Personal Log 1.11.25

So, we had a very interesting Men's Breakfast last week, it was a lively start to the New Year, that’s for sure... I was sharing with them the different belief camps & the Scriptures that they base their beliefs on, for example:

Healing is for Today vs Healing is not for Today

Those who don’t believe in healing for today always quote

Exodus 4:11 "And the Lord said to him, Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the dumb, or the deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Is it not I, the Lord?"

If God made them that way, who are we to change it? Jesus, who was the Son of God, healed the sick, was He out of God the Father’s will? How does that work?

Those who believe in healing for today quote Acts 3:16 “And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all” & also 1 Peter 2:24 “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

Tongues is for Today vs Tongues is not for Today

I Cor 12:10 “to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.”

I Cor 14:39 “Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues.” 

So, tongues is for today, or...

I Cor 13:8 “Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.”

“Tongues will cease & they have”

“No, they haven’t”

“Yes, they have”

“No, they haven’t”

“Yes, they have”

“I’m telling you what the Word says”

“I’M TELLING YOU WHAT THE WORD SAYS”

Yep...

Tithing is for Today vs Tithing is not for Today

Lev 27:30 “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord.”

The tithe belongs to the Lord, so give it to Him.

Malachi 3:10 “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.”

vs

Psalm 24:1/1 Cor 10:26 “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.” 

Haggai 2:8 “The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the Lord of Hosts.” 

Phil 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” 

“The tithe belongs to the Lord”

“It ALL belongs to the Lord”

“and He only asks for 10%”

“Have you ever given 100%”

“No”

“Then don’t talk to me about your measly 10%”

“THE TITHE BELONGS TO THE LORD”

“IT ALL BELONGS TO THE LORD”

“the Bible says test Him in this”

“in the New  Testament, the Bible says trust Him”

“I want His blessing”

“Do you want an Old Covenant blessing or a New Covenant blessing?”

“Anything less than 10% YOU’RE ROBBING GOD”

“IT ALL BELONGS TO HIM, God doesn’t care about percentages, He cares about your heart & you attitude when giving, 2 Cor 9:8-9 tells us to give freely without compulsion”

“Well, I believe the Bible”

“Well, so do I”

All of the above conversations I’ve witnessed either online or in person, each one is passionate about what they believe.

It’s hard for many people to believe that God wants:

100% of your heart

100% of your life

100% of your devotion

100% of your worship

100% of your commitment

10% of your money

Last Saturday, the topic of tithing was the most contentious, where voices were raised & people were indignant to any other belief then their own. I walked away thinking, "If you're talking to me this way, how are you talking to Christians of other denominations/beliefs? How are you talking to non-Believers?” I'm simply telling the men where some people are coming from in their beliefs & people in the room are shouting.

Sometimes, we can be too dogmatic & too harsh in getting our points across to other people. Sometimes, we live & operate too much in our own echo chambers, much like political parties do & often we don't take the time to see where other people are coming from & why they believe what they believe & love them in spite of our differences.

I think we have work to do...