Author: Dr. Richard DixonExecutive Pastor | Chief Finance Officer | BSCOG

The term “Word of God” can and is used in different ways.  First, people use the Word of God as a description of the Bible and its Scripture that is contained within the pages.  Second, it is a phrase people use to describe the actual spoken words of God.  Although, there remains controversy within various denominations as to whether people can actually and physically hear the spoken Word of God today, there seems to be an acceptance that historically, God did speak directly to His children.  We can see this many times documented throughout the Old & New Testament of the Bible.  We can read and see how God spoke into existence everything that was created.  It is well documented in the Book of Genesis.  We can see where God spoke directly to Adam and Eve, at least prior to the downfall of man, and the need for repentance to it.  With the eating of the fruit, we see God physically spoke directly to Adam and Eve not to partake of it; furthermore, we can recognize how God begins to achieve redemption with a relationship of God and man throughout the rest of history.  Jesus Himself, spoke to the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus, where his life was forever changed.  A Christophany that changed the world’s history and who can come to the Lord’s call of Salvation. A Christophany is an appearance or non-physical manifestation of Christ. Traditionally the term refers to visions of Christ after his ascension, such as the bright light of the Damascus Christophany.     

When one reads the Old Testament of the Bible, we can see where God spoke things into existence then a latter result of an existence creation. Additionally, we see that every time God physically spoke after the downfall of man, it was always to redeem a relationship with His creation. Of what He spoke, it was always to steer mankind in a different direction than what he was heading, because of the contrary of where God wanted him. With the writing and documentation of how God worked at that time, the Old Testament became the “Word of God,” because it is there that we can come to understand not only what God was speaking to man, but realize what God is speaking to us today. We can begin to understand Theology; The Doctrine of God. Yes, the “Word of God” is God’s spoken word as we earlier discussed, but it is Scripture and what God is saying to us even today in relation to the Bible being God’s continually spoken word. When asking your question as to what God is trying to say to you, think: the nature, person, and works of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Additionally, how your life is lining up to those attributes or God’s characteristics.

An initial question to those not well versed in the Bible would be whether God was able to redeem that relationship that He had with man as it was in His original creation.  The answer to God’s fulfillment of the covenant He had with man is concluded with the sending of His only Son to make the fulfillment happen.  Jesus Christ came to fulfill all that which God was speaking of and working to fulfill in the Old Testament, The Law.  When we look at Jesus being the fulfillment of everything God was speaking in the Old Testament of the Bible, we can accept the fact that Jesus is now the “Word of God”.  It becomes one and same, because of what is obtained by accepting Him and understanding what He did for you and me.  If God’s word was captured within the Old Testament and Jesus is now on earth to fulfill what God was speaking, then Jesus is now the fulfillment of what God was and is speaking.  Not only does the life of Jesus Christ become the “Word of God” but everything He physically spoke was documented in the New Testament and becomes the “Word of God”.  John 1:1 KJV says, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  Jesus at times even said that He is what God is.  For example, Jesus said in John 15:4-8 NKJV, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.  It becomes the same that God’s Word is His Scripture in the Bible as a documentation of His history but also that Jesus is now the “Word of God” fulfilled in human form again for the redemption of that special relationship He had with His creation.

Upon the departure of Jesus to remain at the Father’s right hand until His second coming, man was to wait upon the Holy Spirit that Jesus had promised them.  It is the Holy Spirit that continues that work of Jesus Christ and was in turn the work of God here on earth.  Because the Holy Spirit is God and part of the trinity of His existence, we must see the Holy Spirit, as Jesus Christ was, the continuing “Word of God”.  When we can accomplish this, we can tap into the power we need for correct and appropriate biblical interpretation.  We can ask and trust the Holy Spirit to illuminate our minds and hearts and properly allow us to understand God’s speech-act.  What is it God is trying to say to us?  A biblical interpreter can always take the Holy Bible, read it, and take the scripture for face value; however, there initiates the possibility of wrongful interpretation.  If you seek council and guidance from the Holy Spirit for correct and insightful interpretation then the interpreter can see the correct interlacing of God’s will and Word upon His interpretation; somewhat of a double check that he or she is correctly interpreting the act behind God’s will and not the mindful guess of what the interpreter has concluded to, by happenstance or a self-personal drive behind what he may want the interpretation to be.

