We Are Being Stalked

Saturday, 31st October 2009

One of the dangers with the advent of the Internet chatting software is cyber-stalking. There was a recent article published in The Rock magazine about this.

Well, do you know that we who are beneficiaries of the New Covenant are being stalked? Read on...

One of the most quoted chapters in the Bible has to be Psalm 23 -- the one that talks about the Lord being our Shepherd.

In fact, Ps 23:1 is my wifey's favourite verse.

There is a song based on Ps 23:6 that I remember singing as a youth that goes like this:

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days, all the days of my life
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days, all the days of my life
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever
And I shall dine at the table He's set for me
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days, all the days of my life

It is interesting to know that the word "follow" in the Hebrew is רדף radaph (Strong's H7291), which actually means "to be harassed, stalked, pursued, hunted down".

The very same Hebrew word was used to describe the way in which Pharoah's army of chariots pursued the Israelites when they were making their exodus out of Egypt. It was also used to describe the manner in which David was being hunted down by King Saul (see the texts from 1 Sam 23 through 26)

What a revelation! While the people of the world are searching and hunting for wealth and happiness, we who are believers are being hunted down by the Lord's goodness and lovingkindness!
What we need to do is to focus on Jesus, to seek first
- His kingdom (which Paul tells us in Rom 14:17 are righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit) and
- His righteousness (which Paul tells us in Rom 5:17 is a gift)
and all things will be added unto us. Amen?

Being stalked is not a pleasant experience, but being stalked by God's goodness and lovingkindness certainly is :-)

Turning a Mishap into a Hap

Sunday, 24th October 2009

I was away in Hongkong last week. When I got back, my mum told me that she and my dad were involved in an accident. They were on their way to Adam Road Food Centre for breakfast when this taxi tried to overtake them from the left and cut abruptly into their path. What resulted was a big dent on the front left bumper of my dad's car, just below its left headlight.

The taxi driver was extremely apologetic and admitted liability, and they exchanged particulars. After breakfast, my dad drove to the workshop located just outside our estate and was told that it would cost about S$800 to get the dent repaired. Sometime that afternoon, a representative from the taxi driver's insurance company came to visit my dad and told him that he could send the car to an approved workshop to get it fixed, all expenses paid. My dad told him about the quotation he got from the nearby workshop, to which the representative replied that since the quotation was lower than the one he had obtained, perhaps the repairs should be done at the nearby workshop. And so, he offered to pay my dad S$800.

Guess what? My dad told him he would just take S$400, even though the taxi driver was at fault. He said that he felt sorry for the taxi driver, who had to earn his livelihood.

The rep was very touched and said, "Sir, you are a very kind and generous man".

When my mom told me this, I was extremely touched. Yep, such are the qualities of my earthly dad, who reflects the qualities of our Heavenly Daddy. He had effectively turned a mishap into a hap, and sown a seed of grace and mercy into the life of this taxi driver. I believe that one fine day, a harvest will be reaped from it.

As I reflected upon this, I realise also that there are circumstances in life whereby the devil will throw a lemon at us. With God's help, we can make lemonade out of them and see the truth of Rom 8:28 whereby He causes all things to work out for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Amen?

Did Jesus Have an Inner Circle?

Saturday, 24th October 2009

I wonder whether any of you have heard this theory that Jesus had an "inner circle" among His disciples -- made up of Peter, James and John. While we read about Him travelling about with His 12 disciples, there were 3 specific instances whereby He only took Peter, James and John with Him
1. At the raising of Jairus' daughter (Mk 5:37, Lk 8:51)
2. At His transfiguration (Mt 17:1, Mk 9:2, Lk 9:28)
3. In the Garden of Gethsemane (Mt 26:37, Mk 14:33)

At first glance, it would appear that He exercised favouritism to these 3 disciples. Why were the other 9 not given the privilege of experiencing the above?

It was only recently that I understand that it was not so much Jesus being partial to these 3. After all, He reserved some of the harshes rebuke for them. For example, Jesus said in Mt 16:23, "Get thee behind me satan" to Peter when the latter tried to discourage Him from going through the cup of suffering. Jesus said in Lk 9:55, "You know not what spirit you are" to James and John when they asked him whether they should command fire to come down from heaven to consume the Samaritans for not welcoming Him.

