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Have you ever noticed that in many Bible narratives, God seems to challenge His hearers as to whether they would believe in what God had said and to act upon it? It is like God was putting His hearers to the test. Have you ever considered that God may at times be testing you when you read His Word or hear the Holy Spirit? Whether you will believe and act upon it? Why is it so crucial, whether we believe or not? Does it matter whether we respond or not? I suggest that one reason God does so is to prod our hearts to reveal whether it is hard or soft, for our own benefit. Let me unpack some key insights about the condition of our hearts, when we believe God or not, from the story of Moses and Aaron’s early confrontation with Pharoah in Exodus 7:1-13. UNBELIEF OF A HARDENED HEART What is a hardened heart? It is a proud and stubborn attitude. Pharaoh was a classic example, one who had a hardened heart and was filled with unbelief. We examine some of these characteristics and its effects. Hardened hearts seek excuses Moses had gone to Pharoah to speak on God’s behalf, pleading for the release of God’s people to worship God (Exodus 5:1-18). But Pharoah refused and oppressed the Israelites even more. Moses and Aaron returned the second time and performed a miracle as God had instructed, to prove they spoke on behalf of God. Aaron threw down his staff and it immediately became a snake. Was Pharoah impressed? Exodus 7:11–12 (NIV) 11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: 12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. So Pharaoh called his wise men, sorcerers and magicians, not so that they and Moses could have a workshop to learn from one another. Pharaoh called his men because he was seeking for excuses not to believe in Moses' God. Staffs becoming snakes were magic in-trade for those sorcerers. Sufficient proof to Pharoah that Moses’ God was not impressive. Jesus pointed out the wickedness of such a heart condition. Matthew 12:38-39 (NIV)38Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.” 39He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. The Pharisees and teachers of the Law seemed to request for some reasonable proof of Jesus' authority as God's representative. “Prove you are from God by demonstrating God's power”. Why then did Jesus come out so strongly against this simple request? After all, Jesus was already demonstrating God's power by healing the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead! Why not just do more? Hardened hearts do not want to believe but to disbelief. Because their request came from a hardened heart. They were not seeking for God but seeking to put obstacles against believing. Hardened hearts do not want to believe but to disbelief. Jesus contrasted their attitude to the Queen of Sheba. Matthew 12:42 (NIV) The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here. The Queen of Sheba came from far off to seek out King Solomon to find the truth about his wisdom. But the Pharisees did not seek the truth about Jesus. Only for reasons to disprove Jesus. Those with a genuine seeking heart will not set conditions for believing but is open to examine whatever evidence God provides. How open are we to examine whatever evidence that God provides? Or are we only seeking to disprove God? Have you ever wondered why God only made the staff into a snake? Exactly the same sort of thing the magicians could perform? I don't believe that it was just some sophisticated parlour tricks, sleigh of hand that occurred. The magicians were not illusionists but truly practitioners of black magic. Through occultic powers they were able to imitate the miracle that God demonstrated! So why didn't God turn the staff into an elephant or rhinoceros? That would be much harder for the magicians. I have discovered that God often does this because it subtly exposes the true condition of our hearts. The truly seeking heart's response will be to seek truth. “This is interesting! I should investigate more into this to find out whether it is the truth.” The Bereans had this attitude. Acts 17:11 (NIV) Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. If God simply overwhelmed with incredible demonstrations of His power, then the hardened heart may reluctantly admit that God is God. Not because they really had faith, but because they had no answer to refute God. Yet the heart condition had not changed. It is still hard! They will find other excuses later on to disbelief or not to follow God. That is why I believe God often uses the more subtle approach. Because God seeks to expose the heart condition. One day when we stand before the judgment seat of God, we will have no excuses. God will point to various incidents and say, “That showed the condition of your heart!” Hardened hearts harden itself God was very gracious and patient towards the Egyptians. When it first started off there would have been zero collateral damage. Moses had made a simple request to Pharaoh. Next there was a supernatural confrontation. The only collateral damage were some magical snakes were eaten up. However, because Pharaoh continued to harden his heart, only then did God began to increase his judgment upon Egypt. The next supernatural intervention damaged the environment and caused the fishes to die and brought discomfort to the Egyptians for a week. Until finally it led to the death of all male Egyptian firstborns. When we consider each step that God took in confronting Pharaoh, God was very patient and gracious. God could have simply wiped out Egyptians from the beginning but He did not. Instead, He gave them every opportunity to give in. Yet throughout it all, Pharaoh's heart became harder and harder. Exodus 7:13 (NIV) Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said. Now, for centuries a theological debate amongst Christian scholars examined whether God hardened Pharaoh's heart or Pharaoh hardened his own heart. One set of Scriptures refer to God hardening Pharaoh's heart. Exodus 9:12 (NIV) But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said to Moses. Most scholars who hold to this view believe that God changed the condition of Pharaoh's heart through some supernatural act of God. That God zapped him. Some believe that perhaps God withdrew some spiritual influences that would have otherwise kept Pharaoh's heart soft, so it became hard towards God. Either way, it meant God deliberately hardened Pharaoh's heart, directly or indirectly. Another set refers to Pharaoh hardening his own heart. Exodus 8:15 (NIV) But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said. Exodus 9:34 (NIV) When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts. So did God harden Pharaoh's heart or did Pharaoh harden his own? I believe that it was both. I believe the explanation is actually very simple, based on understanding basic human nature. Pharaoh was a proud and stubborn man. God knew that confronting Pharaoh and commanding him to let the Israelites go would simply cause Pharaoh to refuse. To challenge Pharaoh's authority would simply make him mad and become even more stubborn, more determined to resist God. Because God knows the future, God foreknew that Pharaoh's heart would harden. So, when God confronted Pharaoh, God knew precisely that His actions would harden Pharaoh. That is why God said, "I will harden Pharaoh's heart." So God's actions lead to an increasing stubbornness in Pharaoh's heart but the responsibility for the hardness lies with Pharaoh's inherent attitude. Every action of God to set the Israelites free, will be met with an even greater stubbornness in Pharaoh's heart. So God's actions lead to an increasing stubbornness in Pharaoh's heart but the responsibility for the hardness lies with Pharaoh's inherent attitude. In fact, as mentioned earlier, God still graciously provided Pharaoh many opportunities to repent. But Pharaoh rejected every one of those opportunities. Hardened hearts tend to harden itself in unbelief. For pride only seeks to reaffirm itself. Whatever worldview that it has formed, it only seeks to reinforce it. What can we learn from Pharaoh's example? Hardened hearts tend to harden itself in unbelief. For pride only seeks to reaffirm itself. Whatever worldview that it has formed, it only seeks to reinforce it. It seeks to feed the ego to boost its misplaced confidence upon itself. That is why it often hardens itself against anything that challenges its own viewpoint. Hardened hearts reject God The more proud and stubborn a person, the more strongly they will reject God. Regardless of what God may do. Pharoah refused to listen to Aaron and Moses, God's messengers (v13). Pharaoh chose to reject God. The tragedy of the hardened heart is that it rejects God. In fact, the more proud and stubborn a person, the more strongly they will reject God. Regardless of what God may do. When we consider the incredible miracles that God did, Pharaoh should believe. But he refused to. Once I tried to share to a girl who refused to believe in God. After a while I realised that I was not getting anywhere with her, so I asked her, "Would you believe in God if He was to appear right before your very eyes?" To my shock, she replied firmly, "No!" Some people will reject God no matter what God does. They reject God not because God was unable to provide enough prove. They reject God simply because they are too proud to acknowledge God. A couple from Melbourne, friends of mine, once tried to help a dying elderly man. He had a brain tumour and was dying. The doctors were going to bring him into surgery in the last attempt to save his life. But the possibility of success was low and he could die on the operating table or probably become handicapped in some way. They prayed very hard for this friend of theirs and one day God told them to lay their hands on him and believe for him to be healed. They rushed to the hospital the day before the operation. They went to his bed and around him were most of his close relatives. They were seeing him because it might be the last time. My friends laid their hands on him and prayed earnestly. The next day, the doctors took the last X-ray before the operation. To their amazement their could not find the tumour. All that was left was brain fluid in its place. The elderly man lived many more years. Most of the relatives that were there became Christians. But the elderly man refused to. The hardness of heart will lead to refusal to believe, often regardless of evidence. Hebrews 3:12-13 (NIV) 12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. Beware if you have a hardened heart. You will miss out. You will miss God! BELIEF OF AN OPEN HEART What is an open heart? A humble and teachable attitude. What are some characteristics of an open heart that we can see from the passage? Open hearts listen for God Exodus 7:8 (NIV) The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, Open hearts are open to listen, to learn and to discover. Because those with an open heart are humble enough to consider who God is and what He has to say. Aaron and Moses were ready to listen to God, because their hearts were open to God. Open hearts are open to listen, to learn and to discover. Because those with an open heart are humble enough to consider who God is and what He has to say. Because they are eager to learn and discover. Open hearts not only listen to God but listen for God. I first became a Christian because I was searching for truth. Nobody pushed me. Nobody begged me to come to church. I asked to come to church. Nobody rammed the Gospel down my throat. I asked to hear the Gospel. I found God because I was open to hear God! Open hearts not only listen to God but listen for God. The difference is this. We listen when God speaks. But those who listen for God, waits for God to speak. Why? Because we want to know God more. Psalms 84:10 (NIV) Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. Open hearts choose to believe What did Aaron and Moses do when God told them in Exodus 7:9 (NIV) “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.” Aaron and Moses believed what God had instructed them and they acted upon it. There are many Christians who are unbelieving Christians. Oh, they believe in Christ to be their Saviour and are saved. But there are many promises and blessings of the Bible that they do not believe in. They may not believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the supernatural spiritual gifts that God has made available to His church. They may not believe that all the five-fold ascension gifts are still available today, such as prophets and apostles. They don't believe in the Great Commission mandate as applying to themselves, saying it is not for them. They may not believe in the security and freedom that is our heritage from God. When as Christians, we do not believe what the Bible says, we are unbelieving believers. When as Christians, we do not believe what the Bible says, we are unbelieving believers. When we believe, God will consider it as righteousness to us because we did rightly before God. Romans 4:3 (NIV) What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Open hearts experience God Because Aaron and Moses had open hearts and had faith in God. The outcome was that they experienced the power of God. Exodus 7:10 (NIV) So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. When we fail to believe, we often fail to experience God’s power. When we do believe, we often experience more of God. When we fail to believe, we often fail to experience God’s power. When we do believe, we often experience more of God. When I was a young believer, some prophets prophesied that God wanted to give me a prophetic mantle. However, because I was fearful of the responsibility, I rejected the prophecy. For many years I did not operate in the prophetic. Until I finally repented. Then the prophetic gifting eventually was released into my life. That gifting has been so helpful in my ministry since. CONCLUSION Believe or not. It is your choice! To believe God or to choose not to. It is a reflection of your heart! Is yours a hard or an open heart? Let’s choose to have an open, soft heart before God. Ready to believe what God says. Copyright©️2023 by Wilson Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

