt remain outstanding.” (Romans
13:8a)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">That aside, here’s my tithe
testimony…</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">I was raised in the South Bronx.
I’m the son of immigrant parents. My father was a factory worker, my mother was
a stay at home mom with <i>ten</i> children, and I was a middle child. Even
though we relied on welfare to supplement our father’s meager income, there
were days in which our meals consisted of oatmeal because that’s all we could
afford. Back when I was a little boy, some considered the South Bronx to be the
poorest place in America. I got my first job at the tender age of 8, and by age
16, I was living on my own. This is the burden part of my testimony. I was
raised in poverty.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Let’s fast forward to today. Now
I’m not about to tell you how old I am, but I will say that I am well over 50
years old. And not just do I <i>not</i> tithe, but for <i>years</i> I have
taught thousands of Christians around the world that they <i>don’t</i> need to
tithe. Let’s put this into perspective. Money-loving ministers are saying that
if we don’t pay our tithes, we will be “cursed with a curse.” And here I am, <i>boldly</i>
teaching millions of Christians that they don’t need to tithe, and that I don’t
tithe. Therefore, if what money-loving ministers are saying is true, then out
of all the people in the world, I should be the one with the greatest curse. If
the “cursed with a curse” is applicable to Christians and their income, I
should be bankrupt.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">And yet God has supplied <i>all</i>
my needs. I owe nothing to anyone. My wife and children want for nothing. We’re
going on two decades now of being a <i>one salary family.</i> We have <i>never</i>
received any kind of support from friends or relatives. We have no mommy or
daddy to run to in times of need. We don’t use credit. Our bills are paid on
time. We have <i>never</i> received a past due notice. <i>All</i> of our needs
are well covered, and we have funds to spare. We’re counting our blessings. “My
cup runneth over!” (Psalm 23:5)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">So now I ask, how can we explain
<i>my</i> financial blessings in light of my actions <i>against</i>
cash-tithing?</span> <span style="margin: 0px;">My financial
success proves that the cash-tithe is a <i>scam</i> created by money-loving
ministers to exploit God’s children.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Unlike money-loving ministers, I
have nothing to gain or lose by telling you the truth. They, on the other hand,
want to hide the truth from you because <i>they want your money.</i> But I’ve
been preaching the Gospel of my Lord Jesus Christ free of charge since I was 15
years old.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Up to date, millions of minds
have been poisoned with the cash-tithe lie. “The kingdom of heaven has been
subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it.” (Matthew
11:12b) Money-loving ministers love <i>your money</i>, not you. That’s why they
get all upset when I upload videos that <i>expose their scams.</i> “Therefore, come
out from them and be separate, says the Lord.” (2</span><sup><span style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0px;">nd</span></sup><span style="margin: 0px;"> Corinthians 6:17a)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Take a step of faith. Dare
yourself to trust in God’s <i>written</i> Word, and the Word of truth will set
you free.</span> <span style="margin: 0px;">If God’s Spirit
has touched your heart through this testimony, please share it with others, so
that they too can be set free.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Thank you for listening. Until
next time, God bless you.</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<br /></div>
Rev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242758126919333684.post-47046591544587496432016-05-01T12:48:00.001-07:002020-08-23T13:38:28.397-07:00Abraham’s Pre-Law Tithe<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">Abraham’s
Pre-Law Tithe</span></b></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 8pt; margin: 0px;">Transcript
of YouTube video found at <a href="https://youtu.be/0PW2Hmv4_S8" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">https://youtu.be/0PW2Hmv4_S8</span></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Hello, I’m the Rev.
Ortiz, and this is the study: Abraham’s Pre-Law Tithe.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">In an attempt to make
tithing a part of the Christian faith, money lovers argue that Abraham’s tithe
predates the Law of Moses. And because of this, they assume that tithing is not
a part of the Law. And somehow or other, they interpret this to mean that
Christians must tithe their income. Of course, just because Abraham’s tithe
predates the Law doesn’t automatically make tithing a part of the Christian
faith, nor does it mean that God’s tithe isn’t a part of His Law</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">But okay, it is a fact
that Abraham’s tithe predates the Law of Moses; this much is true. However, I
invite you to look at other facts that have been conveniently overlooked by
money loving ministers.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red; margin: 0px;">Fact:</span></b><span style="margin: 0px;"> No law means there was no
obligation to tithe. Therefore, Abraham’s tithe was an act<u> </u>of freewill.
In accordance with this fact, Christians are not obligated to tithe, and if per
chance they do, it’s a matter of freewill, not obligation.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red; margin: 0px;">Fact:</span></b><span style="margin: 0px;"> Abraham’s tithe was a gift, not
a payment. See Genesis 14:20b; “Abram <i>gave</i> him a tenth.” Melchizedek did
not ask for a tithe, nor did God tell Abraham to give Melchizedek a tithe. No
one asked Abraham to tithe. Therefore, we should be asking ourselves, why are
Christians being asked to tithe?</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red; margin: 0px;">Fact:</span></b><span style="margin: 0px;"> Abraham did a lot of things
before the Law existed; that doesn’t mean we have to do them too. For example, Abraham’s
circumcision predates the Law. So, if Christians must tithe simply because
Abraham’s tithe predates the Law, doesn’t this also imply that Christians must
be circumcised, being that Abraham’s circumcision <i>also</i> predates the Law?
And being that Abraham’s circumcision was commanded by God, wouldn’t it be
logical that we should promote Abraham’s <i>mandatory</i> circumcision before
we promote his freewill tithe?</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red; margin: 0px;">Fact:</span></b><span style="margin: 0px;"> Abraham tithed the spoils
of war, not his income; read it in Hebrews 7:4. Therefore, if Christians
are going to imitate Abraham’s tithe, they’re going to have to first, go to
war; second, make sure they win the war, otherwise they’re dead; and third,
tithe the spoils of war. I personally recommend that we <i>do not</i> imitate
Abraham’s tithe because “God has called us to live in peace.” (1<sup>st</sup>
Corinthians 7:15b) Therefore, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.” (Colossians
3:15a) Not war.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red; margin: 0px;">Fact:</span></b><span style="margin: 0px;"> Abraham was a wealthy man
(Genesis 13:2), yet he <i>never</i> tithed from his riches. His only tithe was
the spoils of war. Therefore, it is an act of deception to tell Christians they
must tithe their <i>income</i>, knowing all too well that Abraham’s tithe had
absolutely <i>nothing</i> to do with his income.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">And here is the most
important fact that I want to share with you today…</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red; margin: 0px;">Fact:</span></b><span style="margin: 0px;"> Abraham’s tithe was the
result of a once in a lifetime, never to be repeated, circumstance.
Therefore, in accordance with the Biblical evidence, Abraham tithed only <i>once</i>
in his <i>entire</i> <i>life</i>. And yet pastors keep asking God’s Children to
pay <i>them</i> an income-tithe, not once or twice, but over and over again,
week after week, month after month, year after year—throughout their entire
lives! Well, the truth is, Abraham tithed only <i>once</i> in his life, and I
challenge anyone out there that doesn’t believe this to prove me wrong by
posting a comment with the <i>Bible verse</i> where they find that Abraham
tithed on another occasion.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Now some of you might be
thinking, “But Abraham is the father of faith and we are his children by faith.
