https://odb.org/MY/2022/09/30/where-to-turn

It’s really sad to read about a brother who found Christ and laid off drugs who was athletic and happy doing his sport in high school, to only return to drugs years later and die of overdose. He attended a local church and decided to follow Jesus. However following Jesus is not a flash in the pan or a temporary fad. Neither is it only a high school or college thing. It’s a life long journey, spanning the day we first accepted Christ into our lives until the day we die. We need to go through life’s journey with God by our side and not walk on our own way every now and then.

Who or what do we turn to for our times of misery and pain? Our times of sadness and disappointment or even our times of joy and laughter? Is it cigarettes and drinks? Grass and drugs? Or even high cholesterol inducing red meat like a large juicy steak or loads and loads of cheese cakes and chocolates and ice cream! There are indulgences that are just unhealthy and yet there are avenues that are plain destructive yet familiar. Actually being self indulgent itself is not a good habit as we tend to let ourselves go and forget that we are a child of God.

This story of the Israelites running to Egypt for help when the militarily rejuvenated Assyrians wanted to invade and conquer Israel is a well known one preached by many. The then southern kingdom of Judah ran to Egypt to seek their intervention despite God telling them to trust in Him. I honestly do not know what happened to them? Taking things into their own hands in defiance and against the clear instructions of the Lord!

Israel is however often a picture of who we are in God and as much as we are surprised by the foolishness of the Israelites in not relying on God, we are at times also like that! We go running back to our old habits, our past indulgences. Instead of turning to God, we go back to our past familiar places.

Let’s not do that anymore. Let’s continue to trust God. Don’t go back to our Egypt. Don’t be like that guy who found God in high school to only return to drugs years later and who died of an overdose. Don’t look back to our past familiar places. Find comfort in God. He is the only true and faithful one to hold on to till the end as Christ is the only one with the words of eternal life. Cling on to Him and don’t look back.

https://odb.org/MY/2022/09/29/the-coffee-bean-bowl

Let’s say, for example, the Lord prompts you to give a gift of RM5,000 (and at the rate our currency markets are heading, that is looking more and more like just one thousand US Dollars) to someone who doesn’t appear to be struggling financially. Do you do that or would you instead give that money to a more deserving person like a full time worker or the poor? Of course we do not know the exact situation of that person. But assuming there is no hidden need like he is secretly suffering from cancer and require money for treatment. Let’s assume he is living normally and yet the Lord prompts you to give him that gift.

This is similar to the situation faced by Mary 6 days before the Passover when Jesus visited her family home and for background, at the time when Lazarus, Mary’s brother, was just recently raised from the dead. The Passover was significant as that was the day Jesus had His last meal (which later became our Holy Communion) before He was crucified. Was it wrong for Mary to “waste” a whole bottle of perfume on Jesus’s feet when it could have been sold and given to the poor as Judas Iscariot had suggested. Of course we know Judas was not sincere in his suggestion as he was conflicted. The point remains that it could have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor. Jesus however disagreed that it was bad decision.

I think the first point we should take note is that the perfume was Mary’s to give and not Judas to sell. We mustn’t criticise if it is not ours to give. But the more fundamental point is that if it was sold and the proceeds given to the poor, Jesus would not have been honoured in that special way before his death that was just 6-7 days away. The fragrance of the perfume filled the room and everyone enjoyed the fragrance that was honouring Jesus who would soon be dying for the sins of mankind. Surely the Son of Man was worth honouring in that manner. Actually in the larger scheme of things, nothing could have compared to the ultimate sacrifice He made in paving the way for mankind to reconcile with the Father and thus a bottle of perfume although worth a year’s wages, pales in comparison with His sacrifice and is thus still just a token of appreciation.

