Month: July 2020

Seek the Welfare of the City (Part 1 of 5)

Text: Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7

In the context of this passage, the Israelites were exiles and refugees. Jerusalem had fallen to the Babylonians in 587 BCE.

Because the Israelites resisted the authority of the Babylonians, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, took the elite group: which consisted of the leaders of Israel, the priests, the prophets, the royals, the court officials, the craftsmen and the artisans to the Babylonian Empire. Many of the Israelites were killed (Jeremiah 39). Those left behind intermarried and became the Samaritans.

The prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel told this generation of Israelites the reason they were exiled was because they disobeyed God. They had rebelled against God, and this was their punishment. They were hoping that the exile will only last only for a little while but, the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel told them that their exile might last for 3 generations. If the average of a generation was 20 years, 3 generations might mean up to 70 years. The Israelites would be in the exile for at least 70 years.

As time passed, the adults who witnessed the fall of Jerusalem began to die out. A new generation of adults was emerging. This new generation was either children when Jerusalem was destroyed, or they were not yet born.

God sent a letter to these Israelites in exile through the prophet Jeremiah. In this passage, God told them to do 3 things, which we will look at in this mini series. Let us see what we should learn from God’s message to the exiles and what we could apply in our own lives.

(1)Build your home

To the exiles and refugees in Babylon, God instructed them, “Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce.” (verse 4, NIV)

The Israelites were to build their own houses in the city of the enemies, and even growing their gardens. Building a house, planting a garden and harvesting its fruits or vegetables were not activities which could be accomplished overnight or over a short period of time. Building, planting and harvesting would take time. So, God was telling them to settle down in this place. Don’t treat this place like a temporary spot or a prison in which they were held in, but make it their homes.

They were to be involved in this city and grow their roots in the city.

It seemed strange that God was telling them to settle down here, in an enemy’s country. But take note of verses 1, 4, 7 and 14. Verse 1 tells us that Nebuchadnezzar had carried them into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. But, verse 4 tells us, “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.” Verse 7, “I have carried you into exile”. And verse 14 also says, “the Lord declares, ‘I will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile’.

God reminded His people that although it seemed Nebuchadnezzar had arrested them and put them in Babylon, God reassured them that ultimately, He was in control. It was God who had allowed the exile to Babylon. And verses 10 and 11 tell us the reason why. God brought them to Babylon because He had a purpose for them. A purpose and a plan which gave them hope and a better future compared to if they had remained in Jerusalem.

As long as they were still in Babylon, they would have to make a home in the city that was different from Jerusalem. In Babylon, they were surrounded by pagans who had different values, cultures and so on. The Israelites were not to be like one of the Babylonians by adopting their lifestyles, cultures, beliefs and faiths. Instead, they were to set themselves apart, remembering that they belonged to God. May be God had placed them in Babylon to be a blessing to the Babylonians and that the city would continue to flourish.

This calling is for us today too. God had led our ancestors to Malaysia, to be a blessing to this land. God had given us gifts so that we can make this city flourish. God has been and is calling Christians to be a blessing to this land, to flourish this city economically and spiritually by bringing His light, love and peace into this nation.

Time to Repent, Reset and Refocus

I am writing this blog while preparing for the prayer meeting for this coming Sunday. The passage on which I will be sharing during the prayer meeting will be from Luke 9:1-6, with the title, “Jesus Sends Out The Twelve” (New International Version).

“9 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 5 If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.”

Jesus sent His disciples to preach about the kingdom of God. They were to heal the sick so that people would know about God, the ultimate healer and praise Him.

Jesus had given His disciples these things: the power and authority to drive out demons and to cure diseases.

The disciples were to take nothing for the journey, not even item of necessity—they were to travel light—because God would provide for them along the way. They were to depend on the kindness of strangers and by doing so, experienced the grace and provision of God. They would face rejection by others but they were not to take it personally because these hearers were rejecting Jesus Himself.

These disciples obeyed. They went out to preach. They healed the sick. They were welcomed warmly by some and rejected by others.

