When they saw the star

When they saw the star

Scripture:

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. Matthew 2:7-12

Observation:

After finding out the location the Messiah would be born, Herod deviously informs the Magi to go to Bethlehem, asking them to report back to him so that he may worship him too. The Magi are oblivious of Herod’s intentions and follow his information, until they see the star again, stopping over the house where Jesus was. They then bow down to Jesus and worship him, opening their treasures and presenting him with gold, frankincense and myrrh.  Then, God warns them in a dream, not to return to Herod. So they return to their country by another route.

There are four main things we can learn from this passage. Firstly, we must always be on guard to discern by the Holy Spirit and not just with our human perceptions. Just like the Israelites of old who were deceived by the Gibeonites, the Magi too were deceived by Herod’s delightful words, when his cruel intention was to kill the Messiah. So too, we must be careful to discern and ask the Holy Spirit regularly in our dealings with others. Many things appear beautiful and good on the outside but there may be ulterior evil motives behind the scene such as the great promises of get rich schemes we frequently encounter today.

Secondly, we must be open for God’s leading. The wise men were frequently watching out for the star, and they quickly spotted it, at the opportune time, stopped over the house where Jesus was. In the excellent devotional, Experiencing God, we are encouraged to be open to see where Jesus is working and go and join Him there wherever we can.

Thirdly, the Magi bowed down and worshipped Jesus. They must have somehow recognized that Jesus would bring salvation not only to the Jews but anyone who would believe. That’s why they, although Gentiles, came to worship Him. We too need to worship Jesus with great reverence like the Magi did.

Finally, the Magi brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, speaking to us about Jesus as King, Jesus as priest, and Jesus coming to die. The gold symbolized a gift for royalty, and Jesus was born to be indeed King of the Jews, although this will only be fully seen when He returns to rule in the new millennium. The frankincense used by priests symbolizes Jesus’ role as our great High Priest. As explained wonderfully in Hebrews, Jesus is able to intercede for us for He experienced all that we experience, and He is able to enter God’s presence through the sacrifice of His own blood. And then myrrh, a spice typically use in burials, symbolize how Jesus came specifically to die. His most important mission was to die and become the ultimate sacrifice to make the way for our salvation.

Application:

Be careful to discern by asking the Holy Spirit for wisdom in our daily lives. Do not be easily influenced by flowery words, and promises, but judge matters by the Holy Spirit. Also, be open to God’s leading, opening our eyes to see where God may be working and then doing our best to join Him there, following His Spirit. Meditate on our Lord Jesus as King, as Priest, and as our great Sacrifice. Praise His holy name.

Prayer:

Precious Holy Spirit, open my heart and mind to follow Your leading. Grant me wisdom and speak to me in my daily dealings. Open my eyes to see what natural eyes cannot see. Help me be aware O Lord to recognize where You are working, and empower me to join You there, as You lead me. Praise You, Lord Jesus, for You are my Mighty King, and You will rule a kingdom which will never end. Praise You, Lord Jesus for You are my great High Priest, interceding for me, in Your great love. I thank You and praise You, Lord, for Your great sacrifice which has saved me. Only in You can I be saved. Praise Your holy name. In Jesus name, Amen.

We have come to worship Him

We have come to worship Him

Scripture:

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’

Matthew 2:1-6

Observation:

Continuing the account of Jesus’ birth, Matthew focuses the reader’s attention on the coming of Magi from the east to Jerusalem. The precise nature of the Magi are not exactly known and commentators speculate they could have been Zoroaster astrologers from Persia, or even from Arabia or India. However, they came with one purpose – to seek the one born king of the Jews to worship him. Do we seek Jesus to worship Him? Somehow the Magi knew that it was their purpose, and it is our purpose too.  We need to seek Jesus and to worship Him.

Curiously, the Magi came to know about the Lord’s birth through their observation of the stars. Somehow, they recognized the star’s rising as signaling the birth of the King of the Jews. God created the stars in Heaven, and even put in place mysteries in the heavenlies. Over time, the study of stars became linked to the occult, and from the word Magi, we coin the word magic. God can speak to us through different ways, and often not as we expect. He could speak through a star in the sky, strange wise men coming from the East or shepherds in the field. It is for us to open ourselves to the Holy Spirit, and see and hear what God may be saying to us. As was said in the book of Job, God does speak, now one way, now another, though man may not perceive it.