I am sure that all of us want to start our lives well and end it well. However, we know that despite good and well-meaning intentions, we may not always end up where we want to be or worse, end up where we do not want to be. In Oct 2005, two Australian tourists used an Avis rental car's satellite navigation system to travel from Christchurch to Nelson. Anthony Hoiberg and Clarinda Mojar flew into Christchurch at 1am on Tuesday and picked up the rental car, using its global positioning system (GPS) to navigate their route to Nelson. They had often used GPS in Australia and thought it would be the safest way to travel. For 10 hours the couple forded rivers, driving through fog, unable to turn around on the narrow road, ending up at a locked gate to a high-country station called Rainbow Station. They ended up stranded on New Zealand's highest public mountain pass. Why? In the GPS, they did not realise they instructed, “avoid urban roads”. The last thing we want to end up is in a dead end in our lives. In this article we examine some of the factors that lead to dead ends. From 1 Tim:1-11, we explore 3 factors. THEORY OF EVERYTHING: WRONG PATH Some theoretical physicists are attempting to formulate a theory known as Theory of Everything (TOE): a theory that fully explains and links together all known physical phenomena. Some scientists think that it is impossible to formulate such a theory, that it is pursuing the wrong path. Yet some doggedly continue that elusive pursuit. 1 Timothy 1:3 (NIV) As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer In Ephesus there were believers who were pursuing the wrong path as far as doctrines were concerned. They were teaching things which contradicted God’s Word. They had got it wrong. They were along the wrong path in their thinking, their perspectives but did not realise it or refuse to acknowledge it. Wrong paths lead to wrong destinations. Wrong destinations are dead ends. Could it be possible, that you too might be going along the wrong path in your thinking, your perspectives? If so, it is a dead end. It will lead you nowhere fast. Wrong paths lead to wrong destinations. Wrong destinations are dead ends. How can people end up on the wrong path? They trusted something unreliable or incorrect. They made wrong assumptions and trusted those assumptions. How can people end up on the wrong path? They trusted something unreliable or incorrect. They made wrong assumptions and trusted those assumptions. In 2008, a retired Pennsylvania couple stranded in their compact car in the Utah desert for four days subsisted on crackers and soda before hiking to safety. Ray and Sue Beard are back home after spending four harrowing days in the desert when the directions supplied by their portable navigation device led them far off the beaten path in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, 1.9-million acres of rugged public land in southern Utah. They assumed that their GPS cannot go wrong, but it did. They failed to check against any maps. Some choose to trust the wrong information or perspective that they received. In Ephesus there were certain men who taught “false” doctrines. These were probably impressive in their knowledge. They sounded like they knew a lot. They used a lot of complex terms and had impressive arguments. Sadly, it is still happening even in the Church today. There are scholars with impressive sounding letters after their names, PhD, ThD, DMin with degrees from some equally impressive sounding universities or seminaries. Yet they are teaching doctrines along the wrong path. As a former research scientist in Australia’s CSIRO, the premier research organisation in the southern hemisphere, I know what it is like in the research world. Scientists make a lot of assumptions and theories, especially in areas that they cannot directly measure consistently under controlled lab conditions. As a scientist I had written a couple of papers refuting and correcting assumptions/theories proposed by leading scientists. And these were in areas that could be directly measured. So when scientists come up with big theories like the Big Bang going back billions of years, theories of evolution going back millions of years – we got to be careful! I have seen the pride, the controversies, the money that fuels these amongst scientists. Some have impressive knowledge, and their arguments can sound impressive but they have got it wrong. They started down the wrong track and refused to admit they are wrong. But instead rationalise and build around themselves reasonings to convince themselves and others that they are right. 2 Timothy 4:3 (NIV) For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They did not pay attention to the signs and evidence that they were on the wrong track. In the first story shared, the Rainbow Station manager David McEwen said the road could best be described as "a shingle goat track". "To say they're following their GPS quite frankly doesn't wash with me. They've gone past signs that said `Road Closed' that are 6ft high and 3ft wide and are illuminated." Ignore the warning signs at our own peril! Is it possible that some assumptions, some perspectives, some doctrines in our lives are incorrect but we are blindly trusting in it? It may lead us to a dead end! What we need is truth. God’s Word contains truth. In fact, it is the Truth. John 17:17 (NIV) Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. When we properly follow God’s Word, God’s Truth, we will be better equipped to keep on the right path. Psalms 119:104 - 105 (NIV) 104 I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. With the truth, we can begin to walk along the right path. You see, truth reveals. It illuminates so that we may understand the reality before us. With the truth, we can begin to walk along the right path. When we begin to do so, we can begin to experience life as God intended. John 6:63 (NIV) The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. God does not want us to end up in a dead end. That is why He has given us His Word to guide us. Think about it, could you be going along the wrong path in your thinking and perspectives? If so, it could lead you nowhere, heading towards a dead end. What we need is truth, God’s Truth. TRIVIAL PURSUITS: WASTE OF TIME 1 Timothy 1:4–6 (NIV) 4 or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. 5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. Some believers were caught up in trivial pursuits. Investigating myths and endless genealogies in the hope that it will unravel some secret, previously unknown truths. 1 Timothy 1:6 (NLT) But some teachers have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time arguing and talking foolishness. Waste your time and you waste your life. It was a sheer waste of time. It also generated controversies. Could you be too caught up in little things, trivial matters, when there are much more important, essential matters of eternal consequence? Waste your time and you waste your life. Your time is literally your life. What might we be wasting our time on? It could be as simple as too much time on computer games and getting caught up in social media. It could be as big as your life goals that are going in the wrong direction and you will find it a grand waste of time eventually. There are actually articles written called, “Is Your Ladder Up the Wrong Wall?” Because many have exerted all their energy to run up a ladder of career or lifestyle only to find it was on the wrong wall. For many of us, it could simply be spending a lot of time on things which are not very productive. Things which have no eternal significance. What we need is correct priorities. There are priorities and there are correct priorities. God is the ultimate judge of what are correct priorities. There are priorities and there are correct priorities. God is the ultimate judge of what are correct priorities. If our priorities are right before God it will be rewarded. 1 Corinthians 3:12 - 14 (NIV) 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. The Greatest Commandment (Matt 22:37-38) and the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20). These should form the backbone of our priorities. That is why we need to go back to the Bible and discover what they are. The Bible speaks about the Greatest Commandment (Matt 22:37-38) and the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20). These should form the backbone of our priorities. Are our priorities loving God and others? Are our priorities making disciples? Is it time to get our priorities right before God? PHARISEES: STUBBORNLY WRONG 1 Timothy 1:7–11 (NIV) 7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. 8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9 We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels… and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11 that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me. Pride makes people full of themselves. Consequently, they do not listen to others Some believers confidently proclaim the Mosaic Law as if they understood what it was all about. But in reality, they failed to understand its purpose. Yet they continue to push their point of view stubbornly. The problem lies in a stubborn pride. Pride makes people full of themselves. Consequently, they do not listen to others, even despite repeated attempts. Pride blinds them to their own errors and make them think others are wrong, when in fact the problem lies in their own hearts. They refuse to see the dead end even when faced with it! The Pharisees were stubbornly proud. They refused to accept the truth that Jesus brought. Mark 3:5 - 6 (NIV) 5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus. The end result of pride is destruction. The end result of pride is destruction. Proverbs 16:18 (NLT) Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. Let us be honest before God. Are we stubborn towards God in any areas of our lives? Could we be headed towards a fall? What we need is humility. Jesus made a strong point about the need to be humble in the parable about the Pharisee and the tax collector. The tax collector was justified before God because of his humility, unlike the Pharisee. Jesus concluded in Luke 18:14 (NIV) “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Pride can be hidden. External humility is not what God is looking for. Inner humility is what He desires. “Nothing sets a person so much out of the devil's reach as humility” wrote Jonathan Edwards. Satan was so consumed with pride and it that caused him to be in an eternal struggle with God. We must always be watchful less we fall into the same trap as Him. The interesting thing is this: Satan wants us to be in the same situation as he is! Stubborn pride blocks us from facing the truth and acknowledging the truth. Stubborn pride blocks us from facing the truth and acknowledging the truth. Many years ago, I mentored a young man who recently turned to Christ. He tried to share with his housemate about Christ. But his house mate would outright reject anything he had to share. This frustrated him very much. So I said to him, “Why don’t we pray together? Let’s ask God to break through to your housemate.” I also encouraged him to pray regularly for his housemate. A few weeks after we prayed, my young mentee shared to me that his housemate had a nightmare. In the nightmare, he was chasing after a girl he liked in school. But no matter how hard he tried, the girl kept rejecting him. Finally, out of desperation, he asked the girl why she was rejecting him. The girl looked at him in the eye and said, “Because you are so arrogant!” He woke up in cold sweat. The next day, his housemate came to him and admitted to him, “I just realised how arrogant I am.” Shortly after, my mentee asked his housemate to come to church. The week after, the housemate came to church and accepted Christ! A few weeks later, the housemate invited his girlfriend and she too accepted Christ! Humility opens our hearts to the truth. If we truly humble ourselves then God promises to lift us up. Luke 1:52 (NIV) He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. No matter who we are and what we think we know, humility will bring us unto the right path. Humility is a choice. There were times when I was faced with situations where I could have responded with my rights. But God reminded me to respond with humility. So I chose to respond with humility. I have experienced that humility releases the blessings of God. No matter who we are and what we think we know, humility will bring us unto the right path. CONCLUSIONS Are you headed for a dead end? If you are to be a true disciple, make sure you avoid the dead end. Consider what path you are on now. Is it the right path? Let the truth of God’s Word reveal it to you. Are you headed for a dead end? Consider where your time is going. Is it into matters of eternal consequence? The Great Commandment and the Great Commission? Don’t make the mistake of being like the Pharisees, stubbornly wrong. Be humble and discover the truth that God wants for you! Copyright©️2023 by Wilson Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

God desires to burn His divine purposes into our hearts. That it may provide deep motivations in our hearts for His purposes. From the story of Moses encounter with God at the burning bush we discover some keys by which God will burn such purposes in our lives. In Part 1 we examined how God’s divine call establishes the conviction in our hearts of His purpose and begins to stir a divine urgency in us. In Part 2 we further examine 2 other aspects that God uses to burn His divine purposes into our lives. These aspects provide greater clarity on what is involved and also deeper assurances of His divine calling. All these elements together cement the divine purpose upon our lives. BURNING WITH DIVINE INSTRUCTIONS Exodus 3:16–18 (NIV) 16 “Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.’ 18 “The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God.’ Imagine if God told Moses, "I told you the vision, now work out all that needs to be done!" God did not just give Moses the call and left him to sort out everything else by himself. Rather, God helped Moses by giving some key instructions about the approach to deliver the Israelites from slavery. For Moses was inexperienced at that point. We should never ignore God's instructions. We do that at our own peril. The sense of divine purpose usually comes with some divine instructions. It may be in the sense of a goal or certain key tasks. It may come immediately like for Moses, or it may come progressively or later like for Abraham. When God instructs us to undertake something, we can rest assured that God has the bigger picture in mind. God is aware of much more than we ever are. We may only see the pieces of the puzzle, but God is the one who joins them all together to form a beautiful picture. With each set of instructions, God is moving us closer to His overall plan. We should never ignore God's instructions. We do that at our own peril. Our job is not to question God but to obey. Obedience is a lot easier for us when we have a trusting, loving relationship with God. Our job is not to question God but to obey. Obedience is a lot easier for us when we have a trusting, loving relationship with God. Knowing that He has a greater plan for us and His kingdom. When we trust in God’s good intentions for our long term eternal welfare we are motivated to obey. Rom 8:28 (NIV) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. There was once a wife who had a harsh husband who demanded lists of chores for her to do and she used to obey out of fear of being punished. Then the husband died, and she later re-married to a loving husband. One day she came across the old list and began to cry because she realised she was now doing all old chores and more, not because of fear but because she loved her husband. She enjoyed doing the chores because her motivation was different. Similarly, doing God’s will is not a chore when we love Him. God has chosen to work in partnership with us. He provides us, fallen people, with the wonderful opportunity to be involved in His plan of redemption. It is when we trust God enough to walk with Him and to serve Him, step by step, that His wonderful purpose for us is revealed to its full extent. His guidance will be provided as He sees appropriate to help us, as He did with Moses. BURNING WITH DIVINE ASSURANCES Receiving divine assurances strengthens our conviction about our divine purpose. When God imparts a divine purpose into our hearts, He will give us divine assurances along the way. Receiving divine assurances strengthens our conviction about our divine purpose. In the example of Moses, we notice some of the assurances that were given. Divine influence Exodus 3:18 (NIV) “The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God.’ God gave to Moses the assurance that God will cause Moses to have the necessary influence to move God's plans forward. The elders of Israel will listen to Moses. Remember, the elders of Israel had no reason to listen to Moses. For Moses was not known to them. Besides, who was Moses to confront Pharaoh? Whatever God calls us to do, He will cause us to gain the necessary influence in due time to carry out the task. Whatever God calls us to do, He will cause us to gain the necessary influence in due time to carry out the task. Never think that we are too insignificant or too small to do the will of God. 1 Cor 1:27 (NIV) But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. It is not how strong or wise we are, but how humbly available we are. If you dare to believe the purposes of God that He reveals to you, be assured that He will open doors of opportunity. He will give you influence. God is in-charge. Gideon was a nobody, an insignificant person in an insignificant clan. Judg 6:15 (NIV) “But Lord,” Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” Yet when he responded to God's call his influence grew exponentially. Judg 6:34-35 (NIV) 34 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. 35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them. A nobody became a somebody in God. God can cause your influence to increase according to His calling and purposes for your life. No matter how insignificant you may seem now. Divine empowerment Exodus 3:18–22 (NIV) 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go. When we respond to God's call with faith, God will provide us the necessary empowerment to get the job done. God assured Moses that God will demonstrate His power to Pharaoh through Moses. Hence, God empowered Moses to bring God's message. In the same way, God will empower us as we step forth in faith. When we respond to God's call with faith, God will provide us the necessary empowerment to get the job done. God empowers His messengers! 