Esther, Queen of Persia

https://odb.org/2024/01/25/strange-places-2

It is amazing how Esther, an orphan adopted and raised as his own by her cousin, Mordecai, could be chosen to be a concubine and later crowned the Queen of Persia by the Persian King, Xerxes. Persia was the superpower nation then at that part of the world. Esther, together with her cousin, Mordecai, later discovered God’s purpose for them to be in Persia, and it was to thwart an evil plan by Haman to exterminate the Hebrew people.

Similarly, Joseph was sold to slavery by his jealous brothers and ended up in jail, but ultimately through his trials and tribulations, he became the Prime Minister of Egypt, mainly due to his God-given ability to interpret dreams that forsee the future and in the end, saved the Hebrew clan of Jacob, Isaac and Abraham from the then coming 7-year famine. Note that when it comes to His divine and sovereign will and purposes, God places His key people in positions of power in the then most powerful nations of the world.

Likewise, even modern-day Israel is backed by the US and the UK, the present day, and the previous years’ world superpowers, respectively. It was the UK that partitioned the creation of the state of Israel post-world war II, and currently, in the war with Hamas, the US has her warships covering Israel, and both the US and the UK are actually engaging Houthi targets in Yemen today.

Taken to a wider context and at our own personal level as a believer and disciple of Jesus Christ, there is also a reason why God placed us where we are today. The church we are serving in. The job we are doing. The people we interact with. Ask God why am I here at this specific place and particular period of time? Of course, we are in no position to save a nation of people like Esther and Mordecai or Joseph! But perhaps we are the chosen vessel for God to reach out to a particular person that we now know because of our work. It could be someone at our workplace or a supplier, a customer, or an advisor (lawyer, accountant, banker) that we have dealings with. Perhaps God wants to use us to touch their hearts for Him.

Open our eyes to God’s plans and purposes for our lives at where He has placed us. Pray for the guidance and boldness of the Holy Spirit to be upon us. Allow the LORD our God to use us to fulfil His plans and purposes for our lives.

Slow to anger

https://odb.org/2024/01/24/quick-to-listen

I like James 1:19-20, which says that everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Anger is an issue we all need to deal with, some more than others. As humans, we are emotional beings. Therefore, it is natural to get angry like it is natural to be happy or sad. Just that in anger, we sometimes say things we wish we didn’t. Some say these angry words are a genuine reflection of our hearts. But we usually don’t mean the things we say when angry.

Unfortunately, words may have a devastating impact, and wounds caused by painful words may take a long time to heal. We can’t control what others feel or how they react, but we can certainly control what and how we speak. That is why James says that human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. In the corporate world, we are always cautioned not to react when angry and never write emails when our emotional state is unstable!

Thus, it is best we keep quiet or be slow to speak when angry. Be quick to listen, especially if we are confronted with an angry person. If we respond in anger, the whole situation may erupt in a major quarrel. It may be the most difficult thing to do, but it shows our maturity in Christ if we are able to defuse a heated argument and calm everyone down. Be that peacemaker, the encourager, not add fuel to the fire. The latter may lead to a very damaging explosion. As believers of Christ, it is good to pray in our hearts when angry. Ask Christ to help us keep calm and bring down the atmosphere a few notches. God loves a humble and contrite heart.

Turning swords into ploughs

https://odb.org/2024/01/23/scraps-to-beauty

I’m sure we have seen movies where villagers turn ploughs and pitch forks and agricultural tools into weapons to defend themselves against invading troops or robbers and plunderers. Although there have been sporadic successes, farmers usually stand no chance against well-trained and well-equiped men of war. It is worse in modern times when we need to face guns and bullets.

Micah, however, paints a different picture of a different era. He speaks of a time when people beat their swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks. See Micah 4:3. A time when weapons of war and destruction would no longer be needed. A time when everyone lives in peace and harmony, with one another and even animals.

This may sound utopian to us, but that’s the reality of what lies ahead in the future one day for believers of Christ who had fought the good fight, finished the race and kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7). Those who have endured and did not have their names blotted out of the Book of Life will get to live in the new heaven and new earth with God for all eternity, as shown to John by Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, and described by John in Revelation 21. It is our hope of glory that drives us to live our lives in accordance with His will and to serve Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. He alone is our God and Lord.

