Ronnie's Thoughts

Restore us, O God

https://odb.org/2024/01/07/ripe-for-restoration

Not every one of us has had a smooth journey with God in the sense that there are fewer ups and more downs. Of course, some of us, especially the more obedient ones, have progressed from glory to glory. That is why, in the faith, obedience is better than sacrifice and results in a fairly smooth journey of faith. However, for those of us in the first group, some may spend too long a time in the valleys, and even sadder, some may have even departed from the faith. We may have become disillusioned with the whole process and gave up on Jesus. Instead of trusting God, we took matters into our own hands. We understand that this journey of faith will not be a bed of roses, but surely it can not be a road where every pit stop is one of sadness, disappointments, tears, and disaster? Perhaps that is a question of our own perception. Maybe we can’t see the blessings of God in all that we have or are going through.

Psalm 80 teaches us that if that has been our journey of faith, we may call upon Him to restore us. Like the time He brought us out of the miry clay and set us upon the rock and make our steps secure, He is able to do it again and again. The Israelites rebelled against God, disobeyed His commandments, and followed other gods. As a result, they were overrun and were exiled. Now, in their suffering and desolation, they call upon the LORD to restore them, to have the face of the LORD shine upon them again. In other words, the hand of God, His grace and mercy, to be upon them that they may be saved. They were restored when they were permitted to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple, and today, the creation and the continued existence of the state of Israel is testimony of God’s greatness.

Call upon the name of Jesus if we have gone astray and left God in our hearts. Call upon Him to restore us like He did to the ancients of our faith. May His face shine upon us again. May He restore us what the locusts have eaten as He promised in Joel 2:25.

Have a blessed Sunday worshipping God today, and may He bless our week ahead, our going out and coming in. Take care, everyone! God is good, all the time!

Follow His law and percepts

https://odb.org/2024/01/05/crossroads

I have written in these pages before quoting Joshua’s example, the exhortation given by the LORD for Joshua to lead the new generation of Israelites (the first generation had already died in desert) into the Promised Land (that was promised by God to Abraham and his descendants). God exhorted Joshua to be strong and courageous, for He will be with him wherever he goes. The LORD promised Joshua that He would never leave nor forsake him. God assured Joshua that no one would be able to stand against him all the days of his life! See Joshua 1:5.

But sometimes, we forget that there is the qualifying condition of the promise of God. Preachers also may forget as I have heard sermons on the strong and courageous exhortation without the accompanying condition.

In Joshua 1:7 – the LORD said to Joshua to be strong and courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you. Do not turn from it to the left or the right, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of Law on your lips,meditate on it day and night so that you must be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

In the crossroads of life, like the life situation in today’s ODB, we need to seek God to show the way and guide us. Should we stay with our sick spouse or carry on with our work obligations out of town?

At the base of the crossroad posers are still our standing with God. Are we righteous before Him beyond the righteousness of Jesus through His blood? Are we careful to follow and obey the law that is now written in our hearts. When we seek God, is our heart right before Him? Are we for Him or ourselves? Have we confessed our sins and sought His forgiveness? Have we forgiven those who had trespassed against us? Are we holding any grudges against anyone?

There is an accompanying condition to this covenant relationship with God. It was there at the beginning between Abraham and God, and it was there between the Israelites in Kadesh Barnea (the oasis at the wilderness) and God as spoken to and by Moses. It is still there in this new covenant relationship established by Christ for us with the Father. We need to love the LORD our God with all our heart, soul, and mind and love our neighbour as ourselves.

Be careful to follow and obey His law and percepts, and He will be with us wherever we go. No one will be able to stand against us. We will be properous and successful in the things we do for Him.

Quiet faithfulness

https://odb.org/2024/01/04/the-quiet-breakfast-guy

Work hard, mind your own business, and live out your faith as we wait for Christ to come again. That is the theme of Paul’s message to the Thessalonians. He backed it up with his own life example; he himself worked hard night and day so as to preach to them without burdening the church. In a way, Paul is a perfect example of a lay church leader, working hard in the world to earn his own living while allocating enough time to provide spiritual guidance and input to the congregation. The church remains a support, whether for financial or spiritual needs, but he himself does not add stress to the system.

Quiet faithfulness is an aspiration. We do our thing in the world. Diligently and faithfully. No drama. No fireworks. There is no need to be emotional over things. We just do our job. If you’re a manager or team leader, what you will dread most is the need to deal with human relationship issues. He said something wrong. She said something too loud. He got offended. She was irritated. Less of that and just get on with the work. That’s what we need when working. Surprisingly, also in the church. Less human infractions, the better. Conflicts and disagreements can not be avoided, but the less, the better.

