Life’s pilgrimage

https://odb.org/2024/06/27/lifes-pilgrimage

I think what distinguishes us believers from non-believers is that we not only have God in our lives but also a purpose in God. We have a calling in Christ with God’s plans and purposes for us, conceived even before we were formed in our mother’s womb. Life’s journey is not the end itself because as people justified by grace, saved by our faith in Jesus Christ, we have a destination beyond this life. It is written in John 3:16 that we shall not perish but have eternal life. Books and songs have been written that we are mere pilgrims passing through this world, our temporary shelter, to our eternal abode where one day we will live with God dwelling among us in Eden recreated, the new heaven and new earth.

As much as we know that this world is temporal, when we live out life – the days, weeks, and months and years – can feel so long. Paul once said if he could, he would want to leave this earthen vessel and be with Christ, but while to die for him is gain, to live is Christ. It is not our place as faithful servants of God to unsurp God’s will for our lives. Our duty is to serve Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength despite this being only our temporary place.

Perhaps if we look at Hebrews 11:8-10, we will be inspired by the faith and trust Abraham had in uprooting his family to journey to an unknown far country in response to God’s calling, looking for the city with foundations whose architect and builder is God Himself:

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

Be like Abraham, be as bold and courageous as him! Be on a journey of faith! Life is a pilgrimage with God to the city with foundations whose builder and architect is God. One day, we will be there with God in Christ. In the meantime, we serve and please Him and Him alone!

Inter-generational learning

https://odb.org/2024/06/26/learning-from-each-other

The book of Ruth is probably the empitome of the inclusiveness of God as it tells the story of an outsider, a Moabite, who followed her Jewish mother in law, Naomi, back to Judah after the death of her husband. To put this relationship in context, the Moabites are enemies of the Israelites. Ruth later found love in Boaz and, as a result, became the great grandmother of David and is thus part of the geneology of Jesus Christ. In other words, a naturalised Jew was one of the ancestors of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In today’s ODB, the emphasis placed was the relationship between Naomi and Ruth of how the elder taught the younger what to do when it came to Boaz. However, Ruth also was the one who suggested and volunteered to go out to the fields to take whatever was left behind as Jewish law required harvesters to leave some harvest behind for the orphans, widows and the foreigner. Both Naomi and Ruth were widows and penniless when they arrived at Judah, and this law allowed them to have something to make a meal for themselves.

In most cases, it is the older who has eaten more salt who teach the younger. People who had gone ahead first who had experienced the ups and downs and pitfalls of life. For example, I was advised by my seniors in the university to stay faithful at a workplace. Although my work organisation that I had spent 27 years with had helped me raise my family and gave me opportunities to travel, in hindsight and retrospect, I believe that I would have had a richer work experience if I had moved around a little when I was younger.

However, in the contemporary work setting, where people are progressing from mere Internet to AI (when I started work, the world wide web was at its nascent stage), the older ones have much to learn from the younger generation. Even fresh graduates may be better at doing certain tasks compared to those 5 years older, what more ancient people in their 50s! There is thus much we can learn from the younger ones and vice versa. Even in Christian worship music, the younger ones are more in touch with the contemporary scene, and if we embrace such diversity, we will not be only singing 30-year-old worship songs in church over and over again!

The message this morning is that as much as we have lots to teach and share as older ones, we have much to learn too from the younger ones, even our own children. That is the essence of intergenerational learning. Always remain humble as the LORD opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble.

The power of prayer

https://odb.org/2024/06/25/humble-j%c3%b8rn

We know prayer can move mountains, and that prayer moves the hand of God. When we pray, something happens in the spiritual realm. Perhaps the physical manifestation may take time, but at least something is already moving in the heavens. That is why we pray that His will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus has given us the authority that whatever we bind here on earth will be bound in heaven, that whatever we loose (permit) here on earth will be loosed in heaven.

If we can’t be the boots on the ground preaching the gospel, we can pray for those who do. Likewise, if we can’t be that missionary reaching out in a closed country, we could pray. Prayers cover their work with the blood of the Lamb and protect them from the fiery darts of the evil one. Prayer also helps them clear the way for the Holy Spirit to move in their midst. That the hearts of their audience may be softened and their eyes opened to see, understand anfld accept the mysteries of God, which is Christ. Colossians 2:2 – the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ.

