Blog Diyiin Bi

All four blogs that we administer use the plugin “broken link checker” in order to flag links in articles and comments that do not work. When such a link is found, the plugin adds a tag to the link that tells the search engine robots (google, etc.) that the link is broken, and also prints the link with the strikethrough attribute for the benefit of human readers.

In the past few days, the Vision for Life Ministries cofounders, identical twin brothers Olu and Kay Taiwo, have posted a couple of articles on Christian Internet Resources. The articles are so good that I want to link to them from here.

Bro. Olu Taiwo posted this article about answering God’s call. It is well thought out, and is obviously the work of a real man of God who spends much time in prayer and Bible study. Kay Taiwo wrote an article about Nations. What was just said about Bro. Olu applies to Bro. Kay as well.

Christian Internet Resources and The Go Light get articles from Free Traffic System. FTS is a service for webmasters and bloggers that provides quality articles to the blogs in return for backlinks within the article to the author’s website. Bros. Olu and Kay have joined FTS and are providing articles; TGL and CIR get articles from FTS, and I may write some myself in order to get backlinks to one or more of the four blogs we have. So both of the articles under discussion might be posted to as many as 30 blogs, but with minor changes in order to not have exactly duplicated content, which the search engines are not too fond of!

I highly recommend both articles, and also recommend that you check out the Vision for Life website.

There were some minor technical problems with Bro. Olu’s article, which I was able to correct:

The two links Bro. Olu Taiwo had placed in his article were flagged as broken by broken link checker, and so were edited to correct them. Also, an additional link to the Vision for Life Ministries homepage was placed in the last paragraph of his excellent article; as originally posted by Mr. Taiwo, it was just text, not a clickable link. (FTS has a limit of two clickable links for articles submitted through them, but blog admins can add links as they see fit – so we did!) The same link was added to Bro. Kay’s article as well.

The references to Bible passages (for example, John 3:16, NOT the actual Bible text, “For God so loved the world…”, as may be quoted in the body of the article), were reformatted to work better with the Wordpress plugin “reftagger,” which, when the mouse cursor is held over a properly formatted Bible reference, pops up a window displaying the passage from bible.logos.com’s Bible search engine using the NKJV translation. (All articles and comments containing Bible references will have those references reformatted in a similar manner as we find time to do so – not just on CIR, but on all four blogs.) Blog Diyiin Bi does not get articles from the Free Traffic System, because not all articles are as good as these two.

We also added the tag “vision for life” to both articles, and will add the tag to any future articles posted by VFLM, whether through FTS or directly, in addition to any other tags that they may use themselves. You will be able to find any of their articles by clicking on the tag either in the tag cloud on CIR or at the end of any of their articles. (If any other authors use the same tag on CIR, we will change it unless the Taiwo brothers tell us that the authors using the tag are writing on behalf of Vision for Life Ministries.) We are contemplating adding another category on CIR just for articles by VFLM. We think their articles are that good.!

And, as we routinely do (as we find time) with articles posted through Free Traffic System, the generic link to FTS was replaced with a link to our FTS referral URL, which goes through our own website but ends up at the same place. (The magic of the “Pretty Links” plugin for Wordpress, our own private link cloaker!) That way, if you sign up as a member of FTS through a link in a post on one of our blogs, you will be in our FTS downline. If we didn’t make that minor change, you might be placed in some random member’s downline.

I also slightly reformatted the quotation from Genesis 11:1-9 in Bro. Kay’s article; on some of the verses, there was no space between the verse number and the text, so I added one. That makes it easier to read and does not change what it says.

Nothing else was changed in either article.

Thank you, both Bros. Taiwo, for such excellent articles!

Now, a few technical details for anyone who might want to write articles or comments using Bible references for any of our blogs…

…when citing Bible references on any of the blogs, do it this way: <cite class=”bibleref”>John 1:1</cite>. If citing two or more consecutive verses, use a dash, not a comma, like this: <cite class=”bibleref”>Gen 1:1-2</cite> NOT <cite class=”bibleref”>Gen 1:1,2</cite>. The reason is that reftagger will make one link with two verses for the reference using the dash, but two links with one verse each if the comma is used. (Of course, if that is what you want, then use the comma!) A future article on one of the blogs will have more details, but this is enough to get you pointed in the right direction. For instance, it is also possible to override the default NKJV with a properly-formatted reference, but that will need almost a full article by itself. I will place several pdf documents that have more detail about standardized Bible references on one of the blogs, and will put the links to those documents on all four blogs so you can download them, as well as links to the various websites that have some details about using standardized Bible references in web pages.

