Imagine...

Matthew 5:23-26 NIV
“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, [24] leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. 

Jesus did not come to earth a politician. He came as a Teacher, proclaiming the kingdom of God. Listen to this teaching of Jesus. In a nutshell, peace before worship! 

Imagine if Vineyard decides not to open its doors for services until all members resolve their conflicts with their neighbour, colleague, family and friends! Take this on a wider scale to include  ALL places of worship in the whole world irregardless of race and religion! I can now hear the tune "What a wonderful world" by Louis Armstrong. 

Who could have imagined today the doors are actually closed. The ball is in our court. What a wonderful friend we have in Jesus. 

Living at home or living in a home

What if God behaves the way we behave? I’m thinking us doing what we want to do, when and if we want to for whatever reasons/variables. No one expected a pandemic. No one expected normal routines will be so affected. No one anticipated the woes and troubles that befall. But as a child of God, if we have been prudent and have exercised stewardship and brought “extra oil”, then we will be more prepared for the unexpected and we won’t succumb where others fall. Not only had God prepared us to face trying and unexpected times, He had also equipped us for such a time. But alas, not all take heed.  Like seeds sowed, some felled on shallow ground, some on thorny ground and yet others by the wayside with no fighting chance. For those on fertile ground, there will be a harvest.

"Test Me in this,” says the LORD of Hosts. “See if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out for you blessing without measure.” (Mal. 3:10b). Although God was addressing the Israelite at a particular time for a particular situation, nevertheless the Principle of First is God’s universal law for opening up the windows of heaven. Somehow in this universe God made, He had wired things to work in certain universal ways. Like gravity for example; what goes up must come down. In the law of cause and effect let's remember as a church, it is more blessed to give than to receive. Giving is our expression and of our gratitude and devotion towards God.

Since MCO  we have not been able to gather in church but we must not cease to be church. Let me encourage us today in time like this: "Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops". You need to do this now more than ever. What if God behaves the way we behave? We may end up living in a home rather living at home. But God is faithful, even if we are faithless.

Only in trying times can faith work.

Only in deep waters can we swim.

Now is the time ...

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. (Psalm 98:4).

Even as earth is groaning in pain today, God’s desire is for the earth to make a joyful noise, to rejoice and sing praise. Who, but the children of God can make this joyful noise unto the Lord? There is a time to pray and a time to praise. Now is the time to make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Praise heals. Praise restores. Praise moves us forward.

As I watched news today, I see quite a number of artistes all over the world broadcasting their songs from their homes to cheer the world in this time of pandemic. Quite a number of these singers are the oldies, artistes I have not heard of for quite a long while. While they are making their music, the call from heaven is to make a joyful noise unto the Lord. These artistes sing to the world but the “living stones” sing to God from whence our help comes.

I lived through the days when you cannot find a drum set in church. Somehow, the only holy instrument is the organ or the piano. Things then evolved and churches started worshiping with guitars. Soon the bass, drums, and tambourines made its debut. Today we have all kinds of instruments on stage and worship leading now is rather complex as compared to those days of simplicity where with just one guitar, we literally rocked the “house of God”. Worship back then wasn’t concert like, neither professional. It was just a time when the can-sing, the cannot-sing, the tone deaf come together and shout unto God with a voice of praise. Our throats were strained by the time we’re done with worship. Like I said, we rocked. We were happy and elated because in our minds and hearts, we were making a joyful noise unto the King of kings and the Lord of lords!

Watching how preachers pray over this pandemic breaks my heart. Being televised globally adds salt to wound. Stand up comedians took this cue and made it into punch lines poking fun at Christianity. Instead of making joyful noise unto the Lord, these preachers are becoming “noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” uttering “gibberish words”. You would have heard. I believe in praying (not prayer). In the Bible we were told to pray always. Many are praying over this pandemic pleading God’s mercy as if God is the one responsible for this virus. What we should be pleading instead is for God’s divine intervention. Repent if we have to. Humble ourselves if we need to. Where man’s efforts fail, God will help when we pray. It happened in pandemics past and it will happen again this time. This virus will eventually pass. Prayerfully, very soon.

My point today? We need to praise, to make a joyful sound unto the Lord. Another translation says to “shout for joy”. Instead of waiting for joy to come, we shout instead for joy. Remember what Jesus said to Apostle Thomas when he wouldn’t believe? Jesus said: "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (Jn. 20:29). That’s how God’s kingdom works. You shout for joy. You make a joyful noise unto the Lord. You see hope where there is hopelessness. You believe even when the odds are against you. I know many of us have been praying and are still praying even though we don’t know how to pray as we ought to (Rom. 8:26). If you read the Bible, prayer doesn’t quite win the battles. Praise does. Last week, Rev. Wendy Ching preached from Exodus 17. I have a question. Why did Moses went up the hill to do while Joshua went into the valley to fight the Amalekites? To pray? No, it wasn’t to pray. He went up the hill to lift up the hands that held the rod of God, the same rod that parted the Red Sea. When his arms were lifted up, Israel prevailed. When his arms were lowered, the Amalekites prevailed. Lifting up of hands is an act of praise. There is a time to pray and there is a time to praise. At the Red Sea, Moses cried out to God in prayer. God responded; “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground”. (Ex. 14:15). It wasn’t a time for prayer. It was a time to lift up those hands that held the rod of God. Prayers are on our lips. The power of God is in our hands. Will you make a joyful noise unto the Lord and lift up those hands in praise in this time pandemic time? When we don’t quite really know how to pray as we ought to, it’s best to praise, to make a joyful noise unto the Lord from whence our help comes. I suspect God gave Moses the rod so he would praise more than he would pray.

Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; (Heb 12:12).

What happened on Saturday?

Easter is over, at least for 2020. For the first time ever, it was celebrated and commemorated on a totally different scale and platform. In some reports, the  recorded “attendance” for Easter “service” was explosive yet the doors of churches globally were closed on Easter Sunday. This Covid-19 virus that plagued our earth today is redefining church. Once, we leave home to attend church on Sundays, now church comes into our home. The convenience of having church at home had spiked the attendance of church in ways we never thought before. YET this is not an entirely new phenomenon. When church first started two thousand years ago, the church met in homes of believers and in market places whenever clusters of believers gathered in the name of Jesus. How did the church perform then? In a nutshell, families and communities were reached, transformed and souls were added daily into the Kingdom of God. The gospel spread like virus. It was pandemic. The believers (not the apostles) preached the gospel to the ends of the earth while the apostles remained in Jerusalem initially. The believers gathered in clusters, discipling one another. Instead of gathering themselves in masses and in buildings like churches today, they turned each other loose. The gospel took a natural course. It went viral! Their goal was never to gather but to spread. There were no programs. It was simply the love of God that compelled them.

Today, church is rather complex and not very duplicable. It is consumer based (keeping Christians happy). The impact of church today is far from what it was in the days of Acts. There were no labels then and it wasn’t about a preacher. It was the acts of the Holy Spirit. The believers built the church. The apostles reinforced the teachings of Christ and helped with the foundations of the church. 

I asked a question in one of the chat groups over social media. What happened between Good Friday and Sunday Easter? Not one person responded. Has it ever occurred to you Good Saturday? What happened to Jesus on Saturday? Was Jesus waiting in the tomb for the day of His resurrection? What happened to Jesus after He proclaimed: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit?”. Bible said, Jesus descended. “Today you will be with me in Paradise” (Lk 23:43). Jesus descended into Sheol where the thief next to him on the cross descended.

Hades (or Sheol) was the place for the departed souls for both the righteous and the unrighteous prior to Jesus' death and resurrection. Being temporarily atoned for their sins through the blood of the sacrificial animals, the departed souls were ushered into paradise while the unredeemed, hell. Paradise and hell were below earth's surface and is separated by a gap or a chasm. Here Jesus presented Himself the ultimate sacrificial lamb and brought redemption to those in Paradise (Ephesians 4:7-10). When He resurrected on Easter Sunday, those from Paradise were ushered into heaven while hell remains and is expanding to this day. When Jesus uttered: "It is finished", what was necessary had been done. He atoned for the sins for all mankind beginning with those in Paradise.

One final Easter thought. On that day when Jesus hung on the cross on Golgotha, Judas hung on a tree in the valley as he took his own life. Jesus was crucified for the sins for all mankind including that of Judas Iscariot. If only Judas had repented. In contrast, Simon was hoping against hope for the resurrection of Jesus. He was hoping for the opportunity to repent of his betrayal. He found forgiveness. Easter this year reminds me yet again of the grace of God. Jesus forgave Peter as if Peter's betrayal never happened. And if God so forgave us, can we not learn to accept His forgiveness and forgive ourselves too? I wonder if Judas had known. But that was not to be. I trust you had a meaningful Easter this year. God bless.

Pajamas and Jeans

Routinely in the mornings, you’d look into your wardrobe figuring what you’d wear for the day. If it’s weekdays, you’d look for work clothes. For weekends something more casual. Sometimes it’s hard to decide which because you have more than you can wear (I’m making a calculated guess here). But come bed time, there’s no stress what to wear. You’ll go for your most comfortable wear. Right, your pajamas. It’s time to hit the sack and pajamas give you a sense of relaxation. It’s hypnotical to a certain extent and before you know it, you’ll be knocked out cold without a care in the world, at least for the next seven to eight hours. Waking up in the morning, you feel refreshed, upbeat and ready for another day. Sounds wishful? Try sleeping in your work clothes!


One of my most worn garments in my wardrobe is my jeans. Jeans are not your regular working pants (once upon a time). They’re casual wear and for rugged use like the outdoor. You don’t need to wash them as often and they last for a very long time. The longer you wear them, the more seasoned and comfortable they become. I wear my jeans 90% of the time.


