Don't Call Me A Methodist. Call Me a BenGener!

Sunday, 30th November 2008

A fellow Methodist (let's call him Marco) recently wrote the following article and sent it to the NTI/U Alumni Christian Fellowship ("NTIUaCF") Yahoo! Group:

Our Methodist Heritage

To those faithful Methodists in Singapore,

1. Remembering our Heritage : On 7 Feb 1885 the Grace of God touches our land with the Methodist Movement. God has swept this land with grace, health, wealth and prosperity. It's now for more than 123 years. God still remain faithful. These are God's Grace and Love to our children, to us, our forefather and to our nation.

2. According to the General Conference, we have 35,221 members and with 44 local Churches. We have the largest Christian membership in Singapore. In term of wealth, God has blessed us more than 100 fold, it's far greater than any monument yet to be built.

3. According to the Methodist websites at http://www.methodist.org.sg/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 There are so many ministries that touches the life of so many people, young, the marginalised, the elderly and the death. These agencies are:

a. Garden of Rememberance( for those that asleep - my mum was there),
b. Methodist Co-Operative Society - to help the poor.
c. Methodist Missions Society - for missionary work all over the world ( I have went to mission trip in Nepal under MMS).
d. Methodist Schools - 3 private and 12 Government aided ( my 3 children are products of the Methodist Schools in Singapore).
e. Methodist School Foundation - to raise support to our Methodist Schools.
f. Methodist Welfare Services - youth, elderly, families and specialised help
g. Women's Society of Christian Service

4. Through the years, do you know how many faithful government ministers, leaders, the Methodist movement has produced?

The above is to remind ourselves, how faithful God's to us for more than 123 years. The Methodists in Singapore have enjoyed so much Grace, Wealth, Prosperity in so many areas of our nation's life.

Let's be wise and not to be fool into believing some new movement that have yet to stand the test of times. Let's remember to worship a "God who is" and not a "God who we want" . Let's remember what our suffering Apostle Paul taught us : "that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, become like him in his death." Phi 3:10

This is our roots!
Blessings,
Marco

When I read his article, I felt that I was in a good position to respond to him (like how Paul felt he was in a good position to respond to those who insisted on keeping the Law, when he called himself a "Hebrew of Hebrews" in Phil 3:5, so it was interesting that Marco had quoted Phil 3:10)

Dear Marco

I have been a Methodist all my life, and a 4th-generation one at that (in fact, my great-granddad was a Methodist pastor).

I used to take pride in calling myself a Methodist (like how I used to take pride in calling myself an ACSian). However, I now identify myself more as a "BenGener".

Frankly speaking, to be able to reach 35,000 in 123 years is really nothing to boast about. Compare that to reaching 22,000 in 15 years.

I believe it's about time we Methodists stopped patting ourselves on the back and resting on our laurels. We are like a sleeping giant that should be rising up to the potential that God has in store for us. Let's start emphasising the person of Jesus and the perfection of His finished work like what NewCre does, and see how God will likewise also cause us to multiply tenfold in 15 years.

Blessings

Well, yesterday he wrote me an email in response to my blog entry entitled "Scandalous and Moronic"

Dear Malcolm,

Good analysis on the teaching of the finished work of Christ for the past, present and future. It's admirable that you have search the scripture yourself - the blood of your forefather as Pastor is in you.

However, the truth on the present is not as straight forward as what you shared? Our security in the heavenly places(future) is confirmed based on the finished work of Christ(past, present and future). But to extend it into the present state of earthly claim:

"I was not aware that I could claim for myself prosperity, health, piece of mind, restfulness and acceptance with Daddy God because Jesus took upon Himself poverty, sickness, anguish, toil and separation from His Father when part of His passion was to be stripped naked, whipped, agonising about the cup, having the crown of thorns pressed into His head and being abandoned on the cross respectively."

(Note: I am aware that is a popular teaching from Prince, this is one of his favourite theme as he shouted out all these so many times!)

My personal view:

1. The claim of prosperity and health in the finished work of Christ are not verified by so many servants of the Lord including the writer, Paul himself on 1 Cor 1:23. It's strange that Paul mentioned so much suffering for Christ's sake if he can claim all those you shared above. The trust on the text and context of 1 Cor 1:18- 2:5 is at verse 25: "For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

2. The Church in the time of Acts grew out of persecution and suffering not on health and prosperity of the believers. Similarly, the Church in China grew not because of the health and prosperity the foreign missionaries bring to them. In Acts and China the Churches grew out of pain, prison,..stripped naked, whipped, agonising..others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword, they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated - of whom the world was not worthy -wandering over deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

This is the true meaning of the finished work of Christ!

3. Bro, I am not here to oppose the blessings of God but to ignore the complete teaching of Christ is inbalance. I like to enjoy health and prosperity - have the health to enjoy life and wealth to share with others and support the work of the Lord. But foolishness of God is wiser than men when he allowed pain and suffering to inflict on his chosen people, his Church, in his servant. *Honestly, I do not want all these suffering, I prefer to join you in that claim of abundant life -health and prosperity*but that's not the whole counsel of Christ.

The greatest test of a man's life or a Church is not when he/she is healthy and prosperous but when he/she is bearing the cross of Christ- like Job! The finished work of Christ is pain, suffering and shame for the past and the present but NOT THE FUTURE in our heavenly home!

Marco

This was my humble response to him

Thanks bro for sharing your thoughts with me. As much as I empathise with what the apostles and believers in China had to go through, there is a difference between us and them. They were not part of the end-time generation; we are :-D

The end-time generation (or what Ps Prince calls the "Benjamin Generation") is the generation which is to experience God's unmerited favour in greater and greater abundance. If you were to read the story of Joseph and his brothers, you will come across portions of scripture where Joseph showed favouritism to Benjamin by arranging via his unnamed helper to give him five times more food and drink (Gen 43:34) and five times more clothing, not to mention 300 shekels of silver (Gen 45:22).

And hence, likewise, in these last days, our Heavenly Joseph will arrange for the Holy Spirit to show great unmerited favour to us "BenGeners" and provide us exceedingly abundantly over and above all that we ask or imagine!

Since you have heard Ps Prince before, I am sure you know that the number five represents grace. What did Benjamin do to receive it? Nothing. He received it because he shared the same father and mother. The other ten brothers did not because they shared the same father but not the same mother. I don't know about you, but I now share the same mother Rachel (which is a picture of grace) and not Leah, Zilpah or Bilhah (which is a picture of the law).

I can lend you the "Benjamin Generation" DVD to watch. It is truly inspirational, especially the part of how God blessed Ps Prince with a BMW 7-series at the price of a 5-series.

Speaking of BMWs, I will be blogging about this sometime early next year, so do stay tuned :-D

Blessings
Malcolm
BenGener

Indeed, fellow brothers and sisters. Let us not identify as being a Methodist, or a NewCreationist, or a CityHarvester. Rather, let us identify with being a BenGener -- a member of the Benjamin Generation, and believe God for five times more! Amen?