Therefore, shouldn’t we tithe by faith?”</span> <span style="margin: 0px;">The
answer to this question is <i>no</i>, because “faith is being sure of what we hope
for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1) And, since Abraham
already had the victory, his tithing was a matter of fact, not faith.
Therefore,<u> </u>Abraham <i>did not use faith</i> to tithe.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Likewise, the Israelites
never tithed by faith; the Promised Land was already theirs. They could see it,
they could touch it, and they lived in it; that was a fact. Every year
they waited for the harvest to come <i>first</i>, and then they tithed. If the
harvest was small, their tithe was small. If it was large, their tithe
was large. Faith was not a requirement; the requirement was land
ownership.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">It’s a shame that the love
for the mighty dollar has caused so many ministers to focus this story on money.
In so doing, they have overlooked a vivid typology of Christ contained within
this war story.</span> <span style="margin: 0px;">I
now present to you a hidden gem—Abraham as a typology of Jesus.</span><br />
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<u><span style="margin: 0px;">Abraham</span></u></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="margin: 0px;">Left the comfort of his
home & servants</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0px;">Miraculously</span><span style="margin: 0px;"> traveled hundreds of miles
during ancient times</span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Abraham did these things
to rescue Lot after he got into trouble</span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Went to war to save
souls, not for riches</span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Fought against the odds
(four kings)</span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Won the war that Lot
could not win</span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Saved the people</span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Set the people free</span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Met the Priest of Salem
(which is Jerusalem)</span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Gave a spoils of war
tithe to the Priest</span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Abraham tithed only once
in his life</span><br />
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<u><span style="margin: 0px;">Jesus</span></u></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="margin: 0px;">Left the comfort of his
home & servants</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0px;">Miraculously</span><span style="margin: 0px;"> traveled from Heaven to Earth</span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Jesus did these things
to rescue us after we got into trouble</span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Went to war to save
souls, not for riches</span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Fought against the odds
Satan, Principalities, etc.</span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Won the war that we
could not win</span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Saved the people</span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Set the people free</span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Met the God of Jerusalem
(which is Salem)</span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Gave Himself as our “spoils
of war tithe” to God</span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Jesus paid the price of
salvation only once</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">There should be no doubt,
Abraham is clearly a foreshadowing of Jesus.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Now some of you might be
asking “Wait a minute, did you say that Jesus is our tithe?” Yes, I did. For
the detailed study, please view my ten-minute video titled “Jesus is Our Tithe.”</span>
<span style="margin: 0px;">But as with all my studies,
don’t take my word for it. I urge you to <i>study</i> the Scriptures
diligently, and allow God’s Spirit to “tell you great and unsearchable things
you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">And if any of my studies
have been a blessing to you, <i>please</i> help me reach others by simply
sharing these short videos with those you know so that the Body of Christ may
know of this resource.</span> <span style="margin: 0px;">Together
we can remove the stumbling stones and “let justice roll on like a river.” (Amos
5:24a)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;">Thank you for listening.
Until next time, God bless you.</span>Rev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242758126919333684.post-4093590938917374972015-06-05T16:14:00.000-07:002019-07-17T16:00:27.018-07:00History of the Income Tithe
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">History
of the Tithe on Earned Income</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Transcript
of YouTube study located at:</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div align="center" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://youtu.be/SqIZTcC3ljU"><span style="color: #0563c1;">https://youtu.be/SqIZTcC3ljU</span></a></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Hello, I’m the Rev.
Ortiz and this is the study: History of the Tithe on Earned Income.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">As per the Bible,
God’s tithe has nothing to do with earned income. God’s tithe is one hundred
percent edible food, and is exclusively for the Jewish people only. God’s tithe
requires Holy Land ownership and is for the support of the Levite Priests, for
the support of the poor, and is also eaten and enjoyed by the person that is
tithing and by his family.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">So then where did the
idea of a tithe on earned income come from? Here’s a tiny bit of the
chronological history.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">First, God instituted
His tithe as a part of His exclusive Covenant with the Jewish people.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Later, Jesus instituted a New Covenant in His Blood and
Christianity was born.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The Primitive Church functioned as a network
of house churches that collected love offerings for support.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">But when Christianity
became the official religion of the Roman Empire, it started buying huge
amounts of land and building elaborate church buildings and acquiring all kinds
of earthly possessions. As a result, the church needed money to pay for all
these things; so, they started looking for ways of making money. One popular
money maker was the selling of indulgences.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Years later, the
Church of England was supported by alms, but also collected a food tithe. Although
they were wrong to tithe because they are not Jewish and Britain is not the
Holy Land, they at least had the common sense to know that God’s tithe is food
and not money. You can make an online search for the words “tithe barn” to see
the many tithe barns that were used to collect and store the food tithe.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Then, at the start of
the Colonies here in America, the government supported the church, but that did
not last long due to our separation of church and state clause. So, churches
were left with only charitable donations as a means of support. To increase
their funds, they turned to renting out the pews. The pews in the front of the
church were the most expensive, and the ones in the back were the least
expensive. As a result, the rich sat in the front, but the poorest of folks had
to stand outside and press their ears against the walls in hopes of hearing
God’s Word. Many were against this form of collecting money due to the
Scriptures found in James 2:1-4.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Finally, a Baptist pastor
from Rochester, NY named Pharcellus Church seems to have been the first
Christian pastor on record to have said the words “robbed in tithes!” circa
1836. And thus, the idea that Christians must tithe their income was started.
Others followed suit, like Pastor Parsons Cooke of Lynn, Massachusetts, that
said Christians had “robbed God in tithe!” circa 1840. This went on and on
until 1878, when C.P. Jennings of St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Syracuse, NY wrote
a book that boldly proclaims income tithing to be a mandatory obligation for
all Christians.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">At first, many
Christians said “How can it be that Malachi 3:8 was written thousands of years
ago, yet we’re just being informed of this ‘income’ tithe now?” But common lay
members of the church could not contend against the ministers. And so, by the
late 1800s, the stumbling stone we call the income tithe was born. Therefore,
the modern tithe on earned income is less than 150 years old. On the other
hand, God’s tithe is over 3,500 years old.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Now, I challenge anyone;
again, I challenge anyone that doesn’t believe this to go visit their local synagogue
and ask the rabbi if they require a tithe on earned income, and they will tell
you that they do not collect a tithe on earned income! And why not? Because the
tithe on earned income is a Christian sacrilege. It has absolutely nothing to
do with God’s tithe, and although the income tithe was immediately embraced by
all branches of Christianity, the Jews do not accept it because, unlike the
greedy Christian ministers, the Jewish Rabbis are not about to twist God’s Holy
Scriptures for the love of money.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">As a result of the
Christian tithe on earned income:</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;"><span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Many poor have been kicked out of
churches.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;"><span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "&quot",serif; font-size: 7pt; margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Others avoid going to church because they
don’t want to deal with the insults “you have robbed God!”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;"><span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Many women try to seek the Lord, but
their unbelieving husbands grab hold of the income tithe as proof that
pastors are full of lust for money.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;"><span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Some lay members have literally starved
their children to give 10% of their income to the church.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The evils produced go
on to include divorces, foreclosures, and a bad reputation for the Gospel. And
so, many have walked away from salvation in Christ Jesus because of the income
tithe stumbling stone.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Still, money loving
ministers want us to believe that God’s tithe is based on earned income. They
say that 10% is fair for all, rich or poor, because everyone pays the same
percentage regardless of how much they earn. But that idea is economically incorrect.