If the Lord prompts us to give, just give. Don’t question God and don’t question others who are likewise prompted. The Holy Spirit knows best and we just obey and follow His lead. God has a purpose and a plan. We just need to be His facilitator like Mary did in the case of her perfume and Jesus. In the end, at least someone from the human race had made the effort to honour Jesus before He went to the cross for you and I and everyone else!

https://odb.org/MY/2022/09/27/gods-help-for-our-future

Psalm 90:12 teaches: “Number our days so we may gain a heart of wisdom” while Psalm 90:19 prays that, “May the favour of the Lord our God establish the work of our hands.”

As we have previously shared in these pages, the wisdom of the Old Testament, of the Psalms and Proverbs, is often centred on knowing the Lord our God. Thus to gain a heart of wisdom speaks of being wise in our thoughts and actions and that basically means to know God and to keep His laws and percepts. But to achieve that, Psalm 90:12 teaches us to number our days and to me that, in essence, means we need to be fully aware and cognisant that we are not and will not be here on earth for eternity. With Jesus in our lives, we will live on for eternity even though we will die but our time on earth, in this physical realm is always numbered. There is a fixed period of time. Not just a question of old age; as we are all well aware that many have passed on younger for various reasons. Thus to number our days means we need to realise we have a limited time here and that also means that we need to do what’s essential and important first. We are after all pilgrims passing through this temporary abode.

Peter Tsukahira once taught that in the end what’s key for our existence here is God’s plans and purposes for our lives. We exist for a purpose that was pre-planned even before the foundations of the earth were made. God fearfully and wonderfully made each and every one of us (Psalm 139:14). We are all uniquely created in His image for His plans and purposes.

Therefore always seek the Lord on what are His plans and purposes for us? What is the raison d’etre for our being here on earth? Even as life may be a struggle at times with its storms and turmoil, seek God’s wisdom for our lives. Know His sovereign and specific will for us.

And as we go out there in the world and claim our inheritance in Christ and do the things Christ and the Father have appointed us to do, we pray that may the Lord our God establish the work of our hands. May the favour of God be upon us to establish the work of our hands. We sow, we serve, we minister but God establishes and reaps. He will make our work come to life, to blossom and bloom. We do our part to be the hands and legs of the Almighty One, the Sovereign God of Israel. May the favour of God indeed be with us to establish our ways and the work of our hands!

https://odb.org/MY/2022/09/26/the-miracle-of-salvation

As much as the famous miracle of Lazarus in John 11 is spectacular, it is still in my view not as spectacular as the miracle of salvation.

To raise a person from the dead after a full four days in indeed an impossibility and only God could do that and it proved that Jesus is indeed God. This is because once a person dies, the body decomposes immediately. Without the movement of blood and the lungs working in tandem to oxygenise the blood and bring nutrients from the digestive system, the cells in the body will begin to die. Flesh will rot as the body then becomes food for microorganisms. That is why there was a bad odour. Yet Lazarus was raised from the dead. In fact, he and his village became famous after this episode with people going there to witness and see for themselves the miracle of the resurrected Lazarus. You can see this recorded in John 12:9.

As much as the miracle of Lazarus is spectacular, the miracle of salvation is even more spectacular as it means we will get to live for eternity. Though we may die, yet we will live. John 11:25 – I am the resurrection and the life, the one who believes in me will live even though they die. We know that our souls (spirits) live forever and will return to God after we pass from this world with our bodies only a shell that will return to dust (earth).

But if we believe in Jesus, we will live for eternity because one day we will be resurrected somewhat like Lazarus but not quite as we will be resurrected into a glorified body like Jesus’s after His death and resurrection. That is our hope of glory. Not only our spirit lives forever, but we will live forever in the presence of God in our glorified bodies in the new heaven and earth, the new Jerusalem with Christ as our King and Lord ruling the earth, in harmony with all the animals, birds of the air and those that are in the sea.

