Fighting the good fight

https://odb.org/2026/08/21/faithful

2 Timothy 4:1–8 (NIV): In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

On a Thursday, in the church’s fellowship hall, sandwiches and watermelon slices were set out, waiting to be consumed by mourners sitting on metal folding chairs placed on stained carpet. It was a perfectly normal funeral, except for the preacher. He was a well-known speaker who has preached to stadiums full of thousands. Now he was speaking just as enthusiastically to this weekday gathering.

Paul told his protégé Timothy, “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season . . . . discharge all the duties of your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:2-5). All the duties. Not only the big ones performed on large stages with bright lights. Also ordinary, weekday duties. The speeches that won’t be recorded and broadcast for generations to come. The tasks that few will see. Do those well too. (Mike Wittmer, Our Daily Bread 21st August 2026)

I believe every single one of us believers aspire to say what Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7 – I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Not back in the day or some parts of our life but until the very end – we have remained true to the faith. We have been steadfast to His calling, faithfully following Him day in day out until our dying breath. Not sporadically but regularly. The race is a marathon but it is for us to run. Not against our parents or spouse or children or friends, not even against ourselves but against the plans and purposes Jesus has placed in our hearts. Have we been faithfully doing the things He called us to?

That is why if your thing is to preach or evangelize, you do it as fervently in front of thousands in stadiums as on a weekday meeting in front of a few. If you’re an itinerant speaker, speak with as much vigour and conviction in a mega church as in a small congregation of tens of people. No one is ordinary, no one is insignificant in the eyes of God. Remember Jesus will drop everything else to go find that one lost sheep. No such thing as the most efficient use of your time but always a question of fulfilling your calling all the time!

This morning as we end this work week, just remember that our journey of faith is still a long one to go. If we have failed to correct ourselves in some aspects, continue to do so. There are many more miles of walking to go. Keep on walking and keep our eyes on our Saviour.

Don’t get distracted by the affairs of the world and life as like Jesus said before, the poor will always be there but He is only with us here on earth for a time. Issues of life will always be there but our walk here on earth is finite. One day our life on earth will come to an end, and we will no longer be part of the living. Focus on what’s eternal, the unseen. Keep on fighting the good faith so we may finish the race and move on to 2 Timothy 4:8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Light of the world

https://odb.org/2026/08/20/shine-your-light

Matthew 5:13–16 (NIV): 13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

In the dimly lit restaurant, our waitress quietly took our orders with a solemn expression. But then a customer kindly gave her a writing pen that had a little flashlight built into it. He told her it was so she could “see in the dark.” Her face lit up, and her demeanor changed to reflect joy. It was evident that she was delighted by the gift—clicking the light off and on. When she left our table, the man smiled as he whispered to me, “I think she brightened up when I gave her the pen. It made her day!” (Katara Patton, Our Daily Bread 20th August 2026)

I think the analogy used by Jesus in Matthew 5:14 that we as believers are light of the world is very apt. This is because by definition, darkness is the absence of light. Darkness is not so much a condition by itself but came about because light was not present. In the natural we see because of light as images are a reflection of light in our retina that transmits those images to our brain for comprehension. We see colours because it is the reflection of light as colours are present in the light we see. Thus the world is not different shades of grey but a collection of beautiful, vivid and explosive colours!

Taking this deeper, if we as believers are not present in any environment, for example, like our workplace, our homes or our community – then, they are all in darkness. We are the light of the world! That’s what Jesus said and how true indeed! People will be in darkness if not for us giving them light.

In the spiritual sense and realm, this means they will be tied down by their bondages and chains of generational curses, unbelief and doubts. They are blinded by spiritual death. Unless we as the light of the world illuminate the path to salvation and eternal life to them. If not, they will remain in darkness until they depart this world and more darkness will await them in the afterlife. Contrary to popular culture, hell is not just another world where evil or rebellious people will gather. It is a place of gnashing of teeth and likely devoid of company and consist mostly darkness since there is no light.