Ten percent is not fair for all. I have a degree in the science of business
accounting, so I can tell you with all certainty that taking 10% from a person
that makes $1,000.00 a day will not have the same effect on that person as
taking 10% from a person on minimum wage.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">If God’s tithe had
been based on a worker’s salary, it would have been called a labor agreement,
and not a sacred covenant! God’s tithe is based on the increase of the Holy
Land. Increase and wages are two very different things. If every worker
received a weekly increase instead of wages, all workers would become rich
within a few years.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">If God’s tithe would
have been based on a worker’s wages then Jesus would have been wrong to say
that “</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">the worker deserves his
wages.</span><span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">” And if God
said you deserve your wages; then why must you give a percentage of your wages
away?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Oh, but some money
lovers are quick to quote Psalm 24:1 and say, “No, hold it, stop right there. ‘The
earth is the Lord’s and everything in it,’ so you are only giving back to God
what is rightfully His.”</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">My dear friends, if everything
on earth belonged to God, then child pornography would also belong to
God. Cocaine dealers would be able to confront the judge, saying “You got
it all wrong judge, that cocaine you found in my possession is not mine. It
belongs to the Almighty!” For the record, a better translation of this verse
would read “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness of it.”</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Here’s what God wants you
to do with your money. “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and
especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an
unbeliever.” 1<sup>st</sup> Timothy 5:8</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Therefore, don’t be
afraid of those that say you have robbed God, because today God is telling you
“For I know the plans I have for you; plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">While other ministers
out there are serving their god Mammon by cursing you with a curse, I’m going
to glorify God Almighty and bless you with a blessing, therefore “The Lord
bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious
to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Until next time, may
our Lord Jesus Christ bless you.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
Rev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242758126919333684.post-73506136995596837022014-10-06T10:28:00.000-07:002019-07-03T16:14:41.276-07:00Jesus and the Tithe<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Transcript of YouTube video: <span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://youtu.be/zsYdZJi74zc"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://youtu.be/zsYdZJi74zc</span></a></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Hello, my name is Rev. Amos Ortiz, and this is the study,
Jesus and the Tithe.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">We hear so much about the tithe today. Wouldn’t it be great
to have Jesus’ thoughts on the tithe? Well, His thoughts on the tithe can be
obtained by studying His words on the subject of the tithe. Let’s start with
Matthew 23:23. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!
You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected
the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You
should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Scribes and Pharisees were well-off. So why did Jesus
say it was okay for them to tithe spices? Did the Temple really need spices
from rich men? Shouldn’t Jesus have told them to tithe cash money from their
riches? The truth is, Jesus was not confused about His Father’s tithe, and He
clearly identifies it here as being edible and not a form of hard currency,
even when the tither is a rich person.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Why were these rich men tithing spices? Why not bigger foods
like pumpkins, corn, and tomatoes? Well, the Scribes and the Pharisees were not
about to give up their prestigious careers and take on farming, just to tithe. To
tithe, all they had to do was plant an herb garden in their backyards and bring
10% of the spices to the Temple.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Here’s some food for thought. God established a food tithe
in a time when there were no refrigerators or cans to preserve the foods. Yet
today, while we have many ways of preserving food which the world of antiquity
would never have dreamed of, many ministers insist on and even demand a cash tithe.
Like the Scribes and Pharisees, today’s money-loving ministers, in their own
defiant ways, are emphasizing the less important matters of the Law and
neglecting the more important matters of our faith, like honesty in God’s Word,
respect for God’s holy tithe, and love for those God has placed in our care.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">We all know that Christians are not under the law. Because
of this, money-loving ministers claim that the tithe was not a matter of the
Law. However, we’ve just read where Jesus said, “you tithe spices, but you have
neglected the more important matters of the law.” Therefore, as per Jesus, the
tithe is a matter of the Law.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">We should also be asking ourselves, “Being that our Lord
Jesus referred to tithing as one of the less important matters; why is it
constantly being mentioned in our churches?” Today’s money-loving ministers
also claim that the tithe used to be food because there was no cash currency, and
this too is a lie! See John 2:15b, “Jesus scattered the coins of the money
changers and overturned their tables.” There was so much money that men had
established currency exchange businesses within the Temple area!</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">According to the Law of Moses, if you lived too far to carry
your tithes and sacrifices to the Temple, you could travel with cash money. Upon
arriving, you would <b>not</b> offer a money tithe because that would be a
sacrilege and could get you expelled from the Temple! Instead, you would use
the money to repurchase your tithes and sacrifices, and then worship God.
However, many Jews had been scattered throughout the known world. So, the
currency they had was from other countries. These worshipers would have to
first exchange their foreign currency into shekels, and then use the shekels to
buy their locally grown tithes and sacrifices. Unfortunately, they were being
robbed in both transactions. And worst of all, God’s priests were just standing
by getting their cut of the proceeds. This is why Jesus was so upset.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Anyway, for those that insist on a cash tithe, Jesus tells
us exactly what happens when people tithe their money: they exalt themselves. In
Luke 18, Jesus tells a Parable of a super tither. On verse 12, the tither says,
“I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” And on verse 14, Jesus
makes it clear; “all those who exalt themselves will be humbled.” The all
tither exalted himself in many ways, but according to the Law of Moses, he
exalted himself through his tithing, because tithing was only from the produce
of the Promised Land. See Leviticus 27:30: “A tithe of everything from the
land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord;
it is holy to the Lord.” But this man claimed to tithe of all he received. This
would include things that were <b>not</b> holy to the Lord!</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">When Aaron’s sons offered a “strange fire,” God killed them.
Then the Lord gave us this warning: “you must distinguish between holy and
common things.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Therefore, any tithe
offering outside of God’s specifications is a strange tithe and, at minimal,
will cause our faith to weaken, because if we can ignore what Jesus said about
the tithe, we will also ignore other things He has said.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">And this my friends, I’ve witnessed firsthand, so called “Christians”
that send a cash tithe to the church and are nowhere to be found near the
church. I’ve seen churches full of adulterers that have claimed irreconcilable
differences as grounds to divorce and remarry and are allowed to function as
directors and overseers within the church, simply because they pay a money tithe.
