https://odb.org/MY/2023/02/04/whats-your-name-2

When we read the first chapter of the book of Ruth, we see how her mother-in-law Naomi suffered two tragedies in a row. He husband died, and then her two sons also died, leaving her with two daughters-in-law. So she decided to return to Judah, which she and her husband had left earlier due to a famine and which landed them in Moab.

Incidentally, the Moabites were enemies since they were also inhabitants of the Promised Land that the LORD gave to the Israelites after bringing them out of Egypt. In other words, to establish Judah and Israel, the divided Kingdom, they had to fight the Moabites and the other tribes in the vicinity. Both their sons also married Moabite women, Ruth and Oprah.

It’s an easy book to read as Ruth only has 4 chapters. When Naomi returned to Bethlehem, her hometown in Judah (incidentally, many years later became the birthplace of Jesus Christ), she told the townfolks not to call her Naomi (‘my pleasant one’) anymore. She wanted to be known instead as Mara, which means ‘bitter’ as the LORD had brought much bitterness into her life.

In the later chapters of the book of Ruth, we will see how God blessed Ruth by finding her a kinsman of the family, who married her although she was a widow. God blessed Naomi through Boaz, a wealthy kinsman but more significantly, it was through the line of Boaz and Ruth (who was a Moabite who chose to follow Naomi home to Judah and became a worshipper of Yahweh) that David was born (Ruth was King David’s great grandmother) and many years later, Christ was born through the same geneology line.

There are many spiritual lessons we can draw from the book of Ruth, but I think one pertinent lesson is that despite the double misfortunes that Naomi went through, the LORD turned her life around and blessed her. Through Ruth, Naomi became an excellent example of the goodness and blessings of God.

Ruth decided to follow Naomi back to Judah, declaring that Naomi’s people would be her people and Naomi’s God her God. It is interesting to note that as we read on the book of Ruth, we will see it was the Deuteronomy law to leave something behind for the widows, orphans and foreigners that we spoke about yesterday (https://ronnielim.com/2023/02/03/treating-the-foreigner/) that Naomi and Ruth made use of to live when they returned to Judah as two penniless widows. It was through that same law that Ruth met Boaz, fell in love, and married.

Indeed, the story of Naomi and Ruth is a testament to the goodness of God for posterity, immortalised as a book in the Old Testament. May the story of the goodness of God continue on in our respective lives as we choose to follow and worship Yahweh despite the tragedies and calamities that we may go through in our broken but redeemed lives.

https://odb.org/MY/2023/02/03/we-are-strangers

In Leviticus 19:34, the LORD commanded the Israelites to treat the foreigner like a native born. They are to love them as themselves as they themselves were foreigners in Egypt. In verse 36, the LORD reiterated that He is the LORD, their God who brought them out of Egypt.

In Deuteronomy 24:19, the law was that when they harvested the fields, they should leave something behind for the widows, orphans, and foreigner. That was a command from the LORD that they remember that they were once slaves in Egypt. This is the origin of the rule in Leviticus 19:34, and as we can see, it covers not only foreigners but is broader, covering orphans and widows in their midst. Basically, people who are disadvantaged at that time as they didn’t have a land of their own. The background to that is that when the Israelites entered the Promised Land, every family was given a plot of land to cultivate as it was a land flowing with milk and honey. It is likely that inheritance laws were such that the land stayed within the larger family, and over time, those who were orphaned and widowed were left out. The widows and the orphans may have lost their title to the land, but the law ensured that they may still glean, and it was mandatory that there must be leftovers for them to harvest and live on.

In issuing these laws, note that God reminded the Israelites that they were once slaves and foreigners in Egypt. As they are living comfortably now in the Promised Land, they must be grateful and thankful and thus be generous. Note too that although they are to leave behind something for the widows, orphans, and foreigners to harvest, those people were never involved in the cultivation of the harvest and the rule is that a labourer is also entitled to his wages. But in the plenty, there must be gratitude and generosity. They must always remember Egypt and that the LORD is the LORD their God.