in His service,
Pastor Marv
blog administrator for:
Blog Diyiin Bi (diyiinbi.org)
Christian Internet Resources (nizhoninet.com)
The Go Light (diyiinbi.com)
John’s Joint (geofam.org)

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While looking for ideas for my next article, I came across this article by William Verch intended for republication on any website that wishes to use it. It is so good that I am reprinting it in its entirety, exactly as written by William Verch and copied from the website, “A Bunch of Articles.” I can also recommend his article How To Hear God Speak, which is one of the links at the end of this article.

I couldn’t decide whether this fit best in Apologetics or Faith and Practice, so it is listed in both categories. -Pastor Marv

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What is the difference between Christianity and every other religion?

Can you do it in 30 seconds or less?

Well, I would like for you to be able to do this.

Unfortunately, the answer is not good news. The answer is a truth that keeps so many from being willing to follow God. In fact, it is really distasteful.

But my job is not to please your ears. My job is to tell you the truth. And here it is:

The Answer

Except for Christianity, every other religion in the world is basically a set of instructions on how to be good enough for God. Christianity is the ONLY religion that says, “You can not be good enough for God.” It is the only religion with a Savior.

The world wants to believe that people are good, or that they can become good. The truth is that we are NOT good and that we can not become good. Period.

You simply can not EARN your way to God, and that is what all of the other religions of the world are desperately trying to teach you to do.

Scriptural Proof

And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. – Mark 10:18

Every one of them has turned aside; together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one. – Psalm 53:3

All have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one. – Romans 3:12

Everyday Proof

Ask yourself these questions:

1.) Have you ever sinned?

If you are not sure, you can check yourself against the 10 Commandments. (Exodus 20:3-17). The Bible say that this is the whole reason WHY we were given the 10 commandments.

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. Romans 3:20

If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8

2.) Have you even known anyone who has not sinned?

In fact, even if someone does not accept God or the Bible, you can ask them if they have their own set of rules to judge what is right and what is wrong.

They will say “yes”, at which point you can ask them “Have you ALWAYS and COMPLETELY followed your OWN set of rules of right and wrong?” If they are truthful, they will say “no.”

Scripture backs up this truth too in Romans 2:14-15.

We are not good and we cannot become good. This is a hard truth, but it is true nonetheless. It is the core of Christianity.

How Does Obedience Fit?

I will take a full look at obedience in the future, but for now, just know that even many Christians get off track because they try to be “worthy” of the fact that Jesus died for them.

Do not get me wrong, obedience is important, but it is important only because of a love response to God. Obedience tells God that you love Him.

Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. – John 14:23-24

This is love for God: to obey his commands.- 1 John 5:3

Sum It All Up

We are not good and we can not become good enough (on our own) to get to God. However, God decided to make a way, because He is perfectly loving and perfectly just. He did this by sacrificing His Son, Jesus.

If confronted about your faith by someone of a different faith simply ask them:

“Who or what pays for your sins?”

Other religions have a strong sense of justice. Where, then, is justice regarding their own sin?

We MUST have a Savior. Muhammad did not die for your sins, neither did Buddha nor Confucius. Jesus Christ is the only Savior the world has ever known. Other religions are counting on the mercy of God, but this denies justice.

It is the most incredible love story that God wanted you so badly that He made the sacrifice of His Son, so that you could be good enough – perfect, in fact.

The more I recognize my own sins, the more extraordinary this love story becomes. Not only that God accepts me, but that He has actually chosen me to be adopted into His family as His very own child! Amazing, beautiful and humbling.

May you be blessed.

Author Resource:-> Do you know how to hear God? William Verch is the author of a Special Report entitled How To Hear God Speak

For a limited time, enjoy a complimentary copy at TheWayGodWorks.com. You will be pleased with this unique resource for helping you to be able to know Gods voice.

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In the Minister’s Conference worship service on Thursday night, evangelist Dan Hughes preached a great message. His text was 2 Timothy 3:1. He also read portions of Ezekial 22 and Romans 12, as well as other scripture. The theme of the Conference was “The Pursuit of Excellence,” and Rev. Hughes’ sermon set the tone for the remainder of the Minister’s Conference.

