https://odb.org/2023/09/01/gods-epic-story

The age-old question of why there is evil in the world when there is God can be answered simply – man is given the will to make his own free choice, and the natural precedes the spiritual. In other words, the world is made in such a way that there are natural laws in play at all times, and that includes the free will of man. So why did God not intervene when there is poverty, hunger, and starvation? Why did God not intervene when there are diseases and affirmaties that killed millions?

13 years ago, I came face to face with this question when my lay pastor and close friend passed on from a heart attack. He was 40 and had never done a full medical examination before. He was not well, and his GP did an ECG and found out he had a congenital heart condition. He was actually fit and exercised regularly. The doctor prescribed for him to be immediately admitted, but the hospital concerned refused as he did not have a heart attack. He collapsed while leaving the hospital and was in a coma for a week. We asked why God did not warn him to undergo a medical examination all those years? Perhaps the Lord did, and perhaps he had ignored the promptings. But most importantly, our life is our own responsibility. We can not ignore natural laws.

Jesus said before that we ought to be afraid of Him, who may destroy both our body and soul. But in the discourse in the Upper Room just after the Last Supper, Jesus told His disciples that although they may find trouble in the world, He has overcome the world.

The message this morning is that we should not be too concerned with things that are beyond our control. The eradication of poverty and the elimination of hunger are matters in the realm of governments. China has been successful in this over the past few decades. In a Netflix program on Blue Zones (highest concentration of centenerians), it was found that the ability to determine things within our control is one of the keys to longevity of life. Like how our sheep or cattle should behave, rather than concern ourselves with climate change or global warming or why is evil in the world?

Ultimately, we are responsible for where we are headed after we pass on from this world. Jesus has settled that for us – He has overcome the world. He has died for our sins. But we still have the will to decide whether to follow him, the world, our selves, or some other person or diety. It is a choice each and every one of us has to make. No one is exempted.

https://odb.org/2023/08/30/freedom-on-the-path

The first impression we get when we read Isaiah 26:7 is that if God makes our paths smooth as the righteous, it means that our lives will be trouble-free. It then becomes a sort of contradiction as life itself is never smooth. We know. There are ups and downs, valleys and mountain tops. Exhilarating experiences and disappointing moments. Joy and sadness. As believers, we are not exempt from the exigencies of life.

I think when God says that He will make the paths of the righteous smooth, He meant it more in the spiritual sense. Someone once said that if we determined in our hearts to seek the Lord, He would be found. The Lord will make sure that we will find Him if we seek Him. You can actually read this in Jeremiah 29:13 – you will seek Me and find Me if you search Me with all your heart.

Having persevered through doing these commentaries over the past few years, I have experienced this in my own life. There were times when I struggled, but recently, I found that picking out the message the Lord wishes to convey became easier, and that’s true even when preparing for a sermon. The Lord helped me not only with the Scriptures to preach from but also the flow of the message. I saw that working in a senior pastor’s life 6 years ago, and I’m now experiencing it first hand myself.

I believe if we seek Him with all our hearts, He will make our spiritual paths smooth. It will still be step by step, but the steps will be smooth. We will see breakthroughs in our ministry. Maybe we will find power in our prayers and insights into the spiritual realm. Perhaps we will start moving in word of knowledge and may have a prophesy to encourage someone or provide a direction for someone at crossroads. Or the Lord may give us a vision or a dream and the ability to interpret it accurately like Joseph. Basically, it’s a glimpse into the spiritual realm.

In other words, life will be as challenging as ever with its ups and downs. But our spiritual walk with God will be smooth. That’s really wonderful since our ultimate quest in life is the eternal life to be lived with our Lord in the new heaven and earth, the new Jerusalem!

https://odb.org/2023/08/29/when-youre-weary

We often read about or use the expression, “rest in peace,” or RIP when we offer condolences to the family of the departed. RIP is also common as an epitaph. The reason I guess is that when one dies, all worldly matters are of no concern anymore. He ceases to participate in the affairs of this world. His body has stopped functioning, and in time to come, his body will become just bones in the ground. It is true whether one is a beggar or a king, a peasant or a billionaire, or even a former prime minister. Whether he was at peace with himself or the world before he passed is now irrelevant. He is resting in peace, in the sense that he is no longer a part of this world. He may be remembered as a piece of our memories and ongoing history, but he has departed from this realm.