Rather, the significance is in the meaning behind the names of these 3 disciples.

Peter (G4074) Πέτρος (Petros) -- which means "rock or stone"
James (G2385) Ἰάκωβος (Lakabos) -- which means "supplanter"
John (G2491) Ἰωάννης (Johannes) -- which means "Yahweh's grace"

These 3 incidents whereby only the 3 said disciples were "invited exclusively" to witness was God's way of telling us that the Law had to make way for Grace!

This is seen most clearly at the mount of Transfiguration, where we read about how Moses and Elijah appear along with Jesus, but then disappear leaving only Jesus behind. God's voice then comes out from heaven and says, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him". That shows that the Law and the Prophets are fulfilled in Jesus.

In another post, I will blog about the other 2 incidents involving just Peter, James and John, namely the raising of Jairus' daughter and the garden of Gethsamane, whereby again we see that the Law has to make way to Grace.

So, did Jesus have an inner circle? Yes, He did. But it was not made up of Peter, James and John. Rather, it was made up of 2 other persons that have been with Him in the beginning -- God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.

Living in Style

Sunday, 18th October 2009

I just came back from a week-long business trip to Hongkong.

According to our HR policy, heads of department can travel on business class for flights that are more than 6 hours. For flights 6 hours and lesser, we have to go by economy class.

But because I went on the trip with my boss (who is the CFO), I was "upgraded" to sitting in business class with him :-)

And dear friends, travelling by business class is an *entire* world of difference. The seats are so much more spacious and comfortable, the amenities are way better and the stewardesses actually address you by name.

Best of all, one does not feel tired upon stepping off the plane.

I took several photos while I was on the plane, so the passengers around me must be thinking I'm a sua ku (which is Hokkien for "mountain tortoise" and describes someone who is overwhelmed by what others consider to be everyday encounters because it is his own first encounter).

You can check out those photos here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=113355&id=751059341&l=3f57cfd82c

It was a real honour and privilege to be able to travel in style, and it was all on the account of my boss.

As I reflected on this, a deeper spiritual truth dawned upon me. On our own, we do not deserve to enter into God's holy presence or any of God's blessings. But because of Jesus, we can approach His throne of grace with confidence and stand boldly before Him. We who are beneficiaries of the New Covenant of grace have privileges that extend beyond just travelling in style. We can live life in style. Prosperity is ours. Health and wholeness are ours. Shalom peace that transcends understanding is ours. All on the account of Jesus and His finished work. Hallelujah!

Helping Our PEople

Saturday, 17th October 2009

In response to the economic downturn, the English-speaking umbrella of the Methodist Church in Singapore (which is known as Trinity Annual Conference or "TRAC") has organised a series of career fairs entitled HOPE ("Helping Our PEople") to equip, prepare and overcome the economic crisis.

Two such fairs have already been held earlier this year. The first was at Faith Methodist (next to Commonwealth MRT to reach out to those in the west. The second was at Pentecost Methodist (in Pasir Ris) to reach out to those in the east. The third, catering to those in central Singapore, was held in my church today.

The guest-of-honour was SM Goh Chok Tong and the following article appeared in Channel NewsAsia:

SM Goh praises religious groups for inclusive approach in offering social aid Channel NewsAsia - Sunday, October 18

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong on Saturday commended religious organisations in the country for the inclusive approach they have undertaken in rolling out social welfare programmes.

Mr Goh said the strategy underpins the unity and harmony of Singapore’s multi—racial, multi—religious society.

On Saturday, job seekers from all races and religions were at the Paya Lebar Methodist church grounds to attend the Helping Our People Fair (HOPE).

Jobs fairs such as HOPE are not usually organised by a religious group and held within a place of worship.

It was the third in a series of job fairs organised by a group of churches in Singapore.

The Paya Lebar Methodist Church partnered the Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church, Toa Payoh Methodist Church and Trinity Methodist Church to organise the full—day fair.

HOPE is just one example of the "many helping hands" approach community groups in the country have undertaken to help Singaporeans during this period of economic downturn.

SM Goh cited other examples such as the Al—Iman Mosque’s Community Kitchen project, which equips the long—term unemployed with cooking and catering skills; as well as the Singapore Buddhist Lodge, which has been serving free vegetarian meals at its premises for some 20 years.

