Chapter Four
Proving God With Science
One way to deal with the accusations of the ignorant is not to engage with such people. Another way is to do some research as to why the discrepancies might be there and try to explain them. If we are honest, we have to admit there are many seemingly conspicuous discrepancies in the Bible and, unless we have an omniscient mind, we cannot account for them all. When people attempt to explain the reasons why there are two genealogies of Jesus in the Gospels, usually, they fall short.[i] Really, the best way is not to attempt to defend the Bible, but to engage people from a different basis. For there is no reason why we need to defend the Bible. The Bible speaks for itself. Simply put, the Bible is a record of history and what the Creator of the Universe desires for humankind. Those who dismiss the Creator’s expectations will have to find out after death whether they are right regarding existence.
However, if individuals claim that the Bible is a fable or a book of fiction, there is a way they themselves can be challenged as to their own integrity, rather than by the limited knowledge that we possess. This can be done using the scientific method. Rather than having to demonstrate to people why certain Scriptures appear to contradict other Scriptures, the scientific method obligates them to prove the Scriptures themselves.
Richard Dawkins likes to think that he is a wise old codger—one who has proven that God does not exist. When he was a young man, he believed he demonstrated how evolution was a proven fact by using a model that he created on a computer. In his documentary The Blind Watchmaker, Richard Dawkins explains the improbability of a robber opening a multi-combination lock on a bank safe by guessing the combination. According to Dawkins, the odds are an astronomical ten million trillion to one. However, such complexity as this flies in the face of the Theory of Evolution and kills it stone dead. Evidently, those who reject the evolutionary theory on the basis of evidence such as this, according to Dawkins, do not understand how the theory works. This is because the multi-combination lock uses a number of different locks, and even if a few of them are right, unless they are all correct, the safe will not open. However, the combination-lock view of how evolution is supposed to work—where all the elements at a given time synchronize and a new species emerges—is flawed.
Richard Dawkins says that he does not believe evolution uses chance like it would in the way required to open a multi-combination lock at all. We can only assume that the reason Richard Dawkins does not accept that evolution uses chance like a combination lock is because he possesses an omniscient mind and, therefore, we can take it from him, a designer would be unnecessary.
Dawkins then goes on to say that, if we were to give a monkey a typewriter, eventually he would write the complete works of Shakespeare; only it would take eons (in other words: an eternity). Theoretically, humans are the monkeys that have evolved to write the works that are regarded as possessing poignantly deep insight into life, and Shakespeare was the particular monkey that wrote his own insightful works. For the scientist Dawkins to demonstrate how this would have had to have been done himself, he claims it would take him longer than the Universe has existed to reach even one single phrase of Shakespeare, such as, “methinks it is like a weasel.”
To prove that pure chance cannot explain evolution, Dawkins takes the phrase “methinks it is like a weasel” and writes a computer program to demonstrate how all the random efforts of his “computer monkey” are absolutely useless. After many trillions of attempts, the computer monkey cannot, by pure chance, write the phrase.
After validating that pure chance cannot produce evidence of evolutionary theory, Dawkins demonstrates the proof of the Theory of Evolution by designing another experimental model, using a computer that he has programmed differently, saying: “I wanted to compare the performance of the computer typing at random with the computer following the more Darwinian procedure of cumulative selection…. at random where a letter changes a little more like the target phrase ‘methinks it is like a weasel’ .... It has only been going a couple of minutes and it has the complete words…. the poor old random one (which he also programmed) is getting nowhere.... Although this is a good model, in another way it is really a cheat because this program is homing in on a distant target…. Real evolution is blind to the future.”
Nevertheless, Dawkins insists he has proven that the two computers, having been programmed differently and running side by side, are evidence of evolution. He exclaims, “We have proved the principle of cumulating chance in little bits, accumulative selection.”
Deception is not something people who desire the truth fall into easily. A true scientist will want proof that can be repeated in the laboratory using the genuine article, not fictitious models of imagination.
Richard Dawkins claims he is a scientist in the field of molecular biology. Yet he sets up an experiment using computer models to demonstrate how evolution works. Only he is unable to do this in his area of specialty. Explaining a theoretical model by using a computer program designed to achieve a particular result is no proof at all of evidence that evolutionary biology is the product of chance or selective accumulation of chance. In this case, Richard Dawkins has produced evidence of a designer (himself) creating a model programmed into a computer to demonstrate the theory of a myth that he personally believes to be true.
Now Dawkins may not accept that he believes in a myth. When people are deluded, because they reject the truth—as Richard Dawkins has for personal reasons—they can only believe delusions. If we know the truth, it is puzzling to think that an amateur attempt at sleight of hand by Dawkins would convince us that he is more than a failed magician.
When we attempt to prove something and we really do not know what we are talking about, the only people who are going to be on our side are those who have something to lose if they are not on our side. This is why believers (and this is what they are) in the Theory of Evolution all applaud Richard Dawkins’ documentary The Blind Watchmaker. Whereas this writer looks on in unbelief—aghast that Dawkins would think everyone could be so blind, so stupid, and so gullible, as himself, to think a programmed computer experiment is actually evidence of chance in operation, proving natural selection. Astoundingly, people claiming to be critical thinkers agree with Dawkins that his preprogrammed experiment is a legitimate demonstration of how the Theory of Evolution works in real life.
When it comes to knowing the truth, we need to approach everything with skepticism. This is because we will be less likely to deceive ourselves by thinking we are wise when using our imagination, and not for any other reason. It is so easy to deceive ourselves if we want to prove something to be true. Just have a look at Richard Dawkins’ film about himself: The Blind Watchmaker—or should it be “the blind molecular biologist masquerading as a computer programmer trying to hoodwink his audience”.
