https://odb.org/MY/2023/07/20/putting-on-humility

In Philippians 2:5-11, Paul reminds us of a very important point in dealing and relating with one another. Using Jesus as the perfect example for forsaking His divinity to become man and to live among His creation as a human being, Jesus became a servant to the point of death. Humility is thus an important trait to have when dealing with our fellow believers and others.

Humility is key because we are all equals before God as brothers and sisters in Christ, as co-heirs with Christ. There is a leadership hierarchy in the church, but before God, I don’t think God sees us as pastors, leaders, or just members. In the spiritual realm, everyone is the same to Him. Every believer possesses the same power and authority to pray for spiritual intervention, to break strongholds, and to pray for healing. We all have an equal voice to speak. The Lord doesn’t answer the prayers of the pastor first. But there are spiritual gifts and unique talents bestowed or acquired by different ones of us over time with faithfulness and persistence, and thus, some of us in fulfilling our calling may do certain tasks better. But at the baseline, we all have the same spiritual authority and power as believers and children of God. It’s like in the police force – every policeman, whether rank and file or an officer, has the legal authority and power to carry firearms and arrest a civilian who commits an offence.

Therefore, it is essential that we remain humble before God and man as everyone comes into this world naked and will return to God naked. We come into this world with nothing, and we will leave with nothing. On the day of Jesus Christ, we will all be resurrected and clothed in a new glorified body. There has been no indication in Scriptures that we will have bodies with differing powers and abilities as we only have one sole example in the resurrected Christ. That is the body we place our hope of glory on.

Humility is also important for us as God Himself loves the humble. In James 4:6, he writes that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. This is evident in Psalms 136:6 – though the LORD is high, He regards the lowly, but the haughty He knows from afar. In Proverbs 3:34, it is written that towards the scorners, He is scornful but to the humble He gives favour. In Matthew 23:12, Jesus Himself said, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Let’s all be humble before God and man. The LORD will be proud of us. Jesus will be delighted. Most importantly, it is easier to gain cooperation and trust if we are humble.

https://odb.org/MY/2023/07/18/doing-something-right

There are two ways to look at things if we are doing wrong. One approach is to continue doing wrong. Since we have sinned, or as some say, already covered in dirt, nothing we do now may undo the wrong we did or wash away our dirt – so we continue to wallow in the dirt like pigs in a pig sty. Another approach is the other extreme and, I believe, adopted by some believers who put their faith in the gospel of grace. And it goes like this – we know God is forgiving, gracious, and compassionate. So we take our chances. We sin, and then we seek forgiveness. Then sin again and seek forgiveness again. We do this 500 times over 20 years, and we are still at it today. No change, no transformation. In essence, we are no better than the others of the world, although we profess to be a child of God.

Both are wrong at different ends of the spectrum. On the one hand, there is forgiveness in Christ, and He can and will wipe us clean like snow. His blood shed on the cross forgives us our sins. Therefore, there is no justification for anyone to continue sinning, as though once tainted, it is always tainted. God forgives, and Christ cleanses. On the other hand, we can not keep on sinning and seeking forgiveness because by doing that, we are taking God’s grace and compassion for granted. We do not reverent God. If we are still the same the day we accepted Christ and today, many years later, there is probably something wrong with our faith.

The thing that cuts across both extremes and modulates the ends together, in my view, is repentance. If we had committed great sins but have a repentant heart, God forgives and gives us a new lease of life in Him. The past will not taint us. We are who we are today in Christ. Christ is the Alpha and the Omega and will bring to completion the good work that He has begun in us. Conversely, if we have repentance, we will not get into this pattern of sin and forgiveness. Repentance means that after we seek forgiveness, we will cease sinning. Of course, there may be relapses, but they are few and far in between.

With repentance, there is hope for those who had done great wrongs before as well as those who continue doing wrong despite knowing Jesus. Have a humble and contrite heart before God, as the Psalmists say. Repent of our sins before God, and He will in His abundant grace and mercy, forgive us and write our names down in the Book of Life.

https://odb.org/MY/2023/07/17/whats-my-purpose

I guess one of the questions Jesus will ask us at the Judgement Seat of Christ (Bema Judgment) is – have you done the things I called you to do? Just a few days ago, I wrote on the types of judgment awaiting us on the day of Jesus Christ: https://ronnielim.com/2023/07/13/personal-responsibility-and-accountability/

Have we fulfilled our calling in God? Did we live in the centre of His will? Did we execute His plans and purposes for our lives? Or were we too busy living our own lives, fulfilling our own plans and ambitions? From the days of our youth till our old age, did we only pursue our own things and matters? Was God ever figured on any of the things we do? Did we serve Him in church and ministry? What is the Lord’s specific will for our lives? This is something for us to seek out with God and discover and fulfil. I always believe each and every one of us has a specific role to play in the Kingdom of God. We are that particular brick in the wall. Only we can fit that gap with our unique talent and giftings in Christ.

