Dear family and friends in Christ,
I’m sure you would have heard from some Christian leaders that the Old Testament is not relevant for today.
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Some have even used the opportunity to spread this mistruth from the pulpit, mocking and ridiculing those fellow ministers of the Gospel who do preach and teach the whole counsel of God (both Old and New Testaments).
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The Lord Jesus Christ, the Living Word of God Himself says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.†(Matthew 5:17-20)
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I wish to challenge every Bible-practicing God-honoring Christ-follower to ask themselves sincerely the following questions.
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Is Psalms Chapter 23 & 91 relevant today?? If so, are they in the Old or New Testament?? Can we use these scriptures for the protection, provision, and guidance of God in the future??
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In Malachi 3:6-10, the word of God says, “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,†says the LORD Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse – the whole nation of you – because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,†says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have enough room for it.â€
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I spoke to a very prominent Christian leader a few days ago who told me that the Old Testament is not relevant and gave me a whole lot of man-made theology.
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I am not a theologian, nor a biblical scholar, but as a disciple of Christ and a lifelong student of the living Word and Spirit of God, I had a simple question to ask him.
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Is Malachi 3:6-10 relevant for today?? Are tithes & offerings relevant for Christ-followers today??
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At this at once he said, ” Oh, some principles have to be carried forward into the New Testament”.
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Well, how about the following word of the Lord from the prophet Haggai, “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?†Now this is what the LORD God Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.†“You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?†declares the LORD Almighty. “Because of my house which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house.†Haggai 1:4-6,9
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Are we as Christ-followers free to do as we wish, as we are no longer under the law, but under grace as many say??
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My question is, do we conveniently choose to accept or reject Old Testament scriptures as and when it suits us??
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“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.â€Â Hebrews 13:8 Â
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I think it’s good to ask questions and not take in everything we hear from the pulpit as facts or truth. Â
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I pray that we as Christian leaders will faithfully shepherd the flock of God, with the conviction of the Holy Spirit in preparing them for the second coming of the Lord! (Acts 20:27-35)
Best Regards,
Pr Danny Nalliah
Hello Pastor Danny,
My question to you is “Are we righteous through believing or through doing?”
Regards
Andrew
As the 1st comment i say “Amen!” and “I agree fully!”
Preach it!
Thanks,
I think most of the problem is in what people understand “judgement” to be. We only think of the negative aspect of it for a start, but King David say’s time and again that he loves the judgements of God. God’s Judgements are what ever He has said, thus rendering it a law, or an unchanging principle mouthed by the Devine. Because God has said certain things about the results of sin, it can be understood as judgement. However we need to understand (and teach) that He is not right now lashing out with judgement on individual cases. No, judgement does manifest but as a result of what God has already said concerning that action or word. I.E. people who reject God and sin will reap death! The judgement on sin has already been both pronounced and indeed paid for (by Jesus) but a person can still harvest that judgement by rejecting Jesus and giving themselves to sin.
On the flip side this has powerful ramifications for the positive. Because God has already spoken many things concerning our good, we can also apply the same “law” and receive His good judgements upon our lives. I.E. “Give and it shall be given unto you” or “If you are willing and obedient you will eat the good of the land” etc, etc.
Hope this helps…I am not saying that there is no judgement, just that Jesus has taken that upon Himself for those who receive Him (for the negative part Gal 3:16) and so we must accurately divide the Word and not allow fear to be promoted amongst the brethren.
We will certainly see the results of the consequences of what God has said (judgements) in the days ahead and yes we will be seeing some awful things take place, but that is even more the reason for the Church to rise up, put off fear and take up love, so that we can shine brightly in that time.
🙂 Chris
Thank you for your email Danny. I was so encouraged by reading Psalms 23 & 91. I am also careful when listening to the pulpit message, but thanks for the reminder.
In relation to the end times and David Wilkerson’s prophecy, just to let you know, our entire church is doing a Bible reading plan i.e. read the NT in one year. We all started 1/2/09 and March 10 to March 13, covers Matthew ch 24 & 25. These two chapters direcly relate to the last days and the coming of Christ. I know God speaks to his people through His word. The fact that our church (Lighthouse Church, Wollongong) is doing a bible reading plan together and these chapters occur now, is no coincidence. This is a timely “God’s incident” – where His word and together with your emails, have shown us only this past week, to be ready and waiting.