1 Cor 2:4-5 (NIV) 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power. When God first called Cindy Jacobs, she felt like she was little more than a housewife just faithfully serving in her church. Yet the calling of God to be a prophet to the nations burnt strongly in her heart. God began to give her strong accurate prophetic words and others began to recognise her anointing. God brought along others such as Peter Wagner who mentored her and opened platforms for her to minister. As we walk with God faithfully, deeper and deeper into the purposes of God, we discover that God progressively increases His empowerment to our ministry. So that we may get the job done! When we first started Hope Church, we struggled to share the Gospel due to our inexperience. Now we have effective skills and anointing in impacting many with the Gospel. When we first started, we had absolutely no influence in our community. Today, we have an excellent reputation within the community. When we first started, we lacked the supernatural power, such as in healing. Today we have many and increasing testimonies of God's power at work in our midst. God empowers us as we faithfully step out to serve Him. Divine success Exodus 3:21–22 (NIV) 21 “And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. 22 Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians.” God assured Moses that his task will be successful. The Israelites will be released and will not leave empty-handed. In fact, this was fulfilled as recorded in Ex 12:35-36 (NIV) 35 The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. 36 The LORD had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians. God will grant us success as we choose to follow His purposes faithfully. We will not be left empty-handed. Instead, God will fill us with abundance of blessings. God will never short-change us. If we invest into God's Kingdom with faith, we will reap the wonderful blessings many times over! Success will come to the faithful because God wants His plans to succeed! Do it God's way, and there will be success! Josh 1:7-8 (NIV) 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Success will come to the faithful because God wants His plans to succeed! CONCLUSION How can we connect with God's divine purpose for our lives? Go to God with open and humble hearts. Seek God and serve God faithfully in whatever your hands finds to do. In the midst of that God will begin to speak to you! He will begin to reveal His call upon your life. God will begin to provide us the instructions we need. He will provide us the assurances we need. Copyright©️2023 by Wilson Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

Have you ever woken up in the morning and felt like, "Why do I bother to get up? There is nothing to look forward to today or this week?" Have you ever taken a hard look at your own life only to recognize that you don't really know where you are headed in your life? That you have been going around in circles or has simply been spinning your wheels? Perhaps you have look at those who have an enthusiasm for life and secretly envy their certainty, their clear direction in life? Do you wish that you could live a meaningful, purposeful life? A life that you know makes a difference. In this article, we will discover how our lives can be filled with a clear burning purpose. A purpose that will be worth living for. A purpose that will define our lives. A purpose that is of God! We will unpack Exodus 3:10-22 to discover how Moses began to be burnt by a divine purpose and apply it to ourselves. BURNING WITH A DIVINE CALL The sense of divine purpose comes firstly from having of divine call upon one's life. A sense that God Himself has called us specifically. In Exodus 3:10-15 we discover 3 key components that contribute towards a deep sense of a divine call. Divine selection Exodus 3:10–11 (NIV) 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” God made it absolutely clear. God had specifically chosen Moses. Why is that important? Because that became a stirring motivation in Moses' life. That he has been called of God. How can being selected and sent mean so much to us? Imagine if a Sunday school kid that you hardly knew, selected us, and sent us. "You go and get my teddy bear from the room!" It will mean very little to us. We would not be motivated to respond. But if Prime Minister of Australia personally selected us and sent us on a special mission to represent him. Or someone you love, admire and respect. Surely, you would respond with much more enthusiasm. How much more, when God chooses us specifically to represent Him or to fulfil a special commission. Would you go, “Wow, God chose me!” In fact, God already has. Jesus declared in John 15:16 (NIV) You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. God chooses us to a mission that is line with what He has designed us to be and do. On a deeper level, we may realise that God never chooses randomly. In fact, because God is our Maker and all-wise, God chooses us to a mission that is line with what He has designed us to be and do. During my Engineering PhD, I developed a numerical modelling software which was designed to simulate multiple fractures propagating in certain types of materials. I fully understood its capabilities and limitations. Hence, I would only apply it for the purposes it was designed for. To use it in other situations would result in nonsensical results or possibly crash the software. Once we grasp the fact that God our Maker has called us according to who we were meant to be, we realise that God's call is about our destiny! Our life purpose! What we were meant to be or do. That is why God's selection can be such a life-changing, life-long motivation of our life! For the Apostle Paul, this became a defining motivation for his life-long ministry - that God called specifically to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles and Jews. Acts 9:15 (NIV) But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.” In the same way, I knew that Lai Ling and I have been sent by God to Brisbane to establish and develop Hope Church as an Antioch church. Do you have a sense of God selecting you for a purpose? Do you realise that God has already chosen you to bear His fruits? Divine authorisation Exodus 3:12 (NIV) And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” Not only was Moses chosen to be sent, but God Himself backs it up by providing His authorisation. The sense of divine call increases another notch when there is a sense of God's stamp of authorisation. For sending will not amount to much if there was no accompanying authorisation. Imagine a company director sending someone to represent him at a Board meeting but tells him that he has no authority to do anything! This representative would be little more than a secretary taking notes. For the person sent to properly represent, they must be given authority to act on behalf of the sender. In fact, the word "send" is the Heb "shalach". From this is derived the Jewish legal concept of "shaliach", who is a legally authorised representative. An old Jewish legal maxim puts it this way, "the-one-whom-a-man-sends is like the man himself." God never sends us on His mission without accompanying authorisation. God never sends us on His mission without accompanying authorisation. Jesus has sent us into the world to impact it with the Good News and through good works. To make disciples and plant churches. Jesus assures us that He backs us up fully! Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV) 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Have you experienced God’s authorisation? Divine representation Exodus 3:13–15 (NIV) 13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ “This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation. Moses struggled to explain who he was representing so he asked God for His name. In ancient times, it was known that deities would have a unique special name to represent its authority. God gave His name as "I AM WHO I AM". What an odd name. Actually, through His name, God gave to Moses a revelation of His nature. "I am who I am" speaks of God eternal who is forever "am". Whose very nature is not derived from anything. God exists. God who has been, is and will be forever. Some scholars consider this the secret name of God. It was the first and only revelation of God's name in the Old Testament. This name was considered so sacred later on in Jewish history that no one was allowed to pronounce the name of God except the high priest once a year. The anglicised name is spelt YHWH and pronounced Yahweh. Note that in Hebrew, there are no vowels. Jesus used the name of God, "I AM" and applied it to Himself. John 8:58-59 (NIV) 58 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds. It was for that reason the religious leaders condemned Jesus for blasphemy. Moses was given a deep revelation of who God is. The giving of one's special name has special significance. It usually reveals a special relationship between the sender and one sent. We need to know who sent us so that we may adequately represent him. In the Great Commission of Matt 28:18-20 it is clear that Jesus sent us to go forth as His representatives. Indeed, the Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NIV) We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. When there is a sense of God selecting us for His mission, of His authorisation and to represent Him - it helps brings about a burning conviction of God's call upon our lives. When there is a sense of God selecting us for His mission, of His authorisation and to represent Him - it helps brings about a burning conviction of God's call upon our lives. BURNING WITH DIVINE URGENCY Exodus 3:16 (NIV) 16 “Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. Essentially God instructed Moses to go and to go immediately! The Kairos (or divine moment) timing of God was now, God made it clear that he had heard the cry of the Israelites and now was the season to fulfil his promise of deliverance. ‘Go’ is a verb that carries an urgency to act upon God’s instruction. God was commanding Moses to go immediately. The matter was urgent to God. When there is urgency to the call it usually heightens one's sense of purpose. Not only is the mission important, but it is also so important and so urgent that one is compelled to act immediately. When God speaks clearly into our hearts, it can burn in our hearts so strongly that we cannot let it lie. Jeremiah 20:9 (NIV) …his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. Belle Wolter, one of our key leaders had this testimony. When I first got saved, I used to work as a lowly admin assistant in a prestigious law firm. After a couple of weeks of becoming a Christian, I had started a prayer meeting, regularly gathering in the senior solicitor’s office and I was leading lawyers and even a senior head partner in prayer. On the remaining lunch times I helped feed a homeless guy and prayed for the sick. By the end of my time there, my boss and the senior Partners noticed a difference in my work as well. This all because I had fire burning in my heart to see the lost saved. No one taught me to do this it just seemed the natural thing to do; I could not help but serve God. Eventually Belle and her husband became missionaries in Africa. Sometimes God will require us to wait upon him but on this occasion, God was prompting Moses to act immediately without delay. We have had similar experiences. When we first started the church, it was challenging to reach out to various people because we hardly knew anyone in Brisbane. One day God inspired Lai Ling to apply to be involved in a host scheme. We were given a name of a University of Queensland overseas student but when we called the address, we discovered that he had gone home overseas for holidays. Some weeks later the Holy Spirit prompted Lai Ling that we should visit his rental place immediately. As in those days there were no mobiles phones yet hence it was not possible to try to contact him in other ways. We went to his home that evening and he was there! He had just returned from holidays and was planning to move out the next day. We would have missed him, if we did not come at that time. He later joined the church and eventually became one of our senior leaders. We must learn to be quick to obey. Procrastination is a sign that we do not appreciate God's timing. We must learn to be quick to obey. Procrastination is a sign that we do not appreciate God's timing. In other words, we pride ourselves in our own sense of timing. Let us instead resonate with God's urgency in our hearts. When God’s purpose starts to burn in our hearts, it is often accompanied by a burning urgency as well. CONCLUSION In Part 1, we learned about how God’s divine call can occur in our lives and lead to a burning sense of urgency to carry it out. In Part 2, we examine why we need to heed the divine instructions and why we need the divine assurances as we journey into our destiny. Copyright©️2023 by Wilson Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

We may be thoroughly convinced that tithing should still be practiced today, and that our giving attitude can truly touch God’s heart. Yet a big question often remains. How do we practically tithe today? The economic system today is vastly different from the Old Testament and most of us no longer deal in terms of bulls, sheep, wheat, fruits and such. Instead, we have complications such as shares, dividends, inflation and so on. As part of our on-going series on Tithing, we address these practical issues by unpacking the biblical principles involved and translate it into our modern context as best we can. What we outline are suggestions as we must remember that we are working on the basis of principles rather than requirements. Hence, the recommendations we make here is to help bring clarity, rather than to espouse any rules. At the end of the day, it is a matter of faith and personal conscience before God. Even on that note, it does us well to remember Luke 6:38 (NIV) Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” The generosity by which we give will be the generosity by which God may well measure back to us. To gain the full context of our Tithing series, the full series are: Tithing Part 1: The Biblical Principle Tithing Part 2: Distinguishing Tithes and Offerings Tithing Part 3: Giving From Our Hearts Tithing Part 4: Blessings of Giving Tithing Part 6: Tithing in a Spiritual Network (a coming article) PRACTICAL TITHING FOR PERSONS (INDIVIDUALS OR FAMILIES) Following are some key recommendations. Recommendation 1: Tithe out of gross income The biblical principle is based upon Leviticus 27:30–32 (NIV) 30 “ ‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord. 32 Every tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod—will be holy to the Lord.” The tithe is to be given from the gross product, the gross increase. We should note that God requires 10% of everything that is produced from the land, flock and agriculture because all of these belong to God. God did not state that the tithe was to be given after payment of taxes, debts and other liabilities, etc. In other words, the tithe is to be given from the gross product, the gross increase. We should tithe out of our gross income, which should consider all our sources of income. Most of us are employed with a salary or income. Therefore, it is a relatively simple matter to sort out. We should tithe out of our gross income, which should consider all our sources of income. Whatever part of our income that is cash, or liquid asset, we should tithe out of that portion. In situations where our income includes non-liquid assets such as shares, see the Recommendation 2. Recommendation 2: Tithe on the non-liquid assets only after it has been converted. How do we deal with non-liquid income, perhaps in the form of shares? Let us consider Lev 27:32 (NIV) “Every tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod…” Notice that only every tenth animal is taken, usually counted as the newborns birthed in that year or season. God did not expect that if there were 19 newborns, that 1 and 9/10th of an animal be given. Only 1 newborn was given as tithe. Tithes of non-liquid income (such as shares) should only be made when it is converted to liquid form such as cash. Having understood the above practical approach taken by God, we recommend that tithes of non-liquid income (such as shares) should only be made when it is