Thus saith the LORD of hosts: In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold, out of all the languages of the nations, shall even take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying: We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.
This blog's been flagged because it includes content that "other people" on Facebook have reported as abusive. Share B"H
Happy Sukkot to everyone who cares, Jewish and non-Jewish.
And if you, seeing the above picture, wondered whether there are Jewish Inuits, here is the answer.
But most of them are where they usually are - Alaska, Canada, Greenland, keeping an eye on things for the Elders. Who usually flock to warmer regions...SOURCE:
The Israeli army has inducted into its ranks one of the most unique recruits in its history - an Eskimo girl from Alaska.
Eighteen-year-old Eva Ben Sira is training to become a squad commander in the Negev desert - a far cry from the frozen wastes of her homeland. She was born to a Yupik Eskimo mother and a Cherokee American father before being adopted by an Israeli couple. Her twin brother, Jimmy, will become the army's second serving Eskimo, when he joins the force next year.
The twins' remarkable journey to Israel began when their mother, Minnie, found herself unable to support Eva and Jimmy after their father walked out. Alaskan social services stepped in and, at the age of two, the twins were sent to live with their grandmother, who struggled to raise the children herself.
Their plight came to light when an Orthodox Jewish couple, Meir and Dafna Ben Sira, came to visit Minnie's neighbor - Dafna's mother - a Swiss Catholic woman, who had immigrated to Alaska from Israel in 1989. The Ben Siras offered to adopt Eva and Jimmy, but had to overcome a welter of religious and cultural obstacles to get the adoption approved by both the Inuit tribe and an Alaskan Orthodox rabbi.
They remained in Alaska for five years until the adoption process was completed. Eva and Jimmy were brought to Israel (they learned to speak Hebrew in three months), converted to Judaism and integrated into Israeli society among the Orthodox community of Nir Etzion, a village near Haifa.
The twins attended religious schools and had bar- and bat mitzvahs. After nearly a decade in Israel, Eva has forgotten the smattering of Yupik she spoke as a child, but with her long black hair and almond-shaped eyes, she has retained her ethnic looks.
Dafna said Eva has no wish to delve too deeply into her past and is very happy living in Israel. Jimmy, however, is more intrigued and wants to go back to Alaska, if for only a visit. SOURCE:
The Israeli army has inducted into its ranks one of the most unusual recruits in its history - an Eskimo girl from Alaska.
The twins' adoption was approved by tribal elders and a rabbi
Eighteen-year-old Eva Ben Sira is training to become a squad commander in the Negev desert - a far cry from the frozen wastes of her homeland.
Eva was born to a Yupik Eskimo mother and a Cherokee American father before being adopted by an Israeli couple.
Her twin brother, Jimmy, will become the army's second serving Eskimo, when he joins the force next year.
Culture clash
The twins' remarkable journey to Israel began when their mother, Minnie, found herself unable to support Eva and Jimmy after their father walked out. Their story came to public attention in a recent article by the Israeli daily Haaretz.
Alaskan social services stepped in and, at the age of two, the twins were sent to live with their grandmother, who struggled to raise the children herself.
They did ask a lot of questions when they were growing up
Dafna Ben Sira Eva and Jimmy's mother
Their plight came to light when an Orthodox Jewish couple, Meir and Dafna Ben Sira, came to visit Minnie's neighbour - Dafna's mother - a Swiss Catholic woman, who had emigrated to Alaska from Israel in 1989.
The Ben Siras offered to adopt Eva and Jimmy, but had to overcome a welter of religious and cultural obstacles to get the adoption approved by both tribal elders and an Alaskan Orthodox rabbi.
"We got to know the children and they needed a home," Dafna told BBC News Online.
"We wanted to have a family and the children had no place to go," she said.
They remained in Alaska for five years until the adoption process was completed.
'People are curious'
Eva and Jimmy were brought to Israel (they learned to speak Hebrew in three months), converted to Judaism and integrated into Israeli society among the Orthodox community of Nir Etzion, a village near Haifa.
Eva and Jimmy could speak Yupik and Hebrew
The twins attended religious schools and had bar- and batmitzvahs - Jewish coming of age ceremonies.
"Their culture wasn't a problem, but they did ask a lot of questions when they were growing up," Dafna said.
After nearly a decade in Israel, Eva has forgotten the smattering of Yupik she spoke as a child, but with her long black hair and almond-shaped eyes, she has retained her ethnic looks.
"People are very curious," said Dafna.
"When I take the children shopping and people ask which parent the children look like, I tell them they take after their father because he's not there.
"When my husband takes them shopping and people ask, he tells them they look like me because I'm not there."
Dafna said Eva has no wish to delve too deeply into her past and is very happy living in Israel.
Jimmy, however, is more intrigued and wants to go back to Alaska, if for only a visit.
update: One of the absolute best examples of twisting scripture to form doctrine. Read also Detriments of the Tithe Teaching: "The "churchs" tithe teaching can cause tithers to have an erroneous feeling of self-satisfaction, a feeling that they have "paid the bill" and placated God. "
6 Bible Versions to twist Torah- which hasn't changed in 4000 years.
Remember
what Ravi Sha'ul (Paul) said as you read this blog post:
2
Corinthians 7 Each should give according to what he has
decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion... not
grudgingly or under compulsion?