Let’s not forget to encourage each other to persevere on this walk of faith. Continue to put our trust in God in all the things that we do and serve Him in His church. Fulfil His plans and purposes for our lives. Store up our riches in heaven where moth and rust will not destroy or the thief will not steal. Prioritise our lives such that we put eternal things in the right and proper perspective. As Paul wisely taught after all he had gone through for Christ – forgetting what is behind but straining forward to what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14)!

The Book of Life

https://odb.org/2024/01/22/the-right-focus-3

The 72 followers of Christ who were sent out to proclaim the Good News were amazed that even demons flee at the name of Jesus. Please read Luke 10. It proves the divinity of Christ. But Christ cautioned them while it might be great to have authority over demonic forces; they should rejoice that their names are written in heaven (the Book of Life). In other words, salvation is more important than the powers and spiritual authority bestowed upon us as believers.

Salvation is by the grace of God. We can not work for our salvation. Christ died for our sins. That is why we are saved. We must then repent of our sins and accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. That means we give our lives to Christ and live for Him. We thus need to safeguard this salvation and don’t forfeit it by careless living or living a life with no regard to God. James already warned us before that faith without (good) works is dead. Paul talks about working out our salvation with fear and trembling. We must do our part and fulfil our role in the Kingdom of God. Not live life in isolation in our faith or not serving Him. The book of Daniel talks about those who stood firm in their faith during the end times and would never have their names blotted out from the Book of Life.

I think we should be reminded every now and then that salvation is a journey, a race. Some say it’s a test. But whether it is a test or not, we need to run the race and complete it until the finish line. We need endurance and perseverance, both of which we know Christ will provide us as we call upon His name. Not just maintaining our moral compass and continuing our fellowship with Christ but serving Him with all our heart, mind, and strength. We want Him to tell us at the end – well done, good and faithful servant!

Serving with humility

https://odb.org/2024/01/18/washing-feet-and-dishes

Jesus washing His disciples’ feet is servant leadership in personam. You may read about this in John 13:6-17. It is a physical act, and the feet are the most dirty part of the body during those times as their footwear were usually sandals that are exposed to dirt and dust. Although symbolic, it is less useful to replicate this act nowadays since our feet are generally clean. Most wear socks and covered shoes. But the principles remain.

The principles enumerated by Jesus’s washing His disciples’ feet are first, servant leadership and secondly humility. Thus, if we have given our lives to Christ to serve Him, we are to serve as servant leaders. The higher we are in church and ministry leadership, the more we need to give ourselves for the congreation of believers that we are shepherding. They are, after all, our sheep.

Secondly, it is also about humility, and that is important as people tend to become proud when they become leaders. This is as much true in the world as it is in church. It’s an achievement to be recognised as a leader, and we are proud of ourselves. But if we are Christian leaders, we need to remain humble for the simple reason that, as James pointed out in James 4:6, God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. It is not merely a teaching but a statement of fact. Do we want God to oppose us, or would we want His grace and providence? Do we clamour for divine retribution, or would we rather have blessings from heaven?

I don’t think Jesus meant for us to go round washing other people’s feet in these contemporary times. It will look odd and awkward. But I think it will be more useful that as leaders, we treat others with respect and in humility although we may think we are more experienced or knowledgeable or have read many more books. Don’t be condescending and look down on others who are weaker or younger in faith or who are struggling with life issues. Instead, look at everyone with the eyes of Christ that they need God in their lives for this life and the life thereafter. Humility doesn’t come naturally, pride does. So learn it and learn it well, with the grace of God.

Choosing to follow Christ

https://odb.org/2024/01/17/choices-2

In life, we make many decisions. Some decisions are as simple as what will I have for breakfast or brunch this morning. We can choose to have anything we want within reason, but if coupled with discipline, we may only limit ourselves to healthier choices. Less salt, less sugar, less carbs, and more protein and fibre. Of course, we presume we have choices to make. Sometimes, we may need to choose the most affordable meal – a slice of bread, one roti kosong, or a small packet of nasi lemak, especially if it’s the end of the month.

Or the decision may still be simple but tinged with morality. For example, if in a public toilet like shared offices with a common toilet, we see a watch left behind on the sink. Do we leave it there or take it? I lost the watch given by my mum after graduation in that manner. I left it in the sink, and someone took it. While it may be natural for people to take things of value that are unintentionally left behind, it is not the right thing to do. This is especially so if we have Christ in our lives.

