Christians United
I pray that the Holy Spirit guides me as I write this page.
I grew up in Ft. Wayne. There was a very large successful Church there in Ft Wayne that was famous for placing high pressure on it’s congregation to follow Old Testament Tithing rules. The Pastors from the Church would go to homes of Members to examine tax returns to verify that the members were giving 10% of their income to the Church. Sometimes the Church would pass the collection basket and before Church would get out, they would say that they were locking the doors because not enough money had been collected, they needed to pass the collection baskets again and did not plan to unlock the doors unless enough money was collected. One afternoon I saw a Pastor from the Church leaving a friends house, get in his big fancy luxury car to drive home to his huge new mansion. My friends were very poor, a very large family living in a very small home on a truck drivers pay. The picture of that Pastor leaving my friends house after examining their tax returns and threatening to terminate their church membership for failing to meet the Tithing requirement of the Church is something I will never forget.
Shortly after I started attending my current Christian Church, A Pastor did a sermon about Tithing. The sermon rubbed me the wrong way. I was new to the Church and very unfamiliar with the Bible. I was raised Catholic and only being an occasional Church goer, I certainly did not feel qualified to question the teachings of the Pastor. Since then the Pastors have done at least 9 sermons on Tithing since April 2003, I wonder how many times we have heard sermons about LOVE, the Greatest Commandment during the same time frame. I haven’t kept track of either one. The Pastor told us how many times he spoke on Malachi 3:10 in the fall of 2008.
From Spring of 2003 until present I have heard several Pastors speak several times about how Christians were not under Old Testament Law. How Jesus initiated a new healthier system. How Matthew 5 “turn the other cheek” canceled out Leviticus 24 “eye for an eye”. I have noticed that while the Old Testament commands that the Ten Commandments are to be displayed on our bodies and on our dwellings. Many Churches do not have the Ten Commandments displayed any place in the Church. I guess because Christians no longer live under Old Testament Laws or the Ten Commandments.
After one Pastors’ sermons about Malachi 3:10, I remember seeing several people walking out of Church with their heads hanging pretty low. Some of these were people on very meager incomes and may not give 10% of their income to the Church but give very abundantly of their time to the Church. It reminded me a little bit of that Church in Ft Wayne and I felt very disturbed. After a great deal of praying, many sleepless nights, Bible study and research into the teachings of many Christian Theologians I decided that I needed to organize my beliefs on paper, so I wrote a paper I call MY SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY CHAPTER 2 TITHING AND OLD TESTAMENT LAWS. I gave my first copy to the Pastor of my Church in early Fall 2008. It was fairly critical of the Church teaching about Tithing. After a meeting with the Pastor, he asked me to wait until he completed his next sermon series to complete my paper. During his next sermon series he revealed a significantly different teaching about giving that included New Testament principles about giving from the heart. I was very pleased and relieved by the new teaching about giving.
During a 10-12-08 sermon, the Pastor presented the question of how much do we give back to God? Should we give 10% of gross income or 10% of net income? He explained that these are some questions that have been a major source of controversy in evangelical circles. He described how since April 2003, he had done at least 8 sermons on Malachi 3:10. "Bring the whole Tithe into the Storehouse." The Storehouse being the place where we receive our Spiritual nourishment. He explained that back in February, someone had pointed out to him how some people do not have 10% to give. The Senior Pastor admitted that though Malachi 3:10 is a great Old Testament passage, the truth was that he had unintentionally neglected what the New Testament standard on giving is. He went on to say, "The New Testament has provided you and I with a completely new standard." He pointed out that according to the New Testament, whatever we give is acceptable as long as we give it cheerfully. We should each decide in our own heart how much to give. Not what the preacher says, not what's written in the bulletin. This trusting should be between us and God alone and also our Spouse if we are married. This journey should not start unless we have prayed and we really feel like we have been given permission from God.
I can not tell you how moved I was by this sermon. I totally supported the new direction the Pastor was presenting on this subject of giving. I can not tell you how PROUD I was of him for having the courage to present ideas that are so different from what had been previously established within my Church. My heart was so touched to know that my Church had the leadership of a man that chose to carefully put "SOUND DOCTRINE" first, regardless of the common practice of many other Churches. I also feel so blessed to know that my Church is led by a man humble enough to admit that he does not know it all, willing to open his heart and mind and be teachable. I believe it is difficult to question the motives of a man who puts The Almighty God and His Word first, rather than the not so almighty $.
Recently the Church returned to teaching about Tithing. The new teaching is very gentle and much less pressure than that of Malachi 3:10. I am very supportive of all teachings about the Old Testament. I do not believe that Jesus canceled the Old Testament, only our obligation to Old Testament Laws.
I am willing to admit that maybe I do not know it all and that the Pastor and the Staff of my Church are likely much more knowledgeable about the Bible then I, so I can tolerate the recent teaching about Tithing, as long as it is gentle and I do not see good people leaving the Church with their tail between their legs.
I guess what concerns me is the bigger picture. I realize there may always be teachings I do not see eye to eye with. After I finished writing Chapter 2, I actually felt kind of bad that I spent so much time (over a year) writing a paper that likely had little to do with leading more people to salvation. I decided then that my next writing should be about something more likely to inspire more to salvation. I recently completed writing MY SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY, CHAPTER 3, IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. It is largely about the Holy Spirit and how our prayer improves our relationship with Him and how our pride interferes with it. During this latest research and writing I grew a deeper belief in the Pastor’s Fall 2008 teaching that we should not begin our journey of giving without praying about it and getting permission from God about what we should do.
The Pastor revealed in a fall 2009 sermon, that less than half of Bible believing Christians believe in the Holy Spirit. I found this very alarming. Many reputable Theologians teach that it is the Baptism in the Holy Sprit that truly saves. I realize that not all Christians agree that the Holy Spirit relationship is necessary for salvation. Even if it is not necessary for salvation, I think teaching about the Holy Spirit and encouraging more to have that special relationship with the Holy Spirit may lead more to desire salvation.
