Jesus prays for us

https://odb.org/2025/07/15/the-prayers-of-jesus

Luke 22:28–34 (NIV): 28 You are those who have stood by me in my trials. 29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”

I think we know that Jesus prays for us even now as He did for Peter when He walked the earth as Immanuel, God in flesh. Paul said that He is seated at the right hand of God, interceding for the saints (Romans 8:24). This means that in His heart, He really wants us to do well in our walk of faith despite our human weaknesses, despite the temptations that the devil will throw at us or what the world may entice us with.

That is why in my bible study yesterday with my Young Adults group, I emphasised that everything good that we have done throughout our life will not be wasted even if no one sees or appreciates. This is because Jesus sees and He will show them all to us when we meet Him at the Bema Judgment Seat of Christ. As much as Christ will judge us, He is also our advocate. He will seek to give us the best reward that He could give us based on the good works that we did while on earth.

2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Even if Satan seeks to test us, Jesus will pray for us that we will be strengthened and emerge victorious. Jesus prayed for Simon Peter, and as much as he denied Jesus three times, Simon Peter was nevertheless the driving force of the Way’s movement and the leader of the Apostles evangelising the people from the start.

Pick ourselves up if we fail. Try again and do better the next time. Again and again. The road to victory may be arduous, but we persevere on as Jesus prays and intercedes for us. We will eventually make it if we don’t give up. No matter how difficult the road ahead may be, we keep at it. In a way, the key to keeping the faith until the end is never to give up! As long as we push through, we will make it across the finish line one day! Amen! Praise the Lord!

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for interceding and praying for us!

Our own broken cisterns

https://odb.org/2025/07/14/digging-for-meaning

Jeremiah 2:13 – “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

The background to Jeremiah 2 is that the Israelites had forsaken God and worshipped the prevalent dieties of the lands surrounding Canaan notwithstanding Yahweh having brought their ancestors out of slavery in Egypt, through the wilderness for 40 years and into Canaan, the land promised to their forefathers. Despite the miracles in Egypt, in the wilderness and their victories in Canaan led by Joshua against all odds (the cities were fortified, they had strong armies and some were descendants of Anak), the Israelites forgotten God and forsook Him for mere idols. Idols that are dead and do not speak. Or so it seemed.

The reality of the situation is not that simple or as it seemed. This is because Baal and Asherah were the prevailing dieties of those lands. They were not just idols made of stone that are dead because behind them are real spiritual power of the air. They were the reigning spiritual force of the lands – what we in modern Christian speak and times call “territorial spirits.”

Yahweh, the one true and living God, instead of choosing one of the prominent tribes of the land, chose one person from a faraway land to build His own tribe. He chose Abraham from the Ur of the Caldeans, believed to be near the city of Nasiriyah in modern-day Iraq. It likely took Abraham months of travel to reach Canaan. That is probably why when God rescued the Israelites from Egypt (from a clan of Jacob of 71 becoming 600,000 men not counting women and children), He showed them countless miracles. From the 10 plagues in Egypt to the parting of the Red Sea to the water from the rock and manna from heaven, God demonstrated that He was and is the true and living God.

However, after years having passed by, the Israelites forgot about their past and God and worshipped Baal and Asherah. They forsook the living water and dug their own cisterns that are broken and can not hold water. They broke the first and most important of the 10 Commandments.

This morning, we may be far away from the supernatural experiences of our past. Most of us are nevertheless still faithful following Jesus and God’s Word in our lives. A few of us may have drifted far away along our own path of glory and may have achieved fame and wealth, but as proclaimed in Jeremiah 2, cisterns that are broken and cannot hold water. But for the majority of us still with God, attending church and serving Him faithfully, we must be careful that the spirit that is reigning and prevailing in the world do not seduce and draw us away from God. The same way Baal and Asherah overwhelmed the Israelites despite their miraculous past experiences with Yahweh, the spirit in the world can cause our spiritual senses to be dulled. Instead of pursuing God’s plans and purposes, we get carried away with our own dreams and fleshy desires or even just to survive in this world.