I even heard a song this week, (entitled “Can’t Hold Back” which was sung on a dance show on Channel 10 on Monday 9th), where the lyrics (despite being overall distateful) said “Jesus is coming, so move it”. I checked up the lyrics of this song on the internet, just in case I imagined hearing those words, and yes, it mentions these words exactly. Another coincidence? How timely is the Father’s reminder to His people, to be ready – Jesus is coming soon.
It would be very helpful to receive details from other Christians, also receiving similar verses or “coincidences” where God speaking to us now – about Jesus’ return.
Yours devoted to Christ, His Word, His People and my family,
Sharon
You are so right as usual Pastor Danny. I think that good man Bill Meuhlenberg refers to this as “cherry-picking†scriptures that suit us and discarding the rest. An extremely dangerous practice, especially when we teach others also. It all comes down to being honest with ourselves and the Lord, who is Truth personified.
God bless you and your good team always
Ian
I sent the message below to a man yesterday in response to an email he had sent me about the lack of interest from Queensland politicians to the Christian call.
“Hi There,
As we have warned for many years, it’s the case of being savorless salt, lukewarm religion is bearing it’s fruit sad to say. For the most part irrelevant except for a few like Danny Nalliah. The humanistic globalists planed 30 years ago to do these things and have been working towards it with a whole heart ever since knowing full well that they could isolate the fundamentalists ( Bible believers and doers) from the lukewarm (theorists) whenever they wanted. Jezebel is in the house and the tenacity of the Elijah spirit is in very short supply.
The Lord Bless you”
Without wishing to be critical in any way of Christian ministries there is the same savorless salt there to. On the subject you have addressed below, I wonder how it is possible to have faith when the scripture clearly say’s that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Rom 10:17 is this perhaps the reason the Jesus said “…Shall I find faith on the earth…” Lk 18:8. I do believe that selected rejection of Old Testament truth is a complete rejection of 2 Peter 1:19
2 Pet 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
This is a direct reference to Old Testament writings and Peter puts such above his own experiences on the mount of transfiguration. Sad thing is that those who selectively reject Old Testament truth probably believe the “day has dawned and the Day Star has arisen in their hearts.
I sure you know all this anyway but just wanted you to know that we support you with all our hearts.
God bless and keep you
John and Sharon
I am in complete agreement with you on this. I absolutely love the Old Testament, am currently reading it and God speaks to me through it powerfully. I have a question I hope you will have the time to reply to. I have always struggled with the Sabbath – whether or not we are supposed to abide by what God says about it. Could you please give me your opinion on this?
Thankyou kindly,
Cathy
I am indeed saddened by the formulae responses that I have received in my last two emails in response to my questions recently, as it makes me feel that I have just been placed on your enemy list. I am in deep prayer and consideration about this whole thing and open to discussion.
I consider myself your supporter and pray for you each day concerning the issues in our nation, for I too I am fourth generation Australian and from a family of Christian heritage with my grandfather saved through the early 1920’s Christian Endeavour youth revival movement in Melbourne Exhibition buildings. I have spent great times with a Pentecostal movement in India on mission and have had the privilege of ministering in slum area’s and had experiences where God has used me to speak prophetically, heal and bring His word, working alongside pastors in village ministries. I am open and aware of how Asian communities and cultures have an awareness of the spiritual realm and a sense of sowing and reaping and affirm these until I see it contradict the image and character of our God as opposed to other religions who believe that God is fatalistic in the manner of handing or dishing out punishment or destruction. Some Asian churches believe in the sovereignty of God almost being the same thing as Allah ‘s ‘will’ being supreme, but what happens if for example, a girl is raped – is this Allah’s will??? Is this our God’s will? Is she reaping what she sowed? Yes, I want to see my nation come to repentance and I know that God has given me revelation about revival in Australia, either through obedience or sacrifice, all is dependent on whether we bend our knee. But how do all the people who lost family members now feel about God, if it’s Ps Danny’s God is the one who killed them and for what it seems to be an unrelated consequence of someone else’s sin., ie, Did the 12 year old girl who died have anything to do with the abortion bill?
