The End Has Come

I know that people don’t like to hear doom and gloom.  They want to hear messages that comfort them.  But the Word of God contains warnings of gloom and doom for the wicked. There is only one solution – only one remedy that will bring comfort -- if we don’t want to experience the gloom and doom in those warnings, and that is to repent. So if you are afraid of these messages, then examine your heart, and repent before the Lord.  Don’t look at any sin as being small.  They are all great in God’s sight and if you continue in them, they will land you in hell.  Only the righteous will be spared.  The Lord spoke to me recently through the following verses in Ezekiel:

The end has come!
The Lord is saying, "The end has come! The end is now upon you."  Here is the passage:

“‘The end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land! The end is now upon you, and I will unleash my anger against you. I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices. I will not look on you with pity; I will not spare you. I will surely repay you for your conduct and for the detestable practices among you. Then you will know that I am the Lord."

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Disaster! Unheard-of disaster! See, it comes! The end has come! The end has come! It has roused itself against you. See, it comes! Doom has come upon you, upon you who dwell in the land. The time has come! The day is near! There is panic, not joy, on the mountains. I am about to pour out my wrath on you and spend my anger against you. I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices. I will not look on you with pity; I will not spare you. I will repay you for your conduct and for the detestable practices among you. Then you will know that it is I the Lord who strikes you.'"  (Ezekiel 7:2-9)

This was the warning given then to Israel, the people of God.  And it applies just as much today to the Church, God's people.

We need to realize that the Lord Jesus is coming back right away.  In 2009, He said to Angelica Zambrano,  "I am no longer at the door; I am beyond the door.  I will come soon; My coming is near.  My people have left Me and gone back to worldly things...Tell My people to return to the old paths."

The apostle Peter said the same thing, "The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer." (1Pe 4:7)

Silver and Gold in the Streets
People will throw silver and gold into the streets.

“‘They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will be treated as a thing unclean. Their silver and gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath. It will not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs, for it has caused them to stumble into sin." (Ezek 7:19)

Gold will be considered an unclean thing.  So if you're putting your trust in gold, silver, or other precious metals, you need to know which direction that's headed in. The Word makes it clear that it's not a good direction.

Wicked Abominations in the Church
The Lord showed Ezekiel some things that shocked him. There were wicked abominations committed in the temple.  The elders were guilty of these things!

He said to me, "Son of man, now dig through the wall." So I dug through the wall, and behold, an entrance. And He said to me, "Go in and see the wicked abominations that they are committing here." So I entered and looked, and behold, every form of creeping things and beasts and detestable things, with all the idols of the house of Israel, were carved on the wall all around. Standing in front of them were seventy elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan standing among them, each man with his censer in his hand and the fragrance of the cloud of incense rising. (Eze 8:8-11)

It's sad to say, but today in the Church, there are wicked abominations being committed by those who profess to be Christians, even elders and pastors! That should bother you.  If it doesn't, you're in a dangerous place.

Grieve and lament
We need to grieve and lament over the detestable things done in the church. Begin with yourself and your own sins, and then cry out to God concerning the sins of others.

Ezekiel said, "Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, 'Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.' As I listened, he said to the others, 'Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.' So they began with the old men who were in front of the temple." (Ezek 9:3-6)

The "men" in this passage are angels.  One man has a writing kit with which to place a mark on the Lord's people who grieve and lament over these abominations.  And the other men have deadly weapons to kill all those who profess to be people of God, but do not have this mark.  And the Lord has instructed the angels to take no pity on the people without the mark.  They are to show no compassion.

The Lord has determined to pour out wrath.  It's coming and all who are walking in sin in the Church will be struck by it.  Judgment must first begin with the house of God (1 Pet 4:17).

Holy Fire
We need to love the fire of the Holy Spirit and desire it in our lives, so that we may be purified by it.  The Lord is sending His fire to the Church now to purge us of all that will not pass through the fire as purely from Him.

When the Lord commanded the man in linen, “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel. Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand to the fire that was among them. He took up some of it and put it into the hands of the man in linen, who took it and went out. (Under the wings of the cherubim could be seen what looked like human hands.) Ezekiel 10:6-8

I encourage you to read more about the fire of the Holy Spirit in my blog on this topic (see here).

Worldly Standards
The people of God conform to worldly standards today, just as in the days of Ezekiel.

"Thus you will know that I am the LORD; for you have not walked in My statutes nor have you executed My ordinances, but have acted according to the ordinances of the nations around you."'" Ezekiel 11:12

There are still those who walk in obedience to the Lord, obeying His commandments as Jesus taught us to do.  But many in the Church today copy the behavior of the world, and conform themselves to those standards, rather than God's Word.

