Matthew 15

Oh today's quiet time is awesome! I have multiple revelations just in one short chapter compared to previous chapters that are so long!!! Isn't it like God to do exactly the opposite of what man might expect? Haha But I'll share the biggest revelation here. =)

Matthew 15:1-20
Defilement Comes from Within

- v3-6. But Jesus put it right back on them. "Why do you use your rules to play fast and loose with God's commands? God clearly says, 'Respect your father and mother,' and, 'Anyone denouncing father or mother should be killed.' But you weasel around that by saying, 'Whoever wants to, can say to father and mother, What I owed to you I've given to God.' That can hardly be called respecting a parent. You cancel God's command by your rules.

I heard this teaching before but I never saw this another way. I always thought that the scribes and Pharisees taught this "teaching" to the people so that those who don't want to honour their parents can use this as an excuse not to honour them. But then, I realised that for this reason alone, it does not benefit the scribes and Pharisees at all. So what is the true motive that the scribes and Pharisees taught this twisted "teaching" to the people? They wanted the people's MONEY! They're misleading people's good and sincere intentions of honouring their parents by telling the people that you can "honour" your parents by giving everything that is meant for your parents to the temple, and they make it seem like it's "honouring" God at the same time! Notice the use of subtle persuasion by them saying "whoever wants to..." so it doesn't seem pressurising at all.

For more than a year since I've come to New Creation, I've been thinking about what some people in my previous church are doing. I've heard of students who empty their bank accounts to give to church building funds. And I'm stumbled because I do not know whether to consider this an act of faith or an act of stupidity.

Now, one of the people I know who did this was somehow still supernaturally provided for, and she claims that her family has been even more blessed since she did it. But I asked her, "Did your parents know about it when you gave everything to the church?" She said, "No."

Now, don't get me wrong, if I'm God, and I see this young woman of God give up everything to me, of course I would surely bless her everything back and more! But my point here is this, I felt like she shouldn't have done it because the money is not hers. Her parents gave it to her for her own living expenses, and she should be a responsible steward over it. I did ask a leader in NCC about this before and she told me that I shouldn't judge other people's intentions, maybe she really did have a revelation to give. So my question is this, where do I draw the line between an act of faith and an act of stupidity?

Then it was only during the recent pre-Zone briefing by Pastor Daniel and Pastor Lian where God revealed it all to me. Because of the way I have been taught in my previous church, I have tendencies of "expressing my faith" by doing things that might be a little pushing the limits of common sense and accountability, such as I even told a sister once that it is ok to come to church despite her parents' objections because in this way, she is putting God first. Zeal without knowledge, so they say. I have since repented and told that sister what Pastor Lian shared, that it is Christ-exalting for people who are still depending on their parents to be subject to them - she said it specifically, "God doesn't want you to lie to come to church."

So based on this same principle that you are still subject to your parents if you are still under their care , I feel that the money that they give you should also be used responsibly and wisely. If I found out that my child had given all that she had to the church and now has nothing left to spend on food, I'd be mighty angry!!! Such irresponsible acts only put God and the church in a negative light!!! If my child is a grown adult and is earning his/her own income, he/she can choose to do whatever she wants with his/her money and I would respect that.