https://odb.org/MY/2022/04/18/witness-in-the-workplace

A big question all of us will face every now and then is whether to continue at our workplace or to leave for another opportunity. In the Malaysian context, less are inclined to make that call if they are in government service as government servants work for life because of the life long medical benefits and pension on retirement. However, even government servants have flexibility to apply for transfers or to move departments or schools.

The tension comes as we are frustrated because new people coming in are messing up our way of working. Sometimes imposing bureaucratic steps that slow things down or using constant updates and reporting as a management tool, which usually imposes additional work when the real and regular work was already challenging. I recall many years back when I was negotiating a contract abroad from morning till night only to return to the hotel for dinner and sleep but also to write a daily update on the progress of the negotiations late at night. So at the working level, people find that they have to get things moving and yet at the same time they need to spend considerable time preparing slides and reports for senior management. Or the things we want to do to streamline processes or to make things more efficient get shot down. The improvements were obvious to us but oblivious to our higher-ups. Sometimes improvements are refused because of political or personal reasons and not on merit and that makes us even more frustrated.

So do we leave or stay? Leave if we are really unhappy and the situation impacts our health and general well being. Pray that God will open a way for us to move on. However, a more pertinent prayer I believe is what is your will O Lord? Do You want me to stay on to continue with my good works here? Do you want me continue to glorify Your name through my integrity throughout the situation, that I maintain my professionalism despite the setbacks I received. We know that as a Christian, we don’t go for the door the moment we see trouble. We flee from temptation and the devil, but not trouble and hardwork. Why? Because the latter builds us up – as we suffer, we persevere and as we persevere, we build character. As we do more, we get more familiar and thus become better and that applies to new processes and bureaucratic steps.

The message today is I believe that we should seek Jesus and His views on our situation. I believe if it is time to move on, He will show us the way and make a way. Until then, we continue our good works so that the name of our Father in heaven may be glorified through us, through our work. Ultimately, we must come across as someone who is dependable, responsible, ethical and good at what we do. We must be known as someone who will persevere through despite the challenging environment and difficult situation. Our God is greater and He will lead us to victory!

https://odb.org/MY/2022/04/17/this-changes-everything

There is nothing more fundamental in the Christian faith than the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. Paul took great pains to preach this and was willing to be arrested so that he could preach the same to Agrippa, the Roman Emperor at Rome, the pinnacle of the known world then.

The whole of the New Testament is really about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the fulfilment of God’s promise to redeem mankind from the original sin. The second Adam had to become the Lamb of God to right the wrong done by the first Adam that we may be restored and one day may return back to the Garden of Eden experience in the new heaven and new earth as revealed to John and promised to all of us in Revelation 21, where we will once again be able to partake of the Tree of Life and thus conquer death and live for eternity as God had originally intended for mankind.

That indeed Christ was risen because if that was false, then we are in deep trouble as nothing else matters. Our lives will then be lived to fulfil only our fleshy wants and desires and death and sin would have won. We will die as we know it and it will all just end there. That is all life is about. No greater purpose, no divine plans, no calling, nothing. Our lives are our own. We don’t relate to God. There is no kingdom of heaven. It’s all just about living here on earth. We exist and then we perish like the flowers that bloom and wither away.

But Christ is risen! The first fruit of His own victory over sin and death! He is the example of what we will be one day, our hope of glory that one day we will all be risen too, in a glorified body just like Christ’s. Sin and death shall reign no more. Tears and sadness shall be gone and no more.

As we honour and remember Christ’s sacrifice and victory over sin and death today on Resurrection Sunday, Easter Sunday – let us be like Paul and preach and proclaim Christ’s death and resurrection as fervently as we can. He is risen! He is alive! He has conquered death and sin for us. We will also likewise be victorious over sin and death through the blood and name of Christ! Let’s hold on to that hope for I know my redeemer lives and in the end, He will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God (Job 19:25-27). All this is truly a reality now with the death and resurrection of Christ! As Christ has risen, nothing else matters! Amen!

https://odb.org/MY/2022/04/15/simon-of-cyrene

https://www.biblword.net/what-is-the-weight-of-the-cross-that-jesus-carried/

The cross has over time become a symbol of our faith. Catholics make the sign of the cross as a way to prepare for prayer but more importantly to symbolise that they are Catholics. Non believers wear the cross as a pendant, an ornament but I believe those who do so harbour an inner desire to be Christian in faith. There are those who use the cross to identify themselves with Christianity although they may not actually profess the faith. That is why to the Muslims, it is sacrilegious for them to have anything to do with the cross as they may be branded as having crossed over to the other side. Elections have been lost with just a photo with a cross.

