Update 53

This Sabbath, Norbert Link will be discussing that God called us in this age to be teachers, and what this means for us today and in the future.

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at the appropriate time, just click on “Connect to Live Stream”.
 

(Editors Note – This editorial is written in response to questions and comments we have received in recent weeks. We feel this information is vital and timely and are providing a summary of our answers in this week’s Editorial Section of the Update).
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With the apostasy which has come upon the Church, many of God’s People have turned to false teachings, as Paul clearly stated would happen in 2 Tim. 4:3-4. Many have changed their whole approach in dealing with God’s Truths, which they had learned, including those relative to their own financial obligations to God and His Church. They have become “very sensitive” when it comes to the subject of “giving” to God’s Church.

Yet, there are numerous examples in scripture where God shows He requires tithes and offerings from His People. We see such an example in Exodus 25, where God required offerings from the children of Israel for the building of the Tabernacle of God. Note God’s instructions to Moses, as he was the one responsible to convey to God’s People what God required relative to this offering.

God’s requirement was “… that they bring an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering” (Exodus 25:2). Two things should be noted here:

First – the offering does not belong to the person contributing the offering. It is not his! The offering belongs to God! That is true, even before the offering is given.

Second – God accepts the offering under a specific condition. That is, it is only an acceptable offering to God if it is from one who gives it willingly, as the scripture points out – “From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering.” The Apostle Paul also boldly proclaims this same principle in 2 Corinthians 9:7, where he states, “…for God loves a cheerful giver.”

There is concern that this may be one area where many in the Church of God, today, have let down in their relationship with God. It is true, that God owns all wealth. He can see that the finances needed by the Church are provided, whatever the need may be. However, the method of financing His end-time Work – God has chosen. It is, for each of us, our responsibility – individually and collectively – to be faithful in our financial obligations – so that the commission of preaching and publishing the gospel of the soon-coming Kingdom to the world as a witness, and the feeding of God’s sheep will be accomplished.

This requirement of God is a “test” command for all of God’s People, including those in positions of leadership – the ministry of God. Notice this clear admonition found in Malachi, chapter 3. “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And prove 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” (Malachi 3:10).

Moses, by the way, did not hesitate to institute the exhortation of God, which He asked of the people, as you can read in Exodus 35:5, 29.

There are a number of such financial requirements, which God placed on His People and administered through those He had put in positions of service to those whom He is calling. The tithe, however, has always belonged to Him (Leviticus 27:30). It is Holy to Him! He did give the tithe, for a period of time, to the sons of Levi “…as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform(ed), the work of the tabernacle of meeting” (Numbers 18:21).

Yet we see in Hebrews 7:9, that the law of tithing existed long before God made an agreement with the sons of Levi, which agreement gave them the right to collect tithes for a certain time. As we read verses 15-28 of Hebrews 7, we see that this right to receive tithes later reverted back to Jesus Christ, whose right it was from the beginning. Today, Christ collects tithes through His Body, the Church, to be used to carry out the end-time Work of God.

Christ showed that this system of financing the Work of God is definitely applicable, today (Matthew 23:23, Luke 11:42, Luke 18:12). And of course, God shows in Malachi 3:8-9 that one thing He is angry about at the time of the end is that His People are failing Him in this requirement!

So much confusion exists today, especially since the apostasy has set in, indicating that many of God’s People do not know what to do. There must be a clear voice that is showing that correct way, else we will all be held accountable for the error that exists in the Church now, and that will exist at the time of Christ’s return.

We are told in Isaiah 58:1 to… “Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins.” We must not be fearful in doing this! We point out these truths as a reminder to those God has called and given understanding, and yet now appear to be holding back because they are uncertain where God’s Work is being done. They must not continue to hold back, but must come to the realization that they have an obligation to determine where that Work is being done, based upon the clear evidence they see and the clear word they hear. Once having proven this, they have a responsibility to carry out God’s command and to support His Work where they see it being faithfully carried out – just as the people of Israel willingly and with a joyful heart contributed to the construction of the Tabernacle.

Remember, the tithe belongs to God! It is His! To hold on to His tithe, God says, is stealing from Him! God requires that His tithe be paid, so that His Work will be done (Mal 3:10).

We would add, here, that we in CEG stand ready to engage and answer questions concerning the Work of God. It is our full intention to back up all our actions with biblical evidence and proofs! As Mr. Armstrong correctly stated so many times, it is our purpose to follow what is written in the Holy Scriptures. When we are wrong we will willingly change, but we will absolutely present the Truth of God to the best of our abilities, based upon the knowledge and understanding granted to us by the Eternal God through His Holy Spirit, regardless of any criticism or sensitivities people may have toward the issues presented.

