Liked and loved by the LORD

https://odb.org/2024/06/05/a-not-so-brief-history-of-like

I think wanting to be liked by others is something ingrained in us (some say, hardwired). Thus, the creator of likes in social media is a genius taking advantage of an inherent desire in humans, although Justin Rosenstein regrets the ensuing social media addiction by many. Fortunately, God first loved us and continues to love us.

In Jeremiah 1:5, God told Jeremiah that before He formed him in the womb, He knew him, before he was born, He set him apart and appointed him as a prophet to the nations. Jeremiah answered that alas, he doesn’t know how to speak as he is too young. God then told him not to say he is too young. He must just go to everyone He sends him to and say whatever He commands him. Do not be afraid for I am with you and will rescue you, says the LORD.

Taking Jeremiah as an example, we are likewise liked and loved by God even before we were formed in our mother’s womb. Like Jeremiah, God had already prepared and chosen us for His plans and purposes for our lives before, even before the foundations of the world (Ephesians 1:4).

As we live our lives and traverse the world that we were born into in terms of place, family, community, and era of time, we often struggle between pleasing man or God as a child of God. We cannot don’t care what people think of us as we are hardwired to want others to like us. But if we face the crossroad of choosing between pleasing God or man, I pray that we will all be wise enough to choose the former. Know that God likes and loves us. Always choose to please God as He holds our destiny in the next place. In the world, it is suicidal and futile to fight your own boss as he or she holds the keys to your future in the company. Likewise, it is clearly and simply foolish to rebel against God in our lives, especially when God genuinely likes, loves, and cares for us. In Jeremiah 29:11, speaking to the Israelites, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future”.

God’s Word for us today is that He likes and loves us, and like Jeremiah, He has set us apart before the foundations of the world to be holy and acceptable before Him.

Like a deer pants for water

https://odb.org/2024/06/04/thirsty-and-thankful

If you ever had a strenuous bout of competitive sports like playing a good set of badminton, you will realise how thirsty you can become. For me, the tendency before was to gulp down a 500ml bottle of 100 Plus or Gatorade or some isotonic sports drink to quickly replace the electrolytes and fluids. But the body trigger is thrist. In sports, the added carbohydrates may give us an energy boost. Actually, just plain water is good enough to quench our thrist and when really thristy, even plain water tastes illusionary sweet! That is why wildlife, like the wildebeest or the impala even cheetahs in the Serengeti, brave the dangers posed by crocodiles in the waters. They just needed to quench their thrist to rehydrate their bodies.

Psalm 42, attributed to the Sons of Korah, likens our desire for God to that of a thristy deer panting for streams of water. I guess as Solomon concluded in Ecclesiastes, we humans can not really live without God. Life is all vanity, meaningless, but becomes meaningful when we live for God. We then have a mission, a goal in this earthly life for God. We are assured of our destiny on the other side of eternity, by the grace of God through the blood of Christ. We can look forward to Eden Recreated.

A point I like to highlight this morning is that the Sons of Korah were descendants of a man named Korah who was part of a rebellion to overthrow Moses in the wilderness. The rebels who were not part of God’s plans were severely punished, and yet the descendants of Korah were reconciled to God, becoming worship leaders in the Israeli congregation. Such a remarkable turnaround and also such a privilege to be a worship leader for God. If you worship lead, whethe in a congregation or a cell group, count that a privilege and honour. It’s an exalted place of service!

God, by sending His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth 2,000 years loved us so much that whosoever believed in Him shall not perish but have life everlasting. As the deer pants for the streams of water, our soul longs for God. If we have known God already, cherish and appreciate our life in Him. Fulfil His plans and purposes for our lives. Respond to His calling for us. If we have yet to know God, perhaps it is time to do so. We need God in our lives like the deer pants for the water.

Cleansed by the blood of Christ

https://odb.org/2024/06/03/cleansed-by-christ

The picture of a water filter turning murky water into crystal clear clean water is, to me, a perfect picture of how the blood of the Lamb cleanses us from sin to righteousness in God. Through Christ, we are presented blameless and unblemished before God. It is by the grace of God and not through our own works (efforts) as the murky water is not able to cleanse itself without the filter. Only Christ can do that for us and make us white as snow before God.

