Boots on the ground until our last breath

https://odb.org/2025/06/11/stay-ready

2 Corinthians 5:1–10 (NIV): 5 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile, we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now, the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
6 Therefore, we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord. 7 For we live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

When we read today’s Scripture, we will see that Paul expresses his desire to be with the Lord rather than continue here on this earth in his human body. But as we live by faith, not by sight, we endeavour to please God whether we are here on earth or with Him in heaven. The reason is simple. We need to appear before the judgment seat of Christ (also known as the Bema judgment of Christ) to receive what is due to us for the things done while in the body here on earth, whether good or bad.

Thus, if we still think that Christianity is just about getting saved and carrying on with our lives as we so please, we are seriously wrong! We need to account to Christ for the things we have done while in the body. In other words, we need to please God with our lives – not just in terms of our morality but also on serving Him based on His plans and purposes for our lives.

That is why when it comes to serving God, there is no real retirement. We serve until we die. Because as believers, we serve Him as we live out our lives. Serving God is an integral part of our living here on earth.

Paul emphasised pleasing Him while in the body as much as we long to be with the Lord. Ultimately, whether we live or die here on earth, it is in the hands of God. So until we die, we must continue to please Him by serving Him, no matter what our age is. We can serve Him at the peak of our youth, and we can serve Him when we are old. So long as we are healthy and mentally alert, we can serve Him. Don’t give up, but continue to serve God while we are still working or when we retire. Whether we are young, as parents, or as grandparents or great-grandparents! Boots on the ground until our very last breath! Amen!

The ways of the prudent

https://odb.org/2025/06/10/planning-prudently

Proverbs 14:7–8, 14-15 (NIV): 7 Stay away from a fool, for you will not find knowledge on their lips. 8 The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception. 14 The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good rewarded for theirs. 15 The simple believe anything but the prudent give thought to their steps.

The word translated “prudent” in Proverbs 14 may also be translated as “crafty”, “sensible”, or “shrewd”. In the Malaysian English context, we could use the word “clever” to describe the same. Someone who is prudent is someone who is crafty, sensible, shrewd, and clever. It conveys not a message of conservatism but rather someone who is well prepared and has taken into account various factors. That is why Proverbs 14:8 & 15 states that the prudent give thought to their steps. Meaning to say, the shrewd give thought to their plans. If you are sensible or clever, you will plan your ways.

In life, we can not avoid planning for things. We shouldn’t do things impromptu if possible as any decision taken in haste will eventually have its drawbacks. So if someone pressures you to invest into something after attending a talk, chances are you will regret your decision later. In fraud or scams, the perpetrators will pressure you to part with money very quickly, like after a few weeks or days when in a normal relationship, most people take months or years to trust someone else with their money. A tell tale of a romance scam is they imply or confess they love you just after knowing you for a few days when in real life people take months or years to do so!

On the other hand, when there is too much planning, but no action, we go nowhere. Preparation paralysis is what we in the corporate world call this. Always planning but dare not decide is the hallmark of the planning department! That speaks of extreme conservatism. It spells of missed opportunities and just status quo all the way. Very little things in life have no risks. Moreover, the lesser the risks, the lower the returns. We need to bite the bullet and take the step of faith.

In our walk with God, when the LORD leads us out of our comfort zone, there will usually be uncertainties and risks. Peter needed to step out of the boat to walk on the water at the call of Jesus. If we always want to remain in the safety of the boat, we will less likely experience God working supernaturally in our lives. We need to be bold and courageous, like Joshua and Caleb, to experience God. We need to exercise faith to trust God. That is what a prudent, shrewd, sensible, and clever person would do. Be bold to take the risks and trust God.

The prudent will plan his steps, but the prudent also exercises faith. Without faith, Abraham would not have left the Ur of the Caldeans for the Promised Land. Without faith, Abraham would not have brought Isaac up to the mountain to be sacrificed. Without faith, Moses would not have dared confront the Pharoah and brought out the nearly 2 million Jews out of Egypt. Without faith, Christ would not have sacrificed His life on the cross for our sake.