Quiet faithfulness at work, in ministry, and in living out the faith. We do our part and let others do theirs. There is no need to draw attention to ourselves. The Lord will reward us one day. He sees our dedication and commitment to the cause. To righteousness and His Word. We do our best not to conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds so that we may test (experience) and approve (agree to) the good and perfect will of God.

My prayer for myself and everyone is that we will all work hard, be good at what we do while living out our faith in order that our lives reflect the glory of God. Be the pillar of strength and source of encouragement wherever we are as Jesus is with us. We will have the favour of God, and everyone around us will be blessed.

The Word of God

https://odb.org/2024/01/03/spotting-hope

For those familiar with the creation story in Genesis 1, we know that God spoke creation into being. The LORD said let there be light, and there was light. Thus, to create, God used His words as spoken. This is opposed to the Big Bang theory that postulates that everything just evolved over time with things just came into existence just like that in the beginning. There was a big bang, and things just started. No one did anything. Of course, the joke is that the big bang only occurred when God said so at the beginning. John reiterated this by proclaiming that the Word or Logos in Greek, the supreme being or force, was already in existence at the beginning. See John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word (Logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Greek thought understood that there was a supreme force right at the beginning when all things began.

As believers, we also know that the Bible is the Word of God, and thus, it has the same power and authority as the spoken Word that created all things. The Word is not only in the written form in the context that existed at the time of writing, but it also transcends time as the Rhema Word of God. This means that some words spoken or written many years back may speak to us today to our situation. In fact, God speaks to us mostly through the written Word being applied to our present circumstances and situations. An encouragement to be strong and courageous, specifically directed to Joshua to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land, may be applied by us as we journey with God in our walk of faith. The context may be different, but the encouragement is the same. The same power and authority that created the world and all things are still present that we believe that as much as we are encouraged, God’s strength and boldness will become ours.

A word of caution, though. As much as God or Jesus or the Holy Spirit speaks to us through the Word, it is usually for His Kingdom’s sake and our own spiritual growth or relationship with Him. Not so much our own personal interests even though God loves us and has our interests at heart. Some things are a matter of choice and preference, and it is not for us to put it up for Him to decide for us. For example, the colour we like or the shirt we wear or the car we drive. Or should I buy a Taylor or a Gibson or a Martin? Or a Nikon, a Canon or Fuji or Leica. Android or Apple or Huawei? Thus, we should not say that it was God who decided that I should use an Apple phone and not an Android or Huawei.

In closing, I just like to remind us that the Word of God has power and authority over both spiritual forces and the natural. Remember that Jesus spoke to the raging storm, and it calmed down to a whisper. The wind and the waves still know His name today. Call upon the name of Jesus in our difficult struggles, and He will give us rest and the strength to overcome and emerge victorious!

Vanity of vanities

https://odb.org/2024/01/02/the-son-also-rises

Life, as we know, it is, in a way, meaningless. We are born, and our parents raise us up. We go to school, then later to university (some straight into the workforce after school). We learn about life in school and mix with our friends. Celebrate birthdays. Go through things we fear, like seeing the dentist or sprinting. For the former, everyone shudders when the nurse comes to class and starts calling names. For the latter, I recall that running even 100m was daunting when I was 7 or 8 years old. 400m was quite impossible. Later, we enter the workforce and work until we retire. We fall in love and get married. Have children of our own. We bring them through the same process.

In the midst of living, crisises occur every now and then. As an example, I remember the first time I met an accident with my new car, at a roundabout in Subang Jaya. I was so focused on clearing the roundabout that I forgot the car in front had not yet moved and knocked straight into it. There was no damage to that car, but my bumper dropped down. Had to claim insurance as I didn’t have much money then. Made a police report. In our early work days, we didn’t have much as we were just starting out. We have to count every penny and make every ringgit count.

One day, our children will go through the same process. One day, we will become old, and our turn will come to leave this world even as we attend more funerals than weddings as we grow older. The question is, what is life all about? We live to only exist? We have dreams and aspirations. We achieve those dreams and aspirations. Is that life? An endless cycle of births, living and dying? I guess in that sense, we are better than animals, some who live just to be food for others. Yet is this life?

The conclusion Solomon made (believed to be the author of Ecclesiastes) is that life is indeed vanity of vanities (meaningless) if lived without God. God gives meaning and purpose to our lives as we live a purpose-driven life. A life lived to fulfil His plans and purposes for our lives. A life lived in fulfilment of His calling for us.

Everyone aspires to live a better life, but we live within òur means. With God with us, we find contentment with life. There are others worse than us and others better. It doesn’t matter so long as we are living in the fullness of His will. There is equilibrium when we live in the centre of God’s purposes. That is why John the Baptist declared that the Kingdom of God is at hand. Jesus came and made it possible for the Kingdom of God to penetrate into the natural that as believers, we became the Kingdom of God.