1. Jesus said, John 14:15 - "If you love me, keep my commandments.” (NKJV) And
it is clearly commanded all the way through scripture. Some people say tithing
is Old Testament law. No, it's not. It's an Old Testament principle” (sic)
“Some people say tithing is Old Testament law.No, it's not.“ (As if the Old Testament [Torah] is bad) “It's an Old Testament principle.”
People like Creflo Dollar, Leroy Thompson and Donovan Burkett use scripture to extort MONEY = Heresy
Deuteronomy 14:23 - "The purpose of tithing is to teach you to always put God in first
place in your life." (TLB) ????
Lets look at what Deuteronomy 14:23 says
Deu 14:22 "Every year you must take one tenth of everything your seed produces in the field,
Deu 14:23 and eat it in the presence of ADONAI your God. In the place where he chooses to have his name live you will eat the tenth of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your cattle and sheep, so that you will learn to fear ADONAI your God always.
Deu 14:24 But if the distance is too great for you, so that you are unable to transport it, because the place where ADONAI chooses to put his name is too far away from you; then, when ADONAI your God prospers you,
Deu 14:25 you are to convert it into money, take the money with you, go to the place which ADONAI your God will choose,
Deu 14:26 and exchange the money for anything you want - cattle, sheep, wine, other intoxicating liquor, or anything you please - and you are to eat there in the presence of ADONAI your God, and enjoy yourselves, you and your household.
Deu 14:27 "But don't neglect the Levi staying with you, because he has no share or inheritance like yours.
Deu 14:28 At the end of every three years you are to take all the tenths of your produce from that year and store it in your towns.
Deu 14:29 Then the Levi, because he has no share or inheritance like yours, along with the foreigner, the orphan and the widow living in your towns, will come, eat and be satisfied - so that ADONAI your God will bless you in everything your hands produce.
I can say God is first place in my life, but there are two things you can look at
that will tell you what is really first place; the way I use my ____________ and
the way I use my ___________.
C. Tithing reminds me that everything was given to me by God.
Deuteronomy 8:18 - "And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who
gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He
swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” (NKJV)
This “Christian Development Course” from 'church' is an example of twisting scripture to make-up doctrine. Notice how many different versions of the bible FCoFt.WTx has to use to bend all these verses from the Torah.
(NIV NKJV TLB AMP MES GNB) 6 versions to twist Torah- which hasn't changed in nearly 4000 years.
"While we may think that only those who have been teaching this un-Biblical tithe should repent, it is just as important for those who have been tithing to clearly see that much of the fruit of their tithing has not produced good fruit; instead much of it has alienated the world from their Christianity. In other words, we must all repent—those who teach it and those who give it." Must Read:http://www.tentmaker.org/books/TheTitheisIllegal.html
From CHRISTIAN DEVELOPMENT COURSE First Church of Fort Worth
http://www.fcofw.org/cdc/Module%20201.Session%203.Student.pdf
Module 201 – Session 3-“Giving” page 1
Module 201 – Session 3 Giving
I. INTRODUCTION
A. The Bible is a book about __________.
1. The Bible talks more about giving than it does about heaven or hell.
2. Jesus talked more about giving than almost any other subject.
3. Over half of His parables have to do with _________.
4. There are more promises in the Bible related to giving than any other
subject.
I Corinthians 16:2 – “On the first day of the week let each one of you lay
something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections
when I come.” (NKJV)
I Corinthians 16:2 – “On the first [day] of each week, let each one of you
[personally] put aside something and save it up as he has prospered [in
proportion to what he is given], so that no collections will need to be taken
after I come.” (AMP)
II. WHY GOD __________ ME TO GIVE!
II Corinthians 8:7 – “But just as you excel in everything-in faith, in speech, in knowledge,
in complete earnestness and in your love for us-see that you also excel in this grace of
giving.” (NIV)
II Corinthians 8:7 – “Now as you abound and excel and are at the front in everything--in
faith, in expressing yourselves, in knowledge, in all zeal, and in your love for us--[see to
it that you come to the front now and] abound and excel in this gracious work [of
almsgiving] also.” (AMP)
A. Giving Draws Me ___________ To God.
1. Matthew 6:21- “…where your treasure is, there your heart will be
also.” (NKJV)
2. Wherever we put our money shows our ________________. The
question then becomes, where do you want your heart to be? Wherever
you want your heart to be, that's where you need to put your money.
B. Giving Is the Antidote To ___________________.
CHRISTIAN DEVELOPMENT COURSE
First Church of Fort Worth page 2
I Timothy 6:17-19 – “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be
haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all
things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give,
willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come,
that they may lay hold on eternal life.” (NKJV)
1. What is materialism? It's “_____.” What is the opposite of getting?
______________. The only way I can know if I'm having victory over
materialism is: am I willing to part with what I've got?
2. He says God gives us "richly all things to enjoy". God has blessed
you. But _______ ____________ comes from giving. We make a living
by what we get, but we make a _______ by what we give.