Although Lazarus was resurrected from the dead, he died eventually of old age. He has yet to experience immortality then. But he will one day be resurrected again like all believers in Christ and will then live forever as God had initially desired and intended for humans before sin came in and brought death with it. But all praises and glory be unto God and our Lord Jesus Christ that through His death on the cross, sin lost its sting and was defeated when Jesus rose again from the dead that to those who believe in Him will live even though they may die! That is the miracle of salvation. It conquers sin and death and returns immortality to humanity. That is why the miracle of salvation is even more spectacular than the miracle of Lazarus! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

https://odb.org/MY/2022/09/25/choose-wisely

“Whoever wants to save their lives will lose it but whoever loses their lives for me and the Gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Mark 8:35-36).

There will be many times as we walk the journey of faith that we will encounter and be challenged by this issue. Will we put our interests first or that of God first? Will we be preoccupied with human concerns more or the concerns of God? Which comes first, physical or spiritual needs?

One clear example is in the area of our jobs. Will we choose a job for its better prospects and career progression opportunities and deal with church and ministry accordingly or do we take the latter into consideration as we look at a job opportunity? I was twice offered an interview for a senior counsel position in a gaming company but declined as their core business was gaming. I also declined as one of the requirements was that I need to be up at the Hill for management or board meetings two weekends a month. Of course, if we work weekends officially we will have days off but that would also mean not going to church two Sundays a month for as long as I hold that job.

The question today I believe is that do we allow our bread and butter issues to overshadow our spiritual commitments to God in terms of our church and ministry. I think it is extreme to teach that we need to borrow to pay our tithes and offerings and yet if we are financially able to, we must do so faithfully to support the work of God. Different ones of us will face different issues as we progress on in this journey of faith. Do we put God first? Will we put the concerns of God first or will we place a higher priority and importance on our human concerns?

Have a blessed Sunday and have a good Sunday worship today! It will be good if we could make the effort to be on site to worship physically together as a congregation especially now when the pandemic has much abated and has moved on to the endemic stage. Are we putting God first or are we really genuinely afraid of contracting Covid? Are we putting our human concerns first? Remember those who save their lives will lose it while those who lose their lives will save it. It sounds paradoxical but there is much truth to it.

https://odb.org/MY/2022/09/23/the-story-isnt-over

In the movies, there are certain set rules. For example, there is always a protagonist and an antagonist, the hero or leading character and the villain respectively. No matter how complex or futuristic the movie, it nearly always boils down to the bad guys and good guys, the battle between good and evil, whether it is 007 or Star Wars or the Marvel cinematic universe or any other movie. The other thing is that usually the good guys will win in the end. Good will prevail over evil. But as movies are all creative efforts, there are some productions that mess up the formula and let evil win or at least imply that evil won when the antagonist walks free or is not caught. This will usually cause angst and frustration in the audience because as human beings we always want to see good being triumphant.

In real life though, it is not certain that good will always win. We want to believe that is so and yet we some times need a few generations to see the negative effects of evil and thus for those living in contemporary times, there is an impression that evil actually won. However, honestly we cannot be certain that even with the passage of time that good will prevail in the end and there lies the frustration of the human race. Is there no justice in this world?

Jesus taught us to pray by praying to the Father and asking that His will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. In a way, it’s a prayer that good will prevail over evil. Surely it is the will of God that good will prevail. I personally believe that good will prevail, that God will make sure one day. Not for us to question His timing or intervention because ultimately it is the will of man that led to evil. Man chose to be evil even though he could be kind, loving, gracious and good.

As much as I believe that good will prevail in the end, that belief is not as important as what I myself practice. We ought to do good instead of evil. We must be good to people and not be evil. Why? Because God is good to us. He called us to be His own, His sons and daughters. God was and is gracious and merciful towards us. Do we then repay the kindness and goodness of God with evil unto other people? Something is very wrong with our heart if we are still able to do evil after enjoying the grace, love, kindness and goodness of God.