They have exalted themselves by means of a strange tithe, just like the man in
Jesus’ parable. Dear friends, there is a better way, for God loves you, not
your money. When Jesus was asked “What must we do to do the works God
requires?” the answer was very simple: “believe in the one God has sent.”</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">To learn more about God’s tithe, please view the other short
studies on my YouTube Channel or visit tithedeception.blogspot.com.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Thank you for listening.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">God bless.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<br /></div>
Rev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242758126919333684.post-44233641517496847512013-09-13T12:56:00.000-07:002019-06-12T16:18:36.287-07:00The Meaning of life
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The 12-minute version of this long sermon can
be seen at <u>YouTube.com/user/berthaerika</u>.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div align="center" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Today’s reading is in Genesis 1:26a: “God said, Let us make
mankind in our image, in our likeness.”</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Artists create their works of art simply for the joy that art
brings, but many of the world’s greatest artworks have been commissioned. In a
similar way, God created mankind for His pleasure and glory, just read 1<sup>st</sup>
Corinthians 11:7. However, the words of Genesis 1:26 are also the product of
purposeful decision, or a plan, that resulted from something that took place in
the far and unknown corridors of the cosmos and time, where the Great King has
His Reign.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">There is history behind the words “Let us make mankind,” and the
Great King has made many efforts to convey this information to us, just read Hebrews
1:1. Despite this, there are still many of us asking the questions, “What is
the meaning of life? Why are we here? What is our purpose?” We may also ask, “If
God is so good, why do I suffer so much? If God is the Almighty, why doesn’t He
just destroy the enemy right now? If God is so intelligent, why not just have
us born in Heaven where we would never have sinned (although we know that sin
has existed in Heaven)?” and many others. The purpose of this sermon is to
answer all of these questions.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A good place to begin understanding God’s plan for us is through
the words of the author and finisher of our faith, the one and only Jesus
Christ. Jesus sent out 72 of His followers to preach, and they returned full of
excitement, talking about how they had used the great power of His name to
bring demons into submission. In reply, Jesus mentioned another creature that
has a submission problem; in Luke 10:18, He said “I saw Satan fall like
lightning from heaven.”</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Lightning is one of the fastest things under the sun; thus, if
someone is sent away like “lightning,” there is no time for a farewell party. For
instance, I have seen many people lose their jobs, though never at the speed of
lightning. Many of them, however, have been fired for insubordination, and one
thing that I have noticed is that their dismissal is only hurried when
something has gone terribly wrong.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Therefore, there had to be a reason for Satan’s sudden discharge,
and the reason is found in Isaiah 14:12-14, which reads, “How art thou fallen
from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the
ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I
will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will
sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will
ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">This reading speaks of Satan’s rebellion, but the revolt didn’t
end with Satan. Rebels have the tendency to hate being the only ones causing problems;
so, they look for supporters to back up their cause. For example, Revelation
12:9 reads, “The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the
devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and
his angels with him.” Furthermore, Jude 1:6 reads, “The angels who did not keep
their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has
kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Finally, a quick side note; many husbands are also guilty of not
keeping their positions of authority regarding their wives and abandoning their
proper dwelling of holy matrimony. Many wives also leave their proper dwelling,
but they are not in the position of authority; 1<sup>st</sup> Corinthians 11:3
is proof. However, I will leave this for another study.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
Rev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242758126919333684.post-77708244214550469162013-09-13T12:54:00.004-07:002019-06-05T16:23:53.017-07:00The Meaning of life, page two.
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Note that some people believe that Satan’s fall came after
the creation of Man, but either way is irrelevant for a God that cannot be
taken by surprise. Keep in mind that in Genesis 3:1, we find that Satan was
evil from the get go. You see, God was not taken by surprise when Adam sinned.
The Tree of Knowledge was not left in the Garden of Eden by accident. If that was
true, then our omniscient God would’ve made a mistake. The Tree of Knowledge
was placed in the Garden of Eden on purpose, for it was a part of God’s divine plan.
It was meant to be seen by all. This is why the Tree was placed “in the middle
of the garden” and not in one of the far ends. (Genesis 2:9)</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">God was accused of unrighteousness, and because of His love,
He needed to develop a reasonable plan that would clearly prove to all the
beings that He had created, including the fallen ones, that He is just and
righteous. To do this, God needed an entity with the following qualities…</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This entity would need to start life in
innocence, not knowing good or evil; thus, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and
Evil.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This entity would also need to live life without
seeing or hearing God or any of His heavenly wonders. This is not easy, since
He is the creator of all life. This is also known as His likeness. In other
words, just as God has never seen anyone greater than Himself, in like manner,
man physically doesn’t see anyone greater than himself.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This entity would also need to have power
similar to God’s power, i.e. the power of choice, or to make decisions, the
power to reproduce, the power of lordship over the world, etc. This is also
known as His image.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This entity would need to go through all of the
hurdles, hardships and tests of life and ultimately take a step of faith and
say “there is a Creator,” thus declaring God’s righteousness.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Only a being like this could settle the matter of His
righteousness once and for all, but no creature in all of His creation fit this
profile. So, our omniscient God had an idea and said “let us make mankind.”</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is one reason as to why God made us and gave us
authority on Earth. We are not just beings that came to life without a reason
or a purpose. God made us “a little lower than the angels [Elohim] and crowned
us with glory and honor.” (Psalm 8:5) Note that the Hebrew translation of Elohim
is God. However, Jewish tradition translates this word as angels. This
tradition is due to respect for His name, as is said in Exodus 20:7.</span></div>
Rev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242758126919333684.post-91824326329294020832013-09-13T12:54:00.001-07:002019-05-22T16:07:28.483-07:00The Meaning of life, page three.
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have you ever thought of the profound meaning in the words
of 1st Corinthians 6:3a, which reads, “Do you not know that we will judge
angels?” The fallen angels have accused God of unrighteousness; unfortunately,
God’s angels cannot judge the fallen angels without creating a conflict of
interest, because we tend to protect our kind. Also, God’s angels absolutely
cannot say that they have suffered for believing, or having faith, in a God that
they have never seen. Nor can God’s angels communicate the gospel to us without
destroying our faith, which is necessary for the judgment of the fallen angels.
In other words, if we accept God because we’ve seen and heard His angels, then
it is no longer a matter of faith. And without faith, we would lose our
strategic value regarding the Judgment of fallen angels.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is one of the reasons why Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without
faith it is impossible to please God.” Of course, there are many biblical
examples of heavenly beings acting in our favor. The key to understanding whether
God’s heavenly beings can have physical interaction with humans or not is based
on whether it is strategically justifiable for the purpose of righteousness for
which we were created. In other words, how will that interaction be perceived
in the Day of Judgment? Will it help the cause? Is it truly necessary and fair
to all parties involved?</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Look at it this way; the insubordinate angels have accused
God of unrighteousness and created a disturbance of universal proportions that
has gone on, from a human perspective, for eons. Behold, onto the judgment
arena comes mankind, an entity that has never seen God’s face nor heard His
voice, yet can lay to rest any doubts of God’s faithfulness, because although
man has free will, he deliberately surrendered it and accepted God’s way by
mere faith.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In case you haven’t realized, that’s us! You and I will
stand up in judgment against the fallen angels and say something along the
lines of this. “God is just, for I never saw nor heard of the wonders that you
insubordinate angels have enjoyed, yet without a doubt, I knew there must be a God
and I believed in Him. I suffered pain and hardship for my faith in God. At
times I even risked losing my salvation, but in the end, I kept the faith, and
here I am. Therefore, there is no excuse for your betrayal.” Then God will say
to them, “Away with you, ‘into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his
angels.’” (Matthew 25:41b) This is one of the major reasons why we are in the
middle of this huge spiritual war, because we are to judge angels.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have you ever wondered what’s up with Satan? In other words,
what’s the big deal? What does he have to gain or lose if everyday people like
us are saved or not? It is true, as many preachers have said, that Satan acts
this way because he wants to have company where he’s going. But moreover, he
needs to make sure that simple believers like us don’t remain in the faith,
because it is these people that are going to expose the lies that he has told
and seal the fate of countless fallen angels. Through Jesus, we have become the
living proof of God’s righteousness. You can see it in 2nd Thessalonians 1:5, which
reads, “all this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you
will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.”