To illustrate what it takes to really pursue excellence, he used the inspiring article, “The Fellowship Committed to Doing Whatever it Takes.” After the worship service, I asked him for a copy of it. I have since found this, or variations of it, on about a dozen or so websites. (I went to Google and used part of the title as the search term.) I was trying to find out who the missionary was, but the best I could find was that the unnamed missionary was in western Africa for 20 years. Most of the websites that posted this article or portions of it used the attribution “author unknown.”

Here it is:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Upon the death of a missionary who had spent 20 years in Africa digging out a work for God, tacked on the wall of his mud hut was this note:

I’m a part of the fellowship committed to doing whatever it takes. I have Holy Spirit power. The die has already been cast. I’ve stepped over the line. I’m out of the comfort zone. The decision has been made. I’m a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, or back away. My past is Redeemed, my present makes sense and my future is Secure.

I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarf goals. I’m a part of the fellowship committed to doing whatever it takes.

I no longer need pre-eminence.
I no longer need position.
I no longer need promotions.
I no longer need popularity.
I don’t have to be Right!
I don’t have to be First!
I don’t have to be Tops!
I don’t have to be Recognized, Praised, Regarded, or Rewarded.

I’m a part of the fellowship committed to doing whatever it takes. I now live by presence. I lead by faith. I love by patience. I lift by prayer. I labor by power. I’m a part of the fellowship committed to doing whatever it takes. My face is set. My gait is fast. My goal is heaven. My road is narrow. My way is rough. My companions are few, but my guide is reliable. My mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, or lured away.

I cannot be turned back or diluted. I will not be delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, or hesitate in the face of the adversary, or negotiate at the table of my enemies. I will not ponder at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze called mediocrity. I won’t give up, shut up, let up, or burn up until I’ve preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of the Jesus Christ. I’m a part of the fellowship committed to doing whatever it takes.

I’m a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until He comes. I must give until I drop. I must preach until all know. I must work until God stops and when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me, because I’ve dedicated my life to being a part of the fellowship committed to doing whatever it takes.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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No, the title of this article is not paranoia, it states a fact. You see, every one of us, whether we like the idea of it or not, are leaders. That means someone is watching us, and will imitate what we do – whether we do good, or whether we do bad. It might be our friends, our younger brothers and sisters, our cousins – and even, sometimes, someone way older than we are. Those of us who are parents know that our kids will follow every bad example we set! (Wouldn’t it be great if they were as quick to follow the good examples we set?) And often, we will not know who is watching us.

Every one of us probably knows of someone who died unexpectedly and tragically. When a person is 98 years old, their death is not unexpected; but when someone who is 19 years old or 9 years old dies, that person’s death is unexpected and tragic. You see, though, not one of us is promised another breath. God could call us to our eternal reward at any moment.

Can you think of anything more tragic than dying without having made things right with God? I can’t, either. But I can think of something that would make dying without God more horrible. Imagine finding yourself in hell because you kept saying no to God, and then died. To make it worse, you look around and see people who are there because they followed your example! How horrible! Maybe you say that you don’t care what happens to other people. Well, according to the Bible, if you end up in hell, you will care. Let’s see what God’s Word says about it:

Luke 16:19 – 31: There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: (20) And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, (21) And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. (22) And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; (23) And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. (24) And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. (25) But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. (26) And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. (27) Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: (28) For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. (29) Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. (30) And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. (31) And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

The rich man suddenly felt called to be an evangelist in verse 27! Unfortunately, it was a bit too late for him. But if you are reading this, it is not too late for you.

The Bible is full of warnings about making things right with God, and doing so as soon as possible. 2 Corinthians 6:2b tells us, “…behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” The prophet Elijah, in 1 Kings 18:21, asked the Children of Israel, “How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.”

So, if you have not yet made things right with God, NOW is the time. Don’t delay – you can be born again no matter where you are, no matter what time it is, as long as you still have breath to pray. See the blog post What must I do to be saved? for how to be born again. Someone you love might be following in your footsteps. Don’t lead them to hell!

in His service,
Pastor Marv

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In parts one and two of this article, we discussed whether Christians living under grace should pay tithes, and what the purposes of tithing are. Now, let’s back up a bit and see just how hard we really have it today, compared to those who lived under Mosaic law.