The lesson today, I believe, is that as much as we are entitled to all that we earn as the just and rightful reward for our sweat and toil, we must remember the times when we were just starting out and struggling to make ends meet. The times when we couldn’t afford a car or have a property to our name or had little money in our bank account. As we have progressed in life, the Lord is not saying that we are not entitled to the fruits of our labour, but we must be kind and generous to others who may need our help. Give when we see a need. Be like the Israelites; leave some behind for the widows, orphans, and foreigners. In our case, give some to the needy and the oppressed. The little we give will go a long way in their lives as well to the heart of God.

https://odb.org/MY/2023/02/02/like-our-great-teacher

As mentioned in my commentary yesterday, https://ronnielim.com/2023/02/01/blessings-in-the-tears/, our quest post acceptance of Christ is to be more and more like Him in terms of our service and our hearts. There are, of course, various aspects of Christ that we can imitate and become, and I believe most are attainable despite our humanity. Even if some may be unattainable in our own strength, we have the Helper, the Holy Spirit, in our midst strengthening and empowering us along.

There are many facets to Christ that we can imitate, like His patience, His compassion, His love (although His agape love may be a very high bar indeed!), His humility, His kindness and generosity, His faithfulness (in general as well as towards His calling on the cross), His overcoming disposition (when confronted with temptations), His conquering spirit (He is the Lion of Judah), His sense of God’s timing, His praying and prayerful nature, His sensitivity to the move and will of God, His discernment and I’m sure many others.

This morning, as the ODB article points us to, we want to just focus on His loving and generous nature. As part of our life transformation in Christ, can we all work at being more loving and generous? Love our neighbour as we love ourselves and even those who hate us, who betrayed us, who back-stabbed us, or who did evil to us. Can we do that? Can we love our enemies? It’s tough, but we must forgive as the Father forgives us our transgressions. Time will heal the pain and our broken hearts, but forgive we must if we want to imitate Christ and be more like Him.

Generosity is the other facet of Christ that we can imitate. I think in this context, generosity is not limited to just money, although that’s a good start. I think one way to be more generous is to know and accept that what we have is due to the blessings of God upon our lives, notwithstanding our hard work. It is the covering of God that ensures that our hard work is appropriately rewarded. That our cultivation of our land yields a good crop. Thus, we should bless and help others as the Lord leads and prompts us. May we be a vessel for the blessings of God to flow through the generosity of our hearts? But generosity is not just about money. We should be generous in the giving of our time, our talents, our intellect, our skills. Let’s be generous to sow all that we have into the Kingdom of God.

The point in today’s message is that first, we must want to be transformed to be more like Christ, more and more each day. Then, start with a few lower hanging fruits. Be more loving and more generous. Focus on these two, and we are on the way to a transformed life in Christ! As we practice what Jesus taught, we will see a refreshing change in our lives, and that will propel us to greater heights in our quest to imitate and be more like Christ!

https://odb.org/MY/2023/02/01/blessing-in-the-tears

I just came out of a hospital visit yesterday evening, and as I walked home through the corridors of the hospital, my eyes welled up in tears thinking about the times I was with my late dad at the same hospital at those waiting areas. Such memories are painful for the living as we cope with the grief and loss of our loved ones. It’s an experience I believe every child will go through, like I did with my late dad, so will my sons go through with me and my wife in the future. We will all face death one day.

But, as Christians, we know that eternal life is certain for those who believe in Jesus Christ and who call upon His name. This is because salvation is by grace and is a free gift from God to those who believe by faith in Christ Jesus, and not by our good works. In other words, no matter what we do, we can not be saved as it was Jesus’s death on the cross that removed the sting of sin, which is death. As we are washed cleaned and redeemed by the blood of Jesus, death will not hold us. One day, we will arise and take our place in our Heavenly Father’s scheme of things!

Thus, as believers, even as we shed tears of sorrow as our loved ones depart, we know they are in heaven with God the Father if they had in their lifetime put their hope and trust in Christ. There are blessings in those tears as we will meet them again if we stay the course until our last breath or when Christ returns. Jesus promised us that blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted (Matthew 5:4). Blessed meaning that God approves and we will receive His favour. Jesus goes on to teach in verse 8 that blessed are those who are pure in heart, for they will see God.

As much as salvation is by grace, it is not just a matter of saying the sinner’s prayer, although that’s an excellent start! The question of works then comes into play post our acceptance of Christ. Like a slave redeemed but redeemed to serve the new master as a free man, we must serve Him well and to the best of our abilities. It is only right that we do the right thing to serve Him as He exchanged His life for our sins.

