Is tithing required in the New Testament? – Visit our Bible Question Archive on our website here: https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/listen/archives/o/24/t/bible-question-archive Join Pastor Doug Sunday at 7:00pm Pacific. Call 1-800-GOD-SAYS during the broadcast to have your question answered live on the air! Find a broadcast in your area using our station locator: https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/station-locator/mt/214/t/radio Read the Bible Study Guide 'In God We Trust' free online here: https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/study-guide/e/5002/t/in-god-we-trust- Transcript
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PASTOR JËAN ROSS: Our next caller is Yunello calling from Farmington Hills, Michigan. Yunello, welcome to the program. YUNELLO: Hello, yes, how are you doing? PASTOR DOUG: Very well, and your question tonight? YUNELLO: My question is on tithing. My question is, the difference between Old Testament tithing and New Testament giving; because, from reading the Word of God, I don't see a necessity in tithing, like the 10 percent, but most churches say that it's required for Bible believers to give that 10 percent. From what I see, it looks like the New Testament believers, they gave everything; and just gave to everyone who had need. PASTOR DOUG: Alright, that's a good question, and you're right. Actually, New Testament giving is much more than 10 percent. But tithing is kindergarten for any believer. It's a bare minimum. The principle of tithing is found in the New Testament. You'll find, for instance, in Matthew 23:23, it's kind of easy to remember, where Jesus is talking. He's in that debate with the scribes and Pharisees, and they were very exacting about tithe. He said, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin." Those were herbs that they grew in their garden and they would count out pieces of parley and they'd say, "Okay, and one for the Lord." So they were very particular. And He said, "you've omitted," Jesus is speaking here; He said you pay on your herb garden but you've, "omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these you ought to have done," and notice what He says at the end, "and do not leave the other undone." In other words, don't neglect tithe-paying, but don't forget the priorities of judgment, mercy, and faith. So another reason that we believe that the principle of tithe is still in effect for New Testament Christians, but like I said, it's actually beyond that, is because anything that you find among God's people before the time of Moses in the Levitical law, is typically an ongoing principle. And you find where Abraham paid tithe. He lived long before the Ten Commandments or the Levitical ceremonial laws. Abraham paid tithe when he paid it to Melchizedek. I actually don't remember that verse, Pastor Ross, where he paid tithe to Melchizedek. PASTOR JËAN ROSS: Well it's mentioned in Hebrews chapter 7, 1 and 2. PASTOR DOUG: Well there you go. That's another New Testament reference to what Abraham did. And then Jacob, when he fled, he said if God would safely bring him back, "a tenth of all that You give me I'll restore to You." "Tithe" means, "a tenth." And so, you've got at least two examples even before Moses where they believed in the principle of tithe. And then of course, what really begs the question is, if God had a system for the support of mission work and ministry around the world in the Bible, both Old Testament and New Testament, if He has not substituted it with a different system–tithes and offerings were the system in the Old Testament–we still have offerings today. I don't think God has deducted the tithe. So, you know, we have a lesson we could send you on that, Yunello. YUNELLO: You said some awesome stuff about Melchizedek. PASTOR DOUG: Yes YUNELLO: I thought that was very true. But there's only one thing that I was contemplating on when you were talking about it, was, when you said Abraham gave the tenth to Melchizedek. PASTOR DOUG: Yes YUNELLO: I was reading it in Genesis and what I saw was that, yes, he gave that tenth; but he offered it, not as a requirement, but out of just willing heart. And then I go on to 2nd Corinthians 9 where he says, "…give not grudgingly, nor of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." PASTOR DOUG: Exactly. And, by the way, I'd be very suspicious about joining any church that has tithe police. If the pastor is going around and asking to see their check stubs and see what their income is, making sure that they pay a tithe, it should be from the heart. Even among the children of Israel, it was something that was to be done from the heart, as part of worship. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vajA7LgeZaA