D. Giving ___________________ My Faith. .
Proverbs 3:5, 9 – “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own
understanding; Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all
your increase…” (NKJV)
1. Faith is like a muscle. God uses finances to test your faith. God says that
the way we prove our trust, the way we demonstrate our faith, is by
giving the first part of our income back to Him.
Luke 16:11 – “If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous
mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?” (KJV)
Luke 6:38 - "Give and it will be given to you. For with the same measure that
you use, it will be measured back to you.” (NKJV)
2. God says, "I dare you! Let's see how much you want me to bless your
life. You give a cup, you get a cup of blessing. You pull up a dump truck,
you get a dump truck's worth. The measure you use is the measure
you're going to get."
3. Know why a lot of people don't give? They just don't ____________!
E. Giving Is An Investment For _______________.
I Timothy 6:18-19 – “Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to
give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to
come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” (NKJV)
Matthew 6:19-20 – “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where
moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust
doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:” (KJV)
CHRISTIAN DEVELOPMENT COURSE
First Church of Fort Worth page 3
F. Giving ______________ Us In Return.
Proverbs 22:9 – “A generous man will himself be blessed…” (NIV)
Proverbs 11:25 – “The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also
be watered himself.” (NKJV)
Proverbs 19:17 – “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that
which he hath given will he pay him again.” (KJV)
G. Giving Makes Me ___________.
1. Jesus said, Acts 20:35 - "It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (NIV)
2. Carl Menniger, one of the top psychiatrists in the nation said, "Giving is a
criterion of mental _____________. Generous people are rarely mentally
ill." The healthier you are, the more unafraid you are to give away. The
more you hold things in and are afraid to give away, that's an indication
that there's fear in your life.
III. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TEACH ABOUT TITHING?
A. What is tithing? Tithe means a _________ part. It's a word that God uses
all through scripture. In the Bible, God tells us that we're to give the first
ten percent of all we earn back to God.
B. Giving _______ than ten percent is not tithing. Giving a tithe is giving ten
percent of my income and all my increases.
C. What's the difference between a tithe and an offering? Tithe is giving ten
percent of my income. An offering is anything I give in addition to my tithe.
IV. WHY SHOULD I TITHE?
A. God __________________ it.
Leviticus 27:30 – “A tenth of all you produce is the Lord’s and it is holy.” (GNB)
"'All the tenth given from the land, whether from planted seed or fruit from trees, belongs to ADONAI; it is holy to ADONAI."
Leviticus 27:30 – “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the
soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.” (NIV)
Malachi 3:10 – “Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the
storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says
the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour
you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” AMP
CHRISTIAN DEVELOPMENT COURSE
First Church of Fort Worth
Module 201 – Session 3- “Giving” page 4
God could have said give ninety percent. But He just said ten. Simply
because He says it, we ought to obey it. But He does give us other
reasons.
B. Tithing demonstrates that God has _________ _________ in my life.
Deuteronomy 14:23 - "The purpose of tithing is to teach you to always put God in first
place in your life." (TLB)****
I can say God is first place in my life, but there are two things you can look at
that will tell you what is really first place; the way I use my ____________ and
the way I use my ___________.
C. Tithing reminds me that everything was given to me by God.
Deuteronomy 8:18 - "And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who
gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He
swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” (NKJV)
D. Tithing expresses my _______________ to God for the blessings He's
bestowed upon me.
Psalms 116:12 – “What shall I render to the LORD For all His benefits toward me?” (KJV) The answer?
Deut 16:17 – “Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the
Lord thy God which he hath given thee.” KJV
Deuteronomy 16:17 – “No one is to show up in the Presence of God empty-handed,
each man must bring as much as he can manage, giving generously in response to
the blessings of God, your God.” (MES)
E. God says that refusing to tithe is _______________ from Him.
1. That's pretty strong but that's exactly what He says.
Mal 3:8-9 – “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.” KJV Malachi 3:8-9 – “Begin by being honest. Do honest people rob God? But you rob me day after day. You ask, “How have we robbed you?” “The tithe and the offering – that’s how! And now you’re under a curse – the whole lot of you – because you’re robbing me. Bring your full tithe to the Temple treasury so there will be ample provisions in my Temple. Test me in this and see if I don’t open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams.” [Sic](MES)
CHRISTIAN DEVELOPMENT COURSE
First Church of Fort Worth
Module 201 – Session 3- “Giving” page 5
2. When I spend my tithing money on anything besides my tithes, I'm
robbing God.
F. Tithing gives God a chance to prove He ________ and wants to ______ you.
Mal 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.” KJV
Malachi 3:10 – “Bring your full tithe to the Temple treasury so there will be ample
provisions in my Temple. Test me in this and see if I don’t open up heaven itself to
you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams.” (MES)
1. This is one of the most amazing promises in the Bible. God actually
offers you a challenge and He says I dare you. Start tithing and watch
what happens. He not only makes a promise to bless you with more,
but He promises to protect what you already have.