There is thus a lifetime of service and discipleship to be more like Christ, in terms of our character and our heart. We will never lose out by following Christ as the narrow road leads only to eternal life. If we stay the course, the day we depart this earthen body, our loved ones and brethren in the Lord will miss and mourn us. But there will be blessings in their tears, knowing that one day they will see us again if they themselves stay the course! Indeed, blessed are those who mourn as they will be comforted.

https://odb.org/MY/2023/01/31/sustainer-of-blessings

One of the tensions we face as believers is the question often asked by the Psalmists – where does my help come from? The answer in Psalm 121 is that my help comes from the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth. That question was posed by the Psalmists when they were in trouble and sought divine help.

But is the answer the same when we are doing well, earning a good income, and are fairly well off, with a roof over our heads and food on our table? We are not struggling to make ends meet, but have some excess at the end of the month to pay our tithes, save up as well as to bless others. We have a sphere of influence. People respect us. We have made a name for ourselves in our work circle. We have worked hard over the years to be where we are.

So the question that comes to mind – is who we are in life now a result of our own efforts or of God’s blessings?

In Deuteronomy 8:17-18, Moses reminded the Israelites as they are preparing to enter the Promised Land that although they may say that it is their power and their hands that produced the wealth for them, they must remember the LORD as it is He who gave them the ability to produce wealth.

Thus, as believers, especially seasoned believers, as much as our own strength and efforts had established our wealth and social stature over the years, it was definitely the blessings of God that have prospered our efforts and hardwork. This is because hard work alone may not always be enough to bring forth meaningful returns if there was no divine blessing. Even the world believes in divine blessings, although they may not worship our Lord Jesus Christ or our Heavenly Father, Yahweh, the Great I Am. Everyone is looking for that supernatural touch from above whether we pray in the mosque, the temple, or put our trust in Feng Shui. If we follow the rules of nature, if we plant, we will get our fruits, but sometimes the yield may be low, the land may not be that fertile anymore, there was famine or pestilence and a host of other factors affecting our crops. Thus, divine blessings are always sought after.

As Christians, always remember the Lord in all that we do and count our blessings. Appreciate and be grateful for who we are today in the world. I doubt that if we didn’t have God in our lives, we would be as blessed as we are today. It is He who gave us the ability to produce our wealth. It is He who shielded and protected us while safeguarding our well-being as we toil in our own respective lands, whether at work, in college, or in business.

The extraordinary thing in all this is that in the process of following God, we have also become somebody in God, a strong person spiritually who is able to walk through storms and hardship and persevere through in our faith. Deuteronomy 8:18 ends with “so confirms His Covenant, which He swore to your ancestors as it is today.” If we worship the LORD our God alone and no other gods and follow His percepts and law, He will bless and protect us, cause us to be fruitful, give us our promised land and that we will be a blessing to all the nations of the world!

https://odb.org/MY/2023/01/29/seven-minutes-of-terror

The story of Lazarus illustrates an essential point in our relationship with God that although Jesus delayed, He was not late. This is because as His will is perfect, so is His timing.

To us humans living in our human timelines, we measure time by the rotation of the earth (day) and seasons by the orbit of the earth over the sun (year). But God transcends time. He can appear at any point of time, whether in our past or the future, and He can, in fact, be present and see everything all at once, from creation to the end of time.

Thus, in relation to us, He may respond immediately or some time in the future, and although it may appear to be a delay to us, it is nevertheless His perfect timing since He knows what’s best for us. A thousand years on your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night – Psalm 90:4. In 2 Peter 3:8-9, Peter declares that, “With the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness. He is patient with you not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” The context is the second coming of Christ, but the principle remains that God’s timing is unlike ours.

What’s our takeaway this morning? If we are praying for something or for a certain condition or situation to change, remember that God’s timing is perfect. He will not be early, and neither will He be late. We are to cling on to His promises and Word. Also, remember that as per Romans 12:2, we will be able to test and approve (prove) His good, pleasing, and perfect will – but only if we do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Thus, when we pray for something, the change from deep within us, the transformation of our self is more important to God than His intervention in our situation. Sometimes, our transformation itself may bring about the change to our situation. Perhaps in some situations, God’s timing is dependent on the change within us? Have we responded to His calling for our lives? May His will be done herevon earth as it is in heaven!