Yet according to Dawkins: we are nothing more than the mistakes of DNA. According to him, as far as creationists are concerned, we see there had to be a Creator because we want to see it. According to him, we who believe in a Creator Who is the Designer of all things do so because it fits our worldview; because of this we are blind to the truth that is staring us in the face—the illusion that Dawkins wants us to believe.
Mistakes are so easily made because human bias can so readily creep into experiments. This is why the scientific method requires repeatable evidence. This is different from being an archeologist and discovering historical evidence that affirms the narrative in Acts as being culturally true. Scientific method means being able to prove something over and over again. Evolutionists really do not like the scientific method because it requires absolute proof to be demonstrated; proof such as apples falling from trees confirming the Law of Gravity. The scientific method is “a method or procedure that has characterized natural science since the 17th century, consisting of systematic observation, measurement, and experiment, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses.” [ii]
Contrary to what many people think, the writers of the Bible did not write fiction and did not attempt to scare people with stories found in medieval fairytales about goblins and other scary creatures that originate in the darkest recesses of someone’s imagination. The prophets actually issued an appeal to reason to win souls rather than condemnation to eternal punishment in the hottest hellfires imaginable, or anguish and torment in the loneliness of the darkest hellholes found in the Universe. In the book of Isaiah, we are invited to come and reason with the Lord. Malachi invites us to put the Lord to the test and prove Him. We are not talking about believing in what we want to believe, but about establishing truth. We are talking about reason. We are talking about proof. We are talking about repeatable demonstrations of proof.
When we reason, we are using our intellectual capacity to seek verifiable knowledge and ascertain the truth. Many claim that this is intellectualism, and God is not interested in the intellect, because He is interested in the heart. Therefore, we need to approach God intuitively and not intellectually. However, this is not true. If we truly desire to know God, we need to appreciate Him and experience Him in a relationship that involves our spirit, soul, mind, and body, with all the strength we possess. Nevertheless, we need to start somewhere, and Jesus said that if we doubt, then we are lacking in faith. Hence, if we doubt in our mind, we cannot be full of faith. This is why God invites us to prove Him by putting Him to the test. God wants us to accept only the proven as true—not imagination, computer models, or other forms of fantasy.
If God invites us to prove Him by putting Him to the test, then there is no need for us to argue our own position. Every person can prove God for himself or herself. Whoever claims that God does not exist and the Bible is full of inconsistencies, if genuine, will not baulk at the challenge. This way, if the Bible is not what Jesus claims it to be, and Jesus is not Who He claims to be, people have nothing to worry about, for there is no such thing as eternal punishment. However, if the individuals who make false claims about the Bible are not prepared to accept God’s challenge, then arguing with them or even talking to them about scriptural truths is a waste of time. Jesus was very clear: we are not to throw pearls before swine or give to dogs what is holy. (This is different from seeking to find out whether a person is ready to acknowledge their sin.)
God does not change. This is to be expected. From a human viewpoint, if God is righteous and immortal, we could not expect Him to be unrighteous at any time; nor would we expect Him to be subject to death. This is the case, even though the Bible teaches us the Son of God assumed human form as Jesus of Nazareth and died on the cross. The pre-existent Divine nature that dwelt within Jesus, the Son of Man, was indestructible. When Jesus died on the cross, the man died. The indestructible Spirit of God that dwelt within Jesus did not. Hence, we read in the book of Romans the revelation that Paul had received about the gospel of truth:
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Good News of God, which he promised before through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was born of the offspring of David according to the flesh, who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 1:1-4)
As we can see in this text, the Apostle Paul declares what has been revealed to him. This is the man who once opposed the truth of the resurrection, which he believed, but probably found it inconceivable that a man could be born of a virgin, die for the sin of humankind, and then rise from the dead, as prophesied in writings published centuries earlier. Yet we see Paul declaring, according to the power of the Spirit of Holiness within the child born of the virgin Mary, that the whole of Creation has to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God. In another place, the Apostle Paul declares that the mystery of godliness is great, because God was revealed in the flesh and justified in the Spirit (1 Timothy 3:16). All this is because the man Jesus of Nazareth was the only human ever to have been born with the power of an indestructible life (Hebrews 7:16).
If God does not change because He is righteous, and Jesus is the Son of God, who possesses the same nature as Himself, and is in fact one with the Father as He claimed (John 10:30), then what is in the Old Testament must be applicable to the New Testament. When we read that the Lord does not change (Malachi 3:6), then this must apply today. If this is not the case, we will be able to disprove it. If it is the case, we will be able to prove it. Science is all about attempting to disprove claims in order to prove claims.
Assuming the scientific method is a valid and reliable means of testing propositions under all circumstances, then the procedure that has characterized natural science since the 17th century should be acceptable today. First, we need to develop a hypothesis before we can test it with an experiment using measurement and systematic observation.
Since the book of Malachi provides us with a challenge, we will formulate our hypothesis beginning with the passage of Scripture found there. The passage reads:
“For I, Yahweh, don’t change; therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my ordinances, and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says Yahweh of Armies. “But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with the curse; for you rob me, even this whole nation. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this,” says Yahweh of Armies, “if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there will not be room enough for. I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before its time in the field,” says Yahweh of Armies. “All nations shall call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,” says Yahweh of Armies. (Malachi 3:6–12)
The Scripture essentially states that if we are to return to Yahweh (the LORD), we are required to bring the whole tithe into God’s storehouse. In doing this, we are putting God to the test. He promises to pour out an abundant blessing observable by others.