That doesn’t mean that we will never sin again. It takes time and effort to transform our old self to our new man in Christ. With the power of the Holy Spirit, we will be able to do much better, but it is nevertheless a process. The more we are willing to yield to Christ, the better we will become.

1 John 1: 8-9 gives us a very effective approach to deal with sin. 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. We have to be humble and honest before God and confess our sins whenever we sin. He is faithful to forgive us. But we need to be humble and truthful before God. We can not claim to be without sin. The important thing is to confess and repent. Over time, with the power of the Holy Spirit, we will become overcomers and victors in Christ!

Paul taught before in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what’s God will is – His good, pleasing, and perfect will. ” Read and study the Word. As we immerse ourselves in His Word, we will be like the tree planted by rivers of water that brings forth fruit in our season, whose leaf will not wither and whatsoever we do shall prosper (Psalm 1:3). Amen!

Generosity and God

https://odb.org/2024/06/02/generously-given-and-shared

One of the common themes in these pages is the one on generosity. The LORD loves a cheerful giver, not only a giver to the church but more so, a giver to those in need. Like the young couple in today’s ODB that needed a lower interest rate loan to settle a study loan of which they couldn’t get from a local bank due to their short credit history. Instead, their friend, who is an elder in the local church, decided to lend them the money interest-free. Sometimes, generosity may not require us to part with capital but just to forgo the interest income we could obtain from  a bank for the capital.

In Psalm 112:5, it is written that good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice. In other words, we should be generous and fair. We don’t take advantage of other people’s predicament or misfortune, like buying over the distressed assets of a brother facing foreclosure. Instead, if we could, we should extend him a loan for him to keep his creditors at bay. When the economy improves, he should be able to repay us. This is not mandatory, but if we do this, good will come our way as God loves a generous person.

But sometimes, generosity also means giving away money to a worthy cause. Not just forgoing interest. Some causes have perpetual benefits, like contributing to mission organisations that spread the Gospel. Sometimes, the impact of our money will only be felt a few generations away, especially those involved in urban renewal projects or contributions for work in closed countries. Nevertheless, these are worthy causes, and we can give an amount we are comfortable with, balancing our need to save for our old age.

Be generous. It doesn’t mean that we need to give large sums of money. It just means that we are willing to lend or give freely with justice and fairness. Give or lend what we can afford, but do it cheerfully and generously as the Lord loves a cheerful and generous giver! Amen!

False teachers

https://odb.org/2024/05/31/mercy-through-pizza

During the days of the early church, there was already the issue of false teachers. Perhaps it was understandable then as the faith itself was finding its footing. Over the centuries, despite differences in opinions, we are now settled on the tenets of our faith. For example, the bible is what we see today, comprises of 66 books – 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. This is known as the cannonised bible, where, over time, the leaders of the church discovered what scriptures were authoritative.

There was a time when the charismatic movement was looked upon with horror and utmost suspicion. A few more radical movements that focussed on living dedicated lives for God were even branded as cults. Nowadays, I believe that charismatics are accepted as part of the mainstream Christian community, as in the end, it is the service and character of a believer that count, rather than pure demonstration of the power of God. The prosperity Gospel expounded by some proponents had a lot of bad press and rightly so.

As we enter the end times, there will increasingly be people putting their views through. Most are true, but some may be advocating false teachings. Even then, it is more likely unintentional or just the devil manipulating things to twist the truth like he did with Eve in the Garden of Eden.

I think the most effective way to counter false teachings is to be better equipped ourselves with the knowledge of the Word. Seminars and conferences may be good, but perhaps short courses like the Old or New Testament surveys from a reputable bible school may be better. Perhaps we should be looking for more insights into the mysteries of the Kingdom rather than just a personal spiritual breakthrough. And never cease serving God as it is in our service that we will find the fullness of joy and the peace that transcends all understanding.

