Never will I leave you

https://odb.org/2024/07/25/really-live

I learned the illuminating truth about God’s healing in the first few years of my Christian life when I read through page by page an autobiography by Joni Eareckson. That was about 40 years ago. The truth is that God doesn’t heal everyone all the time. The fact that He heals is by itself supernatural and miraculous, but when He doesn’t heal, He is still God, and we are only human. The day will come when our decaying bodies will be replaced by our glorified bodies, and we will not have sickness or illness anymore.

The key takeaway from Joni’s life, if you have read her book, is that the struggle with God’s healing was only for a few early years after her accident. She quickly accepted that God’s will for her was to glorify Him despite her disabilities, despite her unhealed condition. When we are unhealed, we bring glory to God instead of shame because our attitude is that we still want to serve Him. Joni is still alive today. She’s 74 this year, and throughout all those years, she had never stopped being an evangelical Christian author, radio host, artist, and founder of an organisation accelerating Christian ministry in the disability community. You may read more about her here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joni_Eareckson_Tada.

In the case of Pastor Ed Dobson of today’s ODB life story, his struggle with ALS that gets worse over time was characterised by his pining his hope on God despite his worsening condition. Hebrews 13:5 – Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you. He passed away fifteen years after he got the disease. But he never lost hope that God will never leave nor forsake Him.

I agree with Pastor Benaiah Naresh, who spoke last Sunday at our local church. Every one of us should read and understand the book of Job. What happened to Job was not his doing, and yet despite what he went through, he never once accused God and sinned against Him.

Job 19:25-27 I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes–I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

Even way back then, during ancient times, Job already had the revelation of the Holy Spirit about the resurrection of Christ and of himself one day!

Whatever we are going through today, whether it has something to do with God healing or not healing us, know like Pastor Ed Dobson that He will not leave nor forsake us! Persevere through and fulfil His plans and purposes for our lives like Joni did till today, until our dying breadth. Be like Job, never accuse or blame God. He has His reasons. Trust Him. Put our hopes and ambitions on His purposes. He will see us through.

God is our refuge

https://odb.org/2024/07/24/my-true-refuge

If we have been with our spouse, say, for fifty years, from courting days until we grow old together like the Chinese say, from dark hair to grey hair, it may be really tough and difficult for us to carry on living if our spouse departs the earth before us. We would have been through thick and thin, from having little to more, with sickness and good health, to raising children when they were babies to young and seeing them through until past their tertiary education into their own working and even marriage lives and for some, tending to our children’s children! That is why it is not uncommon for spouses to depart one after another, in close succession, as the loss may be too much for some to bear, like an unfillable vacuum.

But as believers and children of the Most High, the Almighty God, the Great I Am – we know our lives are not in our hands but in Him, our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. In Romans 14:8, it is written: If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. In other words, as much as it is difficult to carry on living, we must, for the sake of Christ, as Christ redeemed us and died for our sins for a purpose. We are now the Lord’s. Our lives are not our own.

It is true, as proven from ancient times even during the time of the Psalms, that our LORD is our true rock and refuge. When our world crashes down and we don’t want to live anymore, He is our shield and our strong deliverer. He gives us help and protects us. He is our tower and our stronghold.

Nevertheless, God is spirit, and we are mortals living here on earth dealing with flesh and blood day in, day out. As much as our battles are against spiritual powers in heavenly places, our daily living is in the natural, and we are very much a part of the affairs of the world, even as we are not of the world.

As much as God will be our ultimate source of solace and comfort if we ever need to face the harsh reality of losing our soulmate early, my view is that, in the natural, we should completely immerse ourselves in fulfilling God’s plans and purposes for our lives, in ministry and serving Him. Witness and preach the Gospel. Train up and make disciples for His Kingdom. In no time, we will grow old like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses, Joshua and David, and the many great and mighty men and women of God before us, and the time will come for us to depart this earth and be reunited with our loved one in heaven.

Great rejoicing in heaven

https://odb.org/2024/07/23/time-to-party

There is great rejoicing in heaven whenever a sinner repents and comes into faith in Christ Jesus. The parable of the prodigal son narrated by Jesus Himself in Luke 15:11-32 illustrates this very well. When the prodigal son returned after wasting away his inheritance in wild living, the father accepted him back wholeheartedly with much joy and rejoicing, putting on him his best robe, sandals and a ring on his finger and he threw a feast for him with a fattened calf.

This is strengthened by the two parables just before the parable of the prodigal son where Jesus spoke about the lost sheep and the lost coin where both the shepherd and the woman who lost the coin spared no effort to search for the lost and calls a feast when they find their lost sheep and coin. We know everyone in heaven will rejoice whenever a sinner repents and comes to God.