But is the dead truly at peace? What happens to his soul and spirit, the part of a dead person that lives on although his body is gone? As Christians, we believe that our spirit and soul return to God when we die. In the New Testament, Jesus uses the expression ‘asleep’ to denote human death, and it is true because their spirit and soul are asleep while waiting for the day of Jesus Christ.

Jesus declares that only He knows the Father and those whom He chose to reveal (see Matthew 11:25-30). He then goes on to call those who are weary and burdened to go to Him, for He will give us rest. Take His yoke upon us and learn from Him, for He is gentle and humble in heart. He will give us rest.

True rest, even on this earth, in this busy world can only come from knowing Jesus. Living life is both tiring and burdensome. Life is such that for most of us, we can not stop and rest, or we may drop the ball. We need to be attentive all the time and keep on working, lest there is no food on the table, or using the British expression, there is no bacon to bring home. It’s a continuous push, but we don’t want to only rest in peace when we die, with our boots on the ground. We want that peace now, and only Jesus can give us that peace and that rest in our souls as we learn from Him, for His yoke is light, and He is gentle and humble in heart. True rest now can only come with the assurance of eternal life as whoever drinks of His living waters will never thrist. Those who believe in Him, though they may die, they will live as He is the resurrection and the life.

Until our final destination is secured and we live in the centre of God’s will, fulfilling His plans and purposes for our lives, conceived before the foundations of the world, we will not have true peace and rest while on this earth or even thereafter.

https://odb.org/2023/08/28/losing-everything

One of the scariest books to read in the Bible has to be the book of Job. Just reading chapter One will send shivers down our spine. We shudder at the thought and sight of seeing Job losing everything in an instant. His family and all his possessions. From a person with mostly everything to someone with nothing. But the beauty of Job is that he never once cursed or blamed God for what happened to him. In fact, he continued to worship the LORD. His attitude was straightforward, the LORD gave, and the LORD took away (Job 1:21). Some argue that it was not the LORD who took but Satan. Nevertheless, Job’s attitude is correct, it doesnt matter because, in the end, all that he has is God’s and God-given.

Also, it was Job during those ancient times who already proclaimed that in the end, he would stand with his Redeemer, although his skin is destroyed as his Redeemer lives! He could articulate the idea of the resurrection of our bodies on the last day, even way back then. See Job 19:25.

I think the biggest lesson we could apply from today’s ODB is to do what Cesar did when he lost everything. He asked God to show him the way forward, and he simply started all over again. The source of everything on this earth is still God. If we follow Him and listen out to His voice and look beyond the natural into the spiritual realm with eyes of faith, we will be able to start all over no matter how bad our situation is. In our current context, it could be our lifelong work at our workplace, and we have just been laid off. We may thus have to start all over again in another organisation, building new contacts and networks and establishing our credentials and credibility all over again. Or circumstances may have led to us migrating aboard or moving to another city, and we now need to start our ministry all over again in a new church.

We do not wish for Job’s situation, but if it ever happens, stay true to the course in our faith, seek God for the way forward, and start all over. Jesus taught before that if we have faith the size of a mustard seed, we can move mountains (Matthew 17:20-21). Clearly, Jesus was using hyperbole to convey His message, but its meaning is simple – what we need is faith in God, just a little, and it could actually do wonders!

https://odb.org/2023/08/27/dealing-with-disappointment

King David wanted to build the Temple for God and had prepared the building plans based on what God had impressed upon his heart. But God told him that he would not be building it because, as a warrior, he had blood in his hands. Instead, his son, Solomon, will build it. Thus, in front of the congregation, David passed on the building plans to Solomon and told Solomon that the LORD would establish his kingdom forever if he is unwavering in carrying out the LORD’S commandments and law. It was a major disappointment for David, and yet David is still remembered as the greatest King Israel ever had, and his reign is the golden age of Israel. Jesus was proud to trace His ancestry to the house of David.

Earlier in Numbers 20, Moses and Aaron were also faced with a major disappointment after God barred them from going into the Promised Land because Moses didn’t speak to the rock as God had instructed, but instead struck the rock twice with his staff. Moses, for some reason, was disobedient, although he had done an excellent job leading the Israelites for the past 40 years until then. His legacy nevertheless remains as Moses is still remembered as the Father of the Old Covenant. The law as it was set out in the Pentateuch.

There will be disappointments in our spiritual walk. We thought we could do more for God, but the Lord has others in mind for the tasks ahead. In David’s case, God wanted Solomon to build the Temple. In Moses’s case, God wanted Joshua and Caleb to lead the second generation of Israelites, who were raised in the wilderness, into Canaan.

