https://odb.org/MY/2022/08/25/when-you-need-help

Indeed where does my help come if not from the LORD? The LORD watches over me, over my coming and going, and will keep me from harm. It is He who will watch over my life, now and forevermore, the maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 121 is one of those songs sang by the pilgrims as they go through a dangerous and ardous journey to Jerusalem 3 times a year to celebrate and offer sacrifices to the LORD at the Temple. The 3 festivals were the Passover, the Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles, two of which have special significance to us Christians as our Lord celebrated the first before He was crucified and the Holy Spirit came to us during the second.

I have written before, our journey of faith is a life long one and that we are in a Covenant relationship with God, the basis for God’s protection and watching over us is that like the Israelites were His people, we are also His people. It is not a relationship between God and the human race as a whole but a relationship between God and a chosen people, the Israel of old and the spiritual Israel of today, the followers and disciples of Jesus Christ.

There will be storms in life like the dangers the pilgrims face as they journey to Jerusalem as illustrated by the parable of the Good Samaritan taught by Christ. There could be casualties and trouble will not just disappear. But we know that ultimately the Lord will keep us safe and watch over us. We will survive through the storm as Jesus is in the boat with us, as He is with us in our life. Cling on to Psalm 121 and know that the maker of heaven and earth watches over us, whether it’s our safety, our jobs, businesses or our families. He who watches over Israel never sleeps nor slumbers! Praise the Lord!

https://odb.org/MY/2022/08/24/landing-spot

It is interesting to note that while the impala can jump 10 feet high and 30 feet away, it is kept in a zoo in an enclosure with only a 3 feet wall. It will not jump the wall because it can’t see what’s ahead of the wall, unlike in the open field in the wild.

The above example also illustrates what most of us will do in the natural. We will not move ahead unless we know where we are going. We need to plan our next move or next decision knowing exactly the consequence and result. We usually live by sight, actual sight backed by hard facts and evidence. Thus we will only change jobs, for example, for the obvious benefit of a less stressful environment or more dollars or for better career prospects or easier commuting.

But when we come to the faith, we learn that in the faith, we live by faith and not by sight! What that means is we respond to situations based on the Word of God as received or as prompted by the Holy Spirit in our hearts. In other words, we may decide or respond as God calls or speaks to us. The Bible has excellent examples in Abraham and Moses who responded to God’s call despite not knowing exactly what lies ahead. Simon Peter, James and John just dropped everything to follow Jesus when Jesus called and they became from fishermen to fishers of men. Eventually they became the pillars of faith for the early church and laid the foundations for the growth of the faith.

Walking by faith is beneficial because God loves us and will make sure we are well taken care of. Because God is God, we will never lose out as some of us may fear. We cannot outgive Christ. Jesus will always be at our side, in the boat with us and will make sure we survive and thrive in the voyage despite the storms.

You see the Impala could jump 10 feet. So what’s the wall of 3 feet! If it had the faith, it could easily overcome that obstacle and that is faith in its own ability alone. When we step out in faith in God, the Lord will not only help us realise our true ability and potential (remember the Impala can jump 10 feet) but because it is the Lord being with us, we can surely outdo even our own abilities as we allow God to mould and transform us and use us for the furtherance of His Kingdom. We can become the person God wants us to be, no, actually the person He made us to be in the first place before even the foundations of the earth! We just need to step out in faith and let God do the rest. Hear Him for His still small voice calling us, prompting us – respond and step out in faith, the world will indeed be our oyster!

https://odb.org/MY/2022/08/23/the-course-of-a-lifetime

We all know salvation is by the grace of God through the death and resurrection of Christ. We all also know that salvation can be at the last minute just before we breathe our last. The criminal who was crucified with Jesus who believed in Him was saved by Christ. While it is not for us mere humans to question the wisdom of the last minute acceptance of the grace of God, it is certainly fraught with risk as we don’t know when exactly is our last breadth and we may not be in full control of our faculties as we approach the last stages of our life. For example, we could be mentally incapacitated or in coma. Perhaps we could still repent of our sins then or perhaps it’s too late already.

