Ronnie's Thoughts

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God

https://odb.org/2026/09/18/seeking-gods-kingdom

Matthew 6:25–34 (NIV): 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

In Matthew 6, Jesus speaks straight to our struggle with worry about what we’ll eat and drink, about our body and what we’ll wear (v. 25). The Greek root of the word translated “worry” means to be torn in two directions—the direction of faith versus self-reliance. In verse 33, Jesus offers the solution to worry: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” It’s a challenge to us to choose and follow the one direction that leads straight to His heart. (Elisa Morgan, Our Daily Bread 18th September 2026)

In Matthew 6:25-33, Jesus used a principle for logic and interpretation sometimes called qal wahomer, Hebrew for “light and heavy.” It argues that if something is true for something less important (“light”), it’s also true for something more important (“heavy”). Christ used this principle to emphasize that if God cares for the birds and clothes the fields, how much more must He care for His beloved children (Matthew 6:26-30). When we trust God, we exchange our preoccupation on what’s less important for a devotion to what’s most important. Today, when we struggle with worry, God can help us focus on Him, knowing that He’ll take care of all our needs (v. 33). (Monica La Rose, Insight, Our Daily Bread 18th September 2026)

When I was growing up, my father kept a running account of our household expenses and I could see that we had just enough to live on. But as a child, I didn’t worry about where my next meal will come from as I always had something to eat at home. Putting food on the table I guess at that time was my dad’s worry. We seldom eat out as that’s a luxury those days. We adapted in life by having less things in terms of clothes, furniture and toys. I recall that my worry then was what will become of our lives if something were to happen to my dad as my mum was a stay home mum and was not earning an income. I also remember that we never had air conditioning at home and the telephone was only installed when I was older, likely a few years after I started schooling.

I believe every human adult worry about such things as the cost of living is not decreasing year in and year out. Inflation is real. Things are getting more expensive and as we grow older our needs increase, especially after marriage and with children. So we hope to earn more as we mature and become better at what we do for a living. As a safety net, experts advise us to have a parallel source of income so if we lose our day job, we have something else to hang on to. Nowadays, the younger ones are mostly into YouTubing, Insta and becoming somewhat an influencer and some even do that full-time.

As believers, one of the popular bible verse we place our hopes on is Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. It promises that if we pursue God and His Kingdom and His righteousness, we need not worry too much about what we will eat, wear or stay. Jesus taught this by asking us to look at the birds of the air. If they can live as provided by God through nature, what more us – His beloved children? Will God not take care of our needs since we are His precious children? Do we have to worry that we will go hungry and have nothing to wear or have a roof over our heads? So long as we hold a steady job and follow Him, our needs will be taken care of. We will surely progress in life and my own life is a living testimony of Matthew 6:33.

I have pursued God and His kingdom and righteousness for more than 40 years now since I accepted Christ and have seen how He has blessed me with a loving family, material wealth and good and steady jobs over the years. Worldly wealth is relative but I can safely say that I am able to enjoy a nice cup of gourmet Arabica coffee every working day without thinking too much! Of course with the profileration of coffee shops beyond the US-origin Starbucks and Coffee Bean, prices have become more reasonable nowadays!

Have a good weekend, everyone! May we all be recharged as we rest and worship Him on Sunday to go back to the world and earn our living next week and live out His promises for our lives!

Commit our struggles unto the LORD

https://odb.org/2026/09/17/look-to-god

Nehemiah 4:6–14 (NIV): 6 So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.
7 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. 8 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. 9 But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
10 Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”
11 Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.”
12 Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
13 Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. 14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”

As they prayed, Elise started to feel more assured. Just keep looking to God, she told herself. With this God-given peace of mind and Sam’s practical tip, she went to work—and completed the task in time. As she did so, Elise recalled the Israelites’ mammoth task of rebuilding their city wall (Nehemiah 4). As if it wasn’t difficult enough, enemies mocked them and conspired to sabotage their work. But Nehemiah encouraged them to keep looking to God. “By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall,” Judah said, but Nehemiah replied, “Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome.” (vv. 10, 14 esv). Then he deployed the men to work on the wall and guard against attackers, with leaders behind them (v. 16). He also encouraged them, saying, “Our God will fight for us” (v. 20). (Leslie Koh, Our Daily Bread 17th September 2026)

We should spend some time reading the book of Nehemiah as it keeps an account how the exiles after the second invasion of Israel (Judah) were allowed to return and rebuild the Temple and Jerusalem. Biblically this is also known as the Babylonian invasion. It was by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon where the Temple was destroyed but it had a happy ending in the sense that the Temple and Jerusalem walls were rebuilt by Nehemiah and the people working with him including Ezra the prophet.

