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• Tithing Overview

  Jan 10th 2013

  By: admin

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  OUTREACH SITE:  Snow is falling from Jerusalem north into Lebanon and Syria, making driving
  treacherous and some roads impassable.  The weather and the fact that a US armada is sailing for the region and is not expected to arrive until late Feb may mean that fighting in Syria slows until spring.

  For pics and the story on the flooding an dcollapse of Gaza tunnels and much more.  Israel and Region Inundated Under Heavy Rain and Snow

  NEWS:  There are 12 inches of snow in Jerusalem and heavy rain or snow from southern Israel north through Lebanon and Syria.  The US armada heading to the Middle East will not sail for several weeks yet.

  Livni is self destructing and it appears that Likud/Beitbeinu will be the largest bloc in the Jan 22nd election.  Who will be  asked to try and form a government and the make up of any resulting coalition will be of critical importance for the immediate future.

  ANNOUNCEMENTS:  Tomorrow a post on DREAMS.

  Tithing Overview

  This post is in response to some questions about the third or poor tithe.

  I am going to assume that the brethren know the scriptures on the subject so this will be an overview of the entire tithing system rather than a point by point on the many arguments.

  Abraham gave Christ a tenth of the spoils of the victory over Chedorlaomer; this in acknowledgment that Christ gave that king into the hand of Abraham.

  Jacob [probably having been taught this principle from Abraham] promised Christ a tenth of all that God would give him.  The story is a very interesting one, for Jacob had a dream of angels ascending and descending a ladder to heaven and a promise directly from Christ, which inspired the promise of the tithe.

  Notice that it was God who first promised blessings to Jacob and the ladder to heaven was indicative that Jacob had access to God in heaven, and that God’s angels were surrounding Jacob.

  I will not dwell on this long,  because I will be going through Genesis after ULB.  Remember that God changed Jacob’s name to Israel and his descendants were physical Israel, which is a type of spiritual Israel.  Physical Israel being called out of Egypt, and spiritual Israel is being called out of the spiritual Egypt of Satan’s world.

  The Jacob Cvenant  is an allegory of how God will care for his saints even in serious troubles if they will only obey trust in HIM.  Notice that Jacob [Israel] promised a tithe of ALL that God would give him.

  Gen 28:11   And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.

  ¹² And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

  ¹³ And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; ¹⁴ And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. ¹⁵ And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

  ¹⁶ And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. ¹⁷ And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful [awesome, wonderful] is this place! this is none other but the house of God [Beth-El], and this is the gate of heaven.

  ¹⁸ And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. ¹⁹ And he called the name of that place Bethel [the house of God]: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.

  The following is a covenant between Israel [Jacob] and God [Christ]; with Jacob vowing to give back to God one tenth of the blessings that God gives them, as an allegory of the obligations of spiritual Israel.

  ²⁰ And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, ²¹ So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: ²² And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

  As of this point tithing is not a law; it is a covenant between God and Jacob; that God will bless the obedient, and that the obedient [Jacob, Israel] will return back to God one tenth of ALL their increase.  Again I say that this is an allegory of what is expected of the [at that time] future Mosaic and New Covenant spiritual Israels.

  The Law

  Tithing was a covenant between God and Israel [Jacob] and not a law, until Sinai; when God commanded the tithing system and made tithing a commandment or law.

  Notice that Jacob went down into Egypt with his children and families and there was no tithing except for Abraham and Jacob to Christ [Melchesidec]  nor priesthood until Sinai, when Israel married Christ and the Mosaic Marriage Covenant was established between Christ and  physical Israel.

  At Sinai a new kind of kingdom was set up on the earth with the very Creator Jesus Christ, being the King of a physical nation.

  It was intended from Sinai that this system of God and Israel, should be an example for the whole world, and an allegory of the future Kingdom of God;  we know that physical Israel failed miserably to be an example of a godly kingdom.

  Israel being called out of Egypt was an allegory of the spiritually called out of the spiritual Egypt of this society, but the analogy was not intended to end there.  The physical kingdom of Israel was intended to be an allegory of the coming spiritual Kingdom of God!