I am not a mainline pastor in Melbourne, but have been a youth pastor in a number of Asian churches, teaching Australian born Chinese, Malaysian and Indian young people. I have completed studies at bcv in missiology and now find myself on the firing line of these letters you have sent me, concerning the relevance of the OT, as this indeed is not true of me, as I do believe in the validity and relevance of the old testament and if I am to be bundled into the same box with all these people then, I would be very concerned for the very things that I have already stated previously, that knee jerk reactions in the body of Christ is only going to polarise the churches more. For taking someone’s writing out of context is not appropriate.
Maybe that both sides of the debate need to consider how they communicate and define their understanding of God’s word and continue dialogue which is healthy and whole purpose is to build up and edify the whole body of Christ in challenging times, even John wrote the book of revelations to give the church hope in times of great trial, for when one says they believe they are in the era of grace in the NT covenant this for me at least never means the irrelevance of the OT, but it’s fulfilment. Here below are two examples…
Example 1
– In the OT Esther 4:5-17 King Xerxes of Persia’s administration operated with laws and legislation, one layer built on a precedence of the one before., so too the new covenant of grace is built on the law but doesn’t abolish it. In the OT Xerxes time, his administrators and managers intended the new legislation to restrict and control God’s people, even persecute them and get them out of the way.
– Precept upon precept, new law was added over another and the kings’ signature could not wipe a previous law away., only override it with a new one which had greater breadth.
Example 2
– The law of gravity was overridden by Jesus when he walked on water, the natural order of creation was shown to be under God’s control. (Matthew 14:22-33)
– He was the creator, but He also had to operate within the pre existing laws and precepts that He himself had put in place., or He would be considered the poorest creator who would break His own laws and promises. Is He not faithful to all His pre existing words and promises?
– So, why didn’t Jesus cross the Galilee sea ‘regularly’ by walking on water? What was special or what gave Him right to over-ride His own law of gravity He had designed previously?
– What gave Jesus legitimate purpose and reason to walk on water? Is Jesus a law breaker by walking on water? Why didn’t He spend all His time flying like superman & doing miracles?
– What gives us the ability & right to participate in miracles today, on God’s behalf?
Here is my point
– The new covenant is a new precept which builds on the old covenants, it fulfils them and builds on them, however it comes with a more relational fulfilment, not a formulae that no man could boast, not with a Sadducee’s legal mind to scheme, not with a Pharisees’ political agenda to control., but a life given to loving and edification and building up of faith in the body through love. Galatians’ 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love’.
What gives Jesus and then also Peter the privilege of over-riding the natural order of creation and gravity by walking on water….. it is the full combination of God’s purpose, God’s Plan,
God’s Love exemplified in a life of faith, truth & love, expressing itself in the building up of the body of Christ through the power of the new covenant of love, it is all relationship. This is the fulfilment of the law and the covenants of old…
It is the NT law of love which works miracles’ and permits the over-riding of the natural realm and order., – it is a law of a loving covenant relationship.
(Luke 10:27) And he answered, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”
(Mark 12:33) AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE’S NEIGHBOR AS
HIMSELF, is R432 much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
Jesus walked on water because His love for His disciples and Peter approved the over-riding of the law of gravity by a new legislation of love over-ruling the existing boundaries and limits
of creation that God’s had previously put in place. This was combined with a match in purpose, planning and outcomes that God had for the training in faith, of the disciples.
Jesus didn’t walk on water again to prove anything or do welfare or visit other countries to feed the poor by flying over the ocean in the sky and when Satan tempted him to jump off the
edge of the temple (Luke 4:9), this showed that He understood the times which were approved to do great miracles’ were always bound in the law of love which proceeds from faith in
God’s good purposes.
Dear Danny., I believe that there is corporate sin and corporate sowing and reaping of consequences in our world for sin, and specifically in Australia at this time there does seem to be God’s creation groaning with the weight of man’s sin on the earth which may indeed cause it to convulse with birth pangs (Mat 24:8 Mark 13:8) and be expressed in all fashion of events, but to specifically connect two completely different sowing and reaping consequences together and condemn the people in the country fires for the sins of the those who are related to the abortion bill makes for a very condemning and judgement which doesn’t seem to fit the crime or connect for the Victorian people. (Luke 13:4) It is like condemning a child for something it doesn’t even know it’s done wrong. This is so close to the doomsday prophets… and doesn’t seem to be in line with the NT prophetic office, or the OT prophetic office either… for both of these always connected the sin with the consequences directly.