It will not be delayed any more
The prophet Ezekiel had to deal with an attitude among the people of God.  While they may have believed he had the word of the Lord, they thought it was for the distant future.

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, the Israelites are saying, ‘The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.’ Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: None of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”  Ezekiel 12:26-28

The same is true today.  There are those who say that this message in this blog is not a "now" word for today.  There is still plenty of time, and the Lord is delaying His coming.  But the Lord says that none of His words will be delayed any longer.

Angelica Zambrano

A young lady from Ecuador, named Angelica Zambrano, had a visit to heaven and hell in 2009.  While in Heaven, Jesus said to her, "I will come for a holy people and I will come soon for My church."  But later, following her return to earth, the Lord told her, "Daughter, I take pleasure in what you are doing, that you are fulfilling what I have given you, but do not tell My people that I am coming soon.  Tell My people that I am coming right away." Again the Lord said, "Tell My people that I am coming right away and that I am coming for a holy people.  Tell My people that only the holy ones, only the holy ones will see Me!...And do not be silent: Keep on declaring what I have told you."

The Lord allowed her to see what the early Church was like, so she could see the stark contrast with the current state of the Church.  He pointed with His finger and said, "Daughter, look, they praise Me; they worship Me!  My people no longer do as they did before.  My people no longer praise, no longer worship Me; no longer seek Me as before.  That is why I told you, Daughter, to go and tell My people to seek Me, for I will go, I will go, I will go - for a people that seeks Me in spirit and in truth, for a people that are ready, for a holy people!" And weeping He said, “I am coming, I am coming!"  Angelica said, "Then I understand why He was weeping, because He is coming, but not for those that are half-hearted.  He will return only for a people that is seeking Him in spirit and in truth."

This is consistent with what the Lord has been saying through many other people, who have seen the Lord, had visions, been to heaven, and been to hell. This is definitely a now word, if there ever was one!

Warning to the false prophets
Just as there were false prophets in Ezekiel's day, there are such people today in the Church.

The Lord gave a warning: “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: ‘Hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!" (Ezek 13:2-3)

The Lord is still speaking through His holy prophets on the earth today.  But many of these prophets are no-name, unheard-of, little people of no account.  And most of the big, important people in the Church are not listening to them.  Instead they listen to the big-name prophets, who are recognized and who have their own ministry, website, or television program.

Be careful, people!  If the devil wants to take out a lot of people, what is easier -- for him to go after a single sheep or a leader?  Obviously it is easier to take out a leader.  If he can compromise a well-known prophet that people trust as a reliable voice for the Lord, then he can use that person to deceive many people.  Test every prophecy.  These famous prophets with big ministries are under pressure to hold back negative words, because people don't like to hear such things.  This could affect the prophet's ministry support.  Not all prophets are affected by this financial pressure, but I'm sure some are.  They are human and subject to these common temptations, especially in a day of financial crisis.  So if they give words from their own imagination, which the Lord is not speaking, it may sound like a bright future lies ahead.  But that's not what the Lord is saying, my friend. 

“Peace” when there is no peace
The false prophets say, “Peace” when there is no peace. But for a few years now, the Lord has been consistently warning us of impending judgment and His soon return.

The Lord says, "My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord. Because they lead my people astray, saying, 'Peace,' when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash."(Ezek 13:9-10)

The Lord goes on to say, "Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says’—when the Lord has not spoken."

A true watchman is supposed to warn the people.  If the wall is weak in a certain place, the watchman should instruct the people to fortify it, so that the enemy will not be able to break through that weak spot during a future attack.  But a false watchman will simply put a fresh coat of paint on the wall to make it look good.  This is what some prophets do today.  They give a word that makes it seem as though the Church is in good condition, and they cover over the dangerously flimsy sections of the wall.  They cover over and beautify the sins of men. And they do so as if the Lord has spoken through them, when in fact He has not spoken. Beware of those who say there will be peace and prosperity, because that's not what the Lord is saying. 

When a righteous person has gotten into sin, and hears the message of peace and prosperity from these false prophets, he is encouraged not to turn from his sin.  He thinks that all will be well.  When the righteous person who is living right hears such words, they discourage him from continuing to walk this way.  He may be tempted to think, "What's the use!  Why bother?  I see all the wickedness around me in the Church, but the Lord doesn't seem to care.  He is going to bless us with peace and prosperity anyway!"