One of the best ways to pray is to follow the example of Jorn of today’s ODB life story. One by one, by name, as we imagine their faces. We could start by praying for our cell group and those that we are reaching out to, like our neighbours and our colleagues and family. The most important thing is to allocate time and do it regularly on a consistent basis. No one may know our contribution to the Kingdom of Heaven, but what matters is we have the ears of God as we pray for others in our midst. It will require time and effort to do this consistently, but it will be well worth the efforr as we will see the physical transformation on earth one day! We don’t just pray for salvation of souls but the transformation of lives and a deeper understanding of Christ and the things of God. May His name be lifted up, and may His glory shine forth in all the nations all over the world! Amen!

Fear of God

https://odb.org/2024/06/24/in-awe-of-god

Proverbs 9:10 teaches that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of God here means awe and respect, rather than bring scared or afraid like the Isrealites in Exodus 20:18 where they trembled with fear when they saw thunder and lightning at the time God gave Moses the Ten Commandments for the children of Israel.

The same way life takes a real meaning when we know God as taught by Solomon in Ecclesiastes, whose famous words were “vanity of vanities, all is vanity (meaningless)”, Solomon in Proverbs teaches that true wisdom is having the fear of God. In other words, the wisest thing any man can do is to know God and fear Him. Just knowing Him is not enough, we need to also fear Him.

The slight problem we have as believers in this post-Jesus era is that we might be too used to the grace of God that we sometimes forget Solomon’s teaching to fear Him. For example, God is a holy God. We need to be holy to face Him in prayer and supplication and worship. As much as we can not be 100% without sin as a human being and need the blood of Jesus to redeem and cleanse us, we must, with the power of the Holy Spirit, confess, repent and overcome our habitual sins. We can not live in the cycle of sin and confession day in and day out without true repentance, just because God is gracious. We need to fear God as much as we know He loves us.

Heed the advice of Solomon to fear God as it is the beginning of wisdom. Solomon chose wisdom instead of riches when given a choice by the LORD. But wisdom starts with the fear of God. Once we cultivate the latter, we will be blessed with the former! Have a good week ahead, everyone! May we become wiser as we exercise the fear of God in all that we do!

Riches in heaven

https://odb.org/2024/06/23/rich-in-good-deeds

Today’s ODB story of Oseola McCarthy donating 150,000 dollars to a nearby university to create a fund for needy students after slogging for 70 years as a washerwoman is both inspiring and exemplary. It is the personification of 1 Timothy 6 of coming and leaving here with nothing, and thus, we should focus on storing up riches in heaven. It echoes Jesus’s teaching in Matthew 6:19-21 on the same subject, and Jesus’s rationale is that riches in heaven will last for eternity where moth and rust will not destroy nor the thief steal.

Of course, Oseola’s kindness begs the question, why slog so hard and be miserly on herself only to give it all away? She should have just enjoyed life to the fullest with whatever little she has. This is because she didn’t have much in the first place, and she had to work very hard for her money.

I think the key to Oseola’s ability to be so selfless is contentment. Paul taught in 1 Timothy 6:6-10 that godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing to this world, and we can not take anything out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. For those who want to get rich, fall into temptation and a trap, and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. In other words, she was content to live simply and miserly so she may accumulate some wealth when she retires.

However, when she retired at 86, she had enough for her old age and thus probably had a goal to do a special deed for future generations. That is likely the second key to Oseola’s ability – she had a goal to do good deeds. So, rather than leave behind a small fortune doing nothing or giving it back to the state, she made sure it benefited society. That is why some wealthy individuals leave behind fortunes to create foundations for the good of all, instead of leaving inheritances for their heirs to scoundrel and waste away.

The message this morning is that as we age and retire, do provide for a comfortable retirement in our old age. But contentment with what we have is key as in the process, we could focus on doing good for others and store up treasures in heaven for our next life with Christ in eternity. Always remember we came with nothing on earth and will also leave with nothing except for our good deeds in Christ and our riches in heaven.

Foolish things of the world

https://odb.org/2024/06/21/finding-rest-3

When I was younger, it didn’t really turn my eye when my senior pastor then pursued a Masters degree in Misiology from Fuller Seminary. He was a career minister as he went to bible school first before starting the Latter Rain Church of Malaysia (“LRC”). What was ironic, though, was that the bunch of full-time pastors then serving God in the church did not have any seminary education. They were mostly graduates from University Malaya as LRC’s home base, known as Miracle Villa, was just a 10 mins walk away from the campus grounds. More ironic that a number of them only went to bible school after they left LRC.

