The Gospel Light

 

The fact that God worked through consecrated men to sound the Gospel Trumpet just before the turn of the century and bring about a reformation that stirred the religious world all around the globe, can be supported by books, articles and sermons of that era. Today there are still many movements existing that recognize and esteem those roots which were established in that turn of the last century. The words "Trumpet, Reformation, Zion, Remnant, Come out of Babylon, The Saints, The Truth, Living by Faith, Trusting God, Highway of Holiness, Unity and The Evening Light," were then and are predominantly used in these movements today. Representations of these movements are found in many parts of the world but in comparison to the denominational churches at large they are not great in number. Now when Jesus came 2,000 years ago he was surrounded by religious people and met and confounded them even as a child in the temple. They were very devoted to their roots in the Law of God and "were legally right" as far as religion goes. But Jesus looked upon the Pharisees as an enemy of truth. So there were many battles of words and Jesus got the best of them many times but then it was God's plan that the religious leaders should win once.

When the time was close Christ was in the garden of Gethsemane with some of His disciples. As He prayed "If it be possible Father let this cup pass from me," He sweated great drops of blood. His closest followers were so comfortable that they went to sleep and no doubt they had gotten accustomed to the way Jesus had solved all that they had encountered now for more than three years. He had calmed the raging sea, the demons were driven out, a dear friend was dead for four days but came out alive, the multitudes were fed and etc. Shortly before the scene in the garden Jesus was received of many as He rode triumphantly into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey. Why could they not sleep a little as Jesus talked with His Father because everything always turned out all right. It was probably not the first time that they had slept a little while Jesus prayed through the night in the mountains. Then when Jesus was betrayed by Judas and led away from the garden, the apostles also appeared as losers along with Jesus. Then was Jesus accused, tried and crucified. But through His humiliation Jesus was exalted to a position that has no equal. His Kingdom was established and confirmed by the Holy Spirit in the hearts and lives of His apostles who were renewed and quickened by the Holy Spirit upon and after the day of Pentecost. Now the gospel spread through the Roman empire, which was a large portion of the known world at that time, and the pagan nations turned to Christianity. So some time after 200 years the church, flourishing and growing, began to lose her glory and to fade away as it went into apostasy and the truth was obscured by the powers from Rome. I am just wondering about the phrase: "For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. ..." (I Peter 1:24-25) The seed falls to the ground and in dying, new life comes forth in the form of a plant, then the flower, which in time fades and gives seed that will fall to the ground to continue the same process again and again. Now I am still wondering but, why do I wonder? Is it, that I am trying to find in my self some comfort in traditions and being right? I am thankful and pray to God and trust in His grace for my salvation. Maybe I pray and ask more often than I really wait and listen to what God would like to tell me. Would it be good if I remembered the old rail crossing sign that said: STOP LOOK LISTEN? God communicates with His creation and it may be that His people listened more back in the days of the Old Steam Locomotive. Now as we are in the day of the Super Information Highway, what are we listening to? May the Lord help me.

A Pharisee was just a religious person within the Jewish religion. They made the word "Pharisee" synonymous with hypocrite by their actions. Later the word "Christian" became to be synonymous with tyrant as those of the true light in Christ holed up in the rocks and caves as the "Christian Church" was transformed into the tyrant arm of Rome. In like manner, aren't we also made ashamed, by what goes on in the name of Christianity today? Has not the word "Christian" became more related to man's work than God's doings. Is building 15 and 20 million dollar buildings God's plan or man's, when there are so many starving for bread and for the word of God in our world today?

How do we feel about the name "The Church of God", as there are so many different factions using that name, each teaching holiness and the unity of believers? Does the world see the body of Christ as Holy, united in love, reaching out to comfort and save a lost and confused world? Our Lord is coming soon, we don't have time to be connected to something that Christ is not the head of. We must melt together in the love and be humble followers of Jesus partaking of that cup so as to be glorified with Him. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (II Chronicles 7:14). God said that. Are we listening?

