A broken national trade agreement started a war. Sound familiar?

The King of Moab broke an agreement with Jehoram, King of Israel. His agreement had been with Jehoram’s predecessor, Ahab, but stopped the trade agreement when Ahab died.

Jehoram, wanting to retaliate, formed an alliance with Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom to go after the Moabites.

The Three Kings:

• Jehoshaphat, King of Judah – fears God
• Jehoram, King of Israel – idolatry, following Ahab’s legacy
• King of Edom – along for the conquest

2 Kings 3:9-10
So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and they marched on that roundabout route seven days; and there was no water for the army, nor for the animals that followed them. [in the wilderness of Edom]
 
And the king of Israel said, “Alas! For the Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”
 
Do you see that? The natural circumstances were catastrophic. And the king of Israel, the idolater, has assumed because of circumstances that God had sent them into battle against Moab to be defeated.

First of all, he was under the assumption that God had sent them--but they had not consulted God.

Secondly, now that they are in a full MESS because of presumption, they blame God.

Idolatry in the heart will cause us to not represent God correctly.
 
Jehoshaphat (king of Judah), knowing they were in a disastrous situation, spoke up and said (basically), “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of the Lord by him?”

I wonder if he was questioning his quick alliance with Jehoram. His initial answer had been, “…our people are your people and our horses, your horses!” It was before that point, he should have inquired of the Lord!

But isn’t God good? When we find ourselves in a situation that is a result of our presumption, He is still available for us to ask for counsel. And He is still willing to step in and turn things around.

2 Kings 3:11
So one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.”

They go to where Elisha was and I absolutely love what Elisha said to the king of Israel when he saw him:

v.13 Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.”

The king of Israel (idolator) has the nerve to still presume to know what the Lord is doing, and states such to Elisha. And Elisha doesn’t miss the opportunity to rebuke the son of Jezebel and Ahab.

v.14 And Elisha said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you, nor see you.”

Though Jehoram was king of Israel, Elisha would have paid him no regard if not for Jehosaphat who was with him!

And even though Jehoshaphat was in a mess from his own hasty alliance, the prophet had regard for him.

…and look at Elisha’s request:

v.15 “But now bring me a musician.”

There isn’t another written account where Elijah or Elisha requested a musician before prophesying.

Why did Elisha request one at this point?

He needed the atmosphere purified before he could effectively receive and deliver the Word of the Lord.

Yes, it is important with whom you are in alliance.

And yet if you are not allied well, the Lord has a remedy for you.

Move out of assumption and into Worship.

Shift into the Glory to hear what He has to say.

"The Pharisees and the leading priests had given Judas a large detachment of Roman soldiers and temple police to seize Jesus."  John 18:3 (TPT)

I'm sure I've read this many, many times--but, TEMPLE POLICE?

The temple guards/police/officers were in charge of accountability of the treasury, offerings, inventory of stored offerings and things that belonged to the Temple.

1 Chronicles 9:26
"There were four faithful Levite guards who led the work. They kept safe the rooms in God's house where they stored valuable things and money.  They stayed at their places around God's house during each night. It was their work to keep it safe. Each morning they would use their key to open the gates."

The watchmen never knew what hour the Captain would come to check on them. Any guard (Levite watchman)  found asleep when on duty was beaten, or his priestly garments were set on fire as punishment. With this background, we can now understand the following verse.

"Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame." Revelation 16:15

The guard/watchman that was found sleeping was left naked as his garments were burnt.

Can we go back to the gospel of John now and look at the arrest of Jesus? He was a True Watchman. He had been in prayer most of the night. He had charged the disciples to WATCH and PRAY. He needed watchmen. "Stay here and keep watch with me." Mark 14:34b (TPT)

Instead, Jesus found them asleep three times.

The soldiers and temple police came and arrested The Watchman (Jesus) who was actually active on duty and the sleeping watchman were not punished.

During the trial of Jesus, the Pharisees said they had no authority to kill a man. (John 18:31) They needed the Romans to do that. But they DID have authority to beat and take clothes. It was the high priest's guard who threw the first punch and hit Jesus in the face with his fist. His clothes were next.

Jesus, our High Priest and Intercessor--among all the other redemptive things He accomplished--as an innocent, took the punishment for sleeping watchmen.

Watchmen were to sound the alarm at any approaching enemy.

Jesus, faithful at watch, woke up the disciples and sounded the alarm. "That's enough sleep! The end has come and the hour has arrived for the Son of Man to be handed over to the authority of sinful men. Get up and let's go. Don't you see? My betrayer draws near." Mark 14:41-42

Jesus is quickening us now to wake up. Get back on the wall. Watch and pray.

He has paid the price to forgive us when we have been lazy, sleeping watchmen. He took our place in every way.

At the time of his arrest, he said, "I'm the one you want. Take me and let them go." John 18:8

We are free and forgiven. 
Called and commissioned.

We must take our place.

(A helpful resource: https://ephraimintheland.wordpress.com/2018/12/09/captain-of-the-temple/)

Don’t Curse Your Season

I don’t like the winter. I love the summer. I love hot weather. In the summer season, everything is green, and flowers are blooming. Winter is cold, inclement weather with no green grass and naked trees and on top of it all, everything looks dead.

If it was my choice, I would like to have summer all year around. But I know that would bring an imbalance to nature and the growth of creation. Believe or not, as much as I like summer, I know we need the winter season as well.

What could be positive about having a season called winter? The Bible says there is a season for everything. (Eccl 3:1) And while the earth remains there will be cold and heat, summer and winter and day and night shall not cease. (Gen 8:22). This means winter is not going away. It will remain along with all the other seasons.  Seasons are important for life.