The message this morning is to be reminded that without us who has seen the light and are the light, the world is in darkness. We are the light of the world. We are light because the Holy Spirit lives in us. Our souls (spirit) are born-again. We are not just illuminated as in awakened and given the knowledge and revelation of Jesus Christ having accepted Him in our lives, but God Himself by His Holy Spirit resides in us. We carry His presence and wherever we are, we are the Kingdom of God. One day, we should be able to say – by our life, our words and deeds – you have seen Jesus if you have seen me! We should be a good and vivid reflection and representation of our Lord Jesus Christ! We are indeed the light of the world! Amen!

Awesome God

https://odb.org/2026/08/19/awesome-god

Psalm 68:1–4 (NIV): 1 May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him. 2 May you blow them away like smoke— as wax melts before the fire,
may the wicked perish before God.
3 But may the righteous be glad
and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. 4 Sing to God, sing in praisevof His name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him-his name is the LORD.

Psalm 68:32–35 (NIV): 32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, 33 to him who rides across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens,
who thunders with mighty voice.
34 Proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the heavens. 35 You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!

As a landscape photographer, I’m drawn to photos I find online. Recently I came across “10 of the Most Breathtaking Places in the U.S.” A photo of a geothermal spring depicts a massive basin of multicolored luminescence. A snapshot of the Hoh Rain Forest shows a dense, mossy forest that looks like something straight out of The Hobbit. A stunning picture taken in Monument Valley, Arizona, could be a panorama of Mars.

In landscape photographs, I find both immensity and intimacy. The sheer expanse of these vistas speaks personally to my soul. It makes me wonder if the landscapes of our world are really glimpses of God Himself—reflections of how He’s awesomely immense and breathtakingly loving. In that light, might we look for His reflected beauty around us today. When we see it, we might whisper to Him, “You, God, are awesome.” (Kenneth Petersen, Our Daily Bread 19th August 2026)

We must have read about the awesomeness of God in these pages time and time again, taking the lead from ODB which have had this theme and subject recur every now and then. It is just one of the things, in fact many things, about God that we are happy to repeat because indeed He is awesome, He is magnificent and He is majestic!

This morning we just like to highlight that He is immense yet intimate. He is awesome yet personal. He is the creator of the universe and all things in it and yet He is also our God, not just of the entire Christian community in the world but personally to you and I as distinct individuals. Even in worship every Sunday, we worship as a congregation but at the same time also personally. In our hearts we speak to Him, we give Him all glory and honour and praises. We lift up our burdens unto Him, the things bothering us. Our own issues of life. We seek His help and guidance to strengthen our faith, our weak knees. So we may find our strength in Him that we are made strong in our weakness through Christ.

When we look at His creation as we marvel at His marvellous handiwork, the intricacies of how things work in unison, we see His awesomeness. Yet in all that, He is accessible by us. Remember our Heavenly Father, the omnipresent, omniscient God is always only a prayer away. As believers, we have the power of prayer. Though a single soul, we have the God of all creation with us, on our side. Nevertheless in all circumstances, His angels surround us, protecting us against the vile plans of the evil one. His providence and provision assure us of hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11), on this earth and in the after life, beyond death. We have our crown of glory waiting for us at the end of our race and beyond that the new Jerusalem, the new heaven and new earth at the end of age.

I feel as a personal application, we must never ever give up this privilege of knowing God, this walk of faith as He is both immense and intimate, awesome yet personal. He is our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord while guided by the Holy Spirit, our Helper. Pursue righteousness. Sanctify our lives. Draw near unto Him. He is worth every drop of our effort, toil and tears!

Little children

https://odb.org/2026/08/18/loving-the-little-ones

Mark 10:13–16 (NIV): 13 People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

All summer long, the children in the house behind ours spend hours swinging on their swing set. Their noisy swing set. Its creaky noise doesn’t bother the children who seem, some days, to swing endlessly. Complaining, I asked my husband why their parents don’t oil the swing. Praying about it, however, I noticed a change in my heart. I could see the children’s laughter and joy bursting from the trust they find in their family’s yard, and in having parents within calling distance nearby.

