The man answered his doorbell and admitted a visitor who was followed by a large shaggy dog.  As they sat talking, the dog bumped into the coffee table, sending an expensive lamp crashing to the floor.  After chewing on the rug for a while the dog began to roam through the house, his progress marked by the sound of falling objects and breaking glass.  Finally, the dog jumped up on the sofa with muddy paws and curled up for a nap. 

The outraged host could contain himself no longer.  He spoke to his guest in a burst of anger, “Don’t you think you should have trained your dog better before bringing him into my house?”  The visitor was more than a little perplexed.  He exclaimed, “My dog?  I thought he was your dog!”

Many people today blame others for the pain and destruction in their lives.  It’s called the blame game.  While there truly are victims in our society who have been hurt through no fault of their own (like the man in Luke 10 who was helped by the Good Samaritan), how dangerously easy it is to fall into the victimization mindset.  Truthfully speaking, in many cases we are not quite sure just where the big shaggy dog came from or how he got in.

Wasting time looking for someone or something to blame is a dead-end street that produces nothing of value.  There are no constructive qualities or healing virtues in the blame game.  It’s the only game I know of where no one wins; everyone loses. 

In the end, who cares where the shaggy dog came from or how it got in!  Just get rid of the shaggy dog that doesn’t belong in the house and get on with serving Jesus.

Pastor Todd Weston

Consider the nation of Israel.  It’s just a little larger than the state of New Jersey.  The land of Israel is 263 miles north to south, and only 71 miles east to west (just 9.3 miles at its narrowest point).  With a population just under eight-million, Israel is one of the smaller sovereign nations.

The fact that Israel even exists as a nation and that it occupies a portion of its original homeland is nothing short of miraculous.  That is true because of the amazing preservation of the Jewish people who were scattered around the world for centuries.  It’s also true because of the divine protection afforded to this tiny nation surrounded by hostile enemies intent on driving Israel into the sea.

Even today, nations possessed with a diabolical hatred of Israel are busy arming themselves to the teeth in hopes of annihilating the Jewish state.  But their purposes and plans are already doomed to failure.  God has a future plan and purpose for Israel, and God’s plans and purposes trump those of man!  Through the prophet Isaiah the Lord declared, “As I have purposed, so it shall stand” (Isaiah 14:24).  And again we read, “For the LORD of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?” (Isaiah 14:27).

When you think of all the suffering associated with Israel throughout history, you may wonder if God has forgotten her.  To that question the Lord gave this answer, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb?  Surely they may forget.  Yet I will not forget you” (Isaiah 49:15).  A mother will forget her own child before God will ever forget Israel.  God will never forget Israel, and He will never forget you!

So when you hear about Israel in the news, remember the eternal purposes and plans of God that will be fulfilled.  And remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).  God will bless those who bless Israel (Genesis 12:3).

Pastor Todd Weston

Is tithing for today?  Or is tithing an OT principle that no longer applies to NT believers?

Actually, tithing has been around for a long, long time.  It began when Abraham returned from a great victory in battle with the spoils of war.  He met Melchizedek, who was a priest and king of Salem (ancient Jerusalem), and “gave him a tithe of all” (Genesis 14:20).  Note:  this was 430 years before the Law of Moses! 

Later on, Abraham’s grandson Jacob promised to tithe to the Lord (Genesis 28:22).  From the abundant blessings that flowed into this man’s life over the next several years, it’s obvious he wasn’t robbing God but honoring the Lord with the firstfruits of his increase.  Note; this was 270 years before the Law of Moses!

Some claim that the practice of tithing is a principle of the Mosaic Law that no longer applies to Christians today.  But it is clear that the practice of tithing pre-dates the Law of Moses by several hundred years.  If the tithe belonged to the Lord then, it belongs to the Lord now.

In Leviticus 27:30-32 the Law of Moses explained that a tenth (tithe) of all produce was holy to the Lord.  The word “holy” means “set apart for some special and exclusive purpose.”   The tithe cannot be used arbitrarily.  The Bible teaches that the purpose of the tithe is to finance the work of God through the local church (Malachi 3:10).

Those who link the practice of tithing with the Law of Moses claim that we are no longer under the Law, but under grace.  So what about grace?  Speaking of their financial giving, Paul told the Corinthians, “See that you abound in this grace also” (2 Corinthians 8:7).  He went on to say that this would be a test of the sincerity of their love.

Paul is simply saying that the basis of tithing is not law, but love.  We do not give out of a sense of obligation, but out of a sense of appreciation for all that God has done for us.  As for the Law versus grace, should we who are under grace do less than those who were under the Law?  Stop and think about the price paid to establish both covenants –

·         The covenant of Law – established by the blood of sacrificial animals (Ex. 24:8)

·         The covenant of Grace – established by the precious blood of Jesus Christ (Matt. 26:28)

How can we who live under the covenant of grace that was sealed by the blood of Jesus Christ do less than the OT saints who lived under a lesser covenant sealed with inferior blood?  Instead of doing less, Paul told the Corinthians they should abound in the grace of giving!

Tithing didn’t begin with the Law of Moses, and it didn’t end with the Law of Moses.  At no time does the NT announce that the tithe no longer belongs to the Lord.  In the final analysis, tithing is not a matter of money.  It’s a matter of trust.  And believers of all generations must trust the Lord in everything, including their finances.  Tithing is also a tangible expression of the lordship of Jesus Christ over one’s life.  Every time you give the Lord’s tithe you are declaring the lordship of Christ over your life.

Tithing is not an OT principle.  It’s a biblical principle that applies to all believers in all times.

Pastor Todd Weston

2 Kings 10:17 records that during the reign of Solomon he made 300 shields of gold and had them stored in one of the king’s houses in Jerusalem.  Each shield contained three pounds of pure gold.  Those were some expensive shields!

After the death of Solomon, the king of Egypt came against Jerusalem and stole the shields of gold (1 Kings 14:26).  So what did Rehoboam, the son of Solomon and reigning king of Judah, do?  Did he attempt to recapture that which the enemy had stolen?  No.  Instead, he replaced the lost shields of gold with shields of brass (1 Kings 14:27).

Rehoboam is the king who settled for less.  He reasoned:  Why fight for gold when you can settle for brass?  That’s kind of like saying: Why strive for excellence when you can settle for mediocrity?

It’s sad to see people settle for less in any realm of life.  But when we settle for less in our spiritual lives, it’s not just sad, it’s tragic.  For example, consider the following statements from the Bible –

·         “When you pray…” (Matthew 6:5)
·         “If you sin…” (1 John 2:1)

Those combined statements are like a spiritual shield of gold.  They imply that prayer is a constant in the Christian life, and sin is not.  But then the enemy comes along and steals that shield of gold and replaces it with a shield of brass that says –

·         “If you pray…”
·         “When you sin…”

Shield of brass Christianity settles for less.  It assumes that sin is the usual, and prayer the unusual.

There is no biblical record that Rehoboam ever recaptured the lost shields.  But then, there is no record that he even tried.

Don’t be a Rehoboam!  Despise mediocrity.  Refuse to settle for less.  Set your standards high, stake your spiritual claim, and compromise for no one.  It’s the only way to live.

Pastor Todd Weston