These are the end times, and our Lord will return anytime. The schemes of the evil one are subtle to ensnare and deceive us. Like the Israelites, after some time, it became natural to worship Baal and Asherah like everyone else was doing. Be alert and be on guard that we don’t end up digging our own cisterns instead of going with the living water. Our own cisterns can never be good. They are broken and can not hold water properly. Remember that and have a good week ahead! May the LORD our God grant us wisdom to deal with the challenges at work! Amen!

Life in Christ

https://odb.org/2025/07/11/life-in-christ

Amos 5:4-6: 4 This is what the Lord says to Israel: “Seek me and live; 5 do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba. For Gilgal, will surely go into exile, and Bethel will be reduced to nothing.” 6 Seek the Lord and live, or he will sweep through the tribes of Joseph like a fire it will devour them, and Bethel will have no one to quench it.

Just a few days ago this week, I attended the wake of the youngest brother on my mother’s side of my family. My maternal uncle was 67 and was diagnosed with stage 3 urethra cancer in early August 2024 and passed away in less than a year. He underwent chemotherapy immediately after diagnosis and surgery, and by around the end of October last year, the cancer had receded after 3 rounds of chemotherapy. However, later, we heard it came back and spread in February this year, and a few weeks back, he was admitted to hospital and then hospice as he was not eating much. Just two and half years ago, I lost a cousin on my father’s side to colon cancer about a year after diagnosis.

The thing is, although there are cancer survivors, cancer patients can leave us within a year of them finding out about their condition. Chemotherapy is a difficult process and makes recipients susceptible to other illnesses. Yet there are cancer patients who survived through divine healing even at stage 4. But generally, the prognosis is poor at stage 4 and even at stage 3.

I wish we could say to those afflicted with cancer to choose God and live or “seek me and live” as in Amos 5:4. If God has a continued plan and purpose for that person’s life, there is a good likelihood he or she will survive. Indeed, God can heal!

Having seen the fragility of life, I just like to remind us this morning to treasure the time we still have. Spend more time with our loved ones as we or they will not live forever. Marina Mahathir was overjoyed to celebrate Tun Dr Mahathir’s 100th birthday yesterday, and yet she admitted that she must brace herself for the inevitable. We will all die and leave this world one day. While here, do our best to fulfil His plans and purposes for our lives. Serve the Lord in the Kingdom of Heaven. Live in the centre of His will. When the inevitable comes, we have no fear or regrets. We have done our best for God. We have fought the good fight and have finished the race (2 Timothy 4:7).

With that, I like to take this opportunity to wish my eldest son, Ivan, a blessed and happy 25th birthday! May the LORD our God bless the work of your hands even as you pursue your dreams in a foreign far away land! We do miss you here at home even though you call almost daily. Do your best in all that you do, and always remember Jesus and act on the prompting of the Holy Spirit. God bless and take care. Pa and Mi love you dearly and always.

God is there

https://odb.org/2025/07/10/god-is-there

Psalm 139:7–12 (NIV): 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

Psalm 139 above is a well-known Psalm by David that speaks about the omnipresence of God. God is the only one in the entire universe that can be at multiple places at the same time. Thus, although there is only one God in the Holy Trinity, He can relate to billions of us all at once at the same time. That’s the marvel of who God is and one of the mysteries of the Kingdom. I guess that at the end of time in Eden Recreated, He will relate to us one by one like He did with Adam and Eve in Eden at the beginning of time. But let’s see when the time comes how that reality will pan out.

But if we look closely at Psalm 139, David was not actually trying to run away from God as in wherever he tries to run, whether it in the depths,the heights, or the other side of the sea, God is there. He is actually saying that wherever he is, God is there for him. He is echoing what the LORD said to Joshua that He will be with him wherever he goes. Meaning to say the LORD’s presence, glory, protection, provision, and providence will all be with Joshua and David (in the case of Psalm 139) wherever he goes. That includes His vast army of angels led by Jesus Christ as the Lord of Hosts or the Lord of Angel Armies. The same heavenly army that was shown to Elisha’s servant in 2 Kings 6:15-17.