Don't be led astray by these lies uttered by false prophets.  There is no peace outside of a truly righteous life in Christ.

Idols in their hearts
The Lord showed Ezekiel that the elders had set up idols in their hearts.  He said, “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all?" (Ezek 14:3)

Brother John Mulinde

The same is true today.  There are elders, pastors, prophets, and others in places of influence in the Church, who have set up idols in their hearts.  I'm sure these people may say, "I have no idols in my life!  I have never bowed down to a statue or any kind of image.  I worship God alone."  But they have set up idols in their hearts.  This is what happened to brother John Mulinde, who was a famous pastor in Uganda with a successful ministry.  The Lord showed him that he had idols in his heart, which he didn't even realize were there.  I encourage you to listen to his whole testimony, which will surely change your life! (see here).

No Holiness
The Lord went on to tell Ezekiel, "Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them." (Ezek 22:26).

Again, this is true today, not only of Christian priests, but pastors and elders in the church.  They don't distinguish between that which is holy and the common.  This is true of music, clothing, videos and various other forms of art and entertainment, just to name a few.  The Lord says there is a difference.  But when we do not act like it and we teach that there is no difference, the Holy Spirit is grieved. For more on this, please see "Holy Living in a Perverted World" and "Garments of Godliness."

And the same priests and pastors shut their eyes to keeping the Lord's Day holy.  They mix common activities in with holy ones on Sundays, including spending money, working, and playing games.  They don't teach people how to properly keep Sundays holy.  The Lord says He is profaned by this, which means He is treated with irreverence. For more on this, see "Keeping Sundays Holy."

Arrogant, Overfed, and Unconcerned
Listen to the charges God made against unfaithful Israel.

“‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen."  (Ezek 16:49-50)

Israel would never consider Sodom to be her sister, but the Lord said she was indeed related.  And the Lord named the sins of Sodom.  We all know Sodom was filled with homosexuality -- a sin which God still hates (Rom 1:24-28; 1 Cor 6:9).  But here the Lord singles out the sins of Sodom: They were arrogant, overfed, unconcerned, not helping the poor and needy.  They were haughty and did detestable things. That's why He did away with them. He said that unfaithful Israel had more corruptly in her conduct than Sodom and her daughters (Ez 16:47-48).

The same is true today in the Church.  The Lord is grieved at what He sees.  His Church is dirty. I encourage you to watch the testimony of a sister from Cameroon, named Claire Andoun.  The Lord showed her that His Church is dirty (see here).

Many professing Christians today are arrogant, overfed, and unconcerned, not helping the poor and needy. They are haughty and do detestable things. The only solution is to repent.

The righteous may perish, the wicked may be saved
I know that some people do not believe a righteous person can perish.  But it does happen when a righteous person continues in sin.  For more on this, please read my post on "Drifting Away." (see here).

Here is what the Lord told Ezekiel: "If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die. But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life. Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die." Ezekiel 18:26-28

The Lord told Ezekiel that he MUST warn the people.  If he did not warn them, then their blood would be upon his hands.  When the apostle Paul finished his ministry, as an old man, he said that he did not have any man's blood on his hands, since he had faithfully preached the full counsel of God. This was the same thing the Lord told Angelica Zambrano.  He allowed her to see her own relatives headed for hell, and he said, "Daughter, they are walking to this place, but go and them where they are walking, go and tell them they are walking to hell.  Go and tell them that I have chosen you as my watchman...I have chosen you as my watchman, for it means that you are to tell the truth.  You must go and tell all that I have shown you.  If you do not speak out and something happens to that person, his blood will be poured over you, but if you go and do as I have told you, then that person has an account with me.  If the person does not repent, then the responsibility resting upon you will be lifted, for the account will rest upon that person and his blood will not be poured over you. "

The Lord said, "Daughter, there are also people who know Me, that are walking to this place." I asked, "Lord, how can people who know You also come here?"  He replied, "That person who has left My ways and that person who is living a double life."

My friend, don't keep this word to yourself!  Share it with others!  You must warn them, even if they know the Lord or are a professing Christian.  If you are a pastor, don't hold back from declaring anything the Lord gives you. Warn the people.  That's why I am writing this blog, in spite of it's unpopular message.

Repent! Turn from your idols
The message the Lord gave Ezekiel for the people was simple.  “Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!" Ezekiel 14:6

He also said, “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!" Ezekiel 18:30-32
 
This is the same message John the Baptist preached, and the same message Jesus preached.  The apostles also preached it.  This is a now word for today!