Jesus spoke of such trust when speaking of children. People were bringing their children to Jesus so He could bless them, but His annoyed disciples scolded the parents, rebuking them (Mark 10:13). Seeing this, Christ “was indignant” (v. 14). “Let the little children come to me,” He told them, “and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” He added, “Anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it” (vv. 14-15). (Patricia Raybon, Our Daily Bread 18th August 2026)

“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” We should all be familiar with Matthew 10:15 where Jesus taught that one of the criteria for entry into the Kingdom of God is to be like a child. Jesus used the phrase, receive the Kingdom of God like a child. Not so much that we must become a child to enter the Kingdom of God but receive it like a child.

But what does it mean to receive like a child? What differentiates a child from an adult? One I would say is the experience of life. Another is definitely knowledge. Thus the more experienced we are, the worse we become to receive the Kingdom. Also knowledge makes us more cynical, sceptical and have more questioning and instead of faith, we have doubts and unbelief.

Instead a child is less questioning, not sceptical and is able to receive things at face value. A child does not question motives and intentions. Just plain and simple belief. Accepting rather than doubting. Not demanding of a sign. Not questioning God.

A third issue we face as adults is likely pride. Because of our life experiences and knowledge (academic or otherwise) we are proud of ourselves, of who we are and what we have achieved today. We now know more and have experienced much, compared to when we were 5 years old. Some of us have the privilege of travel and have seen other nations and cultures. Instead of marvelling at God’s creation, we have become proud in our hearts.

No matter how successful and knowledgeable we are and even if we have a doctorate on the most complex of subjects, always remember Jesus’s words – anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a child, will never enter it. A child-like attitude, the humility of a child, its simple accepting faith – these are qualities we need even if we are already 80 years old and have eaten more salt than most.

I like to end today’s devotional with a video I so happened to catch yesterday: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1HuRAhjqwx/

Have a good day ahead, everyone! Remain humble all the time as the LORD our God hates the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6)!

Telling a lie and bearing false witness

https://odb.org/2026/08/17/plague-of-lies

Colossians 3:9–15 (NIV): 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

What a cruel act to be untruthful,” Daniel Ladinsky once wrote in a poem that contrasts relationships built on trust with those damaged by lies. Inspired by German theologian and monk Meister Eckhart, he described truthful, loving words as “wonderful spices mixed into the days.” But lies are like earthquakes in the mind and poison to the soul: “Havoc is created in the mind that can no longer trust someone once loved . . . . a plague is spread by one who cannot tell the truth.” (Monica La Rose, Our Daily Bread 17th August 2026)

As Christians, we are taught not to lie (even tell white lies) because not telling the truth goes against the ninth commandment, which is summarised by “thou shall not lie”. The actual commandment is “thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbour” which is a continuation of “love thy neighbour as yourself”. The context of this ninth commandment is that during ancient times, charges were framed or disputes adjudicated in court based on testimonies of at least 2-3 witnesses. As everyone lived in a community, there is an expectation that every one will be truthful to each other. Judges are given extra responsibility to be more vigorous in investigation if false witness is suspected and anyone bearing false testimony will suffer the same exact punishment they were bringing against the accused. In the modern court of law, prejury is a serious offence as it could lead to a conviction affecting to one’s life or freedom.

A good example of a false witness can be found 2 Samuel 1 when an Amelikite suddenly appeared before David with Saul’s crown and arm band claiming that he himself had killed Saul. David immediately ordered the Amelikite’s execution because if he was telling the truth, he had killed the Lord’s anointed but if he had lied, he had bore false witness. Either way, his offence was punishable with death.

Thus if one were to bear false witness against someone, then one is also not loving that neighbour. A double sin against God and man.

In 1 Kings 21, there was the narrative of King Ahab wanting a plot of land owned by Naboth who refused to sell. Jezebel, Ahab’s queen, then plotted to have two persons testify against Naboth that he had cursed God and the king. After he was put to death, Ahab seized his land. The LORD was very angry with Ahab and Elijah pronounced judgment on both Ahab and Jezebel.

