Giving Spotlight: Christian Education
There are two passages in the Bible that capture the essence of living out the Christian faith.
The first is found in the gospel of Luke. Just before Jesus shared the parable on the Good Samaritan, a certain lawyer was asking Jesus the secret to eternal life:
And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”
So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbour as yourself.’ ”
And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”
– Luke 10:25-28
Jesus’ answer is quite literally, a summary of the Bible in just two sentences.
This is because if we truly love God, we will express it by loving our neighbours; and when we truly love our neighbours, it expresses our love for God.
Here’s the second passage, found in the gospel of Matthew.
“for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’
And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
– Matthew 25:35-40
The essence of this passage basically tells us that Jesus Himself identifies with the poor, the marginalised and the oppressed. And we must do the same.
The last couple of months was a joy for us to visit our partners whom we dearly support in our 3rd pillar, Christian Education:
Our Daily Bread (https://odb.sg)
A ministry providing devotional materials with a sole purpose to reach everyone with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.
Alpha Singapore (https://singapore.alpha.org)
Alpha is a 12-week course which provides a safe space for anyone to ask questions and have conversations about life, faith, Jesus and God. Over 25 million people have experienced Alpha in over 140 countries and in over 100 languages.
Christian Outreach to the Handicapped (https://coh.org.sg)
COH reaches out to Adult Intellectual Disability individuals aged between 18 and 55 with a belief that each person, including those with disabilities, have a God given right to be heard; recognised and appreciated as people of inherent worth; and respected for the potential they carry.
Bible Society of Singapore (https://www.bible.org.sg)
The mission of BSS is to make the Word of God known to all people by making it available through the work of translation & publishing, accessible through distribution & literacy programmes, and credible through engagement & advocacy.
Our visits to our partners were both engaging and fulfilling. May God continue to bless the work of your hands as you passionately reach the world for Him.
To God be the glory!