Is the earth really millions or billions of years old? – Visit our Bible Question Archive on our website here: https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/listen/archives/o/24/t/bible-question-archive
– You can download this clip from our media library here: https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/media/e/23363/f/6/t/how-old-is-planet-earth- Join Pastor Doug Sunday at 7:00pm Pacific. Call 1-800-GOD-SAYS during the broadcast to have your question answered live on the air! Find a broadcast in your area using our station locator: https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/station-locator/mt/214/t/radio Download the free book 'How Evolution Flunked the Science Test' here: https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/book/e/33/t/how-evolution-flunked-the-science-test Transcript
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Pastor Ross: Frank, welcome to the program. Frank: Thank you. Hi, my name is Frank, I'm a first-time caller. Pastor Doug: Appreciate you calling. Frank: My question is, I know it's a lot of non-believers or scientists – I guess their weapon at hand to prove the Bible wrong is the age of the world compared to what the Bibles states. I was wondering, if they're not factoring in the great flood of the earth's age, is this fair to say that they accurately determine the age of the world if they're not determining the great flood. Pastor Doug: First of all, we're really talking about a couple of different things. When they're talking about the age of the earth, the science that they use to measure the age of the earth, how do you prove that that's true? It is very difficult to say- we actually went back in time 3 million or 3 billion years and sure enough, this is an accurate measurement. All they can do is look at how their formulas work based on today's environment. To say that God couldn't make the world with some built-in age. If we believe that God can miraculously create the world then let me give you an example I'm rambling. When God made Adam, was Adam made a baby or was Adam made a full-grown man? Frank: Man. Pastor Doug: You know how you buy a computer, when you get it from the factory it's already got some installed software ready. It's called plug and play. You plug it in it's up and running. Adam was made in the perfect age, whatever that was, 25, 30 years old I don't know but he was in his prime. He didn't have to learn to walk. He already he had a belly button, even though he wasn't born or I'm guessing he did like we all do. The trees that lived in the garden of Eden had rings in them though today the rings are the result of years. God made full grown trees that probably had rings in them. When He makes the world and there are some built in age or the appearance of it, that could be, they're measurements of how old that was would be useless unless they could really use time travel and send someone back. A lot of the methods that they're using, Frank, to date the earth are very very dubious and they've been tested and they've dated some rocks from one volcano and they said, 15 million years and they date another volcano that we know is only 50 years old in New Finland and it will date millions of years old. The dating science is a very sloppy science. They were saying that the ice cores in Greenland were hundreds of thousands of years because of all the layers and then this World War Two airplanes called the Lost Squadron landed in the ice up there. Got buried for 50 years and they found them over 200 feet down with thousands of layers of ice. They weren't thousands of years old, they were 50 years old. There's some real problems in the science. It's the greatest conspiracy. I don't believe in a lot of conspiracies, but I tell you the dating method that's used by evolutionists to me seems like the most biased example of science I've ever seen. I don't know, I just did a little rant there, Frank, I hope that helps? Frank: Actually, it does help. Pastor Doug: We have a study that we can send you that talks about When Evolution Flunked the Science Test, and we'll be happy to send that to you for free if you call the number. Pastor Ross: The number to call 800-835-6747 and the book you can ask for is When Evolution Flunked the Science Test. Intriguing title and a great book. When Evolution Flunked the Science Test, we'll send it to anybody for free, just give us a call, 800-835-6747. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-tqsBHULnw

Did Judas have a choice whether or not to betray Jesus or was he 'chosen' or 'predestined' to be lost? – Visit our Bible Question Archive on our website here: https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/listen/archives/o/24/t/bible-question-archive