The bible actually teaches the other way, that is, as much as grace is available at anytime, it is the lifetime of dedication that is admired and recommended. The reasons could be a few but the most notable I think is that living is not about eternal salvation but about living life with God. We need to survive in this world and yet if we have God, we get to enjoy and partake of His presence in our lives. With Christ in our lives, the heavens and its mysteries are opened to us. The spiritual realm is within our reach as we pray and healing and miracles and signs and wonders follow by the power and authority of the Holy Spirit. Like King Joash during the time of Jehoiada, we could live in the grace and mercy of God like King David expressed in Psalm 23 that surely goodness and mercy shall follow him for the rest of his life as he dwell in house of the LORD forever and ever. We thus become the Kingdom of God. Where we are whether at home, at work or in the church, we are the manifestation of the glory of God.

My dear brothers and sisters, we are all not perfect and sinless and yet we must aspire to live a life of dedication and faithfulness to God, a lifetime of service and dedication. God can take our imperfections and make them good. Christ can turn our weaknesses into strength for His Kimgdom. Let’s look long term, say the next 30 to 50 years to those who are younger – will we live a lifetime of dedication like Jehoiada that the King himself was faithful to God while he lived?

https://odb.org/MY/2022/08/22/transmitting-truth

Deuteronomy 4:9 speaks of teaching God’s ways and instructions to our children and their children. This is so that what God had done in the midst of the Israelites after their journey out of Egypt in the wilderness before crossing the Jordan can be remembered forever. It was in the desert that God spoke to the Israelites and gave them His Ten Commandments written in two tablets of stone. Moses was then to teach them the LORD’s decrees and percepts that they need to observe and obey as they cross the Jordan into the Promised Land.

This instructions to teach the children God and about God and about what He did for the Israelites of ancient times are actually practiced by the Jews in modern times during the Shabbat when the whole family gathers together and don’t do anything except to read Scriptures and to remember God in their lives, a time to celebrate and remember what God did for them in ancient times as immortalised in the Scriptures. The time spans a whole day from sundown to sundown and the religious Jews keep this religiously, dropping everything and flying back home from wherever they are just to observe this. They come home from afar as I guess this is a family affair, not really a ritual one can observe from the confines of of a hotel room in an alien land. It is an excellent practice to do as Deuteronomy 4:9 teaches.

As believers of Jesus, we need to find a way to have this family time together to teach our own children about God and the goodness of God as expounded in Scriptures and as experienced in our own family in contemporary times. This is beyond going to church on a Saturday evening or a Subday morning. It is a time of thanksgiving and reflection. A time of memories and gratefulness. A time to contemplate what God has in the future for our family, for our children and for our children’s children. That God and Jesus may indeed be immortalised in the living annals of our families with praise, thanksgiving and worship and songs of deliverance and victory! That God is indeed the LORD of our home and family and that Jesus Christ is indeed our Lord and Saviour!

https://odb.org/MY/2022/08/21/two-houses

What does Jesus mean when He says those who hear His words and put them into practice are like those who built their house on the rock where when the rain came, the streams rose and the wind beat against it, it will not fall?

Will loving God and loving your neighbour, for example, cause us or bring us to a condition where we are on solid foundation like a man having built his house on the rock? Is that what Jesus meant by hearing His words and putting them into practice?

Yes, I believe so! If we practice what Jesus teaches, we will then be in a Covenant relationship with God and like ancient Isreal, we will also be keeping the Covenant and be obeying His percepts. The New Covenant is built upon Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour but the principle remains the same as the Old Covenant – we are to keep our side of the Covenant and obey His percepts except that instead of the detailed and lengthy Law of Moses, it is now the teaching of Jesus which is basically a summary of that Law.

The Covenant relationship with Jesus and God and the Holy Spirit is the strong foundation of a house built upon the rock. It is a relationship that will withstand the rain, streams that rise up and the wind. Basically it is a relationship that holds our faith together even when storms come our way and attempt to drown and destroy us. Our faith will be unwavering because we know God in a Covenant relationship. He is our God and we are His people. He protects us when harm comes our way. We may be hurt and bruised but we will not be defeated. We will face the effects of the economic downturn caused by the disruptions and inflation brought on by Covid but we will not be defeated. Our faith will stand firm and strong. We will still love God and our neighbour. We became who we are today in our faith by loving God and our neighbour and we will continue to love God and our neighbour in the present and in the days to come.

