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What is the deal with Tithing?

A  popular pastor in my country recently took a significant step away from his previous religious teachings. He announced that paying tithes is not a requirement for making it to heaven, a sharp contrast to his earlier sermons where he had preached that those who do not give tithes will not enter heaven. Now, I’m not against tithing. My home church is in faraway Singapore, and tithes and offerings make it possible for millions of people, including myself, to hear the truth about Jesus through its TV broadcasts. Think about it—it’s your house, so why wouldn’t you want to contribute to its upkeep? That is, unless we no longer view the church as our home, but rather as a place to conduct “trade-by-barter” transactions with God, which is sadly how many people,  both those who give tithes and those who don’t,  view it. Like Saul after something like scales fell from his eyes and he both literally and metaphorically saw  God’s Grace ( Ananias  means God’s Grace), I be...
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What does the Bible say about fasting?

  For believers in Christ: You are  in  Christ Jesus. How much closer to God can you be when God has made you one with Himself in Christ Jesus? As believers in Christ, we are members of His body— I like to see myself as a platelet or some other blood component in Christ: what more can a red blood cell or spleen do in order to become closer to the body to which it already belongs? He Himself says " I will never leave you nor forsake you."  He is always there for us. But we tend to lose the  SENSE  of His presence when we listen to teachings that put up barriers (e.g. fasting or whatever works man thinks he can do in his own strength) to receiving God's Mercy and Grace in time of need. Understand that receiving " Mercy " entails escaping the punishment that one truly deserves. And " Grace " is undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour. Any whiff of man's works (such as fasting for 5 minutes or 70 days to “purify” or better position ourselves to receive ...
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Who is Job in the Bible? Why did he suffer so much?

Job suffered for one reason alone:  his self-righteousness.  He trusted in his works and his obedience as why bad things should not happen to him. His needless suffering mirrors the plight of many churchgoers and religious individuals today who endure some form of hardship or another due to self-righteousness aka trying to be good or godly (be like God) by human effort (the arm of flesh) at keeping the law (letter) which kills and is the knowledge of good and evil. Reminds one of a pair in Eden…. The entirety of the Old Testament, including the Book of Job, points to Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The law which many presume to be able to obey is the knowledge of good and evil and the letter kills, just like the tree of the same name. See the forbidden fruit as a type of the law which many churchgoers are trying to use to make themselves godly (be like God) in Romans 7:8-12 (MSG)- " The law code started out as an excellent piece of work. What happened, though, was that sin fou...
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