Such a time like this.

Esther 4:14 
14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

Our context today is not the same as in the days of Queen Esther. Nevertheless, the phrase “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” caught my attention. That’s the question: who knows? For many things, only in hind sight can we see the big picture. Yet many claimed and proclaimed they know.

In times such as this false prophets will definitely be on the rise. You do well by listening from the word than from the mouths of "prophets". Who knows what is real and what is not. For whatever transpires, you can always look into the Bible for wisdom and understanding for there’s nothing new under the sun. What happens today happened before in Biblical days. There are lessons we can draw from it to help understand the happenings of today. ALWAYS go back to the Word. Unless the Biblical days where prophesies were delivered with the demonstration of the power of God, today's prophecies are subjective and carry an element of guess work. That’s why we are told to TEST all prophecies. In times such as this, don’t just listen to man. Read the Word! Who knows? You may yet find your comfort, wisdom and understanding in all this madness.

Psalms 119:105
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

Read Revelation. Get a feel of the End-times.

It came to pass ...

"It came to pass". This phrase occurred quite a bit in the Old Testament. Things that were said, prophecies that were recorded … “It came to pass”. After 430 years, it came to pass the Israelite left Egypt. Took a long time but nevertheless it came to pass.

What does it mean “It came to pass?”. For one, it meant nothing surprises God. He knows the who, what, when, how and why and He is in control. With His finger, God gave the sea its boundaries so the waters will not overstep into land. The waves may buffet the shores minute after minute for millenniums yet it will not over step the land (Proverbs 8:29). God is in control. Secondly, it meant nothing last forever.

Psalm 30:5
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

THIS VIRUS THREAT WILL PASS. Be watchful. Be prayerful. Rely on your Bible, not your WhatApp messages. Be positive and encouraging. And above all, hang in there. Don’t lose your joy. Don't forget who you are.

AI

AI ... Artificial Intelligence. It's finally arrived! Not coming but it's here. Perhaps in its infancy stage but nevertheless it's here.  This is the unavoidable future trend. All nations will embrace AI and all peoples of the earth will be under its influence. In the very near future you will not be able to buy or sell without being "governed" by AI. Your going in and your going out will be under the watchful eyes of AI. Just this morning news, Thailand is looking into how AI can help ease its traffic congestion as current technology has proven insufficient. In Japan, an optical shop employs AI in helping customers select spectacles they would purchase. It's not just about the tech. It's about the ability of the tech to determine what's better for you. There will come a time when one will be talking to an AI robot or hologram just like in the futuristic movies.

I began by saying, "It's finally arrived". Meaning, there was a waiting period. When you purchase something online, for a fact it will arrive. It's a matter of when. Two thousand years ago, the appearance of AI (machine intelligence) was already recorded in the book of Revelation 13. At the island of Patmos where Apostle John was exiled, God gave him a glimpse into the future. There he saw a lifeless image (statue, robot, hologram) coming to life (robotic age). Two things John saw in the vision. For one, the whole world worshiped the image. Today you can see how people’s lives are so ingrained in technology that it has become inseparable. Literally people all over the world are glued to their cell phones and tablets. Secondly, John saw how the image (AI) controlled the lives of people worldwide. There is a new god in town. It’s called TECHNOLOGY.

15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name (Rev. 13).

The book of Revelation ought to be read at least once a year. Many have lost the fear of the Lord. We are now living in a time where what was written in Revelation is already happening and yet many are not aware of the warnings of Revelation. The world is getting “smaller” because of technology. The demands in life have increased with advancement in technology. Who are we worshiping today? Are we even aware of the fact that Jesus is coming soon? Do we even care about His return? What John saw blew his mind. I have the notion John saw into our present time. This is not the time to get distracted. Remember Jesus' caution: KEEP WATCH!

Mark 13:5-37

When I am afraid ...

All of us are afraid of stuff. Some rational but mostly irrational stuff. Life itself is stressful and fear seems to be one huge contributing factor. So this morning, I want to write about this in my very own layman, non professional understanding on this subject. Some subjects are best left to the experts. But being pastor, I have to deal with just about ... everything! Literally from A to Z. The scary thing is, pastors don't always know lots of stuff. Pastors will do well if they keep to the teaching and preaching of the Word for the simple fact that God's word not only provide the insight and wisdom that we need, it also connect us to God from whence our help comes. But of course the pastor has to be relevant to changing times. That's why constant self learning /teaching/ reading/upgrading  is a very important aspect of a pastor's daily life. Once a teenager asked me what I do daily as a pastor. See, lots of folks think pastors work only on weekends. Rest of week they are "free". That is so far from truth. In response to the teen's question, I spoke briefly of an athlete's life. A golfer for example, don't just work on weekends (tournaments are always held over weekends). If a golfer is not in tournament, the rest of the week is spent in necessary routines which is going to the gym, hitting balls at the driving range, keeping abreast on the latest happenings in the golfing world, etc. for the sake of self improvement and keeping sharp and ready for tournament. So this is what I do apart for the actual work load of managing a church. Enough of digression.