What is true in the natural is true in the spirit as well. Just like natural seasons exists, there are also spiritual seasons. Every season have its own characteristics, activities appropriate to each season, as well as activities that are inappropriate and its purpose.

In Psalm 88, David describes his winter season to us. Winter is when our  knowledge about God and our experience of God are separated and does not line up; our theology and our reality are irreconcilable. From the very start of the psalm, David affirms the most beautiful, exquisite, enduring theological truths about God: "Oh Lord, the God who saves me." Verses 10-12 have a steady drumbeat of God's attributes: his wonders, love, faithfulness, righteousness. There's nothing shaky or vague or half-baked in the David’s doctrine of God.

However, his experience and his doctrine bear little resemblance to one another. What he tastes and sees of God, mocks what he confesses and proclaims about God. His reality taunts his creed. He experiences not God's wonders and love and faithfulness, but God's rejection and anger and indifference. At every turn he's met with more bad news—sorrow upon sorrow, trouble upon trouble, loss upon loss. Darkness eclipses light. Sadness consumes joy. Despair overtakes hope. He experiences a God who simultaneously abandons him and punishes him, a God of apathy and of wrath, a God who hides himself and only shows up to express his anger.

Wintertime is when we pray according to what we know, not according to what we see. This season grows almost nothing, but what it does grow is, it grows our faith.

Winter is for the ultimate cultivation of biblical faith. It is the season in which we nurture a certainty of things hoped for, an assurance of things unseen. We walk by faith and not by sight until we see change.

As delightful and fertile as summertime is, it is almost useless for growing faith. Think about this: when you want someone to pray for you, you instinctively seek those who have endured many long, hard, dark winters—those whose faith in the character of God is not subject to whim or mood.

The discipline of winter is waiting. We pray, call out, cry out, and spread our hands and it seems like God doesn't show up or hear us for that matter. Waiting is the gift we learn, and patience is having her perfect work in us. But as Isaiah tells us, "Those who wait on the Lord, they will renew their strength."

In 2 Corinthians 1:8-9:  Paul writes, "We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death."

But look how Paul continues in verses 9-10: "But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us."

Paul goes on in 2 Corinthians 4 to disclose the full value of his winter season. Here is finally the great gift that the season called winter alone is able to give us: it makes us heavenly minded. It helps break our addiction to the ways of this world and nurtures in us an anticipation of things unseen, setting our minds on things above.

When you go through winter, DON’T CURSE YOUR SEASON, but be still and know He is God. Wait on the Lord, He is our help, salvation and redemption. Like I said, set your mind on things above, ponder on them and trust God. Seasons may come and go, seasons may change but one thing is very certain, God do not change, nor will He leave me or forsake you no matter your season.

Winter will pass and summer will come again.

Pastor De Wet

In Luke 10, Jesus teaches by telling the parable that we call "The Good Samaritan".

He says a man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho and was attacked, beaten, robbed, and left half-dead.

The Spirit of the Lord stopped me on that part and said, "Consider his journey."

The man was not on a back road that was obscure, off-track, or an uncommon path. This was a main road that the Levites and Priests traveled on--we know this because these men passed him by and did not help him. There is also an inn nearby, so this was a popular route.

Jerusalem means City of Peace and Jericho means Fragrant Aroma. So the spiritual parallel is that the man could be you or me--moving through our progress in God. We are going from the city of peace to fragrant aroma.

So, you are going the right way, headed to the right place. And here we have an attack. An attack that is meant to take you OUT.

The parable does not say what the name of the road is but I believe we could call it LIFE.

The man wasn't even able to call out for help. When you are half-dead, you are just hoping you will be found. Have you been there?

Those you thought would help, didn't.

But here comes Jesus. He bandages your wounds.

Cleanses you.

Does not judge you.

Pours in OIL and WINE.

Takes you to a place of rest (inn).

PAYS for all of your care. STAYS with you through the roughest night.

Makes provision for any ongoing care you need.

Promises to return.

If we find that we have been struck down even while progressing on our journey, we must not become embittered and refuse the healing care of the Master thru whomever He sends.

He sees you and has full provision for your restoration.

You'll come through this trouble and continue on your way to Fragrant Aroma.

Stay in the Tent: Endurance in Prayer

July 31, 2022

This morning in worship, I could sense the Lord saying, “Stay in the tent.” He reminded me of how Moses and Joshua would spend time with the Lord in the Tent of Meeting. Moses would go back to the encampment of the people, but Joshua would stay behind in the Tent.

Exodus 33:7,11
Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not leave the tent.

We talk about increasing our capacity to pray longer, praise with endurance, learn to discipline our focus and run after the Presence. The Lord was showing me today that while increased capacity is challenged in corporate meetings it is truly developed in the Secret Place.

In your time in worship and prayer each day, do you ‘switch off’ at a certain point? Do you know how to press past that 'timer' that has developed in your soul? How do you press and stay in the place of Presence?

The Lord has given me a strategy for expanding my tent pegs in the tent of meeting (Secret Place). If he has given you a strategy, I'd love to hear about it in the comments at the end of this blog!

I have a little piano keyboard that I play on and I sing the scriptures—making up songs to God. (Right now, I am singing through the Gospel of Mark.) This has brought incredible expansion in my spirit. I find that He takes me INTO the part of scripture I am singing and prophetically teaches me more and more from that scripture. Singing the scripture as I read it slows me down and I hear much more than if I were just reading it through.