Having said that, if we are still on the road of discovery on God’s purpose for us and are still unsure, whatever our age – the message is to make ourselves useful. Call up someone and make conversation or in today’s world, just WhatsApp someone. Our care and concern may light up someone’s day. Go out and invite someone for a meal and a time of fellowship. Invite people to our church service and be their usher when they come. Attend to them. Do home or hospital visitations. Offer to pray for people and their needs. Pray and intercede for people in our midst. There is much we can do if we choose to make ourselves useful.

What’s my purpose in life is something for us to discover with God? Once we discover that, we can live a purpose-driven life, being the best that we can ever be in God. We can live in the centre of God’s will. In the meantime, make ourselves useful. In fact, we might end up discovering our calling in God as we serve Him in small and minute ways. Maybe our purpose in life is to be a Barnabas or a Timothy. Not everyone has to be Peter or Paul or John!

https://odb.org/MY/2023/07/16/prayer-and-transformation

Psalm 127 is the start of Book Five (or the Fifth Part) of the Psalms that speaks of the rescue of Israel and their return to Jerusalem and Canaan land (Israel). The Psalmists likened the LORD’s rescue of Israel to sailors caught in the tempest of a storm at open waters. The Psalmists wrote that the merchants at sea, in their peril, had their courage melted away. They reeled and stumbled like drunkards. They were at their wits’ end. Then they cried out to the LORD in their distress. He heard their cry and stilled the storm to a whisper. In the end, the LORD guided them to their haven, a safe harbour away from the elements.

Psalm 127 can also be looked at as an example of God answering our prayers when we face storms of life, that as we call upon His name in our distress, He extends His hands to help us and lift us up from falling. It reminds me of Jesus lifting Peter out of the water as he sunk even though he had walked on water for a distance. We can see the account in Matthew 14:22-33. In another situation, when the disciples of Christ were afraid for their lives during a furious squall, Jesus woke up and spoke the storm into a whisper. See Mark 4: 35-41.

I think Jesus will not calm every storm that we face in life as some storms are meant to mould and transform us into a better person for Christ. Some storms will make us stronger after we go through it. There are spiritual principles and lessons of faith that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives after such storms. Like in Psalm 127, I believe one principle we should adopt and practice is to pray when facing a storm. Cry out to Christ for help like Peter did with Jesus. Jesus will either calm the storm or calm our nerves. Come what may and whatever happens, our faith must remain steady and focused. Commit our situation to Jesus and believe that Romans 8:28 will be our ultimate outcome. Even though we may lose some battles, we will win the war! Look at the big picture when facing storms in life. Remain on the narrow path to eternal life, on that boat to salvation.

But if the storm is really unbearable, please speak to someone. We pray and commit our situation to Jesus, but also confide in someone who may be able to help or lend us a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on. A human touch is and will be useful and helpful, although divine intervention may be required. Sometimes, God will only intervene later, in accordance with His time as He makes all things beautiful in His time. In the meantime, hang on there like a sailor adrift at sea clinging on to a raft to stay afloat. Help is on the horizon and will reach us soon.

https://odb.org/MY/2023/07/14/deep-waters

When we think of deep waters, we think of dependency on God. This is because even if we know how to swim, we can’t in the natural swim for long in deep waters. If we could float and thread water, our strength is still not unlimitless as we are essentially land animals, not marine creatures. We will sink and do not have the ability to breathe in water. So, in deep waters, without help, we will eventually drown.

But when Solomon wrote Proverbs 20:5 – the purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but the one who has insight draws them out – he meant it in a different light. It means that we keep some things very deep inside us, and sometimes, only the wise or wise counselling can draw them out and achieve resolution, closure, and healing.

The recent passing of the well-known and well-liked Asian pop star, Coco Lee, had devastated many fans and non-fans alike. She was always so happy and jovial, always positive, always working hard. Yet deep inside her, she had issues, and those issues led to depression that ultimately took her life. Such a bubbly and sassy character, and yet she was lost and drowned in the deep waters of depression, sorrow, and sadness.

I think we should talk openly about the deeper things that bother us. Confide with someone – our spouse, a leader in our church, our cell group members, a close friend. Someone we trust. Sometimes, talking about things and bringing things out in the open liberates our hearts and prevents us from being crushed from inside out. If really there is no one, share our hearts out to the Lord. Jesus will be our listener and comforter.