This information appears to provide us with something we can observe, and with which we can measure and conduct an experiment more than once.
First, we need to establish what is a tithe. Secondly, we need to establish where we can find God’s storehouse. Thirdly, we need to establish the length of the experiment for observational purposes. Fourthly, we need to establish how we can measure the experiment. Fifthly, we need to establish if it is repeatable.
It is noted that, according to this text, the requirement for the overflowing blessing is the whole tithe and offerings. However, we are talking about the tithe alone and not the offerings. A tithe on its own is one-tenth of something, but the full tithe and offerings could be considerably more. Therefore, if we were only to give one-tenth into the storehouse of the Lord, this would not qualify for overflowing blessings, but it would have to qualify for blessings.
In respect to the storehouse of the Lord, we will also have to establish where this storehouse might be. There are many who claim that they are the guardians of the Lord’s storehouse, but we need to know what they are guarding that might qualify them to be recipients of this tithe.
Before we get to the third criterion of the five criteria we have identified as necessary for us to conduct our experiment, we need to establish how we can qualify the first two: what exactly is the tithe, and who should be the recipient of the tithe.
The above text mentions Jacob. Evidently, Jacob tithed, for we read:
Jacob vowed a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothing to put on, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, and Yahweh will be my God, then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, will be God’s house. Of all that you will give me I will surely give a tenth to you.” (Genesis 28:20–22)
From what the Bible says concerning Jacob and his tithe, it appears that he did not go beyond the tenth. He may have offered other offerings that are not mentioned, but in respect to the tithe, he made a vow, entering into a covenant with God to provide for him and protect him. It is upon this that the promise is made in the Malachi text that God does not change; therefore, the people of Israel are not consumed.
In the Mosaic Law, there are other tithes and offerings mentioned. They are obviously there for a reason. In this passage, regarding putting God to the test and the rebuking of the devourer, it appears that Jacob is the key to understanding what it all means. Because of this, we can have confidence that the tithe alone will suffice to conduct our experiment.
Within Jewish literature, what is termed the “second tithe” is to be consumed at Jerusalem by the Israelites, and what is termed the “third tithe” is to be given to the poor. This all comes from the Mosaic Covenant, as does the offering of the first fruits. However, it is worth noting that the offering of the first fruits appears to be something that was done before the Mosaic Covenant was brought into being. This concept goes back to Abel. We read in the book of Genesis:
Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. Yahweh respected Abel and his offering. (Genesis 4:4)
We cannot tell whether Abel tithed; that is, brought a tenth of his firstborn as a sacrifice to the Lord. What we do know is that he brought more than one of the firstborn. Significantly, we also notice that this was a freewill offering of the firstborn, or the first fruits. In which case, if anybody truly wants to prove God, it is only right that the first fruits be included in the tenth, and not that the tithe comes from what is leftover. In saying this, if we are going to put God to the test and prove Him, we need to demonstrate that we are genuine in this experiment and not half-hearted. We truly want to know whether the God of the Bible is the Creator and not created out of man’s imagination, like the computer monkey that Richard Dawkins created to demonstrate his belief in the philosophy of atheistic evolution.
Since this is an experiment to test the God of Jacob, and we have identified that tithes and offerings are to be included, we shall determine the offering to be the first fruits—that is, the offering that forms the first tenth of our income, and not a tenth of what is left over after everything else has been taken into account. Moreover, in the book of Proverbs, which is renowned for its wisdom, we find the following advice that aligns with the promise made in Malachi:
Honor Yahweh with your substance, with the first fruits of all your increase: so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine. (Proverbs 3:9–10)
Another point that needs to be noted is that Jacob did not have any wealth when making his vow to tithe and honor God. Jacob was on the run from his brother Esau at the time; he was footloose and fancy free, so to speak. Fugitives are not known for carrying much attire or many belongings, other than the clothes they wear and whatever cash they can quickly lay their hands on. In other words, Jacob was broke. We also note that Jacob was working for wages, for we read:
Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh.” He lived with him for a month. Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my brother, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what will your wages be?” (Genesis 29:14–15)
Therefore, to genuinely put God to the test, we need to start off with nothing and, at least, begin with wages. This is what we have to do if we are going to prove whether the Lord God of the Bible is true, or the idea of a Creator having created the Heavens and Earth is a hoax.
Now that we have ascertained that Jacob was broke and had just been awarded employment for wages, and an offering means first fruits, this establishes the first criterion. Therefore, we will make a pact with God, as Jacob did, and the first thing we will do is bring a tenth of what we receive as wages, before deductions, as an offering of the first fruits.
The issue of the storehouse needs to be addressed. Where can we find a storehouse of God? There are so many different people claiming to know where this storehouse exists, but what if they are hoodwinking us, and their storehouse is their bank account only, and God does not recognize them? Back in the days of Malachi, the storehouse was something that was looked after by the priests. It just so happens the book of Malachi has provided us with a clue that will help us ascertain where the storehouse of God is kept today, if there is one. This is where we can find our clue:
“Now, you priests, this commandment is for you. If you will not listen, and if you will not lay it to heart, to give glory to my name,” says Yahweh of Armies, “then will I send the curse on you, and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have cursed them already, because you do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and will spread dung on your faces, even the dung of your feasts; and you will be taken away with it. You will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that my covenant may be with Levi,” says Yahweh of Armies. “My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him that he might be reverent toward me; and he was reverent toward me, and stood in awe of my name. The law of truth was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found in his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many away from iniquity. For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of Yahweh of Armies. (Malachi 2:1-7)
When we read this passage from Malachi, chapter two, we see that there is not only one clue in the text, but there are a number of clues; so we will deal with them one by one.