Fear: " ... is a emotion induced by perceived danger or threat, which causes physiological changes, such as fleeing, hiding, or freezing from perceived traumatic events".  That's from Wikipedia. When I taught the teens on this subject two weeks ago, this is what I said about fear.

A.There are two kinds of fear. Founded and unfounded fear. If a tiger suddenly appears in front of you, that is real fear. Unfounded fear on the other hand is something you are afraid of which is of the future. It may or may not happen and often times, it's imaginary, irrational and unfounded. So I met a tiger a year ago and I encountered real fear. A year later, I am still afraid to pass through the same path for fear I may cross path with the tiger yet again. Fact is, it's been a year. The tiger have moved on or died. It hasn't been spotted for a year. It's very unlikely I will have a second encounter with it yet I am afraid. This unfounded fear is but imaginary and irrational. That's how it is with fear. Most of what we are afraid of are unfounded and very likely will not even materialize, yet we are afraid it may happen. It's no wonder Jesus enlightened us to not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will take care of itself. Meaning, our fears are mostly unfounded so don't dwell on it (Read Matthew 6:25-34).

B. How do you response to fear? From the incident of David and Goliath, I told the teens there's two way to respond to fear. Fight or flight. Goliath was a real threat. On a one-on-one fight, none of the Israelite will be able to survive Goliath. So Israel took flight and Goliath taunted them every day for forty days until the shepherd boy David took the challenge to fight Goliath. The rest is history. Some things just won't go away until you fight it. 

C. How do you overcome fear? Shield and sword. In the olden days when battles were fought, a soldier will need a shield and a sword. Without a shield to protect against the arrows and blows of the sword and spear, a soldier may not survive in battle. Not only will the shield provide protection, it helps the soldier to strategically wield his sword to eliminate the threat. When David encountered Goliath that fateful day, instead of having a physical shield, God was his shield. He wasn't afraid of Goliath. Instead of a sword where he will have to get up close to Goliath, he used a sling shot. At a safe distance, he fired the shot and Goliath felled. David was skilled with the sling shot. Skill is something we can acquire if we apply ourselves to it. Together with God as our shield (Psalms 28:7), we have the resource to fight instead of flight. But of course there are times one will have to take flight as a temporary but immediate action but the only way to overcome is still to fight the enemy.

We had a good time in class. We talked about school bullies.I have always enjoyed teaching teens and teaching in small groups. God's word is like a hidden treasure. It's a delight to be able to not just read, but to be able to study and uncover its hidden treasures. God's word is amazing and enlightening. God's word is not meant to be read but to be studied. If you are in the habit of just reading chapters a day, things can get pretty boring and mundane. But when you study it, like food, you will want more. Keep this 2x2x2 lesson in mind. Someday, it may come in handy. God bless.

Row, Row, Row the boat ...

 A nursery rhyme played in my mind today. It wasn't Baa Baa Black Sheep or London Bridge is Falling Down. It was Row Row Row the boat gently down the stream. Let me make a lesson out of this.

Let's imagine there are seven of us in a row boat and let's pretend we're rather skilled. Rowing in sync, we propelled the boat forward. Because of excellent team work, we were able to maintain a certain rhythmic movement thereby achieving direction, speed and goal. Like an orchestra, we were in harmony. Hold on to this imagination.

In church (especially so in areas of leadership), though there are many of us, we have need to move together as one. Because we're in the same boat, we must have harmony so as to achieve and maintain rhythm in rowing together to move forward. One cannot afford to rock the boat.

Diversity is a gift. The apostle Paul taught about unity and diversity in the Body. "Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body ... Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many." (1 Cor 12:12,14). As a church and being in the same boat, we need to embrace unity in diversity. You and I both know not all people think alike, act alike, look alike or have the same opinion, perspective or belief. We are all different yet we are all the same. So when we are put together in a same boat with a given task, there's going to be challenges. In order to get from point A to point B, there must be TEAM WORK.