– You can download this clip from our media library here: https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/media/e/23342/f/6/t/was-judas-chosen-to-be-lost- Join Pastor Doug Sunday at 7:00pm Pacific. Call 1-800-GOD-SAYS during the broadcast to have your question answered live on the air! Find a broadcast in your area using our station locator: https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/station-locator/mt/214/t/radio Download the free book 'Can a Saved Man Choose to be Lost?' here: https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/book/e/17/t/can-a-saved-man-choose-to-be-lost- Transcript
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Pastor Ross: We have Sebastian, listening from Palm Beach Florida. Sebastian, welcome to the program. Sebastian: Good evening pastor Ross, good evening pastor Doug Batchelor. Thank you for taking my call. Pastor Doug: Sure, we’re glad to talk with you. Sebastian: Okay. Well, I know that in the books of Zachariah and in the book of Psalms, there are prophecies that reference Christ betrayal. My question is, was Judas predestined to betray Christ? Pastor Doug: No, I don't think so and this is a great question. It's had a boy, lots of debate from theologians through the ages. Some would argue, "Yes, Judas was predestined to betray Jesus." I see a difference biblically between God being all-knowing and be able to predict what happens and a person still having the choice. While God knew what Judas would do– God knows everything. He knows everything in the future, he knows everything in the past, he is all-knowing, he knows who is listening is going to be be saved and who is not. That doesn’t mean he is making it happen. We still have choices and we need to live as if we have those choices. Jesus gave Judas every opportunity to change his mind. He went to wash his feet, he appealed to him them but he hardened his heart. It's not like God was creating creatures and he said, “We’ve got to make one be the fall guy, that will betray Jesus. Sorry Judas, but you're going to have to be the traitor, I’m going to make you to be a traitor and then after you betray Jesus doing just what I'd created you to do and then I'm going to throw you in hell." Can you see there would be a problem with that, it almost makes God an accessory to the crime? Sebastian: Yes. I see. Pastor Doug: God knows what was going to happen and he predicted in the prophecies. You're right about that, but I don't think the Judas was born with the mission that he should betray Christ. Everyone is born with a free will and opportunity. Sebastian: It’s okay. That was just something that has been taking my interest in the whole lot, the Judas situation and whether or not he was predestined. I've always known that he had the freedom of choice, because God gave everybody the freedom of choice. I just want to get the clarification on this particular situation. Thank you. Pastor Doug: Absolutely Sebastian, I appreciate your call. Pastor Ross: We have a book talking about this idea that, where does free will coming to our salvation and freedom to choose. The book is called Can a Saved Man Choose to be Lost. We’ll be happy to send it to anybody who calls and asks dealing with the subject of predestination. All you need to do is to call us on our resource phone number the number is 800-835-6747. You can ask the book called Can a saved man Choose to be Lost. We’ll be happy to send it to anybody who calls and asks. You also read it for free online at the Amazing Facts websites, amazingfacts.org. Pastor Ross: Sally, welcome to the program. Sally: Hi there. Pastor Ross: Hi. How are you doing? Sally: Okay. Pastor Ross: And your question. Sally: You've just answered a gentleman's question about predestination and Judas, and I was good with that answer except that in the Bible it tells that the devil entered Judas to have him to go do what he did. Was that still Judas' free will? Pastor Doug: Well, at one point, a person can grieve away the Holy Spirit and be possessed and before Satan entered Judas, that means he wasn't controlling Judas right? When Judas finally at the last supper, when Jesus said, "One of you is going to betray me." Judas had a chance to repent and confess Christ was washing his feet, but when Judas said, "Lord is it I?" Like he didn't know, he knew it was. And finally, Jesus said, "Go do what you do quickly." Then Judas knew what he was talking about. That point Satan entered Judas. He probably reached the point of no return then and committed the unpardonable sin, and it doesn't mean that he was predestined all of a sudden. It just means that his doom was fixed at that point. Satan was controlling him then. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhDeKXzr2zQ

Is saying OMG, "Oh My God", "Oh My Gosh", or "Gee Whiz" akin to taking the Lord's Name in vain? – Visit our Bible Question Archive on our website here: https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/listen/archives/o/24/t/bible-question-archive