This is why we have to follow the teaching found in 1st Peter 5:8, which reads,
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring
lion looking for someone to devour.” </span></div>
Rev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242758126919333684.post-83330577927540359972013-09-13T12:53:00.003-07:002019-05-08T16:26:35.967-07:00The Meaning of life, page four.
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a result of judging the angels, and for other reasons as
well, we have different functions in Christ and in our personal lives. There
are different ranks within the heavenly beings, with God being the leader of it
all. So, it stands to reason that someone like Moses would be inadequate to
judge a subordinate fallen angel whom has never been in command of anything,
but did agree with Satan’s plan to oust God’s rule. An angel of this level
would simply point back at Moses and say something like, “That’s easy for you
to say because you had thousands of people at your command, but I never enjoyed
that privilege!” In all probability, Moses will be judging high-ranking
heavenly entities.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Consequently, “to each one of us grace has been given as
Christ apportioned it.” (Ephesians 4:7) This Scripture does not mean that pastors
and preachers are better than others in the eyes of God. This means that the
quiet believers who have never enjoyed the Christian glories of this world
(gospel singers, evangelists, choir directors, etc.) will have a greater
importance regarding the end time judgment than those who are in leadership.
Due to their subordinate way of life, these simple Christians will be strategic
for God’s judgment. In this life we, unfortunately, tend to look down on
subordinate people. For example, a factory worker, back office clerk, or
tradesman is not always thought of proudly. People don’t say “my father was a
stock clerk” with the same pride as those that say “my father was the store
manager for so many years.” Nevertheless, in the next life, these subordinate
folks will find that they are in line with God’s will and plan.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But don’t take my word for it; here it is, straight from
God’s Word. Ephesians 4:8 reads, “This is why it says: When he ascended on
high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.” The captives are the
pastors, preachers, and teachers of His Word, and His people that are receiving
these captive gifts are the lay members of His church. Therefore, according to
this verse, the earthly leaders of the church are prisoners, and the
subordinate members are God’s people! This was a common practice after winning
a war. The winner took captives and gave them away as gifts to his friends,
family, etc. This is why ministers are known as servants of the Lord. We
ministers/servants prepare the spiritual food, like this sermon, that nourishes
your soul. The intended purpose is for your faith, and mine as well, to
continue to grow, regardless of all the turmoil in your life. This, in turn, is
to prepare you for the final judgment of God. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is all part of God’s strategic war plan. This is why
Pastors, like myself, “must give an account” for our actions in regards to the
lay members, or submissive members, of God’s Church. Here it is in Hebrews
13:17a, which reads, “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their
authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account.”
You see, subordinate members of the Body of Christ only give an account for
themselves, but pastors must give an account for themselves and for the other
members of the Body of Christ as well.</span></div>
Rev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242758126919333684.post-51069646963673141282013-09-13T12:52:00.003-07:002019-04-24T15:37:58.040-07:00The Meaning of life, page five.
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Regarding member submission, let me interject this: part of the
problem we face regarding lay member submission has to do with the pastoral
misinterpretation of what a spiritual leader is. I knew a pastor that
arrogantly called himself the “boss” of his church. This assumption is, without
a doubt, obtuse, because a “boss” is someone that pays cold hard cash for
services rendered,</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="color: #29303b; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">even in the trickle-down arrangement of managers. Yet for the
most part, these members are being forced through the use of sophistry to give
the so called “boss” their hard-earned money. I also knew of another pastor
that disrespectfully referred to members that leave his church as “runaway
slaves.” This is completely opposed to God’s Word, which in John 8:32 reads, “<span style="margin: 0px;">You will know the truth, and the truth will
set you free</span>.” With that kind of demeanor, why would anyone want to stay
in his church?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">I mention these examples because they demonstrate a different
and much needed reason for the pastoral account on the Day of Judgment. This perspective
of pastoral accountability is often not preached or mentioned from our pulpits,
yet it upholds God’s plan regarding the judgment of angels. Pastors have the
responsibility of preparing the church for this purpose. This is why it says in
Luke 12:48b, “<span style="margin: 0px;">from everyone who has
been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted
with much, much more will be asked</span>.”</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Now comes the amazing part. This is where your life is pricelessly
precious. Now the purpose of all of your tears and all of the unjust things
you’ve suffered through comes into focus. On judgment day, the Great One will
look at you as the lamb that He has chosen from His flock. You will stand up
and tell that fallen angel the words that many ministers cannot say. They go
something like this; “I never felt God’s Spirit move in me while preaching His
Word. I was one of those with the ‘<span style="margin: 0px;">ambition
to lead a quiet life</span>’ (1<sup>st</sup> Thessalonians 4:11). I suffered
many afflictions, including the immense pain of seeing my dear ones pass away.
And in all this, I knew that there is a God, and I accepted His reign over me. Therefore,
you have no excuse, fallen angel!”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">This makes a huge difference from someone that has a
life-transforming vision, or a testimony about drug and/or alcohol abuse, and
someone that has never experienced any of those things. It’s true that those
life changing testimonies are of great value, for they bring hope to us all,
for if God can transform a life like this, He can surely help us all. But don’t
sell yourself short, because God has a strategic purpose for those Christians
that live the “<span style="margin: 0px;">quiet life</span>.” A
life transforming testimony is also an open door for a hostile angel to claim
that God is unjust, since he was never given such an opportunity for
restoration, also known as a second chance. On the other hand, we all have
inherited the original sin, and because of that, <span style="margin: 0px;">all</span><span style="margin: 0px;"> have sinned and fall short of the glory of God</span>, like how it
reads in Romans 3:23. Therefore, everyone that decides to turn around after living
in sin and gives their back to sin and repents becomes of great value to the
Lord, regardless of the degree or amount of sin committed, whether great or
small.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
Rev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242758126919333684.post-74256418073652088242013-09-13T12:51:00.002-07:002019-04-17T16:15:25.850-07:00The Meaning of life, page six.
