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How Condemnation Holds Us Back

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Guilt and condemnation is such a trick of the devil, yet I lived buried under it for decades and I’ve spoken to so many friends on my grace journey this […]

How Condemnation Holds Us Back

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Guilt and condemnation is such a trick of the devil, yet I lived buried under it for decades and I’ve spoken to so many friends on my grace journey this past 9.5 years who are also in the process of digging themselves out. Many have said, Wow, I never realized that I lived under so […]

How Condemnation Holds Us Back

by

Guilt and condemnation is such a trick of the devil, yet I lived buried under it for decades and I’ve spoken to so many friends on my grace journey this […]

How Condemnation Holds Us Back

by

Guilt and condemnation is such a trick of the devil, yet I lived buried under it for decades and I’ve spoken to so many friends on my grace journey this […]

How Condemnation Holds Us Back

by

Guilt and condemnation is such a trick of the devil, yet I lived buried under it for decades and I’ve spoken to so many friends on my grace journey this […]

How Condemnation Holds Us Back

by

Guilt and condemnation is such a trick of the devil, yet I lived buried under it for decades and I’ve spoken to so many friends on my grace journey this […]

811. The 800 Club: Looking Back – Double Talk – “The Spirit of the Law”

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The spirit of the law. The letter of the law. These are phrases often used by religious theologians who erroneously teach a mixed covenant message of law and grace. The way they try to explain it, one might be led to believe that “the spirit of the law” is a phrase actually found within the written pages of the Bible (it’s not). Generally, this talk about the spirit vs. the letter of the law is rooted in the assumption that believers in Christ have been mandated by God to follow certain portions of the old covenant ministry which was arranged with Israel through Moses. Good luck with that.

We look at one of the passages today which is sometimes used by legalists regarding this topic. The next time someone tries to drag you into the theological weeds while trying to convince you about the spirit of the law, realize the Greek word for it is mumbo jumbo.



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810. The 800 Club: Looking Back – Tithing, Abraham and Giving Gracefully

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As we continue looking back over the years after reaching the milestone of our 800th podcast … we’re following up on last week’s program. Many advocates for “the tithe,” as it relates to giving ten percent of all of one’s money or income, will try to use Abraham as an example on why people should tithe this way today. They will apply a couple of easily misunderstood passages from the Bible, but as we take a closer look, we find the pieces to the puzzle just don’t fit. We try to bring some context from both the Old and New Testaments about Abe and how his tithe to Melchizedek was so very different from the “church tithing” of today—and like the Jewish people under the law—it really wasn’t about money with Abraham either.

We also address some questions about the “tithe money” being received today. If such a system was meant to be in place and ordained by God, who is really supposed to be the designated receiver of the tithes with the priesthood of men no longer in place? Is the church corporation’s bank considered the so-called storehouse?

There is a better way for us to function when it comes to giving, and it’s by the freedom of grace as God’s Spirit moves within our hearts. God is a giver, but not because He is obligated to be … He wants to do it out of love, and so it is with us in the New Covenant. We have inherited this desire to help others, and it doesn’t always involve money.

Here again are some links to some of our past talks about tithing:
495. Covenant Confusion: Tithing
496. Christianizing the Tithe
497. Abe Gives a Tenth to Mel  

The Tithe (Episodes 769-777). Click on the first episode and then click "Newer Post" for each subsequent part.



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809. The 800 Club: Looking Back – Twisting the Tithe Into Money

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In our look back over the past 800 programs, we’ve occasionally discussed tithing. When most Christians hear the word tithe, they assume it means to give or pay ten percent of all your money. Most will also assume this is to be designated to a church organization which they might call “the storehouse.” And there are those who teach that when one gives ten percent or more to the work of the ministry, that God will bless them with more money.

Sincere Christians can disagree on this subject, but most of what has been taught about the “principle” of tithing in the New Covenant is extracted from Bible verses and concepts very much out of context. Our quick review on the topic touches on why tithing became a requirement under the law for Israel (spoiler alert: it was about food, not money). And did Jesus really say we should tithe? You can certainly give ten percent of your money if it’s what you really want to do, but in the New Covenant, you are free to give as it’s on your heart to do so.