My encouragement to all of us today is to continue to build our faith on the rock of our salvation, on Jesus Christ our Lord and like the man who built his house on the rock, our faith will stand firm and will be unwavering when the rain, streams and wind come! Whatever storms life bring us, we will remain with Christ and in Christ! So long as we have Jesus in the boat with us, we will make it through the storm!

https://odb.org/MY/2022/08/19/as-strong-as-iron

One of the characteristics of the Israelites highlighted in the Old Testament in ancient times is their resilience despite overwhelming odds against them. They were strong and courageous and were not discouraged, for example, when they entered the Promised Land although they faced strong armies, fortified cities and giants. They only faltered when they deserted God and His ways and married the people of the surrounding nations and accepted the idols and gods and spiritual practices of those people including Baal. The LORD then was angered and He promised them that destruction will follow from invading large armies of nearby powerful nations and yet the LORD was always patient and compassionate and allowed the Israelites time to repent time and again through repeated calls of His prophets.

Israel as a nation in modern times have proven to be resilient and strong despite being surrounded by powerful Arab nations who are all against them, winning actual wars and repelling invading Arab armies as proven by past wars when Israel was first established. Nowadays Israel is one of the most advanced nations in computer and other technologies, particularly agriculture in growing beautiful fertile produce in desert places.

The spiritual Israel i.e. the modern church and we as the universal body of believers have also been proven to be strong and resilient throughout the ages since the times of Acts. Despite terrible and cruel persecutions, the faith has survived through time and will continue to thrive because God is real and Jesus is alive in our midst. Like ancient and modern Israel, we are as strong as iron in face of adversaries and the adverse situations life brings us, storms and all.

As history has proven, as a body we are made to be strong as iron and resilient, and my encouragement to us today is to continue to be strong and courageous for God as Christ is with us all the way until the very end. God is with us and will not forsake or depart from us so long as we fear Him and obey His percepts and keep His Covenant. Even in these present times, we can and will experience the God of ancient Isreal as He is the same yesterday, today and the days to come!

https://odb.org/MY/2022/08/18/a-compassionate-father

There is no doubt that God is a compassionate God. The Psalmist used the picture of the love and compassion of a human father for his children to illustrate and show the compassion of God for those who fear Him and who obey His percepts and keeps His Covenant. Therein lies the key to the compassion and love of God. The LORD will have compassion on those who fear Him.

I think it’s wrong to think that we can do whatever we like and still expect and in fact demand that God be compassionate to us. It’s something like what our ex-premier Najib did when he switched lawyers at the last minute, then seeking to gain an adjournment of the hearing of his appeal. As though the Federal Court was to dance in accordance to his whims and fancies. The Federal Court rightly and judiciously ruled that while Najib has the right to change his lawyers, he is not at liberty to do so at the expense of the prosecution, the judiciary as well as the administration of justice. Justice delayed is justice denied as there are others waiting to be heard at the Federal Court. Also the lawyers taking up the case must be prepared to argue the case at the appointed time since they were fully aware of the dates when they took up the case.

God loves us and is compassionate. That’s very true. Yet we must fear Him, keep His Covenant and obey His percepts. In other words, we must do our part although our salvation is by grace and is a gift from God. Even for our salvation, we need to accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour and repent of our sins. Always remember and be reminded that as much as God is our Father by virtue of the work of Christ on the cross, we are His children and children love their fathers as much as God loves us. It is always a two-way relationship. Read Psalm 103:13-18 and you will see what I mean. Have a good day ahead, everyone!

https://odb.org/MY/2022/08/17/the-making-of-me

The story of Paul, Barnabas and John Mark in Acts 15:36-40 is a real life example in the book of Acts on how to encourage and believe in someone despite someone else of authority thinking otherwise. Paul dismissed the idea of bringing John Mark along a missionary trip because he had previously deserted them but Barnabas stood his ground and thus parted ways with Paul. Later in 2 Timothy 4:11, Paul asked Luke to go bring John Mark along as he was helpful to Paul’s ministry. In the end, John Mark went on to write the Gospel according to Mark and Barnabas lived up to his name as the son of encouragement as he encouraged and believed in John Mark despite Paul’s earlier dismissal.

