The Berlin Wall

https://odb.org/2023/12/22/a-wall-torn-down

The Berlin Wall fell on 9 November 1989 and was a historical event unimaginable then. I remember thinking how impossible it was, and yet it happened. Two years later, in 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed. The difference was that with the fall of the Berlin Wall, East and West Germany were genuinely reunited. But with the Soviet Union collapse, Russia remained the lynchpin, with most of the ex Soviet countries still aligned to her. Ukraine, being the second largest country, became alligned to the West, and her stated intention to join the EU led to the present Russian-Ukraine war.

In the history of our faith, the wall in the form of the veil in the temple was broken with the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Man was thus reconciled to God. The wall separating Jews and Gentiles was also broken, enabling Gentiles to be grafted into the family of God. In the past, Gentiles were not allowed beyond the outer courts of the Temple.

The verse that comes to mind is Matthew 19:26 – “With men, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.” Sometimes, when we look at our family and friends, we dismiss them as impossible to accept Christ. Yet, God is able to turn them around, no matter how hostile or indifferent they were before. They could face a personal tragedy, and suddenly, they needed an anchor in their lives. I think it’s best we realise that we need God early in life so that He need not allow certain things to happen to us to draw near to Him. Our role is to reflect Christ in our lives, share with them our testimony and our experiences in God, and pray that their spiritual eyes may be opened one day. Jesus has already opened the way. We just need to guide and show them the right path.

Don’t lose hope when it comes to our friends and family. Jesus will open their eyes and remove the scales. God will soften their hearts. They will turn to Him one day. Believe it, don’t lose faith, and continue to pray for them! Don’t give up. Keep on believing and praying.

Christmas memories

https://odb.org/2023/12/21/the-light-of-hope

I recall that as a family, we used to celebrate Christmas even when we were yet true believers. We had always identified ourselves as Christians even though we knew very little of the faith then. So we will set up the Christmas tree, my father will buy and wrap up presents and my mum will cook us a few nice dishes. Since it was the year-end school holidays and my dad was a teacher, it was a time to chill and relax before the new school year began a week later. We spend the Christmas season listening to Christmas songs on the home stereo set and catching a few Christmas programs on TV. I think we celebrated Christmas with more intensity than Chinese New Year, although for the latter, we were usually at my parents’ hometown amongst my grandparents, uncles, aunties, and cousins and thus there was an air of festivities with firecrackers, ang pows, some siew yoke and other delicacies, and mahjong among the adults.

Time has moved on, and some experiences of the past remained just as memories, distant ones. These memories could not be recreated anymore in the present as my parents are no longer here with us.

In our life journey, my parents later discovered Christ by the grace of God and became Christians, born-again believers, having accepted Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Christmas then became more centred around the church and its Christmas programmes.

But with Christ in our lives, it also means that as a family, we have the hope that one day we will all be reunited in heaven, with my parents and my own children one day. We have that hope that we will live in the new heaven and earth where there will no longer be tears, disease, suffering, or evil. Every living thing, whether man, beast, or even the environment, will live in perfect harmony with one another.

Cling on to the hope Christ has given us. Past Christmas memories may remain as distant memories, but they will be recreated one day. In the meantime, let’s create new and fresh Christmas memories in Christ Jesus as we journey with Him and dwell in the House of the Lord in the days to come!

Have a very blessed and Merry Christmas, everyone!

Forgetting what’s behind

https://odb.org/2023/12/20/forgettable

Isaiah 43:25 speaks of God forgetting the sins of Israel and Judah. He remembers them no more. In verses 18 and 19, He urges them to forget the former things, not to dwell in the past. Instead, see that the LORD is doing a new thing amongst them.

As humans and even believers, we have an unhealthy tendency to dwell in the past. Our past sins and indiscretions. Our former failures, disappointments, or even failed relationships. Our failed attempts at our perception of what success looked like. But time and tide wait for no man. The world has moved on. We are no longer twenty-one or even 30 anymore. Even our past glories and success stories are in the past.