As a friend and brother or sister in Christ or even as a spouse, we must never dismiss depression and its devastating effects. Never allow it to set in or take root because it could well sap one’s will and desire to live. It is dangerous, and we must allow the person we love room to ventilate and speak out. That is why it requires wisdom to draw things out from the deep waters of a person’s soul. It requires insight and wisdom. We could also pray that God will intervene. Ultimately, we need to bring those things out so that there would be closure and healing in our souls.

https://odb.org/MY/2023/07/13/personal-responsibility

In our faith as believers, we have personal responsibility and accountability for our actions, behaviour, and service, including for things we could have done but didn’t. On the day of judgment, we need to give an account for our lives – like for example, did we oppress or help the poor or disadvantaged? Or did we see an opportunity, and we capitalised on it to the detriment of the disadvantaged?

In the Bible, there are two last day judgments that we should be aware of. The first is the Great White Throne Judgment, and the second is the Judgment Seat of Christ (also known as the Bema judgment). The first judges unbelievers while the second judges believers. The Bema judgment seeks to reward if we have followed what Jesus said (remember Matthew 7:21?). In other words, have we fulfilled our calling in Christ and the plans and purposes of God for our lives? In fact, the whole Bible is about us following and living out His commandments.

When Paul speaks of working out our salvation with fear and trembling in Philippians 2:12, I believe that he is referring to the first, that is, we need to first make sure that our salvation is intact on the day of judgment. But if we have done our share of good works and service after accepting Christ, then those good works will surely stand us in good stead when we face Christ during the Bema judgment. All the treasures and riches in heaven that we had stored earlier will become tangible at this time. James had reminded in James 2:26 that faith without works is dead.

I think the simple message this morning is that accepting Christ is not the end game, but only the beginning to possibly an endless adventure with Christ working out His plans and purposes for our lives while we allow Him to transform us as we do not conform to the pattern of this world per Romans 12:2. There is work to be done within us, and for Christ – much work indeed! The good news is that as we serve Him and in the process we are transformed, we will sort out the first and second judgments. We will first ensure that our salvation is intact, and then we will be rewarded for our good works.

There will be a time of personal responsibility and accountability, but we will not be fearful if we have done our part. By way of an analogy, it will be like if we had prepared well for our exam, we would enter the examination hall with boldness and anticipation to do well. But if we had not prepared well, then we would be fearful, and there may be trembling within us. Put in our share of the work, and we will be good!

https://odb.org/MY/2023/07/12/wash-me

I think it is highly commendable that the Bible writers wrote the story of King David and Bathsheba as it is without censoring or modifying or even concealing it to put David in a better light. After all, David was and is still the pride and joy of Israel – even our Lord Jesus Christ identifies and traces his ancestry to the house of David!

What David did as an absolute monarch with power only second to God was hineous and despicable, and while David suffered the consequences for his sin (he lost a few of his sons, including Bathsheba’s first son with him), God forgave him when he repented from his sin. The Lord nevertheless loved him and continued his lineage through his son with Bathsheba, Solomon, who became the wisest King ever from Israel, and it is from this lineage (tainted as it was) that God chose to bring His only begotten son to this world to be the Lamb of God for humanity.

The story of David and Bathsheba speaks of the brokenness of the human flesh that corrupts even the greatest among us but also speaks of the forgiveness, compassion, and love of God. Psalm 51:1-7 depicts the anguish and remorse David felt when confronting God with his sin in repentance. It’s an excellent model for us to follow if we ever need to repent before God for our own sins and wrongdoing. Cleanse me, O Lord, my Father in heaven – wash me clean as snow.

We thank you, Father, for sending Jesus to this world to die for our sins that those of us who believe in Jesus will not perish but may have eternal life (John 3:16). Jesus became the Lamb of God to wash us clean as snow that we are completely unblemished as we enter into His presence. The blood of Jesus is the basis for us seeing God face to face in worship. It’s all only possible with the blood of the Lamb shed on the cross of Calvary.

Know this morning that God loves us like He loved David, and if we repent and turn away from our wicked ways, He will forgive us like He forgave David. He will cleanse us to be white as snow – we need to repent and return to Him – He is gracious and compassionate and will forgive us.

https://odb.org/MY/2023/07/11/who-deserves-the-praise

In my view, Hebrews 3:4 sets out a very important spiritual principle that who we are and all that we have are very much blessings from God, our Heavenly Father and creator of the universe and everything in it. Thus, if we have a nice house, the LORD is the real builder of the house. As the writer of Hebrews (believed to be Paul) says, God is the builder of everything. Acknowledging and knowing that our Lord is the source of our wealth and our success in life is important to keep our feet on the ground. To make sure that we don’t get puffed up by pride. The Psalmist recognised this principle as they proclaimed in Psalm 127:1 that unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labour in vain. Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself taught about the rich man who tore down his old barnhouses and built bigger ones to store up wheat and his possessions for years to come – only to have his life taken that very night. See Luke 12:16-21.