Now King Herod became disturbed because of his jealousy as he felt his position might be threatened by this new king. So he quickly commissioned the chief priests and teachers of the law to tell him where the Messiah would be born. They answered Herod by quoting from Micah 5 where the Messiah would come from Bethlehem. Though Bethlehem was small, she was chosen among all of Judah to be the Lord’s birthplace. Just like the Lord chose young David among all his taller, stronger older brothers, the Lord chose Bethlehem specially. Quite often, throughout Scripture, the Lord purposely chose the lesser things, as said in 1 Corinthians 1:28 God chose the lowly things of the world and the despised things, the things that are not to nullify the things that are.                                                                                               

Application:

Let us seek Jesus to worship Him, not just in church but day by day. That is our purpose and destiny – to worship our Lord. Know that the Lord speaks in different ways to different people. Ask God to open our minds and spiritual eyes and ears to see and hear what He may be saying to us. Thank God that He chooses His own not by outward strength or appearance but by His mercy and grace. All of us can come to God in humility. He desires and honors a humble heart.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I seek Your face. I seek You to worship You. May Your name be praised forever. Help me Holy Spirit worship You, Lord Jesus,  in spirit and in truth. Open my mind and ears and heart O Lord to hear what You would say to me, to see what You would show me. I thank You and praise You, Father in Heaven, for You chose the lowly things of the world. May I always be humble before You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

                                                                                                                                                        

He will save his people from their sins

He will save his people from their sins

Scripture:

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. Matthew 1:21-25

Observation:

The angel continues in his message to Joseph that Mary will give birth to a son, and that he is instructed to give him the name Jesus. What does the name Jesus mean? It means “Savior”, and the name showed the exact destiny of the baby, that he will grow up to save his people from their sins. Meditating upon this, it is important that every time we call the name of Jesus, we realize that it is He who saves us from our sins. We are all fallen, helpless in ourselves. We need a Savior, and God has provided Him to us in Jesus Christ.

Note that the angel said how Jesus will save his people from their sins. Jesus does not save everybody but only those who are His. At first glance, it seems that “his people” refers to the Jews, but it is more than that. Later, Jesus said “I have sheep also not of this pen, referring to the Gentiles. Jew or Gentile, we who follow Jesus belong to Him and He will save us from our sins.

Then, Matthew adds how this incident took place to fulfill the prophecy found in Isaiah 7:14 “The virgin shall give birth to a child, and they will name him Immanuel, meaning “God with us”. Jesus came by a miracle birth, through a virgin. This was also necessary as sin passed down from generation to generation through Adam’s seed, and only one not of Adam’s seed could start a new godly line not tainted by Adam’s original sin. How precious the name Immanuel, for it was not just any new created being, but God Himself who came to be with us in the person of Jesus Christ. Immanuel also gives us that precious sense of fellowship, reminding us that we have a God who loves and desires to live among us, having fellowship with us.

In the last section, we are told of the obedience of Joseph as well as his reverence for the Lord. Recognizing the divinity of the child in Mary’s womb, he controlled himself not to have relations with her until the baby was born. Joseph’s obedience to God and his respect for God are two beautiful qualities we would do well to inculcate in our own lives.

Application:

Meditate on the name of Jesus. Savior! He saved us from our sins. Only in Him can we be saved! Praise His holy name! Remember that Jesus saves His people from their sins, not just anybody! How do we know we are His people. His sheep listen to His voice. Endeavor and pray to listen and follow our Shepherd’s voice. Praise God that He came to us and He is with us – Immanuel. Seek that close fellowship with God that we were created for. He will be found by those who seek Him, as He has promised! Desire to be obedient and reverent like Joseph, a man blessed with the privilege of raising the Lord as a child. 

 Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You are my Savior, my Lord. You save Your people from their sins. You give us life and hope. Forgive my sins O Lord, and save me according to Your great love. Let me always stay in your arms O Lord, keep me close in Your embrace. Let my ears and heart listen to You and obey You. Praise You, Lord Jesus, for You are Emmanuel, God with us. Grant us unity, we pray. Create in me an obedient heart O Lord, may I always revere Your Holy name. In Jesus name, Amen.