For a Christian living under Grace, 10% is not a cast-in-stone amount to pay in tithes; it is an absolute MINIMUM. Sadly, only about 30% of church-goers tithe. And in the aged-twenty-something group of church-goers, the percentage of tithers is only half that.

Under Mosaic law, a person paid not one, but THREE tithes, plus various offerings, and the total amount paid to the temple through these tithes and offerings was about 25%. 25% is one-fourth, or two and one-half dollars out of every ten. 10% is only one dollar out of every ten.

The three tithes that the Jewish people paid were these:

The priests and Levites were excluded from owning hereditary land, so the Levites were to be given a tithe (10%) of all produce. (See Leviticus 27:30-33, Numbers 18:21; 2 Chronicles 31:4-11; Nehemiah 10:37.)

The second tithe was to be consumed by the worshipper in his pilgrimages to Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 14:22-27; 12:17). The Old Testament worshipper was required to go to the temple three times a year and so this tithe provided funds for travel, sacrifices, and lost wages.

The third tithe was a tithe for the poor. It replaced the second tithe in the third and sixth year of the seven-year cycle, in which the land was allowed to lie fallow. (See Deuteronomy 14:28-29; 26:12.)

Remember, the Jewish nation, under Mosaic law, was supposed to be on a seven-year agricultural cycle. For six years, they were to work the land, raising crops. In the seventh year, the land was to lie fallow. So for six years out of seven, they had an increase on which to pay tithes. The first tithe of 10% was paid for each of the six years of increase. (No crops planted in year seven means no increase that year; thus, no tithe.) The second tithe, 10% of what was left after the first tithe (equal to 9% of the total increase: 10% of the 90% left after first tithe = 9%), was paid in four of the six years, and the third tithe, same amount as the second, was paid in two of the six years.

So calculating the equivalent amounts paid, averaged out over the seven-year cycle, the first tithe was 10% of the total increase, the second was 6% of the total increase, and the third, 3% of the total increase, making a total of 19% of the total increase. We do not operate on a seven-year cycle, so we should use the 10%, 6%, and 3% figures for any period of time in which we have an increase.

But – do the second and third tithes apply to us at all? We don’t make pilgrimages to Jerusalem. We have a government that gives our hard-earned tax dollars to the poor. So what should the second and third tithes be used for, if indeed we should pay them?

It is the opinion of Pastor Marv that we MUST “pay” the first tithe, and we should “pay” the second and third tithes. (”Pay” is in quotes, because technically, we don’t actually pay tithes – they belong to God, we are just stewards of what we normally think of as “our stuff.” So we are returning the tithes and offerings to Him.)

When I preached about tithes and offerings a few years ago, I called the second tithe the “party tithe.” Most churches have social events – picnics, pot-luck meals, an endless list of such gatherings. These social events would roughly correspond in their purpose to the festivals that the Isrealites under Mosaic law celebrated on their Jerusalem pilgrimages. Also, many of us attend Bible schools, discipleship classes, or participate in various other types of Christian education. We all should be building up our libraries with good books – commentaries, Bible dictionaries, books about Bible study, books about Bible prophecy, books about Christian living, etc. The “party tithe” should be used for things like that. In short, anything that will help us to better serve God or enhance our fellowship with other Christians should be considered “fair game” for where to use the second tithe. You see, during their three pilgrimages, the people fellowshipped (”partied,” thus my calling it a “party tithe!”), worshipped, and learned as the priests and Levites taught the Word of God. (So we should use some second-tithe money to further our Christian education in various ways.)

Even though our government may have a welfare program, we still need to help those less fortunate than ourselves. It might be buying a meal for a homeless person, donating to your church’s food pantry, buying gas to drive a hundred miles to visit someone in the hospital several counties away, or anything that is for someone ELSE. This is where the third tithe should be used.

Here on the Navajo reservation, we frequently have groups from churches – mostly from Southern and Southeastern states – that come here on mission trips. They do everything from building new churches to holding Vacation Bible Schools, and their help is greatly appreciated by us. The money they spend for their mission trips and the various projects they work on should be considered as second tithe, third tithe, and offerings. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell where second tithe ends and third tithe begins – or where the tithes end and offerings begin.

What about the remaining 6% (out of the 25% required under Mosaic law) that is considered offering? That’s what you give to other ministries. Just be wise about which ones you donate to, as we discussed in part two of this article.