  The physical laws of the Mosaic Covenant were to be the same laws  [expanded to include their spirit and intent] of the still coming Kingdom of God.  That includes tithing!

  The government was to be the priesthood and Israel was to be a theocratic nation in which the people tithed their increase to the priesthood, who then tithed to the high priest who payed for the Temple expenses.  The priests were to officiate at the Tabernacle / Temple and were to teach all the people in the ways of God, for which local schools or synagogues were established in each city.

  We know that Israel soon sought out human kings and turned away from God, but it was God’s intention to set up an example of his future Kingdom of God and how that would work.

  In the coming kingdom of God, the whole world will adopt the tithing system, tithing a tenth of all their increase to the priesthood, who will in turn administer the government as kings and priests; teaching and ruling all nations.

  There will be no war and need for expensive armies, no artificial government debts, no massive health problems, and no vast waste money schemes; in the Kingdom of God.

  The Covenants

  The Mosaic Covenant was a Marriage Covenant between Christ and Israel; in which Christ agreed to give physical blessings in exchange for obedience to everything that he would command.  Israel failed to obey and that Covenant was a failure because of the stony hearts of the people,

  The Mosaic Covenant was an instructional allegory for all those called into the New Spiritual Covenant which would write the law of God upon the hearts of those called into that Covenant, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, Jer 31 and Hebrews 8.

  Those called into the New Covenant are to keep all the commandments of God Mat 4:4 and to live by every word of God, which would be written on their hearts by the spirit of God; and if the New covenant called out  refuse to obey, they will be destroyed, as the sinning Israelites were destroyed in the wilderness when they sought to go back into Egypt.

  One of the laws to be written on our hearts and obeyed  is the law of tithing.  The law of tithing was how the Theocracy of Israel was financed and it is how the coming Kingdom of God will be financed.

  The Interregnum between the Mosaic Covenant and the establishment of the New Covenant with all humanity, at the coming of Messiah and the kingdom of God. 

  The Mosaic covenant ended with the death of the husband Jesus Christ.  The New Covenant Kingdom of God has not yet begun.  The question must be asked; What about the time between 31 AD and the coming KOG?

  When we are baptized we are baptized into the Father and into Christ and into the Holy Spirit. Baptism is a marriage espousal to Jesus Christ and causes the baptized person to come under the Passover Sacrifice blood protection of Jesus Christ, as a part of his bride; BOUGHT with a tremendous price.  Being espoused to Christ the son,  and through the application of his sacrifice we are reconciled to the Father we then become the sons [collective daughter (bride of the son)] in law of the Father.

  This espousal requires us to obey all that our espoused Husband may ask of us, including all of his commandments; which will now be written on our hearts if we follow God’s spirit as it leads us and writes the commandments in us.

  The Mosaic Covenant was entered by birth or assimilation into Israel.  The New Covenant is different in that it first requires a trial period in this physical life, before the worthy are separated from the unworthy, and chosen to be a part of the bride.

  Mat 7:21   Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

  ²² Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

  ²³ And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

  We know that historically the sect of the Jews which followed Christ was driven out of Judea and spread abroad and there was no Aaronic priesthood to tithe to.  Indeed the priesthood was transferred from the priesthood of Aaron to the priesthood of Jesus Christ, who was accepted by the Father as our High Priest and ONLY Intercessor on Wave Offering Sunday after his resurrection.

  We also know that every one of the called out, has been called to become a priest of the High Priesthood of Jesus Christ.  That means that every one of the called out today, has the right to take tithes of the people, if he is doing a godly work, just like the priests of Aaron.

  1 Cor 9:11   If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

  ¹² If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.

  ¹³ Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?

  ¹⁴ Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

  This has nothing to do with any ordination of men, for what man ordained Paul, Acts 9, or Jesus or Apollos?  Even HWA, contrary to his own doctrine, did NOT have the hands of an elder laid on him in ordination!

  All the brethren are called to become priests of the Most High God!

  We are to support those who are faithfully doing the work of God with our tithes.