If God chooses someone else for the way forward, we will be disappointed, but God still loves us and still appreciates and cherishes all that we had done for Him in the past. Our Lord is not like our human masters. He doesn’t forget us just because He has someone else in mind for the tasks ahead. We are disappointed and sad, but as God still loves and appreciates us, let others run the next stage. Be like David and Moses. In the end, the LORD preserved and kept both their legacies and made sure they were remembered for generations to come.

https://odb.org/2023/08/25/what-a-friend

The shortest verse in the Bible is found in John 11:35, “He wept.”. Just two words and yet so powerful. It is evidence that Jesus is truly human, although He is God. In the story of Cain and Abel, God was so upset with Cain for killing Abel that He cursed the ground vis-a-vis Cain that Cain the farmer became a wanderer for the rest of his life, not able to toil the soil anymore. But here, in the case of Lazarus (Mary and Martha’s brother), Jesus wept after Lazarus died. By the time Jesus reached their home, Lazarus had passed away for 4 days already, meaning to say, the decaying process of the human body had long started. Yet, Jesus could turn back the clock by reversing the process when He resurrected Lazarus from the dead.

Imagine you have a close friend, and he is so full of potential. Then you see him wasting away his future by indulging in the vices. You counsel and warn him, but your words fall on deaf ears. You will be really sad and disappointed. Maybe you’ll weep too. For me, the fact that Jesus was overcome by emotion and wept means that He has feelings like any other human. That also means that if we are failing in our walk with Him, He will be saddened too. He, like the angels, will cheer for us to do our best so we may continue in the race and finish it.

Jesus is emotionally in touch with us, He is invested in our walk of faith, in our fulfilment of the Father’s plans and purposes for our lives. After all, He died on the cross for our sins as the Lamb of God. We must always do our best so as to not disappoint or make Jesus sad, the same way we want our parents or spouse to be proud of us in the things we do in the natural. Discard those bad habits. Get rid of those destructive behaviours. Carry on with life but walk in the path of righteousness towards life eternal.

Know that as He wept on Lazarus’s death, Jesus will weep if we stray away from God. Jesus is emotionally invested in our lives. He is our friend as much as He is our Lord and Saviour. In our distress, go to Him in prayer and worship. Let Him calm our souls and bring us back to Him. He is indeed our peace and the river of living waters that whoever drinks of Him will never thrist again!

https://odb.org/2023/08/24/openhearted-generosity

Having a heart that is both open and generous is not only Christ-like but also Godly. These are attributes that Paul speaks about in Romans 12:2 on not conforming to the pattern of the world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds so we may prove (test and experience) the good, acceptable and perfect will of God.

When we are open to possibilities, especially to God, and have a generous and sharing nature, God will pour out His spiritual blessings upon our lives. It is counterintuitive, like it’s better to give than to receive. It’s like if offered something, it is natural to want to take all or the most we can, but strangely, if we take a little, we will have more and more in time to come. In the natural, we want to take the most we can because we are uncertain that the opportunity will come again, but if we are open and generous, God will bless us with more and more over time. That is the true blessing in the spiritual realm. It’s like the more we give, the more we will receive over time and perhaps throughout the span of our lives.

Thus, by way of illustration, it is better to receive RM1,000 a month than a lump sum of RM100,000. The latter may spoil us and cause us to stray, and although the former is uncertain, it may increase over time if God blesses us. That is why in some countries, if we strike a lottery, we may choose to take a monthly or annual payout rather than a lump sum. The reality is that many ended up losing their fortunes within a few years, but with a monthly stipend or annuity, we will be kept comfortable for years to come and maybe even to our next generation.

To preserve our legacy and inheritance in Christ in the spiritual realm, Paul teaches in 2 Timothy 6:1 to fan into flame the gift of God in Timothy that is in him through the laying of Paul’s hands upon him. Not only is our spiritual walk a long game, but it is important to have our spiritual giftings to last the longer term in our lifetime, and that includes our blessings from God. We need to always have a long-term view in all things that will last our lifetime so we may remain faithful to our Saviour and Lord until our last breath. Our ultimate goal in life is to appear before Christ with Him affirming us that we have done well – good and faithful servant, welcome to your rest!

https://odb.org/2023/08/23/witnesses-2

Hebrews 11:4 – By faith, Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith, he was commended as righteous when God spoke well of his offering. By faith, Abel still speaks even though he is dead. And the writer of today’s ODB added – so do the bones of those long forgotten slaves who perished to the bottom of the sea when the ship carrying them sank centuries ago. They are skeletons still bound in chains at the bottom of the ocean.