converted to liquid form such as cash. That is, at the point of sale. I believe this is important practically as some have taught that we should tithe of our shares. But if we have shares worth $100,000 where would we find $10,000 cash to give? It is not always possible to sell a portion of those shares to give as tithes. Now let’s deal with a nit-picking issue. Consider the above example of the shepherd who had 19 newborns in year 1 and then 27 newborns in year 2. How should he tithe? He could have tithed 1 newborn in year 1 and 2 newborns in year 2 and fulfilled his obligations. But he could say, “The Lord has blessed me with 46 newborns in the past 2 years so I will tithe a total of 4 newborns.” Which is right? What your conscience and generosity say before God. That is how we could approach this aspect because surely in this modern world it can be quite complicated. Recommendation 3: There is no need to tithe again on the same items. Tithing should be done only once for any produce or increase in wealth. It may seem obvious that tithing should be done only once for any produce or increase in wealth. But practically it can be confusing at times. Let me offer an insignificant example which probably occurs frequently. Consider a devoted Christian family that tithe faithfully from their gross income. The parents then give to their little children every Sunday a few dollars for them to give as tithes in their Sunday school. Tithes has already been given for the monies that the children received. There is no need to tithe upon it again. Of course, the parents are trying to teach their children the principle and habit of tithing. Their intent and generosity are commendable. In Christian families where income earners (such as parents) give their dependents (such as children or dependent relatives) pocket money or income, if we assume that the income earners have already tithed faithfully, there is therefore no need for the dependents to tithe their pocket money. Though again, it is up to the dependents whether they would like to tithe of what their have received. It is a matter of their personal generosity and conscience before God. Now consider the situation where we tithed out of our gross income and put some of the amount in our superannuation funds. Upon retirement, when we withdraw the funds, there is no need to tithe upon those funds but perhaps only upon the component of increase in value. However, if the contributions to our superannuation were not tithed upon previously then it makes sense to tithe out of our withdrawals. Hopefully these examples make it clearer to think through these practical situations. But remember, we are working with principles. We should not become petty like the Pharisees and count every grain, as God sees the heart foremost. Recommendation 4: There is no need to tithe from our income producing assets What if we have assets such as our car which we use as a taxi, equipment we own and require for our trade or investments, whether it be shares, investment homes used for rental, etc? Should we tithe of those as well? Consider again Leviticus 27:30 (NIV) “ ‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.” Notice that it is the produce, the increase in wealth that God asks for a tithe. The fruits are tithed but not the tree. God has no expectation that we chop off a tenth of a tree to give to God. There is no expectation that we tithe out of those income-producing asset itself. We only tithe from what it produces. Therefore, there is no expectation that we tithe out of those income-producing asset itself. We only tithe from what it produces. Otherwise, we may compromise our ability to keep producing more. Furthermore, if we had already originally tithed of our income faithfully and used the remainder to purchase the income-producing assets, then it has already been fully accounted for. Recommendation 5: Tithe with consideration of inflation In the Old Testament times, there were minimal inflation hence instructions on the value of certain items could be done in terms of an assumed unchanging value of the shekel. Exodus 21:32 (NIV) “If the bull gores a male or female slave, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver to the master of the slave, and the bull is to be stoned to death.” However, today’s economy is confronted with inflation which can be very significant at times. The outcome is that the price of everything increases over time significantly. Though its real value, compared to other things may not. Now let’s consider some present world examples. Consider that you own a house you lived in for 20 years and upon selling it, the price has doubled. Should you give a tithe out of the increase? A key principle to consider is Proverbs 3:9 (NIV) Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops. It is good to tithe out of the profit after taking inflation into account. The key question is did the increase in house price actually lead to an increase of your wealth? Due to accumulated inflation over 20 years, it is quite possible that the doubling of the house price may have led to a decrease in wealth. Because to buy another similar house, with everything else equal, may cost more than price you sold your house for. However, say you did something smart financially perhaps renovated the house, rezoned or sub-divided your land. Now the price has tripled or more. Then it is obvious that you increased your wealth. In such a case, it is good to tithe out of the profit after taking inflation into account. Let’s now apply this to shares. Let’s say you bought some shares in a company. Remember Recommendation 2 where we recommended giving tithes on its profits only after it has been sold, not while it is still in your portfolio. Over the past decade its value has tripled and you sold it to realise the gain. If that is more than the inflation over the past decade, you could consider it a profit and tithe out of the profit after deducting for inflation. Or alternatively, you could compare it to the stockmarket average index. The idea being that to purchase new shares, the prices has increased (or decreased) over time at a different rate to inflation. You are thus comparing like to like just as you did for house to house. Again, it is important not to get excessively caught up in minutiae of details. Our heart should be to honour God by tithing out of the increase of our wealth. Recommendation 6: There is no need to tithe out of gifts. God required tithes from the produce, the increase in overall wealth. If a person gifts to another 10 sheep, God does not require a tithe of 1 sheep from the gift. It does, however, implicitly assume that a tithe was previously given from the previous owner. Hence, if no tithe was given previously then it may be argued that a tithe may be given now. Yet there is no Scripture that directly or indirectly references that aspect. So our recommendation is that there is no need to tithe out of gifts. However, you may wish to. Again, it is up to your generosity and conscience. Recommendation 7: Tithes should be given to the local church Tithes should be given to where we received our spiritual covering. Just as the Israelites would give their tithes to the local Levites where they received religious instruction and spiritual/pastoral care. If we wish to give towards missions and other Christian organisations, it should be out of our offerings. When we give of our tithes to the local church it should not be designated giving. When we give of our tithes to the local church it should not be designated giving. Just as tithes were given unto God and passed on to the Levites, no Israelite were to specify how it is to be used. Tithes were to be given wholly to God and it was the Levites responsibility to use it wisely for the ministry. If we want to give towards missions, building or other specific purposes, it should come from our freewill offerings. If we want to give towards missions, building or other specific purposes, it should come from our freewill offerings. Recommendation 8: Tithing and debt A question that arises is when a person is in debt. Would it not be better to first pay off the debt before giving of tithes? Tithes are holy unto God and we cannot give what is holy to others, including our creditors. When we search through the Scriptures, we find no options provided to any person to pay off their debts with tithes. For tithes are holy unto God and we cannot give what is holy to others, including our creditors. It seems that God expects us to give our tithes to Him first regardless of other circumstances in our lives. In fact, in God’s laws, if a person is unable to repay the debts, the person can become servitude to the creditor. In other words, the Old Testament circumstances is perhaps even more difficult than what it is today. Really, it is finally a matter of faith and obedience unto God. PRACTICAL TITHING FOR CHRISTIAN COMPANIES Principle 1: Treat companies like a corporate person. Companies should be treated like a corporate person who should tithe unto God as well. In the Old Testament times there were no companies and corporations. For everything is owned by an owner or family. This is not so today where considerable wealth can be owned by corporate entities. Hence, it is only logical that companies should be treated like a corporate person who should tithe unto God as well. However, it is a bit more complex due to the nature of this corporate person. The corporate person gains a gross income which may be calculated as the profit after deducting all expenditures including salaries, before tax. A tithe could be given out of that gross income. Principle 2: Tithe should not be given out of liabilities. When giving the tithe, it should not be taken out of the portion that rightfully belongs to employees, creditors, stockholders, government, etc. For example, if a business has an employee fund set aside, the tithe should never be taken out of that fund. Possible approaches Some Christian businesses have chosen to give partial ownership to the Lord. The idea is that as the business prospers, so does the Lord's portion. Another option if there is stock involved, is to create a foundation for Christian work. And give a tithe of stocks and dividends to it. These are attempts to honour God in practical ways and to give towards the Christian work. Since most companies do not have tangible spiritual covering, it is up to the owners or directors to determine the best way to give the tithes. Many choose to give it towards a wide spectrum of Christian organisations. CONCLUSIONS Our present context can be considerably different from the Old Testament, and this does complicate how we apply tithing practically. Yet as we carefully discern the biblical principles, we can work out practically, for the most part, how we can tithe and honour God. It is crucial not to be lost in the details of the recommendations but to always remember that tithing is a principle and that our giving should be from our hearts. It is our faith, obedience and generosity that matters the most to God. Copyright©️2023 by Wilson Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

The principle of tithing is such a crucial part of our discipleship and walk of obedience before God. When properly understood and applied in our lives, it releases blessings both promised by God and indirectly upon our life and ministry. In this article, we will examine the key promises and its benefits for every believer who applies it. This article is part of a Tithing series which includes “Part 1: The Biblical Principle”, “Part 2: Distinguishing Tithes and Offerings” and “Part 3: Giving From Our Hearts”. PROMISED BLESSINGS FROM GOD The Scriptures reveal blessings promised by God when we are faithful in our giving. Malachi 3:10–12 (NIV) 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the LORD Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty. God promised overflowing blessings to be released from heaven when we are faithful in our tithes unto God. Three specific blessings are mentioned in v11. Although God applied it to the immediate and relevant context of agricultural produce for the Israelites, the principle of the blessing continues today. Blessings of protection (such as protection from pests), fruitfulness (such as full yield of crops) and prominence (such as other nations calling Israel blessed). Broadly speaking, that is God’s heart. To bless those who are faithful to Him. Blessing of Protection When we give from the outcomes of the work of our hands because we trust God, God has promised to protect the outcomes of our work. When we give from the outcomes of the work of our hands because we trust God, God has promised to protect the outcomes of our work. Have you ever experienced the disappointment of investing into your work, what you produce, only to suffer loss because of poor outcomes? God is saying, “If you will trust me with by faithfully giving part of your income, I will protect your source of income.” I do not wish to broaden this promise beyond what God likely intended. God did not say that the crops would not encounter pests but that the pests would not devour the crops. Setbacks may occur, but we should not face loss because of God’s protection. Since the early days of my Christian faith, I determined to tithe faithfully unto God, even in my student days. In all my years, I found that God blessed, provided and protected me in all my employments. During my university days, God provided engineering trainee jobs beyond what was needed. It provided for my educational experiences and financially. Even as I was completing my doctorate engineering studies, God provided for me a research job in CSIRO which I did not even seek out. I was head-hunted, even before I completed my doctorate. That was highly unusual. Until even today, I have the unusual distinction of not having to apply for nor compete for a job. This included every leadership role, every directorship role. This is my unique faith journey. Blessing of Fruitfulness When we faithfully give of the fruit of our work unto God, God will multiply the fruitfulness of our hands. In the promise “the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe”, God is essentially promising the Israelites a full harvest. It is a blessing of fruitfulness. When we faithfully give of the fruit of our work unto God, God will multiply the fruitfulness of our hands. I will qualify here that what God blesses in return is not always like for like. It is up to God the manner in which He blesses. In 1990, when God challenged us to be involved in pioneering a church in Melbourne, I had to make a tough decision. Because I had a cushy part-time job in the research division of BHP, while still completing my doctorate. This job helped provide for us as my doctorate scholarship had basically run out. I knew I could not possibly hold this job while helping pioneer a church. By faith, I let it go. Miraculously, God worked another provision for us. A couple of months later, my professor and I received approval for a research grant which my professor converted into a research scholarship for me. It covered the income I would have received from the part-time job for nearly 2 years. Further, the research grant was to undertake research that I had already planned to do anyway in my doctorate. Basically, I was getting paid to do nothing extra! At the same time, God also blessed the fruitfulness of our student ministry while pioneering the church. We gave unto the Lord, of our finances, of our time, of our dedication and the Lord blessed us with abundance! Blessing of Prominence God’s blessings will lead to prominence because of the quality of the fruitfulness. God’s promise in Mal 3:12 (NIV) “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land” is a promise of prominence. God’s blessings will lead to prominence because of the quality of the fruitfulness. Not only does God promise to give beyond what we had given, He will give of a higher quality in return. Just as in the wedding at Cana, when the servants trusted Jesus, He turned the water which was given to Him into the best wine (John 2:1-10). This help sets the stage for prominence. In my previous story, I mentioned that I received a research grant. From that research, I was able to publish 4 scientific papers in some major international journals. Unknown to me for many years, they became prominent papers that have since been cited some 900 times to this point (as per Google Scholar). And they are still being significantly cited some 30 years