It may sound deep at first to understand what God is saying to us as with the inquiry I discussed earlier, but as in anything when the motive is pure and right behind the search, then the outcome most likely will surface as well.  In understanding that the “Word of God”, at one time being physical and audible to most people is documented in the Bible and now as God’s spoken Word captured in the scripture of the written print of the Bible, we can understand that we can use the Bible to understand God’s spoken word or the act behind what He wants to say to us.  We can then see the covenant fulfillment in the life and words of Jesus Christ and accept that it was not only the fulfillment of what God wanted but the furthering of what God wanted to say to us.  Moreover, the work of the Holy Spirit then is the continuing the “Word of God. He captures not only what is in the Bible, but we can see His effect on us to understand what God wants to say to us today.  So, “What is God saying” or what is the “Word of God”?  As a basis we need to seek council of the Holy Spirit to allow us to be open enough to understand what God wants from us as seen in the life of Jesus Christ and what God was saying to His children prior to God sending His son to us for an example to reach Him.  By doing this, we can then understand, “What is God saying to me?”
~Richard E. Dixon, Th.D. (Exec Pastor @ Boyette Springs COG)

Did you know that one of the Church of God Doctrinal Commitments is tithing and giving?  We are presented with more than a few Scriptures on this topic: Genesis 14:18-20; 28:20-22; Malachi 3:10; Luke 11:42 ; 1 Corinthians 16:2 ; 2 Corinthians 9:6-9 ; Hebrews 7:1-21.  My favorite of course is Malachi 3: 10, which says, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”  I am always so excited to see how God can take something small and turn it into something miraculous.  After all, He is in the miracle business.

So, what is the tithe?  A tithe is 10% of the income you receive.  That is of course the most simplistic definition.  Early writings report that among the Greeks and Romans tenths were frequently dedicated out of a man’s substance to their gods, sometimes as lasting obligation, sometimes only on particular occasions; but it was customary to dedicate the tenth of the spoils of war to Jupiter Praedator, to Mars, and to Hercules.  The Persians gave to their gods the tenth of war spoils.  The part of this that fascinates me is how all of these had so much dedication to paying their tithes to gods that were not even real.  It brings us to think of the Scripture in Acts 17:23, “for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you.”  Paul was addressing the Church of Thessalonica when he saw this altar and was perplexed that they did not know who they were exalting.  Those historical people paid tithes to the gods that did not exist and did not personally know, in contrast, we know our God!  We know that He is real!  And, we know that His Word instructs us to bring the tithes into His storehouse.

the CFO here at BSCOG, I often see the blessing attached to giving in connection to those that regularly tithe.  Working in the finance department within the church can be a difficult task; one sees who regularly gives and those who may not.  My prayer is that people would trust God more with their finances and they would see the miraculous happen in their life more often.  The Bible tells us, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. ~Luke 6:38 NKJV.”  I often wish people would use larger measuring cups in their giving and see what happens. When we pay 10% of our income to the Lord, we always receive more than we give.  Though many times we receive spiritual blessings for paying tithes & offerings, sometimes the blessings are temporal. I like what Randy Alcorn wrote, “..tithing isn’t something I do to clear my conscience so I can do whatever I want with the 90 percent–it also belongs to God! I must seek his direction and permission for whatever I do with the full amount. I may discover that God has different ideas than I do.”
― Randy Alcorn, Money, Possessions, Eternity.

When Edward Stokes Rich was 12 years old, he worked at night for a local newspaper to help his single mother earn money for his family. Whenever Edward received money, he gave it to his mother, who’d pay tithing on it.  One time his mother said, “Edward, I know that you have no overcoat, and you must walk many miles to and from work each night. With winter coming soon, it’s going to be very cold when you walk home at four or five o’clock in the morning. So, I’ll give you your tithing money and you can either pay your tithing or buy an overcoat. I’ll leave the decision up to you.” Edward hurried to the Bishop’s house and paid the tithing.  The next week Edward’s Aunt Mary came over and gave Edward a coat her sons had outgrown.  It fit him and was better than any coat he could have bought.  Since then, Edward’s decided to always pay a generous tithing.

This is just one story where God worked through a person’s giving.  There are thousands more and each time we see God being God.  He tells us in His word to test Him on this concept and that we are to be a cheerful giver.  With that said, why not test Him on his return? Get your largest measuring cup out and get happy by paying your tithes to the church you are a member of or attend, and watch the miracles come forth!