  How do we know who these people are?

  Mat 7:15    Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

  ¹⁶ Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

  ¹⁷ Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

  ¹⁹ Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. ²⁰ Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

  What are the fruits of godliness?  Simply to be like God!  To be totally zealous for God and ALL of his commandments!  To be faithful to the doctrines, teachings and commandments of the Father and Jesus Christ!  To abhor and despise sin and never to teach tolerance for any  other doctrine; then that Christ died to atone for the sins of the repentant, and that the repentant are to then continue in commandment keeping and never to again sin wilfully.  We are NOT to continue in sin and thereby make a mockery of the sacrifice of our Creator and Master.

  Romans 6:1  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? ² God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? ³ Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

  Gal 1:6   I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: ⁷ Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

  ⁸ But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. ⁹ As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

  Those who teach tolerance for doctrinal diversity to achieve organizational unity; are anathema from Christ; and are accursed from Christ!  No wonder certain COG Groups are under a curse and do not realize it, this is because they are estranged from Christ by their tolerance of  teachings about a false Christ and lukewarmness for the practical application of the commandmets of God, Rev 3:16.  UCG, LCG Bob Thiel and many other Groups have estranged themselves from Christ.

  Tithing

  According to the law we are to tithe one tenth of all our increase to those doing the work of God.  Increase means gain after expenses are deducted.

  God gave Israel the land and he asked for ten percent of the increase in return.  Today we are not given any land and so the expenses of reasonable housing and food which we would normally grow for ourselves is deductible before tithing.

  A second tithe is to be saved to be spent at the Festivals of God.  The offerings were intended to cover the expenses of holding the Festivals and a so called tithe of a tithe is NOT required by God to be given for this purpose.   That is an HWA money grab.  If you want to do this, alright; but do not feel morally obligated.

  Third Tithe is only mentioned in one place.

  Deu 26:12   When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled;

  The seventh year being the year of release; this means that on the third and sixth years of a seven year cycle a tithe of all our increase should be shared with the needy.  Remember that God gave Israel the land and he asked for ten percent of the increase in return.  Today we are not given any land and so the expenses of reasonable housing and food which we would normally grow for ourselves is deductible before tithing.

  Take care about this.  there is a big difference between a basic home and a million dollar extravagance.  Do not abuse this privilege.

  Since many governments operate welfare systems and already take heavy taxes for this purpose, and since Christ is coming in the immediate future to correct this situation; I would leave this subject up to personal conscience before God.

  As for me I do not run an organization and I have no means to take or distribute third tithe.

  If a person is themselves needy and in need of assistance, they need not be giving what they do not have.

   

  

  

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  • UCG member

    January 10th, 2013 at 08:48

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    James,
    Some of your posts give me the impression you were in the loop in Pasadena back in WCG. Would you mind giving a brief timeline of your history in the churches of God,affliations etc.?

    Much to the chagrin of my Pentecostal father, I began to keep Sabbath at 14 [1964] from family Bible Study. A few years later I heard of the WCG when I was 17 and I read some of their lit and was amazed to find that they taught much of what I had learned from personal scripture study.

    At 18 I went into the US Army [my father had taken us to the US where I went through High School] and served two tours in Viet-Nam as a combat medic, and during that time I turned away from God to do much sin.

    After leaving the US Army I returned to my native Canada to live with my Jewish grandmother who had become Pentecostal and raised my father in that way. In Canada I had no luck at finding a job and went into the Canadian Army as a skilled person. I served six years including UNSC peacekeeping on Cyprus and in Egypt.

    I must hasten to add that i was not a good soldier and was a rather immature young man in the process of growing up at the time.

    I was baptized by Bob Berendt [now UCG Doctrine Committe Chairman] in 1976 and shortly after that resigned from the Army, moved west and married in 1978.

    We stopped attending in 1985 after a discussion about buying in restaurants on the Sabbath with Thomas Ecker, who said that we would be welcome only as long as we did not discuss the issue with others. That was contrary to the Biblical command to be always ready to give an answer, and we withdrew at that time on the moral grounds of the organizational sinning on the Sabbath.