In my opinion, one of the things that causes some to avoid the Church, God and therefore salvation is the convenient label of hypocrisy that is placed on Christianity. One of the reasons the hypocrisy label is so convenient is because some Christians appear to pick and choose what is applicable to Christian belief and teaching. There are over 600 Laws and Commands in the Old Testament. Most who claim to be Christian have nothing to do with a very large majority of the Old Laws. Many Christians pick and choose various Old Testament Laws to suit what ever cause is currently on their mind or heart. One example would be California’s Proposition 8 intended to ban gay marriage. Some Hollywood actors got together and made a video available on You Tube that compares Christian belief opposing gay marriage which is an “abomination” according to the Bible, to eating shellfish and many other things that are also an ”abomination” according to the Bible. The video also points out other Old Testament Laws such as stoning wives and selling daughters to slavery that Christians do not believe in. Another convenient example: I have heard many good Christian teachers and preachers quote Malachi 3:10, intentionally or unintentionally allowing followers to feel cursed if they were not tithing. I have heard some of these same good Christian teachers quote Leviticus pointing out that homosexuality is an “abomination”. I have heard some of these same good Christian teachers who commonly eat shellfish, say that it is okay for Christians to eat shellfish as the law against eating shellfish in Leviticus was directed at the Levite Priests not Christians. (The way I read Leviticus, the command against shellfish was directed toward the Israelites. Same as many of the other abominations) Was Malachi 3:10 directed at Christians or Levite Priests? I believe it was clearly directed at the Levite Priests. Confusing ain’t it? J I believe that if a Christian chooses to use Malachi 3:10 to pressure others to tithe, that same Christian is not allowed to eat shellfish. Some teach that because Abram gave a tenth of all he had to King Melchizedek after rescuing his Nephew Lott, that tithing applies to Christians. And this example of tithing took place before the Law Of Moses, therefore it is not canceled by Jesus’ death on the cross. The way I read Genesis 14. Even though Abram was quite wealthy, he never actually gave a tenth of any of his own possessions to anybody. He gave a tenth of the stolen goods that he and his men recovered during the battle to rescue Lott. The goods were never Abrams. He gave the remaining 90% back to the original owners. If I recover cash stolen from a bank, it’s not mine. If I give 10% to a charity (fat chance the bank would allow that), I have not given anything of my own. Circumcision and Sabbath rest were both obligations prior to the Law of Moses. Few if any Christians observe those principles. I have heard all the arguments that the crucifixion of Jesus only canceled certain laws such as sacrificial laws. I believe that is too easily disputable. Both sides can produce plenty of scripture and commentary from reputable Christian Theologians to support both sides of those arguments. My Church struggles to maintain a consistent teaching about giving. I have several brochures printed and distributed by my Church that describe how members of our Church are expected to give or Tithe in a variety of different ways. I have discussed Tithing with several Pastors, Elders and Staff members over the years and seldom, if ever, have I got the same answers to my questions.
I even wrote to a Pastor of a very prominent Christian Publication and Ministry. He had published about a 10 page on article his Web Site explaining that the 600+ Laws of Moses ended with the death of Jesus. Only the Laws incorporated in the Law of Jesus apply to Christians. I asked him if Old Testament Tithing Laws apply to Christians, about the common teaching that those who don’t give 10% of their income to their Church were cursed. He replied that Tithing was a principle prior to the Law of Moses and using the pressure of the curse to apply it to Christians was ok, but equating the storehouse to a Church expecting the first 10% to go one's Church was a stretch. I guess he wanted me to feel pressured to give, but he wanted to be included as an eligible recipient. Pick and choose to suit his cause. Shortly after my letter, his article was no longer available on his Web Site.
I believe that a Church is more equated to a Sanctuary, (a place to worship God) than a storehouse. In EXODUS the people were instructed to give as their heart prompted them: to build the Sanctuary. They gave so much surplus, they were actually instructed to stop giving.
I believe that if we as Christians are ever going to win the battles against gay marriage and sexual immorality, abortion and murder, greed and idolatry, pride, arrogance and envy, all things that are undisputable sins according to both the Old Testament and the New Testament we need to start a New United Movement. We need to quit wasting time passing judgment on disputable matters ROMANS 14:1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. We need to draw a straight United line between what we believe and what we don’t believe and establish a constant United Front on what that line is based on. Jesus dying on the cross for our salvation and ending our obligation to ALL the Old Testament Laws. We Christians need to Unite on the belief that everything Jesus and the New Testament called sin is sin. That our sins may be forgiven if we repent and turn away from them and believe in Jesus. If the line we draw between what we believe in keeps zig zagging back and forth to include 1 or 2 Old Testament Laws, the non believers (the lost) conveniently slap the hypocrisy label on us and we have a much harder time leading them to salvation. Since my Church has returned to Old Testament teachings about Tithing I have received calls from long time Church members, couples who are now arguing over finances (the leading cause of divorce). With access to the internet, many Church members have done research and found commentary by very reputable Christian Theologians that cast doubt on Old Testament teachings about Tithing. Some of these Church members now question the validity of the rest of their Church teachings.
The entire Bible is subject to interpretation. Some of those interpretations are very difficult, too difficult for theologians to agree and Unite on. As my Senior Pastor said during a sermon, teachings about Tithing are a major source of controversy in evangelical circles. When interpretations are made that take money out of the pocket of one and put it into the pocket of another including the interpreter, the interpretations need to be very non-disputable. Many non Christians and weak Christians tend to be suspicious, and tend to not trust Churches and Pastors anyway.
Perhaps we should learn to Unite and focus our teachings on what is black, white and red and then call what is gray, gray, Then encourage followers to be Bereans. ACTS 17:11 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to if what Paul said was true. We all need to study the Bible for ourselves and verify the validity of what we call black, white and red. We should then pray to the Holy Spirit to answer our questions about the gray parts. I believe that we should never try to force our own interpretations of the gray parts on anybody. I believe that the more we Unite to present Biblically accurate sound doctrine, TITUS 2:1 You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. the more likely we will be to earn trust instead of suspicion. There are many Christian authors and reputable scholars that call teachings of Christian Tithing heresy, scams, lies, extortion, coercion, oxymoronic, brainwashing, cultic and sin. I believe that most who teach Christian Tithing are simply teaching what they have been taught, which has been handed down over the generations. I believe that such teaching has been started by and carried on by good men who love God, and want to do right, but have allowed their strong desire to successfully pursue the good causes they represent, to cloud their judgment a bit. If Christian Tithing were such sound doctrine, there would not be so much controversy. I do not think for one second that any Pastors that I know, would intentionally misinterpret the Bible to take advantage of followers financially.