https://odb.org/MY/2023/01/28/the-pink-coat

As believers, we are often confronted with the issue of giving. Non-believers usually can not fully understand the motivation for Christians to give as the default position in the world is to measure most actions with cost and benefit. If we incur a cost (when we give), we must see what’s the benefit to us. In fact, the less the cost but the bigger the benefit, the better! The benefit, however, need not be immediate for the discerning as it can be a long-term investment or even intangibles like a better health condition or more favourable living environment. But it is nevertheless a cost benefit analysis. That is why, in line with the prevalent thinking of the world, advocates of the prosperity gospel preach that if we were to pledge or give to their cause, God will reward us 10x more. So many jumped onto the bandwagon to exploit this heavenly principle, and although many may have benefited, it is, in my view, not the correct approach to giving to the Lord and His cause.

I have experienced churches that advocate the giving of 10% of our income as tithes with another 10% as offerings, the distinction being made for tithes to be for full-time ministers and offerings for the upkeep of the church. Any other giving, whether for the poor or the needy, are to come out of our income post the 20% and for some churches the other giving also includes the giving for their building fund.

I remembered nearly 30 years ago, when a well known outside preacher came to town and preached for Christians to give into his ministry to break open heaven’s doors for the outpouring of God’s blessings, local churches were alarmed that their source of income may be affected. Perhaps that’s the reason for the emergence of the teaching that we must first prioritise our local churches in our giving. Give that 10% or 20% first, then if we still have excess or more to give, then give to external causes. I have also heard of the extreme where members are required to give even if they have to borrow to do so. There could be peculiar reasons why this was taught, but in my view, it takes giving to the edges of what is right and wrong.

I think while there are good biblical justification (Malachi 3:10) to advocate the giving of 10% of our income since tithes literally mean 10%, I am sure we should not limit ourselves to only 10% or to have the artificial segmentation like some churches do. In the end, it’s not the quantum that matters but the motivation and the thought.

I think the important thing is to give the amount that God has placed in our hearts to give and to give consistently to the best of our abilities. It should be something we could afford, and we should be at liberty to give to worthy causes and to help the poor and needy, including our friends, colleagues, and family who are in need because that is what is dear to God’s heart.

We give as prompted by the Spirit because we are thankful and grateful for His grace and compassion for us, for calling us to eternal glory. We don’t give with the hope to receive more, but we give because we want to give something back to God for His love and sacrifice on the cross. As we give into His Kingdom, we pray that more will get to hear the Good News and have their lives turned around. When we have the opportunity to give into the Kingdom and that I believe includes helping the poor and needy, we are actually sowing riches in heaven. What better way to store up treasures in heaven than to use our God-given and God-blessed earthly riches for the furtherance of His Kingdom? Be a cheerful and generous giver. It’s only right that as God blesses us that we bless others!

https://odb.org/MY/2023/01/27/mercy-for-you-and-me

Allow me to reproduce below a few verses from Psalm 103:

Verse 8: The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. Verse 10: He does not treat us as our sin deserves or repay us according to our iniquities. Verse 11: For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him. Verse 12: As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Basically, the Psalmist was trying to convey the fact that God’s compassion and love are boundless and exceed all barriers. It is as much as the distance between the heavens and the earth in terms of His love and our sins and transgressions are so far removed as the distance between east and west!

But note verse 11; His great and abundant love is for those who fear Him. This means those who are righteous before Him and whose hearts are for Him. Not so much perfection, which is unattainable in our present broken state or sinless but justified by the blood of Jesus, and who always strive to do better in our quest to be more like Christ. It means having the spirit of not giving up for Christ, always looking to the Holy Spirit to guide us on what we should do in all situations to glorify God. A life that is lived for the glory of God.

As much as I was imperfect, and as much as I was not sinless, I recall critical moments in my life that God’s compassion and love brought me out of heart-wrenching and very sad moments when others threw me under the bus. When the world left me in the lurch, the Lord gave me a new road to travel on. He was like the Good Samaritan that Jesus spoke about who was compassionate and kind when I was bruised and wounded. He redeemed not only my soul but also my honour and restored my self-confidence and faith as I looked to Him for strength and support.

The message today, I believe, is that so long as we remain righteous and our heart is for Him, His love and compassion will be with us as much as the distance between heaven and earth. That is how broad and wide His love and compassion are. There is just so much room and breadth for forgiveness and patience and tolerance on His part as He has removed our transgressions as far as the east is from the west.

