Back in Biblical times, offerings to gods were common. Animals (sometimes humans) were sacrificed in elaborate ceremonies. The ancients believed that these sacrifices would please their gods and would in turn be rewarded with blessings. The bigger the sacrifice: the bigger the blessing. This philosophy of sacrificial giving is deeply embedded in our human nature – we give to get (we barter).

Chou (alias) was one of my best college friends. He was the youngest deacon ever in our church and potentially groomed to be our pastor. And then he vanished from church. I asked what happened. He said, “I made a deal with God. I would sacrifice my career in exchange for my dad’s health. My dad became wheelchair-bound. I called the deal off.” This “give to get” sacrificial mindset is very prevalent today in the church even among those of us responding to a full-time calling. At many crossroads, we unconsciously “give” to “get” intangibles – praises, recognition, significance, open doors, etc. The extreme focus on the material blessing in the prosperity theology circle is just the tip of the iceberg.

But the God of the Bible speaks out. Jehovah God said that He could not be bribed. He is distinctly different from all these other so-called gods.

Warning the Corinthians of that mentality, Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:3 (NKJV) spoke up, “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.” Sacrificing ourselves as a martyr; giving our last cent to the poor: these sacrifices alone cannot earn us anything in front of God. With our God, the “give to get” trade just does not work.

In the same vein, the prophet Samuel confronted Saul who gave sacrifices to retain popularity. 1 Samuel 15:22 said: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” God delights in our obedience more than our sacrifices i.e. God is delighted in our being consistently available to Him (obedience) than our momentary sacrificial giving (regardless of the quantum).

A “give to get” attitude is so subtle that we usually are not aware that we have that in us. There are two tests in the form of two words – gratefulness and availability.

Firstly, if I “give to get”, then when I “get”, I will naturally feel I earn it and my propensity to give thanks will naturally be low. Sincere gratefulness is only expressed by those who know that they can never repay the gifts from the giver. Sad to say, in the 21st century, our gratefulness quotient is very low indicating our motives of giving to get.

Secondly, in Romans 12:1 Paul urges us to be available, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice.”

Sacrifices are better dead than living. A living sacrifice can always crawl off the altar at any time. My friend Chou did. To stay on, it requires a moment-by-moment continuous availability for the Lord. “Give to get” motivation will never keep a living person on the altar. Paul started the verse with “in view of God’s mercy”. In other words, only those who acknowledge that God has done everything for them (gratefulness) will be continuously available for His use.

November in America marks the month of Thanksgiving. Like Chinese New Year, families get together to have reunions. Christians will get together to count their blessings. Thanksgiving is made up of two words – thanks and giving. Thanks – the humble recognition that everything we have we received from God. Giving – as we receive from the Lord, we make our all available for God’s use. The two words join together to form an eternal symphony that delights God’s heart.

And it is in this spirit of thanksgiving, we just want to share some news. October’s BTS Lecture reached around 780 attendees from 23 countries. Many testified that they were blessed. It has reached many beyond our wildest dream.

We thankfully acknowledge God’s gift because BTS could never have reached so many. God gave CCCOWE the idea to collaborate with us so that together we can reach beyond our spheres of influence. We thankfully acknowledge God’s gift of your trust in us (exhibited through your prayers and giving) that has empowered us to become conduits of blessings in this adventure of being available to God.

On a global scale, BTS is practically a nobody. But being a nobody for Christ enables us to bring delight to God’s heart. And in that vein of gratefulness, we will continue to make ourselves available for every opportunity that God wants to use us and every student that He wants us to groom. We look forward to this continued partnership with you in creating an eternal symphony that brings delight to His heart.

Rev Peter Lin
President