Or there could be more complex decisions like the job to take or the business to be in. For example, a job as an accountant or lawyer in a gaming company. We may reason, a job is a job but if the business is capable of destroying lives, should we go for it even though we may only be in the more generic support services and are not directly operating the business?

In Joshua 24, the question was who to serve? Is it Yahweh, the LORD God Almighty or the gods of their ancestors in Egypt or beyond the Euphrates River? This probably explains why, in the early years of their departure from Egypt, the Israelites made a golden calf to worship when Moses took a longer time than expected to return from Mount Sinai. Joshua’s answer and of the Israelites was – as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.

Whether a decision is big or small, complex, or simple; always make it a point to choose to follow and serve Christ. Since we have made that wise and wondrous decision to accept Jesus into our lives as our Lord and Saviour, make it our lifelong calling to only choose Jesus in all our decisions. Choose to follow and serve Jesus in all circumstances, in all situations, and never allow our eyes to lose our focus heavenward in Christ Jesus!

The past as an example

https://odb.org/2024/01/16/learning-from-mistakes-2

Paul used the mistakes of ancient Israelites to remind the Corinthians not to make the same mistakes (see 1 Corinthians 10:1-11). Likewise, we should look at our past mistakes and experiences as a guide and warning to us not to repeat them again. If not, there could be dire consequences.

As an example, I changed jobs in mid-2022 after 27 years at my previous organisation. Due to a change in work location, we moved down to the city to stay in an apartment we bought 10 years ago. Previously, I used to travel daily between Kuala Lumpur and Seremban, clocking not less than 500 km a week. Nowadays, my office is only 6 km away and takes me 15 mins to get to even during rush hour traffic. But a byproduct consequence of this change is that I have exercised much less nowadays when I used to do daily half-hour walks in my gated neighbourhood. My current condo is located in a full maxed-out concrete jungle. So walking around will be among buildings and traffic fumes. However, yesterday, I made a breakthrough. I went to the gym for the first time and walked non-stop with incline for 35 minutes, covering more than 3.5km. I’m looking forward to doing this daily as the experience turned out to be unexpectedly pleasant, windy, and airy with the windows at the gym partially opened. I was thinking to myself, why didn’t I do this since June 2022?

But we learn from our mistakes and move forward. There are consequences, but we move forward. We learn from our past mistakes and indiscretions and move on. The Bible gives us many examples of Israel not heeding God’s Word and breaking its covenant relationship with God, their kings marrying pagan queens, and bringing their idol worship practices into Israel. As a result, Judah was overrun by the Assyrians and the Babylonians and the Temple destroyed and her people taken into exile. In the book of Acts, we have Ananias and Saphira, whose attempt at deception led to their deaths by divine retribution (see Acts 5:1-11).

It is true that God brings us through certain life experiences to teach us some lessons in life. At the same time, He exposes us to the experiences of Israel and the believers in Christ so that we will not repeat the same mistakes in our own lives. Lessons must be learned, and warnings heeded so that Jesus’s teachings for us are not in vain. If I do not start exercising and control my diet, my health will deteriorate, I would need to deal with more issues as I age. If I do not learn from my past mistakes in my spiritual life, one day, I may drift so far away that I may be too comfortable living without God and may end up forgoing my salvation. Learn from our past mistakes and move on. Don’t repeat them and start all over, again and again!

Servant leadership

https://odb.org/2024/01/15/the-greater-win

Mark 10:35-45 records a conversation between John and James and Jesus. Basically, James and John asked to be seated at the right and left of Jesus in His glory – meaning to be the top leaders of the Kingdom of God. But Jesus replied that they did not know what they were asking. Can they drink the cup that He will drink and be baptised with the baptism that He will be baptised? Jesus was asking them whether they could go through the suffering that He would go through? After the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, the 11 disciples and Paul all suffered greatly, and all were eventually martyred. As much as Jesus said in Mark 10 that the request of John and James was not for Him to grant, that the places belonged to those for whom they have been prepared, I believe the disciples with their eventual lives would qualify them to be there at the top.