Again it has been revealed to me that we can and should listen to what God above is saying now to us and that we should not put our trust in our traditional roots. After the loss of the flower there comes a death of the seed in the ground, then after a while in God's own timing the flower comes out of the ground and brightens to a new glory but according the same pattern. Only in Jesus Christ can we be continually renewed by way of crucifixions and resurrections as a continual renewing process for the Glory of God who gave us the original pattern, Jesus Christ. Remember,"as it is with the flower of the grass." "Porque el ocuparse de la carne es muerte, pero el ocuparse del Espírtu es vida y paz." Roman 8:6. "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Roman 8:6.
 

Belonging, what a word-to belong. It seems that everyone wants to belong somewhere or to someone. God gave us the need to belong. But Satan has used this to man's detriment. We see people running to and fro seeking some kind of belonging. Children give in to peer pressure to be accepted. Some join gangs, others get involved with sexual activities to gain that belonging or acceptance. Others get involved with cults or the occult to feel like they belong to something. We probably all know people who have joined societies and make oaths that defy God and His word. This is why the Masons and other secret societies are so popular, for they make people feel like they belong. People don't seem to care that such societies are condemned in the word of God. The feeling of acceptance is all they care about.

The truth is that none of these fill that need of belonging for long. For they are cheap imitations of what man really needs. For what we need is to belong to God and His people. This is as natural as breathing. This is also why most people you speak to belong to one "church" or another. But is this enough? Does joining a "church" make you accepted by God? Does this unite you to God's people? How do you join God's Church? Will God accept you due to your church membership?

Why wouldn't we be accepted by God? (Isa 59:2) "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." We see here that sin divides us and God. This is why we don't have fellowship with God and have the need to be reunited to God. But does "church" membership do this? The answer of course is no. We cannot remove sin by joining a secular church. There is nothing in the process that changes one spiritually nor does it change our lives. It takes something deeper to atone for our disobedience. Though God is loving and forgiving He is still just and there had to be a price paid for sin. To expect "church" membership to save you is like expecting to get to heaven because you went out and joined some social club. There is very little difference. So there has to be more, as any logical mind can see. So how then do we have our sins removed. (1 John 1:5-7) "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." So Jesus payed the price for our sins and He alone can wash away our sins and give us fellowship with God. This is done through confession, not to man, but unto God. (1 John 1:9) "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." This also involves the process of repentance. (Mat 4:17) "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." To repent is to turn from the way that you were going and to go in the opposite direction. This includes the sorrow felt for the way that we were doing things. There must be a change in direction. We cannot keep living the way that we always have and be accepted by God. For every sin would put a separation between us and God. (Rom 6:1-2) "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Rom 6:14-16) "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" We can not remain doing these sinful actions or we become their slave. And one cannot be both a child of God and a child of Satan. (1 John 3:4-10) "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother." This removal of sin is what is called being saved, for we are saved from sin. Now the Word tells us that this is what makes us a member of God's church. (Acts 2:47) "Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."

It doesn't require any other person but oneself and God to become a member of God's church, and no human could possibly keep track of all who are saved. Man can be deceived and will assume that some are saved when they are not. God doesn't make this kind of mistake. For He knows for certain who is and who is not His. So why then is there secular "church" membership? Well "church" membership was started by the Roman Catholic Church in order to better control the people. This enabled them to put restrictions on the populous and persecution of those who did not join the Roman Church. Through this process they were able to push the true church in hiding, and restrict the knowledge of the word of God to just what the Roman Church wanted people to receive. Thus ushering in the dark ages. After the rise of Protestantism they continued the process of membership. The Protestant Church used and still uses "church" membership in much the same way that the Roman Catholic Church had done before. Though in our time the persecution is more subtle then in the past. But man control of the church is still the foremost reason, for it prevents nonmembers from participating in the ordinances or to teach classes in the congregation. Thus preventing unwanted Biblical teaching Within their congregations. This also sets up partisan loyalties within a group. Some would ask what is wrong with this for we need to have control of the church. But, is this truly the case? The Word tells us that Christ is to be the head of the Church. (Eph 1:22) "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church," (Eph 5:23-24) "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing." The Holy Spirit is the church's administrator. (1 Cor 12:8-11) "For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." (Acts 20:28) "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." Whenever man tries to take things into his hands he removes them from God's hands, and false teachings and man-made traditions will come in. We are not to control the church but allow God to control the church.