– You can download this clip from our media library here: https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/media/e/23340/f/6/t/what-does-it-mean-to-take-god-s-name-in-vain- Join Pastor Doug Sunday at 7:00pm Pacific. Call 1-800-GOD-SAYS during the broadcast to have your question answered live on the air! Find a broadcast in your area using our station locator: https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/station-locator/mt/214/t/radio Download the free book 'The Name of God' here: https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/book/e/69/t/the-name-of-god Transcript
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Pr. Doug: I'm going to go to Tammy, you're on the air? Tammy in Berkeley California? Tammy: Hi. Pr. Doug: Hi. Thanks. Thank you. Tammy: I'm here. Thank you very much. I love everything you do. I love you guys with the program and I've learned so much from the online Bible study or school that you guys have. Pr. Doug: Wonderful. Tammy: We had Bible trivia at church, I was nearly unstoppable. Thank you, to God be the glory. Pr. Doug: Wonderful. Hey, how can we help you, Tammy? What's your question? Tammy: Yes. I'm always concerned about using the Lord's name in vain. I know that we're not supposed to, absolutely. It's very clear in the 10 commandments about that. I think is the third one, or am I mistaken? I was listening to the Radio Metro show, your show wasn't on yet, but it was another show. They said that if you say, "Oh my God, or gosh, or things like that, that's using the Lord's name in vain." I'm like, "Oh my gosh." I've heard people say, "Oh, Jesus Christ." I'm just like– I can imagine if you say the GD word which I don't use, but- Pr. Doug: You're wondering, is that taking the Lord's name in vain? Tammy: Yes, the GD word I know that's definitely. Pr. Doug: Let me address that before we run out of time. First of all, not taking the Lord's name in vain, it means when you say you're a Christian, you take God's name. If you're going to say you're a Christian and you don't live like a Christian, you're taking His name in vain. You see? To take a person's name in vain means that you say, "I belong to this person." Like it used to be, not so much more as it used to be, but a woman would marry a man she'd take his last name. If she takes his last name and she runs around with another man, she's taking his name in vain. That's one understanding, but it certainly does include that you should never take the name of the Lord, and they used to make vows, and they'd make oaths, and they'd make promises, and they'd use the Lord's name. You should never use the Lord's name in an oath, or a vow, or a promise, and then break it. Then also, it is certainly true that we should never take the name of the Almighty on our lips irreverently. That's probably what this other pastor was talking about. Without seeing the program I don't exactly know, but from what you said, I'm inclined to agree. I don't like when people say, "Gee whiz," because that's a derivative of saying Jesus name. Or they say, "Gosh." I know it's a habit with so many people. I used to have that habit when I first came to the Lord. Don't worry, the Holy Spirit can help you break that habit. Whenever we're using an experlative like that, Jesus said, "Let your yes be yes and your no be no." We don't need to say these things where we're not only directly taking God's name in vain using His literal name, but even using derivatives of it. I agree. I think that it's wrong. I hear kids and their– Even in church, I hear kids say, "Gosh," and I wince. I say, "What does that mean?" They don't even think about it. They don't know what it means. I say you try to educate them and say that's a derivative of wanting to say God's name in vain or some other form of it. Tammy: Because people, we have a bad–saying, "Oh my God." We have a really bad habit. Pr. Doug: People say it on the news. You hear it on television. Every time I hear it, I wince a little bit. Hey, I tell you what? We're almost out of time, but I want to give you something, Tammy, that I think will help you. I wrote a little book. It's easy to read. It's a little book called The Name of God. It's called The Name of God. If you've got a pen handy, Tammy, you waited a long time, I want to send you a free copy. Just write down this toll-free number 800-835-6747, ask for the book, The Name of God. 800-835-6747, and I'll send you a free copy. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-r9tDmvXqk

Is it ok to eat unclean foods now like pork, shrimp, catfish and the like? – Visit our Bible Question Archive on our website here: https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/listen/archives/o/24/t/bible-question-archive
