Should Christians Tithe?

Should Christians Tithe?

Waiting

I wonder how many of us enjoy waiting ? I know that I rather do something else, well I’m a man, and most men, and if not a lot of women will hopefully agree with me that men aren’t particularly good at waiting!

We seem to spend so much time in the day, waiting, perhaps it’s waiting for the Bus or Train, which always seem to be running late, if you’re anything like me, you keep checking your watch and the timetable, or if you’re desperate, sending a text message to the local Bus company timetable service, who then sent you a text message for the time of the next bus!

One of the leading Supermarkets, here in the UK, Tesco some time ago launched a self checkout service rather than a check out operator scan your goods, customers can now self-scan, it’s suppose to make things easier for customers but if you like me, you spend at least twice as long self-scanning than you would do at a more conventional check-out ! Maybe it’s a man thing !.

In the so-called Western or developed world, we seem constantly rushing or hurrying, trying to get places quicker or faster, we have Instant Coffee, Express Checkouts, Online Banking, Online Shopping, which is really cool, because you don’t have to queue and it’s delivered, sometimes even the next day.

I’ve had many moments where God has either spoken into or touched my life, I remember when God moved in my life as a somewhat angry, self centred and annoying teenager, a few of you  will remember me like that! Of all the years, I’ve prayed and sought God’s face, wept, read my Bible, keep going, nearly give up dozens of times, been disappointed, hurt, felt rejection.

Throughout the years despite all that has happened, I’m still here, still have questions that I can’t answer, lost friends and family, been confused over so many things, and at least several times lost for words, failed, Yet Jesus still loves me, still cares for me, and is still by my side.

Some time ago, I went through a time of hurt and rejection, and although I didn't give up on my relationship with the Lord.  I had stopped going to Church. I was angry and confused both with myself, others and the Lord.  During this time, I had two significant dreams, in one dream one of the elders from a church I used to attend, and had left some years was praying with me in  his office, and the second dream was coming here to Southport, and both happened as in the dreams.

It has and will involve change on my part, but the only true option I have is to move forward, it means moving on and standing strong, It means giving my full attention to all the things God has spoken into my life and done in my life, it involves letting go of some things so that I can lay hold of other things, it’s means pain and sorrow, but also means joy and fulfilment. It means moving on from where I am to where God wants me to be.

Change is coming.

It’s taking longer than I expected, and although there seems to be a delay, these things come in God’s Timing and not ours. Yes I’m moving forward and staying focused, I don’t know the actual date I’m moving on and when God will fulfil His promise, I’ve nearly given up a few times, I don’t know how and when, or how long the journey will be, but I’m taking it one day, and one step at a time, and know in God’s timing I will arrive.

There are two scriptures that God has spoken into my life this last week. These are Habakkuk 2:3 and Hebrews 10:35-36

Habakkuk 2:3 Niv

3 For the revelation waits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it [c] will certainly come and will not delay.

Hebrews 10:35-36 Niv

35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

Yours in Him

Blair Humphreys

The Church, God’s Own People Part 2 They devoted themselves to Discipleship.

The Church, God’s Own People

Part 2

They devoted themselves to Discipleship.

Acts 2:41 -47 New American Standard Bible

41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. 42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Throughout the last 2,000 years of Church History,  we have had countless models,  missions, strategies, programmes and systems that are/were supposed to make us more effective and efficient in the ways we do, be and  are the Church, some of these have been more fruitful than others, I’ve been a Christian for over 30 years and  have seen these ideas both working and failing, we have tried so many things and if we’re honest have any of them worked as we hoped, dreamed and expected?

For many years we have built man-made structures and systems that are no longer relevant to us the Church, these things have served their purpose and in many ways have outlived their purposes.

 I have thought a lot in recent days about the Mission and Vision of/for the Church is our Mission and Vision the same as the Mission of the Church and the Vision of the Church that Jesus and the early disciples had?

The first question we had to ask ourselves is what our Lord Jesus’s Mission and Vision of the Church is? For that we must examine Scripture, many have called these verses the Great Commission.

Matthew 28:18-20

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹⁸ And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ^19 [a]Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you ^[b]always, even to the end of the age.

Quite simply our Lord’s Mission and Vision for His Church is found in Scripture, what the Bible teaches us about the Church should be our first point of reference and  our last point of reference, indeed our only point of reference not the latest podcast, prophecy, programme, project or plan nor indeed our traditions or history,  it’s time that we no longer relied on anything that isn’t found in Scripture and see a restoration of New Testament Christianity,  not any more man made systems and strategies, it’s time to change and now is the time to change!

I’m not saying we should ignore what Godly Men & Women have written for and about the Church but we should only read books etc. that have a strong and exclusive  grounding in the Bible.

We have tried many things to increase our Churches, and see people born again, lives transformed, hope restored and renewed, but can we say with total honesty, that what we tried hasn’t worked or worked for a certain time and/or situation, yes we keep trying these trusted old and not so old methods and despite our best efforts they’ve failed or haven’t been as fruitful, the Bible speaks of old and new wineskins

 Matthew 9:17

New American Standard Bible

 ¹⁷ Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

I believe that the old wineskins speak of our old ways of doing things, and the new wineskins speaks of the Biblical ways of both doing and being the Church.

For many years our model of Church has been called Attractional Church and recent years a new model has been promoted the Incarnational church or Missional Church, I’m going to be controversial I believe the Church needs to both Attractional and Incarnational! We need to bring people in and send people out, I’, not going to promote or invent a new way of us being and doing Church, I will say it’s time we return to our roots or go back to basics, we need to a Church of Disciples, A Church were our growth strategy is based on Discipleship, our Mission is his Great Commission our Vision is His Vision.

In my next post, I will continue with Discipleship and give a Biblical example of what a Church based on Discipleship will look like?

Yours in His Grace

Blair Humphreys

Southport, Merseyside, UK