In the humble opinion of Pastor Marv, the only tithe that is required of all believers is the first tithe, for the reasons discussed in part one. To recap the primary reason: God is my King, God owns everything, and God is my Protector. Therefore, 10% of the increase which He entrusts to my stewardship is returned to Him in acknowledgement of those three facts and in obedience to what He tells us to do. I practice paying the second tithe, third tithe, and offerings because I love God. Remember, the first tithe is to demonstrate obedience to God, the second tithe is primarily to help the tither as he worships God and fellowships with other Christians, and the third tithe is for the benefit of others. And for the first tithe, 10% is the absolute minimum. For second tithes, third tithes, and offerings, 6%, 3%, and 6% (respectively) should be considered as guidelines, not absolutes, minimums, or maximums.

Hopefully, this series of articles didn’t step on your toes. Or, if it did, we hope it wasn’t too painful. Too many Christians neglect giving to God what is His. Then they wonder why He doesn’t bless them. If you are not a tither, become one. The rewards are out of this world! “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

in His service,
Pastor Marv

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Yesterday, we started a discussion about tithes and offerings. That discussion continues today and will conclude tomorrow.

What is the purpose of tithing? As is usually the case with Biblical truth, their are several correct (and complimentary) answers.

First, it provides a way for those who are in full-time ministry to be paid.

In 1 Corinthians 9:13-14, we read: “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.”

The Contemporary English Version makes this passage very clear: (13) “Don’t you know that people who work in the temple make their living from what is brought to the temple? Don’t you know that a person who serves at the altar is given part of what is offered? (14) In the same way, the Lord wants everyone who preaches the good news to make a living from preaching this message.”

What was brought to the temple was, of course, tithes and offerings. This makes it very clear that our pastor (you do have a pastor, don’t you?) is to be supported by OUR tithes and offerings. (note the words in verse 14, “in the same way.”) How good a job are we doing in supporting the shepherd that God has placed over us?

Second, it is a measure of our obedience to God’s demands upon our lives. It has been my observation that the first public manifestation a person exhibits when he is struggling (and losing) spiritually is to stop tithing. (Privately, he has likely stopped spending time in prayer and Bible reading.)

Third, it allows God to bless us in ways that He otherwise could not. In fact, this is the ONLY place in the entire Bible where God tells us to test HIM! Malachi 3:10: “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

So, does this mean that the more we give to God, the more He will bless us? You know, like most of the blab-it-and-grab-it televangelists keep telling us?

Yes, if…

…IF we don’t just throw our money at any ministry that promises us a return of thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold.

And we must make sure that we have really found God’s will about what ministries He wants us to support. Just because a certain ministry is actively engaged in teaching, preaching, and living the truth of God’s Word does not mean that you should automatically give some or all of your offering to them. God wants some of us to support certain ministries, and others of us to support other ministries. Pray about it before you give – don’t give based on your emotions.

…AND if we have a right attitude about material posessions. And just what is that attitude? Glad you asked! Jesus has the answer right here: Matthew 6:19-21: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: (20) But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: (21) For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Why would we want to waste our lives accumulating material posessions that will soon be destroyed? Don’t you think it would be better to spend our time on Earth building something that will last for eternity? I don’t know about you, but I plan to be on this Earth for only a short time – maybe 70, 80, or, like my late grandfather, 92 years. Possibly as much as 100 or 110 years, but not likely. But I plan to be in Heaven forever! Whatever I do for God will be waiting for me when I arrive there. Whatever I do for Pastor Marv will stay here on Earth when I leave – if the moths and rust leave anything for me to pass on to my heirs.

So if you have paid your tithe to your local church, you have prayed and found God’s will about which ministry (or ministries) He wants you to support, and you have a Biblical attitude about material posessions, then feel free to give an offering to other ministries. But do your homework! Make sure that the ministry you support is really preaching, teaching, and living the Bible. If in doubt, ask your pastor. That’s what we are here for.

Now, to answer the question asked at the top of yesterday’s installment of this article: how much? “Tithe” means 10%. Out of every 10 dollars (or pesos, or rubles, or euros, or whatever your local currency is) that God entrusts to us, He demands that one be given back to Him. $100 paycheck? $10 tithe. $100,000 business profit? $10,000 tithe. It should go to the church where you are a member (scroll back up and read 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 again), not some sleazy “plant-a-seed-with-me-and-watch-it-multiply” televangelist. Or, for those of us on the “rez,” not some smooth-talking evangelist with a tent and no home church.

