On the cover of this month’s Charisma Magazine is the question "What can we know for sure about the end times?"  The article inside proceeds to point out that a number of prominent charismatic leaders believe we are living in the last days and that its fever is spreading virally around the planet as a confluence of world events is igniting widespread debate about the second coming.

"[Tim] LaHaye, John Hagee, Hal Lindsey, David Hocking, Paul McGuire and other prophecy teachers say the formation of Israel as a nation in 1948, the ingathering of Jews to Jesus, the rise of global anti-Christ political structures, the military alliance between Russia and Iran, and Iran’s threats to annihilate Israel are prophecy fulfillments or conditions that could allow for the fulfillment of prophecies regarding the rapture, Great Tribulation and Second Coming.

They contend that geopolitical events—the possibility of war between Iran and Israel; calls for a global government, economic system and currency; increasing immorality and lawlessness; devastating natural disasters; global warming; the pending biometric national identification system; the rebuilding of Babylon and the drying up of the Euphrates River—foreshadow events prophesied in the Bible.

A key unfulfilled sign involves a Matthew 24 prophecy that the gospel would be preached to the whole world and then the end will come. The top mission agencies are [now] predicting that within 10 years all of the earth’s 6,000 people groups will have the gospel preached to them.

[And most Christians agree.] A recent poll by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life found 79 percent of American Christians believe in the Second Coming. But on the timing and circumstances of Christ’s return, Christians are divided. About a third—34 percent—say it will occur after the world situation reaches a low point, 37 percent say it’s impossible to know the circumstances preceding Christ’s return, and 4 percent say Christ will return when the world situation improves."

Now I've never been a big "end times" person, but this debate is interesting to follow.  Although I think most of these guys just like to blow smoke in order to sell books, get TV ratings and demand higher paychecks from speaking engagements, I am curious as to whether my generation or my kid’s generation will see the return of Christ?  But as Jesus said in Matthew 24:36 "No one knows about that day or hour…"  Guess we'll keep talking about it until it happens.

(For the full article CLICK HERE)

"If you build it, they will come…" says the movie. So I'm going to keep blogging here in hopes that people will figure out that the blog is back.

Today's installment is another tragic tale of religious legalism gone wrong. If you need evidence that tithing causes mental retardation religious legalism, this is it.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/sep/25/250033/na-church-employee-says-she-lost-job-once-tithing-/

" Carolyn Jackson and her husband gave a lot of money to Revealing Truth Ministries.

So three years ago, church staff encouraged her to apply for a job there.

During the work week, she served as a receptionist and later as its magazine editor. On Sundays, the Jacksons filled church baskets with thousands of dollars in tithe, offering and other giving.

In May, Jackson lost her job, not for poor performance, but because her tithing had dropped off. In a time of financial difficulty for her family, Jackson stopped giving 10 percent of her income to the ministry, which many Christians believe is biblically mandated."

The ironic part of all this is that she still believes in tithing!

"Jackson notes that she and her husband never stopped tithing, they just weren't giving as much. "I believe in the tithe," she said.

Jackson has not found work and she and her husband continue to look for a new church to call home.

Whatever congregation they join each Sunday, they always leave their tithe in the offering basket."

This isn't the first case we've heard of here at City Business Church, as we've had first hand accounts of staff at City Bible Church suffering the same fate. If you are going to insist that tithing applies to Believers (we don't), then the recipients of tithe money shouldn't tithe because they are the reason for tithing! The recipients of tithing in the OT were Levites and the poor, widows, orphans, and aliens. Asking them to tithe is like asking them to give to themselves and it's no different with modern tithing. A church that requires their employees to tithe is just a clever disguise for a mandatory pay cut. This isn't a demonstration of faith, it's just clever manipulation. If my boss told me that I had to make a "voluntary" contribution to the company's general fund or face being fired, I'd start looking for a new job.

What better way to help kick off the return of the blog than to talk about two controversial topics mixed into one?

Daniel Bowman recently wrote an op-ed to a local Maine newspaper scolding the Catholic church for asking for tithes to advertise against gay marriage legislation.

http://mainecampus.com/2009/09/28/op-ed-give-tithes-for-anti-marriage-equality-tv-ads/ 

"I implore all churchgoers: Spend your money on something more substantial than an ad campaign designed to drive a wedge between people who love each other. Buying a Playboy magazine would be more virtuous. The last time I checked, homosexuals were still homo sapiens and are promised the same freedoms as the rest of the country. Said freedoms include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These things were first engraved in our national consciousness when we declared our independence from Britain."

Even if you do believe in tithing (God help you), using it lobby for legislation rather than using it for the things it was intended (like providing for the 'Levites' and feeding the poor and hungry) seems like a pretty big no-no.

Personally, I think the US would do well to follow the lead of other countries and separate the legal and religious institution of marriage and allow civil unions for everyone and let churches & synagogues celebrate marriage in the manner they see fit. You know, that thing called "separation of church & state".

So the blog is working again. Cool. Guess I'll start writing again. Heh.

For starters, allow me to share this beautiful blog from a Christian Woman living in Portland. It's pretty powerful stuff.

Here's a section to which I'm particularly partial.

I find in my own life, when I take a moment each day to think about what I am grateful for, I feel better. And I have to much to be grateful for. I have a wonderful husband, a terrific son, a warm house to live in, a great many friends, a family who loves me, a good job, food on the table (more than I really need), and I live in the land of the free! Finally, I have a God who is always with me and will never forsake me. Even on my worst days, I have so much more to be grateful for than to be upset about. How about you?

True. True.

(thanks to jack for the heads up)