We've talked about the subject of tithing a few times in the past, and below are some links to some of our past talks.

First up is a short series we did a few years ago:
495. Covenant Confusion: Tithing
496. Christianizing the Tithe
497. Abe Gives a Tenth to Mel

And then a nine-part series that we did last year (Episodes 769-777). Click on the first episode below and then click "Newer Post" for each subsequent part:
The Tithe



Download  GIGBite  YouTube

Get the book

809. The 800 Club: Looking Back – Twisting the Tithe Into Money

by

In our look back over the past 800 programs, we’ve occasionally discussed tithing. When most Christians hear the word tithe, they assume it means to give or pay ten percent of all your money. Most will also assume this is to be designated to a church organization which they might call “the storehouse.” And there are those who teach that when one gives ten percent or more to the work of the ministry, that God will bless them with more money.

Sincere Christians can disagree on this subject, but most of what has been taught about the “principle” of tithing in the New Covenant is extracted from Bible verses and concepts very much out of context. Our quick review on the topic touches on why tithing became a requirement under the law for Israel (spoiler alert: it was about food, not money). And did Jesus really say we should tithe? You can certainly give ten percent of your money if it’s what you really want to do, but in the New Covenant, you are free to give as it’s on your heart to do so.

We've talked about the subject of tithing a few times in the past, and below are some links to some of our past talks.

First up is a short series we did a few years ago:
495. Covenant Confusion: Tithing
496. Christianizing the Tithe
497. Abe Gives a Tenth to Mel

And then a nine-part series that we did last year (Episodes 769-777). Click on the first episode below and then click "Newer Post" for each subsequent part:
The Tithe



Download  GIGBite  YouTube

Get the book

808. The 800 Club: Looking Back – The Book of Hebrews – New Covenant Explained

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One of the books in the New Testament that is often misunderstood is the letter to the Hebrews. A while back, we spent many weeks doing an entire series sifting through the chapters and addressing some misinterpreted “verses” that are sometimes used to scare people, leaving them in a place of fear which God never intends for His children. The letter to the Hebrews was written to address the Jewish community as they were trying to sort out the massive change of going from a covenant of stone tablets and animal sacrifices to something completely different regarding the ministry of the Spirit and the one sacrifice of Christ that brought that old way to an end. It is easy for us to underestimate the change of mind that they were transitioning into.

Some will say the book of Hebrews was meant only for Israel, but the revelation brought forth will be profitable for Gentiles of today because it shows the bigger picture of the Bible itself, and how we got to where we are in the New Covenant today and the perfect forgiveness brought by the blood of Jesus. After reaching over 800 programs, we’re looking back at past conversations and this week, it’s the book of Hebrews. 

On the podcast we mention a previous series we did on the entire book of Hebrews. You will find the first episode of that 21-part series here, and then click on Newer Post at the end of each post to listen to the entire series.



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807. The 800 Club: Looking Back – Avoiding the Mixture of Two Different Covenants

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As we reflect on surpassing 800 weekly podcasts, a primary theme over the years has been trying to help others to see the Bible in the context of two different covenants—the Old and the New. Being mindful of this as we turn the pages will help us to avoid getting confused about what the gospel is and what it is not. This can apply to the books of the law, the Psalms, prophets, the teachings of Jesus, and the writings from the apostles ... pretty much anything we read.

The New Covenant began after the death of Jesus. It was unlike the covenant God made with Israel when they came out of Egypt during the days of Moses. The Old way resulted with sin increasing, and brought guilt and reminded people of sins. It was weak and useless because forgiveness was never complete. The entire package needed to come to an end and be replaced with something new and better. While empty religion has tried to present a “revised” covenant where the Old and New are combined, Jesus fulfilled the law contained within the Old Covenant, and that finished work has brought to a place of grace and perfect love from God. Jesus became the guarantee, because He is the covenant.



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