If we recognise and acknowledge that all that we are and have are from God, we will feel less sad if these are taken away. It was not really ours in the first place. It also makes sharing what we have easier. If we treat our riches as blessings of God, we would be more inclined to share more of it as a way to share the blessings of God with others. In other words, so that others may also be blessed by God through us. Ultimately, we came to this earth naked, and we will also return to God naked. We came with nothing, and we will return with nothing. We can not bring anything with us when we die except our faith and the treasures we had earlier stored in heaven. Our inheritance in Christ will always be intact, but it is not of this world. So why don’t we use our earthly wealth and influence to build up our treasures in heaven? Those things are intangible now but will be tangible after the day of Jesus Christ.

Recognise, acknowledge, and know that the true builder of everything is God, and that includes everything we have and who we are today and in the days to come. Give Him all glory for the work He has done and is still doing in our lives! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord for He is good, all the time!

https://odb.org/MY/2023/07/10/from-darkness-to-light

I’m 55 this year, and my first exposure to John 3:16 was when I was 12. That was 43 years ago. I was corresponding with a classmate of mine after leaving town for a small town in the East Coast of Malaysia, and she always ended her letters with John 3:16. That piqued my curiosity, and although I claimed I was a Christian (as my dad was from a Catholic background), at that point, I had not accepted Jesus into my life yet.

John 3:16 remains my favourite verse in the Bible and stands as the motto for my blog – that God sent His only begotten son to the world that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. It’s a simple verse and yet so profound as it encapsulates the whole message of the Gospel in those few words.

In reading and expounding Scripture, it is necessary to read even well-known verses in context. The context of John 3:16 was a response of Jesus to a Pharisee of the Sanhedrin named Nicodemus, who was half convinced that Jesus was the Messiah but was afraid to be seen with Jesus in the open. Thus, he came in to see Jesus under the cover of darkness, in secret, away from the public to ask Jesus questions. But Jesus was fully aware of Nichodemus’s situation and predicament and told him that to enter the Kingdom of God, he just needed to believe in Him as He was sent by God to the world so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have life eternal. It is, however, in the context of that time, a proclamation and belief that needs to be made public in daylight, not in darkness. This is because it was important for Jesus that the religious authorities believe that He was the Messiah, although He knew that they were against Him and would oppose Him – in fact, they ultimately persecuted and crucified Him!

Believing in Jesus should be done in the light as we are the light of the world. We should be proud of our beliefs and take pride in Jesus as our Lord. There are, however, closed countries and societies where this may not be permissible and may actually result in death. It is understandable that there are people who need to keep their belief in Christ a secret. Nevertheless, some still take the step of faith to come out in the open despite the threats and end up dead. Ultimately, eternal life is more important to them than this temporal world. They were killed because they stood for their faith, not killing themselves while killing others for their faith. That’s the big distinction.

Thank you, Father, for sending Your only and beloved Son to the world to die for our sins on the cross that many among us may live and have eternal life – instead of leaving us on the road that leads to destruction. To those who are on that road or who may be leaning towards that, I pray that in Your grace and mercy that You will, with the power of the Holy Spirit, bring all of them onto or back onto the narrow path that leads to eternal life. Amen

https://odb.org/MY/2023/07/09/a-cry-for-help

As we read Isaiah 58:1-9, I feel that the message is that we must be genuine in God. In those passages, the LORD was asking why the Israelites fast and yet oppressed the poor? It’s like saying why worship in church and sing songs proclaiming God’s goodness when we ourselves practice injustice whether at home or at work. Or our persona in church is one of righteousness, but we do evil when we leave church. At work, we backstab others or freely give out poison pills, and yet we are holy in church.

There must be consistency between our spiritual and natural lives. We must be the same person. We are who we are, in and out of church. We are the same person whether we are worshipping God or not. That’s why God said in Isaiah 58 that we can not fast and yet do not do something about injustice. This is because God is about freeing us from injustice. He is about setting the yoke free from the oppressed. He is about feeding the hungry. He is about giving shelter to the poor wanderer and to clothe the naked. He is not about turning away from your own flesh and blood. Of course, the LORD spoke about all these within the nation of Israel, their fellow brothers, and sisters in the nation. However, Jesus had made it generic when He came on the scene. This is no longer about Israel alone or the community in our church (in our present context) but mankind in general, regardless of race or religion and even sexual orientation. God loves everyone and wants to give everyone a chance to be a part of our family of God.

Of course, we alone can not be feeding the hungry or cloth the unclothed or shelter the wanderer. Jesus said before when Mary Magdelene poured out her bottle of perfume to wash His feet – the poor you will always have with you. Meaning to see that we as individuals can not solve the issue of poverty among the masses. But what we can do is not to be the oppressor or assist in the oppression. We must be genuine in our faith and allow God to truly transform us. We can not be two-faced or wear a mask in church or in worship. We have to meet God face to face in worship in our true self. Be real and consistent before God and before men. That my brothers and sisters in Christ is true transformation.