Malachi 3:11 - "And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will
not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for
you in the field," Says the LORD of hosts…” (NKJV)
2. God says, Test me. Prove me…Tithe. Of all the areas He could have
chosen as a test, why did He choose finances? Because we spend
most of our lives revolving around money. Making it, earning it,
saving it, giving it, sharing it, and spending it.
G. Tithing proves that I really ________ God. 1. Jesus said, John 14:15 - "If you love me, keep my commandments.”**(NKJV) And
it is clearly commanded all the way through scripture. Some people say tithing is Old Testament law. No, it's not. It's an Old Testament principle.***
2. In fact, tithing was established before the law was given. The law was
established with Moses. God established tithing from the very first. Abraham
gave tithes 400 years before Moses was born. It's not part of Jewish law; it is a
life principle before the Jewish nation even became Israel.
Jacob tithed. Genesis 28:22 – “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.” (KJV)
Abraham tithed. Hebrews 7:4 – “Now consider how great this man was,
unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the
spoils.” (KJV)
V. _______________ SHOULD I TITHE?
CHRISTIAN DEVELOPMENT COURSE
First Church of Fort Worth
Module 201 – Session 3- “Giving” page 6
Malachi 3:10 - "Bring your whole tithe to My Storehouse ..."
I should tithe where I ____________. In the Old Testament, the place of
worship was called the Temple. In the New Testament it was called the
synagogue or the church.
VI. WHEN SHOULD I TITHE?
I Corinthians 16:2 – “On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside,
storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.” (NKJV)
A. What is the first day of every week? _____________. What do you do
on Sunday? You go to the place of worship. That's when you're to give.
You're to give at the place of worship.
VIII. HOW SHOULD I TITHE?
A. We're to give ________________. God is more interested in my attitude
than the amount. He doesn't look at the amount you give; He looks at
the amount you have left over, in proportion to what you gave.
II Corinthians 9:6-7 – “[Remember] this: he who sows sparingly and grudgingly
will also reap sparingly and grudgingly, and he who sows generously [that
blessings may come to someone] will also reap generously and with blessings.
Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart,
not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes
pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do
without) a cheerful (joyous, "prompt to do it") giver [whose heart is in his
giving].” (AMP)
B. “As you purpose in your heart” does not mean if you don’t want to,
don’t give. It means the purpose in your heart should be to give
cheerfully, not grudgingly, willingly, not reluctantly.
C. Give ______________. "God loves a cheerful giver."
Bumper sticker:
"God loveth a cheerful giver but He also accepteth from a grouch."
The Greek word for "cheerful" is the word from which we get our word
"_______________". If you can't tithe cheerfully, what you need to
work on is your _______________.
D. Give _________________.
2 Cor 8:1-4 – “Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God
bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; 2 How that in a great trial of affliction
CHRISTIAN DEVELOPMENT COURSE
First Church of Fort Worth
Module 201 – Session 3- “Giving” page 7
the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of
their liberality. 3 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their
power they were willing of themselves; 4 Praying us with much intreaty that
we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to
the saints.” KJV
II Corinthians 8:1-4 – “Now friends, I want to report on the surprising and
generous ways in which God is working in the churches in Macedonia province.
Fierce troubles came down on the people of those churches, pushing them to
the very limit. The trial exposed their true colors: They were incredibly happy,
though desperately poor. The pressure triggered something totally
unexpected: an outpouring of pure and generous gifts. I was there and saw it
for myself. They gave offerings of whatever they could-far more than they
could afford!-pleading for the privilege of helping out in the relief of poor
Christians.” (MES)
E. They gave beyond their ability. This is the first financial principle of
giving a tithe. People ask, "What if I can't afford to tithe?" I say, "You
can't afford not to." If you want God's blessing on your finances, you
need to tithe.
F. Give ____________________.
II Corinthians 9:6 – “[Remember] this: he who sows sparingly and grudgingly
will also reap sparingly and grudgingly, and he who sows generously [that
blessings may come to someone] will also reap generously and with
blessings.” (AMP)
II Corinthians 9:6 – “Remember: A Stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish
planter gets a lavish crop. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it
over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you
against sob stories and armtwisting. God loves it when the giver delights in
the giving.” (MES)
G. The key to giving …
II Corinthians 8:5 - "They first gave _________________ to the
Lord." (NKJV)
If God owns me, He's going to own my wallet. I need to first give
myself to the Lord.
**For six days you may perform melachah, but the seventh day is a complete Sabbath, holy to the L-RD ... it is an eternal sign that in six days, the L-RD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.-Exodus 31:15-17
Shabbat is the most important ritual observance in Judaism. It is the only ritual observance instituted in the Ten Commandments. It is also the most important special day, even more important than Yom Kippur. This is clear from the fact that more aliyot (opportunities for congregants to be called up to the Torah) are given on Shabbat than on any other day.
Shabbat is primarily a day of rest and spiritual enrichment. The word "Shabbat" comes from the root Shin-Beit-Tav, meaning to cease, to end, or to rest. SOURCE: http://www.jewfaq.org/shabbat.htm
*** “Some people say tithing is Old Testament law. No, it's not. It's an Old Testament principle.”??? Believers are responsible to measure church teachings in the light of the truth of the Bible. It is our duty to recognize error.