Faithful, yet merciful

Faithful, yet merciful

Scripture:

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:18-20

Observation:

Following the genealogy of Jesus, Matthew now proceeds to describe the specifics concerning the birth of Jesus briefly. The first fact focuses on Jesus’ mother. She was a woman betrothed to a man called Joseph, but was found to be pregnant before the marriage. Those of us in the faith take for granted that her impregnation by the Holy Spirit is an undisputable fact after looking at the whole miraculous life of Jesus. However, imagine if you were there at that time and heard about this story. There is no way any of us would simply believe it to be true. Instead, most of us would be quick to condemn Mary as being sinful. What would the relatives and neighbors think about Jesus as he grew up? On the cross, our Lord endured our shame that we might receive His glory. Even from his mother’s womb, our Lord already had to endure unwarranted shame and judgment from others, and all for us.

The second fact in this passage focuses on the qualities of Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. He was faithful to the law, yet did not want to expose Mary to public disgrace. According to the law, Joseph had the right to publicly denounce Mary, even ask her to be stoned for adultery, but he was a different kind of man. Most enraged husbands to be would have taken the opportunity for revenge but Joseph lived under different principles, in fact, under higher principles that would only be expounded by Jesus Himself in the Sermon of the Mount. Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Forgive. Love those who hate you. Joseph obeyed the law, yet he also showed mercy beyond the written law, a marvelous example for all of us to follow.

Right after establishing Joseph’s righteous character, Matthew moves on to tell us of Joseph’s encounter with the angel in a dream. In the dream, the angel told him not to be afraid to take Mary home as his wife because the child in her was from the Holy Spirit. Why would Joseph be afraid? Joseph could have been afraid of the disgrace accompanying marrying a pregnant woman. People would think he had committed immorality before formal marriage. Joseph could have been afraid to marry someone who was presumably impure or immoral and who may have affairs with other men. Joseph could have been afraid of leaving his inheritance to the son of another man. We could not begin to imagine how troubled Joseph must have been. But the angel from God settled all those fears – do not be afraid, there is a divine reason for this. Mary is pure. She is pregnant from the Holy Spirit. Joseph would have known about the prophecy of the virgin giving birth. All of a sudden, he realized that the situation had changed from tragic to truly divine.

Application: How amazing it is that not only did our Lord come down to earth as a mortal human, but even started to endure our rejection and shame from birth. Praise Him and worship Him for His great sacrifice for us, that He endured our shame that we might share in His glory.

Consider the deep qualities of Joseph, who not only followed the law but the spirit of the law, showing great mercy and gentleness. Pray too that we might learn to be like that, not to be judgmental and condemn, but forgiving and considerate of others, even if they may not deserve it. Praise God that He takes away our fears, and indeed, how He can instantly change a tragic situation into something truly divine.

Prayer: Praise You, Heavenly Lord Jesus, for Your great love for us. How great Your sacrifice was for us. Even from birth, You started suffering for us. Thank You, Lord, too for the example of Joseph. Let us be righteous like him, gentle and forgiving, not condemning and judgmental of others. Praise You, great Heavenly Father for You take away our fears. In all things I will ever trust in You. Even in darkness, You can bring light, and out of tragedy, something divine! In Jesus name, Amen.

The number 14 and the 3 missing kings

The number 14 and the 3 missing kings

Scripture:

Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah. Matthew 1:17

Observation:

Meditating on this verse, we can see the perfect timing of God in bringing events to pass. The number 14 represents two sets of 7, the number of perfection or completeness. It also happens to be the numerical value of the Hebrew letters forming the name David, from whom the Messiah was prophesied to come. Although in the Chinese culture, 14 is a rather unpopular number, from a Scriptural view, it reminds us of 2 things – God’s perfection, and God’s perfect timing. God holds the whole world’s future in His hands, and He does everything perfectly!

Tracing through the genealogy of the kings of Judah listed by Matthew, it is interesting that three consecutive kings were left out - Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah. What was common about these 3 kings? They were actually the first three generations in the kingly line of Judah descended from the evil King Ahab. Athaliah the daughter of Ahab had actually married King Jehoram of Judah, and her son, Ahaziah became king after Jehoram. Ahaziah’s son Joash and later his grandson, Amaziah made up the 3^rd and 4^th generation from the line of Ahab. 