There are different kinds of repentance.  There is half-hearted, insincere repentance.  God sees right through that kind.  You cannot fool God.  Forgiveness can only follow true repentance, which is the true, sincere, deep, heart-felt kind.

Listen to some more of the words the Lord spoke to Angelica Zambrano:

The sin of unforgiveness --

During her visit to hell, the Lord said, "There is no other opportunity [for those in hell]; there is still opportunity for those who are alive."  I asked Him, "Lord, why is my great-grandmother here?  I don't know if she ever knew you.  Why is she here in hell, Lord?"  He replied, "Daughter, she is here because she failed to forgive...Daughter, he who does not forgive, neither will I forgive him."

I asked, "Lord, but You do forgive, and You are merciful." And He answered, "Yes, Daughter, but it is necessary to forgive, because they have not forgiven many people, and that is why many people are in this place, because they failed to forgive...Go and tell humanity that it is time to forgive, and especially My people, for many of My people have not forgiven.  Tell them to rid themselves of grudges, of resentment, of that hatred in their hearts, for it is time to forgive!  If death were to surprise that person who has failed to forgive, that person may go to hell, for no one can purchase life." When we left that place, my great grandmother was engulfed in fire and she screamed, "Aaaah," and began to blaspheme the name of God, she would curse Him; every person in hell blasphemes against God.

Fornication, idolatry, greed, and lying --
She was very surprised to see Pope John Paul II in hell, and she asked about it.  Jesus replied, "Daughter, no fornicator, no idolater, no one who is greedy and no liar will inherit My Kingdom."

Jesus said, "Look, Daughter, there are many idolaters in this place.  Idolatry will not save, Daughter.  I am the only One who saves, and outside of Me, no one saves.  I love the sinner, but I hate sin, Daughter.  Go and tell humanity that I love them and that they need to come to Me."

In heaven, she saw Mary, and Jesus told Angelica, "Daughter, she is Mary.  Mary, who gave birth to Jesus Christ, Who I am.  Daughter, I want to tell you that she has no knowledge of the things happening on Earth.  I want to tell you that you must go and tell humanity, tell idol worshipers that hell is real, and that idolaters will not inherit My kingdom, but go and tell them that if they repent, they can enter My heavenly dwelling place.  Go tell them that I love them and tell them that Mary has no knowledge of anything [happening on Earth] and the only One that they must exalt is Me, because neither Mary, nor St. Gregory nor any other saint can offer salvation.  I am the only One who saves and outside of Me – nobody, nobody, nobody- saves!" He repeated it three times - that nobody could save; only He saves. 

Animated cartoons --
Jesus said, "Daughter, these animated cartoons, those movies, those soap operas that are seen daily on TV are satan's instruments to destroy humanity...

The Lord told me something that is very sad and very painful.  He said, "Daughter, there are many children in this place because of animated cartoons, because of rebellion."  I asked Him, "Lord, why are animated cartoons to blame for this?" And He explained, "Because they are demons that carry rebellion, disobedience, bitterness and hatred to children; and other demons enter these children, so that they do not do good things, but do that which is bad: whatever children see on TV, they want to do in reality." 

I encourage you to read or watch her entire testimony, and take to heart what she says.  (see here and here)

Ask the Lord to give you true contrition for your sin.  Ask Him to give you tears of repentance.  Cry out to Him with mourning and wailing for your sins.  Change your ways!  Don't just say you're sorry, but stop what you've been doing.  True repentance always produces fruit.  God is looking to find the fruit of repentance in our lives.  But we need to produce that fruit.  John the Baptist said to produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

The Rapture
I would like to share with you one final word regarding the rapture -- the moment when all the holy ones will be snatched up to meet the Lord in the air.

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord." (1Th 4:16-17)

I realize many do not believe in the rapture, and others think there are still many signs to be fulfilled before the Lord returns.  I am here to tell you that it may happen at any moment, so be ready.

The Lord told Angelica Zambrano, "Daughter, you have to return to Earth...Daughter, I am going to show you something: How I am coming to Earth for a holy people.  I am going to show you how the day of the Rapture will be." 

The Lord told me, "Daughter, in those days, death will flee; Daughter, in those days the Holy Spirit will no longer be on Earth." (See Rev 9:6)

He told me, "Daughter, look, this is how everything will happen."   And He showed her how terrifying it will be on that day, when many professing Christians, and even pastors, are left behind.