What do I regret?

https://odb.org/2024/05/29/advice-from-one-older

As the elder ones in our social circles, we may want to give advice to the younger ones as we grow older. For example, what do I regret? Is there something that we would have done differently if we were given the opportunity to live all over again? This is purely hypothetical. There are second chances in life, but time waits for no man. What has passed has passed. We can not turn back the clock. We can only reflect and teach others not to repeat our mistakes.

In today’s ODB, the writer wrote about George Saunders, incidentally a writer by profession, who regrets failures of kindness. In other words, he regretted not showing kindness when he should. For me, kindness, gentleness, and self-control are all part of the fruit of the Spirit, and those characteristics take time to develop to become second nature to us. We all start with fleshy and selfish desires due to our fallen nature.

But as an older person to the younger ones, what I do hope we do not regret is not having given enough of our lives to God, having not yet discovered God’s plans and purposes for us. Having not responded to His calling for us when younger. We had delayed serving God until much later when we could have done so much more if we had responded to God earlier.

If we are already old now, don’t despair as our God is a God of second chances. Jesus is always there to spur us on, to encourage us. We need to start now, start immediately whatever age we are. So long as we are still breathing. But if we are still young, start now too as there is much we can do if we start when young. Respond to Christ now even as He gives us a vision for our future in Him. Don’t wait or delay anymore. The time to give our lives to Him and serve Him with all our heart is NOW! Don’t regret in our old age, not having done this when younger.

Praise and worship

https://odb.org/2024/05/28/impromptu-praise

Acts 16:16-26 is a well-known passage of Paul and Silas being publicly flogged and then thrown into prison after casting out a powerful demon of divination from a slave girl. Although they were placed in the inner cell and had their legs bound to chains, they sang praises and worshipped God. The praises and worship brought an amazing miracle in the form of an earthquake that shook the foundations of the prison and threw open the prison doors and broke their chains. But it ultimately brought salvation to the jailer and his family.  When the former was about to take his own life, he realised that the prisoners did not flee and thus saw in amazement the miracle brought by Paul and Silas’s praises and worship.

I think it is good to cultivate our own time of praise and worship with just a simple guitar or piano accompaniment. We could just praise and worship God with our instrument. Or we sing along to Youtube playing our favourite worship songs. Besides bringing peace and calm to our sometimes chaotic lives, praise and worship can usher in the tangible presence of God into our midst. A lot of times, we just need a steady and confident heart to face and overcome difficult life situations, and praise and worship will help us put our faith and trust in God. We have the hope that the future will look up for us as we look heavenward towards our Lord Jesus Christ, our hope of glory.

Cultivate a personal time to praise and worship God. Corporate worship is strong and powerful as the congregation sings praises with the heavenly hosts in the spiritual realm, but our own time with God is special and personal to us. Both personal and congregational worship are good for us to be strengthened in our spirit as we bask in the glory of His presence.

The devourer

https://odb.org/2024/05/27/when-its-time

We need to recognise and be aware that besides our own fleshy and selfish desires, there is someone else out there encouraging us not to follow God on the narrow path to righteousness. He tempts and seduces us to take the more common path favoured by most people. The path of least resistance. For some, this path may lead to worldly riches and fame – the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. He is the devil, and together with his cohorts, their mission in life is to deceive as many souls as possible to join them in the lake of fire where there is gnashing of teeth. A place of eternal damnation instead of eternal life as promised by our Lord Jesus Christ to those who believed in Him and hold on to the faith until the very end.

I think one of the most important elements to preempt and avoid attempts of the evil one to deceive and ensnare us is our own desires of the flesh and self. We need to put our trust in the Lord and surrender our life and future here on earth unto Him for His plans for us is not to harm us but to prosper us and give us a hope and a future Jeremiah 29:11. The devil will continue to tempt, seduce, entice, and deceive us. We can not stop him as that is his nature. But we must not give him a helping hand. We must never make his job easier.