Said the Senior Minister: "It is good that our religious bodies deliver such services beyond their followers and without imposing their religious beliefs on their beneficiaries. This way, they help to strengthen the sinews and spirit of our multi—racial and multi—religious society."

The organiser of HOPE pointed out that the job fair is meant to fulfil a social need — that is, helping all Singaporeans find jobs regardless of their religious believes. This stems from the understanding that religious groups in Singapore operate within the larger multi—ethnic community.

President of the Trinity Annual Conference of the Methodist Church, Reverend Dr Wee Boon Hup said: "As a church, we realised that our members themselves are going through difficult times, and as we reach out to them we realised that everybody else in Singapore, many others are also affected by the crisis... so we open up the whole fair to enable people to find practical ways to find help."

Job seekers who thronged the Saturday job fair clearly welcomed the move.

Said Kwan Siew Kong, a job seeker who attended the fair: It’s very encouraging because it’s very inclusive to have this type of event and open up to all races and religions. In a sense religious bodies do not exist just to get believers, but also at the same time to help society and help the people in the community."

With a turnaround in the economy, lay offs in Singapore have eased in the second quarter of the year.

The unemployment rate now stands at 3.3 per cent, and job seekers are beginning to have a more optimistic outlook.

"In Singapore there’re a lot of opportunities, especially for fresh graduates," said 23—year—old engineering graduate Sajeesh Krishnan. "I think in today’s economy, Singapore’s situation is better compared to others and the jobs situation is also getting — day to day — a little bit good."

So far, the Community Development Councils and the Employment and Employability institute of Singapore have helped some 23,500 people find jobs in the first eight months of the year.

— CNA/yb

Bad Guys Go Good

Friday, 16th October 2009

One of the songs currently heard frequently on the airwaves is a tune entitled "Good Girls Go Bad" by Cobra Starship. The lyrics are not exactly edifying -- the singer proudly claims to be a bad influence that causes wholesome girls to go astray, viz

I know your type
You're daddy's little girl
Just take a bite
Let me shake up your world
'Cause just one night couldn't be so wrong
I'm gonna make you lose control

She was so shy
Till I drove her wild

I make them good girls go bad
I make them good girls go bad
You were hanging in the corner
With your five best friends
You heard that I was trouble
But you couldn't resist
I make them good girls go bad
I make them good girls go
Good girls go bad

I suppose one can claim that this sung tongue-in-cheek and not to take the words too seriously.

But if we were to apply the reverse, there is a truth therein which we can take very seriously --- and that is that He makes us bad guys go good. We who are born of Adam have inherited the sinful nature. The Bible tells us that "All of us are like sheep that have gone astray (Isa 53:6)" and that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23)".

But because of Jesus and His precious shed blood on the cross, we are now considered to be righteous before God (Rom 5:19)

Indeed, He makes us bad guys go good. Amen?

Cross-Purposes

Sunday, 11th October 2009

Today, it was Ps Reuben's turn to preach again in my own home church. So needless to say, my wife and I did not go to the Rock.

He entitled his sermon "Cross-Purposes" (hence the title of today's blog entry) and the passage in question was Mk 8:27-33. Before preaching, he touched on what it means to "deny oneself, take up one's cross and to follow Jesus" and crossed-referenced that to what Paul said in Gal 2:20 which talks about how we are crucified with Christ.

In his sermon proper, he mentioned that in the Old Covenant, the Holy Spirit was limited to just kings and prophets and only for a moment in time. However, in the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit now indwells the believer upon us being born again and remains in us forever.

He also challenged us to expect to see signs and wonders accompanying the preaching of the gospel, and that resonated very deeply in my heart. My church just turned 77 in July this year, and I am very much looking forward to seeing her embark on her next stage and season of growth. I remeber how her membership grew from about 600 back in the early 1980s to about 2,400 in 2005, but has remained at that number for the past 4 years. There is no reason why she cannot grow beyond 3,000 when PLMC becomes a "signs and wonders" centre :-)

Like I have mentioned before, God is no respecter of persons (or even churches), but He is a respecter of faith. NewCre is able to experience exponential growth because her pastors never fail to unveil Jesus in their sermons. PLMC can also do likewise if her pastors also keep true to the gospel and keep Jesus central in their messages. Amen?