The priests have been given an edict that if they will not glorify the name of the Lord, then they will be cursed and their offerings will be cursed. What this suggests is that if we give our tithes to priests who are not glorifying the name of the Lord, our offerings will be cursed, and this is not going to prove God. We need to find a storehouse where the priests are not cursed but blessed. The question is then: What brings the curse?
We want to find a storehouse outside of the Mosaic Covenant and not within a Jewish context. The reason we say this is because the Christian message supersedes the Mosaic Covenant of an eye for an eye and a hand for a hand. Barbaric acts of brutality are not to be tolerated within the Christian context; rather, the concept of healing is the ethos Jesus espoused. This is evidenced when Jesus healed the ear His disciple Peter cut off—at the time, a beheading or some form of vengeance might have seemed the appropriate response to Judas’ betrayal. This is what the physician Luke records about the incident:
But Jesus said to him, “Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” When those who were around him saw what was about to happen, they said to him, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” A certain one[iii] of them struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. But Jesus answered, “Let me at least do this”—and he touched his ear, and healed him. (Luke 22:48–51)
Noteworthy also is that the only time Jesus is recorded in the gospels as having been angry, we find Him, instead of beheading people, bringing healing:
He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath day to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to kill?” But they were silent. When he had looked around at them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their hearts, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored as healthy as the other. The Pharisees went out, and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. (Mark 3:4–6)
From these two passages of Scripture about Jesus healing people, we are able to arrive at elements of criteria to establish who might be the guardians of God’s storehouse, if there is one on earth. What we note is that those who preach anger and hostility do not fit the picture. Instead, we need to be looking for guardians of the storehouse who preach healing and peace. The God of the Christians is not an angry God. The Christian God also brings healing. This healing is what some might call metaphysical, but it is actually physical healing—not speculative, spiritual, or incorporeal. These two criteria alone (healing and peace) point to many people who claim to be guardians of the truth as definitely not from God.
Since we are looking at some of the things Jesus did, we might as well consider something else that He said regarding bringing glory to God. The opposite of this is to bring a curse. However, the following Scriptures from the Sermon on the Mount provide some extra qualification as to determining who might be the guardian of the storehouse:
“You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted? It is then good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men. You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden. Neither do you light a lamp, and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house. Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
“Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill. For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished. Whoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 5:13–20)
From the Sermon on the Mount, there is the implication that knowledge is what is kept in the storehouse, because Jesus said that He did not come to destroy the law and the prophets. It just so happens, the Apostle Paul provides a little light on this matter for us when he wrote the following concerning the Law given to Israel:
But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth. (Romans 2:17–20 ESV[iv])
Those who are guardians of the storehouse are guardians of knowledge, which has to be the truth about life. In this passage from the Sermon on the Mount, we notice that the guardians of truth will have to be like salt, and yet a light that brings glory to God for the things they do. The guardian of truth does not break the commandments of God. Those who disregard and break the commandments do not bring glory to the name of God. Moreover, we learn from Jesus that the righteousness of the storehouse guardian exceeds that of the Pharisees.
Pharisees are hypocrites, so we know that anyone who is a hypocrite is not a guardian of God’s storehouse. The commandments can only be the Ten Commandments that were written by the Finger of God, so the person must uphold these. The things they do must bring glory to God and, like salt, they must have some sting in what they say.
In what we have identified so far, we can enumerate the criteria that we need to ascertain who might be a guardian of the storehouse of God as righteousness, the Ten Commandments, bringing God glory, and salt. To this we can add peace instead of vengeance, and healing instead of anger—which makes six.
The text from the book of Malachi says that the covenant is with Levi, but he was not around when Malachi wrote this. The Levite priesthood was—so we can assume that Levi is representative of all priests. Specifically, we will do well to note, apart from the fact Levi was in awe of God, he walked with the Lord in peace and uprightness, and turned many away from iniquity. Here we have some more clues. Peace and righteousness we have already noted. But we have not accounted for the law of truth and being a winner of souls; nor wisdom and being a messenger of God—that is, a prophet.
Our little investigation has uncovered a number of criteria by which we can assess whether any person is a guardian of God’s storehouse. In fact, the last verse from the text in Malachi where we began finding our clues tells us that the lips of a priest should guard knowledge and we should seek his understanding of the law of God. This suggests humility, which brings us to ten criteria with which to evaluate who might be a guardian of the storehouse—the first criterion being more about establishing what is righteousness, so we have something to assess the other ten criteria with.
The ten criteria that provide us with clues where God’s storehouse might be found by indentifying a guardian are:
1) We need to find someone who has humility.
2) We need to find someone who is a prophet from God.
3) We need to find someone who heals.
4) We need to find someone who wants to save souls.
5) We need to find someone who is wise.
6) We need to find someone who walks in righteousness.
7) We need to find someone who is a peacemaker.
8) We need to find someone who salts his speech with truth.
9) We need to find someone who walks in the light and, by doing so, brings glory to God.
10) We need to find someone who understands the law of God.
Importantly, we need to establish what righteousness means before we can begin our search for God’s storehouse. Even though we have identified criteria that will assist in qualifying the guardians, it is important to understand what righteousness means in the world that we live in. For this appears to be the bottom line, and we want to bring our offering of the tithe to people who are not cursed, but blessed, so that we can prove the truth about the claims in the Bible regarding the Lord God. If we simply tithe a tenth of our wages to any individual or organization and they are cursed, we will not receive the blessing and our experiment will not have been valid. We would have gone away with a wrong conclusion to our hypothesis and made false claims about the tithe and God. From what we have considered so far, we know that there are many people masquerading as guardians of God’s storehouse who are actually cursed, even if they may not know it themselves—not to mention certain organizations and those who belong to them.