In the New Testament, in Acts 5 we have the story of Ananias and Saphirra who sold their land and purported to give the whole sum to the church. They were struck dead because they held back some. The amount was for them to give but they lied about it for some reason and suffered immediate consequence.

While there is a context to the ninth commandment and there is a difference between telling lies and bearing false witness, we should as a matter of prudence maintain honesty in most circumstances, especially when giving our testimony in court or in talking about other people. For the latter, we must at all costs avoid slander or adding coal to fire with untruths and lies. Gossip is bad enough but lies and slanders are really like of the devil.

However, in actual social interactions and in human relationships, it is not always wise to tell the truth all the time! This is because there are people who are unable to handle the truth and telling the truth in such situations is to invite a terrible and lasting backlash or it may bring about a discouragement that may even lead to depression. For example, if someone is aspiring to be a singer, he or she may need more training before we tell them our honest opinion about their singing ability. Or if a woman were to ask you if she was fat? As believers, if we are pushed for an answer, we either gently avoid the question or answer in a different way. There are some who believe that even telling such a lie is sinning against God, but in my view, it is for us to be as wise as we can be – to be realistic, without being legalistic! This is also beyond the context of the intention and objective of the ninth commandment. In fact, in Genesis 12, Abraham lied to the Egyptian Pharoah that Sarah was his sister and God had to send plagues aàato the palace to warn him not to take Sarah as his concubine. In Genesis 20, Abraham told the same lie to King Abimelech and when he took her into his palace, God spoke to him in a dream that Sarah was Abraham’s wife!

In most circumstances we must be honest and not tell lies as doing so is a reflection of our old self, which we have put away as Paul instructs in Colossians 3:9. We preserve our integrity and the integrity of others when we speak the truth.

Have a good week ahead, everyone! Let’s always be truthful in all that we do so that the glory of God may shine forth from our lives!

Witnessing Jesus

https://odb.org/2026/08/13/of-all-people

Acts 22:12–16 (NIV): 12 “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.
14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’

I’ve heard it said, “We can’t make our children believe. We can only give our children reason to believe what we believe.” That’s a wise observation—but how do we do it? Saul had been on his way to persecute Christians when Christ intervened. This man fell to the ground, blinded (Acts 9:1-9). Soon he was visited by Ananias, who restored his sight and explained his mission: “The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard” (22:14-15). Saul, later called Paul, did witness, and God gave him a quiverful of spiritual offspring. His “parenting approach” was to share what he’d seen, and to pray.

Whether parenting our own children or interacting with others, we can’t make them believe. Rather, we witness with our words and lives as to what we’ve seen and heard. And we pray. Our God, who sent Paul to the gentiles, sends us with the same instruction: Witness so they may believe. Then entrust them to our Father, who loves them. (John Blase, Our Daily Bread 13th August 2026)

One trivial fact we all should know is that Saul didn’t become Paul after his road to Damascus experience in Acts 22 when Christ turned him from a persecutor of believers to a crusader for Christ, the most fervent of all especially his ground breaking contribution to Christian thought and theology. Saul was his Hebrew name, while Paul was his Roman name in Greek. Unlike Simon (in Hebrew) who was given the name Cephas (Aramiac) or Peter (in Greek) by Jesus and became known as Simon Peter, Saul was Paul all the time. It’s just that after that experience with Christ, Saul began to use his Roman name Paul more as the mission Christ gave him was to reach out to the Gentiles.

I think most of us would know by now that we can’t make our children believe but we can give them a good reason to believe and that is our own personal testimony of Christ in our family life. We may bring them to Sunday school when they were young and to church every Sunday when they were growing up, but whether they become fervent believers and serve God in church and live a life glorifying His name, it’s really up to them. Faith can’t be forced. Faith has to come from within, inspired by the Holy Spirit.