Secular church membership also places divisions in the body of Christ, the church. Placing contention and making Christians compete in the name of some partisan group. (Rom 16:17) "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them." But church membership causes this kind of division. It set up the same kind of partisan divisions condemned in 1 Cor. 1. And Paul stated that this was so destructive that it threatened to bring the cross of Christ to no effect (see 1 Cor 1:17). What a dangerous place to stand. For without the cross we would have nothing to save us from Hell.

When you join a "church" you are being bond together with everyone else who is part of that membership. Much as the memberships of a secret society are bound to one another by oaths. But man cannot determine who is saved and not, so "church" rolls are full of sinners. Many of whom are living openly sinful lives. What does this do for the witness of those that belong? It destroys the witness of the members of that church, put a black mark on the whole church and give the impression that you can live any way you want to as long as you belong to a church. This of course is untrue. How we live is important. by having members that are living sinful lives we are saying it's okay to be sinful; not the message any true Christian wants to give. It is just what the Devil wants. This is just a few reasons why such bonding is condemned.(2 Cor 6:14-17) "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you," What then should we do if we have become a member of a secular church here on earth? Well, the scripture is clear, come out from among them and be separate. But how can this be? You do not need to belong to an earthly church to belong to God or His people. God wants us to be united under Him in His Church not under a man-made organization. Yes, you can still be a church without church membership. We in the church of God reformation movement have been doing it sense the 1880's so you can as well. Turn from man-made doctrines, turn to God and stand on His word for it is the truth. If you are not part of His church now is the time to make your life right with God. You could belong to every church of earth but if you do not know God you are still doomed for all eternity. Now is the Day of Salvation, Now is the Time to Repent.
 

(Mal 3:8-10) "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. {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."

A subject that even many of the most devout Christians does not like to hear much teaching and preaching on. This is one of the most touchy subjects in Christendom. When the subject of money comes up in the church there are a myriad of ideas and beliefs that have been developed or ascribed to so that the individual can believe the way he wants to believe. Just because one has a belief that soothes his conscience does not mean that it is an accurate belief. We need to go into the word of God so as to know what God has to say about the subject. Most of the beliefs do not align themselves with the teachings of the Bible.

Malachi made a statement in Mal. 3:8-10 that we need to take into consideration so that we can understand what tithing truly is. As we consider this subject, I would like for you to set aside any of your preconceived ideas that you may have. In allowing yourself to have an open mind it will allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart and guide you into the truth that He has for those who want to truly serve God in all truth. But, if you do not set aside those preconceived ideas you will not come to understand the truths on tithing.

First, I would like for you to consider the fact that the tithe is God's and that if you fail to give your tithe to God then you are robbing Him. Malachi says in his opening statement "will a man rob God?" It is not possible to rob someone of something that is not already theirs. Yet people rob God of their tithes and offerings. At this point many will say, just how much is a tithe? The word of God tells us what it is in the laying out of what the tithe is. When Abraham met Melchizedek as he was coming back from rescuing his nephew, Lot, he gave to the priest of God a tithe of everything he had gotten in the spoils of the war. Thus, instituting the tithe as a norm for the giving unto God.

(Heb 7:1-2a) " For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all."

This, then being established, when Jacob was at Bethel he recognized God was there in his presence and he said he would give a tenth of all that God gave to him.