As I see the injustice around us including the stories of the pigeon (merpati) as lately circulated, I believe that good will ultimately prevail and that justice will be served here on earth as it is heaven. Yet what’s more important to me is the reminder this morning that we ourselves as children of the light do not perpetuate evil or help the evil one achieve his evil plans and goals for mankind. If enough of us do good, good will surely prevail in the end!

https://odb.org/MY/2022/09/22/people-who-need-people

I think in doing ministry, whether directly in church or indirectly in the mission field wherever out Lord may have placed us, we need people. This is obvious because we are reaching out to people. Ministry cannot be unto ourselves although we could minister to God and God could minister to us. But that’s more worship than ministry. That is why I think for ministry to work well, every minister needs to be like a salesman – friendly and have a network of friends. To reach out we cannot be a loner working in isolation. We need to reach out to people in order to reach out to them with the Gospel. Thus as a person we should be friendly, approachable, joyful and compassionate – an embodiment of Christ and not gloomy, moody or always having a negative outlook on things. Despite the headwinds and stormy seas, God is able to work in our lives – that is the message of the Gospel.

The other aspect of ministry is that we also need people to do ministry itself. Not only people as the audience and recipients but people as co-workers in Christ. Working as a team is much better than working alone. We complement each other’s giftings and talents and offset our individual weaknesses and idiosyncrasies. As a ministry team, each contributes his or her strengths and share the burden together. As a team it also helps alleviate the pressure that comes with ministry. For example, preaching once a month is less stressful than preaching every Sunday. In my local church, our ministry team preaches between 2 to 3 times a year and that gives us more time to prepare and seek the Lord for a Word that is both rhema and logos for the congregation.

The conclusion is that as ministers and ministry workers we cannot escape meeting people, whether our own congregation, friends and family, colleagues or the general public. It is thus important that we always maintain a demeanour of hope and faith. The world may be going on a spiral of destruction and the great tribulation may be sooner than later and yet as salt and light of the world, we must always uphold the name of God and preach hope and faith amidst the gloom and doom, that Christ crucified and resurrected will make a difference in our lives!

https://odb.org/MY/2022/09/21/living-water-3

God through Moses provided the Israelites with water from the rock as we saw in my devotional commentary yesterday. But instead of speaking to the rock as instructed by God, Moses used his tried and tested method of his staff. His disobedience displeased the LORD and as a result he was not permitted to enter the Promised Land. Nevertheless the provision of God throughout their 40-year sojourn in the wilderness is celebrated by the Jews through the Feast of the Tabernacles and one of the things they do is to have a water pouring ritual to remind them of God’s provision of water through the rock.

Like the water drawn from the well by the Samaritan woman for Jesus, water refreshes and quenches our thirst. The same way water from the rock sustained the Israelites, water makes sure that our bodies remain hydrated. Besides the air we breathe and the food that we eat, living creatures need water to live. Animals sometimes travel for miles in search of water during a drought and wildebeest brave crocodiles to drink water from the edge of the river.

Yet as essential is water to humans, Jesus talks about us having living waters flowing from within us. If we were to drink from Him, we will never become thristy as He is the living water. The source of eternal waters which is the Holy Spirit given after Christ was glorified and thus fully accessible by us as believers in this post-Christ era of the church.

With the Holy Spirit living in us, practically our spirit is revived and refreshed daily as we wake and get ready to face the world again every morning. We shouldn’t be down or discouraged as we have the source of living waters flowing inside us. Like water refreshed a bouquet of Ecuadorian flowers in today’s ODB’s life story, the living water inside us will revive and refresh our spirit and empowers us to soar with wings like an eagle. Like an eagle, we will able to see far into the horizon of an exciting future full of exploits for God. Jesus has much more in store for us than the job we hold and the life we live right now. More adventures from and for God await us as we allow the living waters to flow freely within us!

Life can be dreary, boring and lifeless but with the living waters of the Holy Spirit, life lived for God will surely be a sparkle, exciting and even a spectacle! Hallelujah! Praise the name of the Lord forever and ever!

https://odb.org/MY/2022/09/20/reckless-decisions

Driving fast in the rain is dangerous even in these modern times with ABS brakes and a host of advanced driving assistance (ADA) systems like adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, lane change monitor, driver attention alerts etc. Thus if we chose to drive fast in the rain, we could be regarded as having driven recklessly.