I believe it would be hard to dispute the Biblical accuracy of what Christians call blessings and rewards and what we call sins and consequences. I believe that everybody, member, non-member and even those who do not attend any Church, likely benefit by the good being done by Churches in their community, and should generously support that good by sharing their talents, time, gifts and money as the Holy Spirit leads. Failing to give and serve enough would be greed. I believe that greed is an undisputable sin that may lead to undesirable consequences. I believe that giving and serving to please God leads to blessings and desirable rewards. I believe it would be hard to Biblically dispute that generosity pleases the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit when we give what Holy Spirit tells us to give. If a Church wanted to teach undisputable New Testament truths about Love, the Greatest Commandment, about the sin of greed, the blessings of generosity and following the guidance of the Holy Spirit it might encourage more support than the teachings of Malachi 3:10. Teaching to give and serve according to what the Holy Spirit says, not what the Old Testament says, or what the preacher says would make it hard for anybody wanting the salvation of a belief in Jesus to dispute the Biblical truth. If people ask the Holy Spirit how much to give and how much to serve, they can not blame the Church if they feel pressure. I believe that if I give to comply with Church teachings or Church Membership expectations, I am giving under compulsion. I believe that I better follow the New Testament Biblical principles of giving, by giving according to what the Holy Spirit lays on my heart.
If I feel led by the Holy Spirit to give 10% of my gross, taxable income, then that IS what I should do. Maybe not what everybody else should do. It is quite possible that the Holy Spirit does not call on all to give the same percentage or amount. It is quite possible that Ministers and others who may spend less of their overall income on taxes intended to support the needy, may feel led by the Holy Spirit to give a different amount than others to the needy. I believe that we should never allow Church Leadership or anyone other than ourselves to interpret the callings of the Holy Spirit. I have read that for nearly 400 years it was illegal to own a Bible in Roman Catholic Europe and Catholics are instructed to allow only the Pope and Bishops to interpret the Bible. In my opinion, such practice allows Catholic Leadership to have a cult like control over the beliefs of its’ followers. I believe that if I attempt to force the Holy Spirit promptings that I feel on to other Christian followers, then I would be attempting to exert similar cult like control over my followers.
I believe that the more freely I give, the more obedient I am to God's commands of the New Testament. 2 CORINTHIANS 9:6 Is a common verse used by some Pastors and Televangelists to pressure Christians into giving beyond their means. They commonly overlook the very next verse and a few other significant New Testament verses. I believe that when Apostle Paul writes about “sowing” in 2 CORINTHIANS 9:6, he is referring to giving as he writes about in verse 7:
2 CORINTHIANS 9:6 Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
2 CORINTHIANS 9:7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
I believe that for all I do, especially giving and serving, that I should always prayerfully seek the authorization of Jesus, and then follow what is written in my heart, by the Holy Spirit and sow to please the Spirit. I believe that when Apostle Paul writes about “sowing” in GALATIONS 6:8, he is referring to serving as he talks about doing in verse 9:
GALATIANS 6:8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit will reap eternal life.(9)Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
I’m sure you probably think I spent all this time writing this commentary just because I oppose tithing. I never said I don’t tithe. I try to do exactly as the Holy Spirit prompts me. My issue is not with tithing. My issue is with the hypocritical double standards of picking and choosing one or two Old Testament Laws to press on Christian as the Pharisees did in ACTS 5. If Christians are going to work on the Sabbath (Saturday), pierce ears, wear tattoos, eat shellfish and treat circumcision as optional, it is okay because Laws regarding those things were canceled by the crucifixion of Jesus. Murder, stealing, idolatry, pride, ego, sexual immorality, failing to love God and, all the other things clearly reestablished as sin in the New Testament after the death of Jesus are not okay.
I do not know anyone more authentically passionate about saving the lost than the Pastor of my Church.. If it is truly the mission of my Church, to carry out The Great Commission, then we need to quit wasting time arguing about disputable matters and what we maybe should not teach. We need to Unite and focus on what we should teach. The harvest is great and the workers are few. What do we think will provide a greater incentive for the lost, to at least hear our teachings and move toward salvation. A confusing disputable teaching that creates suspicion and is all over the place about what we believe, teachings that reputable Christian Theologians can’t even agree on. Or an undisputable teaching that Christians Unite on that is simply what the Bible says. A teaching that leads to a loving relationship with the Father and The Son and the Holy Spirit. A teaching that leads to salvation from eternity in a fiery hell. I know this sounds a little like Seeker Friendly, or New Age(which I do not know much about either). The way I understand it is that one difference would be that we do not just teach about the love and blessings of Jesus, but we also teach the undisputable Biblical truth about sins established after the death of Jesus, regardless of who is turned off by it.
Even though Rick Warren expressed regret for supporting Proposition 8. I think he would have a difficult time disputing that sexual immorality is an undisputable sin.
If Christians devoted to the Great Commission of Jesus can Unite and draw a straight, steady, non confusing line about our beliefs, we may be able to shake the hypocrisy label and attract more to our side and more to salvation. The more we can attract to our side, the larger United Front we can form to create an overwhelming force against immorality and the more workers we will have to complete the monumetal harvest.
This doesn’t mean that I think the Church should discontinue teaching about the Old Testament. I love and am thirsty for such teaching. I hope it goes on frequently. Maybe the Church would be stronger and more United if it avoids pressing selective Old Testament Laws on Christians as such teachings are conveniently disputable, divisive and risk the integrity of the overall teaching. Teachings that are easily disputable by reputable Christian Theologians are likely to risk resentment and disillusionment of many good Christians that we need on our side. Ending the disillusionment could help Christians Unite and stop the revolving door of so many strong Christians out of the Church.