(Gen 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."

Leviticus 27:32 spells out the exact amount of the tithe as it was given in the law. God did not leave it to chance on what is required as the tithe.

(Lev 27:32) "And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord."

When the law was handed down God even specified what it is that would be the tithe of those who served in the position of priest. They two were expected to give a tenth or a tithe of that which was brought to them for the purpose of keeping the priest.

(Num 18:26 KJV) " Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the Lord, even a tenth part of the tithe."

Therefore, the tithe is established as being one tenth of all you have and receive. For we know that all things belong to God and what we have is a gift of Him. So, we are to return to Him a tenth or a tithe so that His work may be carried on. Mal. 3:10 "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house"

There will be some that will say that this was in the Old Testament law and we are no longer under the law but now under grace. We are in the New Testament Church. This is true, but those things that were under the law and that were carried over into the new dispensation are given to us as well in the New Testament. We will give you the instructions that are given to the new dispensation. Jesus, Himself, told the scribes and Pharisees that they tithed of their mint, anise and cummin, but they were leaving off more important things. He was saying you should pay your tithe, but don't forget the mercy and faith as well. In telling them this, He also was sanctioning the giving of the tithes to the work of God.

(Mat 23:23) "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone."

Also, the writer of the Hebrews letter acknowledges the tenth or tithe as being a requirement brought forward from the Old Testament to the New in the statement about the priest Melchisedec.

(Heb 7:5) "And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:"

Jesus being our high priest after the order of Melchisedec is given that He made the sacrifice for man and is worthy of the receiving of the tithes and offerings.

There is a necessity for God to receive the tithes and offerings of all Christians as they are the ones that makes sure the bread of life is dispersed. Shall a man rob God? We need to make sure that those things that are needful for the work of God will continue. I would like to make special note of the statement of Malachi that we are to bring our tithes and offerings into the storehouse of God. The tithe already belongs to God, it is an obligation to give what is God's back to God. The offering is over and above that of the tenth we pay for our tithes. Until you have paid over and above the tenth you are not giving any offering out of the love in your heart for God. We are to give to God because we love him and we love our fellow man. The tithes and offerings are used to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world. This is done out of the love of the children of God. The word of God says God loves a cheerful giver.

(2 Cor 9:7) "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."

When we are obedient to the word of God and give to the work of God then He gives to us a promise that we can stand upon. He says that He will open up the windows of heaven and pour out blessings, that we will not even have room enough to receive the blessings. This is not to say that He is going to give us money in return, as some teach, but there are many other types of blessings that God sheds upon our lives that are far greater than those of monetary value. Over the years, I have found that as I am obedient to the commandment of God, to bring our tithes and offerings into the storehouse of God that I have received blessings untold. Also, as I am giving to Him through the love I have for Him then I have also never had to worry about the needs of the family being met. The more I give, the more God gives to me. Over the many years that I have been giving to God I have found that I cannot out give God. When a person considers his needs and his bills then he also needs to figure in with them the amount of his tithe. In doing so you need to figure your tithe on the gross amount of your income and not on the net. Just as Abraham gave of all.

(Gen 14:20) "And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all."

Note: if you are not figuring your tenth on your complete income then you are not paying your complete tithe and are robbing God. May God bless you as you experience the blessings of God upon your life in paying your tithe to Him.

         The Gospel Light is published to spread the true light of God's word to all men.  We are dedicated to the truths of the word of God.  Such as salvation, holiness, sanctification, the unity of all believers, etc...It is also online at http://geocities.datacellar.net/Heartland/estates/6801.  We are not responsible to return any articles submitted to The Gospel Light.  We reserve the right to hold the articles for future printing, and possible reprinting.  All articles submitted should be submitted to the First Church of God, 818 4th St. Fairbury, Ne 68352.  I hope that the Gospel Light paper is a blessing to you, and may God bless those who read this paper.