The icing on the cake is that we also have eternal life. We will get to live in the fullness of His will forever and ever in the new heaven and new earth. Jesus will return for His bride. It is believed to be within this generation. We need to quickly find our purpose and call in God and live life in equilibrium.

Blessed New Year, everyone! May 2024 be the turning point in our lives! May we find our true self in God and excel at becoming the person God had always wanted us to be, even before the foundations of the world!

Righteousness

https://odb.org/2023/12/31/the-righteous-city

Once we have believed in Jesus and accepted Him, our pursuit in life becomes a pursuit for righteousness. We are made righteous before God because of the blood of Christ shed on Calvary, and we want to be righteous henceforth in the things we do, the words we say, and the thoughts we think. We want our words and actions to reflect our righteousness in God. Of course, along the way, we are tempted, and we fail. We compromise our standards and conform to the world. But we do not give up and continue to strive. Sometimes hardship comes, and we want to take the easy way out. Perhaps we did, but maybe we didn’t. Either way, we continue on this journey of righteousness. We persevere on. We look forward to the new city, the new heaven and the new earth, the day righteousness will reign and evil will be no more.

If we look back at the opportunities we gave up and the paths we forsook because of righteousness, we know the Lord is proud of us. There were times we suffered consequences because of our insistence on doing the right thing, on righteousness. We may have resigned from our job because we did not want to compromise our stand and beliefs.

This life is a sojourn. This is not our permanent abode. We are mere pilgrims passing through the earth. The things we should build up and keep are those of eternity. Store up our treasures in heaven. Do good deeds, serve God, and love the Lord with all our heart, strength, and mind. Give Him our all. Live in righteousness. Our time will come one day. On this earth or beyond. In the meantime, we push on towards the crown of glory that awaits us as we complete our race until the finish line.

Blessed Sunday, everyone! Have a meaningful time worshipping God today!

Crown of life

https://odb.org/2023/12/29/keep-running-2

A recurring theme in these pages is that of perseverance, something common in the New Testament letters of the Apostles. This is because during the 1st century era, just after the death and resurrection of Christ, believers of the Way were under tremendous persecution. In the early days, it was mostly economic persecution, and their solution was to pool their resources together so that everyone in the community of believers were able to live as one. I guess they were driven by their common destiny in Christ, and perhaps at that time, they expected Christ to return soon. Little did they know or expect that their persecution would get worse as time moved on with believers being caught and burned on stakes. Even later, they were thrown into the Roman arenas for entertainment as wild beasts devoured them. It was martyrdom and death for the followers of Christ.

At the spiritual level, it was probably Satan’s attempt to snuff off the faith, but instead, it continued to spread from Jerusalem, Judea to Samaria, and across the rest of the world touching Jews and Gentiles alike. Unfortunately, until today, the Jews still reject Christ, but there remained Christians in Israel who descended not only from these first century believers but also those from the time of the Byzantine Empire who ruled Palestine after the Romans.

There are no direct parallels in the present age as Christians are generally well-off, whether in Malaysia or the United States or elsewhere. However, there will come a time of intense trials and tribulations before Christ returns, and many believe, looking at the signs of the present time, that the time is near. No one knows for sure, only the Father knows. But it’s best we are prepared for it in our generation. A time will come where, without the mark of the beast, we will not be able to buy and sell.

James 1:12 then becomes relevant. Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

We don’t know what lies ahead in the Great Tribulation, but we hold on to the promise that the Lord will not test us beyond our point of endurance and that He will strengthen us to persevere on when the time comes.

Meeting the needs of others

https://odb.org/2023/12/28/phillips-wish

When we look around us, we will always find people who dedicate their lives to helping others, whether formally via an NGO or as a volunteer somewhere. They are not the norm. An exception to the general populace, but nevertheless, they are sincere and genuine. Many are non-Christians. What drives them? Probably their compassion and love for those in need. I have a colleague whose father had set up a tuition centre for poor kids, and he had spent a considerable part of his adult life doing this work. Because of his dedication, she has invariably been drawn into the work herself.

As believers in Christ, our Heavenly Father also has the same heart as these people. He has a special place in His heart for the widows, orphans and foreigners, the poorest of the poor, the ones in ancient Jewish society without land, and thus would need to work for their living. In fact, God enacted laws to ensure that the marginalised have food on their table. By law, landowners are not to harvest all of their crops but must leave behind some leftovers for the poor to glean.