Like I said earlier, I realize that I do not know it all and I might be totally wrong. My interpretation may be a little different than others. Sometimes different interpretations are neither right or wrong, just different. Regardless of future teachings, my Church can count on me to be at peace with the teachings and accept the fact that we will not always see eye to eye. Even the Apostles sometimes had such sharp disagreements that they parted ways. I do not intend to ever part ways. I love my Church and am grateful that we have a great Senior Pastor. I am a very young immature Christian. If teachings of Old Testament Tithing were not easily Biblically disputable, or at least a little uncertain (gray), a young Christian such as myself would have never been able to persuade a mature Christian such as a Church’s Senior Pastor to significantly modify his teaching.
As of early December 2010 I was on the verge of calling this page complete and launching my entire Web Site for viewing by others when I was exposed to a somewhat new teaching about Christmas that I felt called to address here. There are at least a few Christians out there who see the traditional Christmas Celebration that I, my family and millions participate in as a man made, sinful, evil, Pagan tradition. By digging deep between the lines of a few Old Testament Scriptures, some Christian extremists have found some very obscure comparisons between the Pagan use of trees as idol symbols and the common use of Pine trees for Christmas decor. Some also teach that because Pagans used the Winter Solstice as a season to celebrate their Sun God, that it is wrong to use December 25th to celebrate the birth of the Son of God. In my opinion this is either another pick and choose abuse of the Old Testament Scriptures to further a personal cause or a movement started by some opposition to God, knowing that if they could associate Christmas with Pagan symbolism, some Christians would run from it, thus weakening Christianity. It was likely those opposing God who planted seeds of evil. If we choose to sow evil, we may reap evil. If we are going to dig so deep between the lines of Old Testament Scriptures that we are going to worry about ideas so remote, that very few have any knowledge of them, then we need to give more attention to the story about the gold cow. Many are aware of how the celebration around a gold cow angered God. I guess we need avoid eating beef, playing Farmville and anything associated with cows. In my opinion, the background of our heart is more important than the background of a tree. If we are using a tree or anything to celebrate debauchery or we over indulge in modern idols then the enemy wins. All this attempt to teach people about Paganism, may cause young Christians to doubt and likely pleases the enemy. If we forget about Paganism the enemy loses. I agree with the teaching of my Senior Pastor that early Church Fathers likely chose the winter date to celebrate the birth of the Son of Righteousness to combat the Pagan winter festival, thus they successfully stomped out the existence of the Pagan cult of Mithra. By spending hundreds of years of using December 25th to celebrate the birth of Christ, that is all most of us know it as. Halloween has long been a celebration of darkness for many. A few years ago our Church started a new tradition on Halloween of suggesting that we celebrate the Light. Kids still dress up in all kinds of fun, cute non evil costumes and homes such as ours turn on all the outside lights we can. We open the garage door and invite kids and parents going door to door to come in to a pleasant, friendly well lit enviroment to recieve treats or a cup of coffee along with some neighborly fellowship. If this new man made tradition were aloud to flourish, the evil side of Halloween could be defeated just as the evil side of the Winter Solstice celebration was defeated. The new teaching opposing the traditional Christmas fueled at least a few elaborate debates on Facebook. The enemy is likely thrilled when Christians are divided about celebrating the birth of Christ during Christmas. Non Christians likely laugh at us as we bicker over disputable matters. Ask any soldier, a United front is stronger against any enemy, as it is for soldiers of God as we battle against evil. Some use these unique interpretations to teach that Christians should not celebrate Christmas and the birth of Christ as we have for hundreds of years, but should instead celebrate the Feast of Dedication. Also known as Hannakah. Many of those who oppose the traditional observance of Christmas do gladly accept Christmas gifts. I have not been able to locate any commands of God to celebrate Christmas or any other winter holiday. Perhaps such gray areas should be between the individual and the Holy Spirit. As Christians, we are weakened if we build our religion on discreet gray portions of Scripture. I believe that God sent his Son to clearly teach us what he wanted us to know. To relieve us of trying to follow all those difficult to interpret Old Testament Scriptures and to act as Mediator of the New Covenant and provide clear commands of what we are to follow. God calls us to witness by word and service to others. Our religion should center on the commands of Jesus and the salvation of others. What do we think will give God greater pleasure. Christians spending precious time focused on Uniting on what we all know as the Greatest Command of God, recommanded by Jesus, to love and the Great Command of Jesus to evangelize the lost. Or Christians spending precious time to study disputable, gray areas of Old Testament Scriptures to spread knowledge of Pagan symbolism and idolatry.
If you would like to hear one of the best sermons I ever heard about Christmas, I encourage you to check out this link http://www.wrcc.org/explore/sermonarchive/archive.php
Then check out this sermon: December 2 & 5 Book of Esther Part 4 Tim Brock MP3
About the time I was completing my Chapter 2 Theology, our Senior Pastor gave an excellent explanation of several signs and recent news events that indicate that the end of time may be very near and that Jesus may return within our lifetime. It reminded me of how precious time is. Do me a favor. Take a deep breath in. Now let it out real slow. That deep breath we just took was just by the Grace of God. It could have very well been our last. We all know loved ones and acquaintances who are lost. Regardless of when Jesus returns, we never know when our last breath will come, and then it will be too late to save others. That is why I believe it is so important for us to Unite to evangelize as many people as possible as soon as possible.
If you are interested in learning my beliefs about salvation, I invite you to check out my Theology Chapter 1. If you have other questions, please feel free to contact me on Facebook. If I do not have answers to your questions, I have plenty of people I can turn to for assistance.
I wonder how many good people missed salvation while I wrote this page. I wonder how many good people missed salvation while you read this page. I wonder how many more good people we can lead to salvation if we start a movement that Unites good Christians on common Biblically undisputable truths.
Please believe that this page is written in the friendliest tone. I'm not saying that Churches and Ministers do not need and deserve support. They do, and most of them, such as the Ministers at my Church, deserve every penny they are receiving and then some. They truly do so much for so many that I strongly believe the fruits of their labor are worth much more than their pay. Most are very dedicated and only want the best for everyone.
I pasted below a link to a song called “Saving The World” by a Christian group called Clay Crosse. Some of the words speak to me about how I feel about the things I have wrote about in this page. Please take a few minutes and check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmqPb_S8uVc
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this page. If you have questions about the Biblical validity of some of the topics I have discussed on this page, I invite you to check out my Theology Pages on this Web Site. I believe that they provide very substantial Biblical support for everything that I have suggested on this page.