In the 10 commandments in Exodus 20:4-6, the Lord warned the Israelites  “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” King Ahab had been one of Israel’s worst idolaters and allowed his wife Jezebel to kill the Lord’s prophets. He was of such affront to the Lord that Elisha prophesied of him “For the whole house of Ahab shall perish: and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel.” KJV The whole line of Ahab in Israel was cut off through Jehu, and in Judah, once Athaliah saw her son Ahaziah was killed, she proceeded to kill all the males in the royal family of Judah. Only Joash, who was an infant, survived, being hidden by his aunt. Ahaziah was a bad king all the way while Joash and Amaziah started well but ended badly. All three were killed by the sword, completing the specific punishment on the sins of Ahab.

So it seems that Matthew omitted them from mention in the genealogy specifically because of the close proximity to the evil King Ahab. What can we learn from all this? Firstly, how we live our lives has deep consequences, not only for ourselves but also for our descendants. We only have one life, but what legacy shall we leave behind? A curse, like Ahab, or great blessing, like Abraham and David? Secondly, its not just important to start well, but to finish well. Both Joash and Amaziah started off well, following the Lord’s ways, but turned away and met tragic ends. Could they have overturned their destinies? For sure, the Lord promises that He will never forsake those who are loyal to Him.

Application:

When we see 14, remember God’s perfection and God’s perfect timing and praise God! Resolve in our hearts to live godly lives and love God, thus ensuring a legacy of blessing for ourselves and our descendants. Remember that we are to persevere and continue in our faith until we finish the race, all the way till the end.

Prayer:

Praise You, Heavenly Father, for everything You made is perfect and everything You do is perfect. Your timing is perfect and You make everything beautiful in its time. Guard my heart O Lord, to live a godly life seeking You. Let my heart always be loyal to You and love You. Strengthen me, and always walk with me, that I might persevere till the end and fulfill the destiny You have prepared for me. In Jesus name, Amen.

God’s Unlimited grace

God’s Unlimited grace

Scripture:

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife, Matthew 1:6b

Observation:

Now we come to Bathsheba, the fourth woman mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus. Her name is not mentioned here but rather reference to the fact that she had been Uriah’s wife, a poignant reminder of only one of two major blemishes in David’s otherwise exemplary life as king.

In a time when kings traditionally go to war, King David had stayed behind and from his high vantage point in his palace, espied a beautiful lady taking a bath on her rooftop. Intrigued King David inquired about her and then sent for her before committing adultery with her despite knowing that she was the wife of one of his most trusted soldiers, Uriah. She then found herself with child and informed King David. The King tried his best to cover up his shameful deed by having Uriah return from the battlefield and arranging for him to be with his wife but Uriah would not cooperate, saying it was wrong for him to enjoy pleasure while the other soldiers were still at battle. Finally, King David resorted to have Uriah killed by instructing Joab to withdraw his troops while Uriah was in the thick of fighting. After that murder, King David proceeded to bring Bathsheba in as one of his wives.

It was only when the prophet Nathan told King David a powerful parable that he realized his sin and repented. However, the child he had with Bathsheba died and the sin caused a great curse to come upon his house with great repercussions for his family members later. Nevertheless, Bathsheba conceived again and her son Solomon would later succeed David as king and become renown worldwide as the wisest person who had lived.

What can we learn about Bathsheba’s story and her inclusion in the Lord’s genealogy?

Firstly, Bathsheba’s inclusion shows us God’s forgiveness. No matter how far we have fallen, if we turn back to God in repentance, He will still accept us.

Secondly, Bathsheba’s inclusion shows us God’s unlimited grace. Not only did God forgive her and David, He even chose her son to succeed David as King and blessed him with unparalleled wisdom and greatness. God does not treat us as our sins deserve, and even blesses us abundantly from His lavish grace.

Finally, Bathsheba’s inclusion shows us how God can bring out good even from a bad situation. Despite the taint of David and Bathsheba’s union, God still brought out the great king Solomon and ultimately, our Lord Jesus Himself, from their family line.