The ancient Jewish exiles were allowed to return because there was a change in the political powers in the natural (political shift) as Babylon was later invaded by the Persians. It was the Persian King, Cyrus the Great, who issued the decree allowing the Israelites to return to Israel, unlike the first invasion of Israel by the Assyrians which led to the loss of the ten tribes. Not that the Northern Israelites were killed but they never returned during those biblical times as they assimilated into Assyrian society. I’m not sure though whether modern day Israel (constituted in 1948) comprised of those who originated from those ten tribes.

The thrust of today’s devotion is when we commit our struggles to God like Nehemiah did, He will help us through our struggles. So if we are struggling over something whether personally or at work or in the family or even in the church, let the Lord take control and hopefully the issues and struggles will be resolved.

But note that in respect of the Babylonian invasion, a geo-political shift at the superpower level (surely pre-arranged by God Himself at the highest levels just like He allowed the Babylonians to overrun Jerusalem) allowed a change at the micro level enabling the exiles’ return. Like the Jacob clan who ended up becoming slaves in Egypt after Joseph passed with new Pharoahs ruling Egypt, macro changes and political shifts affect lives of ordinary people.

We do not know what the future lies for Malaysia with the uncertainty posed by the upcoming GE16, but we pray that God will allow us especially Malaysian believers in Christ to enjoy a time of peace, and political and social stability for our children to grow and earn a living and have their own children. Most importantly, for years to come where we may freely worship God like we used to in this beloved country of ours for the past 100 years! Blessed Malaysia Day again!

The gift of salvation and eternal life

https://odb.org/2026/09/16/eternity-with-god

John 11:17–27 (NIV): 17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

Death may be “normal” because it will happen to everyone. But those who love and serve Jesus can prepare for their death without fear, as we see in Jesus’ conversation with His beloved friend Martha after her brother had died. Jesus promised her that Lazarus would “rise again” (John 11:23). He told her that He is “the resurrection and the life” and that “the one who believes in [Him] will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in [Him] will never die” (vv. 25-26). Martha responded by making one of the few professions in the New Testament that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God (v. 27). She believed. (Amy Boucher Pye, Our Daily Bread 16th September 2026)

One of the fundamental truth we could derive from Jesus’s encounter with Lazarus is that as much as Jesus had proven that He was God by raising Lazarus from the dead (after 4 days when the body had already entered active decay with discolouration and bloating), there is a greater resurrection awaiting us, one that is greater than Lazarus’s.

Jesus in raising Lazarus had reversed the effects of decomposition and restored life, Lazarus will nevertheless still grow old and die naturally like everyone else. Like the feeding of the 5,000 – Lazarus’s resurrection was a miracle defying nature that only a creator God could manage. Yet salvation promises an even greater miracle of reuniting our soul/spirit with a new glorified body one day (it matters not how we died) when Jesus returns again. This was demonstrated by Jesus’s own glorified body witnessed by His disciples and other followers for 40 days after His death and resurrection. That’s the miracle and hope of our salvation, that one day we will live with God dwelling amongst His people in the new heaven and new earth and the new holy city of Jerusalem as revealed in Revelation 21.

Salvation is encapsulated in the phrase of “one death but two births” – that is, if you are born twice, you will only die once but if you are only born once, you will die twice. The former speaks of believers in Jesus Christ who experienced their second birth by being born-again in the spirit, while the latter speaks of those who rejected Jesus and thus will die again in the spirit after their physical death on earth (condemned to the place of fire and gnashing of teeth). It is only those who responded to God’s gift of salvation will experience eternal life and will only die once in the natural.