The
Levitical tithe was to meet a need, that of the Levitical priesthood
and to help the poor. The Levitical priesthood and all laws and
ceremonies pertaining to it ceased when the temple was destroyed in
70 CE. The B'rit Hadashah: (The New Covenant). the Books of the New
Testament does not teach tithing. The B'rit Hadashah (the New
Testament) offices or callings of pastor, etc., are not the same as
the Levitical priesthood, which was based on lineage and the Mosaic
ceremonial laws, and that the "church"
building is not the same as the Temple. Detriments
of the Tithe Teaching 1.
The "churchs"
tithe teaching can cause tithers to have an erroneous feeling of
self-satisfaction, a feeling that they have "paid the bill"
and placated God. This can become akin to a superstitious practice of
"pleasing of the gods" we see in pagan cultures. Are
tithers in some cases even attempting to buy their way into heaven?
Wouldn’t this be the same as buying spiritual favor by purchasing
indulgences? This practice was soundly condemned in Martin Luther's
"Ninety-Five Theses." 2.
Mal. 3:8 says, "’Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.’ But
you ask, "How do we rob you?" ‘In tithes and
offerings….’" This verse is used prior to the passing of the
offering plate in many "church"
services to coax the congregation to get out their wallets. But,
contrary to the meaning of the verse under the old covenant to which
it refers, today people ARE robbing God, not of tithes, but of proper
New Testament giving to the work of God and to the poor. Didn’t
Yeshua say that a cup of water given in His name is given unto Him?
When people "pay their bill" to the "church",
they aren’t as apt to give that cup of water, or $20 to a needy
person around them in Yeshua’ name. Therefore, they have robbed God
by neglecting opportunities to minister to Him in the form of the
poor. People write out tithe checks in a dogged, joyless manner as if
in bondage. They, too, are robbed. They are robbed of the joy of
giving to real needs they can see with their own eyes.
3.
Tithing can cause an undue financial burden on givers. Young families
with children often are living hand to mouth anyway. So are many
single parents, college students, and the elderly. They themselves
are actually the poor who need help occasionally, yet by sitting in
the "church",
they are told that they must give up ten percent to a "church"
that often is wealthy.
4.
This brings us to the next point. It is not uncommon today for the
incomes of "church"es
(some of whom teach tithing and some of whom don’t), especially
large ones in America, to have such enormous incomes that they have
investment portfolios. They hire experts to help them manage their
funds to make it grow. Why? So they can give to missions or the poor?
So they can build more buildings, gyms, bowling alleys, climbing
walls? So they can have huge paid staffs? Daycare centers? What WOULD
Yeshua do? Would He build any buildings at all? The kingdom of God
has nothing to do with buildings. The early "church"
grew by great leaps without buildings. "The kingdom of God is
not meat or drink." (Rom. 14:17) The kingdom of God is people.
SOURCE:
**** Deuteronomy 14:23 - "The purpose of tithing is to teach you to always put God in first place in your life." (TLB) ????
Lets look at what Deuteronomy 14:23 actually says:
Deu 14:22 "Every year you must take one tenth of everything your seed produces in the field,
Deu 14:23 and eat it in the presence of ADONAI your God. In the place where he chooses to have his name live you will eat the tenth of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your cattle and sheep, so that you will learn to fear ADONAI your God always.
Deu 14:24 But if the distance is too great for you, so that you are unable to transport it, because the place where ADONAI chooses to put his name is too far away from you; then, when ADONAI your God prospers you,
Deu 14:25 you are to convert it into money, take the money with you, go to the place which ADONAI your God will choose,
Deu 14:26 and exchange the money for anything you want - cattle, sheep, wine, other intoxicating liquor, or anything you please - and you are to eat there in the presence of ADONAI your God, and enjoy yourselves, you and your household.
Deu 14:27 "But don't neglect the Levi staying with you, because he has no share or inheritance like yours.
Deu 14:28 At the end of every three years you are to take all the tenths of your produce from that year and store it in your towns.
Deu 14:29 Then the Levi, because he has no share or inheritance like yours, along with the foreigner, the orphan and the widow living in your towns, will come, eat and be satisfied - so that ADONAI your God will bless you in everything your hands produce.
The purpose of tithing is to teach you to always put God in first place in your life? Has Deuteronomy 14:23 said this? This is the opitome of Twisting scripture. e.g. Twistianity at the least, blasphemy at the worst. Run from men like this and the Creflo Dollars of the world. Who's robbing G-D? If your pastor is a fraud...
2 Corinthians 7 Each should give according to what he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion...
not grudgingly or under compulsion?
http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_7757322
Sincere ... But Sincerely Wrong
2 Peter 2:1-3 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
I quote extracts from Rabbi Feld’s book soon to be published, “The Halachic foundations of the NT”
Y’SHUAH conformed with Halachic Rabbinic Oral Torah in the following regards:
1.Circumcision – “According to the NT record, the Nazarene child not only conformed to the traditional Jewish obligations of Circumcision, but all else that go with it. Chapter 2 from the book of Luke in the NT, carries with it a boat load of evidence of compliance to Oral Torah which is such an intrinsic and inseparable part of Judaism. In scrutinizing this extract, please consider the evidence to Oral Torah inherent in the dedication of the witnesses mentioned in this portion, viz. Jews who were totally dedicated and who spent all their time, "eating and sleeping," Oral Torah!