    During most of my years of attendance I had a close personal friend who was somewhat of an intellectual and had a very close relationship with various senior WCG persons including Herman Hoeh. He called Hoeh almost every week to discuss what was going on and then we had a conversation.

    Please understand that in my posts there is also information from other men in the HWA Tkach loop; much of which was sent to me when they heard that I was putting together material to post on the Tkach changes. I also did intensive research on my own such as the Faezel book quoted.

    I, by not being directly involved in any group, am in a position to receive information from sources who are in all the groups. I have also received information from fathers of executives, like John Kilough; friends and family members of elders and executives, and even from many leaders themselves.

    God has provided me with what he wants me to have, and I have a very good picture of these groups and what their internal workings and intended direction are all about.

    Very many people [even elders and executives] trust me with questions and information that they would not dare tell even their elders or superiors, out of fear of making waves or provoking a negative reaction.

    This is an answer about my relationship with the COG and is not a bio and I have many other experiences in my life. James
  • dan

    January 10th, 2013 at 13:43

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    James,

    You are wrong about HWA not having been ordained.

    Dugger wrote in his History of the Church that he was ordained among seventy men as an evangelist by the old COG-7th day (Oregon conference, I believe). His name was 40th on the list if I am not mistaken.

    I was very careful; in my choice of words. HWA taught that a man had to be ordained by the laying on of hands of another elder, who had been ordianed by the same means.

    Herbert was chosen by lot and he was sent his ordination certificate and employment contract. He was never ordained by the laying on of hands of another ordained elder. This is called apostilic succession and does away with the freedom of God to call who God chooses. It is a Roman Catholic doctrine later accepted and taught by HWA to secure an organization of people ordained by and committed to himself.

    Who ordained Christ, Samuel, John, Noah, Phinehas, Elijah, Moses, Paul, Apollos, Melchisedek etc etc?

    I stand by my words.

    He had been ordained by the lay brethren of the Eugene, Oregon congregation and later sought employment from Salem, but he was never ordained by the laying on of the hands of an elder. That is a fact.

    Later he was asked to return his credentials and was fired for stealing tithes and starting his own work, instead of cooperating with Salem according to the terms of his employment agreement. The Festivals were the official excuse but actually Salem was not fully decided on the Festivals at that time.

    I am correct in that HWA was never ordained by the laying on of hands of anothr elder, as he later taught was essential [the doctrine of the laying on of hands is subject to God's direct call]. Hands layed on by men is meaningless as proved by Joe T and multitudes of others: without God’s call.

    We are to recognize God’s shepherds; not by their ordination by men; but by their fruits of godliness! So said Jesus Christ! I am writing about ordination and NOT about the godliness or lack thereof, of the Armstrongs. James
  • HGC

    January 10th, 2013 at 14:18

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    James the part you quote about Jacobs vow ( And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, 21 So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: 22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.)
    1) the Cogs & you teach that tithing is an eternal law, so what’s this part about Jacob saying if You do this than I’ll do that ?

    As I said we tithe on our increase that God gves us; which means that God must give an increase before we tithe on it.
    God said about Abraham Gen 18:19 ( For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.) If tithing was an eternal law don’t you think that Abraham would have thought his son Isaac & his grandson Jacob about this law ?
    because it also says about Abraham Gen 26:5 ( Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.)
    Jacob expressly says that he is making a vow & not that he is commanded to tithe ! Gen 28:20
    2) Circumcision was “for an everlasting covenant” Gen 17:9-14 (13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.)
    but we know from the apostle Paul that in this time & age it is not a requirement but it will be when Christ returns for even the gentiles will have to be circumcised Ezekiel 44:4-9
    ( 9 Thus saith the Lord God; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel. )
    3) the whole Levitical system ( that means the priesthood, animal sacrifices & tithing that supported that priesthood ) has ended as Paul explains in Hebrews 10:1-4 ( For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.)
    but when Christ returns all that will be re-established as Ezekiel 44:10-31 shows ( 10 And the Levites that are gone away far from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols; they shall even bear their iniquity.11 Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having charge at the gates of the house, and ministering to the house: they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister unto them.)

