Dr John Avanzini came and preached in church and it was awesome! He really brings financial revelations which are super mind-blowing! This time around, he shared from John 1:47-51 on the little known character, Nathanael. He did something under the fig tree that Jesus made special mention of and called him one "in whom is no deceit." Something that caused heaven to open. What exactly was it that he did?
Well, Dr John brought us to Malachi 3 and showed us that the one thing that opens heaven over us is our giving. So Nathanael was under the fig tree, where no one could see, planning his finances, thinking of how he would be using his money, setting aside an amount for God. He put aside his own needs to put God first.
What was really exciting was offering time. The offering envelope was specially designed with a picture of a fig tree on the flap. Dr John got us to hold up the offering envelope in such a way that our thumb was positioned just under the fig tree. He said our thumb represents us under the fig tree and what is it that we would do under the fig tree??
Dr John, in his usual manner, challenged us and also said that perhaps some of us should increase our building fund pledge. I was very challenged and I did what I had to do. All along I had desired and wished to give a certain sum this year but it was really beyond me. When it was time to pledge, I still pledged a big sum but it wasn't that amount that was my heart's desire to give. Now that God opened a way for me financially and I was given the chance to pledge again, I knew I had to do it!
And I am so glad I did! Just in Dec, I have already received a blessing of 10 times the total amount I pledged! God has indeed never short-changed me! This year was especially tough since I am getting married soon. It is what Jiahui dubbed "a famine year", but I remember what she shared about Isaac in Gen 26, he sowed in the year of the famine and "reaped in the same year a hundredfold." According to what Joe explained to me, hundred fold is $X to the power of 100!! Just imagine that! I am awaiting for hundredfold blessing of my pledge amount this year!!
Just a word of encouragement to all out there who have not received the harvest: keep on pressing on! I remember in secondary school, I often went without food during recess or bought the cheapest biscuit or cake to save up more money. I'm sure my frens thought of me as queer and weird but I know I did the right thing. Even Nicholas Goh and his wife Lillian had to eat cup noodles for one whole year before things turned around for them financially so keep on sowing and you will reap a great harvest!
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