later! My research contribution in that particular field of engineering became prominent. I never imagined it would happen. But with God’s blessings, it did! I did publish many other scientific papers from my doctorate and research scientist work. But almost none come close to the prominence of those papers. In fact, the total citations of the other 20+ papers are about half of those 4 papers. Experience God’s provision 2 Corinthians 9:6–8 (NIV) 6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. When we are faithful in giving to God, God will be faithful in providing for us. When we are faithful in giving to God, God will be faithful in providing for us. God will not leave His people in want, who are faithful unto God. God desires to provide for us in order that we can abound in every good work. That is the general principle by which God operates. When we decided to pioneer the church in Brisbane, we knew it was a matter of time before I would go full-time. We were prepared never to own our own house. Yet God provided for us. A few years into our church plant just as I was preparing to go full-time, we had a sum of money due to our savings from our very frugal early days of marriage plus some help from our parents. Yet in the area where we were searching for some possibilities, we could not afford even a small 10-year-old house. Then Lai Ling came across a piece of ridiculously priced land. We managed to buy the land and build a brand-new house cheaper than a 10-year-old house in that area! We managed to pay off the mortgage in about 5 years. It was only possible with God’s provision. INDIRECT BENEFITS OF GIVING Learn To Be Faithful Stewards It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that most of what we have, or perhaps even all, is the result of our hard work. Tithing reminds us that all we have is actually God's. Psalm 50:10–12 (NIV) 10 for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine. 12 If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it. It also reminds us that as stewards, we are to be faithful with what God has entrusted to us. It reminds us that God owns all and the privilege we have in giving back to Him a tenth. In doing so, it also reminds us that as stewards, we are to be faithful with what God has entrusted to us. Once we have given our tithe, we would have 90% left of our income and this ought to force us to be more careful in how we spend it. When people have in abundance, they tend to be more carefree in their spending. The danger is we end up spending on frivolous or unnecessary things. But when we have less, we tend to be more frugal and careful. It helps us distinguish between what we need and what we want. I grew up in a lower middle-income family. We were always careful with what we spent our money on. The frugality taught me the importance of discipline in the use of money. In the early days of our marriage, we lived very simply because we had a lower and uncertain income. I even salvaged a thrown-away 20 year old fridge from a front yard and made shelves from wire mesh. It served us for another 5 years before it finally died! Often, having a little less can provide great life lessons compared to simply having more. I have discovered that having learnt to live with less, we can gain more later on. The perspectives and disciplines we learn as faithful stewards will serve us well for the rest of our lives. Realigns Our Priorities Heavenward. Jesus taught in Matthew 6:20–21 (NIV) But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. For where our treasure goes, there our focus tends to be. Wherever we lay our treasures, there our hearts will be. If our priorities are to be heavenly minded rather than worldly minded, there is where we ought to direct our resources, monies included. Such giving for God's Kingdom helps sharpen our focus on the impact of our giving. If we need some help to realign our focus, we should intentionally choose to give for God's Kingdom. For where our treasure goes, there our focus tends to be. I have found personally, when I have to save up to make a significant purchase such as a new lounge set or car, or to pay off our house mortgage – it focuses my priorities. In the same way, when I determine to set aside, to save a certain proportion for God’s purposes focusses me on those heavenly priorities. There was once a non-believing businessman whose Christian friend encouraged to support a Gospel endeavour. At first, he gave reluctantly. Then he began to read of the tangible impact it had in changing lives of many young people. Eventually he began to give regularly to this "community work", as was his perspective. After some time, he decided he must personally check out this endeavour to ensure his money was well spent. As he followed the Gospel endeavours, he began to be confronted with the Gospel itself and eventually came to Christ. His heart followed his treasure, and his treasure led him to Christ. Will Be Refreshed Proverbs 11:24–25 (NIV) 24 One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. 25 A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. There is a definite sense of encouragement and even fulfilment in knowing our giving led to others being helped and blessed. When we give faithfully unto God, we bless by investing into God’s Kingdom. God’s church is supported, ministry is enabled, church workers are provided for, missions is advanced, outreach into the community is sustained, etc. Much blessings are released as a result and more people are blessed. Such blessings also return in some form to us. There is a definite sense of encouragement and even fulfilment in knowing our giving led to others being helped and blessed. Our church has invested into a free annual Christmas event for the local community. We have held it for over 20 years. In this event there are all manner of fun activities for children from face-painting, stall games, petting animals, rock climbing, laser shootouts, tug of war to dances, performances and carols. Food and drinks are provided for every visitor. Every child receives a significant Christmas present with opportunities to win many special prizes from the games and activities. It is a huge investment of finance, resources, volunteer hours, etc. What has blessed my heart all the time is to see the hundreds of happy faces. The times when grateful parents came up to thank us for our efforts because otherwise it would be another tough Christmas for their family. John D. Rockefeller was the world’s richest man. Yet at 53 years old, he developed an unusual but serious ailment. He was given a year to live based on his doctors’ prognosis. Earlier in his life, he had been ruthless in acquiring his wealth. But this shocking prognosis changed his heart and he decided to give much of his fortune to churches, schools, hospitals, educational institutions, etc. He even enjoyed giving dimes to children when they approached him. He miraculously recovered from the life threatening ailment and lived to 97 years old. Break The Cycle Of Materialism The world we live in today, continually draws us towards materialism with its endless, even hypnotic marketing to buy and buy even more. It paints the picture that the possession of certain products will immediately improve, even elevate our lives. Choosing to set aside a portion of our income for God and His Kingdom, helps us die to our fleshly wants and break the cycle of selfishness. Choosing to set aside a portion of our income for God and His Kingdom, helps us die to our fleshly wants and break the cycle of selfishness. To avoid the trap of consumerism and materialism by giving more focus to heavenly priorities. 1 Timothy 6:17–19 (NIV) 17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. CONCLUSIONS When we give faithfully unto God through tithes and offerings, God is pleased, and He will bless us in a variety of ways. There are also additional key benefits in giving generously and faithfully. Which is why, giving is such a blessing to both the receiver and giver. Copyright©️2023 by Wilson Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

In giving to God, the primary question often on Christ-followers minds is: How can we give unto God in a manner acceptable to God? While that question may be a fundamental question, God desires us to ask the next level question. A question that will lift the nature of our giving to a whole new realm. The question is: How can we give in a manner that touches God’s heart? In our series on Tithing, we have covered in Part 1: The Biblical Principles and Part 2: Distinguishing Tithes and Offerings. There we laid the biblical basis for tithing and offerings. Now we examine the kind of responses that God desires from us, by answering both the questions posed above. GIVING THAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO GOD Giving obediently God has set out His expectations and hence commands that His people would give back to God what is holy, the tithe (Lev 27:30-32). Mal 3:7-8 reveals God’s view when His people failed to do so. Malachi 3:7–8 (NIV) 7 Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ 8 “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings.” When His people failed to do so, God viewed it as a disobedience (“have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them”) and a robbery (‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings.”) After all, we are merely stewards of all that God has provided to us. Hence a tithe is acceptable to God when it is given out of obedience. On the other hand, if we gave because we were forced to such as taxed, whether by church or state – we gave out of compulsion, not willingly, not out of obedience. It is a different matter if we were willingly taxed, because we wanted to be obedient anyway. Giving faithfully Scriptures reveal that God expects tithing to be done as instructed and also regularly, continually. If anyone needed to withhold any portion of a tithe for a season, then God required that 20% be added. Leviticus 27:31 (NIV) Whoever would redeem any of their tithe must add a fifth of the value to it. There is no excuse before God for being continually inconsistent in our tithing. God expects us to be faithful in our giving. Thus, delayed tithing incurs a tax. It seems God allows for delayed tithing to account for some unforeseen difficult circumstances. Yet God implemented it in a fashion that discourages its continual delay. In essence, there is no excuse before God for being continually inconsistent in our tithing. God expects us to be faithful in our giving. I heard the story about an elderly lady who was devoted Christian. One day during the Sunday morning service, she had a heart attack and collapsed. Emergency services were called and as the paramedics were bringing her on a stretcher to the ambulance, she weakly beckoned her daughter. The tearful daughter bent over close to her as the elderly lady struggled to speak. The congregation held their breath knowing this may be her last words. “In my purse”, the lady gasped into her daughter’s ear, “are my tithes. Put it in the offering bag.” That, is faithfulness. Giving with faith Early in Genesis was recorded the first offerings made to God. It was a watershed moment in human history, leading to the first murder. The story also offers important insights into giving that is acceptable to God. Genesis 4:3–5 (NIV) 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So what made the difference in their giving? Was it because Abel gave animal sacrifices while Cain gave agricultural? A key part of the answer was given in Hebrews 11:4 (NIV) By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. Hence the distinguishing factor was faith. Abel gave with faith, while Cain did not. Yet there were deeper issues as revealed in 1 John 3:12 (NIV) Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. So why did Cain murder Abel? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. It appears that early mankind understood they should make offerings to God. It was the norm that every head of household (any adult male who is responsible for a household) should make such offerings. Abel gave of his offerings with faith, thankful to and trusting in God for his provisions. Abel behaved righteously. On the other hand, Cain did not offer with faith. He was not thankful nor trusting in God for God’s provisions. Instead, he likely made offerings to meet expected societal/family obligations and sought to hide his lack of faith. He was living a lie. That is probably why his actions were viewed as “evil”. Hence, God accepted Abel’s offerings but rejected Cain’s. Giving with faith is a fundamental requirement to be acceptable to God. Are we trusting God for His provision even as we give a significant portion back to God? Hence, giving with faith is a fundamental requirement to be acceptable to God. Are we trusting God for His provision even as we give a significant portion back to God? John Gagliardi illustrated this point powerfully with this story. A deacon told his pastor, “Considering what I earn, and the needs of my family, it’s impossible for me to tithe.” A wealthy businessman in the church overheard the conversation and approached the deacon. “God has blessed me, and I’d like to help,” he said. “Why don’t you give 10 per cent of your income to God, and if you run short at the end of the month, I’ll make up the shortfall.” The deacon was delighted. “In that case, I’ll start tithing right away!” The businessman drove home his point: “You trust me to provide for you, just because I said so. Yet God tells you the same thing in His Word, and you do not believe Him.” God’s fundamental expectation is that we give obediently, faithfully and with faith back unto God. It may be concluded that God’s fundamental expectation is that we give obediently, faithfully and with faith back unto God. GIVING THAT TOUCHES GOD’S HEART There is a giving from our hearts that is the next level, and it touches God’s heart when He sees that. One that goes beyond the fundamentals of acceptable giving. What are some key characteristics? Giving as worship The sacrifices and offerings practiced in the Old Testament were first and foremost seen as acts of worship. As they sought to honour God. The same perspective continues in New Testament times. Paul shared about the Macedonians who gave despite their lack, as an act of worship unto God firstly, then to help The Jerusalem churches during the trials of famine. 2 Corinthians 8:4–5 (NIV) 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. 