    Circumcision of all males is required on the eighth day after birth. Paul was saying that adults who are already circumcised in heart, need not be circumcised in flesh. He was not doing away with the eighth day circumcision of males. Children are not already circumcised in heart and must be circumcised in the flesh as the law requires.

    And as you mentioned, in the KOG all must be circumcised on the eighth day and later circumcised in heart through repentance by the gift of God’s spirit, as they reach adulthood. That means that all males will be circumcised: BOTH in the flesh and in the heart.

    Today converted people should be obeying God’s word and circumcising all their males on the eighth day. The Paulician advice was only about adults already circumcised in heart; Paul was not advising us to break God’s law commanding circumcision on the eighth day for our male children.

    As I tried to say; all of the things of the Mosaic Covenant will be restored in the KOG, and expanded to include the spiritual aspects as well. James
  • ob

    January 10th, 2013 at 15:55

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    two years ago I decided to observe the third tithe offering even though i had heard the welfare taxes etc reasoning. It turned out to be a most satisfying year. I was able to assist families that were in need and yet I was never in need. God truly saw me though that year. I asked the question to UCG about keeping the third tithe and the answer was…it was each person’s decision because of the welfare system but that person answering me said he personally observed the third tithe year himself. More brethren probably observe the third tithe than we realize. The families I was able to assist were not in the church and when they asked me how I could do it, I explained about the third tithe. What lights we could be on the hills if all brethren would step out on faith and do whatever they could – just like the widow’s mite.
  • HGC

    January 10th, 2013 at 16:48

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    James your comment : Circumcision of all males is required on the eighth day after birth. Paul was saying that adults who are already circumcised in heart, need not be circumcised in flesh. He was not doing away with the eighth day circumcision of males. Children are not already circumcised in heart and must be circumcised in the flesh as the law requires.
    You say as the law requires so if your going to do circumcision than you have to keep the whole that means animal sacrifices as Paul states in Gal 5:1-6
    ( Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, [The key point here: we are not justified for past sin by future law keeping, however only the repentant who stop breaking the law shall be justified by faith in Christ] whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. )

    Of course we must keep the whole law! I have been trumpeting this continually for the past almost six years. This is what I am all about; consuming zeal for the whole law of God!

    The law does NOT justify for past sins; only the application of the sacrifice of Christ can justify for sin and reconcile to the Father, however if we sin again we are again separated from God. Christ’s sacrifice justifies the repentant and will never justify those who do not repent and who continue in law breaking. We must REPENT of law breaking before Christ will justfy us by the appplication of his sacrifice.

    Then we must stop sinning which would again separate us from God.

    Rom 2:13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

    Heb 10:26 For if we sin [break any commandment] wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

    As for animal sarifices; they are not allowed in any place except at the physical temple which has been destroyed; therefore animal sacrifices will begin again when the new millennial temple is built as you yourself said in your last comment.

    This is absolutely basic Biblical doctrine of Christ and salvation. The unrepentant law breaker who continues in his sin shall be judged and thrown into the lake of fire for a permanent death. No unrepentant law breaker who continues in sin shall enter eternal life!

    Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

    2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
    James
  • Rolf Ungar

    January 10th, 2013 at 17:32

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    I know of a quite a few elders who need to have hands laid upon them!

    That is a double meaning if I ever heard one! James
  • HGC

    January 10th, 2013 at 17:59

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    James when Paul in Galatians states that Gal 5:3 ( 3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.) Paul here is not talking about the perfect law of liberty ( the ten commandments [No, that is your assumption. All the laws of God (NOT just the ten) are a part of the perfect law of liberty.]) but about all the other old covenant practices like sacrifices, washings, childbirth rituals, bodily discharges, laws concerning slavery, law of the Nazirite, laws of grain & drink offerings, tassels on garments, laws of purification, law concerning vows, bond servants, firstborn animals, female war prisoners, unsolved murder, inheritance rights, etc.