You can listen to Ps Reuben's "Cross-Purposes" sermon at the following link:

http://www.box.net/shared/x497uc7zn6

Apokatastasis

Saturday, 10th October 2009

On 27 Sep 09 (otherwise known as F1 Sunday), my wife and I were in our own home church listening to Ps Reuben Ng preaching about "Strengthening Yourself in the Lord". As such, we had to rely on listening to the CD version of Ps Joseph Prince's sermon for that week (I have subscribed to Ps Prince's CD sermons, which typically arrived in my letter box 5 days after the sermon is preached).

That week, the service was held at the Indoor Stadium (because of F1), and the sermon title is "It's Time to Receive Your Restoration".

Ps Prince referred to Acts 3:21, where Peter was addressing the crowd and used the term "apokatastatsis" (Strong's G600), which means restoration to the state before the fall.

He then cross-referenced this back to Ex 22, whereby we see God's principle of restoration. Where man is concerned, repairing a broken table or chair will never put that table or chair back to its original state. But when God restores, He more than does so.

On our part, we have to lay claim to the things that are rightly ours (as a result of Jesus' finished work) and tell the devil, "This is mine" as recorded in Ex 22:7.

This sermon resonates very deeply in my heart because of what I have gone through over the past 2 to 3 years as a result of embracing the grace gospel.

For the sake of the newcomers to my blog (and at the risk of sounding like a broken record to the older ones), this message on restoration is God's way of confirming to me that He will more than restore what the devil has taken away, and the manifestation of that is going to be completed very, very soon.

When Rev Peter Koh, the senior pastor of my church discovered that I had embraced grace teachings (which is what he considers to be heresies), he made to step down as cell leader and treasurer in August 2007.

In December 2007, my cell was disbanded.

Then, several fellow church members who I have known since Sunday School and choir days started to shun me and a handful of them even removed me as their Facebook friends.

Rev Barnabas Chong, the ex-youth pastor of my church, who was transferred out in August 2007, has taken that one step further, specifically preventing me from seeing his Facebook profile :-)

All these have been the cost of discipleship.

And if being taken to task within the four walls of the church was not enough, in June 2008, I had to go to the police station in conjunction with a vandalism case because Rev Koh gave my name to the investigation officer. My brother-in-law was so disgusted that a shepherd would expose his own sheep to the wolves.

In August 2008, I even contemplated leaving the church of my forefathers to put all these behind me and to start afresh with my family in NewCre. After all, my brother-in-law and his entire family had already settled in there.

But my daughter was not keen to uproot and move, having made lots of friends in church, and my son also wanted to stay put to go along with his elder sis. I was in a dilemma because it meant that my wife and kids could not go to church together as a family unit. When my dad heard about my situation, he told me that it was foolish to give up a 75-year legacy going back five generations just because of a pastor who had only been posted into my church in January 2006. Furthermore, Methodist pastoral appointments are itinerant in nature and it would only a matter of time that he would be posted out. He asked me to be patient and wait for God's timing. I thus decided to take a sabbatical rather than give up my membership.

Yes, looking back, it has not been a smooth journey at all. But I thank God that He has seen me through all these unpleasant events. While I have lost good friendships that were built with members from my previous cell 3L2 and cluster 3L, God has caused me to build even better friendships with other grace believers out there. While I have lost the status and influence of being a cell leader and treasurer in my own home church, God has raised my status and influence in other arenas that go beyond my own home church.

I can put my hand on my heart and say that indeed, God causes all things to work out for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28), and I look forward to the day when my wife, kids and I can once again be able to go to the same church as a family :-)

The Truth You May Never Hear In Church

Friday, 9th October 2009

I recall having lunch with one of my pastors in January 2007 when he found out I was heavily into Ps Joseph Prince sermons. He advised me not to just listen to one set of teachings lest I start to idolise the messenger rather than the message.

I thank God for the words of wisdom that He gave this pastor because since then, I have also started listening to Peter Youngren of World Impact Ministries, Åge M. Åleskjær of Oslo Christian Center and Reuben Ng of Paya Lebar Methodist Church. These men of God never fail to put Jesus in the centre of their sermons and how much He has already accomplished for the New Covenant believer.