Application:

Praise God that when He forgives us, He forgives us completely. As His words says, our sins He will remember no more. Praise God for His unlimited grace, how He bestows great undeserved favor on us who least deserve it. Praise God that He is able to bring out something good and precious even out of tainted vessels such as ourselves.

Prayer:

Praise You, Father in Heaven, for Your great love and forgiveness. We thank You Lord that You forgive us even as we come to You and cleanse us completely from all unrighteousness, and remember our sins no more. Praise You, Heavenly Father, for Your unlimited grace upon us and Your precious favor. I will ever trust in You O Lord. You draw out treasure from jars of clay, You make something precious out of us fallen vessels. May Your name be praised forever. In Jesus name, Amen.

Under His refuge

Under His refuge

Scripture:

Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Matthew 1:5b

Observation:

The third woman listed in the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ was Ruth, whose story was so important, a whole book in the Old Testament was based on her. Here was a story of how a young foreign widow remained loyal to her Jewish mother-in-law, and stayed with her, even in the face of poverty and a very difficult life. Her beautiful character was so clear that in the end Ruth was deemed better than 7 sons to Naomi.

The book of Ruth is rich with so many lessons, but we just want to focus on 3. Firstly, through Ruth, we get a wonderful picture of what it really means to love. In today’s brittle world, people forsake their marriage for the most trivial of things, and divorce is rampant in most developed countries. The promise to be loyal to each other for better or worse, for richer or poorer mean so little to the generations of today. There is a breakdown in family life, and parents and children, brothers and sisters squabble over money and possessions. However, in Ruth, we see how her love led her to remain loyal to her mother-in-law even when she had nothing. Her love was a pure, genuine love, not dependant on circumstance.

Secondly, we see God never forsakes those who come under His refuge. When Ruth committed herself to Naomi and the God of Israel, she immediately walked under the covering and protection of our mighty, living God. When Boaz blessed her “May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, under whose wings you have taken refuge”, little did he realize that he would be the vehicle by which the Lord would bless her abundantly. For us too, when we commit ourselves to God, we are assured that we have the most mighty God who is for us who will never leave us nor forsake us.

Thirdly, although sometimes we don’t understand why bad things happen, we will in the end realize that God provides the very best for His own. Naomi returned to Israel with great sorrow, changing her name to Marah, because of her afflictions. Yet, in a short time, God changed her fortune completely and gave her great happiness and joy in her old age. Ruth too saw her bleak, difficult future changed into one of great blessing and even destiny, for her son would be the grandfather of the future king of Israel David, and ancestor of our Lord Jesus Himself. Throughout the story, we see God’s favor leading and protecting Ruth and Naomi - the fact that she happened to glean in Boaz’s field,  even the fact that the first kinsman redeemer refused to marry Ruth for fear of endangering his own estate.

Application: Pray to God to give us the kind of love and loyalty that Ruth had, which is exemplary for all generations. Praise God that He never forsakes anyone who comes under His refuge. Trust God even in difficult times, that He means the very best for us, and in the end, we will understand. Trust God to lead us according to His divine directions, leading us to the right place at the right time.

Prayer: Praise You, Father in Heaven, for Your great love and loyalty to those who come under Your wings. Help us O Lord, likewise love You so deeply and with great loyalty like Ruth. In difficult times, help me always trust in You, that all things will work out for the good of all who love You. Lead me O Lord, according to Your will to the right place at the right time. May Your name be praised forever. In Jesus name, Amen.

The grace of giving

The grace of giving

SIBKL/Pastor Chew Weng Chee/2 Cor 8:1-9, 9:6-15

When I first say this phrase “the grace of giving”, it blew my mind. From the Word of God, giving is grace. Grace is a privilege that we receive but don’t deserve. How can giving be a grace? But grace is actually a privilege. Many people want to give but can’t.

The Victorian preacher Charles Spurgeon once said “If you give a tract to a starving man, make sure you first wrap it up in a sandwich.” To the starving man, which is more important? As spiritual a man as Paul was, he was a practical man. Paul was spiritual but also sensible. At this point, Jerusalem was in the midst of a severe famine. Corinth in Greece was asked to show practical concern to the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem because many of them were hungry. Paul didn’t say “pray for them or give them tracts”. Corinth, being well to do, a commercial centre based on an important seaport, was asked to give to them.