May God Bless you and your familyJ,
Tim
I grew up in Ft. Wayne. There was a very large successful Church there in Ft Wayne that was famous for placing high pressure on it’s congregation to follow Old Testament Tithing rules. The Pastors from the Church would go to homes of Members to examine tax returns to verify that the members were giving 10% of their income to the Church. Sometimes the Church would pass the collection basket and before Church would get out, they would say that they were locking the doors because not enough money had been collected, they needed to pass the collection baskets again and did not plan to unlock the doors unless enough money was collected. One afternoon I saw a Pastor from the Church leaving a friends house, get in his big fancy luxury car to drive home to his huge new mansion. My friends were very poor, a very large family living in a very small home on a truck drivers pay. The picture of that Pastor leaving my friends house after examining their tax returns and threatening to terminate their church membership for failing to meet the Tithing requirement of the Church is something I will never forget.
Shortly after I started attending my current Christian Church, A Pastor did a sermon about Tithing. The sermon rubbed me the wrong way. I was new to the Church and very unfamiliar with the Bible. I was raised Catholic and only being an occasional Church goer, I certainly did not feel qualified to question the teachings of the Pastor. Since then the Pastors have done at least 9 sermons on Tithing since April 2003, I wonder how many times we have heard sermons about LOVE, the Greatest Commandment during the same time frame. I haven’t kept track of either one. The Pastor told us how many times he spoke on Malachi 3:10 in the fall of 2008.
From Spring of 2003 until present I have heard several Pastors speak several times about how Christians were not under Old Testament Law. How Jesus initiated a new healthier system. How Matthew 5 “turn the other cheek” canceled out Leviticus 24 “eye for an eye”. I have noticed that while the Old Testament commands that the Ten Commandments are to be displayed on our bodies and on our dwellings. Many Churches do not have the Ten Commandments displayed any place in the Church. I guess because Christians no longer live under Old Testament Laws or the Ten Commandments.
After one Pastors’ sermons about Malachi 3:10, I remember seeing several people walking out of Church with their heads hanging pretty low. Some of these were people on very meager incomes and may not give 10% of their income to the Church but give very abundantly of their time to the Church. It reminded me a little bit of that Church in Ft Wayne and I felt very disturbed. After a great deal of praying, many sleepless nights, Bible study and research into the teachings of many Christian Theologians I decided that I needed to organize my beliefs on paper, so I wrote a paper I call MY SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY CHAPTER 2 TITHING AND OLD TESTAMENT LAWS. I gave my first copy to the Pastor of my Church in early Fall 2008. It was fairly critical of the Church teaching about Tithing. After a meeting with the Pastor, he asked me to wait until he completed his next sermon series to complete my paper. During his next sermon series he revealed a significantly different teaching about giving that included New Testament principles about giving from the heart. I was very pleased and relieved by the new teaching about giving.
During a 10-12-08 sermon, the Pastor presented the question of how much do we give back to God? Should we give 10% of gross income or 10% of net income? He explained that these are some questions that have been a major source of controversy in evangelical circles. He described how since April 2003, he had done at least 8 sermons on Malachi 3:10. "Bring the whole Tithe into the Storehouse." The Storehouse being the place where we receive our Spiritual nourishment. He explained that back in February, someone had pointed out to him how some people do not have 10% to give. The Senior Pastor admitted that though Malachi 3:10 is a great Old Testament passage, the truth was that he had unintentionally neglected what the New Testament standard on giving is. He went on to say, "The New Testament has provided you and I with a completely new standard." He pointed out that according to the New Testament, whatever we give is acceptable as long as we give it cheerfully. We should each decide in our own heart how much to give. Not what the preacher says, not what's written in the bulletin. This trusting should be between us and God alone and also our Spouse if we are married. This journey should not start unless we have prayed and we really feel like we have been given permission from God.
I can not tell you how moved I was by this sermon. I totally supported the new direction the Pastor was presenting on this subject of giving. I can not tell you how PROUD I was of him for having the courage to present ideas that are so different from what had been previously established within my Church. My heart was so touched to know that my Church had the leadership of a man that chose to carefully put "SOUND DOCTRINE" first, regardless of the common practice of many other Churches. I also feel so blessed to know that my Church is led by a man humble enough to admit that he does not know it all, willing to open his heart and mind and be teachable. I believe it is difficult to question the motives of a man who puts The Almighty God and His Word first, rather than the not so almighty $.
Recently the Church returned to teaching about Tithing. The new teaching is very gentle and much less pressure than that of Malachi 3:10. I am very supportive of all teachings about the Old Testament. I do not believe that Jesus canceled the Old Testament, only our obligation to Old Testament Laws.
I am willing to admit that maybe I do not know it all and that the Pastor and the Staff of my Church are likely much more knowledgeable about the Bible then I, so I can tolerate the recent teaching about Tithing, as long as it is gentle and I do not see good people leaving the Church with their tail between their legs.
I guess what concerns me is the bigger picture. I realize there may always be teachings I do not see eye to eye with. After I finished writing Chapter 2, I actually felt kind of bad that I spent so much time (over a year) writing a paper that likely had little to do with leading more people to salvation. I decided then that my next writing should be about something more likely to inspire more to salvation. I recently completed writing MY SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY, CHAPTER 3, IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. It is largely about the Holy Spirit and how our prayer improves our relationship with Him and how our pride interferes with it. During this latest research and writing I grew a deeper belief in the Pastor’s Fall 2008 teaching that we should not begin our journey of giving without praying about it and getting permission from God about what we should do.
The Pastor revealed in a fall 2009 sermon, that less than half of Bible believing Christians believe in the Holy Spirit. I found this very alarming. Many reputable Theologians teach that it is the Baptism in the Holy Sprit that truly saves. I realize that not all Christians agree that the Holy Spirit relationship is necessary for salvation. Even if it is not necessary for salvation, I think teaching about the Holy Spirit and encouraging more to have that special relationship with the Holy Spirit may lead more to desire salvation.
