“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7) Last week, I received a telephone call from a angry reader who labeled me a hypocrite and said I had no right to tell anyone how their priorities should be organized. “Oh great, I thought. If the column on priorities offended him, then next week’s column on tithing is sure to add insult to injury.” Some believers argue that the whole […]

“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15) My wife and I met a couple recently while out of town on business. We were discussing cars and associated expenses. The husband said that he had just put a new set of tires on his car. Now this is a Christian couple, tithers, who have worked hard all their lives and planned well for their retirement. The children were all grown and […]

“And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.” (James 5:15) When I entered the healing room that day I was shocked by what I saw. It looked like a funeral parlor with no room to spare. I don’t know when I’ve felt more uncomfortable in a church. One of the lay workers who was assisting the pastor sensed my shock at what was going on. As I looked on the […]

“For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.” (Matthew 13:15) We have allowed our beliefs to be grounded more by circumstances and experiences than by God’s Word. Indeed, the Prophet Jeremiah was right when he told us, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9) Jack Deere, […]