As elders of the faith and leaders in church, we must follow the example of Barnabas in believing in someone despite their past misadventures. Paul despite his theological brilliance and church planting and apostolic talents made a wrong judgment call on John Mark as proven by history.

In my own life, in my previous church, there were many who were spiritually much more advanced than me but not all of them remained serving God in the church until today. Our spiritual journey and involvement in ministry is a long haul. Many fall on the wayside and are no longer active and yet there are some who were not a model of spirituality in the past and yet are still serving God and are still with Christ until today. Sometimes we need to have a longer view term of things – like 20 or 30 years instead of just 12 or 24 months. Some people are like the hare who runs very fast but others are like the tortoise who takes one step at a time at its own pace. But the race is a long one, one that could stretch maybe 60 to 70 years of our human lives. Whether we are the prima donna hare or the average but steady tortoise, it actually doesn’t matter too much in the larger scheme of things as what’s important is we all reach the finish line victorious and with our faith intact.

Believe in ourselves and in others. Be a Barnabas to ourselves and to others. Encourage rather than dismiss. Build up rather than tear down. Walk on and never give up. Christ is the hope of our glory!

https://odb.org/MY/2022/08/16/crushed-and-beautiful

For almost a year, David refused to acknowledge and confess his double sin of sending Uriah out to the battle front to die, while he commited adultery with Bathsheba. It was only when the LORD sent the prophet Nathan to confront him that he relented and repented of his sins. Bathsheba was the mother of Solomon, who succeeded David as the King of Israel and Solomon was probably the wisest king ever to have lived.

Two important points I like to highlight today from this story of David with Uriah and Bathsheba. The first is that the writers of the Scriptures wrote the story as it was, they didn’t hide the sin or wrongdoing of David, particularly when David was regarded as one of the icons of the faith. In fact, the pinnacle of God’s relationship with Israel was during the reign of David, the golden years of Israel. Yet the shame of the sin of David was for all to see.

Secondly, God chose to raise Solomon out from David’s originally adulterous relationship with Bathsheba. The adultery and murder were big blemishes in David’s otherwise near excellent character and reign as someone after God’s heart and yet God continued that line from David till Christ through Bathsheba.

I think it goes to show that when we seek forgiveness and repent from our sins, God can and will use the broken pieces of our lives to make a great painting like the intricate and complex painting Consider the Lilies, by Makoto Fujimura. The forgiveness of God is real and genuine even if there are consequences to our actions. In the case of David, he lost a few of his sons as a result of his sin.

If we had sinned against God and turned our back from Him, return to Him for forgiveness and in repentance. Christ has died for us and fully paid for our sins on the cross. The LORD will take our broken and contrite heart and make it into a beautiful sunflower that will stand tall and proclaim the grace and goodness of God to everyone! Christ will lift us up from the slimy pit, the miry clay and make us whole again!

https://odb.org/MY/2022/08/15/the-marriage-metaphor

By end of this year, my wife and I would have been married for 29 years and in those 29 years, we have had quarrels and tiffs, usually caused by my insensitivity or carelessness or tardiness. Our personalities are quite different as I’m more laid back and relaxed while she’s quick and efficient. There are ups and downs but ultimately we reconcile quickly. Both sides need to exercise patience to live with one another’s idiosyncrasies and personality traits.

Paul uses the marriage metaphor to describe the relationship between Christ and the church and I guess the ups and downs in marriage cannot really be applied here. The church doesn’t quarrel or have disagreements with Christ! But the loving-kindness, faithfulness and care that Christ has for the church are things we can probably apply from the marriage metaphor. Likewise, we love and care for Christ and are faithful and loyal to serve Him.

But one thing that we can certainly apply from the marriage metaphor is the vow to be true and faithful and loving to one another till the very end. Until Christ returns or till death do us part. That’s the marriage vow and covenant and we are sure that Christ will be with us till the very end, until our dying day or until He returns again and we as the church becomes His true bride. Likewise, we are with Him too until the very end, until our last breath or until His second coming and the end of days.

Christ’s encouragement for us today is that He will be with us till the very end. As we go through the storms of our lives or trials and tribulations, be strong and of good courage for Christ is with us in our boat of life and will make sure we will reach our destination in life that we will fulfil our purpose and calling in God! Till death do us part or till He returns again as the triumphant and victorious King of Kings and Lord of Lords!