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You might think that what I am about to say is odd, or you
might think that it’s fascinating. In any event, you should brace yourself, because
now I’m going to show you another part of Scripture where the “heavenly chain
of command” is deeply involved in human activity. This part of Scripture shows
that our ordained position here in this life will be strategic in determining
which angels we will judge in Heaven. (Ordained means things that God orders in
His will and are out of our control. For example, none of us ever asked to be
born male or female, white or black, rich or poor.)</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In 1st Corinthians 11:3, the Apostle Paul says, “the head of
the woman is man” and for the most part we see this as a husband having
authority over his wife, and rightly so. However, in the middle of this husband
and wife chain of command, the Apostle Paul says that the wife should have a
sign to indicate that her husband has the authority; he then says “because of
the angels” in 1st Corinthians 11:10. Have you ever wondered, due to the fact
that in Heaven there is no getting married (Matthew 22:30 and Mark 12:25), why
on earth would angels have anything to do with marital relationships?</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the end time judgment, these women that have lived their
lives under the “head” rule and authority of their husbands will take the stand
and judge insubordinate angels. As you can see, these insubordinate angels have
rejected the authority that God placed over them. They lifted their voices,
claiming that they had the right to do as they pleased, but there will be no
angel in heaven that will be able to lift his voice when these women say to
them, “You rejected the authority that God placed over you, claiming He is
unjust. We however, are the living proof of the benefits of submission; we did
not have our will executed, yet we accepted God’s ways and found Him to be
true.” This will more than double when it comes time for those wives that, for
many years, have suffered in the shadows of abusive brutes and insensitive
husbands, yet have maintained their faith in God. No angel in heaven will be
able to stand against these women when they testify about what it’s like to
submit to a truly unjust authority.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Allow me to take a moment and interject a very interesting
reality that I have learned in my years as a minister. I have noticed that some
husbands feel that they must constantly point out the biblical doctrine of a wife’s
submission; however, these same Christians can’t stand having others, usually
their bosses, telling them what to do. Therefore, they become insubordinate, much
like the fallen angels. Many of these men can’t hold down a job for more than two
or three years. They either stop working altogether, usually due to a psychosomatic
(self-inflicted) disability, or end up struggling with one of those pridefully
boasting but dead end “I’m my own boss” kind of jobs. I’ve seen them defiantly
refuse to pay taxes, which is a form of insubordination, not to mention criminal.
I’ve also watched them as they leave their families without medical coverage and
struggle with past due bills, all because they can’t stand their bosses telling
them to come in to work on time. For these men, I’m about to tell you what
submission is all about. With the exception of God Almighty, everyone in Heaven
and Earth has someone to submit to. Again, the only being in existence that is
free from having to submit to anyone is God. All other entities have someone to
submit to. This is one of the reasons we obey Luke 6:31, which tells us to “do to
others as we would have them do to us.” Not following this Golden Rule means that
you think of others, including your wife, who is the one and only human being
that you vowed to cherish, as being less than you are. You see yourself as greater
than others and, in doing so, you are siding with Satan.</span></div>
Rev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242758126919333684.post-26419982672061623132013-09-13T12:50:00.000-07:002019-03-27T17:01:02.782-07:00The Meaning of life, page seven.
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Now back to the sermon…</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Can you understand, dear ones? All of your tears, pain,
belittlement, sufferings, etc., are being kept as valuable treasures to be used
for the purpose of righteousness. This is why Psalm 56:8 reads “<i>Record my
misery; list my tears on your scroll: are they not in your record?</i>” Why
would God keep a record of your sufferings unless He plans to use said
information? And what better use could there be for this information than to
prove Satan’s folly and end the war? God hasn’t forgotten you! If God did
everything we wanted Him to, if He made right all that is wrong, He would not
be able to justifiably show proof to the heavenly entities for sending Satan
and his angels to the Lake of Fire where they belong. Because of this, mere
words cannot express how valuable you are to Him.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Nevertheless, God has expressed this value by sending His only begotten
Son to prove to you how much He loves you! Because of this, the power of prayer
should never be underestimated. Take a look at it this way; this is where the
power of prayer comes into play with regard to God’s righteousness. If God is
constantly executing His will in our favor, His enemies will cry out “Unfair!”
But if we unite our will with His through prayer, when God answers our prayers,
His enemies cannot claim that He did as He pleased without regard to justice
and/or the desires of others. In other words, Satan cannot say to his followers
“See? He’s always doing things His way!” This is because there is now a human
being that, through prayer, has requested God’s favor.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Let’s think back to Moses again. Most preachers focus on the
great wonders and miracles that God brought about through the hands of Moses, <span style="margin: 0px;">and rightly so</span>. But before Moses
parted the Red Sea, these miracles were preceded by four hundred years of
slavery. Once again, we tend to pridefully focus on the leaders and ignore the subordinates.
And, in this case, the Israelites were subordinates to the point of slavery.
What about all of these generations of people that never saw God’s miracles at
the hands of Moses? These people lived generation after generation as slaves.
Imagine being born a slave and learning from your grandparents that they lived
their lives as slaves and raised your parents as slaves and that you later marry
a slave and have children that are slaves, and in your old age, you see your
precious grandchildren live their lives as slaves too! Do you think for a
moment that these hundreds of thousands of people have lived their lives in
vain? </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">God forbid. These folks will take the stand on the Day of
Judgment and say the words that Moses will never be able to say against the low
ranking fallen angels. They go something like this: “We never saw the burning
bush or heard His voice; our lives were made bitter with slavery for countless generations,
yet we never lost hope in God’s deliverance, even when we died without seeing
it.” There will not be an insubordinate angel left standing in Heaven when
these believers begin to speak.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Long ago, many of Heaven’s angels thought that God was unjustified
in creating Heaven His way. And they asked, “Is it justifiable for God to
create heavenly beings, knowing that they will be subject to His authority and will
not be allowed to run freely, doing whatever comes to mind? Is it justifiable, knowing
that their freedom would be within the limits of His Law?” God responded by
creating mankind to prove His righteousness.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Today, some of us have asked, “Was it justifiable for God to
create human life, knowing that humans will experience pain, trauma and all
kinds of malice simply because the human being has been given the freedom to do
whatever comes to mind? Was it justifiable for the Tree of Knowledge to be
purposefully placed in the Garden of Eden, resulting in the guaranteed
contamination of sin?” God responded by becoming one of us to lift our pain on
His shoulders.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<br /></div>
Rev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242758126919333684.post-6322135811445473952013-09-13T12:46:00.001-07:002019-03-20T16:31:46.716-07:00The Meaning of life, page eight.<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
<br />
</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri";">In order to demonstrate the need for His just laws, God
created mankind. He then selected a chosen people and started His earthly theocracy
as proof of the benefits of His laws upon all beings. The earthly theocracy did
not last long, but the benefits derived from the application of His heavenly laws,
upon humans that possess free will, are evident to us all here and now on Earth
as in Heaven. One can even say that every time a human governmental authority
creates a new law which will limit the freedom of its citizens, said government
upholds the divine plan regarding laws and limitations and does so because
God’s image is a part of mankind. This is why it says in Romans 13:1; “Let
everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority
except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been
established by God.”</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri";">Humans are also the evidence, or living proof, of what
occurs when there is no law, or the existing laws are unjust. The horrendous
atrocities that have taken place in closed and remote societies due to their
lack of just laws in government are evidence of what happens without God’s righteousness.