You may say, “I don’t know how to play the piano!” Well, I don’t either! I’ve never had a lesson—but I plink through some tune somehow and sing! This is what is happening with me. Your plan may be completely different—but we all need a plan.

I’ve read that some people begin to read the scripture out loud to change things up and to press in a different way. There can be a noticeable increase in faith as you actually HEAR the Word--plus, as you hear yourself read the Word, you will condition your obedience for speaking up in meetings when the Spirit prompts.  

We are Each a Tent of Meeting. 

Will you be set apart from the crowd and be known by his Presence? After others might leave, will you stay?

Will you position yourself as consecrated and remain in the tent? He is near to expand your endurance, capacity and effectiveness.  Ask him how you can practically expand your time with him. How can you press past the tendency to switch off and move on to doing something else?

He wants to bring increase to your Tent of Meeting.
Ask for the grace of increased devotion.

Marcie Elliott-Smith
 
Exodus 33:7-11
Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp. And it came about, whenever Moses went out to the tent, that all the people would arise and stand, each at the entrance of his tent, and gaze after Moses until he entered the tent. Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the LORD would speak with Moses. When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would stand and worship, each at the entrance of his tent. So, the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not leave the tent.

To Tithe or Not to Tithe?
by Ps De Wet Steyn

Warning! A bit longer than normal but I believe it is worth the read.

Over the last couple days, social platforms were flooded with conversations, comments, teachings, debates and controversies about the topic of tithing. All of this happened after Pastor Creflo Dollar shared in his church that tithing is not New Testament.

He repented for teaching wrong about tithing. While I think it was courageous of him to humble himself before his church and an international audience, even in our repentance on doctrinal issues we must continue to accurately divide the Word.

Let us take a look on what God has to say about the way we spend our money. As we begin, I would like to suggest two reasons why this is an important subject.

1. It is important to talk about because there is so much confusion over this issue.

You listen to one Bible teacher, and he says one thing. You listen to another Bible teacher, and he says something else. You go to one church and the pastor says one thing. You go to another church and the pastor says something else. It’s the same way with the commentators. One commentator says one thing and another commentator says something else. In fact, all the way along the spectrum there is confusion. We find people who would say that the tithe is binding upon Christians today and that all Christians without exception are to tithe all the time. On the other extreme there are those people who say that tithing belongs under the law and has no relevance whatsoever for Christians today. And you will find people all along the spectrum in between those two positions. So, it’s important for us to know about this because there’s so much confusion.

2.  It is also important because of the doctrinal issues involved.

The real question is this: since we know that tithing is an Old Testament teaching, what relevance does it have to New Testament Christians? Since we know it comes from the Old Testament, how do we apply tithing in the New Testament era? Or to put it another way, since tithing was given to the nation Israel, what relevance does it have to those of us who are not Jews?

Obviously, there is an even bigger question lurking behind these smaller ones. Tithing belongs to the age of law, and this is the age of grace. How do you relate those two concepts? Is there a place for tithing in the age of grace? That’s the key question I want to ask and answer in this blog.

This issue is so important that you do not have to take my word for it just because I am your pastor. You don’t have to believe it just because I write it down in my blog. You have the freedom to come to your own conclusion. After all, it’s your money I’m talking about. If tithing is a biblical concept Christians should follow, then you need to be able to see it for yourself and not just believe it because your pastor tells you to believe it or not to believe it.

3. Definition - A Tithe = One-Tenth

Let’s begin with a definition of tithing. It will help you to know that the word tithe is a Hebrew word. The word tithe comes from the Hebrew word which means one-tenth. Literally, a tithe is one-tenth of anything. In the Old Testament a tithe was more than just giving one-tenth of your money to God. If you had ten cows, you gave one out of the ten to God. That one cow that you gave was your tithe. If you had ten pounds of grain, the one pound that you gave to God was your tithe before God. So, the definition of a tithe is that it is one-tenth of anything. That’s what the word itself means. To tithe your income is to give one-tenth of your income to God.

With that definition, let’s go to the Old Testament. Let’s survey the Old Testament teaching on tithing. There are dozens of places in the Old Testament where tithing is mentioned. I am going to bring to your attention the four that I consider the most important.

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was a priest of God Most High, and He blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High who delivered your enemies into your hand.” – Gen 14:18

If you know biblical theology, you know that Melchizedek appears in the Old Testament in two places—Genesis 14 and Psalm 110. He also shows up again in the Epistle to the Hebrews. It is clear in the Epistle to the Hebrews that Melchizedek in the Old Testament is a type or pattern of Jesus Christ in the New Testament.

Now who was Melchizedek? We don’t know for sure. He just shows up on the stage of history and interrupts Abraham as he is coming back from war. He introduces himself as a priest of God Most High, he blesses Abraham and then he blesses God. It’s most instructive to note Abraham’s response at this point. Then Abram gave him a tenth (or a tithe - it’s the same word) "of everything.” That meant a tenth of the slaves, a tenth of the soldiers, a tenth of the food stuffs, a tenth of the garments, a tenth of the gold, a tenth of the silver, and a tenth of everything else he had taken from the enemy in his great victory.

Why did Abraham do that? Well, he did it as an act of submission to the God whom Melchizedek represented. Who told Abraham to do that? We don’t know the answer to that question because this is the first time tithing shows up in the Bible. This is not a commanded act. This is a voluntary act of tithing in which Abraham gives a tenth of his plunder to Melchizedek because he understands that Melchizedek represents God, and it was God who gave him the victory.