I feel that you have knee jerked on this one, though I believe in your ministry, you will be judged by God for misrepresenting His great love. If God has a prophetic word or insight about sin that He gives to us, is this not ought to give us the burden to pray, seek His face and direct His body towards Christ, in order to build up and direct the body to repent, love one another and re-evaluate things, but all I see happening is further division and your own ministry now side lined by those who need to be there to help you speak to this country.
I believe you have a prophetic role and hope that you will not lose your credibility. (1 Co 13:2) Conviction of sins comes not from our judgment, but the Holy Spirits conviction and proclamation of the truth through love. (2 Cor 12:19-21). I feel that maybe you ought to have been challenging God’s church about the holiness of our nation and not the people who don’t know Him.
I pray you will receive this in the love of Christ and not just breezed over by another administrator!
In Christ, Douglas
I’m very glad that you are standing for biblical principles, and for the whole Bible to be received and applied today, which is as it should be.
Am I a mile wide of the mark if I say that Christ’s fulfilling the law does not abolish it, but fulfill it’s requirements? Did Jesus die as the one on whom the wrath of God fell (once for all), so that grace could be applied to me? I’m writing on the run here, so I’m not giving references, forgive me- but allowing for ‘he who has not the Son, the wrath of God abides on him’, if Jesus died ‘not for our sins only, but for the sins of the whole world’, are we not better telling the GOOD news (new life is there if you want it) rather than the BAD news (the world’s in a mess and someone has to pay)?
I think I understand the watchman thing you mentioned in an earlier e-mail; do we need to make a distinction between OT prophets and the NT gift of prophecy?
I’m not sure that the ‘wrath of God’ idea is quite so cut and dried as all that. On the other hand, if you feel that you were acting under God’s direction to speak as you did about the bushfires, you would have been a hypocrite not to.
Anyway, keep on roaring for Jesus- heaven knows someone needs to! -and bless you and yours.
Malcolm
Danny
You dont seem to understand the difference between the old testament prophet and the new testament prophet.
You think you are an old testament prophet in the new testament and your “prophesies” need not be judged?
You are getting things badly wrong like putting oil on Mr Costello’s head.
It looks like you are addicted to the limelight and now have become an object of ridecule.
Please, be careful from now.
Jordan
Dear Danny,
Unchallengeable stuff. Thank you for it.
Don’t call yourself a ‘not a theologian’. You know the Lord and you know the Bible, which makes you an able minister of the Lord and His Word. If theology were the issue you can hold your own with those to whom the accademic clinics have awarded degrees.
And if people are attempting to cut you down, you are in a wonderful following, for they did that to the Lord and His followers.
Thank you for your pronouncements. I take them in seriously to heart. Please keep them coming. What you receive from the Spirit keep passing on to us.
Very thankfully,
Yours
Elwyn
Proverbs 3:5-7
Thank you for this message! I make sure that I often preach from the Old
Testament. How good to hear that I am not all alone.
God bless you, keep up the good work
Ken
Thank you so much for this, Danny! As always, your Biblical words ring with Truth, bringing Life and encouragement to the Body of Christ. Bless you abundantly!
In Christ’s love,
Karen
Thank you Ps Danny…many will try to minimise the WHOLE COUNSEL of God, and are content to live with being ‘covered by grace’ (even continuing in willful disobedience), instead of understanding that His Grace not only made us righteous in Him (because of His sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary), but it also is meant to be used to gain the insight, motivation and courage to be obedient to His Holy Will, across the WHOLE Word of the Lord (culminating in NT). Nowadays, there seems to be a defecit in believers’ understanding of Holy & Righteous Living; and a contentment to live in a ‘cheapened’ grace.
Thank you for your Words of Wisdom & Words of Life.
May the Lord bless you richly,
Elizabeth
Dear Pastor Danny
Regarding your recent prophetic dream and media release I would like to apologize to you because after reading it, I initially had a wrong mindset and reacted negatively because I was of the opinion that the Old Testament was not relevant for today.
After giving it some thought I came to realize this cannot be the case, because that would mean the 23rd Psalm isn’t relevant, nor the creation, nor tithing nor any of the other encouraging words that are in the Old Testament, and you can’t just accept the verses that make you feel good but not the others, the ones that challenge you to be holy etc.