In my opinion, one of the things that causes some to avoid the Church, God and therefore salvation is the convenient label of hypocrisy that is placed on Christianity. One of the reasons the hypocrisy label is so convenient is because some Christians appear to pick and choose what is applicable to Christian belief and teaching. There are over 600 Laws and Commands in the Old Testament. Most who claim to be Christian have nothing to do with a very large majority of the Old Laws. Many Christians pick and choose various Old Testament Laws to suit what ever cause is currently on their mind or heart. One example would be California’s Proposition 8 intended to ban gay marriage. Some Hollywood actors got together and made a video available on You Tube that compares Christian belief opposing gay marriage which is an “abomination” according to the Bible, to eating shellfish and many other things that are also an ”abomination” according to the Bible. The video also points out other Old Testament Laws such as stoning wives and selling daughters to slavery that Christians do not believe in. Another convenient example: I have heard many good Christian teachers and preachers quote Malachi 3:10, intentionally or unintentionally allowing followers to feel cursed if they were not tithing. I have heard some of these same good Christian teachers quote Leviticus pointing out that homosexuality is an “abomination”. I have heard some of these same good Christian teachers who commonly eat shellfish, say that it is okay for Christians to eat shellfish as the law against eating shellfish in Leviticus was directed at the Levite Priests not Christians. (The way I read Leviticus, the command against shellfish was directed toward the Israelites. Same as many of the other abominations) Was Malachi 3:10 directed at Christians or Levite Priests? I believe it was clearly directed at the Levite Priests. Confusing ain’t it? J I believe that if a Christian chooses to use Malachi 3:10 to pressure others to tithe, that same Christian is not allowed to eat shellfish. Some teach that because Abram gave a tenth of all he had to King Melchizedek after rescuing his Nephew Lott, that tithing applies to Christians. And this example of tithing took place before the Law Of Moses, therefore it is not canceled by Jesus’ death on the cross. The way I read Genesis 14. Even though Abram was quite wealthy, he never actually gave a tenth of any of his own possessions to anybody. He gave a tenth of the stolen goods that he and his men recovered during the battle to rescue Lott. The goods were never Abrams. He gave the remaining 90% back to the original owners. If I recover cash stolen from a bank, it’s not mine. If I give 10% to a charity (fat chance the bank would allow that), I have not given anything of my own. Circumcision and Sabbath rest were both obligations prior to the Law of Moses. Few if any Christians observe those principles. I have heard all the arguments that the crucifixion of Jesus only canceled certain laws such as sacrificial laws. I believe that is too easily disputable. Both sides can produce plenty of scripture and commentary from reputable Christian Theologians to support both sides of those arguments. My Church struggles to maintain a consistent teaching about giving. I have several brochures printed and distributed by my Church that describe how members of our Church are expected to give or Tithe in a variety of different ways. I have discussed Tithing with several Pastors, Elders and Staff members over the years and seldom, if ever, have I got the same answers to my questions.
I even wrote to a Pastor of a very prominent Christian Publication and Ministry. He had published about a 10 page on article his Web Site explaining that the 600+ Laws of Moses ended with the death of Jesus. Only the Laws incorporated in the Law of Jesus apply to Christians. I asked him if Old Testament Tithing Laws apply to Christians, about the common teaching that those who don’t give 10% of their income to their Church were cursed. He replied that Tithing was a principle prior to the Law of Moses and using the pressure of the curse to apply it to Christians was ok, but equating the storehouse to a Church expecting the first 10% to go one's Church was a stretch. I guess he wanted me to feel pressured to give, but he wanted to be included as an eligible recipient. Pick and choose to suit his cause. Shortly after my letter, his article was no longer available on his Web Site.
I believe that a Church is more equated to a Sanctuary, (a place to worship God) than a storehouse. In EXODUS the people were instructed to give as their heart prompted them: to build the Sanctuary. They gave so much surplus, they were actually instructed to stop giving.
I believe that if we as Christians are ever going to win the battles against gay marriage and sexual immorality, abortion and murder, greed and idolatry, pride, arrogance and envy, all things that are undisputable sins according to both the Old Testament and the New Testament we need to start a New United Movement. We need to quit wasting time passing judgment on disputable matters ROMANS 14:1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. We need to draw a straight United line between what we believe and what we don’t believe and establish a constant United Front on what that line is based on. Jesus dying on the cross for our salvation and ending our obligation to ALL the Old Testament Laws. We Christians need to Unite on the belief that everything Jesus and the New Testament called sin is sin. That our sins may be forgiven if we repent and turn away from them and believe in Jesus. If the line we draw between what we believe in keeps zig zagging back and forth to include 1 or 2 Old Testament Laws, the non believers (the lost) conveniently slap the hypocrisy label on us and we have a much harder time leading them to salvation. Since my Church has returned to Old Testament teachings about Tithing I have received calls from long time Church members, couples who are now arguing over finances (the leading cause of divorce). With access to the internet, many Church members have done research and found commentary by very reputable Christian Theologians that cast doubt on Old Testament teachings about Tithing. Some of these Church members now question the validity of the rest of their Church teachings.
The entire Bible is subject to interpretation. Some of those interpretations are very difficult, too difficult for theologians to agree and Unite on. As my Senior Pastor said during a sermon, teachings about Tithing are a major source of controversy in evangelical circles. When interpretations are made that take money out of the pocket of one and put it into the pocket of another including the interpreter, the interpretations need to be very non-disputable. Many non Christians and weak Christians tend to be suspicious, and tend to not trust Churches and Pastors anyway.
Perhaps we should learn to Unite and focus our teachings on what is black, white and red and then call what is gray, gray, Then encourage followers to be Bereans. ACTS 17:11 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to if what Paul said was true. We all need to study the Bible for ourselves and verify the validity of what we call black, white and red. We should then pray to the Holy Spirit to answer our questions about the gray parts. I believe that we should never try to force our own interpretations of the gray parts on anybody. I believe that the more we Unite to present Biblically accurate sound doctrine, TITUS 2:1 You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. the more likely we will be to earn trust instead of suspicion. There are many Christian authors and reputable scholars that call teachings of Christian Tithing heresy, scams, lies, extortion, coercion, oxymoronic, brainwashing, cultic and sin. I believe that most who teach Christian Tithing are simply teaching what they have been taught, which has been handed down over the generations. I believe that such teaching has been started by and carried on by good men who love God, and want to do right, but have allowed their strong desire to successfully pursue the good causes they represent, to cloud their judgment a bit. If Christian Tithing were such sound doctrine, there would not be so much controversy. I do not think for one second that any Pastors that I know, would intentionally misinterpret the Bible to take advantage of followers financially.