Thus, I grew up in a church with mostly very fervent pastors without seminary qualifications whose teachings and practices mirror those of the church. You could say that God was using the foolish things of the world to confound the wise like Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 1: 27, except that these were mostly graduates of the most prestigious university in the country. In other words, they were smart pastors, just not theologically trained. But the founding and senior pastor was from seminary background, and thus, the tenets of the faith of the church were intact. Just that in some areas, the interpretation might have been narrower than mainstream. For example, a belief that the church should comprise 80% core and 20% peripheral, which is visionary but idealistic in the real world.

The thing that stuck with me all these years is that you don’t really need a seminary education to serve God in a meaningful way, but to be a pastor I am realistic enough to accept that a basic seminary education is necessary. Sadly, I noticed that nowadays, in the church world, people are actually pursuing and even trumpeting academic qualifications and titles as a form of respectability and acceptance among their peers. Prestigious theology degrees are thus more sought after and respected compared to divinity or ministry qualifications, perhaps as it opens up a new career line in academia. It’s just that in pursuing qualifications after qualifications, the church has become more like the world in needing acceptance, recognition, and respectability of men than God. I can not but say that it is a really strange phenomenon as Christ only chose one Paul among the other 11 Apostles.

What’s the lesson for us? I believe in all things we should only boast in Christ, that it is in Christ alone that we find our glory. In every victory, let it be said that our source of strength and source of hope is Christ alone and nothing else. Acceptance of who we are and recognition of our ministry should lie with God and Christ and no one else. We do not need a doctorate from a prestigious seminary to tell the world that we have arrived in the church world. It could well dilute our branding before God and Christ!

Never ceases

https://odb.org/2024/06/20/new-and-certain

I don’t have any issues with old things, especially furniture. By the blink of an eye, 13 years have passed since we bought the condo in the city, and the furnishings, although by now old, still look good to me. In fact, the things we have at our other house, the new house that we bought off the plan, are now 7 years old. I guess this is partly why some people like to move to a newly-built dwelling every decade or so. The feeling of new and freshness. This also explains why, in most places, new builds are more expensive than old ones. In fact, a realtor recently told me that new properties in London can even cost as much as twice that of old at the same locality!

Fortunately, for us believers, the love and compassion of God never ceases. It is new every morning. Like dew. This reminds me of the lyrics of the song, the Steadfast Love of the Lord:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. They are new every morning. New every morning. Great is thy faithfulness, O Lord. Great is thy faithfulness.

In Lamentations 3:22–23, Jeremiah proclaimed that His compassions never fail (NIV). The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases (ESV). They are new every morning. That was despite the Judaeans being in captivity, in exile in Babylon. They were there due to their own doing and were lamenting, but deep within them, they knew God did not forsake them. God still loved them. There is still hope of redemption and liberation in the future.

Will we be able to afford another property in the future so we may have new and fresh things again? Perhaps we would. Or maybe we could not anymore. What’s crucial is that the faithfulness of the Lord and His steadfast love endureth forever. His love and compassion are renewed every morning. They never cease and will never cease. He loves us and will love us until the very end. Despite our sin. Inspite of our insolence. Because we are made in His image. Each and every one of us is precious to Him.

Freedom in God

https://odb.org/2024/06/19/the-god-who-announces-freedom

The story of God calling Moses in Exodus 3 at the burning bush is probably familiar to most of us as it is a passage often preached from the pulpit. I think I have heard a message on that at least a few times in my life. There are familiar themes on the holiness of God, of the miracle of a burning bush that doesn’t consume the bush, of the omnipresence of God being able to see Moses going to the burning despite Him being at the bush.

However, the most significant message is nevertheless the freedom from slavery of the Israelites who were in Egypt. In just roughly 20 generations in 430 years (assuming one generation spans 20 years), the family of 70 of Jacob in Genesis 46 that came to settle with Joseph in Egypt to escape the great famine had grown to 600,000 abled-bodied men (as per the census in Exodus 12). In other words, there would have been nearly 2 million Israelites then, if we were to include the women and children.

The emancipation of the Israelites from the oppression of the Egyptians (then the most powerful nation in the known world) is a picture of God’s liberation of His people from the clutches and shackling of sin through Christ Jesus. Like Moses and Aaron confronting Pharoah and freeing the Israelites, Jesus faced the devil and defeated sin and its sting of death. We now have freedom from sin and eternal life because of Jesus Christ.