People we know who are cursed would have to be those that do not understand the Law of God, do not bring glory to God, make compromises, serve an angry God, do not win souls, lack wisdom, compromise the truth, do not believe in the message of healing, make inaccurate predictions, lack humility, and practice hypocrisy. The following passage was written before the end of the first century (circa 50 AD), but reading it informs us that the largest denomination, contrary to its claims of being the guardian of truth, is excluded from being the storehouse of God. This is what the Apostle Paul has to say:
But the Spirit says expressly that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, through the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron; forbidding marriage and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
(1 Timothy 4:1-3)
When we begin to analyze the requirements and what goes on within various denominations and sects, we find many of our possible candidates, who could be probable guardians of the storehouse, seem to disappear from the list we are forming. We may wonder whether this is because—although a call goes to many—few are chosen. However, if we are to set up a scientific test that meets the criteria of our experiment, which we have determined is to prove that the challenge made in Malachi to put God to the test is man-made, and not God-ordained, we need to make sure that we have covered every possible flaw. Because of the nature of this experiment, which is to prove a negative, we do not want to be found guilty of experimental error due to unintentional research bias; neither do we want to be accused of intentional research bias. For instance, we could not give our tithe to an organization that forbids marriage and advocates abstaining from foods, and expect blessings when those who practice such things have been cursed. Therefore, the person, persons, or organization we deem to be a guardian of God’s storehouse will have to qualify as not being under a curse. If we deem anyone to be a guardian, while knowing that elements which qualify for a curse exist, and we find that in giving the tithe to such a guardian we fail to obtain any blessing, or insufficient blessing to be conclusive, we cannot conclusively prove the Bible is uninspired by an Omniscient Mind that created and rules the Universe, and that the God of the Bible is a fabrication of man’s imagination.
In trying to prove a negative, for some people we might seem to be conducting an offensive experiment, because they accept God to be true. Only we want conclusive evidence either way. A true scientific experiment is neutral. In conducting this experiment, we are not saying that God is true and we are not saying that God is not true. We are saying that, from a humanistic point of view, it is more likely men wrote the Bible without the inspiration of God. This is because there are many religious texts available from different parts of the world, which claim divine inspiration and have different messages. Therefore, the contention is that if God authored the Bible, then Malachi is the means by which we can test this. In order to test this scientifically, we need to attempt to prove that tithing does not bring the blessing of God. If we cannot prove that the invitation to tithe is a hoax, then we have to admit that the Creator of the Universe is the Author of the Bible. The best way to do this is to do everything we can to genuinely demonstrate that God is not true, unless the experiment proves us wrong and the Bible correct. Furthermore, in order to be truly scientific, we are approaching this with the mindset that we are not sure that the Universe was created by a Creator. If this experiment demonstrates that what is written in the book of Malachi about returning to God is correct, because we have covered all bases, then we have a sound basis to accept the truth of the Bible’s teachings.
Before we look further into who would be a likely candidate as a guardian of God’s storehouse, we will consider the other three criteria: how long the experiment will be, how it can be measured, and whether it is repeatable.
When we have found the guardian of the storehouse, there should not be any issues about other people repeating the experiment; although our experiment should be conclusive enough that the results will speak for themselves. We will be able to measure this by finding someone to partner with us and, instead of tithing to the selected guardian, he can spend or invest his money however he likes. Naturally, we will need to select a partner who will be willing to document what he does with his money. As for the duration, if we are going to do this experiment correctly, we would have to do what Jacob did, since this appears to be the inspiration for the concept of receiving blessing from Heaven through the tithe.
Since we would probably have to use animals to prove what Jacob did and have to do this over a twenty-year period, we will have to admit that we are not prepared to become stockmen and raise livestock, so we will use money instead, and allow a tenth of the time Jacob did to prove God. In saying that Jacob actually tithed his animals to the priest, this may not have been the case, because if we were to assume that he decided to tithe to the Melchizedek priesthood that existed in Salem at that time, he may have sold his animals for gold to send his tithe to the priests.
Jacob tithed over a twenty-year period. Even though his uncle Laban (the Devil incarnate) did everything possible to cheat him, Jacob became abundantly wealthier than him. Regarding this experiment, instead of twenty years, we will tithe the time, and conduct it over two years. We should be able to establish a difference between one person who tithes and one who does not in two years. This should be enough time for any overflowing blessing to become evident. If there is blessing, but no overflowing blessing, we will simply apply a mathematical formula to spread it over a twenty-year period to see what the probable result would be—whether or not this would be enough to warrant acceptance of divine intervention. This way, if some indication that divine intervention could be happening occurs, we can repeat the experiment.
We have no need to concern ourselves regarding design bias because this aspect of our experiment is eliminated by the fact the method of experimentation is provided by what is found in the Bible. We have the criteria by which we can eliminate any selection bias, as long as we do not purposely omit prospective candidates who fit the criteria for selection as guardians of God’s storehouse, or include only those who do not fit the criteria. It is unlikely there will be any procedural bias as long as we offer the first fruits of our tithe as soon as we receive our wages. The only likelihood of there being any measurement bias is if we fudge the figures and claim we brought in the first tenth of our income to the Lord’s storehouse but did not; however, we will monitor this by ensuring we have dated receipts. Since we are expecting a negative result to prove that God does not honor the tithe in accordance with what is written in the Bible, any favorable reporting is unlikely to be fudged.