In essence, Abraham was saying, “By giving you this I am admitting that I did not win the victory by myself. Victory comes from the Lord alone.” By giving a tithe of the spoils to Melchizedek, Abraham recognized the truth of verse 20, “Blessed be the God Most High who delivered your enemies into you hand.” In my mind it is significant that the first time we see tithing it is not tied up with the Mosaic Law (law given to Moses). The first time we see it, it is a voluntary action.

It is a sign of personal submission to God in gratitude for all his blessings.

4. Genesis 14 was four hundred years before the law.

Now, if we skip 400 years and we’re into the Mosaic Law and here is what the book of Leviticus 27:30-34 says:
“A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord. It is holy to the Lord. If a man redeems any of his tithe, he must add a fifth of the value to it. The entire tithe of the herd and the flock – every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod—will be holy to the Lord. He must not pick out the good from the bad or make any substitution. If he does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute become holy and cannot be redeemed. These are the commands the Lord gave to Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites.”

Note two things about this passage of scripture.:

• First, this is very clearly a part of the Old Testament Law. What happened in Genesis 14 happened before the Law, but Leviticus 27 is the Law. This is a commandment given by God to the nation of Israel as part of Mosaic Law.
• Second, the tithe in the Old Testament was to encompass all a man’s material possessions. It didn’t include just his money. It included his livestock, his cows, his sheep, his wine, his oil, his grain, and his fruit. A tithe was to be given back to God from everything. It also says that the Jews were to give one out of every ten cattle. It says there are to be no substitutes. They were not to give God the skinny cows and keep the best for themselves.

The way they did it in those days was to hold out the shepherd’s rod and count as the cattle came through one by one. One…two…three…four…five…six…seven…eight…nine…ten. The tenth one belongs to God. Then they would count out ten more cattle and the tenth one went to God. If number 10 happened to be skinny, fine. But if number ten happened to be the best bull in the lot, then God got the best bull in the lot. You couldn’t substitute. The key point is that God is very clear about what he wants. The Jews were to give him a tenth of everything.

Now look a few years down the road. Forty years have passed and the children of Israel stand on the banks of the Jordan River. Moses is about to die. Before he dies, he gives one final message to the people of God.

This is what he says in Deuteronomy 14:22-23:
“Be sure you set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always.”

That last phrase reveals the purpose of the Old Testament tithe – “that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always.” The Living Bible puts it this way “So that you may learn always to put God first in your life.” Note that very carefully. That’s the purpose of a tithe. It was not a legalistic regulation. God had a special purpose in asking for the tenth. It was to teach his people to put him first.

You put God first in your giving so that he will be first in every area of life. Many Christians have never learned this basic simple secret of giving. They don’t put God first in their giving. When they get their paycheck, they pay everything else first. They pay all their bills and credit cards, buy food, clothes and, finally, if there’s anything left, they give some to God.

Many Christians have never learned that God not only watches what you give; he watches when you give it. Not only does the amount of your giving tell something about your priorities; the order in which you do your giving also tells something about your priorities. The purpose of tithing is to teach God’s people to put Him first in everything.

Now we move to the very end of the Old Testament. We’re a thousand years down the road now. We started back in Genesis and then went to Leviticus and Deuteronomy and now we’ve jumped across 1000 years of Jewish history.

Listen as God speaks to his disobedient people in Malachi 3:8-12:
“Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, “How do we rob you?” In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have enough room for it. I will prevent pest from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit, says the Lord Almighty. Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land, says the Lord Almighty.”

There are three things to notice in this passage. First, there is a warning to the people of God. You are robbing God. “I told you to give me a tithe and you are robbing me and because you are consuming it all upon yourselves, you are being cursed.” Think of that. God is saying to his own people, “I have cursed you because you have not put me first.”

Secondly, there is a challenge issued to the doubters. God says, “Put me to the test. If you don’t believe me, just put Me to the test. Try me out. Dare to obey what I am saying and see if I won’t open up the floodgates of heaven and bless you.

Thirdly, there is purpose revealed for giving the tithe. “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house.” That’s a secondary purpose of the tithe in the Old Testament, that God’s house might be fully supplied.

Let me sum up from these four passages with what I see as the three great purposes of the tithe in the Old Testament. First, in relation to God the tithe was meant to glorify God and recognize him as the Lord Almighty and as the source of all human blessing. Secondly, in relation to God’s people the purpose of the tithe is to teach us to put God first in our lives. Thirdly, in relation to the nation of Israel, the purpose of the tithe is to ensure that God’s work may be fully supplied.

That’s the Old Testament. But the real question comes when we move from the Old Testament into the New Testament because we know that the tithe was an Old Testament teaching. What does the New Testament teaching concerning Christian giving?

I Corinthians 16:1-2 contains the most concise teaching on this subject:
“Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the churches of Galatia to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should lay aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.”

This is very clear New Testament teaching. First, giving is to be regular, on the “first day of every week”. Secondly, giving is to be personal “each one of you”. Thirdly, giving is to be proportional “set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income.” Christian giving is to be regular, personal and proportional.

What is proportional giving? It means the more that God blesses you, the more you are to give. That’s New Testament grace giving. The more you’re blessed, the more you give. If you have little blessing, financially or materially, then you are only able to give a small proportion. But the more you are blessed, the bigger the portion you’re able to give.

5. Grace always exceeds the law.

Which standard is higher? A flat ten percent in the Old Testament or proportional giving in the New Testament? Proportional giving is higher because if you are greatly blessed, you will soon be giving far beyond ten percent. As a matter of fact, if you are in six or seven figures, the tithe is just like pocket change. As someone once said, “for some rich Christians in America, tithing is an excuse not to give generously.”