In the heat of a moment when emotions run high, we may make decisions or take actions we may regret later. In the case of Moses, for some reason, he chose not to listen fully to God’s instructions and instead relied on his time-tested method of using his staff on the rock to bring forth water for the community. Some say it could be he wanted to be like the magicians of old showing off his powers. But I think it’s more like he was under tremendous pressure then and thus relied on what worked in the past, forgetting that God is holy and God is God. Since the LORD had said to speak to the rock, why did Moses misinterpret it to mean to use his staff like he did in previous times? In retrospect, it may look silly to disobey, but at the heat of the moment in the split second, Moses chose the status quo, the tried and tested method. A similar situation was experienced by Saul, and he entered the Holy place and offered the LORD the burnt offering without waiting for Samuel, the high priest, who was the only one authorised to do so at that time. He acted hastily as he was under tremendous pressure to appease the troops. Saul’s case, though, was not to rely on the status quo but to take matters into his own hands, which, unfortunately for him, he was prohibited to do.

I think there are two lessons here. One is don’t act or decide in a rush or at the heat of the moment. Our decisions or actions will most likely be emotionally and unduly influenced and will not be the best. Take time to withdraw to pray and consider carefully. Seek God for guidance and wisdom. Don’t decide and act hastily.

The other lesson is that we must trust God at His Word. If He calls us, we must respond as He says. We mustn’t rationalise and put our own spin and interpret His Word in a safe and conventional manner, which is our human tendency. Dare to move out of our comfort zone and step out in faith and do new things. Embrace fresh ideas as God instructs. We will notice that the consequence of the reckless decision was far worse in the case of Saul compared to Moses. Moses is still revered as the person appointed by God to bring the Israelites out of slavery and bondage in Egypt into the Promised Land, although he himself did not enter. Saul, on the other hand, is known as the person who took matters into his own hands and lost the crown as a result.

https://odb.org/MY/2022/09/19/imaginative-faith

Isaiah 55:6-13 is very interesting as it speaks about the time when the hills and the mountains will burst out in song and the trees shall clap their hands. A time when even nature will express their joy because the end of age has come and there is then a new heaven and a new earth. It is the time of the new Jerusalem, with God dwelling among His people again. The new Eden! A time of joy with no more tears and sorrow. A time when we will live for eternity and the time for us to be reconciled with our loved ones who had died in the Lord.

The mountains and the hills will burst forth in singing and the trees shall clap their hands. Reminds me of the song that I used to sing when I was growing up as a young believer. Certainly a song written using the words in Isaiah 55.

But note that Isaiah 55:6-13 starts with a warning and exaltation, “Seek the LORD while He may be found, call on Him while He is near”. As much as everyone is given the opportunity to know the LORD, we as humans created in His image must nevertheless take the step to reach out to Him in faith like little children that we spoke about yesterday. Seek the LORD while He may be found is not speaking of Israel then only during the time of Isaiah. It transcends time and is still applicable in this present age, the era of the church after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord. If you have yet to come to faith, it is time to seek God and find Him now. It is time to accept Jesus into our lives. It is time to call on Him while He is near. Meaning to say, while we still can and that applies to even believers who have drifted away or left the faith. It is not that God will disappear but because we will not live forever here on earth. The time will come for us to depart from this earth and we need to decide before we leave this realm. Life and death is in the hands of the Lord, but not everyone dies of old age like QE2.

Seek the LORD while He may be found so that one day we will hear the mountains and the hills sing for joy and the trees clap their hands. Thus when the end of time as we know it comes, we will be resurrected like our Lord Jesus and meet Him as the triumphant and victorious Lord of Lords and King of Kings. That privilege is only extended to those who are in the Lord. So call on Him while He is near, while He can still be found!