But sadly the Lord said, "It will be too late.  The time to repent is now...Daughter, go tell humanity to seek Me, for during that time there will no longer be opportunity.  (Isaiah 55:6)  Daughter, it will be too late for all those that stay behind." When Jesus observed how people were left behind, He began to weep and said, "Daughter, I will go to Earth as it says in 1 Thes.  4: 16-17."

Putting it All Together
I wrote this warning under the leading of the Holy Spirit on June 11, 2012.  Then on June 25, I happened to find the following prophetic warning of the exact same thing, when I wasn't even looking for it (see here).  I believe this confirms with certainty that this is a word from the Lord, so please be sure and read it!

When Jesus came the first time, it was to bear sin.  Now He’s coming again, but this time, He’s coming to save the righteous and punish the wicked.  He’s coming in anger and wrath. I'm not giving any dates.  But the day of the Lord hastens! The end of days have come.

John the Baptist was God’s chosen vessel to prepare the way for the Lord.  He paid the price (no wine at all, no fine clothes, no social life, no comfort, no pleasant foods, constant fasting, etc).  He didn’t fear men or seek to please men in what he preached.

He could have said, “I will still preach the message, but I will have a glass of wine now and then.”  Or, “I will still obey God, but I will live in Jerusalem and live in a normal home. I will have a preaching point in the city.”  Or, “I will eat like everybody else, but preach with all my heart.”  Or he could have avoided any scathing remarks to the hypocritical religious leaders of his day, so that he could win their approval, and improve his ratings with the people.  Or he could have avoided saying anything to King Herod about his adulterous relationship with his brother’s wife.  But he made no compromise.  He delivered everything the Lord gave him to say.

Because of his faithfulness to the call of God, not just in speaking the right words, but also in his lifestyle, when he preached, people were cut to the heart.  He preached with fiery passion from the Holy Spirit.  He was full of the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit convicted his listeners.  They repented and prepared their hearts for the Lord’s coming. 

Today we need men like John the Baptist.  We need men who will prepare the way for the Lord. He is coming back immediately, and many people who profess to belong to God are not ready.  It’s just like the days of John the Baptist.  The Lord has sent the spirit of Elijah into the land once again.  He is turning the hearts of His children back to the Father.

The message is still the same: “People, get ready! Jesus is coming! Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near. Turn from your wicked ways.  Forsake the world.  Pursue righteousness.  Seek holiness.  Seek His face.  Seek the Lord while He may be found.”

Regardless of what you think of Angelica Zambrano and her experience, this message is still true.  Even if you remove from this post all excerpts from her testimony, the Word of God still warns us clearly.  But if you reject her message, there are many others to whom the Lord has been speaking the same thing.  Hers is not an isolated incident. It's one of many things the Lord is doing to deliver the final warning message to wake up the Church and call us back to holiness. So be careful what you say about Angelica and the others through whom the Lord is speaking this message.  In the same way, they treated the prophets of old.  This may be your last opportunity to turn back before it's too late.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: Another key article I discovered several days after I wrote this post is called The Most Annoying Shofar, written by Hannah Weiss and posted on Christians Together. I urge you to read that one, too. You may also want to read my other post called, "Very Few Will Hear the Trumpet".  Then check out "Grieve and Lament for the Church" and "Are You Rapture Ready?

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Is Tithing Required for Christians?

It's quite common today for Christians not to tithe to the Lord. In fact, many believe it is an Old Testament practice that doesn't apply to Christians.  Statistics show that Christians give an average of 3% of their income to charity annually. And if you ask pastors, many of them will tell you that most people in their church don't tithe.  Amazingly, some pastors actually teach people that tithing is not required.

However, I want to show that this is very much still applicable to disciples of Christ.  In addition to the Biblical teaching on tithing for New Testament disciples, the Lord has given many divine revelations to His people to ensure we know that we are still expected to tithe.  First I will share some Scriptures about this and then some of those divine revelations.

Scriptural Teaching

First of all, tithing has been God’s kingdom way since the Old Testament. It means giving a percentage of your income off the top.  The most commonly understood percentage is ten percent, but twenty percent may be used also. And some people have been known to give ninety percent!

The prophet Malachi wrote: "Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. "You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you! "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. (Mal 3:8-10)

So the tenth verse of Malachi’s third chapter teaches us to bring the tenth of our increase into the storehouse, so that there may be food in God’s house.  Those who fail to do so are robbing from God.  Believe me, you don’t want to ever be found guilty of stealing from God.  But upon those who do tithe properly, God promises to pour out a blessing until it overflows. And for those who think this command to tithe is just for the Old Covenant people of Israel, God says in the immediate context of this passage, "I the Lord do not change." (Mal 3:6). Also see Remember the Eternal Law of God and Listen to Jesus.