As an exaltation and encouragement to all of us who believe and confess that Jesus Christ is our Lord, know that He is there for us wherever we are. Even if we were to flee to the furtherest place on earth, He is there with us. Seek Him when we are fearful and scared. Call out His name when we are discouraged and sad. Speak to Him when we faced disappointments and bad news. As children of God, the Lord is always just a prayer away. Even if we are staring at death, be bold and confident that Jesus is at the other side to bring us to the better place, to be with Him and fall into the embrace of His loving arms. God is there. Indeed, He will always be there for us! Amen!

Do not quench the Spirit

https://odb.org/2025/07/09/panic-in-a-cave

1 Thessalonians 5:16–24 (NIV): 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

Once we accept Christ, we have the Holy Spirit in our hearts, and the Spirit prompts and guides us to do things or act or think in ways that are pleasing to the Father. Things that are aligned with His Word. Thus, sometimes, the Spirit will lead us to bless someone. Or pray for someone. Or even preach the Gospel or pray for healing. It is important that we respond to these promptings so that we don’t end up quenching or denying the Spirit. The more we follow and obey, the more He will lead us to do things that are pleasing to God, and we will live in the centre of His will. Remember, nothing good that we do will ever be forgotten. Even our bad experiences can be turned by the Spirit for good, for the glory of God!

The Spirit will start with small things first, like to speak to that person or help him or her or just be kind. Then, as we progress with the Spirit, He may lead us by giving us word of knowledge so that we have insight into what’s going on in the life of the person we are ministering to. Akin to Joseph or Daniel interpreting the dream of the Egyptian Pharoah or Persian King. Later on, the Spirit may even reveal areas of sickness to us so we may pray for healing. It is the spiritual insight that will attract attention and bring glory to God. Because it shows that God loves and cares for that person. That is why we must never quench or limit the Spirit. Allow Him to do His work in our lives.

In addition, always pray with gratitude to God. In all circumstances, give thanks. We may not live until a ripe old age. A sickness may just take our life away within a year, or we may suffer an illness that cause us to be immobile. Do what we can for the Lord while we can as the Spirit leads, while we still have time. Always pray with thanksgiving in our hearts and give thanks that we still have breath. That our vital organs are still functioning. That we are not bogged down by major illnesses.

Ultimately, we want to be presented as blameless before Christ. We have done and given our best based on the mandate given to us. We have fulfilled His plans and purposes for us for all seasons. We have never quench the Spirit.

The mysteries of the Kingdom

https://odb.org/2025/07/08/prayer-of-desperation

John 11:17–25 (NIV): 17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;

This morning, as I read the ODB article (see link attached) on prayers of desperation, I fully agree with the writer Kenneth Petersen’s assertion that God neither heals everyone nor brings all dead people back to life. But sometimes, He does raise the dead, like in the case of Karey as well as Lazarus in the bible. That’s part of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God.

Fundamentally, we need to accept that life and death are in the hands of God. Thus, as much as the LORD determines when we will die, He may also postpone our death. Besides resurrection as in Jesus with Lazarus or Elijah with the widow’s son (1 King 17:17-24), another example recorded in the bible was King Hezekiah being granted by Yahweh an extension of 15 years of his life although he was terminally ill and was about to die (see 2 Kings 20 and Isaiah 38).

The significant difference between the ancient Jews of the Old Testament and we believers of Christ is that although both believed in the resurrection of the dead, we will experience resurrection that will last for all eternity. The Jews of Old believed in resurrection based on their ancient beliefs while we believe based on Jesus’s teachings that He is the resurrection and life and the one who believes in Him will live although they die (see John 11:25 above). It is founded upon the death and resurrection of Christ Himself having defeated sin and death. The resurrected body of Christ is our hope of glory as we look forward to the day when we will have our glorified bodies and live forever in God’s and Christ’s presence in the new heaven and new earth.

Thus, in my view, we should never approach healing or resurrection as of right as it is by God’s grace, mercy, love, and compassion that we are healed or live again after we die like Lazarus. If God has a purpose that we live on even though we had died, then He will raise us even from the dead. That’s part of the mysteries of the Kingdom! The point is not that He is able or not, but whether it is part of His will for our lives. In some cases, God’s name is glorified in our weakness or sickness – that is, despite not healing us. In Lazarus’ case, his resurrection gave much glory to God and turned many unbelievers into believers during his time. 