Luke 2:
22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Miriam took him (the Nazarene chil) to Jerusalem to present him to the L-rd 23(as it is written in the Law of the L-rd (Torah), “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the L-rd” (Exodus 13:2,12) 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the L-rd: 'a pair of doves or two young pigeons.'
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the comforting of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. … 27Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised G-d, …
36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.[e]She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to G-d and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 When Joseph and Miriam had done everything required by the Law of the L-rd, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth."
All these ceremonies performed on the Nazarene child were more specifically and broader defined by the Oral Torah, undoubtedly more so in this case because of the dedication of the role players here!
2.Tzit Tzit - The Book of Numbers 15:38 tells the Israelites that they should “put fringes” on their four-cornered garments (Deut. 15:38). The scores of details necessary for the fulfilment of the above, once again, were dependant on the Oral Torah. Archaeological digs have found fringes of years gone by, which correspond with the same fringes that Jews wear today. There has never been a debate amongst Jews as to what those fringes are all about, e.g. how to make them, where to put them, what blessings to make, who has to wear them, etc., etc. For all these topics, the Written Torah offers no indications whatsoever.
We read in Matthew 9:2 “… a woman came from behind him (the Nazarene) and touched his garment” and further on in Matthew 14:35, 36 “… that they might only touch the hem of his garment.” The word hem refers to the tzit-tzit, tassels or fringes which we are required by Torah to wear on the “corners of our garments”. The Greek word used in the NT is “kraspedon”, meaning fringes. The Septuagint and Strong’s Dictionary interprets “kraspedon” to refer to the Biblical Command for the fringes on the hem corners of a 4-cornered garment.
3.Phylacteries
In the Gospels, Math 23:5, the Nazarene chastises people who flaunt their religiosity, “by all their works they do to be seen of men. They make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders on their garments (fringes).”
First, the Gospels accept the traditional, historic Rabbinic explanation of the commandments as accurate and worthy of fulfilment. The Nazarene did not reject this concept but criticized their intentions for wearing them.
The same applies to phylacteries – the NT simply accepts this physical tradition as applied by the Jews of the time. This assumes and accepts the hundreds of detailed stipulations which are only available through the Oral traditions of Judaism. Just the inscriptions on the parchment, which is contained within the phylacteries in order to be accepted as sacred and acceptable to G-d (kosher), involves hundreds of detailed directives – none of which are specified in the Written Torah (Bible). The same applies to the procurement of the leather used in the manufacture, etc. The Written Torah only gives the instruction to “lay phylacteries”. The comprehensive and necessary details come from the Oral Torah, throughout the Jewish generations right back to Moses.
Christian and Messianic interpretation in some groups may hold that the Nazarene, with his statements regarding the length of the fringes on their garments (tzit tzit), actually condemned the wearing thereof. But if we go a step further and deeper into his criticism of the ‘length’ of the tassels, we will see that he was involved in a famous historic intellectual debate between two schools of legitimate Rabbinic thought and rule about the required length of tassels, i.e. the School of Shamai versus Hillel, which debated a specific variation of 3 vs. 4 threads and their required lengths.
Whose side was the Nazarene on with his criticism of the excessive length of these tassels? Rather than a rejection of the entire tradition, a closer analysis of the Shamai / Hillel dispute will prove that he was in fact siding with Hillel and normative Orthodox position in terms of length and modesty. Shamai would dispute the ‘showing off’ by claiming that they really try and understand and follow the original intent of the Scriptures. The Gospels, like all Rabbinic literature, were concerned with the possibility of flaunting religiosity through the ritual “but all their works they do to be seen of men”. This was not in the literal sense that everybody was running around showing of their fringes, but as a corrective instruction not to fall into such a trap of exhibitionism. All Rabbinical literature preached against religious arrogance and vanity, as Hillel forewarned, “Do not make a worldly use for personal interest or social status of the Crown of the Torah.” (Ethics of our fathers, Mishnah 1/13; Talmud menachot 41).
4. Divorce – incompatibility vs. adultery
According to Matthew Ch. 19, a man may not divorce his wife unless he has found something unseemly in her. Where did this idea come from? It was born out of the orthodox Torah studies on this topic that predated the Gospels by many many years. Shamai rules that the word in question implies unchastity. Apparently, the Gospels here side with the ancient school of Shamai, since in Matthew 5:32 and 19:9 the Nazarene said, “Whosever shall put away his wife saving for the case of fornication, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries her, then commits adultery.” Here again, the Gospels likewise agree with Shamai when it comes to rules of evidence. Shamai held that a woman cannot remarry without rigorous evidence of the death of her first husband. Hillel was more lenient with these rules of evidence.