Looking at this passage, I feel embarrassed. The disciples in the Bible went around preaching, healing the sick and casting out evil spirits. I, as a disciple of Jesus, also have been given the same power and the authority to preach, to drive out demons and to heal the sick. I am supposed to travel light too and not worry about the necessities of life which weigh me down. I think I have been living too comfortably in my little shell. I think I am getting too cozy in my little office. I need to step out more and into the lives of the community for the sake of the Gospel.

I praise the Lord for showing this passage to me so that I can repent, reset my vision and refocus on my pastoral ministry. William Carey (17 August 1761- 9 June 1834), a British missionary to India, once said, “expect great things from God; attempt great things for God”. I want this to be my prayers: to expect great things from God and to attempt great things for Him.

Has God called you out of your comfort zone so that someone will hear the Gospel? How did you respond? I would love to hear from you.

O Lord, may You give us the courage to do great things for You so that people will know you are the real and living God!

Watchmen of Our Nation

On 13-15 June 2016, under the leadership of the Methodist Bishop, the Methodist Church in Malaysia gathered at the first Methodist School of Intercessors. That was the birth of the “Issachar Watchmen Movement”.

The theme for that year was, “To know Malaysia is to bless Malaysia”. This movement is called the “Issachar Watchmen Movement” because this is a call to us as Methodists in Malaysia to take after the tribe of Issachar “who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command” (1 Chronicles 12:32).

In the Bible, out of the 12 tribes of Israel, the tribe Issachar was not a big tribe. However, God had given them wisdom to assess the current times and discern the necessary actions to follow especially during the turbulent times of political turmoil and war.

In the ancient days, a wall was erected around the city to protect the city. On the wall were watchtowers. The watchmen in the watchtowers would stay awake at night and keep watch. If the watchmen saw enemies moving towards the city, they would send out a signal to the citizens, asking them to take cover or to fight back. Therefore, the watchmen played very important roles to safeguard the city and its people.

Our country needs spiritual watchmen too —people who would keep watch on our nation and intercede for it. For some of us, God may have placed a special burden in you to “understand the times and seasons” and to discern how to pray for the nation at different seasons and times. For the majority of us, it is still our responsibility to pray.

Below are just a few of the Bible verses which talk about the importance to pray for our national leaders:

  • “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Tim 2:1-2, NIV)
  • “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” (Romans 13:1, NIV)
  • “Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:7, NIV)
  • “Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.” (1 Peter 2:17, NIV)
  • “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14, NIV)

Would you want to commit as a watchman and pray for the nation? You can set aside a time each day to pray for the national leaders and current issues. I personally think that keeping up to date with the news is important — to know our land is to bless our land. We want to know what is happening in the society so that we can pray accordingly and so that the church can be a blessing and a help to those in need.

More importantly, what is God telling you through the things happening around us? What is your response? How can you bear God’s light in wherever you are?

Let’s stand and watch on behalf of the land—yours and mine.

“For as the waters, fill the sea, the earth will be filled with an awareness of the glory of the Lord” (Habakkuk 2:14, NLT)

Basking in Nature

This morning after breakfast, my good friend and I decided to roam around the neighbourhood. She showed me the various plants and vegetables the neighbours had planted. It was early in the morning and I was amazed at how beautiful the landscape was! The air was fresh and the view was breath-taking!For three months, the country had been in a lockdown. I had more screen time due to this too. Now that I am back at work, i rushed through the day without really paying attention to my surroundings.But, what a wonderful change of pace this morning! Being in the morning sun and its rays brushing against my skin bring healing and joy to me.Each bird has a song to sing. Each flower blooms in God’s time. Each fruit from the tree tells us that our God is a creative and faithful God. The creation sings of God’s glory! The creation tells of God’s greatness!“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities —- his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20, NIV)“for in him all things were created: Things in heaven and on earth, voisible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16, NIV)Praise be to God! His love for us is demonstrated by His creativity in the nature!I am a city girl: born in the bustling city of Hong Kong and spent the majority of my childhood there until my family migrated to Malaysia. In Hong Kong, my family, like most city people, doesn’t plant things. What a joy for the city girl to harvest Ladies’ Fingers (okra), this morning!Being in nature does wonders to my soul. It amazes me to see plants.Why don’t we intentionally slow down our pace and let nature rejuvenate us!