I believe that, as you say God cannot keep His protection over a world that insists on going against His will. I don’t believe that the Lord rained down His wrath on those particular people who were killed in the fires, but more that because of the rife disobedience and going against His will in the killing of innocent children, that has been shown, the Lord was not able to keep His protection on Victoria.
Since then God has shown His mercy to Victoria on two particular occasions when adverse weather conditions and fires could have caused death and damage, these things did not eventuate, and I think it had something to do with the prayers and turning to God in repentance of many Christians.
God Bless you in all you endeavours.
Regards
Darren & Elizabeth
Jeus said as in the days of Noah so shall it be in the days before the return of the Lord..
There was no progressive judgement before the great flood!
So all nation Judgement is reserved to the return of the Lord.
That does not mean that the law of sowing and reaping is not in play progressively, as you see in Herods judgment..on an individual basis.
Regards
Sam
Dear Danny and Friends at Catch the Fire,
Thanks for the encouragement.
We agree with you. The Old Testament is essential! Rejection of it is pure folly, and has gotten us into a real mess in the church.
Andrew
I hear more from those who say that the Bible is not relevant, let alone the OT.
John
Dear Danny,
I thank God for such a man as you, always standing up for truth and righteousness, whatever the cost and being brave enough to address full on the issues which are corroding our society and watering down the church. Thankyou for being such a wonderful example to me and to thousands of other Christians who want to follow the Lord fully.
May God continue to bless and uphold you and your family, strengthening you for every trial He chooses to put you through and supplying every material thing that you need.
Yours in Christ,
Evelyn
Dear Pastor Danny,
I would like to receive your emails please.
I admire your courage, and i agree we are not to accept everything we hear from the pulpit as gospel, we are to be like the Bareans, check it out. A lot of pastors wouldn’t have anything to talk about if Tithing wasn’t in the Bible. and hardly anyone preachs on the second coming and getting ready.
May The Lord raise up many more voices like yourself in this country, that is one of my regular prayers, that God would raise up the annointed and put down the self appointed.
God bless you and your family as you endeavour to do Hiswill .
Maggie
Thanks Danny
I just had a chat with a local ps here and was dismayed by his responses to my questions. It appears many are not on the page!
The Lord has been making me think about grace lately – I believe because there is a lot of abuse of Gods Grace from the pulpit.
As I feel led I will speak what the Lord asks me to say. I think there are an awful lot of goats out there! Thanks for your encouraging words.
In Christ Jesus service
Graeme
Hi Ps Danny,
Of course much of the OT is relevant today. Anyone who says differently is simply theologically ignorant.
I searched Bill Muehlenberg’s (who has forgotten more about theology than most of your critics know) blog for an article I could send you on the subject but couldn’t find one that was specific to the issue. Instead here are a few titles I thought would be related:
God, Judgment, and this World
Jesus and Judgment
What’s Wrong With the Ten Commandments?
Jesus, Law and Relationship
Law and Gospel: Getting the Right Mix
Regards, Ewan
Dear Pastor
Is the Old Testament irrelevant to today? In all my years (25) in the church I’ve never heard any preacher say such a thing. I have never heard such teaching or taught it myself. Nor have I seen anyone mock from the pulpit those who teach that the OT is relevant today.
What the fact is that the Law is inapplicable to the believer this side of Christ- just as it was inapplicable before Moses to believers.
The system of tithes you mention was first carried out prior to Mosaic Law by Abraham. We still relate to Abraham as the “Father of Faith†today. “He believed and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.†As for the Mosaic Law it does not apply to us because of the work of our Saviour on the Cross.
The Psalms you cite as well as all other Psalms, Proverbs, and every other book of the Bible relates to us as far as it does not call on us to carry out requirements of the sacrificial system and Mosaic Law. For example, when was the last time your church elders stoned a couple for committing adultery? Part of the Law certainly but not part of our grace founded covenant in Christ.
Hope this helps in some way.
A fellow servant,
Ps Alex
I believe the Word is the same yesterday, today and forever, it
changes NOT. We need razor sharp discernment today,
many will twist the Word to their own liking. The times we live in, we need to build Gods
house more han ever! I hear what you are saying, it is right. Jesus
came to fulfil the law and He did at Calvary. We have a new and better
covenant, but He did not do away with the old.
Bless you
June