    Precisely. We are to keep all of these commandments; NOT JUST THE TEN. And they are not as burdensome as you imagine. We do not keep slaves [indentured servants] so these laws do not apply until someone does have a slave.

    The tassels or fringes were added to remind people of the commandments and that has been replaced by the Holy Spirit which does the same thing. The other sacrificial laws will come into play when a new temple is built; and further they all have their spiritual applications revealing various aspects of Christ sacrifice.

    All the commandments of God are to be obeyed, NOT JUST THE TEN! Much of what you are referencing are not God’s commandments at all, but traditions of the Jews which often make God’s commandments of no effect. Do not confuse Jewish traditions with God’s commandments.

    No one should ever be baptised without understanding that we are to live by EVERY WORD OF GOD, Mat 4:4 and are to obey God in all things, NOT JUST THE TEN; and that includes any command to leave an area as God commanded Abram. When God’s two prophets give the instruction of God.

    At marriage a woman agrees to obey her husband in all things, baptism is the very same thing; an agreement to obey our spiritual Husband in ALL things, in ALL circumstances. That is basic salvational doctrine.

    My wife and I kept the period of separation after the birth of each of our four children as does any zealous family. This is of tremendous benefit for bonding with the child and to protect against disease until the child’s immune system is fully functioning.

    The wisdom of God’s commandments is truly great, if only people would keep them, they would learn and begin to understand.

    What part of “man shall live by EVERY WORD of God” do supposedly converted people not understand? The COG Groups have gotten so far away from God that they are buying into the evangelical lie that they need only obey the ten and can walk all over the other commandments. That will quickly lead into eating the unclean thing and making the Festivals voluntary as in GCF. James
  • HGC

    January 10th, 2013 at 19:33

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    James your comment : Much of what you are referencing are not God’s commandments at all, but traditions of the Jews which often make God’s commandments of no effect. Do not confuse Jewish traditions with God’s commandments.
    All those quotes are from Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy, it has nothing to do with Jewish traditions !
    childbirth rituals Lev 12:1-8
    bodily discharges lev 15:1-33
    laws concerning slavery Lev 25:39-55
    law concerning unfaithful wives Num 5:11-31
    law of the Nazirite Num 6:1-21
    laws of grain & drink offerings Num 15:1-21
    tassels on garments Num 15:37-41
    laws of purification Num 19:1-22
    law concerning vows Num 30:1-16
    bond servants Deut 15:12-18
    firstborn animals Deut 15:19-23
    female war prisoners Deut 21:10-14
    unsolved murder Deut 21:1-9
    inheritance rights Deut 21:15-17

    We are commanded to read through the law every seventh year at the Feast of Tabernacles. Please do read through the Book of Deu which I did for the last few Feasts of Tabernacles. http://godourlight.info/?cat=178

    All that you quoted above is to be obeyed in its letter, spirit and intent. There is no temple and therefore there is no daily or other physical sacrifice, nor purification rites except in the spiritual sense. For example repentance and baptism is the spiritual outgrowth of washings for sin; Fringes was to remind of the law, which is now done by the Holy Spirit; At this time we have no land given to us for a possession, therefore the inheritance of land is not reghulated by the Biblical law as it should be, this is a governmental law whch should be enforced by the government and is not.

    As long as there was a temple there could be Nazerites and Paul himself sponsored Nazerites at the Temple service for them as an example that this was in effect. The actual Nazerite vow is now precluded because there is no temple to offer the required sacrifice; yet it is the Nazerite law that allows any so called layman to decide to stand up and serve God today as I do. If you want to know what I am: I am not an apostle nor am I a prophet; I am a Nazerite in the spiritual sense of a volunteer dedicating himself to serving God. Having chosen to dedicate myself to God to proclaim his word.

    The treatment of female prisoners was a merciful law preventing them from abuse and rape; preventing any sexual or other abuse without the dignity and full rights of marriage. We do not have that kind of warfare any more??? Although there is still very much rape and abuse of women in warfare in much of the world today, which this law prevents.