Even in cases of child abuse, there is proof of the results of acting outside
the limits of law, and this evidence will be presented to the fallen angels on
the Day of Judgment. This is why it says in Matthew 12:36-37; “But I tell you
that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty
word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your
words you will be condemned.” Therefore, if our “empty” words will be used to
acquit or condemn us, then there should be no doubt that our actions will weigh
heavily in God’s Court. Our lives are not just meant for us to simply live and
then disappear from existence as if this physical body is all there is.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri";">I leave you with this; do you ever wonder how it is that we
are to exalt and praise God “forever and ever?” (Psalm 145:1-2). You might ask,
“Isn’t this a little excessive? Does the Almighty really need to be reassured
(by our continual worship of Him) of His greatness every day for all eternity?”
The answer is no, because this is not so much for His good, but moreover for
our own good. Just as the American Pledge of Allegiance was meant to prevent
another civil war, this eternal worship is meant to prevent another heavenly
uprising. Eternal praise is meant to produce a constant awareness of God’s
authority over us and serves as a reminder that the saved members of humanity
willingly pledged allegiance to the Almighty because they found Him to be
righteous and worthy of His position.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri";">This is why some so-called “good” people will not be allowed
into Heaven. Many people think that a good God will never allow “good” people
to spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. Some folks think that if they’ve never
broken any laws or harmed anyone in any way, no matter how unbelievable that
sounds (see Mark 10:18 and Luke 18:19), they have earned the right to Heaven,
and there should be no reason to deny them access. However, they are sorely
wrong, because unless they accept God’s plan now (in this life), they will not
be allowed into Heaven, because if these “good” folks are allowed into Heaven
on their own merit, it will only be a matter of time before they start trouble.
Before anyone knows it, they will start complaining about God’s rule over them,
and before long, there will be another uprising in Heaven. Except this time, it
will have been started by “good” people. This is why entrance into Heaven will
be denied. This is also why it is written in Acts 4:12 that “Salvation is found
in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by
which we must be saved.”</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri";">In conclusion, would you like to make Heaven tremble? If so,
then proclaim God’s sovereignty in your darkest hour. Declare your faith no
matter how bad things get. Your faith is a testimony, being preached to the world.
It also attracts other potential Christians into the ranks of those that will
one day judge the angels. And that makes the insubordinate angels tremble. This
is why is says in 1st Peter 1:12b, “Even angels long to look into these
things.”</span></div>
</span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">Sermon by Rev. Amós Ortiz, founder of The Evangelical Reform Church of </span><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">H</span></b><span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">onesty, </span><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">R</span></b><span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">espect & </span><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">L</span></b><span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">ove in Christ Jesus, Inc.,</span><span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">910 East 28<sup>th</sup> Street (near Gov. Printz Blvd.)</span><span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">Wilmington, DE 19802</span><span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">www.YouTube.com/user/berthaerika</span><span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Rev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242758126919333684.post-74216808949332001312007-02-26T06:14:00.000-08:002019-02-20T16:15:49.933-08:00Conclusion<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">This study is not about paying a minister his or her salary. As the pastor of the Church of Honesty, Respect & Love, I personally know the hard work involved with being a pastor. I do it as a labor of love. However, those that earn a living from the altar are biblically justified. This study is about keeping God’s Word pure.</span></div>
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Through this study we have learned the truth, which is that the tithe is not cash. It is best for us to blindingly accept God’s Word in faith instead of leaning on our own understanding. Only “then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Many of today’s church members are being told to tithe their money and to have faith in a future economic victory. For the majority of these Christians, the years go by without the promised financial windfall, and if they question the promise of opened monetary floodgates, they are told that they simply don’t have enough faith.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">My dear friend, God did not establish a cash tithe. The idea of putting a cash tithe burden on His children never crossed our Lord’s mind. Instead, He said in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”</span><br />
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Do not be afraid, for you have a counselor. Concerning the requirements of the Law, He left you this written message. Acts 15:28-29 reads, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.”</span><br />
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">This study can go on and on, because the Bible has a multitude of evidence, along with many examples of an edible tithe and the use of available currency. I have written these few chapters because I know that the truths contained here can set free the lives of those that so desire freedom. However, if you require more information or a deeper explanation, please contact me.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">May God bless you.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Pastor Amós</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<br /></div>
Rev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242758126919333684.post-65191502548144003632007-02-20T05:54:00.000-08:002019-02-06T16:37:43.475-08:00Misuse of Parables<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">A biblical parable is a short story used to illustrate a spiritual truth. Ministers use biblical references concerning stewardship to claim that the interpretation of the Bible means that Christians should give money to the church or they will become bad stewards instead. Ministers quote these scriptures while affirming a cash tithe, using them as further evidence of their argument. The Bible speaks of stewardship in multiple places; however, most ministers get the idea of stewardship from two of Jesus’ parables. These are the Parable of the Shrewd Manager (Luke 16:1-14) and the Parable of the Talents (Matthew
25:14-30).</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Parable of the Shrewd Manager is for managers. In other words, Jesus was talking to the spiritual leaders of His time. This parable has nothing to do with the lay members of the church. However, if this parable would be applied to lay members’ lives, then no one should ask them for money, because giving money is not the same as managing money. This parable does not say “give;” it says “manage,” and it ends by telling the spiritual managers of that time that “you cannot serve both God and money” in Luke 16:13b. We learn in Luke 16:14 that the spiritual managers in question did not like it. “The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.”</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Parable of the Talents is mainly meant for those in charge of the church, whom are represented as those who have multiple talents. However, this parable is also for lay members, whom are represented as those who have one
talent. Matthew 25:14 reads, “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling
into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his
goods.” Jesus is the man that traveled to a far country, which is Heaven, and
He called His servants, which are us Christians, and gave us all spiritual gifts
that we must put to work.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">During the Bible era, a denarius was equal to a day’s wage and a talent was equal to a lifetime’s wages. Jesus did not give us a monetary talent, but He did give us all at least one spiritual talent, although most of us have many spiritual talents. When Jesus returns, He will ask us to give an account of what we did with our spiritual talent(s) that He gave us, and this has absolutely nothing to do with money.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Another one of Jesus’ Parables that is being used to obtain money is the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:1-9. The appalling aspect of this practice is that this passage of scripture does not mention money, not even metaphorically. In fact, the word “money” in any shape or form (talents, gold, etc.) does not appear in this Parable!</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The idea about sowing a seed of money is unbiblical! Later, Jesus makes it clear in Mathew 13:19 that the seeds which He refers to are the heard message of His Kingdom. These parables are not about how much money we give to the church. Rather, they are saying that as God’s stewards, we manage a spiritual property known as the Kingdom of Heaven and use our spiritual talents
to sow the seeds, or message, of the Gospel in anticipation of the harvest.</span></div>
Rev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242758126919333684.post-20775802047027998692007-02-12T05:38:00.000-08:002019-01-30T16:10:49.800-08:00Abraham’s non-edible Tithe
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Genesis 14:18-20 reads, “Then Melchizedek king of Salem
brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed
Abram, saying, ‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.