The tenth verse of Proverbs 3 also teaches this principle.  Wise King Solomon wrote this under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: “Honor the LORD from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine.” (Pro 3:9-10).  This goes contrary to logic, but it works this way in God’s kingdom.  If you will honor the Lord with your wealth, even the first part of all your increase, you’ll have plenty for yourself.  In fact, you’ll experience overflowing abundance.

Tithing is not something from the Law that comes from the Mosaic Covenant. Abraham, who lived before Moses, tithed (Gen 14:20; Heb 7:4).  And Jacob tithed, saying, "This stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God's house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You." (Gen 28:22).

Jesus also taught us to give.  He said, "Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure--pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return." (Luk 6:38).  That sounds a lot like Malachi 3:10 and Proverbs 3:10, doesn’t it?  You give, and it will surely be given to you in return until it overflows with great abundance! You have Jesus’ word on it!

Jesus said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others." (Mat 23:23).  Notice they carefully tithed everything.  The Lord did not correct them or rebuke them for tithing, as some may think He did.  Instead, He said, "these are the things you should have done!"  The part He rebuked them for was their gross neglect of weightier matters of the Law, justice and mercy and faithfulness.  He said they should not have neglected these.

As with many other aspects of the Law, Jesus showed that the Lord expects more than we thought.  With regards to the commandment not to kill, people always thought that as long as they don't physically murder someone, they have not broken this commandment.  But the Lord showed that we break the commandment when we call someone a fool.  Likewise, regarding giving, Jesus taught that not just 10%, but all we have belongs to God. He said, "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions." (Luk 14:33). 

The apostle Paul taught that we should give generously.  He wrote to the Corinthians, “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2Co 9:6-7).  If you want to reap abundantly, then sow generously.  And be sure you give with a cheerful heart, because that’s the kind of giver God loves.  You need to be sure you are giving with love in your heart and genuine faith in God.

Paul went on to teach that God will multiply the seed you sow, so you will have plenty more later for every good deed.  “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written, ‘HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.’ Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.” (2Co 9:8-10)

Paul also taught us to work hard and help the weak through our giving. "In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" (Act 20:35).  It truly is a greater blessing for the one who gives than the one who receives.  Part of the reason is the joy it brings when done in love. But the other part is the return the giver receives from the Lord in this life and in heaven.  When we give, we are storing up treasures in heaven.

Jesus said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Mat 6:19-21).

Jesus also said to give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's. (Lk 20:25). He paid taxes and taught His followers to do the same.  The government expects a certain amount of our income, and that is rightly due from us.  Likewise, we owe the obedient tithes of our income to God.

Paul made the same point when he wrote to the Romans about the biblical requirement to submit to the governing authorities and pay taxes. He said, "Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor." (Rom 13:5-7, NIV). Paul said that the reason we pay taxes to the authorities is that they are God's servants, who give their full time to governing.  The same reason applies to giving money to any authorities that are over you, including spiritual authorities.  His use of the term "honor" here in connection with payment of taxes infers any financial payment that is due to those in authority.

Where should we give our tithes?  Malachi says to bring it all into the storehouse.  The goal is so that there would be food in God’s house.  So who needs food?  First of all, the elders who are serving God full time as pastors and teachers need to receive an income for their work. How shall the Lord's ministers carry out the work of the gospel unless people give tithes and offerings?

Paul said, “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.  For the Scripture says, ‘Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,’ and ‘The worker deserves his wages.’” (1 Tim 5:18).  By using the expression "double honor" in this passage, Paul is clearly referring to financial support, which he explicitly calls "wages" deserved by the worker.  This agrees completely with his use of the term "honor" in Romans 13:7, which I have already explained.

Paul said to be careful you don’t muzzle the ox, in other words, the one who is ministering to you by serving the Lord full time as a pastor, teacher, apostle, etc. He got this from the Law of Moses, where it says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”  Deut. 25:4.  Paul said this clearly applies to minister’s of the Lord.  And he quoted Jesus, who said, “…for the worker deserves his wages.”  Luke 10:7.  Paul also taught that, “The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.” (Gal 6:6). 

In my opinion, these are God’s priorities in tithing.  But we must not be stingy and stop after giving the tithe.  Beyond our tithes, we should also give offerings for other purposes, such as helping the weak, the poor, the widows and orphans, as well as supporting missionaries.  We should support the Lord’s work of spreading the gospel around the world.