Not all TV ministries are bad. Not all tent evangelists on the Navajo reservation are bad. The good ones will encourage you to find, join, and get involved in a local church, and to pay your tithes to that church, THEN to support them with an OFFERING over-and-above your tithe. And that is what I encourage you to do. (Please do NOT donate to Blog Diyiin Bi if you have not paid your tithes to your local church!)

Tomorrow, Tithes and Offerings Part Three

in His service,
Pastor Marv

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This article is rather long, and so will be posted in three parts. Here is part one.

Just how much should Christians give in support of various ministries? If you watch many Christian programs on cable or satellite, you might think that ministers spend most of their time either begging for money or thinking up novel ways to beg on their next broadcast. Is this really what being a Christian is all about?

ABSOLUTELY NOT! And let’s see what God’s Word really has to say on the subject.

Many people say that since we live under Grace, not Law, the Old Testament laws (Mosaic law) do not apply to us. Is that so…?

Mosaic law can logically be broken down into three parts: ceremonial law, national law, and personal moral law. Ceremonial law, things such as sacrifices offered for sin, were perfectly accomplished by the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross, and so no longer need to be observed. Read the book of Hebrews to see that this is so. National law was that body of law that applied to Israel as a nation, such as utterly destroying the people of Canaan, stoning people for practicing idolatry, or leaving the corners of your field unharvested for the poor. These commandments may not have much authority to Gentile Christians who are called not to form one earthly nation, but to live in all nations of the world.

So taking out ceremonial law and national law, what is left – personal moral law – DOES apply to us. Or do you think that it is OK for a person to steal, commit adultry, worship idols, take the name of the Lord in vain, and beat up on his wife?

The earliest record of tithing in the Bible is found in Genesis 14:18-20: “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. (19) And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: (20) And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.”

Why did Abraham give tithes to Melchizedek? Well, tithing was practiced by those who lived under a king. In fact, the oldest known writing that has been found by archeologists is a list of goods paid as TITHES to King Scorpion I of Egypt! Archeologists date these tablets as being about 5,300 years old – I dispute that date, for that would make them pre-Flood by about 1,000 years, but that is a topic for another time. By paying tithes to a king, the king’s subjects were acknowledging that first, he was their king; second, the king owned the land; and third, that the king protected them. So Abraham, in paying tithes to Melchizedek, priest of the Most High God, was acknowledging that God was his King, God owned the land, and God protected him. We see the concept of paying tithes to a king in I Samuel 8:15-17, when Samuel was telling the people what a king would demand from them: “…he will take the tenth of your seed and of your vineyards…He will take the tenth of your sheep…”

So tithing was a concept with which people were already familiar, and which God formalized in the Mosaic law. In so doing, He was telling His people that He was their King, that He owned the land, and that He was their protector. So does this place tithing under ceremonial law, national law, or personal moral law? Well, is God still our King? Does He still own everything? Does He protect us? Nothing in the New Covenant has changed these truths, so the answer to all three has to be YES. That would place tithing right smack dab in the realm of PERSONAL MORAL LAW. In fact, I will go so far as to say that tithing transcends the law.

Tomorrow, Tithes and Offerings Part Two will be posted. We will talk about the purposes of tithing.

in His service,
Pastor Marv

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I just read a post on another blog (opens in new window) about unemployment in America hitting a 26-year high of 9.5%. The blogger, Steve, blames ‘Emporer Obama.’ Since Blog Diyiin Bi is not a political blog, but a ministry-oriented blog, we will not comment on Steve’s post except to say this: America wanted change. Boy, did we ever get change.

The question we need to ask and answer is what to do about it. As Bible-believing Christians, we are told that we are to pray for our political leaders. We don’t have to agree with them, but we must pray for them. So I, Pastor Marv of Blog Diyiin Bi, call on all true Christians of America to pray for President Obama, the members of both houses of Congress, the members of the Supreme Court, and all other elected and appointed leaders. Not just one time, but on a regular basis. Maybe set aside a certain time each week to pray for them, or pray for some on Monday, others on Tuesday, etc.

And if you really love our country, don’t just pray – fast as well. You will be surprised at what God will do when His people seek His face.