In these last days, God is raising an army of grace preachers who are strongly established on Mt Zion. Yet another that has emerged recently is Andrew Farley of Ecclesia. Andrew has written a book entitled "The Naked Gospel (The Truth You May Never Hear in Church)".

Here is a write-up on the book:

Product Description

Jesus plus nothing. 100% natural. No additives. It's the truth you may never hear in church. The Naked Gospel is a chapter-by-chapter assault on the churchy jargon and double talk of our day. It puts forth a message that is simple but life-changing. With a fresh take on Scripture and unapologetic style, The Naked Gospel will challenge you to re-examine everything you thought you already knew.

From the Back Cover

I found myself lying on the floor of my apartment, sobbing for hours on end: "God, I'm doing everything I'm supposed to do, and I still don't feel closer to you. In fact, I feel worse than ever! How could this have gone wrong? I can't see any way out. Help me."

As a university student, Andrew Farley found himself physically and emotionally addicted to street evangelism and Bible study. Yet despite his fervid behavior, he knew something was missing. That something was an understanding of the gospel that is stripped of the compromises and clichés of the modern church.

The Naked Gospel finds friends among those who are burned out on experience-chasing, ceremonialism, or legalism. It attacks churchy jargon and powerless ideas and puts forth a message that is simple but life-changing. With a fresh take on Scripture and unapologetic style, The Naked Gospel will challenge you and stir you to re-examine everything you thought you already knew.

The truth you may never hear in church can now be heard due to the wonders of modern technology such as the Internet. Hallelujah!

Needs V Wants

Sunday, 4th October 2009

Today I will blog on another man-made theology. How many of you have heard people saying, "There is a difference between a need and a want. God will supply your needs and not your wants."

It seems like material blessings can be divided into two distinct categories -- needs (which would refer to basic bare necessities in order to get by such as food and shelter) and wants (which are things that most people can probably do without).

But the truth of the matter is that such a distinction is hard to draw. Just like one man's meat is another man's poison, one person's needs may be another person's wants. For example, a person who works in sales may have to travel frequently. Is a car his need or his want? If we conclude that it is his need, then what type of car? A Japanese car or a continental one?

As a result of this, many of us Christians are afraid to ask God for things. By doing so, we do not realise that we are limiting God because Scripture tells us that "it will be unto us according to our faith." If our level of faith is to believe God to provide us only with the bare minimum, then God will respect our free will and not force His blessings upon us.

Take myself for example. I used to drive a Mitsubishi Lancer. There were occasions when my family will go out with my parents or my parents-in-law and I recall my kids lamenting that it was very squeezy to have 4 persons crammed behind. Thus I upgraded to a Mitsubishi Grandis in January 2007. Frankly speaking, I needed a family car and a Grandis was sufficient.

But when I watched the Benjamin Generation DVD sometime in November 2008 and heard Ps Prince share about "beholding my wagon", the Holy Spirit ministered to me and tears just flowed freely down my face. Then I recall the Lord's prompting inside me saying "Son, your turn is next."

Truth be told, I felt guilty and ashamed when I initially heard that (and even wondered whether it was really God speaking or my own fleshly desire). Even now, I still consider a BMW to be a want rather than a need. Yet, somehow the way circumstances unfolded between then and December 2008 was His way of confirming to me that He wanted to bless me with one.

First and foremost, as a result of sowing bountifully into One-North in August 2008, God caused me to reap bountifully. I received amazing news sometime in October 2008 that allows me to tithe up to three times more than I previously used to.

Secondly, the price of COEs had started to drop month after month to levels never seen before. I recall receiving an email from an ex-cell member about the COEs for small cars falling to $2. When I got my car in December 2008, the COE for big cars was less than $5k. [Since then, they have now climbed back up and have now exceeded $20k. I know that in and of myself, I am unable to predict such movements to make such a timely purchase.]

Thirdly, through a friend of a church friend, I was introduced to a BMW sales consultant who was neither the airhead nor the snobbish sort. Even my wife found her to be very down -to-earth and extremely pleasant.

Fourthly, through an ex-colleague who was an MBA classmate of the GM of Performance Motors, I was given a "corporate rate" and got the X5 for the price of an X3.