5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. We can intentionally give from our hearts, as an act of worship unto God. We could give obediently, faithfully and with faith and leave it at that point. Or we can intentionally give from our hearts, as an act of worship unto God. We can come with an attitude that says, “We give because of You. We give this to honour you, O Lord! To worship the One who is faithful to Provide. Because we love You!” Perhaps the next time we give of our tithes, we can take a moment to do it prayerfully, as an act of worship to God. God is touched when we give with a worshipful attitude. Giving joyfully 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV) Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Joyful giving arises from a thankful heart and the perspective that it is a privilege to give. Why does God love a cheerful giver? Because it reflects more than a willingness – an eagerness of heart to give. Where does such eagerness spring from? Joyful giving arises from a thankful heart and the perspective that it is a privilege to give. What a privilege to be part of God’s family and to share in the family responsibilities such as giving for His Kingdom. Once a member of our church had sold a piece of land for a significant profit. She decided to give the church a tithe of the profit. It was the single largest amount we had ever received up to that point in the history of our church. As she gave, she expressed her excitement to be able to give this unto God. How much it must have touched God’s heart! Sometimes in our giving to God it can become mundane, since it is done so regularly. Why not spice it up? Take a moment to discover some reasons why you can rejoice in your giving. To consider why you can be thankful to God. Giving lovingly 1 Corinthians 13:3 (NIV) If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. When we give out of a love for God and His Kingdom, it means a lot to God. We give because we care. It matters to us that we can give to help the Kingdom and His people. So many parents love their children and willingly give sacrificially to them. There is a special joy when we see our children willingly and generously give back to us. Not because we demand, but because they value us. Once a father bought his little boy some French fries. Then the father does what all fathers do, he reaches over and takes one french fry to taste it. The little boy slaps his father’s hand and says, "Don’t touch my french fries." The father is grieved at his son’s selfishness. The father knows that he bought the french fries and they belong to him. The father knows that his son belongs to him. The father could get angry and never buy his son another french fry again to teach his son a lesson, or the father could "bury" his son in french fries. The father thinks, "Why is my son so selfish, I have given him a whole package of french fries; I just want one french fry." How grieving to God who lovingly gave the us the best, when we fail to love Him in return by being generous to God. How sad when those we love and have been generous to, fail to return the generosity to us. How sad God must feel when despite all His generosity to us, we fail to be generous back to God. How grieving to God who lovingly gave the us the best, when we fail to love Him in return by being generous to God. Giving sacrificially Jesus was very impressed with the poor widow who gave the 2 copper coins at the temple. Mark 12:42–44 (NIV) 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” When giving hurts, yet we willingly give; God’s heart is touched by the sacrifice. When giving hurts, yet we willingly give; God’s heart is touched by the sacrifice. For some to tithe is comfortable. For some to tithe is a huge sacrifice. For the widow it was giving everything needed to live on. What is equally instructive is that Jesus never sought to intervene in the widow’s giving to make it easier. Jesus did not take away her opportunity to make the sacrifice. Neither did Jesus stop the grateful woman who broke the very expensive alabaster jar of perfume to anoint Him (Matt 26:6-13). The sacrifice in itself becomes a fragrant offering to God. Some have argued that it is not fair to expect the poor to tithe. Yet God placed that expectation. The privilege of the poor is to have the same opportunity to tithe. It is not our place to take that privilege from them. It is our responsibility to care for them in their need. Giving excellently A powerful example of giving excellently was when King David made every possible provision for the future building of God’s temple, even though he will never see it (1 Chron 28-29). With the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, King David made sure detailed temple plans were drawn up and every temple article designed. He allocated all the human resources required to construct every aspect of the temple, including the temple ministers and officials. He also made sure all the necessary materials were provided and budgeted for. Then he gave far beyond from his own treasures. In other words, King David gave of his best, par excellence unto God! Giving with excellence to God means giving with our utmost to bless God Giving with excellence to God means giving with our utmost to bless God. When Abel gave of his offerings to God, he made sure to give the firstborn of his animals and their fat portions burnt for God (Gen 4:4). He gave in a manner that met the code in Moses Law, which came thousands of years later. How excellent is that? CONCLUSIONS God looks at our heart and He sees the depths from which our giving comes. We showed that acceptable giving to God requires obedience, faithfulness and faith in our hearts. However, we can go beyond such fundamental basics to give in a way that touch God’s heart. Let’s consider how we may give with a worshipful heart, with joy or love. Perhaps we could give sacrificially or excellently. God looks at our heart and He sees the depths from which our giving comes. In our next study we will look at the blessings that tithing brings. Copyright©️2023 by Wilson Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

In our first study on tithing “Tithing Part 1: The Biblical Principle”, we surveyed the crucial place that tithing unto God had amongst the Israelites and expounded why it should continue to be important to believers today as a principle. In order to delve deeper into the topic of tithing, it is important to address the confusion that often exists between what is tithing and what is offerings. In this second study we will untangle the instructions and purposes of the various types by delving carefully into the Scriptures. TITHE FOR GOD This tithe was examined in the previous study on “Tithing Part 1: The Biblical Principle.” This is the tenth that is holy unto God (Lev 27:30-32). This is the tithe that should be given to God first. It is this tithe that God gave to the Levites because the Levites served in the temple and did have their own land to live off nor other sources of income, unlike the rest of the Israelites. Numbers 18:13–14, 20-21 (NIV) 13 All the land’s firstfruits that they bring to the LORD will be yours… 14 “Everything in Israel that is devoted to the LORD is yours. 20 The LORD said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites. 21 “I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting. When the Israelites were faithful in their tithing the priests had sufficient. But when the people failed to tithe, then the priest would lack. This was why God specifically instructed the Israelites to faithfully support the Levites. Deuteronomy 12:19 (NIV) Be careful not to neglect the Levites as long as you live in your land. We should support God’s work by giving faithfully unto God our first tithe. For that reason, we should support God’s work by giving faithfully unto God our first tithe. TITHE FOR PERSONAL RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES Besides the first tithe to be given to God, the Old Testament also required a second tithe. Deuteronomy 14:22–23 (NIV) 22 Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. 23 Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always. When we examine God’s instructions carefully (also Deut 12:5-18), we discover that this tithe is intended for a different purpose. The first tithe was to be given to the priest. But this tithe is to be enjoyed by the people personally at the place of worship and feasts that God will reveal to them. Subsequently, God revealed that this place was to be in Jerusalem. Notice that this tithe was not considered as holy or sacred unto God. There were no divine judgments pronounced upon those who failed to fulfil this tithe. There were 3 annual holy Festivals or Feasts to be celebrated called the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover or Pesah), the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost or Shavuot) and Feast of Booths (Tabernacles or Sukkot) where the Israelites were expected to congregate in Jerusalem. For that reason, these are also known as the Pilgrimage Festivals. During the Feasts, it was a special time of community-building, religious instruction and worship. Deuteronomy 16:16 (NIV) Three times a year all your men must appear before the LORD your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles. No one should appear before the LORD empty-handed: The entire Lev 23 is devoted to the purpose of these Feasts and how it was to be undertaken. Briefly, the Feast of Passover and Tabernacles each require 7 days while it is uncertain how many days the Feast of Weeks is to last though today it is over 3 days. Effectively, it represents less than one-twentieth of the year but have at least double the amount of food set aside. If we assume that the annual produce of the land is sufficient for their food in a year. Then a tenth of annual production should provide for at least 36 days. Truly a feast! There is no indication of these practices before the Mosaic Laws. Though Jesus did participate in those Feasts. The full significance of the first 2 Feasts were realised in the Gospels and the book of Acts with Jesus sacrifice at the cross (Passover) and the giving of the Holy Spirit in power (Pentecost). Yet there were no indications from Jesus nor the Apostles whether the principle of those tithes would continue. In fact, Apostle Paul states in Col 2:16 that these Festivals are shadows of the reality of Christ. Meaning there is no compulsion nor need to celebrate these Festivals any longer. By association there is no need for tithes for such festivals too. However, the principle behind the tithe in Deut 14:23 “so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always” should be maintained. Therefore, the principle of setting aside funds to provide for our personal religious activities should continue. Using a tithe as a benchmark. These should foster community-building amongst God’s people, instructions in the faith and worship. Practically it may mean setting aside funds for Christian conferences, retreats, equipping, etc. If this tithe principle was maintained faithfully by Christians, many more would be refreshed, relationships strengthened and better equipped for ministry. TITHE FOR THE POOR AND NEEDY A third tithe was commanded in the Old Testament with the intention to care for the poor, needy and marginalised. Again, there is no mention that this tithe was holy or sacred unto God. Nor were there pronounced any divine judgment upon those who failed to fulfil this tithe. Deuteronomy 14:28–29 (NIV) 28 At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, 29 so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. A third of a tenth was to be set aside each year to help the poor and needy. In other words, a third of a tenth was to be set aside each year to help the poor and needy. However, no mention of this tithe was made in the New Testament. Nevertheless, the principle and practices of caring for the poor, needy and marginalised was strongly emphasised in the New Testament (James 1:27, Gal 6:10, 1 John 3:17). It is obvious that throughout the Old and New Testament, God sought for generous and caring hearts to provide for the poor and needy. Any rebuke was against the lack of generosity rather than the lack of observance of this tithe. It may be argued that in many developed nations, the income tax is used partially used by the government to support social welfare and social services which are intended to help the poor, needy and marginalised. This could account for more than 3.33% of one’s income. Nevertheless, we should not approach this in a rigid fashion but remember the principle is to care for those who genuinely struggle to care for themselves. OFFERINGS Offerings are what is given above and beyond the tithes. Offerings are not compulsory in the Old Testament but is freely offered to God. It is important to understand the difference between tithes and offerings as described in the Scriptures. Tithes refer to the 3 types of tithes described above. Offerings are what is given above and beyond the tithes. Offerings are not compulsory in the Old Testament but is freely offered to God out of gratitude, thanksgiving, worship or to fulfil a vow. The Old Testament lists a variety of offerings that were made. For example, many gave freely to Moses in order to build the Tabernacle for God’s Presence. God also asked for the Israelites to give freely offerings during the Festivals but never set any guidance. This included vow offerings. Exodus 35:4–5 (NIV) 4 Moses said to the whole Israelite community, “This is what the Lord has commanded: 5 From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the Lord an offering of gold, silver and bronze; Deuteronomy 16:10 (NIV) Then celebrate the Festival of Weeks to the LORD your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the LORD your God has given you. Deuteronomy 12:11 (NIV) Then to the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name—there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice possessions you have vowed to the LORD. Hannah made a vow offering of her firstborn son unto God if God would open her womb. 1 Samuel 1:11 (NIV) And she made a vow, saying, “LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” We all know the rest of the story with Samuel becoming the greatest priest-prophet because Hannah fulfilled her vow. CONCLUSIONS The tithes for personal religious activities and for the poor and needy do not appear to be in the same category of holy expectation as the first tithe which is holy unto God. We surveyed the Old Testament to show that there were 3 types of tithes that God commanded in the Old Testament. However, the tithes for personal religious activities and for the poor and needy do not appear to be in the same category of holy expectation as the first tithe which is holy unto God. We recommend practicing the first tithe in principle using a tenth of our income as a benchmark, to honour God. For the remaining tithes, we recommend observing the principles behind them as best we can, with a heart to align with God’s heartbeat. Offerings are to be given freely as we desire. But if we did make a vow regarding it, then it is important we keep it. In our next study we will look into the heart conditions God desires in our giving. Copyright©️2023 by Wilson Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

Have you ever found yourself in difficult, even desperate circumstances? Perhaps like the woman in Mark 5:25-26 (NIV) 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. Imagine this woman in agony and weakness due to the continual pain of her bleeding plus the embarrassment of being considered constantly unclean, according to the Jewish religious custom (Lev 15:25-33). It meant she was considered untouchable for the past 12 years! Consider the deep sense of rejection by society because of her unclean status. Further, she had spent everything she had trying to find a cure yet only worsening in her condition. Her problem was not only difficult and desperate, it was unsolvable. What am overwhelming sense of hopelessness she must be living under. What would you have done if you were in such a situation? Yet in the midst of her immense difficulties, she met God. God delivered her from her situation. The same God that set her free can set us free as well. The key in her situation was her faith in God. An active, dynamic faith. The woman’s faith enabled her to encounter God and receive healing. Faith is an essential element in a Christian’s life. Yet possessing an active faith that leads to a divine intervention often requires a process. We will unpack 5 principles that helps us develop that kind of active and dynamic experiential faith. HEARING AND BELIEVING THE RHEMA WORD Mark 5:27 (NIV) When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak… We do not know exactly what she heard about Jesus. But whatever it was, it stirred something in her heart. The woman did not only hear but she believed. She believed that Jesus could heal her. What we hear can be a seed for faith in our hearts. Romans 10:17 (ESV) So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. This is hearing the rhema word. An active, dynamic word spoken by God to us. What we hear can spark faith. Or destroy it. That is why we should not allow ourselves to absorb and be filled with negativity. Don’t listen to negative people, for they rob you of faith. Perhaps in the morning, we may have had a great devotion and heard from God. We may feel like Muhammad Ali, floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee! Then we receive a phone call oozing with thick slimy negativity. Sucking away at your faith. By the time you put down the phone, you float like a 10-ton truck and sting like a butterfly! That is why we must read and absorb God’s Word. Pray and listen to God. Allow God’s written Word and spoken rhema word to impact us and stir up faith in our hearts. The rhema word that we hear must be complemented with a choice. A choice to believe the Word. If we do not choose to believe, the rhema Word results in a big fat zero! Nothing. The rhema Word is like a spark that must find fuel. The fuel is our decision to believe. Then we ignite faith! But when we choose to believe the rhema Word that we heard, faith will arise! The rhema Word is like a spark that must find fuel. The fuel is our decision to believe. Then we ignite faith! Our faith level will no longer be at the level of a grasshopper, but at the level of an eagle! Do you want to be a people of faith? Spend time in His Word and with Him. Learn to hear His voice! CONFESSING THE RHEMA WORD Mark 5:28 (ESV) For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” Something significant occurs when we step out to express the faith in our hearts. Our faith is crystallized, made more tangible by expressing it outwardly. Noticed the woman expressed her faith outwardly. One of the keys for our faith to become effective is to express it verbally. A silent faith is an incomplete faith! Something significant occurs when we step out to express the faith in our hearts. Our faith is crystallized, made more tangible by expressing it outwardly. When God wanted to form the earth what did He do? He spoke! And it came into being! When Jesus wanted to heal, what did He normally do? He spoke the healing! Power to heal was released! At times, to those who sought healing, Jesus wanted to hear their faith confession. Matthew 9:27–29 (NIV) 27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. 