Matt 19:3 criticises divorce “for every (any) cause”, and the Greek translation of the Hebrew verse is ‘pornia’ (fornication, i.e. adultery). So, the debate was not against good guys and bad guys, nor against conservatives and liberals, but merely how to relate to a verse in G-d’s Word and how to interface a legal contingency in real time.
This entire debate reflects Jewish in-house, Oral Torah debate.
5.Sabbath Observance - If you read through the entire Sermon on the Mount, you will find that the Gospels did not advocate disobedience to the Jewish law, but in fact confirmed the Rabbinic Oral interpretation of what is often derogatorily referred to as “the Rabbinic man-made Oral laws.”
Thus, the Nazarene’s statements waxed symbolic and philosophical along the same lines as defined within the Oral Torah, e.g. adultery is symbolically committed by simply lusting sexually; murder by simply embarrassing someone. These statements by the Nazarene are virtual quotes from Talmudic discussions.
When the Nazarene was accused of violating the Sabbath, Mark 12:23-27, we read:
23 “One Sabbath the Nazarene was going through the grain fields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him, 'Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?' 25 He answered, 'Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of G-d and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.' 27 Then he said to them, 'The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.'”
Christian interpretation joins the Pharisees in accusing the Nazarene and his followers as rejecters of the ‘Jewish Sabbath,’ or, at best, that he relaxed ‘the strict letter of the Law’ regarding Sabbath observance. The Nazarene’s defensive and corrective response to the accusation of the Pharisees was not a quotation from the Torah or from the Word of G-d, but a direct quotation from the Talmud, which states, “Man was not given to the Sabbath, but the Sabbath was given to man.” He did not say that one no longer must keep the Sabbath; he did not propose to relax the Sabbath law as Christians would like to believe. He did not challenge them on the grounds that they were expecting. Instead, by quoting a Talmudic principle, he confirmed that his behaviour was consistent with Rabbinic law interpretation. The famous Talmudic dictum that underlies this statement validates that the possibility of saving of a life pushes aside the Sabbath prohibitions, e.g., not reaping from your fields. In this incidence under discussion, his disciples were hungry (as confirmed in Matt. 12:1). To eat raw grain indicates that they must have been truly ravishingly hungry, as was David, who entered the sacred Tabernacle and ate consecrated food.
The proof in this NT-related incidence is in the text: his accusers were silent at his response; they understood and accepted his response, namely that his students were extremely hungry and thus within the parameters of Rabbinic Judaism, allowing them to pick the corn on the Sabbath because of the emergency situation.
Another accusation that could be raised against them is that of invading private property and stealing off the lands. The legal response to this comes straight from Biblical and Rabbinic interpretation, namely, that in the 7th Sabbatical year anyone is allowed to freely take of the left-over produce on the fields (Exodus 28:10; Lev. 25; Nehemiah 10:32). Furthermore, the Torah makes allowance for the poor to take from the corners of the fields and left-overs after reaping. (Mishnah Peah).
6.Swearing by G-d’s Name - Christians maintain that the Nazarene contradicted this mitzvah by saying that we should not swear an oath at all.
Matthew 5: 33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to Hashem.’ 34 But I tell you, ‘Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is G-d’s throne; or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
The Nazarene though, was not changing Torah. He was simply standing behind the Oral traditions that were also based on Biblical verses.
The Talmudic Sages had long discussions about this Mitzvah and determined that we could swear by Hashem's Name, but in so doing we might swear falsely, and then we would have misused the Name. Then, we would have broken two Mitzvot - one of which demanded the death penalty.
7.Love your enemy as yourself - Love your enemies’ is considered the apogee of the Sermon on the Mount. This concept is heralded as an example of the new faith of Christianity’s superiority over ‘old’ Judaism. In fact, when understood within the correct philosophical categories, this line fits in comfortably with Pharisaic Orthodox Judaism. First, in Lev. 19:18 we read: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” and in Proverbs 25:21 it says: “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat and if e is thirsty, give him water to drink.” In Psalms we read: "Those who love good, hate evil. Hate evil and not the evildoer." The Talmud proclaims: “Who is strong? – he who can make an enemy into a friend.”
The Gospels likewise reflect these trends in openness or closedness as regarding the Gentiles who lived within the greater Jewish community. An appreciation of this division will also bring a better understanding of the background underlying the NT recorded statements of the Nazarene to the Samaritan woman in John 4, and his referral to ‘dogs’ in Matthew 15, when talking with a Canaanite woman. These comments are normally contorted by NT interpreters to indicate Jewish exclusiveness. What sounds to the non-Jewish outsider as an almost racist remark should be understood as concern for Jewish survival. In its correct historic and Jewish Halachic contexts this understanding serves to further confirm the Halachic influence of the New Testament.