Now, about unemployment…here on the Navajo reservation, I am told that unemployment is at about 70% right now. This, too, can be changed through the prayers of God’s people. It would be easy to blame the Federal government, the Tribal government, the economy, or a myriad of other things, but let’s place the blame where it belongs.

That blame belongs squarely on the shoulders of the church. Too many pastors and other leaders have not taught the “R” word to their people. Yes, that word is “Responsibility.” I am responsible to God for the choices I make. You are responsible to God for the choices you make. And church leaders, including me, are responsible to God for what we teach our people. Too often, the choice our people make is to take the easy way out. You know, food stamps and other welfare programs instead of flipping hamburgers. Choosing to have children outside the protection of marriage. Choosing to watch the ballgame on the one-eyed idol Sunday morning instead of going to Sunday school and church. And we, the leaders in the church, all too often are silent when it comes to teaching our people how to make the right choices; instead, we complain about how bad things are.

It has often been said that a nation gets the government that it deserve. Maybe that saying should instead be that a nation will get the government that God’s people within that nation deserve.

2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Wake up, Church. Maybe it’s not too late.

in His service,
Pastor Marv

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What does God expect of us when we are born again? This question has been debated for centuries. On one side of the argument, there are those who say, “Nothing.” On the other side of the argument, some say, “Everything.” As is usually the case, both extremes are wrong – but both have an element of truth.

No, we are not trying to please everybody by giving a wishy-washy non-answer.

The Bible tells us that we are saved by grace, not works. Ephesians 2:8 tells us, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” A gift is GIVEN, not earned. Yet the Bible is also full of things that we are to do or not do if we are saved. How do we reconcile this seeming contradiction?

The answer is really quite simple. There is absolutely NOTHING that you or I can do that will merit salvation. In fact, the definition of grace (read Ephesians 2:8 again) is “the unmerited favor of God.” When we were in an unsaved condition (before being born again) we were slaves to sin. Paul tells us, in Romans 6:16, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” The Greek word translated as “servants” is, literally, “slaves.” So if we are in an unsaved condition, we are OWNED by sin – actually, by Satan himself! A slave does what his master tells him to do. So we sin, living very unrighteous lives.

But – praise God! – we were bought with a price. (1 Corinthians 7:23a “Ye are bought with a price.”) That price was the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Since we were bought by Him, we are His servants (slaves), and we do what our new Master tells us to do. So we do not sin, but live righteous lives.

Does God, then, expect us to be perfect? Well, yes. And we ARE perfect in that we are no longer slaves to sin, but to righteousness. When God looks at us (talking about those of us who are truly born again) He doesn’t see all the times we failed, all the times we did something contrary to what He told us we should do, but He sees us as blood-bought and blood-washed saints.

If we are truly born again, the strongest desire of our innermost being is the desire to please God. Sometimes, though, we think we know better than He does…our own stubborn will pops up and we sin. Does that mean we are no longer born again, or even that we were not really born again in the first place? Not necessarily. But if a person has a consistant pattern of committing sin, knowing that what he is doing is displeasing to God, then probably that person was not really born again. And, if Hebrews 6:4-6 is still the Word of God, then it is possible for someone who really was born again to “fall away.”

(Hebrews 6:4-6 “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, (5) And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, (6) If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”)

This passage is obviously talking about someone who was born again (only one who is born again can be made a partaker of the Holy Ghost), and is now on his way to hell (and thus needs to be renewed again unto repentance, which this passage says is impossible.) But – a person can’t LOSE salvation. In order to “fall away,” a person must THROW AWAY salvation, knowing full-well what he is doing, and with numerous very strong warnings from God, AFTER having been born again. To me, this means “once saved, almost always saved.” It is possible for a truly born-again person to fall away, but God makes it as difficult to do so as He can without violating our free will. In the end, it is our choice to serve God or not. I would go so far as to say that 97% of those people who apparently fall away were not really born again to start with, 2% end up not falling away (they “come back to the Lord” before taking that last spiritually-fatal step) and the remaining 1% are fools. Committing sin, even repeatedly, does not always mean that a person has backslidden (fallen away). It means that a person has taken his eyes off of Jesus, which can lead to backsliding if the person continues to supress the conviction that the Holy Spirit will place in his heart.