In the end, salvation is the work of the Holy Spirit. As believers, our role is to speak of His goodness and live out Christ. That is why if we are a vindictive, manipulative, selfish and nasty person at work, it is incompatible with our faith as a believer of Jesus Christ. We cannot separate how we behave with what we believe because what’s in our hearts is what comes out of us. Christianity is not make believe. It is neither mask wearing. We are real and genuine inside out, living lives that are rightside up, or upside down to the world. We are non-conformists as far as the world is concerned. We have values that pursue righteousness before God. Yes, we have weaknesses and are essentially work in progress in a broken world. But we must increasingly be transformed into Christ’s image each day so that we will decrease and He will increase. Our old self must remain crucified so that our new born-again self is in control always.

Although witnessing Christ requires us to share the Gospel as part of our verbal testinony of the power of salvation, we must always remember to present a single and consistent picture of who we are and who we are in Christ. Allow the Holy Spirit to work in us to take away all the hatred, resentment and bitterness we may still habour from our past experiences and be healed and renewed in our spirit, soul and body each day as we seek Him out in prayer. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. It is new every morning like dew. Great indeed is His faithfulness! Amen!

Jesus’s parting words

https://odb.org/2026/08/12/precious-parting-words

Matthew 28:16–20 (NIV): 16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

My friend José was in hospice care. He’d been alert and talkative during my prior visit but a week later was now frail and speechless. At the end of what would be my final visit, I was the last one in the room with him. I finally stood and slowly headed to the door but stopped and turned around one last time to say, “Love you,” not expecting a response. There I saw José moving his lips. He was mouthing the words “love you” in return.

A person’s parting words, can leave a lasting impression. As Jesus was getting ready to return to His Father in heaven after His sacrificial death and resurrection, He assured His disciples that all authority on heaven and earth belonged to Him (Matthew 28:18). And He left them with this lasting charge or Great Commission, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (vv. 19-20). Christ also assured His followers that He would always be with them (v. 20). (Nancy Gavilanes, Our Daily Bread 12th August 2026)

When my dad was hospitalised for the last time after his abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) ruptured, I was not able to visit him as I was under statutory quarantine at home for Covid-19. Fortunately, my wife insisted that I come over and applied from the attending doctor a special permission for me to break quarantine and visit him. By the time I went over, he was already unconscious and so I didn’t hear his last words but I whispered to him my last words for him, telling him I loved him and thanking him for all he had done for us in the family all those years.

However, 3 years plus back from that time, when he was first diagnosed with AAA, he was also found to have ischaemic bowels and colon cancer and before he went into surgery, we did speak. I remembered what he whispered to me then when he thought he might not make it through that night when he was wheeled into the operating theatre. Those last words (in Malay – pesanan terakhir) remained with me till this very day and they will remain so until my dying day. I know that one day I will meet both him and my mum again after the day of the Lord.

Jesus also had his last words before He was arrested and crucified at the cross at Calvary. He told them that, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” The promise is that He will be with them (and thus us) always until the very end of age. Thus He commanded us to go and make disciples of all the nations as all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. We are to baptise them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and to teach them to obey all that He had commanded us. 

Although everything that Jesus has ever said and taught are important, in fact every teaching of God in His Word from Genesis to Revelation are also pertinent, Jesus’s last words hold a special place. This is because those words summarised His heart’s desire for us. It culminates His vision and mission on earth which is to bring salvation to mankind that we are reconciled to God. He did the most difficult job on Calvary only He as the perfect and unblemished Lamb of God could do, and now it’s our turn to continue His vision and mission for humanity until the end of time. His return to rule the world and judge is a certainty and many have predicted that it could well be in our present lifetime.

Fulfil God’s plans and purposes for our lives. Respond to His specific calling for us. Whatever may be our present age and at whatever stage of life we are, it’s never too late. Remember to make disciples of the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost!