The standard of giving is higher in the New Testament because grace always goes beyond the law. But that still doesn’t answer the theological question, does it? It still doesn’t tell us whether there is a place for tithing in the age of grace.

If grace giving exceeds tithing, does that mean tithing is irrelevant for the Christian? I think the answer to that question is no.

From his book, A Biblical Theology on material possessions, Dr. Gene Getz has to say about tithing:
“God’s plan for Israel in the Old Testament serves as a foundational model regarding the way Christians should view and use their material possessions today. To be “God-fearing Jews” simply meant that these people were committed to doing everything they could to keep the Old Testament Laws. We can certainly assume that most of them, before they became Christians, practiced the Old Testament regulations regarding tithing.

When these Jews became Christians, they would have naturally transferred their economic loyalty from Judaism to Christianity. It is no wonder that we see such generous people among these Christians in Jerusalem. They were in the habit of giving regularly and systematically. It was a part of their religious training and commitment. Furthermore, when they understood the grace of God, it appears that they not only calculated tenths, but on occasion they generously gave their total profits from the sale of certain properties.

Though the tithe system is never mentioned in the New Testament, it certainly influenced these Jewish Christians. In turn, church history reveals that these Old Testament giving patterns influenced the Gentile community as pagans also became Christians. Though the tithe laws were never perpetuated in Christianity as they were in the Old Testament, they have served as a model to Christians for regular and systematic giving. We cannot ignore this model when we evaluate Paul’s instruction to the Corinthians: “On the first day of every week each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income.” (I Cor. 16:1) Today’s Christians should consider this Old Testament model when determining their own giving patterns.

I would summarize it this way. In the Old Testament we have a command. In the New Testament the command becomes a model. In the Old Testament we had a flat ten percent; in the New Testament we have unlimited proportional giving. What was a percentage now becomes a proportion.

What about the blessing that’s promised in the Old Testament? Malachi 3 said, “Put me to the test and see if I will not open up the windows of heaven”. Is there any blessing promised to generous givers in the New Testament?

Consider these words of the Apostle Paul in II Corinthians 9:6-7:
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves the cheerful giver.”

That’s fairly clear, isn’t it? You sow little, you reap a little. You sow a lot; you reap a lot. He’s talking about giving.

Notice what he adds in verse 8: “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

There are four “Alls” in that verse: All grace, All things, All times, All that you need.

6. But that’s not all.

Drop down and read verses 10-11: “Now he who supplies the seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous in every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”

That sounds to me like what Malachi 3 was saying. I think that we have the same basic promise in the New Testament as we do in the Old. God promises to abundantly bless believers who practice generous giving. Please note. The blessings are not always material. Sometimes Christians who give very generously undergo great suffering. Giving is no guarantee that your life will suddenly become a bed of roses. But don’t let that fact mislead you. Anytime you dare to give generously to God you will never regret it. You will never regret it because God will be no man’s debtor. He will pay you back, pressed down, good measure and running over. How he does it is His business.

Here is my summary of the New Testament teaching concerning tithing in the age of grace. What was a command is now a model. What was a percentage is now a proportion. What was a promise is still a promise. Those who “put God to the test” in the area of giving will never be disappointed.

Summary and conclusion:

There are two extremes we need to avoid when we think about tithing.

In the words of Larry Burkett, the first extreme is the danger of “Giving a strict 10% and viewing the remaining 90% as ours.” The other extreme is “Using the lack of a standard (the tithe) as an excuse to give almost nothing while we selfishly hoard the rest.” Let’s avoid those two extremes of either being legalistic about the tithe or saying, “Since there is no standard, I can throw in whatever I want, and it doesn’t make any difference.”

There is no contradiction between the Old Testament and the New Testament so long as we do not apply the teaching of the tithe legalistically and make it a burden around people’s necks. God never meant it to be a burden, he meant tithing to be a way that God’s blessing could flow to you.
The tithe remains the best and most accurate and most effective guide and standard for Christian giving. When all things are taken into consideration, I believe the tithe remains the best and most accurate standard and model and guide for Christian giving and I urge you to practice it in your own personal life.

ONE FINAL THING. What about the theological issue of Law versus Grace?

 Let me quote from a noted dispensational theologian, Dr. J. C. O’Hair:
“As to how much any New Testament saint should give, no specific amount is laid down. And to say “tithe” might tend to make a legalist out of the Christian, which is contrary to the will of God. But surely no consecrated Christian will give any less than Israel was required to give under the law.” (The Christian Life, p. 78)

I agree with that. Surely no consecrated Christian will want to give less under grace than the Jews gave under law.

So, I conclude by saying I think the tithe is the most accurate guide for Christian giving. It is the beginning point for Christian giving. But I do not want anyone here to feel under a burden. The tithe is meant to be a blessing, not a straitjacket. If you hear what I’m saying and you feel under pressure, it would be better for you to give one percent with joy than 10 percent under duress. Give the one percent and let God speak to your heart. You are free in Jesus Christ to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Ps De Wet

Shalom RFC Family,

I just want to share with you this powerful prophetic word given to Texas by Prophet Nate Johnson from Australia. Though it was released in 2019, I do believe it is a word for us in this season.

Please read and pray for Texas. I believe it is time for REVIVAL in Texas!

Ps De Wet Steyn

Prophetic Word for Texas
Nate Johnston
July 7, 2019
 
TEXAS THIS IS YOUR HOUR OF MAGNIFICATION & AMPLIFICATION!
Tonight I was worshiping when I saw a very clear vision of a map of the state of Texas and the Lord was hovering a magnifying glass over it. I felt instantly that He was brooding over its birthing of something significant and mighty He has always seen that this state would bring forth.