Now let’s look at some of the revelations given by the Spirit to people about tithing.

Brother Park Yong Gyu
During a tragic Near Death Experience, A conservative Presbyterian Pastor named Yong Park was taken to Heaven and Hell. When he stood before the throne of God, the Heavenly Father greeted him. He states: "I then heard the voice of God, 'My beloved Pastor Park, Yong Gyu, I welcome you. You have made a long journey here.' His voice was overflowing with love and tenderness. The Lord then asked me five questions."

He goes on to say what the five questions were.  But two of the questions the Father asked were: "Did you tithe properly?" and "How much did you give of offerings?"

As he was leaving heaven, the angel escorting him told him the seven things a disciple must do so that building materials will be provided in heaven to build their eternal mansion.  Of the seven essential things needed to earn rewards, two of them were "one’s offering to the Lord," and "their obedient tithes to God."  This shows the great importance of these Scriptural commandments of God.

He also visited hell.  He states: "I then saw many pastors, elders, and deacons in Hell. I asked the angel, 'I know them. They had served God faithfully while on the Earth. They had died some time ago. We all had thought they were in Heaven with God. But now, I see them all in Hell and they are crying out that it is so hot! Why are they here?' There were so many pastors, elders, deacons and all other lay believers."  When the angel told him the eight main reasons why these particular believers were in hell, one of those reasons was that they did not tithe properly.  Another one was that they did not keep Sundays holy.   This also shows the great importance of these Scriptural commandments of God.

You may read brother Park's testimony by keying here.

Emmanuel Agyarkos vision

In a vision in November 2011, Emmanuel Agyarko, of Ghana, had a vision of hell.  In the vision, he saw pastors who did not pay the tithe.  He writes: “I saw four pastors in hell, who were there because they did not pay their tithes. One was called Albert and another was Daniel, a pastor of Church of Christ and this church does not believe in tithing. Daniel said he told his congregation not to pay tithes as it was no longer necessary. He was in hell for basically two things: first of all, he was not paying tithes himself and secondly, because he also stopped others from paying it. For Albert, his church believed in paying tithe, but he thought it was meant for only the congregation and pastors were excluded from paying it. He wished he could come back to earth to start over again and pay his tithes. The other two pastors also did not pay, and one of them, thought simply he did not think he had to pay it even though he knew he should be paying it, and the other thought ministering before God is not working, so he thought there was no need to pay any tithes.”

You may read Emmanuel's vision by keying here.

Angelica Zambrano’s second visit to hell

On January 4, 2010, Angelica Zambrano visited hell for the second time with the Lord Jesus.  While she was there, she saw a pastor who had not properly tithed.  She says: I heard millions of people, some were saying, "Oh Lord, have mercy on me, help me please, Lord, give me another opportunity."

Among all those people, I heard someone saying, "I ask for your forgiveness now Lord, because I have stolen from you, forgive me for stealing, I stole from you Lord and I do not want to do it again." I asked, "Lord, who is he and why does he say he stole from You?" "My child I will show you who he is." We entered his cell and I saw a disfigured man. The flames opened up and I could see that he was being tormented.

All those people who are in hell have a plaque on their chest, and 666 on their forehead. This man extended his hand and said, "Lord forgive me." I asked, "Why are you here, why are you asking for forgiveness from the Lord, why? You say you have stolen from God, but nobody can steal from God? This is impossible, why do you say you have stolen from Him?" He replied, "I'll tell you my story...I was a Christian leader, for 20 years I had known Christ, but during the 20 years I said: all that money from my tithing and offerings were just to sustain the pastors, but now I regret it because I understand and I know that it wasn't for them, it was for the Lord, and that is why I say I have stolen from God ... At this very moment there are many people on Earth that are robbing the Lord like I did. When you return to Earth, tell all those people who don't want to give their offerings and tithes, not to steal from the Lord, otherwise, they’ll wind up in Hell, and no thief will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. I knew the Holy Word, now I regret it and realize I robbed the Lord." (Malachi 3:8) He said, "Tell the people when they give to God, give the Lord with true love." (2 Cor 9:7) This man kept pleading, "Lord forgive me", and the Lord replied, "It is too late, there is no opportunity for you."

I asked the man, "But why did you rob God, why? You knew very well we cannot steal God’s tithes and offerings." He answered, "Yes, I knew very well, but never did follow it, I never did because I was a very proud man."

Don’t ever steal from the Lord, give your tithes and offerings to God because what you and I give the Lord on Earth it is not for men. When we give to God with all our heart, it is for the King of kings and Lord of lords.