Contrary to what’s been seen in the lavish lives of some famous evangelists, leadership in ministry does not come with riches and glory. Ministry is not the path to fame and fortune. Leadership in the Kingdom of God is to serve and suffer for the flock. That is why going full-time is never an easy decision and should not be taken lightly. We should spend more time praying and meditating on the Word, speaking to God to confirm our calling. There are tremendous blessings that come with it but also intense suffering. It is a life of servanthood, serving the needs of the congregation, both physical and spiritual. Preaching from the pulpit is a necessity, but that’s not all. Leadership in ministry and the church (and that applies to lay leaders, too) is to be a servant to all. As leaders, we are meant to help everyone to become the person God wants us to be. We are to encourage and support everyone so that all of us may realise our full potential in Christ. We are there to cheer everyone in the race, even as we ourselves are running the race. We are participants and also cheerleaders.

Ultimately, our lives, once redeemed by Christ, are to be lived for Him. Whether we are in leadership or not, whether we are young believers or have known Him for ages. We can’t say he is the leader. Thus, it is for him to do. We are all responsible and accountable. We are in this together, although as leaders, we have higher accountability to Christ.

Remember, Christian life is not only about enjoying the life and presence of God. There is much work to be done. All of us are called to be servants in His Kingdom of Grace. That is why we can not be believers in isolation. It’s always a congregation and a community of believers, living in the centre of His glorious will for our lives! We need to be both Mary and Martha, not one or the other!

Success in God

https://odb.org/2024/01/12/gods-worker

The narrative of Joseph in the Bible highlights the success he enjoyed because God was with him. See Genesis 39. The false accusation of Potiphar’s wife led him to be thrown into prison, and despite his adverse and unjust situation, he thrived. With God’s kindness with him, God granted him favour with the warden. He was put in charge of the prisoners and was successful and prospered in all that he did.

Success or prosperity in Genesis 39 is tsalakh in Hebrew and is used in the context of Abraham’s servant finding a Jewish wife for Isaac. In other places in the Bible, success is used in the context of obedience to the Scriptures or God’s law or God Himself, or rather as a consequence thereof. Psalm 1:3 teaches that a person who delights in the Word of God prospers in whatever he does. The wisdom of the Bible is that if we want to be successful and prosperous, we need to follow and obey God as per His Word, and as He speaks to us by the Holy Spirit.

But if we read Joseph’s story carefully, we will see that Joseph was upright in all that he did. He maintained his righteousness before God. He did not sleep with Potiphar’s wife despite her seduction and constant prodding and insistence. He did not fall into temptation. Integrity before God is crucial for God to grant us His kindness, grace, and mercy, and thus the prosperity, success, and heavenly blessings that come with God being with us. Integrity and righteousness are part and parcel of us obeying His Word and law.

As the end of the week approaches and as we enter into the weeked, take time to ponder on our lives. Are we living in righteousness before God? Are we maintaining our integrity in God in the things we do. Are we following His Word and His law?

Have a blessed and restful weekend, everyone!

Our faith is always personal to us

https://odb.org/2024/01/11/a-simple-request

The answer given by Jesus to Peter in John 21:22 when the latter asked Him what about John emphasises and reminds us the fact that our faith is always personal to us. Jesus said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you. You must follow me.”

We will be alone standing in front of Jesus at the Bema Seat of Christ, giving an account of our lives. Our pastor or cell group leader or shepherd or parents or brothers or sisters, or spouse will not be there with us. Or rather, we can not argue that so and so were such; therefore, we were like that. Or we were taught this way, and thus, we were like that. In the same way that we are not competing with anyone in our race to our finish line, we can not compare to anyone else for our underachievements in Christ. We are measured against what Christ had planned for us as God’s will for us. Each of us has our own unique journey of faith and tasks, and we will be measured against that. So Jesus said to Peter – if I want John to live until I return, that’s not your concern. You just need to follow me.

Christian life is not a bed of roses. We are all familiar with that. There are ups and downs. But neither is salvation a ticket to eternal life only. Once we have accepted Christ, our lives are not our own. We belong to Christ. Our lives are a living sacrifice unto Him. To serve Him in His Kingdom of Grace. That’s why Paul said – to live is Christ and to die is gain. If we die, we will live our eternal life, but if we live, we live for Christ.

Remember two things today. One is that we will face Christ alone one day as our spiritual life is our sole responsibility. Secondly, salvation is more than just booking a place in eternal life as there is a redeemed life to be lived while here on earth.