Although Jesus is usually pictured as having carried his cross, it is likely He carried the cross beam as that was the prevailing practice then. Also because the stake was usually already planted to the ground much earlier. It was nevertheless a heavy thing weighing 30-40 kgs. It would have been tough for Jesus to carry 30-40 kgs in His weakened state having been beaten and tortured before that. Fortunately, there was Simon of Cyrene who was forced to help Him. As it turned out, it was such a privilege and honour to be able to help Jesus carry His cross at such a difficult ahd torturous time. Of course, Jesus carried not just the physical cross but more significantly the sins of mankind upon His shoulders and won the victory. He was love crucified but arose! He won the victor’s crown! Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!

We cannot and will never be Simon of Cyrene. We are who we are, uniquely and wonderfully made by God in His image. What is within our power and control? Certainly our own life and our own actions and thoughts! Can we do as Jesus taught to honour Him? Can we be like Him more and more in our life to honour Him? Can we carry our own cross each day and crucify our old self daily that our new self in Christ may always be victorious in our life? We may not have been given the privilege to carry Jesus’s cross but let’s do our part to carry our own cross daily that His crucifixion and resurrection have some real meaning and impact in our life, that all that Christ did for each of us is not in vain. Love crucified arose indeed! Amen

https://odb.org/MY/2022/04/14/and-it-was-night-2

I’m quite sure everyone had experienced betrayal to a certain degree at least once in our lives. Perhaps it was something as simple as someone having promised to keep a secret but started babbling like a canary the moment he was asked the question. Or something as serious as someone we loved having left us for someone else. Or a business partner swindling us of our investment. Or it could be our superior marking down our performance appraisal on instructions from the top. Or a supplier reneging on a promise to deliver having sold our goods or components to the highest bidder.

Betrayal can take many forms but for Christ, He knew who would betray Him and He allowed that to happen so that what was foretold before may be played out before the eyes of mankind. At that moment in time, someone needed to point out to the arresting party who exactly was Jesus and that person was Judas Iscariot. There was something inside Judas that made him do what he did and that’s probably why he was the one who fulfilled the prophesy. Jesus knew it will happen and yet He chose to go through it. He didn’t choose to foil it so that He is not betrayed. There was a larger purpose in play and that is the redemption and salvation of mankind.

There must be a bigger reason why we had to go through what we went through. Perhaps it is to prepare us for mighty things that God will be doing in our life. That our heart is strengthened by our experiences and our spirit is thus not easily defeated like a fragile piece of pottery. Our resolve is like steel, not easily cracked. We excel under pressure. Things like that.

If we knew like Jesus we would be betrayed, I’m sure we will do all we can to prevent it. But we will not know. We dont even know what will happen to us the next minute or the next hour. So let the greater good prevail. Let God work in us through that experience, bitter as it might have been. Let the Lord wash away all the hurt, bitterness and hatred this Easter weekend and let bygones be bygones. Let’s instead hold on to the promise and plan of God declared by Paul in Romans 8:28 that He will work all things together for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose. He has a purpose for our life and He has a purpose for all that we are going through and have gone through. Trust Him to work things out for our good. In due time, in due course – we will see the wisdom of His ways.

https://odb.org/MY/2022/04/13/carried-by-love

When we read the Old Testament, we see that the LORD when speaking to the Israelites through His prophets like Isaiah were speaking more of their lives while on earth. If they worshipped Him and no other gods and obey His commandments, He will protect them against their enemies. He will help them win battles and wars against the peoples that live in Canaan even as their entry into Canaan had threatened the geopolitical situation existing then. The Israelites believed in the resurrection of the dead for they knew their Redeeemer lives (Job 19:25-27) and yet the concept of eternal life, of living even though we die was not really present or only became more pronounced when Jesus arrived on the scene some 2,000 years back. Technically, the Jews of old could have eternal life through their obedience of the Law, as tough as it might have been without the redeeming blood of Christ on the cross. The Jews of today I believe have a similar mindset, focusing more on what is seen now than what is unseen and what that lies beyond the grave.