What I was drawn to right away was that Gods magnifying glass was ENLARGING and MAGNIFYING what He was doing - causing the world to look and see something that shouldn’t be hidden. It was too precious to Him and and He wanted it seen. It has always been said that “everything is bigger in Texas” yet what God is doing there is even beyond what we can comprehend. There is a move of the spirit that is going to erupt here that will be a sign and a wonder to the world.

THE PURE REMNANT
The magnifying glass was also looking to and fro over the state for fruit from the remnant He has been raising up in this season that were pure and not sold out to the religious spirit that has long tried to choke the life from the move of the spirit in  Texas.

God was checking to see if they had been stewarding what He had given them to determine the timing of an outpouring that would be a game changer for the state. This remnant were not just in the church but God had raised them up in the business world, media, sports, and politics.

Prophets and apostles will arise from this state in the days to come that will be PILLARS of strength for the nations. Trustworthy builders and visionaries that would speak into the hearts of kings and governments. “For I have given this state KEYS of authority” says the Lord!

MIGRATION FOR HABITATION
God was speaking to me about this remnant He was so proud of in this state that comprised of those born there who have a burning longing in them to see revival touch their region but also those God had called to Texas for the same purpose. God showed me that they would be restorers and builders of the new but they would also be watchmen and cultivators of revival that would start in small pockets then sweep out over the nation. Many more are going to move to Texas to be positioned for impact in the days to come.

HERITAGE UNEARTHED
My eyes were drawn to the Dallas/ Fort-worth area and I sensed that these cities have been called to be a hub of revival. A convergence place for many different streams and expressions to converge and unite. We have seen some measure of that but now it’s time for unity I heard the Lord say. “I’m looking for dwelling places that would simply host my presence”. These dwelling places became pools of Glory that were unveiling and unearthing the heritage of the land. The prophetic words and intercession over the state for hundreds of years were beginning to stir. We will see the fulfillment of many of them in the days to come.

THE TRUMPET CALL
Then I saw an angel blasting a trumpet over the state as a declaration of the fullness of time. It was a “golden bowl “ pouring moment where the call was going out over the land as a declaration that we were about to see heaven poured out. But I kept being drawn to the angel I saw with the trumpet and was curious if Texas had any monuments or statues like what I saw - then I found it. As in “exactly” what I saw.

In Fort-worth there is a performance hall called the Bass Performance Hall which hosts theatre, shows, and music performances. At the entrance to the hall there stand two 48 foot angels blowing trumpets! The Lord began to speak to me that he is calling the church together as one. It was a call to pray, to intercede, and  raise their voices in this historic and important time. The trumpet call was the ushering in of a new day and a sound.

A RAW CRY
God is raising up this NEW SOUND in this state that would carry both a healing balm to the nations and a war-cry. It would bring both deliverance and freedom and ignite corporate encounters around the world. It would be both the soundtrack to revival in stadiums, and melodies to break down walls to people broken in the streets. It was a raw cry of a people longing for their God, and the raw response back from a Father longing to embrace His children. But others have forfeited the raw cry in exchange for the polished sound but In this hour God is giving songs to those who seek him above all else. Above popularity, influence, and song statistics. These songs would be birthed in the caves but eventually released from the mountain tops.

God raise up your warriors, your new sound in laid down vessels. Your raw cry and song of freedom they carry!

THE WRESTLE OF WINESKINS
I kept seeing two conflicting expressions that were causing much confusion and chaos. It was the old wineskin and the new and this state was currently in a wrestle for the title. It wasn’t necessarily an overtly negative conflict but it was a tension between the traditional paradigm of the church and the new wineskin God was pouring fresh wine into right now. I felt that God was bringing things to the surface and addressing outdated methods while also calling those who see the new blueprint to come alongside those ministries and churches struggling to break out. Honor was needed. Process was needed but ultimately love will win. This conflict will not be a hindrance to revival in Jesus name!

PIONEERING STATE
As a commission I felt the Lord saying that he had mantled his remnant in this state with an unique ability to pioneer creatively. I saw books from heaven given to the state as well as maps and guides for new roads. God is pouring out an effortless ease and flow of revelation to Texans to lead the way and keep forging new paths.

So, Texas, we say YES to your destiny in the earth and we celebrate all that God is doing and saying over you right now. Let it be Lord, in Jesus name!

“Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, Who have been upheld by Me from birth, Who have been carried from the womb:  I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it” Isaiah 46:3,11

Who's Your Daddy?
by Tom McClung

The word father evokes a range of emotions and reactions in people. It is no surprise that in an increasingly fatherless society, many of those reactions are now negative. Our society has all but canceled dads, and dads themselves share in some of the blame. Some dads are physically absent while others are mentally checked out or unconcerned with raising their children. Some dads do the best they can but have very little knowledge of how to be a dad. And even the best dads fail at times.

Should we be surprised, though, that we see this attack on fatherhood when God calls Himself our Father? Tell kids that God is their father, and the first image that will come to mind is an image of their own father. It’s the only way they can relate to the concept. Is their own father angry all the time? Drunk? Checked out? Absent? Then guess who God becomes for them! And the scary part is, we may continue to have that same perception of God even into adulthood unless we receive a radical revelation of who God really is, how He wants to relate to us, and what that means for us moving forward in life.

I personally had a great dad.  He passed away in 2019, and I really miss him - especially the relationship that we had developed over the last few years of his life. It was a huge improvement over my teen years when we butted heads often – and often over little, stupid things.  And yet, through it all, I knew he loved me.