For us who have been around for many years in church and ministry, we know that the journey of faith is often fraught with perils, pitfalls, and hazards – the challenges, the ups and downs of life. Like the parable of the soils, many are like the word that fell among the thorns where the thorns grew up and choke the word. Thus, they are like those who, after accepting Christ, fell away as they are choked with the cares, riches, and pleasures of life. Many are also like those who fell among the rocks who hear and receive the word with joy, but with no root, they believe for a while and fall away when temptation comes. Sadly, even believers who have long been in the faith and have served faithfully for years may suddenly give up on Christ after something tragic unexpectedly happens in their lives.

There is a need for every one of us at whatever stage in our walk with Christ to always persevere through, come what may. As Paul so cleverly and rightly pointed out in Romans 8:18 that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. In other words, whatever we are or will go through here on earth, the glory that awaits us in eternity far outweighs all!

The message this morning is that we must always be watchful – continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving (Colossians 4:2) as finishing well is much more important than starting well. We need to finish the race and cross the finish line. It is our personalised race against the finish line. It is our race alone with Christ at and on our side. We are not competing with anyone except against the viles of the evil one and the temptations of the world. Keep to the narrow path, and we will be good! Continue to fulfil God’s plans and purposes for our lives, and we will be good! Never cease serving Him in His church and His Kingdom of Grace, and we will be good!

Good works for God

https://odb.org/2024/07/22/instruments-for-good

Ephesians 2:4, 5, 8 to 10:

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

The above teaching by Paul in Ephesians 2 encapsulates a very basic foundation of our faith, and that is, our salvation is by the love and grace of God. We are saved through our faith in Jesus Christ, who died for our sins. We are not saved by our works, so no man may boast of his achievements that qualified him to be saved. We are, after all, sinners at core and require the redemption by the Lamb of God to be unblemished before God.

However, having been saved by grace and justified by our faith in Christ, we are then to do good works, which God had prepared in advance for us. Thus, our salvation is not just for us to have a place in heaven and life eternal but also for God to use us for His plans and purposes while on earth. Salvation is not just about the afterlife, but it is very much about the present, too. In fact, what we do now on earth has a bearing of where we will eventually be in the new heaven and new earth. It is inconceivable that after having been saved, we instead do evil works, causing destruction or loss of life. That is why it is impossible for any man to gain salvation by killing others as salvation is never by our works, and any scheme motivated by evil intention is doomed to eternal damnation.

The message this morning is simple. Do not take our salvation for granted. James taught before that faith without works is dead. Our faith and salvation must be supported by our service to God and humanity. Do a good deed every day. Serve and love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. Never cease to persevere on in our walk of faith.

Have a good week ahead, everyone! Let’s do good works for our Lord, Jesus Christ who, by the grace and love of God, died for our sins and through His sacrifice on the cross justified us our salvation before God!

Single parenting

https://odb.org/2024/07/18/renewing-our-strength

Single parenting is a more recent phenomenon, at least in our Malaysian context. Partly due to the rise in divorce rates as more women are gainfully employed. In fact, the ratio of women to men in universities and colleges now borders at 2 to 1. With better education, women may even have outnumbered men in the workforce. With financial independence, women can raise up their children on their own without the help of men, whether financial or otherwise. But single parenting is not limited to women as there are men too who are single parents. There are divorcees, but there are also widows and widowers. Not everyone remarries.

The struggle can be daunting, especially if there is no help from our own older parents or other family members, particularly when the child is young. In the city, homes are expensive and small. Leading to fewer extended families. Although there are daycare centres, it is difficult for single parents to go out at night. For example, business dinners or even hanging out with friends or going dating. In a way, it perpetuates single parenthood. If the entire responsibility and expense of raising up a child is on a single parent, it is very tough when coupled with the stress and pressure of work. But you can’t quit as your job puts food on the table and pays the bills.

Isaiah 40:29-31 proclaims:
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

In the end, if we put our hope on Jesus, God the Father will renew our strength. We will soar with wings like eagles and will run and not grow weary. God will give us the strength to overcome the struggles of life and persevere through with our faith intact. In a blink of the eye, the children will be all grown up, and we will look back at the past 10 to 20 years with gladness and joy in our hearts. The goodness and blessings of God are real and tangible. Don’t ever give up! God is with us!

Age in ministry

https://odb.org/2024/07/17/from-age-to-age

Although David was chosen as king at a young age when he was still a boy and the twelve disciples of Jesus were unmarried (except Peter) when they were called by Christ and were thus between 15-18, the bible has towers of faith who were much older. For example, Moses and his brother Aaron were 80 and 83, respectively, when God called them to confront the Pharoah and deliver the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt. Father Abraham was 99 years old when God called him out of the Ur of the Caldeans (near Baghdad at lower Mesopotamia) to Canaan (modern-day Israel) to establish His covenant with him.