Last week, Pastor Andy preached how Paul lauded the Corinthian church for its posture of repentance. “I am so glad you repented, I had confidence in you. Now there is a need….” Paul was not leveraging on the repentance. People who have been forgiven much, love much and give much. Giving is a grace, not a grumble.

In these 2 chapters, Paul actually gives 3 principles on how giving is a grace. They are the principles of excellence, earnestness and enrichment.

Firstly, is the principle of excellence. If you want to give, give well. Otherwise, don’t give. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 8:7,  “But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” What does excel mean? The word “Periso” means to exceed, to be more than enough, beyond mediocrity, abounding in leftovers. They were to translate their excellence into something tangible. The Corinthians were a wonderful church that moved in prophecy and spiritual gifts, and now they were asked to excel in the grace of giving. Personally, I am a high achiever. Even from school, I always wanted to do my best. My parents had very high expectations on me and my siblings. Even in medical school, I did well. When I went into full time, I translated my desire to do well into the ministry. I want to give my best to God, my utmost to God. How many of you watched Lee Chong Wei play Lin Dan in the Olympics? We cheered but Chong Wei lost. Yet we still applauded. This time, unlike 4 years ago, he didn’t just lose. Even though he didn’t get the elusive gold, he played excellently. When you say excel, it means do your best. Everyone cheered Pandelela. She gave her best. Its not in the amount, its in the attitude. In Chapter 8:1-5, Paul asked them to look at the Macedonian churches who exercised excellence in the grace of giving.

What did the Macedonian church do? They had 3 attitudes. In verse 2, we read how out of their extreme poverty, they gave. They were extremely poor but richly generous. There are only 2 instances in the Bible where giving is commended. Here in the Macedonian church, and when Jesus commended the poor widow. She gave more than all of you. Its never the amount, always the attitude.

Secondly, in verse 3, Paul exclaimed how they gave more and even beyond their means. Thirdly, the reason par excellence was that they pleaded to give. It’s a privilege! Some translations say beg. I’ve never seen someone beg to give. Please, can I give? How did the Macedonian church get such a wonderful attitude? There are 2 reasons why in verse 5 – “They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.” Firstly, they gave themselves to the Lord. Once you give yourself first to God, everything else is easy. Other than giving, even serving is easy.                                                                                                                                                    Secondly, our free will is replaced by God. Put God first, and everything follows. Whatever decision you make will be keeping with God’s will. The Macedonian church caught it. This undergirds not only giving but every facet of our Christian lives. When we are totally surrendered to Him, giving is easy. Giving no longer becomes a drudgery.

The second principle is earnestness, as in vs8 Paul says “I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.” In other words, if you want to give, be earnest about it. The Greek Word “spoude” means with diligence, zeal, eagerness, enthusiasm, willingness. You want to give, be a cheerful giver! Many people promise and don’t keep, start and don’t finish. In vs.10-11, Paul said “Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. ¹¹ Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.” As their supreme example, Paul pointed to Jesus Christ in vs.9 saying “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” Jesus gave all the way. He came down from Heaven and died on the cross. He didn’t do it halfway. The whole theology of kenosis described this, about His emptying of Himself for us.

Then, we see the third principle – enrichment in 2 Corinthians 9:6-15. Don’t feel forced to give. God loves a cheerful giver. Jesus Christ went to the cross willingly for you and me. Grace is a privilege.

In this passage, Paul uses seed analogy with 3 results – multiplication, fruitfulness/harvest and thanksgiving to God. The harvest may not be in monetary terms. It is written that when you give, you will have a harvest of righteousness. Your giving can bring a harvest of souls. Some things money cannot buy. The receivers will thank God. The more you give, the more you can give. The sermon of the Mount speaks about letting our light shine before men so that they may praise our Father in Heaven.  

SIBKL, you have been a generous church, and you have contributed to feeding the 974 Myanmar children in the city, supporting the poor community in Sentul Raya, supporting 12 orphanages in Myanmar consisting more than 600 children,  supporting 67 pastors in Sabah and many missionaries. Let us continue to excel in the grace of giving, in earnestness and cheerfulness.