With the redeeming blood of Christ, we have an eternal future. A future where we are not afraid of death as Christ has conquered death for us. As Paul famously said to die is gain and to live is Christ. Either way, our lives belong to Christ since He had redeemed us with His blood. So just a matter of whether we are with Him in spirit here or in the afterlife. And that is something we must be thankful of as we approach this Easter weekend, be thankful and grateful to Christ for that confidence and assurance of eternal life, for that everlasting life with Him while alive or after we depart. Thus for a believer, our life here on earth is a pilgrimage, we are merely passing through.

Having said that, God still cares for us while we are on earth. He knows and sees the challenges we face, at times just to live. 80 or 90 years may be short compared to eternity but it is still a long haul for us humans. The beggar may suffer for 80 years to live lavishly for eternity. But is that what life is about? To live and suffer? Surely not! God made us and He will carry us. He says in Isaiah 46:4 that He will sustain us to our old age, our gray hairs. I have made you and I will carry you. I will sustain you and I will rescue you. In Psalm 139, David declares that we are fearfully and uniquely made by God.

There is a purpose God made us and place us where we are today. As much as eternal life is assuring for our future, let’s discover and fulfil God’s unique and special purpose for us here on earth. That I believe is probably one of the best ways we can reciprocate Christ’s love and sacrifice for us. He died for our sins and bought us the ticket to the train. In the meantime, let’s do our part to play the role that He designed for us even as we board the train. Why are we on the train? Surely it is not just about going to heaven only? Discover and fulfil God’s plans and purposes for our lives!

https://odb.org/MY/2022/04/12/like-us-for-us

As the pioneer of our faith, the founder, originator and author, Jesus Christ was God and yet fully human in every way. He was human and yet sinless so that He could become the perfect sacrifice for the atonement of our sins, the Lamb of God that redeemed mankind once and for all, having victory over sin and death. Thus those who believe in Him and accept Him as their Lord, will have eternal life – though we may die, yet we live because Jesus is the Truth, the Way and the Life! He is the Resurrection and the Life!

Hebrews 2:18 says it unequivocally that since He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted. The evil one is real and he will tempt us with the lust of eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). These temptations seek to draw us away from God, to entice us to follow the world and the desires of our old self but we know that as we ask Jesus to help us fight these temptations, Jesus will help us as He had suffered before when He Himself was tempted. He was made fully human in every way and faced the same temptations that we face as human beings.

As we approach Good Friday and Easter Sunday this week, let’s spend some time to not only thank Jesus for His sacrifice on the cross for the redemption of our sins (He was bruised for our transgressions) and His subsequent victory over sin and death with His resurrection, but let us examine ourselves whether we are a good example of who Jesus is? Are we worthy brothers and sisters of Christ who are worthy to carry His name? Have we worked hard enough to not conform to the pattern of this world and be transformed by the renewing of our minds? Are our bodies a living sacrifice that is reflective of His work on Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday? This week is called Holy Week, the week between Palm Sunday and Easter – let us spend some time this Holy Week to remember Christ and do some self reflection as to where we are in Christ. Are we fulfilling His calling upon our lives? Are we living out His plans and purposes for our lives? Are we getting on with the programme with Him?

https://odb.org/MY/2022/04/11/making-every-moment-count

We know the LORD our God is compassionate and forgiving. So even as we sin, we know when we go back to Him, He will forgive us. We need to of course repent but as we are work in progress, we may still commit the same sin after repentance. More effort needs to put in to break the cycle of sin and bad habits, maybe by replacing these unwholesome habits with more spiritual things like praying or reading the Word or just plain turkey cut them off. Sin is debilitating, makes us weak and infirm spiritually as sin separates us from the Lord, the source of our strength and life. So intentional sin even if we sometimes cannot help it is an issue we need to deal with.