And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.’ Then
Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hebrews 7:1-4 reads, “This Melchizedek was king of Salem and
priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings
and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name
means ‘king of righteousness’; then also, ‘king of Salem’ means ‘king of peace.’
Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end
of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever. Just think how great
he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As we learned in Malachi 3 and Deuteronomy 14, the tithe
that God had established was, among other things, a requirement of the Law of
Moses, completely edible, from the increase of the Promised Land, and required
land ownership. It was also for the atoning of sins and was conducive of peace.
Abraham’s tithe, on the other hand, had none of these qualities. Therefore,
Abraham’s tithe cannot be used as an example for demanding a cash-tithe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a matter of fact, Abraham was a wealthy man even before
his encounter with Melchizedek. Genesis 13:2 reads, “Abram had become very
wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.” So then why didn’t Melchizedek
tell him, “dear Abraham, the tithe from the spoils of war is good, but what
about tithing from your wealth?” The reason is because Abraham’s tithe was of
his own accord. It was not demanded as is being done in today’s churches.
Abraham had not robbed God by not tithing from his wealth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Abraham’s example tells us that we need not tithe our wealth
or our increase. However, if we go to war, which I do not recommend because we
are called to peace, and win, then we can tithe the spoils of war like Abraham
did. But again, we’re not about to send members out to war just to get spoils
to tithe, for Colossians 3:15a says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your
hearts.” 1st Corinthians 7:15b also says, “God has called us to live in peace.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some people might argue that Abraham was a man of faith and
we are his children by faith, for Romans 4:16 says, “Therefore, the promise
comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all
Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who
are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Therefore, shouldn’t we tithe by faith? The answer is no,
because Abraham didn’t use faith to tithe. He had already won the war. Therefore,
it wasn’t a matter of faith. Rather, it was a matter of free will and
gratitude. Hebrews 11:1 reads, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and
certain of what we do not see.” Tithing was never done by faith because the
Israelites got the increase first, and then tithed afterwards.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you are holding cash in your hand, then it is not a
matter of faith because you can see it. You don’t need to hand it over to the
church to have faith. What you really need to do is use the money to take care
of your family. In fact, if you don’t use your money to take care of your
family first, you are more than lacking in faith, for 1st Timothy 5:8 reads,
“If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate
family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”</span></div>
Rev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242758126919333684.post-71526079073127116182007-02-05T04:54:00.000-08:002019-01-16T16:25:41.448-08:00The penalty for not tithing Leviticus 27:31<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The video for this post is available at: <a href="https://youtu.be/OhepydOtKhc"><span style="color: #0563c1;">https://youtu.be/OhepydOtKhc</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Although
we have learned that God’s established tithe is edible, there were people that
did bring Cash, plus a fifth part penalty, in place of their tithe to God’s
Temple. Leviticus 27:31 reads, “If a man redeems any of his tithe, he must add
a fifth of the value to it.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">The key word of the above verse is “redeem,”
which means to buy back, or to pay the price. For example, we are redeemed by
the Blood of Jesus. Galatians 3:13a reads, “Christ redeemed us from the curse
of the law…” The Jewish farmers in the Promised Land could redeem, or buy back,
the tithes of their crops and cattle with cash, plus the added penalty of one
fifth of the value.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">In other words, if a farmer wishes
to keep his tithe of grain worth $1,000, he can pay the cash amount of $1,200. A
fifth is equal to 20%; therefore, 20% of 1,000 is 200. God and Moses did not
want cash, currency, or money in any of its forms, but for those that insisted on
keeping the tithe, they could do so at a cost to them of a fifth part added onto
the monetary value of the tithe.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Therefore, it is highly unlikely
that any Israelite would want to bring cash to the Temple, no matter how rich he
or she was because it would cost a lot more for them to use cash as a tithe.
Nevertheless, because we see it in God’s Word, chances are that there were people
that preferred to pay the penalty and did so because cash was available to
them.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">This penalty for keeping the tithe also
prevented many of the Israelites from substituting money for the tithe, which
was food! Leviticus 27:31 would make no sense if the tithe had been cash or a
form of currency. This Scripture also proves yet again that cash was available
enough to have a cash tithe if God wanted it that way.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">But then why would Moses allow this
cash penalty if God didn’t want the tithe to be cash? This is because the
Israelites’ hearts were hardened. This same situation happened in the case of
divorce. Moses allowed the divorce that God never wanted. Matthew 19:8 reads,
“Jesus replied, ‘Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts
were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.’”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">In the same way, many modern hearts
have become hardened due to a lack of faith in God’s Word.</span></div>
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Rev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242758126919333684.post-114465783308893182007-01-29T05:25:00.000-08:002019-01-02T16:10:55.469-08:00Jesus’ Thoughts on the Tithe Matthew 23:23<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Wouldn’t it be great to have Jesus’ thoughts on the tithe? Thankfully, His thoughts on the tithe can be obtained by analyzing His words about this subject, which are recorded in the Bible.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Matthew 23:23 reads, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” (KJV)</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">In this passage, Jesus is talking to men that were well off, if not rich. This makes us wonder why Jesus said it was okay for them to tithe spices. Shouldn’t Jesus have told them to tithe cash money from their riches?</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Jesus was not confused about what a tithe is, and He clearly identifies the tithe as being edible and not a form of currency. Therefore, Jesus knows that the tithe is edible, even when the person who is tithing is rich. But then why were these rich men tithing spices and herbs?</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">You could only tithe something that you grew from the Promised Land. The scribes and the Pharisees were not about to give up their prestigious careers and take on farming. </span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">To tithe, all they had to do was plant an herb garden and bring 10% of the spices to the Temple.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">God established an edible tithe. In the past, there were no refrigerators or cans to preserve foods. Although we have many ways of preserving food in our modern age (which the world would never have dreamed of during the Bible era), many pastors insist on demanding a cash tithe!</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Alas, just as the scribes and Pharisees in the time of Jesus, today’s ministers have forgotten the more important things of our faith, which are Honesty in God’s Word, Respect for the sacred things of God, and Love for those whom God has placed in our care.</span><br />
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Rev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242758126919333684.post-87110000126952585022007-01-22T05:22:00.000-08:002018-12-26T16:17:34.348-08:00Ministers Playing the Word Game Ephesians 4:14<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Ministers play the word game by changing the Word and throwing the focus on something else. One way that ministers play this word game is by claiming that tithes are not a part of the Law of Moses. The discussion of the Law and Tithes is simply double talk that takes the focus away from the tithe being food.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">If someone wants to keep the Law, they should do so by tithing the food that the Law demands, because the Law is a matter of faith. Believers honor their faith, and others should respect it, even if it is a mixture of the Law and Grace.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">We can choose to follow the Law or Grace in accordance to our faith. However, removing the word “food” and adding the word <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">currency</i>
in Malachi 3:10 is not a matter of faith. Rather, it is a matter of theft! We must ask ourselves, why would someone remove the word “food” in Malachi 3:10 and add the word <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">currency</i>? The only answer I can come up with is the love of money.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">This is why learning God’s Word is so important. Ephesians 4:14 reads, “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.”</span><br />
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Rev. Amós Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648261347004420038noreply@blogger.com2