Eternal life means we will live forever like God originally intended for Adam (mankind) in the Garden of Eden in Eden Recreated (Revelation 21). Eternal life is made possible by the death of Jesus on the cross having defeated sin and death. With the availability once again the Tree of Life and Jesus being the bread of life and the river of everlasting waters, mankind who had accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, will never die again. Death is “normal” in the present world – in the world to come, life will be the new norm!

Salvation and eternal life is freely given by the grace of God. Accept it if you haven’t done so and protect it with all you have if you have already believed!

John 3 16 KJV – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

P/s Blessed Malaysia Day 2026!

Patience as a virtue

https://odb.org/2026/09/15/be-patient

Ephesians 4:1–6 (NIV): 4 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Oguni’s creative genius led to what is known as the Restaurant of Mistaken Orders, an actual restaurant with this added twist—all the wait staff struggle with memory loss. Now, from the usual business perspective, the results were poor—thirty-seven percent of the time, the guests did not receive what they ordered. But those guests also expect such problems, so they understand. After these “surprises,” apologies and hearty laughter ensue, and customers leave happy. Paul writes, “Be patient” (Ephesians 4:2)—and we all know that’s so much easier said than done because it involves bearing with each other, a word that can mean everything from “carrying” to “enduring” to “supporting.” In other words, effort is involved. Yet if the effort has its source in God’s love as opposed to our own strength, the burden is lightened and leads to a lighthearted way of living, full of surprises and apologies and even laughter. (John Blase, Our Daily Bread 15th September 2026)

Patience is one of the more difficult virtues to attain as we live in a world where we expect people to understand and do things quickly. Perhaps in the smaller towns, the pace is more leisurely and laid back, but in the big city things move fast. That’s part of city living I guess.

I take the train to work and I see that every day – people tend to walk fast to catch the train. That is why besides an increase in daily steps, taking the train is good exercise as practically no one walks leisurely. If you’ve been to Hong Kong or worked with people there, you will see that they walk and work very fast, almost frantic in their pace. As a result, they also think very fast.

Unfortunately, in the world, increasingly people suffer from dementia or related illnesses leading to slower responses and forgetfulness and mistakes. So imagine ordering cafe latte and chicken sandwiches to get americano and chicken chop! Unless we are understanding and patient, that is unacceptable except at the Restaurant of Mistaken Orders! Then it becomes a comedy of errors, a fun-filled time anticipating what we will get but driven by abundant patience and understanding.

In the church or at work, we encounter all sorts of people at different levels of competence, urgency and outward appearance (though friendly, some may harbour evil intentions!). Not suffering from dementia but likely with a different take towards life and work. Especially in church, we need to be patient and enduring. For example, after countless times of reminding people that the service starts at 9.30 am, there are still people trotting in at 9.45 am and we know that for most families, getting everyone ready and into the car could well be a chaotic and messy shouting affair! The irony of it all is that the farther you stay, the earlier you will usually arrive in church!

Life encounters us with a variety of characters, even scheming evil manipulators. We need patience and endurance to deal with these people, more so in the context of the church. Our role in church is to build up and encourage, not to tear down and destroy. We are to stabilise and put lives into a steady and strong footing in the faith, so they may grow spiritually and in their knowledge of Jesus Christ and fulfil God’s calling for their lives. Most importantly, we are to guide them to continually be on the narrow path of righteousness that leads to eternal life. Much patience and endurance on our part is sometimes needed and it works best if fueled and powered by God’s love, power and strength. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we will surely be able to endure and be patient with one another! Amen!

Our God will help us

https://odb.org/2026/09/14/the-god-who-helps

Exodus 2:23–25 (NIV): 23 During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.