In all that we do, always seek God as to His plans and purposes for our lives. Always strive to live in the centre of His will. Whether we live or die or we are healed depends on His will. For example, whether we continue working after 60 if given a chance or whether we should be more involved in ministry or embark on a career change or quit our day job to go into business or even go full-time for the Lord, seek out His plans and purposes for us for that season of our life. If we align ourselves with God’s will, we will live with peace and joy for as Paul said before; to die is gain, to live is Christ! And as we live, we will discover more of the mysteries of His Kingdom!

A diligent worker for Christ

https://odb.org/2025/07/07/growing-up-in-god

2 Timothy 2:14–16 (NIV): 14 Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarrelling about words; it is of no value and only ruins those who listen. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 16 Avoid godless chatter because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.

What’s our objective in serving God? In essence, we want to please the Lord, to repay Him for His sacrifice on the cross for our sins. We serve God to appreciate His grace and mercy. We live our lives and present our bodies as a living sacrifice unto Him, that it may be an acceptable and pleasing worship to Him. Like the Psalmists pray that God will dwell in the praises of His people, we ask that God will dwell in the midst of our service.

The other aspect of serving God is to fulfil God’s plans and purposes for our lives for every season. As we serve God, we meet God’s plans for us, and we live in the centre of His will. As believers, we will always be servants in the Kingdom of God. That is why Paul encouraged Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:14 to do his best to present himself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. We are always workers for God even though we may be co-heirs with Christ as children of the living God.

This week, as we go back to work or to school, if we are still students, remember that we are always workers in the kingdom of God. In fact, we are soldiers and warriors for Christ in the spiritual realm. We are always serving God, fighting spiritual battles as we pray and intercede for the saints. Thus, let’s do our very best to present ourselves to God as approved ones, with no shame as we always do our best for God, in full diligence! Never falling short as we always give our best for God!

I pray that each and every one of us (myself included) will have an effective and fruitful week ahead, fulfilling all our work tasks responsibly, in excellence and diligence, exceeding the expectations of our bosses! May the LORD our God bless the work of our hands and grant us wisdom and discernment to deal with all situations that arise! Amen!

The treasure of Jesus Christ

https://odb.org/2025/07/04/the-treasure-christ-offers

1 John 5:6–13 (NIV): 6 This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9 We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

I came into the faith at 14. I wanted to embrace Christianity after professing to be a Christian since I was young. I knew at that time I was not really a Christian as much as I had a Western name tagged to my Chinese name. When I was 12, my family moved back to Pasir Puteh in Kelantan. I was staying in Situawan before that. I had a childhood friend who encouraged me by ending her letters with bible verses. So, when a group of Christian teachers from outstation offered me to follow a bible study booklet on knowing Jesus, I jumped at the chance. I accepted Christ about a few months after we completed the bible study

It has been more than 40 years since those teenage days, and over the years, I’ve had my ups and downs in the faith. Fortunately and to the Holy Spirit’s credit, I’ve never ventured into other spiritual domains like other faiths or any new age spiritualism. I didn’t dabble in the occultic or look for spiritual aids in search of riches or fame. I may have backslided before in God, but I have always remained faithful to Jesus Christ in my heart. Except for the few years when we had our babies (both are now adults), we have always served God in music, governance, and ministry.

As I reflect upon my conversion experience, I am forever grateful for the Holy Spirit opening my eyes to see Jesus as my Saviour and Redeemer of my sins and sinful nature. I accepted Christ in faith and dealt with the questions as I grew in the faith. Of course, the biggest question was, what if Jesus is not the way, the truth, and the life?

We will only find out for sure when we leave this world one day. But seriously, have my life been worse because I had put my faith in Christ? Would I have better and more material things if I had not known Christ? Perhaps, but does that really matter? In the process, I gained a purpose and a pathway to eternity. Even if the world view that “all roads lead to Rome” is true, I have no regrets choosing this road, this narrow path. I have had a relationship with my Lord and Saviour all these years. I have gained immense knowledge of the mysteries of His kingdom of heaven.

If we find earthly tresures in real life, we are blessed. That’s true. But it still can’t compare to the treasure in Christ that is for all eternity. That is why the kingdom of heaven is like a hidden treasure in a field. If a man discovers the field, he will sell everything he has to buy the field. Nothing in this world is worth more than Jesus Christ in our lives! To die is gain, but to live is Christ! Amen!