And fifthly, the car that I was given to test drive had the licence plate with the number 555 in it.

All these were progressive indications that confirmed to me that Daddy God wanted to give me the BMW for my 41st birthday. He wanted to satisfy my wants, not just my needs.

You can read about my Blessed Most Wonderful (BMW) experience below:
A Blessed Most Wonderful Experience (Part 1)
A Blessed Most Wonderful Experience (Part 2)

I am also reminded of how Jesus beckoned Peter to walk towards Him on the water. Peter did not *need* to walk on the water. He clearly *wanted* to. Yet God did not rebuke Him for satisfying his want.

So dear friends, do not restrict or limit God by asking Him to satisfy only your needs. Ask Him to satisfy your wants as well! Ps 23:1 says that the Lord is our Shepherd, we shall not be in want (and not in need). Rom 8:32 tells us that since He did not spare His own Son, how will He not also give us all things (and all things would include both our needs and our wants). And Eph 3:20 tells us that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly over and above what we ask or imagine. So go ahead, ask God and you shall receive. Amen?

Extravagant Receiving -- God Gave Up His Isaac

Saturday, 3rd October 2009

Yesterday I blogged about how many Christians wrongly picture their Daddy God as demanding and unreasonable, expecting us to give sacrificially to the point of giving up our "Isaacs".

I humbly put it to you that we should instead see our God as lavish in His giving to us, like depicted in the story of the progidal son whereby the father sprinted towards his son, hugged and kissed him repeatedly and bestowed him with the best robe, ring and sandals. In fact, the main character of that parable is not the wayward son, but the extravagant father.

In fact, God actually delights in us taking from Him more than He does in us giving to Him! This is because when we come to Him with our wants and needs, this reflects how reliant we are on Him and not on our ownselves, and indicates the value we place on Him being able to provide for us.

Why do I say this? Let's look at several examples in the gospels. Jesus is a reflection of God the Father and had said that He only does what His Father tells Him to do.

In Luke 10, we read the account of what happened at the home of Mary and Martha, Mary sat at the feet of Jesus listening to Him and allowing Him to minister to her. Martha on the other hand was in the kitchen busying herself, wanting to serve Jesus dinner and to minister to Him. Think for a moment, who delighted our Lord? The one who wanted to give to Him or the one who wanted to receive from Him?

In John 4, we read the account of how Jesus was in the region of Samaria. Verse 6 tells us that Jesus was "tired from his journey, so he sat down to rest at the well". Later on, in verse 31, His disciples tell Him to "eat something" which also indicates that He should have been hungry too. In verses 7 through 28, John records His encounter with a Samaritan woman. Jesus ministered to her and as a result of doing so, became refreshed, so much so that we read in verses 32-33 about how His declined His disciples' offer of food to the extent that they thought someone else had already given Him something to eat.

On several occasions, we read of Jesus rebuking His disciples "O ye of little faith" that seem to indicate that they did not take enough from Him. Never once did He rebuke them for taking too much. Peter asking to walk on water would only benefit his own self, yet Jesus did not rebuke Peter by saying, "Wah piang. I walk on water you also want ah?". Instead He beckoned Peter to "Come".

And so therein lies a paradox whereby we humans differ from God. When people take from us, we get depleted. But when people take from God, He gets refreshed and invigorated!!!

Which brings me to the verse about being more blessed to give than to receive. This is true of horizontal relationships -- it is more blessed to give to others than to receive from others. But when it comes to the vertical relationship, it is more blessed to receive from God than to give to God. After all, God already has everything.

Friends, we need a paradigm shift and not be afraid or ashamed to be extravagant in our receiving from the Lord because He gave up His Isaac for us. That is what undeserved, unmerited and unearned favour is all about. Rom 8:32 (AMP) tells us that "He who did not withold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?" All other things would include our needs and wants, no?