It’s really time we leave the past where it belongs – in the past. Put it behind us, learn our life lessons, and move on in life. As the LORD had advised Israel and Judah in Isaiah 43:18-19, forget the former things and don’t dwell in the past. What could have been, could have been. It can not be anymore. God is doing a new thing among us. What lies ahead is what matters. Jesus is doing new things in our midst. Do not relive our past glory but bask in the glory of His presence. In the now, the contemporary and the future. Our remaining days here on earth. Limited as it is. Nevertheless, we can make something meaningful out of it if we were to put our hearts into it.

In a more contemporary setting in contrast to Isaiah, Paul taught the same thing in Philippians 3:13-14, forgetting what is behind but straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Our past glory, disappointments, our former what was, and what could have been – leave them behind in the past. Strive instead for what is ahead as the Holy Spirit leads and empowers us! Amen!

Wrestling with God

https://odb.org/2023/12/19/the-meaning-of-a-scar

The story of Jacob wrestling with God in Genesis 32:22-32 was a breakthrough that changed Jacob from a cunning and conniving man (who tricked his father Isaac to give to him the blessings of his brother Esau) to one who prevailed in persistence. Jacob named the place he wrestled with God as Peniel because he saw God face to face, and his life was spared. God also renamed him Israel. It is from Jacob that the Israelites derived their name as a nation, that is, a person who struggled or wrestled with God and prevailed. In Genesis 32, Jacob refused to let the man go unless He blessed him, and that man (who was God in human form) blessed Jacob and changed his name to Israel.

I guess in the spiritual realm, there may be a need to wrestle or struggle with God before we get a breakthrough or a new name. The context, of course, is not to resist God or His calling until we get our way. The LORD doesn’t work like that because we always have a choice. In any situation with God, we could always walk away. It is also not our place to ask the Almighty “Great I Am” to follow us.

To me, to wrestle with God is to cling on and not let go of Him until He grants us His blessing, His grace, and anointing that we will indeed have a breakthrough. In response to His calling, we hold on to it until it is fulfilled. We have to be as persistent as Jacob and like Jacob, we may end up with a wound and a scar, but that’s a small sacrifice for the transformation we will experience in our spiritual life.

Be like Jacob. Be persistent with God. Follow Him and fulfil His plans and purposes for our lives. Do not wrestle with the LORD so that He follows our way. That is NOT the spiritual principle from Jacob’s encounter with the LORD!

Our God is near

https://odb.org/2023/12/18/my-god-is-near

I think if we are facing some major crisis or an important exam or presentation like a board meeting or a performance like singing in an event or preaching in church, it is difficult not to be anxious. We are anxious because we are worried that things will not be smooth or will not work out or we may not do as well as we could. Or if a loved one is hospitalised, we are worried that the end result is bad.

But Paul teaches in Philippians 4:6 not to be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition (supplication), with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. In verse 5, Paul reiterates that God is near. In essence, God hears our prayers and knows what we are going through. Thus, being anxious or worried will not change the situation or make the outcome better.

I guess if the outcome is somewhat within our control like an exam, presentation, or sermon, we could prepare better. In a lot of situations, it is 90% preparation and 10% delivery. In situations beyond our control, our anxiety adds nothing but may even be harmful to our own well-being.

In any case, prepare as much as we can if the situation allows and then leave everything to God. He knows best. But note one important point, present our requests in prayer and petition, with thanksgiving. Always be thankful and grateful for His abundant grace and mercy in our lives, especially His gift of salvation. Because of that, we are assured of our destiny. In the end, what matters is that we have God with us, and we will be with Him in eternity. Therefore, put our trust and hope in God. Don’t be anxious about anything. In all situations, commit them to God. He knows best.

Christmas gathering

https://odb.org/2023/12/17/christmas-dilemma

Most of us would usually be busy in church when the Christmas season comes. There will be lots of activities and lots to do as most churches gear up for their main evangelistic event of the year, for some the finale to cap the year. This year, my family and I are not involved in the activities and thus have more time to chill and enjoy the year-end festivities. We are having a New Year’s Eve gathering with our cell group at our place, so there will be some work there, but that’s the week after Christmas.

Besides being a time to remember and celebrate the birth of Christ, Christmas is a great time to gather with family and friends to catch up and celebrate the goodness of God. For some families, it is a tradition to enjoy a great time together. But for those who are active in church, church usually takes precedence, with less time for family and other gatherings.

