I must say that I agree 110% with you, Jack, about everything you’ve had to say lately about the tithe. I am blessed beyond measure to be able to give to my Church and to other of God’s purposes.

My question is about splitting those gifts up amongst my local Church (lions share), and various other Christian ministries that one might be led to support such as food banks, adopt a child overseas, donations to missionaries, and of course web sites like yours, RaptureReady, RaptureAlert, etc.

Should we give the full 10% tithe to our local Church or can a portion be given with the remainder going towards those other things one might be led to support? If one is giving at least the minimum 10% (and hopefully more should one be able) does it matter to God how we split it up? Say someone sees a great deal on canned goods and is led to buy up cases of food to give to the food bank. Would that be considered acceptable as a part of the tithe too? I’m not trying to get all legalistic with this. After all any giving done with the right motive is really what it’s all about, right? But that is ‘MY logic’ and we are warned not to base our decisions on how we might think or feel about something. I’m seeking to know the right thing in Gods eyes. What does the Bible have to say about all of this, if anything?

Once again thank you for one of the greatest web sites on the Internet. You have a great way of cutting right to the root of tough issues using scripture and I’ve learned much from your ministry. Thank you for your help and I pray that God will bless you beyond measure.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matt. 7:21-23

I’ve never really understood this passage, It says these people prophesied and performed many miracles.. wouldn’t they have to be saved to be able to do this? Yet Jesus gives them the boot. I guessing they were never really saved but I was hoping you could shed some light of the subject. thanks!

Being married to an unbeliever I am at odds as to whether to tithe or not.

He is the only one bringing in an income and will say nothing if I once in a while give but then later when we are strapped for money he brings up the money given to the Lords’ work in resentment.

What’s the answer to tithing in this case?

Thank you for your help in sorting this out.

I just found your site and need an answer. Wonderful site!!First of all where do you find your answers?….King James Version or all of them?

My question is this. When and where did last names begin in the bible or was it afterward? You wrote in one answer to another… i.e. ( bible names: Mary Magdalene [from Magdala] What about last names for us? Also, Why did God permit men to have several wives? I read that King Solomon had several hundred wives, not counting his three hundred concubines,etc.

I have read some things by Clarence Larkin and in one of his books he seemed to think that since we were made in the image of God that we were similar in our physical anatomy as the beings in heaven. If we were made in the image of God and woman was created as a companion of man on earth then wouldn’t there have been women in heaven? I like you said have always felt the fallen angels when they married earth women and had children that were men of renown, giants, evil men that they were possessed with great intelligence and that they somehow altered the animals DNA and made the dinosaurs, I do not think we have any clue as the level of intelligence that these people had.

You know I have also wondered that according to science that we are only using about 10% of our brain and that the universe that we see is only 10% of what is out there that the other 90% is dark matter that they know exists but not what it is. Do you think that when we get to heaven that we will get to use 100% of our brain power and find that the 90% of the universe we call dark matter is the Kingdom God has set up for us?

Best to you and keep up your fine teaching, you keep things in the real world of common sense. I think God controls things but does not play outside the rules he set up.

Re: Rev. 21-22. In this commentary you mention the reversal of the axis and orbit and water canopy. I have to tell you, that is reaching. While I am a Bible believing Christian. There is no evidence for this “water canopy”. Also if we were not on the axis and orbit we are now, we wouldn’t even be here, it is one of the “fine-tuning” evidences FOR the existence of God and our special place in the universe not against it. While I am not here to criticize, I think it better that this kind of rhetoric be left out and we stick with what we have stated in god’s Word.

My husband and I lead a small group at our church. The church has decided to have all the small groups use the same curriculum for a 7-week series. I’m having trouble with this week’s chapter. The author is wanting to use Moses’ time in Midian as a negative thing – that he lost sight of his dream for freeing the Hebrew slaves after starting his new life in Midian. He goes on to say that many of us also get sidetracked by unexpected life situations. And, as a result, sometimes God has to remind us of His dream for our lives – there enters the burning bush. The author also uses the analogy of Moses’ staff as a “crutch”. That the staff was a constant reminder that he had blown it. “No wonder God told him to throw it down!”

I always saw Moses’ time in Midian tending sheep as preparation for leading the nation, much like David did centuries later. Also, while studying the name, Jehovah Nissi, I came to see the staff of Moses as the Staff of the Lord. To call it a “crutch” doesn’t settle well with me.

I can see where the author wants to take the lesson, but don’t quite agree with the route he takes to get there. What do you think?

Referring to the tithing done in the Old Testament – ten percent was given to support the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who served, not only as spiritual leaders, but as the governing body of Israel. As you well know, we give more than ten percent to the IRS — our governing body. But, then, Yeshua said to give to Caesar what was Caesar’s and to Yahweh what is Yahweh’s. While this would not be a hardship for us, it is for many who make very little.

Also, to whom do we give this ten percent? There are very few churches that teach the truth. My husband will not give ten percent of his salary for many reasons. I, being without earned income, donate each Wed. afternoon to doing work at my congregation. At minimum wage, this still would not make up for the ten percent we don’t give. We also try to help some of our needy neighbors down the road with food, appliances, and help with things they don’t know how to do (such as installing a window air conditioner, fixing a broken down pipe, driving them to the store, etc.) But this still doesn’t replace the ten percent, I realize.

This bothers me a lot, but I don’t feel free to give my husband’s salary. Please comment.

I have a question concerning baptism of the Holy Spirit. Recently I was in a conversation with another Christian and was asked if I was saved. When I replied yes, they then asked if I had been baptized in the Holy Spirit and could speak in tongues. I told them that when I accepted Jesus as my savior I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, but I can not speak in tongues. They then showed me Acts 8:12-17. It would seem that receiving the Holy Spirit is a separate event apart from salvation. They conclude that the sign for this event is the person’s ability to speak in tongues. Though the passage doesn’t mention anyone speaking in tongues, they make the remark that in verse 18 Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given. It is said by the person I was talking to that no one can see the Holy Ghost for he is a spirit, so naturally, there had to be a physical sign and that sign was tongues.

Could you please help me to understand what is going on in these passages, if I haven’t been filled with the Holy Spirit, perhaps I should get that done. Thanks and God bless.

I need to know all the views there are on THE CONCEPT OF PREDESTINATION.