When I became a dad in 2009, I found that there was nothing sweeter than eventually hearing my kids call me “Da-Da.” And while that has now changed to “Daddy,” I love it just the same.  There is something about having kids that is supposed to help us gain a better understanding of how God relates us – and how we are supposed to relate God.

God - the Creator of the Universe, the creator of the land, seas, animals, and people - chooses to relate to us as a loving Dad. Yet many of us - or is it just me? - don't understand how to relate to Him as His child. We don't see Him as our Dad. You may, like I did, see God was as a more formal father – maybe as Jesus’ father – or even an unapproachable father, but not as your own Daddy. Well, at least that is one step above how the Jews viewed Him. But Jesus came to change all of that.
It was Jesus who introduced us to God as a loving father as recorded in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7.  He constantly referred to God as a Father throughout message. The religious leaders of the time were scandalized! How could anyone refer to God in such a way?  

It was completely intentional, though, and Jesus went on to describe just what kind of Father God is in Matthew 7:7-11: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

Look at that part where Jesus compares God to the dads around him, essentially saying, “You think you are a good person? Compared to God, you are evil. And yet, when your children ask you for something good, you give them something good. You give them the best you have – because you love them. They are special to you. So why do you think a perfect Father who loves His children more than you love your own would be any different?”

And Jesus didn’t stop there. Mark 14:36 records Jesus speaking with God in the Garden of Gethsemane – pleading with Him to find another way to save humanity. It is here we see how intimate a relationship Jesus has with God – calling Him not just Father, but Abba, or Daddy.
That is the kind of relationship Jesus has with the God the Father. A personal, intimate relationship – the kind of relationship that allows a child to climb up into his daddy’s lap at any time. I know that when my children want to sit in my lap, I stop what I am doing and focus my attention on them. But can I have that with God? Can I do the climbing? Would He treat me the same way?

The Apostle Paul says we can! He teaches us in Galatians 4:5-6 that God chose us – adopted us - to be His children through the sacrifice of His own Son. (That’s a huge shout-out to adoptive dads everywhere, by the way. Any man can become a father by producing a child, but it truly takes a special man to choose and love a child who is not his own.)

Paul goes on to say that because we are now God’s children, we have the same Spirit of sonship that Jesus has – in other words, the same right to the same intimate relationship with God that Jesus has!  We can call Him Daddy because He wants us to! We can have His attention and affection! We can expect that He will give us good things when we ask!

So, what is your view of God? Is He distant? Is He angry? Or is He loving and generous? Is He Daddy? Our dads, no matter how great they may be, cannot compare to the One who is perfect. Disconnect your view of God from that of your imperfect father and experience the type of relationship that God longs to share with you – just like He does with Jesus!

Tom McClung

Keepers of the FLAME
by Pastor De Wet Steyn
 
"Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame." – Rom 12:11 The Message
"Never let the fire in your heart go out. Keep it alive. Serve the Lord." – Rom 12:11 NIRV

We must be keepers of the flame. We must constantly walk, live and move in a Spirit of revival. The Bible says that our God is a consuming fire. If He is a fire and living inside of us, then we must remain on fire also.

In Leviticus 6:13, the Bible says: “A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out.”. The priests in the tabernacle had to make sure that every day the fire on the altar is burning and that it never goes out.
 
God never called us to carry the whole fire, just carry your flame.
 
In the book of Acts, when the Holy Spirit was poured out, everyone had a personal flame that came and sat on them. It is your responsibility to kindle your flame and never let it go out. When we do this, collectively we can carry the fire of God. In the Old Testament, the priests had to be present and attentive to make sure the fire never goes out.

We can learn a great lesson from this--in serving God there are no off days. If you are a believer in Jesus, then you are in full-time ministry because our relationship with God is a full-time job. If the priests failed, then the fire would go out.
 
A fire left to itself will always eventually die out.
 
In Redemption Family Church, every second weekend of the month we are going to have what we call Keepers of the flame weekend. This weekend will consist of three services, Saturday night, Sunday morning and Sunday night.

Keepers of the FLAME weekends are times when we come together with the purpose and intention to pursue the presence of God and stir up the spirit of revival. The goal is to create a time and a space where we can have a constant and sustained atmosphere for revival.

The idea was birthed after my wife and I attended a Pastor’s Intensive hosted by a church in Arizona. The story behind it is beautiful. Several months ago, a wonderful couple started to attend our church. Last year, 2021, they attended a conference at this same church and was touched radically by God. As they continued to attend our church, the wife gave me a book that was written by the pastor in Arizona and said, “I think you should read this."

As I read this book, the Lord really started to minister to me, and from that point I started following the ministry of the author's church. I love their services and intercession. By watching online, they announced that they would have a pastor’s intensive to help pastors understand revival and how to create a sustained atmosphere for revival, and I told my wife we need to go! So, we did.

In that two-day conference we encountered God and it was just one amazing supernatural experience. They prayed for us and we received impartation. We are mantled and mandated to carry the spirit of revival and bring it to our city and our region.

Many people look at 'revival' as just a couple of weeks of extended meetings (nothing wrong with it, if it should happen, we would embrace it) but we want to see a sustained atmosphere for a mighty move of God and revival in our region that is consistent and continuous. This move of God must remain until the return of Jesus!

If you are hungry for God, if you are praying for revival for our region, if you have a desire to see revival break out, then I want to invite and encourage you to come join us every second weekend of the month starting in July.

Let me share with you one last thing. Romans 12:1 says “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

The fire of God doesn’t fall on empty altars.

It is when there is a sacrifice on the altar that the fire of God falls.

