The Aftermath - Part 3

Sunday, 26th August 2007

I have blogged earlier about the some of the responses that I have received from NCC members and PLMC members.

There is also a 3rd group of people that have emerged with a consistent message, and I believe that is what God is now putting in my heart. They have advised me not to publicise any further about my being relieved from leadership, because it may cause further misunderstandings and confusion.

Even though they agree that there is a sense of injustice in the way I've been treated, nonetheless the one who carried it out is after all my senior pastor. And the proper biblical response, no matter what, is to submit to those that have been placed in authority above us.

An often-quoted passage in scriptures to support this is the incident where David chose to spare King Saul's life even though he had opportunity to do otherwise, as recorded in 1 Sam 26: 7-12.

7 So David and Abishai went to the army by night, and there was Saul, lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying around him.
8 Abishai said to David, "Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of my spear; I won't strike him twice."
9 But David said to Abishai, "Don't destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the LORD's anointed and be guiltless? 10 As surely as the LORD lives," he said, "the LORD himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. 11 But the LORD forbid that I should lay a hand on the LORD's anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let's go."
12 So David took the spear and water jug near Saul's head, and they left. No one saw or knew about it, nor did anyone wake up. They were all sleeping, because the LORD had put them into a deep sleep.

I have come to realise that if I continued to blog about this incident, rather than edifying the body of Christ, Satan can instead take advantage of this and stir up further divisions.

So please understand if from henceforth, I will refrain from blogging about anything that paints my senior pastor in a bad light. We have agreed to disagree on the doctrine of grace, and have agreed to work together on things we agree upon, such as outreach, evangelism, cell church, etc.

I seek the forgiveness of everyone whom have been hurt by this turn of events.

I seek especially the forgiveness of my senior pastor if my more recent blog entries have put him in a bad light, because that was not the intention at all. I want to reiterate that he does have a shepherd's heart, as mentioned in this blog entry.

I realise that God's ways are higher than our ways, and when we choose to submit to those whom He has placed in authority over us (against our own better judgement and human understanding), somehow He will cause things to happen, and circumstances to change such that we will find favour with those around us.

And this was exactly what happened to Esther when she chose to submit to Hegai, the palace eunuch as recorded in Esth 2:15. God caused her to find favour with all who worked in the palace and especially with King Xerxes. He selected her as his queen, and ended up in a position where she could save her fellow countrymen.

Which brings me to another excerpt of the DVD compilation called Humorous Bible Illustrations, which I blogged about back in January 2007. This one is entitled "Submission". :-)