Month: March 2021

The Gift of Giving

/ Kay Loke / Leave a comment

21/03/2021

THE GIFT OF GIVING  

Recently, a God-fearing God-serving young man gave a bombshell confession saying that he had struggled to tithe to chruch. God gave him a promotion and pay increase during the pandemic crisis after he started to tithe. If it didn’t sound like that, he followed the teaching from Malachi 3:9-10 or God is a commercial God. I rejoice not for the promotion but for his giving spirit. The reluctance to give either to God or to others is human nature.  

I had been there myself. The first time I attended church service was long before I become a Christian.  I remembered that I felt uncomfortable with the sceptic mind when the pulpit appealed for money, which I knew not that offering/tithing was part of the order of worship. Unfortunately, the prejudice of faith that associates with money cemented my mind for a long time until I was in America to further my education and become a Christian. 

None like many born-again Christians shared their up-lifting testimonies telling stories behind their conversations. I inventory how God has bestowed me with His guide, goodness and guard since I landed on US soil. Soon, I uttered the sinner’s prayer with a thankful heart and deep conviction. The process was uneventful; without knowing the spiritual significance, my heart clamour inside when the offering bag was before me. 

Tithing is the matter of Christianity 101. In Bible studies, I have never come across any study on this specific topic. With the BSF this year, on the book of Genesis, we have father Abram, who gave Melchizedek a tenth of his possessions. He did not do it to invoke God’s blessing but did it in response to God’s blessings and divine protection for his entire family (Genesis 14:19-20).  

Jacob (Genesis 28:20-22) responded to a dream from God that he built an altar and vow that he would give God a tenth of his belongings in exchange for God’s promise and protection for him and his family. Later, Moses introduced that the Tithing is Law (Leviticus 27:30-34). The first 10% shall be set apart as “Holy” that belonging to God. Therefore, the giving of ten per cent was the giving in faith.  

However, in New Testament, Jesus‘ woe to those who give religiously according to Moses’s Law and neglect the “weightier issues “(Matthew 23:23), which says in Micah 6:8 – 

“to act justly and love mercy and walk humbly with your God.” 

God does not need anything from us, and we give God what already belongs to Him a hundred per cent. God’s all-sufficient Grace gave Apostle Paul the faith (Ephesians 2:8) to tell the Corinthians that “God loves a cheerful giver.” Unfortunately, man’s emotional decisions are unreliable. For example, 10% of One hundred is easy to give, and 10% of One million may be challenging. Whether 10% is the sum that is after-tax or before tax?  

The milage from our thankful emotion to physically opening our bank book can go on indefinitely. He knows our hearts, and HE is merciful. Only HE is willing and is able to make us give cheerfully. A few years ago, my former church had members answer pages of questions to help us lookout for spiritual gifts either for our evaluation or to plug into serving in various ministries, and “Giving” is one of them. 

2 Corinthian 9:6-7 

“Let each one give [thoughtfully and with purpose] just as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver [and …” 

God of the Bible

      Prayers of father Abraham’s Servant

      / Kay Loke / Leave a comment

      Prayers of father Abraham’s Servant

      01/03/2021

      We finished the lesson on Genesis Chapter 24 before the BSF took a break for the Chinese New Year holiday. Comparatively, this is the longest chapter of the book of Genesis. With the COVID-19, all group sharing, and lectures are virtual except the written notes. The lesson is a familiar story in three parts. The father Abraham (Gen.24:1-9), an unnamed servant (24:10-61), and the detail on Isaac and Rebecca is brief (62-67). 

      The (Time) was when Abraham was old and lived in Canaan (Place/location). Concerning God’s purpose (Genesis 2:18) and promises (Gen.12:1-3), Abraham resolves to find a wife for his son, Isaac. And he asks a senior servant in his household to swear by the LORD of God of heaven and earth to see through that Isaac shouldn’t marry to any Canaanites’ daughters. And the romance of Isaac Rebecca merits separate writing. 

      I first studied the book on Genesis many years ago. This nameless servant’s prayer (Genesis 24:10-61)was exemplary of Prayer 101 to me. He is sincere, specific, concise, spirit-led in every step he takes. It had challenged me to take part in what says in Jeremiah 29:11-13 that in line with this servant’s prayer in Genesis 24 as my prayer for God’s purpose, plans and promises for me. I have also embraced scriptures from Proverbs 3:5-6 in my walk of faith.

      I thought puff-upness to be a candidate for a prayer graduate, till I put my heart on Genesis 24:10-61. Thinking of a name is essential, yet he was unnamed, which means that he wouldn’t earn anything for himself for what he did. He saw the miracle that God gave his aged master a son, Isaac. He was also an old man, himself. But with a strong sense of mission and his love for his master, he took on a 600 miles long journey on his master’s command. 

      He knew what’s ahead of him. He knew that God would be with him and enable him to keep his promise to his master in Faith. As a servant in humanity, he prayed single-mindedly and waited for God’s marching order before taking every step. He specifically asked God to point him to approach the right girl, and God was faithful. Besides his faithfulness, honourable, and love toward his master, Abraham, I saw his total reliance upon the Almighty.

      I pray for myself, my loved ones, and others like most Christians. I admitted that I could Relate (who God is), Repent (changing the mindset towards Him), but the challenge is that the third ‘R-word’ Rely (on His will and His ways). From this part of the story, Abraham’s servant needs not to have a name for people to remember who he is and his deeds for God and his master because it is all about HIM. It says that no Christian can graduate from Prayer. As we are in the New Testament time, we have had Jesus and the Holy Spirit in us, we only need to pray without ceasing as says in: 

      Luke 18:1 NIV

      Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.