The Israelites desperately cried out to God for help because they were being severely mistreated by the Egyptians, who had enslaved them (Exodus 1:11-12). Working them ruthlessly, “they made their lives bitter with harsh labor” (vv. 13-14). The Israelites must have wondered if they’d even survive the cruelty. But God heard their cries and raised up Moses to deliver them (3:4-10). Eventually God used him to rescue them and lead them out of Egypt (see Exodus 14-15). (Anne Cetas, Our Daily Bread 14th September 2026)

God worked through Joseph to preserve His people, who at the time of their migration to Egypt four hundred years earlier had been seventy in number (Exodus 1:5). Now, as the King James Version so poetically renders it, “There arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph” (v. 8). This pharaoh enslaved the Hebrews, who were now numerous, and he began to commit infanticide against them (v. 22). But Pharaoh’s murderous net failed to get the baby Moses (2:1-10). As God had used Joseph to establish His people, He’d now use Moses to deliver them. But it would take time. Forty years would pass before Moses futilely tried to help his own people (Acts 7:23), and forty more would go by until God called him out of the desert (v. 30). Still another forty years would transpire as God corrected and instructed His disobedient people (v. 36; Deuteronomy 2:7; Joshua 5:6). (Tim Gustafson, Insight, Our Daily Bread 14th September 2026)

There is no doubt God will help us through our perils and troubles. He demonstrated that clearly when He raised up Moses to deliver the Israelites from Egypt. Joseph saved them when they were only a 70-strong Jacob’s clan. They resettled in Egypt from Canaan to escape the long famine where God used Joseph to save the Hebrews as well as the Egyptians when Egypt as a superpower kept 7 years worth of wheat in anticipation of 7 years of famine. No one would prepare so much excess for an entire nation without divine knowledge. After 430 years, they had become slaves to the Egyptians for around 200 years and they cried out to God to deliver them from their severe mistreatment by the Egyptians.

On Saturday night at our Young Adults life group, we dwelled into this question – why is it difficult for us to put our hope in His unfailing love (Psalm 147:11)? We know His love will not fail and He will come through for us, yet it remains challenging to trust Him completely. One of the reasons is because we cannot be sure of His timing. The Lord will make all things beautiful in His time (Ecclesiastes 3:21), and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). Trusting Him fully also means accepting His timing and also the manner of His intervention. Trusting Him also means we accept He knows what’s best for us.

The Israelites in Egypt had to wait altogether for eighty years before God spoke to Moses from the burning bush. Moses was forty when he left the palace to see for himself the condition of his people and as a result of him killing an Egyptian to protect his own people, he had to flee Egypt. He fled to a place called Midian, married Jethro the Priest’s daughter Zipporah and lived as a shepherd for 40 years before he received His calling at the burning bush.

God’s intervention is based on His timing and it takes time. For example, I received a prophesy in 2017 and although I’ve seen part of it coming to pass, I’m still waiting for the rest to be a reality in my life. The Lord has His reasons for His timing. It is thus best for us to leave everything to Him and prepare ourselves in the meantime. Sanctify our lives, serve Him and faithfully fulfil His plans and purposes for our lives.

Have a good week ahead, everyone!

Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning

https://odb.org/2026/09/11/divine-comfort

Psalm 30:1–5 (NIV): 1 I will exalt you, LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
      2 LORD my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.
      3 You, LORD, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit.
      4 Sing the praises of the LORD, you his faithful people; praise his holy name.
      5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

The sound of the cascading water confirmed that I’d arrived at the 9/11 Memorial Pools in New York City, a place I’d avoided visiting for fear of being overwhelmed by sadness and grief from what took place there that tragic day in 2001. I walked around the two large reflection pools located where the Twin Towers once stood. It was deeply moving to see all the names of those who died etched on the walls—some with roses placed on them by loved ones. I was in Manhattan on the morning of 9/11 but thankfully not near the World Trade Center. Still, as a native New Yorker, the tragedy hit too close to home. I was finally at Ground Zero, yet I wasn’t overcome by sorrow or fear. I felt peace as I stood there and recalled God’s sustaining grace. That peace was a gift from the God who knows how to comfort us. (Nancy Gavilanes, Our Daily Bread 11th September 2026)

The phrase at Psalm 30:5 – weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning – is very powerful to us believers of Christ and adopted children of Yahweh, our heavenly Father and God. It speaks of the comforting divine healing that comes at the end of our grief and mourning. The night and day is figurative but as night will surely turn to day, our grief will surely turn to rejoicing. As certain is day is to night, rejoicing in the Lord is certain after our tears and broken hearts. That’s the promise of God in Psalm 30:5 as expressed by David.