Rental car

https://odb.org/2026/08/11/what-my-rental-car-taught-me

1 Corinthians 6:12–20 (NIV): 12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

I recently traveled to Los Angeles and had to rent a car. Soon, I was driving through narrow downtown lanes, full of traffic and people. I found myself driving very carefully, slower than normal. Why? Well, I didn’t want to have an accident. But I really didn’t want to damage my rental car. It wasn’t mine, after all. I was just, well, borrowing it. But as I drove, I couldn’t help but think that renting that car illustrated something important about my relationship to God. Scripture teaches that even our bodies—which we might think we own—don’t belong to us. In a larger conversation about sexual sin in 1 Corinthians 6, Paul concludes, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies” (vv. 19-20). (Adam R. Holz, Our Daily Bread 11th August 2026)

Some scholars believe that people in Corinth may have viewed Christianity as a means of advancing through society (see 1 Corinthians 1:26-31). Slaves and nobles stood equal before Jesus (Galatians 3:28), so perhaps they thought they could also move up through the social ranks. In his first letter to the misguided church in Corinth, Paul challenged many of the wrong beliefs about what it means to be a servant of Christ. Following the risen Messiah doesn’t mean pride in social status (1 Corinthians 1:26-31), abusing food (ch. 8), or indulging in all kinds of licentious behavior (ch. 5; 6:12-20). Instead, God calls us to honor Him with every part of our lives, including our bodies. (Jed Ostoich, Insight, Our Daily Bread 11th August 2026)

I think it is uncommon for people to exercise as much care for a rental compared to their own whether it’s a house or a car. Somehow when something is ours we take better care of it. However as much as a rental is not ours, we still make it a point to take good care of it. Why? Because if it’s a house, we will be staying there for a long time. So we will make it as comfortable and as clean as we can. Or if it’s a short term car rental, we don’t want it damaged or else we will be paying for the repairs and if you’re abroad, that can be very costly. That’s why it’s always makes more sense to buy a no excess insurance for overseas car rental.

To equate the rented car with our own bodies in Christ as Adam R. Holz did this morning is somewhat unique because it may not cross our minds that our own bodies are not ours. Even if we have nothing to our names, surely we still have our own bodies! But Paul’s teaching is that we have already been redeemed by Christ on the cross. When He died for our sins, as much as it is freely given and by the grace of God, He used His life to buy us from the ruler of this world and leads us to the road that brings us to eternal life. When we are redeemed, we are no longer slaves to our old self and former master. In parallel with this teaching, we are now “slaves” to Christ as the meaning of servants in the bible is usually that of a bond-servant or slave. So Christ becomes our new Master. Unlike our old master who leads us to destruction and who is a thief bent on to steal, kill and destroy – Jesus is a shepherd that cares for His flock. God’s plans for us is to prosper us, not to harm us, to give us hope and a future – Jeremiah 29:11.

Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is where God resides. If we are intimate with another person, we become one with that person together with the Holy Spirit in us. That is why sexual relationship is only to be pursued by believers within the confines of a marriage, not out of it or with a sex worker (1 Corinthians 6:16). Paul said it very plainly and it’s very clear.

The message this morning is that our bodies are no longer our own. Elsewhere Paul taught that we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice – Romans 12:1 –  “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Besides avoiding sexual immorality, we must respect the physical limitations of our bodies. Keep it in good shape to avoid diseases and illnesses. Eat healthily, not like a glutton. For example, as much as steaks and durians are nice, we must avoid over-indulging. Don’t eat musang king every day just because it’s cheap and abundant! Eat sparingly, maybe a few times a season. Always pursue moderation and like a rented car, take good care of our body and keep it in proper working condition. If we are healthy and strong, we will be able to serve Him better! After all, we are bond-servants of Christ, our Lord and Saviour, our Master! Amen!