I think a balance needs to be made that we remain active and yet take time off to meet as a family and with friends. Perhaps the food may not be that elaborate, and everyone could chip in as a potluck to lessen the burden on the host since most are busy in church. While many are not able to avoid their ministry responsibilities, let’s still make it a point to meet up to just enjoy the time together, putting aside work and ministry. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!

Merry and blessed Christmas, everyone! It is a week away, but let the festivities begin as we celebrate the goodness of God in our lives through Christ Jesus! Have a great time worshipping God today, and may the Holy Spirit move powerfully in our midst today and touch all of our hearts!

Equal before God

https://odb.org/2023/12/15/equal-before-god

Life is never equal for everyone. I used to wonder and even lament why I was born in Malaysia to ethnic Chinese parents (with Baba Nyonya blood in my mum’s side) where we faced institutional discrimination from when we were young. They say the Chinese are rich, but we were certainly not. Until the day my dad, our sole breadwinner, retired as a primary school teacher, we were still making ends meet month to month. The retirement brought him a gratuity after 35 years of government service. That was his life savings, and there was finally a significant surplus in the family balance sheet. I used to wonder why I was not born into the majority race in Malaysia? But after knowing Jesus, I count it a blessing I was not. As migrants and a minority, we had to be resilient to face the world and still come up tops. With God on our side, we have fared better as a family without the benefit of inherited wealth and despite facing obstacles unique to our situation in life.

But God is fair in the sense that when it comes to our faith and who we are in Him, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Not only in terms of humanity but also the inequality of our birth is irrelevant and inconsequential to Jesus. He came and died for our sins regardless of who we are in the world, whether Jew or Gentile, whether a beggar or a billionaire, an infantry or a general, a Chinese, Malay or Indian or Kadazan or Iban, Persian or Arab? So long as we are humans, our blood is red, and we will be susceptible to disease and old age, and one day, all of us will die and meet Jesus. Will it be at the Great White Throne Judgment or the Judgment Seat of Christ (bema, in Greek)? Do we believe by faith that Christ died for our sins and was resurrected on the 3rd day, and do we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour? Are our names written in the Book of Life?

On reflection, after working for more than 30 years now and having lived for more than 50 years, my conclusion is that it doesn’t really matter who we were born as. It is for us to make something out of our lives, but most importantly, we are all equal before God. Each and every one of us is given an equal chance to accept and know Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. God will help and mould everyone who comes to Him for Him to fulfil His plans and purposes for our lives. He loves and cares for us all in equal measures. In the end, that’s what matters the most. Life may not be fair, but God is.

Paul wrote it so beautifully in Romans 8:38-39: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come. Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

My exhortation to all of us today is to forget the past and what is behind, and instead strain toward what is ahead and press on to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. Make sure we make it past the finish line with our names still written in the Book of Life! Hallelujah! God is good, all the time!

Be still and know that I am God

https://odb.org/2023/12/14/appetite-for-distraction

In the present world of mobile apps, we spend an inordinate amount of time on our phone or tablet, just browsing, whether on social media, YouTube, or just catching the news. This is particularly so with the younger generation so much so that pay TV as a business model is now well past its prime. In other words, if you’re still in the business (I was for more than 20 years), you have no choice but to plough on. It is still profitable, but profits have reduced drastically to less than 20% of what it used to be. Thus, if they used to bring in RM500 mil for their shareholders, they now struggle to even make RM100 mil. Partly due to boring content and partly due to competition from global players, with the most significant impact coming from the change in content consumption habits due to the advent of social media and handsets getting more and more powerful by the day. There is still a place for the big screen whether at home or at the cinema but it is limited. Thus, in Malaysia, would you trade your Astro for Netflix? Most likely, if you are not a live sports fan.

This change in content consumption habits may also impact some of us in relating to God. For example, we may not be able to get away from our phones or tablets to just be quiet before God. Or spend our free time meditating on the Word when we are more inclined to browse, to find out what’s happening, say in the Isareli-Hamas war, or whether the US is still funding Ukraine or how far China is progressing in making 5nm chips without advanced topography tools or have they started making the latter on their own? Or we may just turn on the TV and watch YouTube or Netflix or Astro.