In a same boat, we are no longer just individuals. We are and we have become a crew and we have a captain. Coming back to our make believe boat of seven, as a captain, I have to lean heavily on my six crew mates. If they don't row, we are not going anywhere. If they do not row in rhythm it won't be a smooth ride. If one or two or three decide not to row, it will take a whole lot of effort for the other three and the journey will neither be quick nor smooth. And as much as the captain rely on the crew, the crew needs a captain to direct and to keep pace by maintaining harmony and rhythmic movements. If none of these can be achieved, then the boat is getting nowhere.

I have been blessed with a wonderful church board all these years in Vineyard. Not only are we able to get along working together, we have been able to maintain rhythm and harmony. We realized the fact that though we are individuals, yet we are a crew. Here's how we work. When we have to arrive at a collective decision, though not all may agree, once a decision is being made, we row together. Instead of folding arms and rebel, we sail together as a team. At the end of the journey, we may discover one of two things. 1) If it works well in the end, those with differing views now will have a new perspective and experience. They will be glad for the effort they put in. 2) If it didn't work out, then those who were rightly correct can say, "It's alright. Now we know. We can learn from this and move on" instead of saying "I told you so". That's the attitude of teamwork. Instead of persecuting one another, we learn collectively how to do or how not to do things. It's a learning process and it's a journey. When we sail into the unknown, there's the element of faith and surprise, failure and success. Faith because risks are involved in the unknown, surprise because we do not know exactly what's in store. Failure and success, it's all part of the journey. That's the reality. As a board, we had our fair share. Overall, the journey thus far was great. We've seen sunrises and sunsets. We've been through storms. And through it all, we have learned to depend of Jesus. We have learned to trust in God. Glory to God. 

Being in Vineyard together, you are and I, we're in a same boat. But I would like to remind us today, though there are different kinds and types of boats, we are (in the eyes of God) life boats. Out in the sea of humanity, there are people waiting to be rescued. Dare we fold our arms and rock the boat? 

So how about  this. Instead of rocking the boat or jumping ship, why not we embrace unity in diversity and put our hands on the oar and row together in harmony? We are not passengers. We are a crew because we have been put together in the same boat by the Holy Spirit and we have a purpose and a destination. Jesus is our Captain. If we look to Him and not let our differences get in the way, if we keep our hands on the oar and row together as one no matter what, Jesus will take us where we need to go. And when we finally arrive, we are going to be glad that we embraced unity in diversity, stayed on the boat and worked together as one. Let's spur each other on. Let's be but a great crew to the glory of our Captain Jesus. After all, we are in the same boat.  Let's shipshape.

Row row, row the boat gently don the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily life is but a dream

IF God has a hand phone ...

When God revealed Himself to Moses in preparation for delivering the Israelites out of Egypt, God revealed Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses was then instructed to present God to the Israelites as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to remind them of the covenant He had made with Abraham which had since passed down to Isaac and Jacob (Ex. 3:11). Now is the time for the fulfillment of the promise.

People love to name-tag. "I am a friend of so and so". I don't carry name cards but if I do, it will not be about my credentials following after my name. Rather it will be something like this: "Leslie Low - friend of _______". But I have learned long time ago to avoid name tagging. It may get you somewhere but there is a price to pay. It's natural for people to want to name tag. To be identified with someone great is not only leverage but also an ego boost. But careful. In the end you may have to sell your soul. 

When I read about God taking upon Himself to "name-tag" with man, I was dumbfounded. How can God identify Himself with fallen men? I suppose David too felt the same for he wrote: "What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? (Ps. 8:4). Man was in fact made a little lower than angels and angels worship God! God is majestic in all the earth. He has set His glory in the heavens. Yet He chose to be known as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Like David, all I can say too is: "Lord, our God, how majestic is your name in all the earth". If there is any doubt that God loves and cares for us, let this be put to rest today. God loves us. Full stop.

IF God has a hand phone, I pray my name will be in His contact list. Have a God day.

Sincerely,

Leslie Low - friend of God

What you need to know about healing.

Whenever we think about miracles, one of the first thing that popped into mind is physical healing. All the rallies you had attended, the emphasis was on the healing ministry. Many would come out early hoping to get the attention of the preacher and hoping against all hope for the miracle of healing. The reality is, at the end of the day, many are not healed. And so popped the age old question: “Why did God healed some and not others?”. Today, I am not endeavoring to take on this question. Suffice to say for now, IF God heals, it will be a miracle. Most of the time, healing comes from our faith in believing in God. Jesus said: “Your faith has made you well”. Other times, it's God's divine intervention where your faith may or may not be in play. So for today, I want to help us focus on a bigger picture. To begin with, miracles of God are not primarily about physical healing. Miracles do happen in every day life and routines. Many just don't see it. Coming back to the subject of physical healing, I think here is something you need to know.

