Offerings. The prophet Malachi refers to tithes and OFFERINGS. Does that mean an offering in addition to the tithes? It sounds like it. We find also, that the Children of Israel were instructed to give offerings of their firstfruits in addition to the tithes of their first fruits, which were given to the Levites. But Malachi follows the instructions about tithes and offerings with a promise of blessings that you will not be able to contain. The reward seems worth the sacrifice. An offering is in a sense a sacrifice. Now it is no sacrifice if you give something that it doesn't hurt at least a little to give it. We all recall the Widow's mite. She gave more than the rich who had put in much-for she gave all she had. The rich young man who came to Jesus inquiring what he should do to inherit eternal life was told: One thing thou lackest, "go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor." (Matt. 19:21.) The Lord speaks to nearly every Christian at one time or another in some definite way, and shows them what special offerings should be given. The Need of the Tithes in the Church. If we may learn a lesson from the Old Testament--which is a shadow of things to come--we can say that the Levites are represented today by the ministry of the Church of God. And corresponding to the Priesthood of Aaron and his sons in the Church in the Wilderness, we have overseers over the churches today. Then do we not have a precedent in directing our tithes to be given to the ministry? The offerings also were taken to the priest, a part of which he kept, and a part of which he sacrificed in the burnt offering before the Lord. Through the ministry the tithes serve all church interests, charity, missionary, and gospel administration, etc. The matter of money in church affairs is such a delicate one that it must be handled with much care. But it is patent that the church must have money to carry it on. Therefore, the best manner to handle this tithing question, is to urge that all pay tithes, not because they "must," but because it will put them by way of receiving the great blessings of which Malachi wrote. In all ages of the church there have been multitudes that paid tithes, because it seemed to them to be the Bible way. They prospered both spiritually and temporally. Let us profit by their example. "Lay aside on the first day of the week," leaves no question as to the proper time to bring tithes and offerings into the storehouse. Many dear Christians can give a 50 per cent. tithe much easier than some others can give a 10 per cent. tithe. Let us give thanks that they can-but let us not permit them to get all the abundant blessings-let us all get our share of the blessings. "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Even the ministry may tithe the tithes which they receive and thus have the joy of giving toward the general interests of the church. A One Year's Test. A farmer and his wife in Maine, blessed Christians, were constantly annoyed by the wolf at the door. Everything they put their hand to failed. "Mary," said the husband one day, "Let's give God a chance to help us prosper. Instead of this pinchpenny existence, and grudgingly dropping a thin dime in the collection, let's open up, and give God His share, one tenth. For I read here that we will be blessed, and our seed will grow, and our fruit will not fall before its season in the field." I They tried. And the story of how the Lord prospered them in basket and in store is one of the most blessed ever read. Even when the potato crop failed all about them, they raised a bumper crop. The hens tumbled over one another trying to lay-Mary was giving one tenth of the egg money to missionary causes. Give unto the Lord, and it shall return unto you full measure, heaped up, pressed down, and running over. The Lord challenges: PROVE ME! And see if I will not pour out a blessing that there shall not be room to contain. Amen. If we could learn to praise the Lord more when we speak of money-it would be much more pleasant. Healing of the Body "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give." If we were to attempt to give all the Scripture references pointing out the instances of healing, we would require a book about as large as this one to do it in. But for the benefit of those who have not read the passages in the Scripture in some definite order, bearing on the healing power of God, in the Old Testament, as well as in the New Testament, we give the following suggested order for reading them: Numbers 12:10-15. 2 Kings 4:8-37. 2 Kings 5:1-14. 2 Kings 20:1-7. Psalms 30:2. Psalms 107:20. Matthew 8th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 14th, 18th, 22(vers- Consider the abundance of Bible stories of healing. Is there another subject that has so complete proof that healings were performed, both before Christ, and after Christ, as well as in Christ's own ministry? All are convinced, who believe the Scriptures. Those who do not believe the Scriptures will probably not be reading this book. However, there will probably many read this book who will sometime or other be speaking with people who do not believe the Scriptures, and do not believe in healing. Let us go about the discussion in a manner that would be suitable to convincing the unbeliever. Historical Evidence. Historians hesitate to record miracles of healing, because they fear that the skeptic will brand the entire history as unauthoritative even though the historian himself is convinced of the genuineness of the healing. For that reason a large publishing house recently refused to publish a book which recorded miracles of healing. Yet that same publishing house prints hundreds of thousands of Bibles which record healings of identically the same nature. Therefore, it is difficult to try to convince the skeptic by reference to historical documents. Healing Provided in the Atonement. We are assured that "By his stripes we are healed." The following references shed light on "Healing in the Atonement:" "And with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5. "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." Matthew 8:17. Jesus gives His Disciples Power to Heal. Let us consider the following instructions of Jesus: "Then he called his twelve disciples together, and "And when he had called unto him his twelve dis- Speaking to the other seventy which He sent Now in these Scriptures Jesus has definitely commanded His disciples to "heal the sick." Then, He commanded them to go into all the world, "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." He commanded them to heal the sick-then the command is for us. Peter said on the Day of Pentecost, "This |