One of the most effective ways I believe is to surrender our own desires to God. Let the Lord sanctify our desires, ambitions, and motives. Let all that we do always be for Christ, and we would have won 90% of the battle with the devil. Submit yourselves to the LORD and resist the devil, and he will flee from you James 4:7.

Therefore, my dear friends and beloved brethren, be alert and of sober mind as Peter teaches in 1 Peter 5:8. We must always be ready and be discernful if anything is not right. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God Philippians 4:6. In everything, give thanks. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

Have a good week ahead and fulfil God’s plans for our lives! Give thanks for His goodness and mercy upon our lives. May He grant us wisdom and discernment in all that we do for Him for His kingdom and at work, that we may relate to others with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen!

Discipline by the Father

https://odb.org/2024/05/24/correction-with-a-kiss

To me, the touching part of Hebrews 12:10 is that God disciplines us so that we may share in His holiness. He corrects us because He loves us. He corrects us so that we don’t go too far astray that we end up losing our inheritance in the saints. If we are not on the narrow path that leads to righteousness, we will never be able to complete the race and cross the finish line. We will eventually die like everyone else, but we will not be at the place of eternal life when we cross over. We will not get to live in the new heaven and new earth as revealed to John in Revelation 21 as Eden recreated is only for those who are righteous and holy, redeemed by the blood of Christ but also who had walked the path of righteousness while on earth.

Hebrews 10:11 speaks of discipline being painful and unpleasant, but it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. The fruit of discipline is that we get to share in God’s holiness. There are just no two ways about this. Either we are holy and righteous before God, or we are not. But most importantly, Hebrews 10 also speaks of God disciplining us because we are true children of God. We are the legitimate and true children of God, birthed through the blood of Christ on the Cross of Calvary.

If we are going through some hardship in our walk of faith, it could perhaps be a time the Lord is teaching us a lesson or two on perseverance and faithfulness. Perhaps we need some time to repent of our sins. Perhaps we need time to reflect on the condition of our hearts. Perhaps we had not been as pure and blameless as we ought to be. Perhaps there are still areas in our lives where we have not surrendered to Him.

Whatever may our situation be, if we are being disciplined by God, accept it and know that God is doing this because He loves us and wants us to share in His holiness. He doesn’t want us to lose out in His plans and purposes for our lives. Like the cunning and conniving Jacob, we need to yield to God and become Israel so that God may use us effectively for His glory!

The awe and splendour of God’s creation

https://odb.org/2024/05/23/look-to-the-skies

I think every now and then we should go out there into the world and travel to see the wonders of creation. Travel not just to see places and immerse in other cultures and way of life but to see and enjoy the wonders of nature as created by God. Of course, easy ones are just seeing the awe and splendour of sunrises and sunsets. As we marvel at their majestic hue, we will perhaps realise there are more to our lives here on earth than the sometimes overwhelming challenges we face. Perhaps we will realise we are more resiliently made than we think we are and that Jesus is surely able to strengthen us to face our challenges in life.

I digress, but more than a decade ago, I recalled attending a talk at a seminary, and when I asked about the young earth that some appeared to believe in, the speaker belittled me for not knowing about it. I thought it was uncalled for as different people are at different stages in their spiritual journeys, and some may not be interested in trying to rationalise the existence of dinasours against the so called 6,000 years age of the earth.

Anyway, since then, I have read about this young earth creationism (YEC) theory and belief and I nevertheless still believe today that as much as Scripture is the Word of God and can not be untrue (infallible), Genesis 1 and 2 are not meant to be read the way that these YEC people are advocating. Last night, I found something more acceptable, and to those who are interested, please refer to the following:

https://realfaith.com/what-christians-believe/old-earth/

The message this morning, I believe, is that we should believe that God created this earth and everything in it, and as we marvel upon His great power and outstretched arm, we know that nothing is too difficult for Him as Jeremiah proclaimed in Jeremiah 32:17. God is able to reach out to us in His outstretched hands and help us through the tough and difficult situations we face. The important thing is that He is our God, and we are His people! For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him (2 Chronicles 16:9).