The world is very busy, and a lot of information is disseminated every moment, much of which is accessible by us one way or another. When we catch a breather, can we somehow pray and meditate instead of jumping on our phone or tablets or TV? Can we pick up our guitar or play our keyboard and worship God for an hour or two, and pray and meditate upon His Word? Our hearts have to be genuinely still and rested to be able to hear that still small voice of God speaking to us. We need to be still to know that God is God and Jesus is Lord – Psalm 46:10 – Be still and know that I am God.

Perseverance triumph trials and tribulations

https://odb.org/2023/12/13/overcoming

The story of Anne Sullivan, the subject matter of today’s ODB, bears similarities to Joseph son of Jacob of the Bible. Despite one misfortune after another, they prevailed in the end. In the case of Anne, she developed a method to teach deaf and blind people how to read, especially Helen Keller, a well-known blind activist for the blind. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Sullivan

For Joseph, from being sold to slave traders by his own brothers to being thrown in jail for at least 11 years for a crime he didn’t commit, he rose to interpret dreams for the Pharoah and became the second in command in Egypt. In the process, through God working in him, Joseph saved Egypt from famine and eventually saved his own family. The Jacob household, the remnant of the descendants and family of Abraham then, remained in Egypt for 430 years and became slaves to the Egyptians after Joseph passed on. By the time God raised Moses to free the Israelites from Egypt and bring them to Canaan as the land promised to Abraham (present day Israel), their adult men already numbered 600,000.

I doubt anyone would have suffered the misfortunes of Anne or Joseph (except Job). But even if we did, if we know the Lord, He is able to achieve His plans and purposes for our lives notwithstanding all that we had gone through and are going through. Like Joseph, even though his brothers intended him harm, God brought salvation to the children of Abraham and preserved the line and nation for Jesus to come to the world to save mankind. As many as 6 million Jews were massacred during the Holocaust in WW2, there remained approximately 14 million Jews in the world today. The Jews preserved on despite attempts and professed plans to end their existence.

We are assured of a life in eternity if we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one goes to the Father except through Him. Yet if we hold on to Him, He is able to bring us out of our present day trials and tribulations and sufferings and achieve His plans and purposes for our lives. Perhaps our situation is not like that of Joseph, which led to the survival of a nation. Nevertheless, our response to God will determine the faith and direction of our own family, children, children’s children, and generations down the line.

Strong tower

https://odb.org/2023/12/12/strong-tower

Proverbs 18:11-13 teaches that: the name of the LORD is a fortified tower, the righteous run to it, and are safe. The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it a wall too high to scale. Before a downfall, the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honour.

It is ancient and Godly wisdom that although wealth is something tangible that we can rely upon to sustain us – even for generations, it has a tendency to snare us falling into the pride of life, the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh. With wealth, we are more likely to fall, particularly in pride and then into debauchery – living a life driven by wealth and worldly pursuits with no or little regard for the LORD. That is why God teaches us from Proverbs that our fortified tower is only the LORD. Choose God over wealth, and with wealth, we still choose God. Make sure our heart is not haughty as the LORD teaches – humility comes before honour. In other words, being humble is more important than saving face.

There have been people who have lost all to maintain their pride and ego to prove; for example, they can lose that much. It is a silly pursuit because God is the real safe harbour, the genuine fortified tower. He is the ONLY path to eternity. That is also why Jesus taught us to store up our riches in heaven where moth and rust may not destroy, and thieves will not steal. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?

There were some who pursued wealth so that one day they would have financial freedom, and yet when they have wealth, the wealth possessed them to acquire more and more. Like the ring in the Lord of the Rings. It is ironic and yet true; the rich are stingy and hold on tightly to their millions, some even embracing their money to the grave rather than blessing others. Alas on the other side, earthly wealth is of zero consequence. Naked we came, naked shall we go.

God is the real strong tower. Not our career or position in life. Definitely not our wealth. Choose God over wealth and when wealthy, still continue to choose God. Solomon did the former well but faltered in the latter. His conclusion in Ecclesiastes? Life without God is meaningless.