A new heart and a new spirit

https://odb.org/2025/06/09/heart-surgery

Ezekiel 36:22–28 (NIV): 22 “Therefore say to the Israelites, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. 23 I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes. 24 “ ‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 28 Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God.

Ezekial 36:24-28 are the verses often cited as the ancient prophesy foretelling the creation of the nation of Israel on 14 May 1948. God, with His miraculous power and through the political developments following the conclusion of WW2, finally brought the Jews scattered all over the world, back to their homeland, but sadly, WW2 killed more than 6 million of them mercilessly and cruelly. The Holocaust is one of the saddest events of WW2, even worse than the masacre of the Chinese in China and across southeast Asia. 

Ezekial spoke of God giving the Jews a new heart and a new spirit. But the Jews themselves, I believe, are more focused on God bringing back to live in the land He gave their ancestors (to Abraham and his descendants). The LORD will be their God, and the Israelites will be His people. Bringing them back to the Abrahamic Covenant where if the people obeyed Him and lived out His Word, He will bless and prosper them and curse those who cursed them. They must have a new heart and a new spirit that is cleansed of all sin, that they may be righteous before Him.

With God having sent Jesus as the Messiah and Saviour of the world, it is now the age of the New Covenant. Unfortunately, the Jews still reject Him today as they did 2,000 years ago.

We, who were redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and justified by our faith in Jesus, will carry the Abrahamic Covenant forward in the new Covenant with Christ, and as Gentiles will carry and be the blessing to all the nations of the world. Ironically, the Abrahamic blessings will be bestowed by the believers of Christ, the same Christ condemned and rejected by the Jews themselves. We will have the new heart and the new spirit and will be a nation who is righteous before God by the blood of Christ.

Do not underestimate the power of our new heart and our new spirit. We now have direct access to the holy throne room of God. Through prayer, we may reach out to God directly. As we call upon His name, He will hear us as we are His people, and He is our God. As we pray, His supernatural power will penetrate through the physical realm. We will experience healing, signs, and wonders because, as Ezekial prophesied, so that the name of Yahweh may be glorified, for the sake of the Holy Nane of Yahweh.

Live a righteous life. Live a life worthy of His name. Remember, through the blood of Jesus and the confession of our lips, we are children of the most high God and thus have been given a new heart and a new spirit. Use it for the glory of God! Have a good week, everyone! May we experience living in the centre of His will that His Holy Name may be glorified in all that we do as He grants us wisdom and discernment to deal with issues of life at our workplace and in our homes!

Our pain or grief is not wasted

https://odb.org/2025/06/06/no-wasted-pain

Exodus 3:7–10 (NIV): 7 The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

An important aspect that we would all know by now about our spiritual journey with the LORD is that as believers, we are not shielded from the rigours and challenges of life. Except that as believers, we are somewhat protected by the shadow of His wings and provided for by His grace and mercy. As the righteous, we are like the tree described in Psalm 1:

Like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither — whatever they do prospers.

Yet the tree is exposed to the elements of the earth. The storms that come and go. The thundering winds. The heat of mid-day sun. The creatures of the day and night seeking shelter in its branches, most of which co-exist and help in its pollination and growth. Its leaves that wither and rot on the ground fertilises the earth and coupled with the streams of water, ensures its survival and prosperity as an earthly species.

We go through pain and grief as we live out our lives. Bitter disappointments. Painful episodes. Crushing pain. Hurtful and sometimes humiliating situations. Most become stronger from the lessons of life with Jesus by our side. Some falter a little, but with a helping hand from the Holy Spirit, we pick ourselves up to fight another day.

The point this morning is that all our pain and grief are not in vain. They are not wasted. Whatever we have gone through, God can and will use it for His glory. If we come from a home devastated by drug addiction, we can minister to someone with a similar background. If we are a cancer survivor, God will use our life and testimony to reach out to those going through cancers. Or if we had lost a loved one that we had cared for due to cancer, the grief and pain we had experienced would be of help to others going through such grief. None of our grief and pain are ever wasted. God will turn our experience into beautiful blooming flowers to brighten up the day of a grieving daughter or son. 