The promise is akin to the light at the end of the tunnel. The period of grief may be long but there will be healing and rejoicing at the end. That’s God’s promise to us. Not a spiral down experience into nothingness but an uplifting one as we commit our hearts to God notwithstanding our devastating loss. We trust that He will comfort and heal us. With His strength, we will become strong to live on for His sake, for Him. Despite our loss, we will regain joy in His presence. He will light up the fire in us to burn ever more strongly. One day, we will see our loved ones again.

I like to end today’s devotion with a poem by Henry van Dyke:

I Am Standing Upon The Seashore

I am standing upon the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her white
sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean.

She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until at length
she hangs like a speck of white cloud
just where the sea and sky come
to mingle with each other.

Then, someone at my side says;
“There, she is gone!”

“Gone where?”
Gone from my sight. That is all.
She is just as large in mast and hull
and spar as she was when she left my side and she is just as able to bear her
load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

And just at the moment when someone
at my side says, “There, she is gone!”
There are other eyes watching her coming,
and other voices ready to take up the glad shout;
“Here she comes!”
And that is dying.

Have a good weekend, everyone! Though there is weeping in the night, rejoicing will indeed come in the morning!

Generosity lived as a legacy

https://odb.org/2026/09/10/legacy-of-generosity

Proverbs 13:22 A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children,
but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.

Though we didn’t live in the same state as my maternal grandparents, I’m grateful to have known them as well as I did. They traveled regularly to Colorado to see us, and we enjoyed visits with them in California. As my sister and I became adults, our conversations with our grandparents expanded from playful childhood topics to include more serious discussion of finances. They explained to us that they wanted to share their resources with us while they were alive but that most of their estate would be given to charity at their passing. My grandparents were, indeed, quite generous to us over their lifetimes. When they died, I was genuinely proud to see their remaining resources given to others. (Kirsten Holmberg, Our Daily Bread 10th September 2026)

Generous people desire to benefit those who’ll outlive them: “A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children” (13:22). The Proverbs teach us some dimensions of giving that are unexpected. For example, “One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty” (11:24). Another insight is that God takes our generosity to others personally: “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord” (19:17 esv; see 14:31). Believers in Jesus view money as an investment in God’s work and His people rather than a commodity to consume. And that’s the posture of a blessed person. (Tim Laniak, Insight, Our Daily Bread 10th September 2026)

In my social circles, at work or in church or just among my friends and relatives, I’ve never heard of anyone ever giving away their wealth to charity upon their passing. No doubt I do not personally know billionaires but even billionaires in Malaysia are usually business people and their wealth are tied to their business or listed entities, making giving away to charities difficult. However, in recent years, I remember reading about a Singaporean billionaire having left his fortune to his grandchildren instead of his own immediate children. That appears to be the exact teaching of Proverbs 13:22!

If we really have abundance, we may consider leaving our wealth (at least some of it) to charity. But what’s more crucial in my view is to be generous while we are still alive, especially if we are wealthy. Yes, we need to provide for our old age but once that is provided for, we should be freer to use our money to bless others. This is how Kirsten Holmberg felt as her grandparents treated them well when they were alive although they made it clear they would be giving away their estate to charity when they passed. When they eventually did that, Kirsten did not feel she had lost out on an inheritance. Instead, she was proud of their legacy of generosity. The important thing is they were not miserly with them when they were alive.

I know of rich people (but not those with billions) who are stingy even with their own children as though their quest in life is to only add more zeros to their bank balances. A thrifty culture is a good thing to cultivate as a spendthrift will never accumulate anything (and thus may face issues when they are old and no longer earning). However, frugality in abundance is pointless because finances are meant to be used and if we are believers, we should use at least some of it to bless others.

In everything we do, there should be a balance. Sometimes, that is a fine line and yes, not everything is clear cut. Avoid extremes and we will have a better life. There is wisdom in wealth planning but there is also wisdom in being generous in the sight of God. Remember – whoever is generous to the poor, lends to the LORD (Proverbs 19:17). This means that when we are generous to the poor and needy, our Heavenly Father Himself becomes our debtor! But Paul said in Romans 11:35 that God is no man’s debtor! What all this means is that the more we give, the more we will receive (Proverbs 11:24)!

