THINGS TO UNLEARN

I have spent what some would call a long time studying the Word of God. In doing so, I have found that I had to unlearn almost everything that I was taught by man.

(Mat 13:33 NIV)  He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

As I contemplated Scripture, I saw that yeast was/is a symbol of sin. As I understand the parable of verse 33, it says sin will work its way all through the church. If you believe in the teachings of man, you may never understand the parable. It seems man takes the things of God and puts a little twist on them, in order to make them say things that benefit the speaker.

That is not to say men mean to do this, but everyone is biased by those who came before them. Those that think they are teachers have taught others what they believe is correct, but because all men are flawed it has resulted in many concepts about Scripture that are not completely true. A concept that is not completely true is a real problem.

Tithing is a good example. I was taught that God gave Israel 100% and they were to give  back 10%. Well, that was inferred, not actually taught, to make me think God gave me everything and I was to be like a good Israelite and give 10% back to Him. Isn’t that what you have been taught?

The truth about tithing is found in Scripture and it is not at all what I was taught! God never gave His people 100%, so they could give back 10%. The tithe was God’s and they were only to take care of what was His.

Tithing was a three year program. The first two years the tithe was to be used for a very big banquet. All that was God’s was to be enjoyed by His children. It was not given to the temple at all.

The third year the tithe was to be placed in a store house, so that the poor, the aliens, and Levites would have food. That was not to take place every year: only the third year. The Church teaches that 10% should be given every year, but that is three times too much! As a result the church has become dependant on money, instead of God. It is a case of yeast, working its way through the dough: the teachings of men, not God.

By the way, Jesus did not tithe! The tithe was to come from an increase of the land. If an Israelite was poor and did not own any land they were not required to give a tithe as they had no increase from which to calculate the tithe. Jesus was a poor carpenter not a land owner. Actually Jesus, being poor, was to receive from the part of the tithe that was taken to the storehouse, not give to the storehouse.

Then there is this Country. I was/am taught that this Country is a gift from God, when the exact opposite is true. To be clear, I am a citizen of the United States, not an enemy of the United States. If I apply Romans 13:1&2 to the formation of this Country I find that the Founding Fathers were in rebellion to God; disobeying and not obeying Him.

Romans 13:1&2 (NIV) “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” The governing authority, at that time, was the King of England and the colonies rebelled against that authority.

We vote and claim that is what God wants us to do, but the truth is, we are placing our trust in man, not in God. We place our trust in the man we deem the best candidate and we place our trust in ourselves to choose that candidate. Asking God to guide us in our sin of unbelief is about like a bank robber, asking God, which bank to rob! We should be trusting God to appoint authorities, instead of trusting ourselves.

We are the blind, leading the blind. We do not know what is in a candidate’s heart, or what he will do if elected. Did anyone foresee what our present president would do? Patriotism for any country in this world is the teaching of men, not God.

I see more things to unlearn, however that is enough for now.