It’s been 21 days since partial locked down. I guess most of us have not worn our working clothes since then; unless you had been smitten by that Doraemon syndrome. Now, I haven’t worn my jeans for three weeks. Yesterday I took it out to wear briefly cos I had to ride my motorcycle (for essentials). Thankfully, it still fit. I think you all too should try putting on your jeans. If it fits, you’re okay. If it doesn't, then you have to check your social distancing with your fridge. You see, if you keep wearing comfortable clothes all the time, like your pajamas, it will have you thinking that you are alright and all is good. But careful now ...


“A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.” (Prov. 24:33) – Read v.30-32 for context.


I wonder when MCO lifts, will we be shopping for new jeans? My point, “watch and pray” lest you stumble and succumb.

What happen after the Great Tribulation?

What happens after the Great Tribulation?

After the “times of the Gentiles” (Lk. 21:24) and the “number of the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:25) have come to pass, comes the Great Tribulation. The devil will unleash his fury upon the earth and earth will experience the greatest pain and destruction on a global scale like never before, affecting every nation and every people. In God’s mercies, God will put an end to it at the end of the seventh year. Prior to this, the church would have been raptured and the focus will once again be upon Israel whom God had never abandoned but had sworn will protect and love eternally. God will at this time turn away the ungodliness of Israel who will once again return to God on a national scale. Jesus will then return to Earth to rule over all nations for one thousand years. There will be peace on earth, no more war nor pestilence. He will restore the health of the earth and all will be good. Even a child can play with a lion without fear. The presence and influence of satan and his cohorts will be no more, being locked away in the abyss for a thousand years. BUT this is not yet the endgame. At the end of the thousand year rule, satan will be released back on earth. He will cause all nations to rise up against God in one final battle. This will bring about the total annihilation of both planet earth and its inhabitants. And then the end shall come. Two things to ponder at this point.

1. Why? Why allow satan to once again cause havoc on earth? The devil is called the destroyer. It is in his nature to destroy all that which is good and which is of God. As for the inhabitants of earth, why forgo such peace on earth and pursue the path of destruction? That’s because of the H-Factor (the Human factor). As long as human is born, the sinful nature abides. No one is born sinless. Unless mankind is redeemed, his sinful nature will wreck havoc even without the presence of the tempter (devil). For one thousand years (even though ruled under righteousness) the sinful nature will still walk the path of pride, forsaking God and good. God will not contend with man forever. The thousand years will prove human’s sinful nature and the need for redemption. Given thousand more years to come, mankind will still remain the same as proven in history past. In God’s plan since the beginning of time, this has to end and it ends with the Final Battle.

2. God’s “mansion”. John 14:2-3:  “In my Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come and receive you to Myself, that where I am there you may be also”. This saying of Jesus has been widely misunderstood. Jesus wasn’t talking about big and luxurious houses awaiting faithful departed Christians (Have you ever wondered if Adam and Eve ever owned a house in Eden?). Let me paraphrase what Jesus said: “In my Father’s universe (house) are many solar systems (mansions)”. Earth is just a teeny tiny speck of dust that belongs to a teeny tiny solar system which is part of billions of solar systems throughout the entire universe. Our God is not just God over the earth. He is the Creator of the entire universe. Out in the universe, God made many “mansions”. Heaven is where the throne of God is and the Universe is His expanse. When we are done here on earth, just as Adam and Eve populated the earth, we will “populate” the universe. This has been God’s plan all along. We had been so narrow minded to think only of earth when God created the entire universe with all the “mansions”. This brings into perspective eternity. If I were to live immortally on earth, it doesn’t quite make sense. God have bigger things in store for us.

The endgame on earth is the Final Battle. But what God had planned is never ending. We don’t know all things (how can we?). Our finite minds (at this present time) cannot fathom everything about God and His creation. The moment mankind was created, we were created to discover, to learn. So we are inquisitive. We are unsettled with so many unknowns. We are restless. We are in awe at every turn of revelation. There is so much to learn yet we don’t have enough years to learn it all. It will take more than a life time to even uncover a teeny weeny bit of knowledge about the universe. We are on a journey of discovery and it does not just stop here on earth. God is beyond earth. I do feel for the learned. They have the privilege over the norm to know things that the average Joe does not even bother about. They study the science of things yet they know they don’t have enough years to learn it all. They crave for knowledge. They thrive in discoveries. Well, I have good news for them. “In my Father’s house are many mansions”. Learning doesn’t have to be limited to this life time. You have all eternity to learn IF you so desire. But don’t just look at the marvels of creation. Look too at the Creator. But sadly …

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God”. (Psalms 14:1a)

How could you have existed if your parents did not? Things evolve but it all began with God, the Creator of all. Endgame? I don’t think so. Like the old saying: “You ain’t seen nothing yet.” I am looking for the stars. This world is not my home. I am just a passing through. I am looking yonder. God is good. In fact, God is awesome indeed.