    Every one of these laws is either a great physical blessing or it teaches profound spiritual understandings.

    YES, ABSOLUTELY, MOST CERTAINLY: ALL of them are to be obeyed when the situation exists; some require a Temple, some are laws for the governance of the nations and some will not be applicable in peacetime when war has been vanquished.

    Jesus Christ commanded us to live by every word of God and said that not so much as a punctuation mark would be removed from the law as long as the universe exists.

    The idea that the law is only the TEN is an Evangelical Catholic heresy and is the direction that all the major COG Groups are leaning towards in their apostasy. It is WRONG!

    For years I have explained these things over and over and covered these various laws.

    I intend to complete Job, cover Proverbs, Luke and John before Passover. The Song of Songs during ULB; and during the summer to cover Genesis and these commandments; You will have to wait until summer for these commandmets, as i will not be distracted from my plans.. I have already covered the sacrificial system. http://godourlight.info/?p=360 All that will be left after that are the major prophets. James.
  • David Rydholm

    January 10th, 2013 at 19:49

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    Hi James,

    The third tithe is nowhere mentioned in the Bible. What is mentioned is the third year, not a third tithe, and for years I wondered why a tithe was to be given to others including the Levites only at the end of the third year (3rd & 6th year in a 7 year cycle; Deut 14:28-29; 26:12). It looks like the answer is the Levites were only about 2 – 2.5% of the population, Num 1-4; 26; 31:30, so 10% of one year’s harvest every third year was to be given to 3.3% of the population (the Levites 2-2.5% and the “stranger, fatherless, widow” the remaining %?), and stored up for up to 3 years. Or, the equivalent of 3.3% of the harvest every year (but 10% given every third year) was given to 3.3% of the population. To be very simplistic: ideally 100% of the harvest should go to 100% of the population. Then 3.3% of the harvest should go to 3.3% of the population.

    David

    This money was for the poor and needy and it was NOT for the Levites, but only for the poor and needy AMONG the Levites. Remember that Levi was a tribe in Israel that had no inheritance, yet as a whole tribe it had its handicapped, poor and needy as well as any other tribe.

    You are also incorrect that tithing only took place in the third year. The third year was the year when the tithe for the poor was offered to the handicapped and needy; it was not the only year when the regular tithe was to be given to the priest hood. Remember that the priest hood were the sons of Aaron, while the Levites were the sons of Levi; two related but separate groups.

    The temple and its Daily and other offerings, needed to be funded continually by the tithes of the people. This was not just wages for the priests but the costs of the animals, grain wine, wood and other necessities. The temple service was not a one in three year event but was continual. Also the tithe for the Festivals was required every year as the Festivals were yearly events. James
  • Tim McCaulley

    January 11th, 2013 at 06:37

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    The corporate COG community teaches that tithes are a debt to God that they have the exclusive franchise to collect. They say, in effect, “God commands it, we’re His agents, pay up or be under God’s curse for not doing so”.
    The primary problem with this reasoning, (beyond its inaccurate presumption of their exclusive franchise), is that collecting,as well as paying, tithes comes with responsibilities. (Whether the corporate ministerial syndicates either know or believe it or not!)
    Those parables of pounds and talents (both of which were measures of money–Lu 19:11-27, and Matt. 25:14-30)apply just as much to the conduct of the collective corporate COG ministries as they do to the rest of their brethren. What will the Ambassador college trained hirelings have to answer when Jesus Christ demands an accounting from them for the collective hundreds of millions of dollars entrusted to their care by faithful brethren?
    How will they explain their biting and devouring of one another as they promiscuously multiply unto themselves corporations that are nothing more than monumental idols to the egos of their founders and call them this or that “Church of God” as a way of sanitizing their collective stink? How will they explain their lavish lifestyle compared to the brethren who financed it and whom THEY were suppossed to be serving instead of vice-versa?
    When Christ pronounces the curses contained in Ezekiel 34:7-10 or Mal 2:7-9 will the collective corporate ministry finally be convicted of their abandonment of their assumed duty or will they blame Satan for the low esteem in which they are held?
    The piercing question of Elisha to Gehazi in II Kings 5:26, “[Is it] a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?”, also comes to mind.
    So too do Jesus Christ’s own words in John 10:10-14 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.
    I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
    But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
    The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.”
    To all of the Ambassador College trained ministry who go about behaving in such manner, know this: You cannot claim the privileges of an office without also owning the responsibilities of that office.
    1 (or be under God’s curse for disobediance
    Tim McCaulley
    Jacksonville FL
    Well said. To take a reward and not do the true work is fraud and stealing from God and the brethren. James
  • A spade is a spade