Let’s cheer up and look forward to Jesus using us in a mighty way to be a genuine blessing to those going through pain and grief! Have a good weekend, everyone! Become that tree that is planted by streams of water, who bears fruits in our season, and whose leaves do not wither, but all that we do prosper! May the LORD our God bless the work of our hands that we will always be a blessing to all those who are around us despite the pain and grief we go through in life!

The gift of giving

https://odb.org/2025/06/05/the-gift-of-giving-2

2 Corinthians 8:1–7 (NIV): 8 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. 5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. 6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in the love, the gift of we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

It is interesting to read in today’s ODB article of someone who gave two graduation gifts to 1,200 university graduates. One envelope containing 500 dollars for the graduates themselves and another envelope with another $500 for them to give away. In other words, it’s a double gift to bless them doubly. One to meet their needs and the other to instil in them the generosity of giving and reap the benefits that come with it. Amazingly, this giving was not in any Christian context. There is thus universality in generosity and in giving, in blessing others and receiving more blessings. There is a saying that goes – it is better to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).

Generosity is really a condition of the heart and an attitude. It doesn’t depend on how much you have. One may perceive that with more, it is easier to give. But it’s a fallacy as I have witnessed wealthy people struggle to share a little of what they have generously. You’ll be surprised to know that RM10,000 may mean as much to you and to me as it is to the wealthy. Maybe they can splurge in buying a crate of fine wine, but it’s different if they were to give it away. If you give away RM10,000, you will have RM10,000 less, whether you have RM100,000 or RM100,000,000. The math does not change.

That is also why the giving by the Macedonian churches (Tessalonica and Berea) was exemplary as they gave out of their lack. They were generous despite their poverty. So if you barely make ends meet and still have the heart to give, then it is likely that you need to sacrifice something. Maybe eat a simpler meal like roti canai and skip that banana leaf lunch. Chances are we will be slimmer if we are generous!

Maybe we should do the same thing when we give. Split our gift into two. One for them to bless them and the other, for them to bless others. If ever anyone were to bless us, we should likewise bless others too. If ever anyone is generous with us, we should likewise be generous with others.

Have a good weekend ahead! Be generous and kind to those around us. The same way the LORD our God has been gracious, compassionate, and generous with us, we must likewise treat others with grace, compassion, and generosity.

Death and taxes

https://odb.org/2025/06/04/tis-a-fearful-thing

Abraham & Sarah were already 100 and 90 years old when they had Isaac

Genesis 23:1–4 (NIV): 23 Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. 2 She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.
3 Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites. He said, 4 “I am a foreigner and stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.”

There are two things certain in life – death and taxes. Of course, if you live in Brunei or Arab oil producing countries like Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and the UAE or some tax haven islands like the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, or BVI, you pay no income tax. But once you travel and start consuming, there will be airport tax and VAT.

But death is a sure certainty. In the bible, only two persons did not experience an earthly death but were taken up to heaven to be with the LORD – Enoch and Elijah. Even Jesus died but rose again 3 days later, conquering sin and death. Lazarus was resurrected by Christ after he was dead for 3 days, but he later still had a natural death. His resurrection did not give him immortality, unlike the resurrection of Christ. It is the latter that is our Hope of glory that we will rise again even if we die, when Christ returns to rule the earth. The second coming of Christ is another certainty, although only the Father knows the exact timing.

Like Abraham grieving over Sarah, we will all face the same grief one day. I have seen the passing of both my parents. We will see more of the passings of our loved ones, relatives, close friends, and acquaintances as we age. Immortality has its own issues as popularised by fictional characters like the Highlander or Count Dracula or even the Norwegian mystical Norse gods of Thor, as we will see many, many more passings of our loved ones over many lifetimes.