As we attentively watch world events with the portent of ushering in the traumatic end-time calamities mentioned throughout the Word of God, several interesting trends continue to subtly nudge themselves into play:

ECONOMIC CONFIDENCE SHIFT

The first one is the economic body blow dealt by United States mega corporations as their corrupt practices have now caused bankruptcies of historic proportions. This week it was WorldCom–a company whose debts are virtually global. German banks in particular were hard hit. The “Humpty-Dumpy” world of U.S. prominence and leadership may never fully rebound. Waiting in the wings is the European, German-led euro which has emerged as a potential option for the badly battered dollar. The corrupt business practices which have toppled–and continue to weaken–so many formerly dominant American industrial giants have caused a perceptible sea-change in global dominance. Watch as these events continue to restructure the centers of economic confidence!

NEW RELIGIOUS LEADER

The second trend is highlighted by the appointment of Rowan Williams as Archbishop of Canterbury. His appointment this week brings to the Church of England’s leadership a man noted for liberal views and strong criticism of U.S. foreign policy. His spiritual voice echoes much of the sentiment of continental Europe. Hand in hand with this change is the current Papal visits–this time to Toronto, Canada, for the Church’s World Youth Day. His frail and failing health gives rise to ongoing speculation about the next Papal appointee. Europe and other Catholic countries are anticipating strong Papal involvement as the Catholic Church seems to have weathered the fading scandals of pedophilia in the U.S. Watch as religious influence becomes more outspoken and dominant in a world that seems on the verge of pulling away from the influence of a United States that has stumbled in its world role!

MIDDLE EAST

Earlier this week, the international press reported that the Israeli media and politicians criticized the most recent Israeli military attack on Gaza. During the raid, Hamas leader Salah Schehade was killed, but also 15 Palestinian civilians, including nine children. The United States, the United Nations, and many European and Arab governments condemned the strike as well.

Yahoo News published on Thursday an article, titled, “Sharon goes too far, again.” It stated that Sharon boasted that Thursday’s strike was “‘one of the biggest successes.'” It continued, “The incident is another tragic example of Sharon’s long history of violently overstepping reason in Israel’s struggle with the Palestinians. And his assessment of the attack shows why progress towards a peace settlement has unraveled under his rule. Each time Sharon overreaches, his country pays a heavy price. This time, the terrorist group Hamas… has vowed to kill Israeli children and target bus stops, restaurants and other public places. Before the strike, Hamas had hinted that it might end its attacks on Israeli citizens.”

Shortly thereafter, Yahoo News ran another article, informing its readership that “Palestinians shot dead a rabbi from a Jewish settlement in the West Bank Thursday in what militants called the first response to an Israeli air strike that killed 15 Palestinians.”

When will this world learn that nothing is gained by violence and war, and that war only breeds more war? The history of man has been written in blood. Man has proven that he is totally incapable of bringing peace to this world. But thankfully, man’s misrule over this planet is about to end. Very soon, Jesus Christ will return to establish the Kingdom of God on this earth and bring real and lasting peace to this world.

CHINA

As if a foretaste of bigger things to come, Reuters reported on July 20 that “a downpour of giant hailstones, some of the size of eggs, killed 15 people and left hospitals overflowing” in central China. “Locals described it as the worst hailstorm in at least half a century.”

This may remind us of the hail that God sent to ancient Egypt, and it may also bring home the warning of a prophecy in the book of Revelation, that “great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.” (Revelation 16:21).

INDIA

God’s Church is commissioned to preach the gospel in all the world. And we can be thankful, that this can be done from the Western world where we do enjoy relative religious freedom. Imagine we had to operate from India, for example. Zenit News Agency reported on July 24 that a Catholic nun “charged with converting Hindus remains in prison after her arrest in India last week,” as bail was denied her. The nun is accused of converting 94 Hindus to Christianity in 1988 (!), although conversion of people from one religion to another is prohibited without the “administration’s permission.”

GERMANY

The Economist.com ran an article on July 19, titled, “Schröder in trouble.” It pointed out, “Much of the German electorate is still undecided, according to polls, about which way to vote in September’s general election. But Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and his Social Democratic Party [SPD] are in trouble. Like so many other European countries, Germany may be about to move to the right…” It continued, “In no other post-war election have voters found it so hard to make up their minds; one in three still have not done so.” We most certainly need to watch the events taking pace in Germany. The bible prophecies that Germany and continental Europe will play a dominant role in the near future, and the entire world will be affected by it.