The Bible says that the Lord tests us, it is clearly written in Malachi 3:8-10 You are cursed with the curse, for you are robbing Me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.  If you want God to greatly bless your life and your family, then don’t ever steal from God. It’s time to bless God, so He can bless our lives.

You may read Angelica's testimony by keying here. 

Brother Daniel Ekechukwu

On November 30, 2001, a Nigerian pastor, named Daniel Ekechukwu died and visited heaven and hell.  He saw a pastor who had embezzled money from his own church and also lied about it. He said, "I only ate church money.  I am ready to return it." The former pastor pleaded that he would return the money if Daniel could help him escape hell.  Daniel was shocked to see a pastor there, and felt pity for him.  But there was nothing he could do for the man.  He was eternally damned.

When you fail to tithe properly, how are you any different from this pastor? You are robbing from God.

You may read Daniel's testimony by keying here.  

Choo Thomas

On January 19, 1996, the Lord Jesus first began bringing Choo Thomas to visit heaven and hell. She testifies to this in her best-selling book, "Heaven is so Real."  She says:

Very first time He only showed me His throne room. Then after that we came down from heaven, and then we were sitting on the sand on earthly beach. And then He began to talk. He said, "We just went to Kingdom of Heaven. The only one who will come there are obedient and pure hearted", and He said "Preaching gospel is very important" and He waited for awhile, and He said "those who don’t tithe, they are disobedient Christians."

You may read Choo's testimony by keying here.   

Brother Yong-Doo Kim

A Korean pastor, named Yong-Doo Kim, has visited heaven and hell.  In fact, since 2005 he has visited hell nearly every day.  In Book 5 of Baptized by Blazing Fire, a visitor to his church testifies of brother Kim preaching that many believers are ending up in hell, because they don’t tithe or keep the Lord’s day holy.

You may read about brother Kim by keying here.    

Shaini Muas 
A Christian convert from Buddhism, Shaini Muas was given a revelation of hell by the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord took Shaini to hell so that she might be able to better communicate His message to the Hmong people that hell is a real place.  She saw many people who were there because they did not tithe.  She was told that the tithe belongs to God, and that people who do not tithe are stealing from God. She was told that we must give to God what belongs to God.

You may listen to her testimony by keying here.

Putting it All Together

We can see from Scripture and revelation that the Lord expects Christians to tithe under the New Covenant. It was not something that comes from the Law, but was an act of worship practiced by the patriarchs Abraham and Jacob.

Don't let anyone deceive you.  The Lord has not revoked this requirement.  Instead He said to the Pharisees that they should have tithed properly without neglecting the weightier matters of the Law -- justice and mercy and faithfulness. In fact, Jesus taught that not just 10%, but all we have belongs to God. He said, "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions." (Luk 14:33). 

It's true! Of the seven essential things needed to earn rewards, two of them were "one’s offering to the Lord," and "their obedient tithes to God."  And you will give an account to the Father about these.  If you are a pastor, you will also give an account for what you taught your congregation about these.  Many pastors, elders, deacons, and lay believers are in hell for not properly tithing.  It's that serious!

For those who think this is legalism, I challenge you to read my other posts, called the Law of Love in the New Testament and Faith Works!  If you are not tithing, then you don't love God, because Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." (Joh 14:15)

After all, though Jesus was rich, He became poor for our sake, so that through Him we might become rich. We are to follow Him and imitate Him.  Our Lord Jesus did not give 3%, 6%, or even 10%.  He gave 100% for us.  And God the Father gave His only Son.  This is why it is such a great sin to be stingy toward God.  He wants a 100% commitment from His children, and the tithe is merely the first fruits.

Please take this teaching seriously.  If you are already cheerfully tithing with a loving heart, then you already know how wonderful it is, and are experiencing the blessings from it, provided you are tithing properly. Just be sure you are not being stingy and withholding offerings from the Lord above your tithes. If you are not tithing, then let this be a serious warning from the Lord to turn and make this right with Him.  For more study on where you should give your tithes, see here.

Let me close with some examples of Christians who gave generously and reaped a great blessing. The following examples come from the lives of JC Penny, Nancy McFarland, and Arthur Larson.  Click on the image of the text with the white background below to enlarge it, so you can read it more easily:

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note: If you liked this article, I also recommend Faith Works! and Where Should You Give Your Tithe?, as well as Pleasing the Lord. Please visit the Seeking the Lord Blog Directory for more selections. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.