– You can download this clip from our media library here: https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/media/e/23335/f/6/t/are-all-foods-now-clean- Join Pastor Doug Sunday at 7:00pm Pacific. Call 1-800-GOD-SAYS during the broadcast to have your question answered live on the air! Find a broadcast in your area using our station locator: https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/station-locator/mt/214/t/radio Download the free book 'Death in the Kitchen' here: https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/book/e/22/t/death-in-the-kitchen Transcript
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Pastor Doug: We're going to try line number one now. Doc, are you on the air? Doc: Yes I am Pastor Doug. Pastor Doug: Hi, thank you and your call tonight? Doc: It has to do with the food laws. This time of the year, there's a lot of get-togethers and a lot of stuff laid out on the table. Tonight I even saw something I've never seen before, a double egg with a crispy piece of bacon sticking out of it. I haven't read Leviticus and there was a pork and shellfish and knowing something about biology that all these animals are scavengers and if it was toxic back then, it stands a reason to me that it's toxic now and when I try to bring this Leviticus up they say that had to do with the Jews and that Paul changed all that. I don't think Paul changed the biology of these animals, so I don't know what to say to these individuals scripture-wise. Pastor Doug: Let me give you a couple of thoughts, Doc. First of all, the distinction between clean animals and unclean animals goes back before the Jews. You remember that when God told Noah to take the animals on the ark, everybody sings a song that they came two by two but if you read it in the Bible it says the unclean animals came by two, the clean animals came by sevens. Doc: Yes, I've read that. Pastor Doug: Now, was Noah Jewish? Because everybody in the world is related to Noah today, right? The whole world is repopulated by Noah and his family. God even told Noah there's a distinction– What's that? Doc: The three sons and the daughter-in-laws. Pastor Doug: That's right, and so everybody is related to Noah. If God made a distinction between clean and unclean for Noah, then you will, you would think that it still applies today. There's another verse you can read in Acts Chapter 10 where when Peter has his vision and this sheet full of unclean animals comes down from heaven and God says, "Arise, kill and eat," Peter says, "Not so Lord, I've never eaten anything common or unclean." This is three and a half years later after Christ has died, Peter still says we've never eaten anything unclean and he never does take anything from the sheet. Later God shows him the vision is because he should not call the Gentiles unclean and Peter says God has shown me not to call any man, commoner, unclean. The vision had nothing to do with food and yet Peter says, "I've never eaten anything unclean." You can read in Isaiah chapter– I think it's chapter 66. It says, "For with fire and with my sword, I will plea with all flesh and the slain of the Lord will be many in that day." It says, " Those that sanctify themselves and purify themselves behind a tree, eating the abomination, the mouse and the swine are going to be consumed by the Lord when He comes." Here it's saying that it's comparing eating pigs with eating rats or mice. They're scavengers in spite of what some people say that you can just prayer over it now, in the New Testament whatever you pray over is clean that's really not a very strong argument because no parent would accept that from their child. Their child cannot eat ice cream Sunday for breakfast and say but I'm just going to pray over it. We all know that you can't mock God, you're going to sow what you reap and whatever you eat, there's consequences for what you eat. The verses where Paul talks about praying over your food, it has nothing to do with pork, pork is never mentioned in those verses. Paul is talking about things sacrificed to idols, we don't have to worry about that. If you eat food in a Chinese restaurant, they got a Buddha statue in the restaurant doesn't mean your food is going to suddenly be spirit possessed. That's what Paul is talking about, they had those concerns back then. You're on the right track. Hey, you know, I've got a study I can send you Doc for free and it's called God's Health Plan and it's got all the verses that you're looking for in one study. Would you like a copy of that? Doc: I sure would. Pastor Doug: Just dial this number, it's separate from this studio number. It's an 800 number 835-6747, 800-835-6747, ask for God's Free Health Plan, they'll send it to you for free and nobody will pester you. Doc: God bless, thanks for your ministry. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Wql9w3eAKE