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.

https://odb.org/2023/08/20/finding-open-spaces

We hear this expression, “give him some space,” which literally can be translated to, “cut him some slack.” Work-wise, we say give him some breathing space, meaning, don’t keep on loading him, he needs time to recover, to catch his breadth.

In our spiritual life, we also need to have some space, some open spaces. Not only in terms of work or tasks but more to commune with God, away from the “busyness” of life, demands from family and people around us. Space to speak to the Father, or the Son or the Holy Ghost. We need open spaces, a “me” time with the Lord like God speaking to Moses in the Tent of Meeting. Face to face, like a friend. A tine to commune with God.

That’s why quiet time is essential to our spiritual life. A time to pray, to worship, to reflect, and to contemplate or mull over things. It is also a time to take stock of where we are in this journey to eternity. Are we anywhere near to fulfilling His plans and purposes for our lives? How far are we from the image of Christ that God wants us to be? Are we now the best we can be for God? Perhaps not, but perhaps we are at the peak of where we are for this season. When the next season comes, we will act and respond accordingly, but for now, we are good. In the journey from Egypt through the wilderness, we are already at Canaan. We may have already conquered our Jericho, yet there are many more battles ahead of us. But maybe for now, we also need that open space before we move to our next Jericho.

Chill with God. Just relax. It’s not only about work, whether at our workplace or in our ministry at the church. There is more to life than our job or our ministry tasks. Of course, we need to start working on our next task at work. Of course, we need to prepare for our next bible study, next worship slot, or next preaching assignment. But in between all that, we need to chill before God and just let Him re-energise and strengthen us again. We need to depend on Him for strength. He is our rock and our stronghold. He is Jehovah Jireh, our provider – the source and the inspiration of our faith. He is our fortress.

Have a blessed Sunday, everyone! Dress up and go to church! Jesus deserves the best from us! Our brethren deserves our best! Let’s sing together in unison and chill with God in worship! In worship, we will see Him face to face in the spiritual realm.

https://odb.org/2023/08/18/festivals-of-worship

Our Jewish brothers back in the day would travel three times a year to Jerusalem to attend 3 festivals, namely, the Festival of the Unleavened Bread (the Passover), the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles. It’s a treacherous journey filled with danger and harm from bandits. Thus, the Jewish pilgrims will sing and recite Psalm 121, the Psalm of Accents, and pray for God’s mercy and protection. Jesus used this journey to narate the parable of the Good Samaritan. The Jewish pilgrims, in a way, were like salmon travelling upstream to spawn. Despite the tenous journey, they persevered.

In these modern post-Covid times, with the advent of double or triple vaccinations, it is thus sad and disappointing that there are still people who make excuses not to physically attend church. Choosing instead to tune in online – perhaps in their Pjs and with coffee in hand, somewhat reducing the Sunday worship to a TV programme and in the process of losing out significantly on the positive impact of congregational worship. Some people forget that the least one can do for one another is to show up as our physical presence encourages others. Most offices are now back to full-time on-site work. We need to all put Covid-19 behind us and do our best to bring normality back to everyday living, and that includes church worship services.

Make the effort to dress up and attend church on site on Sundays or Saturday evenings. It’s a place to worship God and meet Him face to face as we worship Him. Experience the tangible presence and power of the Holy Spirit as we sing songs of praise and worship in faith. Close our eyes and immerse ourselves as the congregation sings and worships in unison with the worship leader and the musicians. Speak to Jesus, commit our struggles to Him as we worship. Most importantly, enthrone the Lord, crown Him with many crowns. He is the King of Glory. Be encouraged and strengthened. The least we could do is to attend church on site after all that Jesus has done for us! Is it too hard to make that journey? Our Jewish brothers travelled for days to Jerusalem, and each of the festivals also lasted for at least a week!

https://odb.org/2023/08/16/the-power-of-persistence

In our faith, the qualities that are expounded are often contrary to that of the world. In terms of Christian living, it is “right side up living,” an expression that is inverse to upside down. So, selflessness is valued as opposed to selfishness. Humility is admired compared to pride. Servant leadership is emphasised. It is better to give than to receive because, in sharing, it opens up the heavens. Spiritual blessings are often intangible. Can we measure love and joy? It’s also a long game, and thus, faithfulness is really the virtue that God looks for in us. We want to be a good and faithful servant, not a spectacular and outstanding star for the Lord. We may be the light of the world, but we reflect His light, not shine our own.

Thus, persistence and perseverance are qualities to develop for faithfulness. Can we do the same thing for God, day in and day out, for 10 years or 20 years, without fail? Like the pastor who prepares and preaches the sermon week in and week out. Or the person who arranges the chairs for the sanctuary every Sunday for years until the day he dies. I recall many years back when I was attending another church, we were so inspired that come rain or shine, we will make it to church to worship God. Once after music practice, my wife (then girlfriend) and I were caught in the rain and got drenched while travelling on my old motorbike. On another occasion, the old boy broke down, and we had to push him home! But never once did we ever give up going to church for the music practice on Saturday afternoon or the service on Sunday morning. We will honour God and turn up come what may! In praying for others, we need to be persistent and persevere through for the people we are praying for. Over time, and it may be years, we will see the transformation and change as Jesus and the Holy Spirit work in their lives bit by bit. Very seldom do we see overnight genuine change. Transformation takes time, and true transformation takes even longer!

Be faithful to our calling from God. Be faithful being that little brick in that wall. Our contribution may look insignificant in the scheme of things or may even pale in comparison to our peers or other more outstanding brothers and sisters, but don’t give up. Be faithful in the smaller things first before God gives us bigger things. Persevere through, be persistent in fulfilling our current role and responsibility for God, in serving Him. Be a good and faithful servant!