Having covered nearly every criterion that we have observed to form the question from which to develop our hypothesis, there is only the matter of finding a qualifying candidate as guardian of the storehouse who is suitable for our experiment.
From the ten criteria that we have developed for selecting a candidate, we can eliminate all candidates who do not believe prophecy, healing, and the Law of God are valid for today. We can eliminate all those who believe in an angry God and mix darkness with the light by declaring dogmas that are not found in the Bible. We can eliminate all those who do not win souls by turning them away from iniquity, practice hypocrisy, make compromises, lack humility and wisdom, and do not cause other people to glorify God because of what they are doing.
There is one problem in all of this, which is rather unfortunate. Pedophiles have eliminated nearly all the denominations. Hypocrisy has knocked the rest out of the equation. Television evangelists obviously lack humility and appear to be more interested in money rather than humility, which leaves us only with the hope of some small independent groups. To be honest, we are having difficulty finding an organization or high-profile person, purporting to be a guardian of God’s storehouse, fitting all the above criteria. Either this means the ideal is too high and impossible to attain, or that humans prefer not to live up to the standards that God has laid down in the Bible.
This is a disappointing development and indicates that we may not be able to conduct our experiment. Nevertheless, we do not want to merely express an opinion, so since our aim is to prove that the Bible is an unreliable document and not base our beliefs on what we observe from the actions of those who purport that it is the authoritative Word of God—even though the evidence appears to be that such a claim is false—we would still like to see if God is real. Or, to be scientific about the matter: we would like to prove conclusively that the claims of the Bible are false.
Since it is unlikely that we will find anyone who measures up to being the ideal candidate, we will settle for the best candidate we can find; even though, from the criteria that we have before us, it appears that our selection could not possibly be the guardian of God’s storehouse. Since it is difficult to find anyone, maybe we might be able to find someone or some organization that might qualify using different criteria, while including as many of the ten criteria possible that are already established as hallmarks for the guardian of God’s storehouse.
One thing that we have noted in the Bible, having read it all—being a genuine searcher for truth—is that Jesus is said to be a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Interestingly, we found this in the book of Genesis:
When Abram heard that his relative was taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued as far as Dan. He divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and struck them, and pursued them to Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative, Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the other people.
The king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High. He blessed him, and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”
Abram gave him a tenth of all.
The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, and take the goods for yourself.”
Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted up my hand to Yahweh, God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take a thread nor a sandal strap nor anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ I will accept nothing from you except that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. Let them take their portion”
(Genesis. 14:14-24).
There are a number of features within this passage from the Bible that are found in the New Testament. There is the mention of Melchizedek, the tithe, and the bread and the wine. There are also two other features that are not quite so conspicuous—we will come to these later.
To begin with, Melchizedek is designated a high priest and king of Salem, and according to the book of Hebrews, by virtue of his name and status in society, he is a priest of righteousness and king of peace. Jesus has been made a high priest of this same order, according to the book of Hebrews:
For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham divided a tenth part of all (being first, by interpretation, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace; without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God), remains a priest continually. Now consider how great this man was, to whom even Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth out of the best plunder. They indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brothers, though these have come out of the body of Abraham, but he whose genealogy is not counted from them has accepted tithes from Abraham, and has blessed him who has the promises. But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. Here people who die receive tithes, but there one receives tithes of whom it is testified that he lives. We can say that through Abraham even Levi, who receives tithes, has paid tithes, for he was yet in the body of his father when Melchizedek met him. Now if there were perfection through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people have received the law), what further need was there for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is of necessity a change made also in the law. For he of whom these things are said belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord has sprung out of Judah, about which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. This is yet more abundantly evident, if after the likeness of Melchizedek there arises another priest, who has been made, not after the law of a fleshly commandment, but after the power of an endless life: for it is testified, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”
For there is an annulling of a foregoing commandment because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect), and a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. Inasmuch as he was not made priest without the taking of an oath (for they indeed have been made priests without an oath), but he with an oath by him that says of him, “The Lord swore and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.’”
By so much, Jesus has become the collateral of a better covenant. Many, indeed, have been made priests, because they are hindered from continuing by death. But he, because he lives forever, has his priesthood unchangeable. Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession for them. For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who doesn’t need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself. For the law appoints men as high priests who have weakness, but the word of the oath which came after the law appoints a Son forever who has been perfected. (Hebrews 7:1-28)
A cursory read of this passage tells us that Jesus is a high priest after the order of Melchizedek because He is righteous, brings peace, and has eternal life. Jesus has also brought an end to the Levitical priesthood and introduced a covenant that contains a priesthood with better promises—namely, the Melchizedek priesthood.
While it is suggested here that the Melchizedek Order is a new covenant, this is not the case when the whole Bible is taken into account; it is only new in respect to the Israelites as a nation established among other nations. As far as the nation of Israel is concerned, the laws and statutes that were enshrined in the rites and rituals of religious observance are no longer required. Hence, a new expression of demonstrating faith in God—and the justice, mercy, and love of the Creator towards His Creation—has been unveiled.