What death basically does is terminate the participation of the dead in the affairs of the living. No matter who we are, whether kings, presidents, or just the man on the Clampham omnibus, we are no longer part of the living. For instance, I can no longer ask the opinion or see the reaction of my late father on my latest achievement in life. I can only imagine my late parents rejoicing with me in heaven, and even then, it is pure conjecture. What is certain, though, is that once a man dies, his spirit departs his body and goes back to God. There will be a day of judgment awaiting us, whether it is the Great White Throne Judgment of God or the Bema Judgment Seat of Christ, depending on whether we are in the faith or not.

My message to us today is to hold on tight to the faith that God, in His infinite grace and mercy, has planted in our hearts. Let us always be grounded in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 3:11 – He has set eternity in the human heart. Always remember and hold on to the eternal promise of God that we will all one day live in the new heaven and new earth.

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” (John 11:25).

Uncertainties in life

https://odb.org/2025/06/03/unbroken-faith

David and Jonathan

Psalm 95:1-7 ESV – Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 3 For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. 6 Oh, come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! 7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.

We all face uncertainties in life. For instance, I’ll be retiring in a few years, and as much as there are aspirations to travel and serve God more in ministry, there is uncertainty in continued sustenance as well as whether I can keep healthy and strong physically. When our children were growing up, we faced the uncertainties of what their future would be, and we tried as much as we could to prepare them for their future. We try to give them the best education that our finances and their capabilities allowed and teach them faith in God and life skills. Of course, over time, they have become their own man or woman, developing their own thoughts and points of view.

There is a special breed of parents who are endowed with special needs children, children with autism or other disabilities and like every parent, they fear what the future lies for their special children. They accept that their children will be their lifelong responsibility, but their hope is that they will outlive those under their care. If not, who will take care of their special child, even his or her basic living needs? It is similar to children taking care of ageing parents who will eventually be afflicted with various ailments. In this case, it is worse as the ageing parents need to continue to care for their special children.

The great blessing that we have as people of the faith and as children of God is that we have a God who loves us and cares for us. In His hands are the depths of the earth, the heights of the mountains are also his. The sea is his, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land. He is the one we can put our trust in that when we are no longer a part of the affairs of the living, our God will take care of our children and their children, especially if purs are special children. We can put our trust in Him as He was the one who created each and every of us, from the beginning until the end of time, and that includes our special children.

The future is indeed uncertain. That’s an unchanging fact. What we can do is prepare ourselves to the best of our abilities. The most important step as believers is to anchor ourselves in our Lord Jesus Christ, and place our hope and trust in God, He will take care of the rest.

Jonathan died in battle together with his father, King Saul. Many years later, when his best friend became king, David remembered their vows as best friends and restored the house, lands, and servants of Saul to Mephibosheth, the only son of Jonathan who was crippled in an incident after the death of his father. David also gave Mephibosheth a permanent place to dine at his table. Jonathan himself did not live to see the day, and neither may we, but God will do the necessary. In Him, we trust and love! Amen!

In the depths

https://odb.org/2025/05/30/in-the-depths

Psalm 69:13-15 NIV: 13 But I pray to you, Lord, in the time of your favor;
in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation.
14 Rescue me from the mire,
do not let me sink;
deliver me from those who hate me,
from the deep waters.
15 Do not let the floodwaters engulf me
or the depths swallow me up
or the pit close its mouth over me.

There are times when we feel that we are wallowing under the pressure of work. Crumbling. Just too much work, so little time or energy to complete and deliver. Or just too much is expected of us, life in general, from our family, our bosses, or even our subordinates. For example, if we run a business or a practice, we have staff whose families depend on us to deliver. In other words, the future and well-being of our staff and their children are in our hands.

Some of us as we sink into the depths, we may get depressed and the danger is that it may become a bottomless pit. After a while, we may just let things slide. We cease to care anymore. The globe may turn every 24 hours, but we don’t really bother. Our life just goes on. It’s the same thing every day with some variation at the weekends. We wake up, have our quiet time, take breakfast, go to work, have our meals, and sleep at night. The cycle repeats. Life is essentially boring, repetitive, and predictable.

In all that, if we are believers, we have an avenue in Jesus. We could pray that He rescues us from the depths, that He strengthens and encourages us to break free and swim to the surface. To live life to the fullest. To fulfil His plans and purposes for our lives. That we break free from the webs and weeds that entangle us. Bondages that hold us back. Baggage that weighs us down into the depths.

