Is 56: 4 For thus says the Lord: “To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths,
And choose what pleases Me, And hold fast My covenant, 5 Even to them I
will give in My house And within My walls a place and a name Better than
that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name That
shall not be cut off.
In the midst of the controversy surrounding the song "The Greatest Place - City Harvest Church",
looking past the worship of Kong Hee by the youths, the song
is ultimately about the legacy of Pastor Kong in the lives of the youths
for which he was their idol.It was not just any legacy but the CHC
youths were his
legacy, for Kong Hee's words had made an impact to their hearts, gave
them them love and freedom.
The legacy of Kong Hee is ever lasting, for
whatever the outcome of the court investigations against him for
financial misappropriations, he was a world changer and a
history maker. He grew CHC from a cell group to a church of 33,000 and
along with it help to setup 50 other churches. Will his legacy be
harmed?
We all yearn for a legacy to leave a name that the
future generations will remember. When we are gone and out from the
scene who will people remember us as?
Legacy is carried by the impact we make on the
lives of others. Typically, our legacy is given to our descendents who
will hopefully remember and honour our name as one who gave them life.
When we are near the end of our life, and death
could be figurative (like going to jail, loosing our job, our family),
or getting very old in age, we begin to think about our legacy. Will it
be everlasting?
In Is 56:4-6, the Eunuchs were not allowed to enter
the house of God (because they were considered unclean being castrated).
They had to stay beyond the outer courts or simply slip in quietly
without being known.
They had wanted to be accepted because in their
hearts and soul, they had no legacy. They may have wealth and
properties, but they had no children to leave to. Their names will soon
be forgotten, their very existence forgotten very soon in the annals of
history.
Under the religious law, nothing could be done.
There was no grace or mercy even though these Eunuchs were castrated
since young to service in the house of the royalties and not because of
the fault of their own.
It is curious why the writer of Isaiah had raised
the issue of the Eunuch and linked it to the coming of the Messiah when
the number of Eunuchs were insignificant especially in this 21st
century.
Was the author of Isaiah referring to natural
Eunuchs (born as such from the mother's womb) which then and today would
have made up 5 to 10% of the general population. Perhaps the author of
Isaiah was gay himself, had no children, and knew that he would have no
legacy in the land of the living.
The hopes and aspirations of the Prophet was
projected into the coming of the Messiah, the coming of Jesus. It was
not only acceptance within the religious courts which was for a moment
in time but he wanted an everlasting legacy - his name to be remembered
by God.
The prophet saw into the future that in the
Messiah, gays who were searching for a legacy would find it in Him. It
would be a reign of God's love, grace and mercy to redeem and to
recompense what was lost and denied.
Gays were denied a legacy, but Jesus the Messiah
would give them a supernatural legacy to be specially remembered and
treasured by God whence others only have had a legacy to be remembered
by their descendents.
It is strange that some churches see homosexuality
only as an issue of injustice and inequality which it is. But the church
is not only a social action group where those who are accepted and
reconciled their faith and sexuality then goes out to help those less
fortunate.
Why would gays stay in queer churches? for many gay
Christians are not looking only for a church to accept them, or a place
where they can do ministry, or for kinship which they can find outside
the church, but for a place where they can find their legacy in Jesus
Christ, the way, the truth and the life back to God .
A large majority of Gay Christians would not stay
long in queer churches because they are longing for a deeper connection
and presence of God which is supernatural and powerful for where they
are individually known and treasured by God.
Deep inside, we are looking for a legacy to be
known by Jesus and have direct communion with Him as a special people.
We are no longer satisfied by a "Welcome Home" sign but we want to see
heaven on earth and a tangible experience to meet Jesus each time we go
to church.
We are coming to a time in the history of the
church where reconcialition between faith and our same sex orientation
is no longer enough for we are looking for a legacy to be with God.
A new wave of Apostolic Churches are coming where
there is a move and a filling of the Holy Spirit to bring us into the
presence of God where we yearn acceptance and where we will be given a
new name - a name to be known by God.
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