I believe it would be hard to dispute the Biblical accuracy of what Christians call blessings and rewards and what we call sins and consequences. I believe that everybody, member, non-member and even those who do not attend any Church, likely benefit by the good being done by Churches in their community, and should generously support that good by sharing their talents, time, gifts and money as the Holy Spirit leads. Failing to give and serve enough would be greed. I believe that greed is an undisputable sin that may lead to undesirable consequences. I believe that giving and serving to please God leads to blessings and desirable rewards. I believe it would be hard to Biblically dispute that generosity pleases the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit when we give what Holy Spirit tells us to give. If a Church wanted to teach undisputable New Testament truths about Love, the Greatest Commandment, about the sin of greed, the blessings of generosity and following the guidance of the Holy Spirit it might encourage more support than the teachings of Malachi 3:10. Teaching to give and serve according to what the Holy Spirit says, not what the Old Testament says, or what the preacher says would make it hard for anybody wanting the salvation of a belief in Jesus to dispute the Biblical truth. If people ask the Holy Spirit how much to give and how much to serve, they can not blame the Church if they feel pressure. I believe that if I give to comply with Church teachings or Church Membership expectations, I am giving under compulsion. I believe that I better follow the New Testament Biblical principles of giving, by giving according to what the Holy Spirit lays on my heart.
If I feel led by the Holy Spirit to give 10% of my gross, taxable income, then that IS what I should do. Maybe not what everybody else should do. It is quite possible that the Holy Spirit does not call on all to give the same percentage or amount. It is quite possible that Ministers and others who may spend less of their overall income on taxes intended to support the needy, may feel led by the Holy Spirit to give a different amount than others to the needy. I believe that we should never allow Church Leadership or anyone other than ourselves to interpret the callings of the Holy Spirit. I have read that for nearly 400 years it was illegal to own a Bible in Roman Catholic Europe and Catholics are instructed to allow only the Pope and Bishops to interpret the Bible. In my opinion, such practice allows Catholic Leadership to have a cult like control over the beliefs of its’ followers. I believe that if I attempt to force the Holy Spirit promptings that I feel on to other Christian followers, then I would be attempting to exert similar cult like control over my followers.
I believe that the more freely I give, the more obedient I am to God's commands of the New Testament. 2 CORINTHIANS 9:6 Is a common verse used by some Pastors and Televangelists to pressure Christians into giving beyond their means. They commonly overlook the very next verse and a few other significant New Testament verses. I believe that when Apostle Paul writes about “sowing” in 2 CORINTHIANS 9:6, he is referring to giving as he writes about in verse 7:
2 CORINTHIANS 9:6 Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
2 CORINTHIANS 9:7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
I believe that for all I do, especially giving and serving, that I should always prayerfully seek the authorization of Jesus, and then follow what is written in my heart, by the Holy Spirit and sow to please the Spirit. I believe that when Apostle Paul writes about “sowing” in GALATIONS 6:8, he is referring to serving as he talks about doing in verse 9:
GALATIANS 6:8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit will reap eternal life.(9)Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
I’m sure you probably think I spent all this time writing this commentary just because I oppose tithing. I never said I don’t tithe. I try to do exactly as the Holy Spirit prompts me. My issue is not with tithing. My issue is with the hypocritical double standards of picking and choosing one or two Old Testament Laws to press on Christian as the Pharisees did in ACTS 5. If Christians are going to work on the Sabbath (Saturday), pierce ears, wear tattoos, eat shellfish and treat circumcision as optional, it is okay because Laws regarding those things were canceled by the crucifixion of Jesus. Murder, stealing, idolatry, pride, ego, sexual immorality, failing to love God and, all the other things clearly reestablished as sin in the New Testament after the death of Jesus are not okay.
I do not know anyone more authentically passionate about saving the lost than the Pastor of my Church.. If it is truly the mission of my Church, to carry out The Great Commission, then we need to quit wasting time arguing about disputable matters and what we maybe should not teach. We need to Unite and focus on what we should teach. The harvest is great and the workers are few. What do we think will provide a greater incentive for the lost, to at least hear our teachings and move toward salvation. A confusing disputable teaching that creates suspicion and is all over the place about what we believe, teachings that reputable Christian Theologians can’t even agree on. Or an undisputable teaching that Christians Unite on that is simply what the Bible says. A teaching that leads to a loving relationship with the Father and The Son and the Holy Spirit. A teaching that leads to salvation from eternity in a fiery hell. I know this sounds a little like Seeker Friendly, or New Age(which I do not know much about either). The way I understand it is that one difference would be that we do not just teach about the love and blessings of Jesus, but we also teach the undisputable Biblical truth about sins established after the death of Jesus, regardless of who is turned off by it.
Even though Rick Warren expressed regret for supporting Proposition 8. I think he would have a difficult time disputing that sexual immorality is an undisputable sin.
If Christians devoted to the Great Commission of Jesus can Unite and draw a straight, steady, non confusing line about our beliefs, we may be able to shake the hypocrisy label and attract more to our side and more to salvation. The more we can attract to our side, the larger United Front we can form to create an overwhelming force against immorality and the more workers we will have to complete the monumetal harvest.
This doesn’t mean that I think the Church should discontinue teaching about the Old Testament. I love and am thirsty for such teaching. I hope it goes on frequently. Maybe the Church would be stronger and more United if it avoids pressing selective Old Testament Laws on Christians as such teachings are conveniently disputable, divisive and risk the integrity of the overall teaching. Teachings that are easily disputable by reputable Christian Theologians are likely to risk resentment and disillusionment of many good Christians that we need on our side. Ending the disillusionment could help Christians Unite and stop the revolving door of so many strong Christians out of the Church.
Like I said earlier, I realize that I do not know it all and I might be totally wrong. My interpretation may be a little different than others. Sometimes different interpretations are neither right or wrong, just different. Regardless of future teachings, my Church can count on me to be at peace with the teachings and accept the fact that we will not always see eye to eye. Even the Apostles sometimes had such sharp disagreements that they parted ways. I do not intend to ever part ways. I love my Church and am grateful that we have a great Senior Pastor. I am a very young immature Christian. If teachings of Old Testament Tithing were not easily Biblically disputable, or at least a little uncertain (gray), a young Christian such as myself would have never been able to persuade a mature Christian such as a Church’s Senior Pastor to significantly modify his teaching.