Ask Jesus for a sense of purpose and mission in Him in God as we focus our eyes on the things of His kingdom. Indeed, the floodwaters will not engulf me, or the depths swallow me or the pit close its mouth on me. Instead, we will be victorious and will move forward towards the goal that Christ has prepared for us before even the foundations of the world. Let’s forget what’s behind, good or bad, and strive for what’s ahead!

Preach the Gospel

https://odb.org/2025/05/28/go-and-tell

The first persecution of Christians – the Great Fire of Rome

2 Timothy 1:6–14 (NIV): 6 For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline. 8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel by the power of God. 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 And of this gospel, I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame because I know whom I have believed and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. 13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

When Paul wrote the letter 2 Timothy to Timothy, he was in prison in Rome, where his execution was imminent. At that time, there was a great fire in Rome, and Emperor Nero blamed it on the believers, using that as an excuse to persecute them. The message of 2 Timothy was thus written when the then still young Christians faced intense persecution, and many were matyred. But the faith persevered despite the best efforts of the devil in the spiritual realm, which in this case translated to real and severe consequences to the then believers.

We might face the same real and severe threat in our present generation when the events foretold in the book of Revelation unfold. Perhaps Christ will come first and rapture His people before the onset of the great tribulation. But if not (this pre, or post or mid tribulation rapture is not settled theology), then God’s people will go through the severe persecution, which will not be dissimilar to the time of the great fire in Rome around AD 64 when Paul wrote 2 Timothy.

Similarly, the exaltation and encouragement of Paul is applicable to us present day Christians, and that means that we must not be afraid or ashamed of proclaiming Christ crucified and resurrected, for we know the truth and the faith deposited in us by Christ. Instead, guard the good deposit that was entrusted to us and guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit. If we have to perish from this life to keep the deposit safe, then perish for we know Christ awaits us at the other side of eternity, and we will live in Eden recreated for all eternity with the Lord. Nothing we suffer here on earth can compare with the glory that awaits us. Amen!

Something greater than Solomon is here!

https://odb.org/2025/05/27/wow-2

Luke 11:27–32 (NIV): 27 As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”
28 He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
29 As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom; and now something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now something greater than Jonah is here.

The story goes that the Queen of the South, the Queen of Sheba, travelled from far to Jerusalem to test the wisdom of Solomon and was impressed by not only his wisdom but also his wealth. The bible did not suggest that she eventually married Solomon, but Ethiopian legends tell of their marriage, and from their union, she bore Solomon a son, Menelik 1, who became the great king of Ethiopia. We must not confuse the Queen of the South here with the Queen of the South Seas Nyai Roro Kidul, a powerful supernatural and spiritual figure in Javanese culture and Indonesian mythology, who is believed to control the seas in the Indonesian archipelago and thus a source of life and prosperity to the fishermen of the nation.

Jesus Christ in Luke 11 mentioned that now something greater than Solomon is here, referring to Himself as the Second Yahweh, the Son of God part of the Holy Trinity. Of course, in retrospect, it is obvious to us who has the knowledge now that God Himself is greater than any human ever lived, even Solomon whose wisdom was bestowed by God anyway.

We live in a special season of life, the time when Jesus has revealed Himself to us as the Word who was there at the beginning with God and was God. He is God in the flesh, the Immanuel. To live out life as an example to us as we traversed the pages of the Gospel, seeing God personified in Christ, His beloved Son. His mission was, of course, not to just teach and lead by example but to die on the cross for our sins. With His resurrection, He defeated the sting of sin, which is death. With Him, though we may die, we live. He is our Hope of Glory. Our salvation and redeemer.

Always remember, though, that greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). He is greater than Solomon and Jonah and also the devil! There is no challenge and no temptation in life that we can not overcome because we have Christ in our lives, living in us. “Be bold and courageous, for I am with you wherever you go,” the LORD said this to Joshua before, and He says it to each and every one of us today! Amen!