For as the tithe mentioned in Malachi existed as an expression of faith towards God before the Levitical priesthood, the Melchizedek priesthood used the symbolism of the bread and wine to express its everlasting virtue. This helps us understand why Jesus introduced the bread and the wine at the Last Supper and instructed His disciples to commemorate this as a remembrance of His death and resurrection until He returns. The Apostle Paul was even instructed by the Lord Himself to set up this rite, and tells us so in his letter to the Corinthian Church:
For I received from the Lord that which also I delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread. When he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me.” In the same way he also took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the Lord’s cup in a way unworthy of the Lord will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy way eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he doesn’t discern the Lord’s body. (1 Corinthians 11:23-29)
Many people complain about being made to feel guilty because they do not tithe. People do not have to tithe, for God only accepts a cheerful giver. Of course, there are many who believe God does not want anybody to feel guilty if they are doing wrong. Yet here is the Apostle Paul loading a guilt trip on those who participate in communion without examining their hearts in a way that is acceptable to God. Maybe it is just a coincidence that there is a curse associated with the tithe and with communion, and both have to do with the Melchizedek priesthood. In which case, if someone feels guilty about something, then this could only be because they understand they are under a curse but do not want to comply with the requirements for having the curse removed. Understandably, we will all be guilty of trying to cheat God if we expect the blessings but do not want to honor our Heavenly Father and give Him the glory He rightly deserves.
From a scientific perspective, being seekers of truth, we have to ask the question: Does this curse have anything to do with the fact that the Melchizedek priesthood is an eternal order? Could eternal punishment be real, too? However, these questions are not what we are seeking to answer. We are seeking to develop a means by which we can disprove that God is the author of the tithe and, as a corollary of this, that He did not inspire the writings of the Bible. If we cannot disprove that God is the author of the Bible, we will have to accept the truth for what it is.
Admittedly, it is a setback for this experiment not being able to find anyone who claims to represent God and fits all ten criteria. The Apostle Paul wrote regarding the Jews, who claimed to be the guardians of God’s storehouse:
“For ‘the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,’ just as it is written.” (Romans 2:24).
One thing we can draw from the above passage in Hebrews about the Melchizedek priesthood is that it is not a priesthood that is inherited. If anything ancestral were to be considered, the best the Israelites appear to have going in their favor was Abraham, who tithed to the one of whom it is testified that he lives, because there is no evidence of him having been born or having died. We are told that because of this, Melchizedek represents the Son of God. According to the Bible, the Son of God is the Lord Jesus Christ, who took on human form when entering the child of Mary, the virgin. He then lived a sinless life, died on the Cross of Calvary to redeem mankind from sin, and rose from the dead on the third day, before ascending to Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father.
In the book of Ephesians, we learn that when the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, He gave gifts to men to bring people to the knowledge of the truth. These men sound like they might be guardians of the storehouse. The following passage from the book of Ephesians looks like providing some promising clues:
He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ; from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love.
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts; who having become callous gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you did not learn Christ that way; if indeed you heard him, and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus: that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man, that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit; and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth (Ephesians 4:11-24).
Once more, we see a standard that requires much of the ten criteria that we have already identified, except for prophecy and healing. This seems to remove two of the supernatural (or miraculous) components from the equation. The emphasis is on teaching and living the truth, with the five nominated guardians in the office of apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd, and teacher expected to be servants of those whom they are teaching. This suggests people who are not high-fliers or of high profile, but who are humble and without deceit—prepared to lay down their own lives (like Abraham did when rescuing Lot) to motivate others toward finding a life that is more fulfilling than the one formerly lived. For such men, and for the benefits received by those they serve, the members of the congregation would have to be giving God the glory.
No doubt there are such individuals around. What we need to do is find them. When we find such a person or group of persons, we will then be able to conduct our experiment.
From what we have seen in the Bible, and from what we have observed in the world around us, the question we are attempting to answer is identified in the following proposal.
The Question
By accepting the challenge proposed in the Book of Malachi, and tithing to the best representative we can find who purports, and appears, to fit as many criteria as possible (dedicated servants as full-time workers, communion celebrated weekly, congregation giving God the glory), we should be able to verify whether the God of the Bible is true or not.
The Hypothesis
If this test of tithing disproves or proves the worth of tithing, this will give us an indication of whether the God of the Bible is true or not. This may not definitely prove that God is true, but we can be sure that if there is not a distinct improvement in the finances and lifestyle of the one tithing, then there is no value in tithing. A negative result would definitely indicate the Bible is not inspired by God, but is merely the product of human imagination.
The Experiment
What we propose to do is, for a period of two years, give ten per cent off the top as first fruits of the wages we earn before deductions. We will keep all the appropriate receipts and we will compare the outcome of our finances and lifestyle with another individual, on the same income, who does not tithe. Both of us will begin from the same position of possessing nothing. This way, we will be able to determine whether there is any benefit in tithing and, if so, then there is the possibility that these principles are true. Receipts will be obtained from those to whom the tithe is given. Receipts of wages from the employer will also be obtained to prove that the ten per cent is actually tithed. All receipts will be official for taxation records. Only the wage receipts will be collected from the non-tithing participant.
The person doing the tithing will attend a congregation for two years where communion of the bread and wine is celebrated every week, and where teaching is causing the congregation to grow in number, because souls are having their lives affected in a more positive manner than the lifestyle they had previously known.
Notations of each participant’s activities and experiences will be kept weekly as a record of lifestyle quality, to see whether there are any measurable effects.
The Conclusion
Stanley Tam wrote a book entitled God Owns My Business. Stanley was a struggling sales representative when he opened a Gideon’s Bible one night and saw the text in Malachi (3:6–12). Stanley decided to test God. Like Jacob, twenty years later, he was a wealthy man. Unlike Jacob, he was not breeding livestock. Nevertheless, by faithfully honoring God with his tithe, Stanley Tam was able to prove that the God of the Bible is true. The United States Plastic Corporation has become testimony to this.