29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”. So what kind of confession do we have? A faith-filled confession? Confessing our faith is so important. Romans 10:9–10 (NIV) 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. In 1540, Frederick Myconius, Martin Luther’s great friend and assistant was dying. He wrote a loving farewell to Luther. Luther immediately wrote back. “I command thee in the name of God to live because I still have need of thee in the work of reforming the church .... The Lord will never let me hear that thou art dead, but will permit thee to survive me. For this I am praying, this is my will, and may my will be done, because I seek to glorify the name of God.” Myconius completely recovered and outlived Luther by 2 months. That is an effectual prayer of faith. Our requests to God shows what we are believing for. Are our prayers of the “If you can” variety or the “You have promised”? VISUALIZING THE RHEMA WORD Mark 5:28 (ESV) For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” Woman saw herself as healed as soon as she could touch even Jesus’ clothes. She saw in her heart first. She visualized it. To visualize is to be able to see it in our heart before it happens. Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Visualizing is an important step in the faith process. For faith requires seeing what is not yet. Visualizing is an important step in the faith process. For faith requires seeing what is not yet. God helped Abraham visualize for his offspring. Genesis 15:5-6 (NIV) 5 He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. We ought to believe to the extent that it grips our imagination! We must think and even dream about it under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Before Lai Ling and I even came to Brisbane, I had visualized the church in my spirit. In fact, I have seen a much greater size of congregation. In my heart I have believed for thousands. I saw a multitude of cultures! Now I must qualify this carefully. It is not simply generating some visuals in our hearts. It is a co-operative act with the Holy Spirit. We may come with a desire or a request, but it is when the rhema word comes to life in our minds eye, that faith rises to the next level. So often, we can only have what we can see in our spirit. ACTING UPON THE WORD Matt 5:27 (NIV) When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, We must act upon the rhema word so that the faith that stirs in our hearts will bring forth fruit. The woman believed, confessed, visualized and then she acted! She went and touched Jesus’ clothes! We must act upon the rhema word so that the faith that stirs in our hearts will bring forth fruit. The Scriptures reveal to us that Abraham, the father of faith, acted upon his faith in Hebrews 11:8-10 (NIV) 8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. All the men of faith acted upon their faith and received the fruits of their faith! Hebrews 11:32-34 (NIV) 32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. If we truly have faith, then our works should reflect our faith. James 2:17 (NIV) In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. Apostle James then reinforced the principle by illustrating from Abraham’s life. James 2:22 (NIV) You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. What kind of faith do we have? God is pleased when He sees our action measures up to our faith. God is not pleased when we say we believe for something, but our actions are half-hearted towards it. But if you have sincerely tried your best, then God will not ask for more. In 1853 Hudson Taylor acted upon his faith and went to inland China when most missionaries dared not venture in. Yet he formed China Inland Missions, the most effective missionary organization of his time into China. What are you believing for? What is God saying to you? PERSEVERING IN THE RHEMA WORD Mark 5:27 (NIV) When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, This dear woman pushed and worked her way through the crowd until she reached Jesus. She persevered in getting through. She was desperate enough to break the Mosaic Law regarding uncleanness for all who touched her unintentionally would be ceremonially unclean. She did not let it stop her. When we persevere, it reveals our convictions and our determination. God appreciates when we are persistent in our cries for answer to our prayers. Often, before we get the answer to our faith, there are many obstacles, many hindrances, and a season of waiting. But if we persevere, it will come. When we persevere, it reveals our convictions and our determination. God appreciates when we are persistent in our cries for answer to our prayers. Mark 7:25-30 (NIV) 25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27 "First let the children eat all they want," he told her, "for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." 28 "Yes, Lord," she replied, "but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." 29 Then he told her, "For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter." 30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. Even when we have faith, there can be set backs that test our faith. Our faith goal fall short, our projects seems to have ground to a halt, our dreams seem to be stuck in the mud. Yet through it all we must persevere! Perseverance will bring its just reward in due time. CONCLUSION What was the outcome of the desperate bleeding woman’s faith? She was completely healed in Mark 5:29 (NIV) Immediately her bleeding stopped, and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. What was Jesus’ response? Mark 5:34 (NIV) He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” The woman was healed not because she touched Jesus, but because she touched Him with true faith. God is touched when He sees our faith. Let’s develop our faith through hearing and believing the rhema Word, confessing, visualizing, acting upon and persevering in it until we obtain God’s answer. Copyright©️2023 by Wilson Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

There are many today who promote the philosophy that all love is good. As long as there is love, that is good. As long two persons love each other, their relationship is to be supported. As long as there is love, it justifies the actions. Yet that is not how God views it. For God is clear on what love ought to be. A love that is meant to be holy. Love is not some mushy sensibility. Love is not just couched within a set of good intentions. For God is clear on what love ought to be. A love that is meant to be holy. In this blog article series, we examine several unholy lovers based on 2 Tim 3:1-5. In Part 1 we showed the dangers of an unhealthy, unbalanced self-love. A self-love that is not anchored upon a love for God will eventually lead to self-centredness and self-indulgence. Christians are not immune to such distortions. Indeed, often we carry this in from the world and from our carnality. Instead, we ought to be aware of its insidious nature and actively weed it out from our own hearts. In Part 2 we continue to examine one more aspect of unholy love. SELF-ENTHRONED In 2 Tim 3:4-5 it makes clear that an unholy lover is characterised by “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power.” In effect, these attitudes lead to self-enthronement, the lifting of self above God. How is this so? In the following, let’s unpack some key thoughts. They are not lovers of God In v4 it is made clear that they are “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” These are not truly interested in seeking after God. Though on the outside they may appear so. The primary reason why they do not truly seek God is because of their self-centredness. What seems to be the seeking of God externally is actually the seeking of self. They will seek whatever of God as long as it furthers their self-interest. Titus 1:16 (NIV) They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good. Saul was prime example of someone who wanted the appearance of seeking God, while actually enthroning himself. When Saul won a battle, he set up a monument to himself, rather than God 1 Samuel 15:12 (NIV) Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.” When the prophet Samuel corrected Saul for disobeying God, Saul was more concerned about the “worship of the people” than the correction of the Lord. Instead of repenting, he asked Samuel to worship with him in front of the people. 1 Samuel 15:30 (NIV) Saul replied, “I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God.” Sometimes we may declare that we want to leave a legacy for Christ but in reality, we want to leave a legacy of ourselves. Sometimes we may declare that we want to leave a legacy for Christ but in reality, we want to leave a legacy of ourselves. Such as a minister who wants to build their own ministry rather than helping others be what God has called them to be. Sometimes we fail to see our own self ambition. We see ourselves as serving God, but we are really only asking God to bless our ambition! Many times, some might say “I want to be a famous singer for God” what do they mean “for God”? What does the businessman mean when he says he wants to make millions of dollars “for God”? Timothy Keller in his book “The Prodigal Son” told this story. Once upon a time there was a gardener who grew an enormous carrot. So he took it to his king and said, “My Lord, this is the greatest carrot I’ve ever grown or ever will grow. Therefore I want to present it to you as a token of my love and respect for you.” The king was touched and discerned the man’s heart, so as he turned to go the king said, “Wait! You are clearly a good steward of the earth. I own a plot of land right next to yours. I want to give it to you freely as a gift so you can garden it all.” And the gardener was amazed and delighted and went home rejoicing. But there was a nobleman at the king’s court who overheard all this. And he said, “My! If that is what you get for a carrot—what if you gave the king something better?” So the next day the nobleman came before the king and he was leading a handsome black stallion. He bowed low and said, “My lord, I breed horses and this is the greatest horse I have ever bred or ever will. Therefore I want to present it to you as a token of my love and respect for you.” But the king discerned his heart and said thank you, and took the horse and merely dismissed him. The nobleman was perplexed. So the king said, “Let me explain. That gardener was giving me the carrot, but you were giving yourself the horse.” Beware lest we be like the nobleman. We may rationalise that we are lovers of God when in reality we love ourselves more. When we are lovers of self in that way, we provide the foundations for the next phase. Enthroning of self V5 states that such lovers of self were “having a form of godliness but denying its power.” In the specific context of the 2 Timothy epistle, what these unholy lovers are seeking to achieve is the appearance that they are godly, that they can speak on behalf of God, that they know what God wants. Yet they deny the power of the true God. In fact, they sought to make God in their own image. They have effectively sidelined the one true God and replaced it with the god of their preference. The have denied the life-giving power of God’s message and replaced it with a shallow imitation. They sought to make God in their own image. They have effectively sidelined the one true God and replaced it with the god of their preference. When god is me, we can make our own rules to suit our self-centredness. Legalistic and licentious people either swerve to formulas or indulging in pleasures. However, both of these types replace true intimacy with God with the poor substitute of self worship. When god is me, we can make our own rules to suit our self-centredness. During Jesus’ time, the teachers of the law and Pharisees studied the scriptures diligently and appeared to have a form of godliness. They would memorise scriptures. Some even memorised all the books of Moses! Yet they missed the author of the scriptures – Jesus. Even crucifying Him in order to protect their own image in the eyes of the people. Even today some people can criticise genuine servants of God to build up their own reputation or promote their own theology. I did an experiment once to see if I could find a well-known preacher or minister who escaped criticism. There is always some author or blogger with a critical attitude seeking to dis-credit them in an effort to prove themselves more correct. No one can exalt himself and God at the same time! It can be very dangerous when we get an overly inflated sense of our self-worth. When we start exalting ourselves, we start to lose our heart for God. No one can exalt himself and God at the same time! Let me illustrate from a well-known movie, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. It follows the journey of Anakin Skywalker as he slides down the path to the Dark Side. Anakin, an incredibly talented Jedi Knight in training, chafes at the restraints placed on him and tests authority at every turn. Early in the movie, Anakin enters the lavish chambers of the gentle Senator Palpatine, who is actually the Dark Lord in disguise. His insidious whispers are all too familiar: "You don't need guidance, Anakin. In time you will learn to trust your feelings—then you will be invincible. I have said it many times that you are the most gifted Jedi I have ever met. I see you becoming the greatest of all the Jedi, even more powerful than Master Yoda." The senator's seemingly encouraging words take root in Anakin's heart, and he yearns to become the greatest Jedi ever. Later, as Anakin was brooding over his mother's death. His girlfriend, Padme, comes and graciously confronts him. For the first time, he shows his true heart. Anakin: "Why did she have to die? Why couldn't I save her? I know I could have." Padme: "You're not all powerful, Anakin." Anakin: "Well I should be! Someday I will be. I will be the most powerful Jedi ever. I promise you." Self-enthronement leads to God-dethronement. Unwilling to surrender the things he values most, Anakin chose the path of self-enthronement. Consequently, Anakin gradually descent into the Dark Side. The Devil can fool us by encouraging us to imagine that we can be the best judge for our own actions. That we can be gods to ourselves. Self-enthronement leads to God-dethronement. The Scriptures exhort us to avoid such unholy lovers, and those who propagate it (v5b), “Have nothing to do with such people”. To keep out of their influence. For not only have they gradually brought themselves out of the Kingdom, they will drag others away from the Kingdom as well. This is not referring to non-believers in general but about those who claim to know God, having a form of godliness yet in reality unholy lovers of themselves. Let us never fall into the trap of self-enthronement. CONCLUSIONS We live in terrible times. We see evidence of many unholy lovers in the world today. For they do not know better. They have not been impacted by the Good News. They have yet to become aware of the destructive self-centredness they are in. That is why we must pray for them, reach out to them. At the same time, we must pray for ourselves. That we do not remain self-centred nor become so. That we will not fall into the trap of self-indulgence. That we will not elevate our self-love above our love for God. Instead, that we will love God most. That we will ask God for His help to grow in a holy love. Copyright©️2023 by Wilson Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