A tale of the two wedding banquets

https://odb.org/2026/09/09/gods-open-invitation

Luke 14:15–24 (NIV): 15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ 19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
22 “ ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ 23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ ”

Before my close friend’s wedding, we meticulously set the table for two hundred guests at the reception. With joyful anticipation we spent hours folding napkins, aligning cutlery, straightening tablecloths, and arranging flowers. After putting in all that work, we couldn’t wait for guests to arrive and enjoy it! But when many seats remained empty, we were sorely disappointed.

Jesus shared a similar story with some Pharisees as they ate together (Luke 14:15-20). He described a man who lovingly planned a great banquet for many people, but few attended and gave flimsy excuses. The man was angry at their rejection. He extended his invitation to society’s outcasts, “the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame” (v. 21). When there was still room, his servants went even further abroad to “compel [others] to come in” (v. 23). (Karen Pimpo, Our Daily Bread 9th September 2026)

The parable of the wedding banquet related by Jesus and recorded in Luke 14:15-24 speaks of how the Jews as the chosen generation were invited to join the Kingdom of God but rejected it (mainly because of their unbelief that Jesus was indeed the coming Messiah spoken of since ancient times). The Jews were the intended and chosen guests as the first-born children of God but unlike Esau who was tricked by Jacob to give up his birthright, the Jews outrightly rejected Christ. In fact, they persecuted and crucified Him. Like the Pharoah of Egypt whose initial defiance of Moses led to the deliverance of the Jews out of Egypt into the Promised Land, the rejection of Jesus by Israel led to Jesus fulfilling His mission to die for the sins of mankind. So, in the end, the Gentiles of the world (not the prime but second choice) were invited and until today, millions have accepted Christ throughout the generations since the days of Paul.

As believers, the invitation to the other wedding banquet is however the one that we should give serious thought. Jesus alluded to it in the parable of the Ten Virgins (see Matthew 25:1-13). Five were prepared and brought enough oil for their lamps to remain lighted when the bridegroom came. The other five didn’t bring enough oil and had to go buy more and when the bridegroom came, they missed the banquet. Thus the question – are we prepared for Jesus’s return or if we are called home before that? Are we ready to face Christ at the Bema Judgment Seat of Christ? Are our names still written in the Book of Life when the time comes (which ensures us a place in the new heaven and new earth at the end of age)? Although we call Him Lord, Lord – does He know us? Are we wheat or chaff – the wheat or weed in Matthew 13:24-30)? Will our works be burned up as we go through the refiner’s fire or will we turn out like pure gold?

No one will be able to answer the question whether we are the first five of the virgins or the last five, except we alone as our life on earth is lived by us alone. Our parents can’t answer for us and neither may our cell group leader or pastor or our spouse. We alone are responsible for our own spiritual life; whether we have fulfilled God’s plans and purposes for our lives. Did we respond to Jesus’s calling for us for that season and this season? Did we break free from the cycle of sin, forgiveness and sin? Did we break the generational bondages chaining us to our past? Did we love the LORD our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength? Did we love our neighbour as we loved ourselves? In fact, did we even love ourselves as we love God? If we need to ask these questions, ask them now rather than later. Not everything can wait as our breath may be taken from us the next moment! Always remember the parable of the Rich Fool in Luke 12!

Koinonia fellowship in a community

https://odb.org/2026/09/08/what-a-fellowship

Philippians 2:1–4 (NIV): 2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Rachel “church hopped” for three years before finding a Bible study group that provided what she couldn’t find in a traditional church—community. Rachel is Deaf. Around the world, many Deaf people face similar worship challenges. Her house church nurtures community by watching a Deaf church service on YouTube, discussing the teaching with each other, and then sharing a meal. The small group provides the Spirit-led church family Rachel craves. The apostle Paul explains what makes a church a community: the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Writing from prison, he urged this connection to the church at Philippi. His hope, in part, was to encourage spiritual unity in a congregation he’d formed and loved. (Patricia Raybon, Our Daily Bread 8th September 2026)

Some believers argue that we could worship in any church because God is the same whether we are in Catholic, Baptist, Anglican, Lutheran, Assembly of God or Full Gospel Assembly. That is true because in this age after the resurrection of Christ, we worship God in Spirit and in truth. Remember Jesus Christ told the Samaritan woman in John 4:23 – Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. So the argument whether to worship Yahweh in the Temple Mount in Jerusalem or Mount Gerizim in Samaria is now moot.