But as free people who are no longer living in spiritual bondage, are we free to do as we wish? Surely not! This is because our freedom as children of God is being freed from the chains of sin that prevent us from knowing God. With the scales lifted from our spiritual eyes, we can now experience God in our lives and begin to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. The spiritual realm, including its power and blessings, is now opened to us. As the spiritual Israel, we are now part of the Abrahamic Covenant and may live in the centre of His glory and will, enjoying His benevolence and protection. The LORD will bless whosoever who blesses us and curse whosoever who curses us. The law is now written in our hearts.

My dear brothers and sisters, so long as we still have breadth, let us all enjoy this freedom in Christ to live for Him, to fulfil His plans and purposes for our lives. That we will conquer and cultivate His promised land for us that indeed our promised land will be flowing with milk and honey to the glory of our most high God Almighty, the Great I Am, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!

God sets the lonely in families

https://odb.org/2024/06/18/friend-to-the-lonely

There is a sense that we can be lonely despite being in the presence of many people. For example, if we are invited to a function or a party, but we hardly know anyone. Of course, once the proceedings start, we could get lost in the crowd and go about unnoticed, especially if it is a multiple course dinner. But we will wish we were not there and would have preferred to spend the time in the company of friends and family.

But loneliness here goes beyond just being alone in a crowd. It is a loneliness that speaks of a lack of companionship. There could be many reasons why some people lack friends and companions. We could be introverts and a loner. We like to keep to ourselves in social settings or just don’t chat or make conversation. But a lack of companionship could point to something deeper. It may be due to a lack of selflessness and a spirit of sharing. If we are constantly selfish and look out for ourselves only, it is less likely that anyone will be interested in sharing their lives with us. In other words, sometimes we may need to give of ourselves to break free from our own loneliness and lack. That is why Scripture teaches that it is better to give than to receive. Giving ensures that we will one day receive. The LORD will make sure of that.

Look deeper within us. Break free from the attitude that all that is mine is mine alone. Instead, consider that Jesus allowed us to be where we are for a purpose. Our wealth may be to bless some who are in need. Many struggle to make the best of their lives. Some struggle even to live! Any act of kindness from us will go some way to strengthen their belief and resolve that things will turn the corner. It will dispel all thoughts that the world is against them or that the heavens have dealt them a poor hand. Give of ourselves and our money and time, the Lord will surely find a way to bless us. One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD. And He will repay him for his good deed. Proverbs 19:7. Ultimately, as Psalm 68:6 says, God sets the lonely in families.

Healing by God

https://odb.org/2024/06/16/the-lost-pendant

There are those among us who believe that authority has been given to us by Christ to heal, and thus, the prayer to heal is to release the power of healing upon those seeking healing. Of course, not everyone gets healed. That’s the reality of the sitiation on the ground, and there could be a variety of reasons, including the timing of God, the grace of God, and the person’s faith.

A somewhat similar situation occurred in John 5:1-9 at the pool of Bethsheba. Although there were a number of people seeking healing that day, Jesus only healed one person who was paralysed for 38 years. Was it a question of who deserved the healing more? Or was it because of the severity of his condition? Or his desire and faith for healing? From the text, it appears to be the latter, but Jesus only asked him – do you want to get well? He answered that there was no one to help him get to the pool when the water is stirred. While he is trying to get in, someone else goes ahead of him.

I recalled that when I was around 18, my outreach church in my hometown decided to conduct a healing rally. I went round distributing tracts at my small town and, in the process, came across a deaf and dumb couple with normal children. I spoke to them and prayed for healing for them. They were not healed despite my prayers, although I knew if they were, it would have brought about a revival in my small town.

Besides divine timing, God’s grace, and faith, I believe an important aspect of healing is God’s plans and purposes. Many came to Jesus for healing. Many were healed, but many were not. We know from healing campaigns that it is similar. If it is part of His plan and purposes for a person’s life that he or she is to be healed, he or she will be. I had a close friend and fellow worker in ministry during my university days who came to faith because he was healed during a healing rally. He had one leg shorter than the other, and God lengthened the shorter leg for him. He has been serving God ever since and is now a lay minister after nearly 40 years from his healing experience.

If you are seeking healing from God for some infirmity ir condition in your life, don’t give up, but keep on trusting Him. If it is God’s will for you to be healed so you may testify of His grace for His glory, you will be healed. Amen!