Right from Genesis 4, God is telling us that there are consequences to injustice perpetrated by man. Cain was jealous that God favoured Abel’s fat portions from his choice livestock. But if we read Genesis 4:7 carefully, we will see that even though God rebuked Cain for the quality of his offering, God was saying He was being honest. Cain only needed to do what was right. In other words, next time, do better. It didn’t mean that God would favour Abel forever. Instead, Cain attacked and killed Abel. A small thing escalated unnecessarily into something major as Abel’s life was lost in the process. Cain was punished severely. The ground was cursed for Cain. He would become a wanderer as the blood of his brother cries out from the ground.

I feel that the message today is that if we fail, we need to pick ourselves up and try again. Don’t overreact when others are being honest with us. Do better the next time. Don’t overreact as the consequences for our overreaction, like in the case of Cain, might be too great for us to bear. There is divine justice at work in the world, although sometimes, as victims, we do not clearly see it. But we can take comfort in the example of Cain and Abel that when God acts, He does not hesitate, and the consequences are real and severe.

We know that true success is built upon many failures, sometimes personality failures. The way forward is to pick up the pieces and start again. Never overreact and do stupid things in retaliation as the consequences may be swift and severe.

https://odb.org/2023/08/22/gods-eternal-church

We know that we are all a part of the universal church of Christ that, although we are separate branches, we all reach out and worship God together and collectively. Thus, as believers, we are a part of this universal body of Christ that is like many candles of lights illuminating the whole world in the spiritual realm. By now, we would have known that a church is not a building but a congregation of believers. We are, therefore, supposed to be able to move from one church to another seamlessly since we are all one.

However, a local church is more than just a congregation. It is a community. We interact with one another and share our lives together with the ultimate goal of supporting and encouraging everyone towards Christ and His plans and purposes for us. There are dynamics both in the physical as well as the spiritual realm. That is why we always need to cover each other in prayers and make sure that the spiritual dimension is not neglected. There are unseen forces creating havoc and sowing discord in our midst, and we need to bind them in the mighty name of Jesus.

In addition, every church has a unique role to play in the universal body of Christ. There are specific roles to be played for the community at large as well as the believing community within. We, as members and leaders, thus have a calling to serve one another in love, motivating each other towards God and His purposes. Just turning up on a Sunday is by itself a blessing and encouragement.

The message this morning is that we all need to go to church and settle ourselves in one. We can not be moving around too long as the church is not a place to visit for worship only, but it’s really an avenue of service and ministry. We can not serve unless we are committed, and unless we immerse ourselves with its people. Seek the Lord and pray for His direction and then stick on to one and put up our hands. Don’t remain anonymous in a sea of believers moving around in mega churches. A worship service is not a show. It is a time for both personal and congregational worship as we join hands to worship God as the universal church, together with the angelic beings in the heavenlies!

https://odb.org/2023/08/21/the-gift-of-encouragement-2

Unlike the Ziphites (a tribe in Israel) who betrayed David to Saul, Saul’s son Jonathan made a covenant with David before God. Jonathan encouraged David that God would not allow Saul to take David and that David would be King and Jonathan would be his second in Israel. In a subsequent encounter with Saul, Jonathan was nearly killed by Saul when he defended David in front of Saul. See 1 Samuel 20:32-42. Years later, David remembered Jonathan by giving back to Jonathan’s crippled son all of the latter’s property and servants and a permanent place at his table. See the story of Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 21.

I think it was really outstanding and special that Jonathan stood with David and recognised God’s hand upon David. As Saul’s son, he was next in line to be King. In most royal families, the king and his heir will do all they can within their powers, which can be absolute, to make sure that the crown remains within the family. Instead, Jonathan was willing to be subservient to David and forgo his right to the throne, and eventually, David was succeeded by his son, Solomon.

Jonathan is the perfect picture of a faithful friend and subordinate. He is an encourager like Barnabas in the New Testament. It is a picture of who we can be as a faithful friend and servant to our Lord Jesus Christ and as an encourager to the brethren like Barnabas.

Be like Jonathan vis-a-vis our Lord Jesus Christ. Always be willing to bow the knee to Christ no matter how entitled we feel we are to certain things in life. Let Christ be our true king and, at the same time, be an encourager to those around us. Always be uplifting and supportive of our friends and fellow believers. Encourage them to stay the course and walk the path of righteousness to eternal life.