One reason we don’t see the fire of God in our churches today is because we have empty altars. Going to the altar is hardly preached anymore.  We present ourselves as living sacrifices. This is not a popular message. And it goes against what many people want to hear today.

Many are looking to hear a gospel message that only talks about the blessing, favor, prosperity and all the good things the Bible has to offer. Now listen, I am all for it but that is only half the gospel. We must preach purity, sin, hell, sanctification and consecration. We must preach about presenting ourselves as living sacrifices, crucify our flesh, deny ourselves and take up our cross daily.

We are called to keep our flame burning. It is time for us to fill the altars again. It is time for us to become living sacrifices and allow the fire of God to fall once again on us and in our churches!

Pastor De Wet

Introducing Redemption Family Church
By Ps De Wet Steyn

We are so grateful that you decided to download our app and become part of the Redemption Family Church’s online family. We hope and pray that the ministry through this app would be a great blessing to you and always help and encourage you to serve God and be faithful until the end.

Just like Apostle Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” We do pray that this will be your testimony as well.

Let me tell you about Redemption Family Church. It is a journey that started six years ago in 2016. I moved from South Africa to Texas in the end of 2015 to marry my beautiful wife. After a few months, through prayer and conversation we started to have meetings on the patio of one of the local restaurants.

From there we moved to our own space and at that time we started what was then known as the Glory Hub. It was an interesting journey until now. We faced some challenges from time to time just like any other church but through it all God remained faithful to us, has kept us and gave us the grace to continue this journey.

Along with the challenges, we also experienced some wonderful and powerful moments in the presence of God. We have seen God moved, touching hearts and changing lives. For the last year or so we felt the impression of the Holy Spirit to change the name of our church. And after much prayer and a lot of conversations we decided to change the name of our church to Redemption Family Church. We believe God wants to do something fresh in and through our church.

An old wineskin cannot contain new wine. “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.” – Luke 5:37

A few weeks ago, I had a dream and, in the dream, God spoke to me and told me what we need to do is build His Kingdom and prepare His bride. As we changed the wineskin, our assignment changed as well. We are living in a time where we need to establish the kingdom of God in the earth. This means the governmental ruling and reigning of heaven should be established in our communities, cities and nations.

When the disciples came to Jesus and asked him to teach them to pray, He told them “In this manner, therefore, pray: 'Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven'” – Matt 6:9, 10

Just like the sun reflects on the moon, the earth should reflect heaven, we should reflect God. When God created the garden of Eden, it was the place on earth that reflected heaven. Then God created Adam and Adam was to represent God on earth as God is in heaven. This remains true to this day.

“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.” – 1 John 4:17

As He is, so are we in the world. Paul says we are ambassadors of Christ. “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20

Therefore, it is our legislative duty as the ecclesia to execute, establish and set up His kingdom here on earth. We are representatives of God in the earth and should do it with excellence and great integrity.

The other thing was we are to prepare the bride. “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” – Ephesians 5:25-27

Jesus is coming back for a bride, a church that is without stain, wrinkle or blemish. As we look across the globe at the condition of the church, we can see that we have a lot of work to do to prepare the bride to meet the Groom who is soon to return.

As His return draws nearer, our challenge is to keep our garments clean and be ready when He comes for His spotless bride. We cannot compromise or be lukewarm but should always live ready and prepared as the rapture can happen at any moment.

We can no longer defend our worldly longings in the attempt to justify our carnal passions and have unsurrendered areas of our lives. We make excuse for the spots and stains on our wedding garments and then want just to cover it up with grace. “Abstain from every form of evil.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:22

To be prepared means for us to stop excusing and justifying our sin. We must live lives of repentance, consecration and holiness.

Instead of blending into the world, we are to let your light shine before others. Rather than being part of the crowd, we are to stand out from the crowd. Instead of fitting in, we should grow to where we are completely out of place in worldly settings.

At Redemption Family Church we want to make sure we fulfill our mandate and do our part for the kingdom of God. Thank you for taking this journey with us so that one day we can all stand in front of the throne of the King of kings and hear these words: “Well done good and faithful servants.”

Until next time.

Keep the flame burning,
Ps De Wet

Pentecost isn't just a day we celebrate that happened over 2,000 years ago. It is an ancient feast celebrated by the Israelites every year after harvest time.

The Pentecost after the Passover of Jesus' crucifixion was the powerful, magnificent birth of the Body of Christ!  Holy Spirit rushed in with the SOUND of a mighty wind and placed FIRE on the living sacrifices of those waiting according to the instructions of Jesus.
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Acts 2:2-3  And suddenly A NOISE like a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And TONGUES THAT LOOKED LIKE FIRE appeared to them, distributing themselves, and a tongue rested on each one of them.
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Before Jesus ascended, He gave a verbal commission to the disciples of how they were to reach the world, make disciples and expand the Kingdom. They must have wondered "How are we going to reach the world?"

When the Person of Holy Spirit rushed them with full power it was not a question of 'how will we do this' but "WHO COULD STOP US??"

The unstoppable love of God poured out into the streets with the languages of the world to all those who were gathered for the Feast from all walks of life! Peter addressed the city with a voice of boldness--not a microphone or megaphone--but a CRY!

GOOD MORNING, JERUSALEM AND THE REST OF THE WORLD!!
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Acts 2:14-17  Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, know this, and pay attention to my words.  For these people are not drunk, as you assume, since it is only the third hour of the day;  but this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel:  ‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, 'That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh...'
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And He still pours out on hungry, waiting hearts today.

Come, Holy Spirit!

Fire us up and give us a cry for the nations!