Hope in the Lord

https://odb.org/2026/08/10/hope-in-him-2

Lamentations 3:19–26 (NIV): 19 I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall.
      20 I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me.
      21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
      22 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
      23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
      24 I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”
      25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;
      26 it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

Because of his father’s alcoholism and mistreatment of his mother, Pablo left home when he was a teenager. He moved in with an uncle, graduated high school, married, and had three children. But sadly, Pablo began repeating the same destructive behavior he’d once fled. His own alcohol addiction and behavior began to tear his family apart. Soon, it was all gone—his marriage, family, job, and home. “My life was terrible, and it got worse,” he said. Finally he turned to a treatment facility for help. “I was in bad shape, and God opened the door for me.” One day after praying, he experienced God through the beauty of nature. Soon his youngest daughter noticed he’d changed, and reconciled with him. (Alyson Kieda, Our Daily Bread 10th August 2026)

In the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament), books are usually named for the first word or words in the text. As such, the Hebrew title for Lamentations is “How,” taken from verse 1: “How deserted lies the city.” Those who translated the Old Testament into Greek (the Septuagint) titled the book “Lamentations.” Both titles are apt. In many lament psalms, the psalmist’s cry is rooted in the phrase “How long, Lord?” (see Psalm 13:1). (Bill Crowder, Insight, Our Daily Bread 10th August 2026)

It’s not uncommon to see families that are broken ending up with children whose families are also broken. It’s tragic and really sad. I have a colleague whose mum had two failed marriages and coincidentally she is also into her third marriage. It’s like a trait that run through generations. This is somewhat similar to the father and son article a few days back – https://ronnielim.com/2026/08/05/like-father-like-son/, except that this is a negative social issue. Families of gamblers raising children who are gamblers and the trend continues down the family line. Or those involved in drugs or crime sort of inherited those influences from their parents. If you’re a child raised by a mum who needs to support her junkie habit by selling herself, it’s tough to know a life that is different. I’ve seen families involved in occultic practices, unfortunately some to earn a living driven by lack of choices, suffering the consequences of mental health and demonic harassment issues.

In the Christian world, we speak of these negative family traits as generational curses, a negative trait that travels along the bloodline like an evil spirit. If we were to revisit the story of the Aramean general Naaman, you will see that after Gehazi lied to gain one of the many gifts that Namaan brought for Elisha that the latter declined, Gehazi for hos greed and disobedience was inflicted with Namaan’s “leprosy” (tzara’at in Hebrew), for him and his descendants (see 2 Kings 5:27). Generational curse is thus recorded in the bible.

But a generational curse can also be scientifically predicted if it’s part of our genetics. For example, if we have a family history of diabetes or asthma or heart disease, we are more likely to be similarly inflicted, which is why the SOP for medical practitioners before treating us is to ask us of our family history of illnesses and sicknesses.

However, due to the power of the resurrected Christ, He is able to break those generational curses in the lives of those who believed in Him. It is debatable whether genetic illnesses may be broken (as in healed) but nevertheless we know God heals supernaturally. So even if some medical conditions are hereditary, God in His grace and mercy may reverse its effects. At least with advancements in the medical field, we are able to enjoy a better quality of life, say compared to 50 years ago if we are inflicted by a hereditary illness. Other generational curses like socio-economic situations are definitely reversible by the power of the Holy Spirit. If we come from a family of substance abusers, we can surely break free from such bondages. Occultic influences and chains need to flee and will be severed in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord as Christ has washed us white as snow from all our sins including the sins and curses of our ancestors! Spiritual bondages of the past will not live on as we sanctify our lives and purify our hearts by the blood of the Lamb!

Is there hope for our situation? Yes, there is hope. He is our hope and He will give us the breakthrough we are seeking. Commit it all to Him and present ourselves as holy and acceptable in His presence. We will be saved because of our faith! Amen!

Like a roaring lion

https://odb.org/2026/08/07/the-conqueror

1 Peter 5:6–11 (NIV): 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Before he became famous, the Mongolian warlord Genghis Khan (ca. ad 1162-1227) killed his own half brother to advance his position in the family. As he solidified his power, he began to build an empire more expansive than Alexander the Great’s, stretching from Asia’s Pacific coast to Eastern Europe. Ruthless, the Khan and his army left a trail of death and destruction everywhere they advanced.