In Hebrews 11:8-10, it is written:

8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith, he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Even Joshua and Caleb were eigthy years old when they led the children of Israel to cross the Jordan river and enter the Promised Land and conquer the lands flowing with milk and honey, despite the presence of the sons of Anak, the fortified cities and the strong armies. In the Gospels, Simeon and Anna lived until very old and were privileged to see baby Jesus when he was 40 days old (see Luke 2:22-38).

In these modern days, we don’t live that long like Abraham (died at 175) or Moses (died at 120). Nevertheless, our life expectancy is still around 80. So, don’t give up serving God when we touch 60 and retire from our secular jobs. In fact, that’s the time when we are freed from our work obligations to serve God even more, for example, go on prolonged mission trips. A church with many elderly folks is definitely blessed as the congregation has time in their hands to do much social work and ministry. We just need to be diligent and continue to work for God in the areas He has called us to. We can not afford to rest on our laurels and be lazy just because we are older as the work of God is unending and stretches to eternity. Ultimately, age is just a number in ministry!

The Word is not chained

https://odb.org/2024/07/16/news-worth-celebrating

In 2 Timothy 2:9, Paul asserts that God’s Word is not chained. The context was, despite his imprisonment and being bound by chains like a criminal (but he was not!), God’s Word and the Gospel were still working in the midst of the people he was reaching out to. In fact, he endured all things for the sake of the elect – Paul’s reference to those who have yet to receive the gift of salvation – that they may receive eternal life one day.

Incidentally, this is the theme for my local church – His Word is not chained. It speaks of God’s work continuing through us despite obstacles placed by the world or the evil one. As God’s people, we will speak and witness as much as we can by the testimony of our words and actions. Are we trustworthy people? Do we keep our promises? Do we repay our debts? Do we act on what we say? Do we put our hearts into the work we do? Do we put our hearts into our service for God?

These blogposts that I write, as many as I can day in and day out, only reach an audience of at most 100 eyeballs. Although I wish these pages have a broader impact, it is more important for me that those who read them are somehow touched by the Spirit of God and moved and encouraged to persevere through in their own race to the finish line. In order that the message of the Gospel and the Word are not chained by human limitations. So that more may one day hear the Good News and accept Christ as Lord and Saviour and receive eternal life!

Thank you all for your support and encouraging words, especially for your time and effort in reading these pages. I pray that our Lord Jesus Christ may use the words that I write to encourage you and spur you on to greater heights in your relationship with God that you may do greater exploits for Him and fulfil His plans and purposes for your life! I will continue to write as long as I am able, as long as this remains my calling for this season of my life. Indeed, the Word of God will not be chained. It will set the captives free, and it needs to be unleashed for it to achieve its purposes. The Word of God shall never return void! Amen!

Prayer and its power

https://odb.org/2024/07/15/devoted-to-prayer

As believers, we are taught from the start to pray. In fact, the first thing we do when we come to faith is to say or pray the sinner’s prayer. We speak to the Father in Heaven and seek His forgiveness as we confess our sins and acknowledge that we are sinners. We then repent of our sins and invite Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Saviour as He had died on the cross for our sins and reconciled us back to God. But on the third day, He rose victorious over the sting of death, which is sin. Thus, He paved the way for us to have eternal life and to one day inherit the new heaven and new earth with the Tree of Life fully accessible and available to us.

Prayer is not a ritual like in the case of some other faiths, at certain times of the day, for the specified number of times a day. We don’t face any geographical location. We pray out loud or in our hearts or in the Spirit. We can pray kneeling down, seated, or even as we are about to sleep. We pray as we eat or depart from our homes, asking that the Lord blesses and sanctifies our food and grants us journey mercy but always thanking the Lord for His provision, protection, and providence.

In Collossians 4:2, Paul taught us to continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. Prayer needs to be earnest or with devotion and dedication. That means consistency. At the same time, we must be watchful as to what is happening in both the physical and spiritual realms. In addition, we always pray with thanksgiving, thanking God for His goodness in our lives and for the things He is doing in our midst. We pray expecting God to move, and yet we are grateful for Him being part of our lives.

I just like to end today’s message with this passage of Scripture from Colossians 4:6 – Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. As Christians, as much as we should be frank and honest in the words we utter, we must be wise and gracious. Our hearts must always be uplifting to encourage and support and to build up someone’s faith and confidence.

Have a great week ahead, everyone!