    January 11th, 2013 at 16:59

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    Third tithe is supposed to be FOR the poor not FROM the poor.

    The people in Church of God, the Eternal tithe on the gross of every cent they make or get. Social Security, gifts, unemployment ect. Those on third tithe assistance have to tithe even on that, while the ministry does not have to save second and can even spend the third tithes that come in being considered Levites per Herbert Armstrong.

    None of that is Biblical; why the brethren put up with such robbery by the leaders. They remind me of Ezek 34. God commands to tithe on the increase “the net” and he gave Israel free land to grow their food on first. Thats free room and board in exchange for a tithe of the net increase. These folks are robber barons compared to a loving God. James
  • Myles Walden

    January 11th, 2013 at 19:22

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    James,
    I will have to agree with David Rydholm. Use the same verses he quoted. You said the tithe was NOT for the Levite when the verses cited clearly say they were. In addition please refer to Numbers 18:21-28 “And, behold, I have given the children of Levi–these would be Levites–all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.” verse 24 “But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer an heave offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit:….” verse 26 “…When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the Lord, even a tenth part of the tithe.” verse 28 “Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the lord of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the Lords heave offering to Aaron the priest.” It is clear that the tithes went to the Levites,–NOT the priests–who then in turn tithed to Aaron (and the other priests). A tithe was to be saved for the festivals, every third year a tithe was to be given to the Levites to even out the produce and no third tithe is mentioned.
    As for funding the temple that was provide for as well. I Chron 26:27 “Out of the spoils won in battles did they dedicate to maintain the house of the Lord.”

    No, I said that the third tithe was for the poor including the handicapped and poor among the Lebvites. I was speaking of THIRD TITHE. Not first tithe.

    First tithe is given to Levi including the priests; third tithe is exclusively for the poor among them and in all Israel. James
  • Gerald M.

    January 12th, 2013 at 18:02

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    It seems to me that, and I’ve said this before, that the term third tithe is referring to normal tithes but every third year it’s a third one, not a separate one.
    This was to be kept by whoever is paying to be used to help the less fortunate according to Deut. 14:28. It doesn’t mention that it’s another separate tithe. When this was used it was for a time and place with no other “safety nets”. I’ve always had to pay double SS taxes being self employed, as high as 14% and this was for the less fortunate among us. The government takes personal responsibility from people and opens the door for much waste and corruption and so does the church administration in the same manner. They also raked in a lot of extra dough by figuring this as another separate tithe.

    You are right that the HWA third tithe was mainly a scam to steal from God and the brethren, as they used the third tithe for general expenses and very little of it went to the poor.

    You would leave the Temple service and the synagogues and schools as well as the priesthood unfinanced for that year? That is what the “Frst” tithe is for.

    the third year tithe is a separate tithe for the poor, handicapped , widows with children etc and is NOt for other uses.
    James
  • Gerald M.

    January 13th, 2013 at 14:25

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    Not everyone is on their third year at the same time so the moneys get spread around without shortages anywhere!

    Actually tithing by the whole nation was begun from the time that Israel inherited and began to work the land. The whole nation tithed together on the same cycle. That system will probably be revived when Christ comes and the KOG is set up on a date certain.

    In any case Christ will correct and tell us what he wants done at that time. There will probably be NO tithing of any sort during the tribulation. James
  • Stephen Servant

    January 14th, 2013 at 22:14

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    Dear James
    Mighty is the Sprit and cheap is the carnal
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