If we could, as believers, actively participate in these social endeavours, that would be the best. Or we could contribute finance to these efforts. In other words, helping out such non-mission efforts with our money is good stewardship since this is where the heart of the Father is. There are welfare organisations, orphanages, and social oriented work we could contribute our money and efforts.

Ultimately, if we were to just help a friend in need, that would also be good. The important thing is to have a heart of compassion that our lives are not centred just on our own needs and interests. After believing in Jesus, we must become someone kinder, more compassionate, and in tune with the move of the Holy Spirit. In general, be kind, helpful, and generous, but specifically, respond to God as the Holy Spirit prompts our hearts. We are on our way to spiritual maturity if we develop these traits in our character.

Godly wisdom

https://odb.org/2023/12/27/wisdom-saves-lives

If we live our lives in accordance with God’s Word and always do what is right, we will be blessed with Godly wisdom, simply because God is with us. This is similar to how God was with Joseph and Joshua. This Godly wisdom can come in the form of discernment or just plain word of knowledge, the latter being the Holy Spirit telling us things to prepare us or to help us help others. The writer of Proverbs, King Solomon, was asked which would he choose – riches or wisdom? He chose wisdom, and it was a wise choice as he was a wise man! But if you read his other book Ecclesiastes, his conclusion is that the wisest decision any person can ever make is to choose God or else life is just pure vanity. In other words, life is meaningless without God. In the New Testament, we know that because Jesus gave us eternal life by His death on the cross. In Christ, we have the hope of the new heaven and new earth, where God will dwell among mankind again.

Proverbs 11:24 teaches that if we give freely, we gain more, but if we withhold unduly, we will become poor. Generosity breeds blessings, but stinginess or miserly leads to poverty. That is Godly wisdom and is one example of us living our lives in accordance with His Word. Thus, His Word is not just a moral code but really gems on how to unravel the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. Logically, how can giving away our wealth make us having more? The spiritual principle is that if we give generously, perhaps God will open up the heavens to bless us so that we will have more to give. Or by giving freely, our hearts are set free and liberated to be more contented with the less that we have (after giving) or at least we find some extra meaning to our life. We don’t just work to earn a living but also to help others. We have an altruistic role in life.

Conversely, if we hold on to what we have so tightly and strongly, God may withhold His heavenly blessings, and thus, we may not find contentment or peace or joy in the millions we have. Or we are just caught up in the downward spiral of acquiring the next million, every day worrying whether we are getting a lesser return for our cash or someone will cheat us. Wealthy but miserable, always worried.

Follow His Word, live according to His Word, and we will be blessed with Godly wisdom. One such wisdom is to give generously. Of course, the ultimate Godly wisdom is to choose God over everything else. Follow Jesus Christ as He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one goes to the Father except through Him.

Magi and the Star of Bethlehem

https://odb.org/2023/12/24/finding-home

As we read the account of the Magi from the East following the Star of Bethlehem and finding Jesus and giving Him the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (see Matthew 2) – the thing which speaks to me is not just the Magi but also the Star of Bethlehem. To me, it was spectacular and incredible, even magical that a star suddenly appeared to guide the Magi from the East all the way to Bethlehem. It would have taken them quite some time to reach Bethlehem if the tradition that they came from Persia, Arabia, and India is true. That is why we can never downplay the birth of Jesus – He was indeed the King of Jews, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. God even made cosmic changes to proclaim the human birth of His son, whom He had sent to save mankind for eternal life.

Even as the LORD God created the Star of Bethlehem for the Magi from the East, each of us will have our own Star of Bethlehem that will lead us to Jesus Christ. God speaks to our hearts and leads us to Jesus. The Holy Spirit brings us conviction and opens up our spiritual eyes by removing the scales that blinded our human understanding of who Jesus is. I had my own personal experience finding Christ, and I’m sure every believer likewise has a similar personal encounter. We all have our own Star of Bethlehem, which led us to discover and know Christ for who He is.

My prayer for us as we attend church today for the Christmas Eve Sunday service is that we will find Christ in the midst of all the festivities, presentations, and performances. Christmas is the peak of all the activities in church. It is evangelistic but also very hectic and busy. I pray that amidst all the hustle and bustle of Christmas, the razzle dazzle of them all, that we will all be able to hear the still small voice of God calling us to Himself, to be a part of His family. Jesus came to the earth two thousand years ago as Immanuel – God with us, God living among men. Will we accept His gift of salvation?

The time for His return is fast approaching. The window for us to accept Him in faith is also fast closing. After that, we will still be given the chance, but it will be much harder and more difficult, and provided that we still have breadth. Find Him while He is still there to be found (Isaiah 55:6), while it is still daytime as night is coming when no one can work (John 9:4).

Have a great Christmas Eve celebration today, every one!