Speaking of needs and wants, I remember another misquotation where well-meaning believers tell us that God will provide our needs but not our wants. That will be the topic of tomorrow's post, so stay tuned :-)

Sacrificial Giving -- Offering Up Our Isaacs

Friday, 2nd October 2009

I come from a Wesleyan Methodist background which places a lot of emphasis upon good works. Nothing wrong in and of itself, but I have come to realise that good works is supposed to be the result and response to what Jesus has done for us. The concept of doing good works must therefore be first established upon Christ's finished work. If we only talk about good works without bringing what Jesus has done into the picture, then we run the risk of going back to the Old Covenant where blessings from God are performance-based and good works come about through self-efforts.

I have blogged about good works previously so I won't go into further detail. You can read about that here

http://rootss.blogspot.com/2009/05/source-of-good-works.html

Today, I want to talk specifically about sacrificial giving, which is also something I heard quite frequently when growing up as a Methodist. "Give till it hurts!" "Give up your Isaac!" "No pain no gain" are some commonly-uttered phrases.

Some preachers and fellow believers have interpreted that portion of Scripture where Abraham was asked by God to offer his son as a sacrifice as an indication that God also wants us to give of ourselves sacrificially. There are yet other preachers and believers who have gone even further to say the Abraham had made his son into an "idol" and because God did not want allow any other gods before him, Abraham had to give him up. They would say, "Are there any Isaacs in your life? Your car? Your house? Your country club membership? God wants you to give them all up!"

What they may have not realised is that Abraham lived before Moses and the Ten Commandments was not in existence yet, so how can Isaac be an "idol"?

Recently, a fellow graduate from the NTUCF Alumni said that many Singaporean parents these days are putting their kids' education above God. I certainly hope he is not implying that our children has to be sacrificed the way Abraham was asked to do to Isaac!

I thank God that one of the benefits of embracing the grace gospel is that now everything in the Bible can be seen in its entire context and makes perfect sense. Note that only Abraham was asked to offer up his son and no one else in scripture. This is because the Old Testament contains types and shadows, the substance of which is found in Christ and His finished work.

Abraham being willing to sacrifice his son would be a picture of God the Father being willing to sacrifice God the Son. God had told Abraham in Gen 22:2 to "take his son, his only son, the son that he loved" was an indication that He would in time to come take His son, His only son, the Son that He loved. Note also that Abraham had another son Ishmael (via his servant Hagar). Yet, God did not recognise what was produced through the flesh (Abraham's own self-efforts). In His eyes, Isaac was Abraham's only son.

While Abraham was willing to give up his son, he eventually did not have to do so because Jehovah Jireh provided a ram. While Abraham and Isaac had made their way up one side of the mountain, God's provision had made its way up the other side.

So, Abraham giving up Isaac was something that pointed to Daddy God giving up Jesus Christ. No one else in the Scriptures be it Jacob or David or Solomon or Peter was asked to make such a sacrifice.

As I type this entry, I remember with sadness an article that appeared in the Sunday Times more than a decade ago written by a lady called Tan Sai Siong. She had made reference to the abovementioned portion of Scripture and said that she would never believe in a God who would be so cruel enough as to test a person's faith by asking him to give up a child that he had waited so many years for. My prayer is that since then, she has had the chance to be invited to a church like New Creation to have that story explained to her in its proper context.

Yes, this is what happens when people, even believers, quote the Bible out of context and make our wonderful and generous God appear so demanding and unreasonable. What they fail to realise is that God's demands have been perfectly and completely met by Jesus on the cross. We do not have to give up our Isaacs because God has already given up His.

What about the passage in Matt 19 where Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell all that he had to follow Him?

Once again, this was an isolated incident. Notice that this man had asked Jesus what he had to do to inherit eternal life and Jesus quoted him some of the Ten Commandments. He was coming to God on the frequency of the Law so Jesus quoted him the Law, and went even further by asking him to sell everything so that he would come to the end of himself. Contrast this with the thief who hung next to Jesus whose only request was for Jesus to remember Him when He went into His kingdom. Jesus told him that he would be with Him in paradise! There was no need for him to make any form of restitution. After all, he had already come to the end of himself.

Hence dear friends, sacrificial giving should never be in the vocabulary of the New Covenant believer. The fact that we are in this New Covenant means we have already come to the end of ourselves and acknowledged our need for a Saviour and Redeemer.

On the contrary, God actually delights when we take from Him.

But doesn't the scriptures tell us that it is better to give than to receive?

Yes, it does and I will blog more about that tomorrow, so stay tuned :-)