In a famous novel by Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities (1859) the famous opening sentence went, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...” Have you ever considered about the times we live in? We have such great possibilities with the great advancement in technology and living standards. Yet what is happening in our society? What we see in the news and read about in the papers? Have you asked yourself why bad things seem to be happening more and more? Some of the reasons are found in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NIV) But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. This passage of Scripture talks about those who love, but with an unholy love. A love that is not pleasing to God. A love that is so prevalent in our society today. A love that is also permeating the church of Jesus Christ. A love that we must resist. These may be referred to as the “unholy lovers” because they have a love that is unholy. To better understand this passage, we need to look at the context of what the Apostle Paul was referring to when he states in v1, “There will be terrible times in the last days.” What did Paul mean by the words, “in the last days”? For example in Hebrews 1:1 - 2 (NIV) 1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. Since Jesus started speaking to us in His ministry on earth, it means the “last days” already started when Jesus came. The last days refer to the period of time between the first coming and the second coming of Christ. Further, in Acts 2:16 - 17 (NIV) 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. When did this occur? Since the Day of Pentecost. Basically, the last days refer to the period of time between the first coming and the second coming of Christ. These Last Days will be terrible times. The word “terrible” or chalepos in the Greek means perilous or dangerous. It will be dangerous times for those seeking to follow Christ because these unholy lovers may influence and corrupt the Christ-followers and throw them to the wrong path. Now many casual readers of Scriptures think that it is talking about the corrupt world that will be full of unholy people. That is only partially true. For there are other parts of Scriptures which talk about that. But if we read this passage careful in its proper context, it is warning us of those within the church who may lead others astray. In v6 it points to these unholy lovers worming their way into homes of weak-willed women and influencing them. The kinds of problem that the Ephesian church was confronted with, even back in 1 Timothy. The culprits were people within the church, even some leaders in the church. The world is full of unholy lovers but the church is not immune. What is the implication for us? The world is full of unholy lovers but the church is not immune. Because it is not just about persons with unholy love, but of possessing the very characteristics of unholy loves. It is so much easier to point to others, but is it possible that we may have those very characteristics in our own hearts? We have to watch our hearts in order that we do not bring in an unholy love from the world we live in. What are some characteristics of such an unholy love? SELF-CENTRED The foundational characteristic of those unholy lovers is clearly self-centredness. It is a: Misdirected self-love Self-love overboard is a love that elevates self above God and the things of God! It is a misdirected love. In (v2a) “People will be lovers of themselves...”. Here, self-love overboard is a love that elevates self above God and the things of God! It is a misdirected love. It is not about having a healthy self-esteem, but a love centred upon oneself. When we direct our love to ourselves, over God – we begin to act out of self-will rather than towards God’s will. And that is how Adam and Even fell. Because they believed that they too can be as God and acted out of self-love. Self-love is best gained through experiencing God’s love. For God’s love demonstrates true love as it should be. The danger in some churches today is to over-emphasise on gaining a positive self-image, having a love for oneself, etc but neglect to have it anchored upon a love for God. Some claim that it is not possible to love God without first loving himself rightly. Yet self-love is best gained through experiencing God’s love. For God’s love demonstrates true love as it should be. It is when we experience love shown to us, it is when we discover how valuable we are to God, that we begin to love ourselves rightly. Charles Krauthammer made this observation in Time (June 28, 1993). "The reigning cliche of the day is that in order to love others one must first learn to love oneself. This formulation--love thyself, then thy neighbor--is a license for unremitting self-indulgence, because the quest for self-love is endless. By the time you have finally learned to love yourself, you'll find yourself playing golf at Leisure World." Love has turned inward and distorted itself! First love God with all that we are. That is the highest priority. Then love our neighbour as we love ourselves. The correct priority was given by Jesus Himself in Matthew 22:37 - 39 (NIV) 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ So, first love God with all that we are. That is the highest priority. Then love our neighbour as we love ourselves. In The City of God, Augustine wrote, “Two cities have been founded by two loves, the earthly by the love of self, even to the contempt of God. The heavenly by the love of God, even to the contempt of self. The former, in a word, glorifies itself, the latter the Lord.” We should examine our own hearts carefully and honestly. Do we love ourselves more than God? If so, we need to repent of this misdirected love and turn our love to God instead. Otherwise, we may find ourselves amongst the unholy lovers. Evidence of self-centredness The Scriptures then begin to expound some characteristics exhibited by the self-centredness in v2-4 “…boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited...” Now, it is not to say that all who are self-centred show such characteristics, because it is a question of degree here. The more self-centred people are, the more such qualities will be evident. One major evidence of self-centredness is pride. Scriptures speak of those “boastful, conceited”. They think very highly of themselves, of their opinions, of their perspectives. Not too long ago in Australia, we just had a Prime Minister whom many working close to him claim that he did not listen to their views. Do we find ourselves thinking so highly of our own opinion, perspective, etc that we fail to carefully consider what others are saying to us? If so, we are in danger of too much pride in our hearts. How many of us, while driving, have brushed aside attempts by our passengers to give us directions to a place, confidently claiming, “I know the way!” Only to be proven wrong. That is just a glimpse of pride lurking in our hearts. Another major evidence is having little consideration of others. Scriptures here speak of those who are “abusive, without love, ungrateful, unforgiving, slanderous, brutal, treacherous” etc. They could not care much about others because they consider others of lesser value, compared to themselves. If they mistreat others on their way to getting what they want, so be it! Are we showing some signs of such neglect of others? Could it be we consider others of lower value than ourselves? Then we need to move away from such self-centredness. For God will judge the proud. Proverbs 16:5 (NIV) The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished. SELF-INDULGENT The self-centred become self-indulgent, spending more and more on themselves for themselves. V4 refers to “lovers of pleasure” and v2 refer to “lovers of money”. A further development amongst those who are self-centred is self-indulgence. The self-centred become self-indulgent, spending more and more on themselves for themselves. If we look at where society is headed today, we see clearer the extent of self-indulgence. In 2021, Australians spent about $22 billion annually on beauty products. Women spent about $15 billion with men making up the rest. Some men today spend more on cosmetics than the average woman. We are a self-indulgent society that is splashing billions of dollars each year in looking good, in cosmetics, in clothes, etc. Now I am not saying that women (and man) should not spend anything on looking good! But the issue is whether we are becoming over-indulgent in our spending. And the marketing people will continually stir us to buy, buy, buy. As God’s people, we must be careful not to be trapped in the cycle of self-indulgence. The self-centred focus on gaining more, that they may gain more for themselves. The more they have, the more they want because it means there is more self-indulgence. As God’s people, we must be careful not to be trapped in the cycle of self-indulgence. We should carefully examine our spending patterns and ask ourselves if we are slipping into self-indulgence. When we indulge ourselves in such ways, we have much less to invest in what truly counts, God’s Kingdom. Instead of helping the needy, we help ourselves. It is good for our soul to sometimes live in simplicity. Lai Ling and I do not wish our children to grow up with a self-indulgent perspective. They should not have more when it is not necessary. Too many toys, too much entertainment is not healthy for their soul! Second-hand stuff is ok. It keeps us humble. I mostly own and drive second-hand cars because it makes more economical sense. I have lots of second-hand furniture, some second-hand clothes even. It keeps us humble and helps keeps us from self-indulgence. I get tempted too by all those advertisements, but I always ask myself whether we need those things. I am not saying we cannot enjoy ourselves and spend on ourselves. But it has to be appropriate, balanced by godly desires. Let us not become self-indulgent! CONCLUSION There is a love that is unholy. A love that is not of God. A love that is caught up with self and not with God. Such love is manifested in self-seeking actions that often puts oneself above others, devaluing others. It leads to self-indulgence. Christ-followers must be discerning of such tendencies and reject it from our own hearts. Instead let us focus on loving God and others. In Part 2, we continue to examine another unholy love. Copyright©️2023 by Wilson Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

Creating a high-performance workforce or team is increasingly important in today’s world of uncertainty, turbulence and rapid change. Leaders are challenged to raise staff the go beyond doing their duty per se. I believe transformational leaders can instinctively achieve this. Transformational leaders are those who: Have a compelling vision and dream that readily inspires, with a distinct magnetism. Share quality insights in the vision they plainly embody, compels a following. Readily engage and empower mentees to find themselves and their vision, utilise their unique talents and share their ideas. Foster quality, connected, relationships of deep mutual trust with others as partners. Bring an atmosphere of powerful testimonies fuelling radical enthusiasm & optimism. Who can become such a transformational leader By default those that feel transformed establish transformative culture. It’s your own transformation that pulsates in you, that you role model, that moves people. By default those that feel transformed establish transformative culture. It’s your own transformation that pulsates in you, that you role model, that moves people. Spirit or heart is foundational to this, not just great attitudes or skills which are essential. Leonardo da Vinci said, “Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.” God’s word feeds the UPGRADE in spirit to release the transformational-leader in us. (See Isaiah chapter 55, verses 4-13.): Upgrade your belief about yourself Firstly, do you see yourself as a leader or influencer? Isaiah chapter 55 verses 4 & 5 says, “see I have made him(Messiah) a witness to the peoples, a ruler a commander….” In Christ you have that seed of a transformational leader & influencer like King David. People will come running. David helped the miserable to become mighty. Believe and confess this despite how you may feel. Upgrade by seeking a difference within to make a difference Seek God, he’s waiting for you. Seeking Him about what’s going on inside makes a difference inside. Jacob was troubled and sought God and wrestled with Him. He knew God was the source of his destiny. God made a difference in Him calling him Israel from then on. “Seek the Lord while he may be found.” Upgrade today, not tomorrow We procrastinate to seek him. Nothing changes. Spiritual thirst, like physical thirst should lead us to take immediate action. The world needs you now, not in twenty years’ time. Verse 6 “call ye upon him while he is near:” Our Father in heaven likes having you near to Him. Draw near so Holy Spirit can make you a thirst-quencher for others. People will come running as you do television with substance, visual arts with rare beauty, sports as an iconic role model, wealthy creation that kills poverty, health care with potent relief and healing capability, and the list goes on to every field of endeavour. Upgrade your seating “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord..” In other words God is implying we are better than that lowly sinful state! Rid yourself of ways contrary to his, by returning to his right ways. Avoid the worst seat. We must get serious to maintain God’s presence in our lives, ridding whatever it takes. We must get serious to maintain God’s presence in our lives, ridding whatever it takes. Moses knew this. He knew only God’s presence could distinguish people before nations, in Exodus Chapter 33. God elevated him to get his best seat; as His judge and ruler. Upgrade your value of His Mercy Don’t get stuck in blame or you’ll stay the same. “…and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” Turn and repent, because you expect blessings, not bashings! Healing comes through receiving divine pardon. Saying sorry will remove the worry. The disappointments, repeat-failings and past guilt and shame to bring will find closure. Receiving abundant pardon catapults you forward in His abundant love! Don’t get stuck in blame or you’ll stay the same. Slaves have no liberty. You are a son. Upgrade to higher thinking His superior thinking leads to superior results and character. Get your seed of your vision in His word. Value his ideas and ways over your own wisdom. “8 … as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”….my word be that goeth forth… it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please….” His superior thinking leads to superior results and character. Get your seed of your vision in His word. The Spirit makes it grow. Upgrade to joy and peace Repentance means realigning your heart and your business to his ways. Zacchaeus in the bible did both. Jesus upgraded him from his feeling of smallness to tallness, from insecurity to unspeakable joy and peace in God. “12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace…” Transformed to transform God’s goal is to transform thorny places of our hearts into lush and flourishing places. “13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree …and it shall be to the Lord for a name…” God’s goal is to transform thorny places of our hearts into lush and flourishing places. It happens as we turn to him and forsake our old ways. We honour Him for the liberty he gives in Christ. This is the most true foundation to effect life-giving transformation. Transformational leaders are Christ’s salt and light to the market place. The picture attached is of my oil painting which was accepted into the prestigious Camberwell Art show in Melbourne. I call it MCG beauty. I see the MCG reflecting the beauty of God’s holiness. Friends, unprecedented times call for unprecedented leaders to arise. I invite you all to the upcoming, Hope churches “Mountain Mover” conference at the ‘LaunchPad’ in Richmond, Melbourne, Australia on August 23(PM) -24(AM), 2019. More details forthcoming. All welcome. Jesus spoke of our faith moving mountains…” Come and get launched into your destiny! (First published by Mark Rusic in Christian Today Australia) Copyright©️2023 by Mark Rusic. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgment is given to the author and not sold for profit.