8.Yud or Tittle - Matthew 5:17: “Think not that I have come to abolish the Law and the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill them.” Christian theology generally interprets this as meaning that he abolished the Law because “he has fulfilled it all and therefore the Law has been done away with”. In Hebrew, the word ‘fulfill’ (Greek: plerosai as used in the Gospels) does not mean that now you have done that Commandment and you don’t have to do it anymore. It means that you complied with and satisfied the legal requirements of Torah for that specific requirement, at that specific time, in that specific circumstance and that you are entitled to the eternal reward associated with that Commandment. That means you bring down G-dly light into this lower world, thereby elevating it to a higher plane. It means you did an act or had a thought that allows you to participate with the covenantal faith community’s destiny. It does not mean that you are exempted from fulfilling that commandment again - such as observing the Passover Commandments, the Festivals, Tithing, agricultural laws, civil, criminal, etc. The very sentence in that Gospel statement says that the Commandments are NOT to be abolished or destroyed.
So whatever interpretation you want to give for the word ‘fulfill’, it cannot have as its bottom line the nullification of those said laws. Many times in the Gospel text it speaks about preserving, protecting, sustaining and living up to the righteousness of the law-abiding community.
Further proof is in the very next sentence, where the Gospels say: “Not a dot or a tittle will ever pass away.” This refers to the ‘yud’ which is the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet. It looks like the shape of a single inverted comma. (Prof. David Biven). Do you know what the ‘tittle’ represents? Well, first of all, in Greek it was called the ‘keraia’ meaning ‘horn’, based on the Hebrew ‘kots’, meaning thorn. It was translated into English as ‘tittle’. In brief, it was a decorative barb or spur added to various letters in the original Torah scrolls by the traditions received through the generations of Rabbinic Sages. These little decorative attachments were laden with secret, mystical, and legal vitality or meaning. For example, Rabbi Akiva drew out nuances of the Law from these signs on the holy letters of the Torah. This entire department as well as the shapes and sizes of the regular letters in the written texts, are under the exclusive authority of the Sages of the Oral tradition.
This is an amazing confirmation of the Nazarene’s qualifications. Anyone using this insight must of necessity have had an in-depth knowledge and recognition of Oral Torah and tradition. Here we have an example par excellence, a confirmation of faith by the Gospels to the authority of the Oral Torah’s transmission of the true form of the Written Torah.
9.Oral Torah inherent in the New Testament refutes anti-Rabbinicinterpretation of the Gospels
Under Roman influence, every single passage in the Gospels was read and twisted to remove or excise the Jews out of the Bible – to reduce the influence of Judaism – to disengage the Gospel from its Hebraic roots – simply, to discredit Jews and Judaism. The divine intent underlying the return to Torah of the re-identifying Ten Lost Tribes in “the End Time” and their peaceful Reconciliation with the House of Judah will therefore entail the reversal of this process of demonizing Judaism, Jews and the Torah.
Again, the purpose of this book is to reveal the Oral Torah which lies inherent and concealed in the New Testament, in order to bless and encourage this process of Reconciliation. Consequently, it could serve as a reminder to the Hebraic Restorer in this wonderful re-enlightening age, of the importance and necessity of sober minded Rabbinic Oral interpretation of the Torah and of G-d’s requirements for would-be citizens of His Eternal Kingdom.
These are merely short extracts from this Book. The entire book serves to confirm the Oral Torah Halachic foundations of the NT.
What makes this all the more extraordinary, is that the author, an orthodox rabbi, does NOT accept the Nazarene as Messiah, neither does he regard the NT as authoritative. He simply interprets the NT contents from a Jewish Halachic perspective.
Orthodox Judaism holds that the Torah has been transmitted in parallel with an oral tradition. They point to texts of the Torah, where many words and concepts are left undefined and many procedures mentioned without explanation or instructions; the reader is required to seek out the missing details from the oral sources. For example, many times in the Torah it says that/as you are/were shown on the mountain in reference of how to do a commandment (Exodus 25:40).
This parallel set of material was originally transmitted to Moses at Mount Sinai and from Moses to Israel. Ergo, the oral law. Since that time it was forbidden to write and publish the Oral Law, as any writing would be incomplete and subject to misinterpretation and abuse. However, after horrific persecution and exile, this restriction was lifted when it became apparent that in writing was the only way to ensure that the Oral Law could be preserved.
Around 200 CE, Rabbi Judah haNasi took up the compilation of a nominally written version of the Oral Law, the Mishnah. Other oral traditions from the same time period not entered into the Mishnah were recorded as "Baraitot" (external teaching), and the Tosefta. Other traditions were written down as Midrashim. Over the next four centuries this small, ingenius record of laws and ethical teachings provided the necessary signals and codes to allow the continuity of the same Mosaic Oral traditions to be taught and passed on in Jewish communities scattered across both of the world's major Jewish communities, (from Israel to Babylon).
After continued persecution more of the Oral Law had to be committed to writing. A great many more lessons, lectures and traditions only alluded to in the few hundred pages of Mishnah, became the thousands of pages now called the Gemara. Gemara is Aramaic (see also: Aramaic of Jesus), having been compiled in Babylon. The Hebrew word for it is Talmud. The Rabbis in Israel also collected their traditions and compiled them into the Jerusalem Talmud. Since the greater number of Rabbis lived in Babylon, the Babylonian Talmud has precedency should the two be in conflict.
Torah observant Jews follow the traditional explication of these texts.
They did ask a lot of questions when they were growing up 