Today we face a vicious foe even more intimidating than a marauding army—an enemy who wants to conquer and devastate our souls. The apostle Peter cautioned, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). This enemy is cunning and dangerous like a great warrior and is much more than we can handle on our own. The apostle John wrote, “The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). This “one who is in you” is the Holy Spirit Himself. We need not fear the enemy. (Bill Crowder, Our Daily Bread 7th August 2026)

What does the New Testament tell us about our “enemy the devil” (1 Peter 5:8)? First, it gives him a variety of names: “Satan,” which means “accuser” or “adversary” (Revelation 12:9-10); “Beelzebul, the prince of demons” (Matthew 12:24); “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4); “the ruler of the kingdom of the air” (Ephesians 2:2); “the evil one” (2 Thessalonians 3:3); “the great dragon” (Revelation 12:9); and the “ancient serpent” (20:2; see 2 Corinthians 11:3).

Second, Satan’s mission is “to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). The devil is opposed to God and seeks to drive a wedge between Him and humans. James says, “Submit yourselves . . . to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). The Holy Spirit will help us resist the devil and stand strong in Christ. (Alyson Kieda, Insight, Our Daily Bread, 7th August 2026)

By now we should all know who Satan or the devil is. He is the one who tempted Jesus after His 40-day fast just before Jesus started His ministry at the age of 30. Most importantly, the devil came in the form of the serpent and tricked Adam and Eve into sinning when they ate of the fruit from Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil by creating a doubt in their minds whether God actually disallowed that. But a trivial fact we should all know is that the first person to ever sinned against God was Lucifer (Satan’s angelic name), and not Adam and Eve, when he rebelled against God and he brought along one third of the angels down to earth after they were banished from heaven. That is why there are legions of demonic forces on earth. Satan was however not human but an angel. Thus his sin did not separate humanity from God.

Jesus refers to Satan as the ruler of this world. This is partly because Satan, amongst others, controls the 7 mountains or spheres of influence in society and over us as individual human beings. As revealed to 3 American evangelists/theologians separately – Bill Bright, Francis Schaeffer and Lorren Cunningham – we should first exert authority and break these 7 strongholds in the lives of individuals (in the spiritual realm) for us to reach out to them with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is as Paul asserts in Ephesians 6:12, our fight is not against flesh and blood. The 7 mountains of influence in an individual’s life are: (1) religion, (2) family, (3) education, (4) government, (5) media, (6) arts & entertainment, and (7) business, and these form part of our culture and upbringing no matter where we live.

What I like to highlight this morning is not who the devil is, but the fact that he is a roaring lion that prowls around looking for someone to devour. While it is apt for Peter to use the analogy of a lion to describe the devil, Satan is actually worse than a real lion in the wild. A lion is ever-ready to kill for the next meal like all other brute beasts but they rarely make the effort when they have had their fill. Meals are hard to come by for carnivores in the wild but once they have eaten, they can sleep for hours and even days. But not the devil and his cohorts. They are never satisfied and their purpose and intent is always to kill, steal and destroy. They strive to kill off our relationship with God, steal away our peace and joy in the Lord and destroy our inheritance in the saints. They don’t do all these “in your face”. Instead, they are subtle and are great deceivers and temptors.

That is why Peter advises us to be alert and of sober mind. That means be vigilant and not reckless. The bird is already in our hands (our salvation). Don’t throw it away to catch two other birds (as in pursuing our own dreams), we may end up losing what the Lord already gave us. Or another illustration – when we were taking exams, we were taught not to spend too much time on one question as there are many more we need to answer in that allocated time. Dwelling too much and too long on one aspect of our life may well be a way the devil is subtly distracting us to bitterness and hatred or even depression and thus away from God and His calling for us. A lost love, a missed opportunity, a healing or promise that has yet to come to pass. Move on, the race is in progress. We need to strive on to reach the finish line.

Finally, when it comes to dealing with the devil and his evil plans, James teaches in James 4:7 to resist him and he will flee from us! For indeed greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). Stand firm on our faith and God Himself will restore us and make us strong, firm and steadfast (1 Peter 5:10)! Amen!