At the other extreme, some believers even take the stand that we do not need to attend church because we could worship God wherever we are. So we could be a born-again believer existing on our own, praying and worshiping from the comforts of our home in our PJs (pyjamas) with a cup of coffee in hand. There was a time when worshiping alone meant studying the bible ourselves but with the proliferation of online services after Covid, we could tune in to hear the Word preached practically any time of the day or week.

Although not entirely wrong, both groups sadly missed the point of church – which fundamentally is about the gathering of His people. There is the koinonia part of the church congregational worship. Derived from koinos (meaning “common”), koinonia describes things shared in common or a tight-knit association where people function as active partners rather than passive observers. The church is a place we could serve God and one another. It is a place where we develop a community, friendships cultivated out of service and love. Thus if we worship alone and only listen to online messages, we miss out on this community aspect and while we could technically worship in any church, we need to stick to one. A church is not just “bricks and mortar” but a gathering of like-minded believers living out their love for Christ as a community, supporting each other towards the righteous path that leads to eternal life.

Therefore, I encourage you if you are still church-hopping or still relying only on online services, to take that step in faith to settle in a local church. We may not fit in to any church but make the effort to find one that fits us, no matter the distance to travel. The church we call home need not be within our neighbourhood as God may well be calling us to attend and serve in one at the other end of the city!

Providence or coincidence?

https://odb.org/2026/09/07/gods-loving-eye

Psalm 32:6–8 (NIV): 6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them.
7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Together we were able to share how God has sustained us and given us strength and faith through the years. It was amazing to think that among the 33,000 walkers that day, we found a family that understood our hearts. Two families with similar stories ending up together in a sea of people. It sounds a little like something that can happen only because of what God told King David in Psalm 32. After David expressed his appreciation to God for protection and deliverance, he got this encouraging word from Him: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye” (v. 8 nkjv). (Dave Branon, Our Daily Bread 7th September 2026)

As believers, we go through life like any other human in the sense that we are not exempted from the rigours of life. Like the case of the eruption of Anak Krakatau in Java. If we are there in Jakarta on a scheduled return flight, we will be stranded like everyone else because jet engines and volcanic ash don’t mix well. But if in the process, we meet another family at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport whom we could relate well – was it a coincidence or something pre-arranged by God in His mysterious ways?

As I look back on my life, I thought I would retire in Astro after spending nearly 27 years there (including 4 years plus at the holding company). But as it turned out, God had other plans and I ended up in Telekom Malaysia (TM) in 2022. Getting a new job at past 50 is usually very difficult. That is why taking a severance package in our 50s while it may look like a good deal is often a double-edged sword. We may never work for similar pay or equivalent position again. For me, the job at TM helped me to continue funding my children’s education. But the presence of God’s hand was evidently real because under normal circumstances there would not have been such a vacancy at TM. However, in 2022 as it so happened, TM decided to create a startup subsidiary to venture into the digital business and instead of using homegrown talent as is usually the case, we decided to venture into the market to source.

This brings us to the Word for today and that is – Psalm 32:8 – I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. For those of us who are close to God and who are able to hear from Him, we may get direct counsel and instruction and teaching. Perhaps through our quiet time, our prayer and worship or through the Rhema word as we study Scripture. But even if we are not quite good at hearing Him or still a novice at that, God’s heart is for us. He has His loving eye on us.

For some of us, that may just mean that in a way our life is planned by God as His plans for us is to prosper and give us hope (Jeremiah 29:11). Where we are today is not by chance or a stroke of luck. Our good fortune is not just hardwork or good career planning or a coincidence of nature. Instead, it is part of God’s loving plan for our lives, for us to fulfil His purposes for our lives and to respond to His calling. Nothing occurred by chance, God’s loving hands and fingerprints are present all over the place in all aspects of our lives! He always wants the best for us notwithstanding our rebellious nature and even our unfaithfulness. His steadfast love never ceases indeed! Amen!