The recent passing of my dad made me realise that as much as we as man can plan, the final decision lies with God. My dad had his second chance at life when he survived his massive heart attack 13 years ago. And even 3 years back he survived a host of medical conditions like ischemic bowels, colon cancer and his abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Due to his AAA, we knew the day may come anytime and as much as we wished it will come later, it came sooner. That’s the thing about death, we don’t know when it will come. When it comes, it could just be a matter of hours and not days or weeks or months. God has His timing and He is sovereign. Even Kings bow before Him when it comes to this – except King Hezekiah who managed to convince the LORD to extend his life by another 15 years.

God’s compassion is steadfast and is renewed every morning like dew. His forgiveness is certain. But death and the Second Coming of Christ are things we cannot predict. We don’t know when exactly, even Christ doesn’t know. If we knew, then we will be like the owner of a home waiting to catch the thief. The thief usually sneaks in when we least expect. Death also creeps in when we least expect.

Count our moments and do what we must do NOW. Reconcile with God and man now. Spend more time with our loved ones. Do the things we want to do for God now. Don’t wait. Repent and seek His forgiveness now, when we still have breath as we don’t know when we will breathe our last. I have seen it in my mum and my dad, and one of my close friend – once illness strikes us and we are admitted to the hospital, if death were to follow in the days to come, there is nothing much that the person on the bed can do from the moment they are admitted until their heart stops. Don’t wait anymore, repent and reconcile with God now.

https://odb.org/MY/2022/04/10/a-king-on-a-donkey

Today is Palm Sunday, the day when we remember Jesus riding into Jerusalem in a donkey and fulfilling a 500 year old prophesy then that the Prince or Messiah, God’s chosen one, will be riding in a donkey into Jerusalem – righteous and victorious and yet humble and lowly. This event is significant as it occurred just days before His crucifixion on the cross that redeemed us of our sins before God and His subsequent resurrection and victory over sin and death. Like the Jews wanting to be buried facing the Eastern Gate believing that the Messiah will enter by the Eastern Gate, we too are looking forward to the day of Jesus Christ, that all who had passed on before us in the faith especially our loved ones, will be resurrected.

The difference is that to us in the faith the prophesy of the Messiah entering by the Eastern Gate had already been fulfilled 2,000 years ago while the Jews are still waiting for their Messiah. We are instead looking forward to the second coming of Christ and this time Christ will be coming as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, where every name on earth and in heaven and under the earth will bow down to. He holds the Keys of Hades and it is by His name that we will either take our rightful place with God in the place where He will dwell among us or be condemned to the place of gnashing of teeth forever.

As we prepare to celebrate Good Friday and Easter Sunday, also known as Resurrection Sunday, let us today on Palm Sunday acknowledge, proclaim and worship Christ as our King and Lord. Indeed Hossana, Hosanna to the Son of David, Hosanna to the King of Kings, Glory in the highest heaven, Jesus Lord Messiah reigns! Indeed only Jesus has the words of eternal life as Jesus is the Prince of Peace, the Lord of heaven and earth, the Son of Righteousness whom angels bow down before – as Jesus Christ is the Lord!

Have a happy and blessed Palm Sunday, everyone!

https://odb.org/MY/2022/04/08/permanent-address

Those of us who have moved homes will know what a major hassle that is. I moved from my varsity days from rooms to rooms and finally to two rented homes shared with my brother in law when I got married. Later we moved to our own home, bought at a time when new off-plan landed 24×75 link homes were still below RM200k – it was a princely sum then but if we had graduated one year earlier, slightly smaller ones (22×75) were available at the RM150k region. After that we moved to a home with a larger compound in a smaller city where we raised our two boys, and finally to our current home close by in the same city. When we look at some stuff at the store rooms, we straight away knew which era in our lives those things are from and the funny thing, we still have things from our varsity days! We still maintain our address as that of our previous home but for most correspondence, we use our latest address. For us and our children, our permanent address can be at either homes and I think for a few more decades to come.