Unity in the body

https://odb.org/2024/07/14/better-together-3

Unity is probably one of those rather elusive concepts for the universal church of Christ as there is not a single body governing Christians except for the Roman Catholic church. Thus slightly less than half of the world’s Christian population are fragmentalised into various denominations and thousands and thousands of smaller independent churches. The latter can be as small as a single church. For example, my local church, White Fields Assembly of Seremban (WFA), has two broadly independent congregations, English and Chinese, although we exist as a single legal entity. We are closely affiliated but no longer part of the larger Full Gospel Assembly (FGA) church in Kuala Lumpur. Even in Malaysia, there are probably hundreds of churches like WFA – what more in the world?

Thus, in the whole world, whether the underground home churches in China or the various churches in West, or the many churches in Indonesia or Singapore or the UK or the States, churches have developed into clusters of communities that could relate to one another better in terms of language, socio-economic status, upbringing and so they congregate together to serve one another’s social and spiritual needs. Ostensibly, as believers, we appear to be disunited, but is it really true that we are not united just because we are not under a single body because we are fundamentally under Christ as the Head of the universal church? Also, churches are, by nature, open door organisations. Everyone is welcomed. Thus, a church in Ipoh and, for that matter, in Bangkok will not bar you from worshipping with their congregation even though you are actually from another congregation in Seremban. Recently, at the invitation of a brother, I visited an FGA satellite church in PJ, and I felt at home immediately because the setup was very similar to our WFA in Seremban, including its idiosyncrasies!

The message today is that there is no doubt that unity of the body will strengthen our outreach and evangelistic efforts to let as many as possible to hear the Gospel before Christ returns. So long as we are not competing for members and preach Christ to whoever wants to listen, the disunity that we are talking about may well be illusionary. I believe nowadays, fewer and fewer churches are trumpeting their better virtues to attract migratory believers from other churches because, in the end, people need to socially fit into a congregation in order to stay and serve. Mega churches have superior numbers and resources but are likely more impersonal and will usually struggle to notice and engage with people who are dropping by week in and week out. When you are one in a crowd of a thousand, few will notice you.

Have a blessed Sunday worship service, everyone! Be blessed as we come together in one voice wherever we are, in whatever timezones we are, to praise and worship the LORD and celebrate His goodnees in our lives! All glory be unto the Lamb of God, and may the Holy Spirit fill us with supernatural power from above! May the whole earth be filled with His glory! Amen!

Heavenly blessings

https://odb.org/2024/07/11/heavenly-abundance

One of the privileges we have as believers is that Jesus opens up the heavens for heavenly blessings to flow down on us and our family. We are children of God through Christ Jesus, grafted into the family of God through the blood of the Lamb, and thus, we are now part of the Chosen Nation, the adopted spiritual Israel. As God is our God, we are His people. His benevolence and abundant grace and mercy are with us. It doesn’t matter that we were the worst of sinners before. Like in the case of Paul of Tarsus, he persecuted and hunted down believers of the Way before. Yet Jesus showed him immense patience so that Paul may be an example to those who may believe in Jesus and receive eternal life (1 Timothy 1:16).

When I looked back at my own life, I could see how my family used to struggle financially when I was growing up. Not that we didn’t have anything to eat, we had. But mostly, we just had enough as we were a single income family. Nowadays, especially in the city, it’s tough to survive with a sole breadwinner.

Even in university, there were times when I didn’t have a dime in my pocket, but fortunately, in the first year that I stayed in the residential college, we had 3 meals a day and a shared twin room on credit. At the end of the year, when we needed to pay, I had then received a JPA government loan that paid off all of my college expenses, including my faculty fees. If not, come to think of it now, I am not sure how my dad would have come up with that pile of money.

The great thing was that after paying off everything for the first 2 semesters, there were some surplus for my living expenses! Praise the Lord indeed for His goodness and mercy! The fact that my dad was a government servant helped, I guess, in us getting the JPA loan, but there was no guarantee, and the government was not obliged to provide us funding. This is a thing of the past as university students now have access to PTPTN loans, which is sort of guaranteed if you’re from a B40 household. But during my time, no funding means dropping out, even from public universities, and joining the workforce.

As believers, we are not immune from the rigours of life. We struggle and need to persevere through. But if we look at life in terms of 40 or 50 years, it is impossible not to see His heavenly blessings upon our lives. We may not be draped in luxury or travel in style, but most of us do not have issues making ends meet. As inflation sets in, life gets tougher. We need to adjust and adapt, like perhaps cooking more and eating out less. Eating more poultry and eggs than expensive red meat. Drinking plain water and less milk. The market provides a range of products, and we may need to go for the less pricey ones. Moderate living is better for our health, too!

Take some time today to reflect and thank God for His goodness and grace and mercy. For His heavenly blessings. For taking care of us and the educational and other needs of our children. God is good, all the time!