So…how much sin can we commit and not fall away? If that is your attitude – “how much can I get away with?” – then you are most likely not born again. (Or you are one of those fools…) Every one of us will sin. What is important is not that we can sin and still be saved, but rather, what we do about it when we realize that we have sinned. And we are told what to do in 1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

If you want to know how to be born again, or would like to print out an article to share with someone who needs to be born again, see the earlier blog post What must I do to be saved? All posts to this blog are copyright (c) by the author, but I give you permission to print that article in its entirety and use it in any way that will help to spread the Gospel message, as long as it is not used in a for-profit publication, blog, or other website, or otherwise used for financial gain. You may link to it with an atom or rss feed, or just use a hard link as is used in this article, even in a for-profit blog or website.

God bless you,
Pastor Marv

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How many times have we had a period of time when things went horribly wrong? Maybe you lost your job. Maybe a loved one died. Maybe you or someone close to you was injured, or diagnosed with some terrible disease. Maybe…but the list could go on seemingly forever.

All of us have, at one time or another, experienced bad things in our lives. So how do we deal with it?

Let’s see what Jesus said to His disciples when they were going through a storm – literally!

Mark 4:35-40:
And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. (36) And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. (37) And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. (38) And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? (39) And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. (40) And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? {King James version}

There are three ways we can react when the storms of life hit us. Let’s briefly examine these.

I. Why me, Lord?
Often, when trouble strikes, we have a pity party. You know, saying things like, “I can’t believe that God would allow this to happen to me! Doesn’t He know I can’t handle it? I think I’ll just go back to my old sinful life if this is what being a Christian is all about!”

This attitude comes from a lack of faith in God, and also from an attitude that says, “Me! Me! Me!” James 1:2 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.” The word translated “temptations” does not mean “enticement to sin,” but rather, “adversity.” So God expects us to be happy when things go wrong? No, joy and happiness are two different things. Joy is a delight of the mind, from the consideration of the present or assured approaching possession of a good. Happiness is the agreeable sensations which spring from the enjoyment of good. In other words, joy comes from knowing that good will result from the trial; happiness comes from finally experiencing that result.

Someone who has the “why me” attitude will live a life of defeat. They will go from one failure to another, always making excuses why they can’t do this or can’t do that. And usually, the first such “can’t do” is “can’t give tithes and offerings.” Another that soon follows is “can’t come to prayer meeting on Thursday night,” followed by “can’t come Wednesday night,” “can’t come Sunday night, “ “can’t come to Sunday School,” and “can’t come to Sunday Morning Worship service.” And when the trumpet sounds, the dead in Christ rise first, and then we which are alive and remain are caught up, there will be one more “can’t come!”

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

II. Where are you, Lord?
When adversity strikes, we might react like the disciples in this passage from Mark 4 that we just read. “Don’t you care what happens to me, Lord? I’m going through this trial and you are sleeping!”

Sometimes, though, the reason that it might seem God doesn’t care is because we disobeyed Him and went our own way. He will allow us to do that, but He really isn’t asleep or on vacation, He is waiting for us to confess our sin and turn to Him. He didn’t go anywhere, we did!

Other times, it might seem that He doesn’t care because we are so close to the problem we can’t see how He will lead us through it. A little poem that someone wrote in a friend’s high school yearbook says, “As you amble on through life and strive to meet your goal, Keep your eye upon the donut, not upon the hole.” If all we see is the hole, we will starve! But if we look at the donut, we see God’s provision for us.

III. Thank you, Lord!
This is the way we should react to trials. When God allows a trial of some sort to afflict us, He is, in effect, telling us, “I know that you have put your faith and trust in Me. Now, I want you to grow even more!”

Have you ever watched a football game? The players in the game didn’t get strong, fast, and skillful by living a life of ease. They practiced, worked out, and struggled for years. An Olympic weightlifter didn’t get those bulging muscles by working out with a couple of feathers. A swimming champion didn’t learn to swim by relaxing in a bubble bath. And we Christians won’t grow strong in faith if we never face problems.

The mistake that the disciples made was not believing Jesus when He said, “Let us pass over unto the other side.” He didn’t say, “Let us try to pass over to the other side!” If He had added that one word, “try,” then maybe the disciples would have been justified in being afraid. But when God calls us to do something, He will ALWAYS provide a way for us to accomplish the mission.

So when problems come, what should we do? First, call on God: not to remove the problem from us, but to see us through the problem. Second, call on our brothers and sisters in Christ for prayer, encouragement, and maybe even some advice.

And third, as James 1:4 says, “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”

God bless you,
Pastor Marv

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