When God created man in Eden, man was immortal. Meaning, the human cells cannot degenerate. Adam and Eve cannot grow old or fall sick through time. This reality changed following the Fall as a consequence of straying from God. Since then mankind succumb to illnesses and diseases and unavoidable, death. Being saved in Jesus doesn't mean our bodies will stop aging or spared from illnesses or immune to diseases. Our spirit is regenerated and God had promised an immortal body to those who remain faithful to the end. That's for the afterlife. In the mean time, we do what we can to cope with this mortal body. For those who succumb to illness and disease, there's medical help and there is also the option to healing by faith or by divine providence. Either way, eventually, the healed body will succumb. Healing is but a temporary relief and for a very specific purpose. The real miracle is in the GRACE of God!

Mankind is built resilient. We are built with strong instinct and drive for survival. We surprised ourselves time and again when we did what we couldn't do because we had to. When we are sick we seek to heal. But when healing is naught, we turn to other means. As Christians, we turn to prayer. But not all are healed. What then? How do we survive the harsh times ahead? How do we survive the days, months and even years ahead? Simply by God's grace. “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Cor 12:9). God's grace is like a light at the end of a tunnel. It's like “a lamp to my feet, a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105). To my understanding, God's grace is the miracle in life. Let me explain further.

Healing is a temporary relief and for a very specific purpose. You can be supernaturally healed today but that doesn't immunize your body from further degeneration. You will still grow old (sign of degeneration), fall sick, take medications and die. So what then is the point of healing? Again, like I said, it's for a temporary relief and for a specific purpose. That's why some are healed while others are not. It's like praying for wealth. God is never going to answer every prayer for wealth. It's never wrong to be wanting wealth but the issue is, not everyone can handle wealth. You may not have thought about this but God alone knows how wealth can affect and change a person. Therefore, many prayed for wealth but God had to say no. When it comes to healing, apart from the obvious reason of wanting to get well, what is your purpose of living long and healthy? So if God heals you today and prolong your life, what's the purpose in all these? Perhaps the reason why many prayed for healing and God will had to answer, “my grace is sufficient for you”. I have seen Christians made more money only to give less. I have seen Christians healed through prayer only to disregard God later in life while remaining healthy. We need to know the purpose in all these. Wealth is fleeting and being healed today is to die another day. To be wealthy doesn't make you a better person. To be given a second lease of life doesn't guarantee you'll be a good person in the future. I am happy for you if you are healed. I am happy for you if you prospered. But if none of these are forthcoming, does it mean you fall short of a miracle? Far be it. Truth is, a miracle is right at your doorstep. It's the miracle of God's grace. Here's how it works.

I will never forget the struggle of my friend battling cancer. She was young, full of faith and hope for divine healing. She was in constant pain for she opt out of treatment. In the end, too weak to even talk, she flashed me a weak smile. I know that smile. It took effort. I walked with her partly in her illness. That smile was exactly what she told me before: “It's alright pastor. I am happy and ready to meet the Lord. Don't be sad for me”. When she passed, people would have thought God did not heal her. They were right.She wasn't healed. BUT what they fall short of seeing is the miracle that God performed on her .... the miracle of God's grace. She didn't die with resentment in her heart. She experienced the supernatural joy and peace of God that passes all understanding. In fact, at one point, she was excited knowing soon she will be with her Lord and Savior Jesus, her beloved. I will never forget her and that moment in the hospital. Her assurance of the reality of God who did not abandon her but walked with her throughout those hard and trying times is something I saw for myself.  Like Paul, I am sure she too heard God's voice saying: "My grace is sufficient for you". I will never forget her.

I have prayed for many for the miracle of healing and most of them passed instead. Do I give up praying for the sick? No because I will not deny them the miracle of God's grace. I wish all who seek healing will be healed. I really do. But I also believe having God walk with us through thick and thin is just as important and needful as in getting healed. What's temporary is temporary. What's eternal is the eternal. In my walk from the temporary to the eternal, I do not want to walk alone. I want God to be walking alongside me all the way in good times and in bad times. Along the way, I will be blessed with miracles, with seeing God at work. I am well aware not all my desires and prayers will be answered but as long as He walks with me, I will be alright. His grace is sufficient for me. That's my miracle. I wish preachers will be more careful and mindful in “promising” healing and prosperity in their gospel presentation. For those seeking the miracle of healing today, I pray you will find your miracle in God. Keep believing. Keep hoping in the Lord. In the meantime, lean of God. His grace is not only sufficient for you, His grace is the miracle you need. God bless.