My grandmother became a Christian when she was sixty-eight years of age and died at eighty-eight. From the time she began tithing as a new Christian, she never looked back. At the age of eighty-three, I personally witnessed her comforting others who were younger than she was. One of her daughters, a non-Christian, expressed to me her resentment that her mother, my grandmother, gave so much money to the church. The joy my grandmother experienced after she became a Christian and began tithing may not have endeared her to those in her family who had their eyes on her purse. The many people she helped gave glory to God, because this woman more than tithed. The last twenty years of her life were spent rejoicing in the goodness of God and looking forward to spending eternity with her Lord, who had opened the windows of blessing to her.
There was a man on Quora, an avowed atheist, who boldly claimed there was no way anyone could prove the existence of God. I challenged him with the words of Malachi, asking him to commit to an experiment: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse … and see if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing so great you will not have room to contain it” (Malachi 3:10). I said, “Try it for two years. Test God, as He Himself invites us to do, and see whether His word is true.”
But the man refused. He dismissed it outright, declaring it would not work. I pressed him: “So, you are not prepared to put your money where your mouth is?” His answer was sharp: “Why should I? Just so religious people can benefit?”
And there it was. The issue was not the validity of the experiment. The issue was the unwillingness to test God honestly. He wanted to argue, but not to prove. Death comes to us all, so I asked him, “What then?” He replied, “I will return to dust like every other biological creature.” That was the end of his reasoning.
The truth is, there was no real desire in him to prove God wrong or right. He had already chosen unbelief. The invitation of Malachi is not for the skeptic who delights in debate, but for the one who is genuinely seeking truth. God does not say, “Take My word blindly.” He says, “Prove Me now in this.” He does not fear the test, for He cannot lie.
The atheist on Quora may have settled for dust. But the words of Malachi remain standing, unshaken: bring the firstfruits, honor the Lord with your increase, and see for yourself whether He opens the windows of heaven, rebukes the devourer, and causes your life to bear fruit. Whoever refuses to test God cannot claim the promise has failed—only that they were never willing to find out.
As for me, I will continue to take Him at His word. For I know in whom I have believed, and I have seen His faithfulness poured out like blessing from heaven.
The truth is, there are many testimonies from people who have decided to return to God and tithe. These testimonies number in the millions. They prove the Bible is the legitimate, inspired writing from the Omniscient Creator of Heaven and Earth. Anyone who does not put Him to the proof and bring the first tenth of their wages into the storehouse has no argument, for they have failed to demonstrate that they are true scientists. The book of Proverbs states that fools are not interested in understanding the truth, but merely in expressing their own opinion. Take up the challenge, and scientifically prove whether the God of the Bible is true. However, in doing this, do not give to those institutions or persons that are cursed because of hypocritical, unrighteous, and unbiblical activities endorsed by their leaders. Find a place where the leaders are living in accordance with the biblical teachings, the congregation is growing, and communion is celebrated every week.
There was a time when I was attending a particular church and my income began to rise. In fact, the contractor to whom I was subcontracting had tried to cut my rates, and I had prayed to the Lord that this would not happen. More than this, being in the building industry, work dried up for quite a number of people, but I became this contractor’s number one subcontractor. This was because, in all I did, I did to the Lord. Consequently, when people attempted a malicious campaign to undermine me with the contractor, he actually defended me.
A time came, because of the money I was earning, when in order not to let my left hand know what my right hand was doing, I decided it would be more prudent to siphon off some of my tithe to another congregation where I had some previous affiliation. To make things easier, I decided to alternate my tithe fortnightly between the two congregations. What astonished me was what happened the first week, and then each following week, after I had tithed at the other congregation. My income doubled. Since I worked for myself, my weekly income could fluctuate, depending on the type of work I took on and the amount I completed. Not only did my income double, but the type of work I was receiving also changed. I began receiving more of what was known as “the cream” within the industry, because it paid higher and required less effort and time than the more common work. It was only a matter of a few months before I left the congregation I had been attending and decided to rejoin the congregation that brought the greater blessings.
The reason why the blessing was greater at the second congregation, I believe, had to do with the teaching. More of the truths of the Bible were taught among this group of people than were taught at the previous congregation. This, of course, flowed into lives being more sanctified and more on fire for sharing the truth of Jesus with other people. Testimony and soul-winning are a vital part of extending the Kingdom of God. Jesus did not come to Earth for people to sit in comfortable pews and have little earthly bless-me clubs.
The reason Jesus came to Earth was to redeem what had, in effect, been stolen by the Devil. This is the case, even though Adam relinquished his rights because he walked by sight and, in unbelief, partook of the forbidden fruit that he saw Eve eat. Had Adam walked by faith, he would have believed what God said and not eaten of the forbidden fruit. However, even though Jesus had to die on the Cross of Calvary to redeem us, we still have to complete the work that He began, and this involves winning souls and overcoming the Devil in our own lives; for we need to work out our salvation even though God is at work in us (Philippians 2:12–13).
The truth is, God loves us. Jesus rejoices in us when we follow in His footsteps. The Holy Spirit only wants us to experience more of Him in the bond of unity and peace. We who have been born from above have no qualms about tithing to support the work of those who are in full-time service and putting aside the same again to meet the needs of brothers and sisters in need. Love, joy, and peace become the rule in our daily lives when the blessings never cease. Why live under the curse?
[i] Explained in How To Sine Like A Star
[ii] Oxford Dictionary.
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/scientific-method—retrieved
Oct. 10, 2014
[iii] John 18:10 Simon
Peter therefore, having a sword, drew it, and struck the high priest’s servant,
and cut off his right ear.
[iv] English Standard
Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News
Publishers. Used by Permission.
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