Your love is better than life

https://odb.org/2025/07/03/jesus-our-everything

Psalm 63:1-4 (NIV) – You, God, are my God,
earnestly, I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. 2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. 3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name, I will lift up my hands.

Psalm 63 is a famous Psalm that is often used in song compositions. A local one is the one that is sang and written by Esther Mui. Below is the link for the song: https://youtu.be/4oyC8489kZY?si=PXQo49Y0YyKclhG6

It is believed David wrote Psalm 63 while fleeing his own son, Absalom. The Psalm expresses David’s deep desire for God, but ultimately, to me, it is his confession that God’s love is better than life itself that is striking. It reminds me of Paul’s assertion that to die is gain, but to live is Christ. Similarly, David’s son, Solomon, proclaimed that life is vanity (meaningless) in Ecclesiastes unless it is lived with God.

Thus, if we dont have Jesus in our lives, life will come and go. In a blink of an eye, we will be 90 (if God allows us to live that long) and staring at death. What awaits us on the other side, according to the bible, is the lake of fire with gnashing of teeth. It is believed that hell is not only a place of torment but also loneliness as there is no fellowship with God or others. We will suffer and be tormented all alone, in isolation. Unlike as depicted by popular culture, we will not be seeing our “friends” or partners in crime in hell.

With Jesus in our lives, not only will we have a passage to heaven, and specifically, the new heaven and new earth (Eden recreated), we will also have a meaningful life while still on earth in the present. We will have a purpose driven life (title of a very famous Christian book!). Our lives become meaningful because our purpose is to please God, and every good deed we do is remembered and appreciated by Jesus. Nothing we go through in life will be wasted. Our bad experiences will be the foundation to build upon our ministry in the Kingdom and our good deeds will stand us in good stead when we give our account to our Lord Jesus Christ at the Bema judgment seat of Christ.

So, one day at 90 (if God allows us to live that long) as we stare at death coming our way, we will not be filled with sorrow or regret. Instead, we will be looking forward to seeing Jesus face to face, confident that we have done our best for the glory of God! Indeed, God’s love is better than life! I will glorify You with my life! Amen!

From glory to glory

https://odb.org/2025/07/02/from-glory-to-glory

2 Corinthians 3:7–18 (NIV): 7 Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9 If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! 10 For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. 11 And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!
12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

The teaching of Paul in 2 Corinthians 3 is that as much as the glory on Moses’ face after meeting Yahweh was tangible, it was temporal. As much as the Mosaic law was carved in stone, it ultimately led to death because man without Christ’s redemption would not be able to meet the demands of the law. But we who are born of the Spirit, redeemed by Christ’s blood, are instead being transformed into His image, by the Lord who is the Spirit, from glory to glory. In other words, our glory is everlasting and will be ever increasing.

That’s the theology and aspiration. Of course, in our natural state, in our humanity, we may not feel that transformed as so beautifully and eloquently described by Paul! We may feel we are still very much our wretched old self!

But seriously, can we say that we are absolutely the same man or woman before we knew Christ? That there has been zero change in us all these years? Has Christ not made us kinder, gentler, more caring, and more compassionate? If we used to keep every sen we earn, we are now willing to give away hundreds and thousands of Ringgit for Godly and worthy causes. We are now more sensitive to the spiritual environment. Our hearts are more in tune to the voice of God, the prompting of the Spirit. We are more inclined to obey the Lord as He nudges us through the Spirit. That change in us, in my view, is what Paul means when he says that we are being transformed from glory to glory.

Granted, we are not fully transformed. We are still WIP. There is still much to be done for our new self to be victorious over our old. But what really matters is not so much our perfection and sinless state but our journey of faith. What matters is that our trajectory of righteousness in the narrow path, the path that leads to eternal life. We have the ticket of salvation in our pocket and are on the bus to heaven, where we belong. We know of heaven, and even though we have not seen it, we know we are created for heaven.

Run the race, and as Paul teaches, we will be transformed from glory to glory by the Lord, who is the Spirit. Always hold on to our faith no matter what we are going through! Amen!