At the physical side of things, some of us may still be looking for a permanent address. We are still saving for the down payment to our home in our name or we have bought one already but will need a bigger one when the kids come or grow up. There are many permutations depending on which stage of life we are, but we are looking for a permanent address where we can raise our kids and build up our life in God, to settle down and have some measure of stability; where instead of movable furniture, we will be putting up built-ins.

The great thing about our life in God though is that we have a permanent address the moment we accepted Christ in our life. Our address is Jesus Christ and it is as permanent as the Word of God is, that is unchanging from generations to generations as Jesus is the same yesterday, today and in the days to come. His love for us is steadfast and renewed every morning like dew. His faithfulness endures forever.

David spoke of dwelling in the house of God all the days of his life in Psalm 27. He used a similar expression in Psalm 23 that “I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever”. The thing is that David was then on the run and hiding in a cave and he was speaking about dwelling in the house of God. We know that Jesus has gone back to heaven to prepare a home for us in the Father’s mansion. But until the day of Jesus Christ, our permanent address in God is wherever we are in His presence. The place where we stand, where we live – where we worship Him and read His Word and spend time in prayer in our quiet time with Him – that’s our permanent address in God. Our home is an extension of God’s kingdom, an embassy of God. It is also our permanent address in God. As we close our eyes and worship and pray, God’s presence is with us and that’s our permanent address. In fact, wherever we are and may be, and it need not be at home, we can reach out to God and His presence is there, that’s our permanent address.

The beauty and amazing thing about our present relationship with God is that we are actually His dwelling place and as much as we want to dwell in the house of the LORD like David said, we are His dwelling place. As we reach out, God is with us. So wherever we are, we are our own permanent address with God! We carry the glory of God, the presence of God. Shall we fear evil, shall we fear the dark forces of the air? Though He may lead us through the valley of shadow of death, we shall fear no evil for His rod and staff comfort me, for the LORD is my shepherd and He now lives in me! Amen

https://odb.org/MY/2022/04/07/real-hospitality

It didn’t happen often but there were times during my Varsity days when I had to skip a meal or downgrade a meal to something simpler like a packet of nasi lemak or just roti canai because I had ran out of money that month. I remembered that my pastor then was perplexed that I didn’t have RM35 to buy a set of bass strings back in 1988/89 so that I could take the church’s spare bass home and practice. Those were difficult times but we could survive a whole year of public university study on a RM3,500 PSD (JPA) loan plus a monthly allowance of RM100 from my dad – just about RM5,000 a year. Nowadays, 30 plus years later, a local private university student needs at least RM5,000 A MONTH to cover tuition fees, accommodation and food. A plate of mixed rice was RM1.40 then and even though things were relatively cheap, our shoe string budget still meant that we needed to ration our money for every meal. What I’m trying to say is that putting aside the value of money, the lifestyle was also quite different, compared to now. For example, eating fast food or at shopping centres was considered a mini-luxury when nowadays it is just another regular meal.

I was thus very touched when someone offered to buy me a meal. Not likely from a fellow student, usually from a working adult or an uncle or auntie who is a professional. Or just getting to eat a home-cooked meal. This is because for every meal that I need not use my own money, I have extra and that will help me go for a better next meal. It is an act of little kindness but it goes a long way for me the student struggling with limited resources. It is an act that also had lasting impressions that sort of personified the kindness and love of God in tangible form, especially if that person buying us a meal is also a believer.

That is why I truly believe that showing God’s love need not always be about preaching a powerful message or planting a church or reaching out to thousands but just a little act of kindness. There will always a rightful place for the Billy Grahams of the world or for that all powerful ministry of deliverance and healing, signs and wonders to demonstrate the power and reality of God that Jesus Christ is alive today and yet it is those little acts of kindness that are more accessible to most of us and will have a lasting impression on those around us.

Rebecca was special as she offered Abraham’s servant, a stranger, a drink and gave water to his camels. We are special too when we offer hospitality to others when they least expect. Let us become a tangible instrument for God’s love even as we dwell into the finer details of His Word. Faith is real when practiced! It is not a mere concept in the mind or for theological discussion. Practice kindness and see God move in our midst!