The takeaway this morning is, thus, what is our response to those around us? Will we likewise be like God when it comes to those whom we love and those who had hurt and done evil to us? Will we also be like the Good Samaritan that Jesus spoke about before? We are assured of His love and compassion. Can others depend on our love and compassion? Will we give others a new road to travel on, a fresh start elsewhere, a second chance? Always remember the Parable of the Ungrateful Servant. Jesus actually taught about this crucial lesson in life before.

https://odb.org/MY/2023/01/26/love-that-forgives

In a marriage relationship, there are bound to be quarrels, fights, and disagreements. But as marriage is a lifelong covenant, we need to reconcile. It’s best to be good before the sun rises again. In fact, Paul teaches do not let the sun set on your anger so as to not give any opportunity to the devil – see Ephesians 4:26-27.

Thus, one of the keys to a lifelong marriage that also works for all relationships is forgiveness. Forgiveness is the virtue that keeps relationships alive and well. People do make mistakes. Voices could be loud. Tone could be off. We tend to be forgetful and insensitive. As the LORD has forgiven us our sins, forgive those who have trespassed against us, who had wronged us. This is true for everyone but particularly with our spouses. Because we will be together for a lifetime – growing old together, seeing our children grow up and have children. How are we to last 50, 60 years or more, if we harbour ill feeling and resentment for long? Unforgiveness will be the seed that will poison the soil and kill the crops if we imagine that our marriage is a plot of land. With love and compassion and kindness (Colossians 3:12), the soil will be properly fertilised and will produce two-fold and even five-fold crops. We will have beautiful and healthy produce to enjoy from the fruits of our labour.

For relationships to thrive and work well, it has to be a labour of love. We have to put in the effort, and the most important ingredient is forgiveness. If we are stingy with forgiveness, the results will be upheaval, tears, and broken relationships. Sometimes, it is difficult to forgive but forgive we must. Time will heal our hurts, but forgiveness will hasten the process.

If we are married or planning to marry, remember that as believers, marriage is a lifelong commitment and covenant. The key to its long life and to us keeping our marriage vow of “till death do us part or till the Lord returns” is to forgive. Forgive and fill our relationships with love, compassion, and kindness, and we will not fail!

https://odb.org/MY/2023/01/25/fighting-flashy-things

One of the things we face as believers is the temptation of the attractions of the world. The fancy and flashy things. They distract and could potentially draw us away from God. Nothing wrong with the things themselves as most things are neutral. But the glam and the flash, if we are into them too much, may just make us forget who we are in God, and thus, there lies the danger.

Just to illustrate and as an example and is not meant to implicate anyone. If we are so much into the glam and flash, we will always be looking at acquiring the latest Louis Vutton handbags, the latest Versace clothes, or the latest Rolex watches. The brands could be a few notches down, and they could be fashion statements and yet investments, in the sense that they have resale value. But if we are obsessed with such things, our attention will be very much focused on earning money to buy those stuff, and in the process, we could potentially be comprising our principles to earn that extra buck because of our obsession. Soon, we will be caught up in the razzle and dazzle of the high fashion world, and Jesus will be far from our hearts and minds.

The world has its attractions, but at the spiritual level, please be aware that there is such a thing as the spirit of the world. Its job is to seek and destroy. Whether to drown us in its bottomless pit or just draw us to the other side, where its end is destruction. It is like a magical journey of beautiful flowers and berries, green fields, and fascinating scenery, and yet at the back of all that, just dry and desolate lands and dead trees. The world is very much a beautifully crafted facade; beneath that beautiful picture lies just emptiness and loneliness. It’s an endless journey of deception, of chasing after the next “in” thing, the latest in design, colours, and textures. Positioned to fulfil our deepest needs and desires, and yet it does not. A lot of the glam is mere marketing ploys to make us spend and buy more. Material things are in the end temporal. We know that.

Only God can fulfil our deepest needs and longings. Only Jesus can and will lead us to eternal life. All other roads, and that includes the world, will only lead us to destruction. As believers, we should live simpler and more moderate lives. We may still indulge in flashy things, but just remember not to overdo or get overwhelmed by such things. Remember who we are in the Lord. Buy and use good quality stuff, some of which are investments, but never get obsessed by them. Live instead in the centre of the will of God and His plans and promises for our lives!