As of early December 2010 I was on the verge of calling this page complete and launching my entire Web Site for viewing by others when I was exposed to a somewhat new teaching about Christmas that I felt called to address here. There are at least a few Christians out there who see the traditional Christmas Celebration that I, my family and millions participate in as a man made, sinful, evil, Pagan tradition. By digging deep between the lines of a few Old Testament Scriptures, some Christian extremists have found some very obscure comparisons between the Pagan use of trees as idol symbols and the common use of Pine trees for Christmas decor. Some also teach that because Pagans used the Winter Solstice as a season to celebrate their Sun God, that it is wrong to use December 25th to celebrate the birth of the Son of God. In my opinion this is either another pick and choose abuse of the Old Testament Scriptures to further a personal cause or a movement started by some opposition to God, knowing that if they could associate Christmas with Pagan symbolism, some Christians would run from it, thus weakening Christianity. It was likely those opposing God who planted seeds of evil. If we choose to sow evil, we may reap evil. If we are going to dig so deep between the lines of Old Testament Scriptures that we are going to worry about ideas so remote, that very few have any knowledge of them, then we need to give more attention to the story about the gold cow. Many are aware of how the celebration around a gold cow angered God. I guess we need avoid eating beef, playing Farmville and anything associated with cows. In my opinion, the background of our heart is more important than the background of a tree. If we are using a tree or anything to celebrate debauchery or we over indulge in modern idols then the enemy wins. All this attempt to teach people about Paganism, may cause young Christians to doubt and likely pleases the enemy. If we forget about Paganism the enemy loses. I agree with the teaching of my Senior Pastor that early Church Fathers likely chose the winter date to celebrate the birth of the Son of Righteousness to combat the Pagan winter festival, thus they successfully stomped out the existence of the Pagan cult of Mithra. By spending hundreds of years of using December 25th to celebrate the birth of Christ, that is all most of us know it as. Halloween has long been a celebration of darkness for many. A few years ago our Church started a new tradition on Halloween of suggesting that we celebrate the Light. Kids still dress up in all kinds of fun, cute non evil costumes and homes such as ours turn on all the outside lights we can. We open the garage door and invite kids and parents going door to door to come in to a pleasant, friendly well lit enviroment to recieve treats or a cup of coffee along with some neighborly fellowship. If this new man made tradition were aloud to flourish, the evil side of Halloween could be defeated just as the evil side of the Winter Solstice celebration was defeated. The new teaching opposing the traditional Christmas fueled at least a few elaborate debates on Facebook. The enemy is likely thrilled when Christians are divided about celebrating the birth of Christ during Christmas. Non Christians likely laugh at us as we bicker over disputable matters. Ask any soldier, a United front is stronger against any enemy, as it is for soldiers of God as we battle against evil. Some use these unique interpretations to teach that Christians should not celebrate Christmas and the birth of Christ as we have for hundreds of years, but should instead celebrate the Feast of Dedication. Also known as Hannakah. Many of those who oppose the traditional observance of Christmas do gladly accept Christmas gifts. I have not been able to locate any commands of God to celebrate Christmas or any other winter holiday. Perhaps such gray areas should be between the individual and the Holy Spirit. As Christians, we are weakened if we build our religion on discreet gray portions of Scripture. I believe that God sent his Son to clearly teach us what he wanted us to know. To relieve us of trying to follow all those difficult to interpret Old Testament Scriptures and to act as Mediator of the New Covenant and provide clear commands of what we are to follow. God calls us to witness by word and service to others. Our religion should center on the commands of Jesus and the salvation of others. What do we think will give God greater pleasure. Christians spending precious time focused on Uniting on what we all know as the Greatest Command of God, recommanded by Jesus, to love and the Great Command of Jesus to evangelize the lost. Or Christians spending precious time to study disputable, gray areas of Old Testament Scriptures to spread knowledge of Pagan symbolism and idolatry.
If you would like to hear one of the best sermons I ever heard about Christmas, I encourage you to check out this link http://www.wrcc.org/explore/sermonarchive/archive.php
Then check out this sermon: December 2 & 5 Book of Esther Part 4 Tim Brock MP3
About the time I was completing my Chapter 2 Theology, our Senior Pastor gave an excellent explanation of several signs and recent news events that indicate that the end of time may be very near and that Jesus may return within our lifetime. It reminded me of how precious time is. Do me a favor. Take a deep breath in. Now let it out real slow. That deep breath we just took was just by the Grace of God. It could have very well been our last. We all know loved ones and acquaintances who are lost. Regardless of when Jesus returns, we never know when our last breath will come, and then it will be too late to save others. That is why I believe it is so important for us to Unite to evangelize as many people as possible as soon as possible.
If you are interested in learning my beliefs about salvation, I invite you to check out my Theology Chapter 1. If you have other questions, please feel free to contact me on Facebook. If I do not have answers to your questions, I have plenty of people I can turn to for assistance.
I wonder how many good people missed salvation while I wrote this page. I wonder how many good people missed salvation while you read this page. I wonder how many more good people we can lead to salvation if we start a movement that Unites good Christians on common Biblically undisputable truths.
Please believe that this page is written in the friendliest tone. I'm not saying that Churches and Ministers do not need and deserve support. They do, and most of them, such as the Ministers at my Church, deserve every penny they are receiving and then some. They truly do so much for so many that I strongly believe the fruits of their labor are worth much more than their pay. Most are very dedicated and only want the best for everyone.
I pasted below a link to a song called “Saving The World” by a Christian group called Clay Crosse. Some of the words speak to me about how I feel about the things I have wrote about in this page. Please take a few minutes and check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmqPb_S8uVc
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this page. If you have questions about the Biblical validity of some of the topics I have discussed on this page, I invite you to check out my Theology Pages on this Web Site. I believe that they provide very substantial Biblical support for everything that I have suggested on this page.
May God Bless you and your familyJ,
Tim