First Time Rejection

Early yesterday morning at 6.12am I texted an elder who invited me for two preaching sessions in the first weekend of December. And for the first time in my ministry I turned it down due to lack of proper form of transport to the place concerned. When I was in Ranau and three years after that I drove a second hand Triton 4-wheel drive that took me into the most interior of places to Malinsau and up the mountains and down the valleys of Ranau often not just gravel roads but rocky and muddy roads during rainy season. Now with a city car, every time I have to travel to ministry I have to think twice; in fact I took 12 hours longer to reply to the elder because I struggled to make a decision as it has been 7 years since I went to that District and they have been one of my strong supporters.

Preaching Assignments leading to 30th Anniversary in the Lord's Service

Suddenly within the past few days all my weekends are filled up for the month of November. Even until Saturday 30th November I am travelling outstation to preach in a meeting close to my former College in Taginambur some 30 years ago. I told the organisers to expect a surprise as I celebrate my 30th anniversary in the Lord's service as it was on that fateful day, 30th Nov 1994 I arrived with my family (wife and son aged 4) at Melangkap village where the College Campus was located to commence my full-time ministry officially on the next day 1st December 1994. So I might do a double celebration, one at the same district where I started 30 years ago and the second the next day in Kota Kinabalu which happens to be on a Sunday, 1st December. The stars seem to align as if it does not fall on a Sunday I might not do anything at all as driving in KK on a weekday is near impossible nowadays with traffic jam everywhere from sunrise to sundown and around my place especially.

One after another

Even churches are like bidders in an auction. Once a bid of two is made others follow. Today I heard that there was a fourth church wanting me as the church’s pastor. It was almosr a year since I announced my impending departure from my former Seminary. For almost 8 months no one seemed to bother until last July the first church made a move followed by a second church in early August. Then last month a third church told me they wanted me to be their pastor by only in the middle of next year.

A Baby is Born

No wonder in the English idiom, one can say something like "that's my baby" which means it is something very precious and it has taken much effort before it is birthed. It's a bit like my current book. Only today after driving to Keningau and back to Tambunan I managed to finalise a few things with my printers. With text messages and video or audio calls free of charge things are so much easier compared to just 10 or 15 years ago. So in the past 14 days, two weeks to be exact I had laboured to give birth to this baby of mine, a pet project, my long overdue book which I named as "Anak Panah" in English means ""Chosen Arrow" from Isaiah 49:2.

Marking Milestones

I marked my 60th birthday with 7 close friends and my beloved wife, a faithful companion in my journey of faith. The 60th birthday's milestone was marked by something else, totally unplanned as 10 SIB pastors sang happy birthday to me at the door of the main hall of our denomination, a delight to a few of my friends but probably unnerved many for they could see how "popular" or "loved" I was by others. But I am marking another milestone in two months' time, one which is much significant than my 60th year of life, which is my 30th anniversary in the Lord's service. I told myself after publishing Departure Points almost five years ago that every year thence it would be a bonus, after 55 I count every five years as precious.

A Throw of the Dice

My life is like a big gamble. Like I put all my money on the table and say, "call". But I am not in a poker game. Nor in the game of thrones. But I am serving in the kingdom of heaven, unseen by men, seen by a few spiritual men and women. Today I got an offer to pastor a church just below 50% of my former salary as a lecturer. But I actually feel more excited about this offer than my former job when it came about. They even set for the date for welcoming of the pastor should I accept the offer. Maybe in a week or two, latest by mid-October I think my future would be sorted out. Or else I will stick to writing books.

David and his 400 men

I have no doubt I will finally make it. The greater the obstacles the greater my determination to see it through. It is a fight between good and evil. And light shall prevail over darkness. Darkness may reign for a while but the light of dawn will surely break through. Everywhere I have my 400 men. Perhaps that’s why they fear and shake in their boots or else they would have more sense not to do what they are doing.

The Call to Full-Time Ministry

I sat at a table surrounded by three of the top leaders who cast their die on my future. I did not plan to sit with them, but the youth leader brought me into a room for invited guests and VVIP and I was seated at the table with the guest preacher for our annual Youth Conference attended by 3,200 paid participants and at night the numbers swelled into 5,000 people filling the biggest hall at the Sabah International Convention Centre. In fact, I wanted to sit at the back and several times as I was walking about the Hall I asked those seated whether the empty seats were available. The participants looked really young and I told my wife that soon they will look not like my children but my grand children.

60 Club

More than 5 years ago just a few weeks before I turned 55 years ago I wrote blogpost titled “55 Club”. What have I done in the past 5 years? I was waiting for my next appointment 5 years ago just as I am now, though I might not receive one anytime soon. Five years ago I was furiously completing two books “Departure Points” started in 2014 but completed and published at the end of 2019. I am also writing two books at present, a Malay version of Departure Points (up to date version) and second volume of a commentary on John’s Gospel 13-21. The latter is going well with three chapters done and six more to go which means I am already one third into my commentary.

I've been published since 2005

Thomas Sowell when asked the year he started writing, he replied, "I've been published since 1960" which was his 30th birthday and since then he had published about 45 books. I've been published since 2005 has quite a ring to it and I almost thought I was going to be one book wonder until 2019 when I started writing seriously and now have published 5 more books, three in English and three in Malay. But that's minuscule compared to what Dr Sowell had done and he was a research fellow at Hoover Institution, Stanford University where all he does is research and write with no office hours and no teaching obligations.

Spoken too Soon

Sometimes the Lord tests us whether we love Him and whether we will obey Him. In less than 48 hours since my last blogpost which I thought I might not move to another place again, I was struck yesterday that I might have to move again all too soon. This time it will be a big move, if it happens. If it does not, I resign to the fact that I shall dwell where I am until the end of days, though one never can plan too much into the future. When my wife asks me and told me that I would spend a lot of money again if I make this big move, I told her, "I am dead to the world" quoting Paul. A man who has no attachments including his own life is a powerful man.