Wednesday, December 30, 2020
My New Book
It should have been out a month ago, but due to some inadvertent delay, my new book might just see another launch middle of January 2021. It is tough getting one’s books published in Kota Kinabalu. There are few good publishers and printers around. Sad to say Malaysian public is not a reading public, much less in Sabah, my home state. I just don’t feel any excitement for books, even good Christian books. Perhaps that’s a reflection of the end-time Church which lacks fervency and passion, and suffers famine not of food or drinks, but the hearing the word of the Lord.
Saturday, December 26, 2020
Tough Christmas Message
Tuesday, December 22, 2020
The Three Journeys of Jesus' Family and the Magi at Jesus' Birth
I am just beginning a series of 5 sermons in a row finishing on 3rd January, being the first Sunday of 2021. We have had a wonderful Christmas service last Sunday with 20 more turned up than the capacity allowed. In our church hall of 2.5 shop lot units, we could only sit 110 people but 130 adults showed up with 20 seated in the doorway and waiting rooms. It was quite a sight with almost everyone wearing a face mask except the preacher when he was preaching. I guess I shoulder most of the risks, but that's part of the ministry of Jesus Christ that I partake in. I spoke about the three journeys of Christmas from the Gospels of Luke and Matthew. The first was Joseph's and Mary's return to Bethlehem from Nazareth when Mary was at least 7 or 8 months' pregnant and as soon as they arrived, it was time for Mary to give birth. There was no room for them, most likely referring to Joseph's relatives' homes which could not provide Joseph and Mary with a guest room.
Friday, December 18, 2020
Overcomers
I can now understand more and more why our Lord Jesus called the believers of the seven churches in Rev 2-3 as overcomers. Much more now in challenging times, we need to be overcoming and overcoming and often, I feel that it is like fighting a battle after battle and it is never ceasing for us to overcome. I had one of the busiest days in church yesterday, hosting the SIB KK district's pastors fellowship in my church premises.
Thursday, December 10, 2020
Cost of Self-Publishing
I had spent a small fortune publishing my three books within a year. I hardly recovered 25percent of what I spent before forking out another sum of money. I am in a money losing business; God’s economy is different from the world. I am here to be a blessing through my writing ministry, not only a non-profit enterprise but making a loss. But I have been heartily encouraged from the feedback (not requested) from general readers.
Friday, December 4, 2020
My New Book is Ready
After 29th time revising and re-reading I made the call this morning that it is done and will be in the printers henceforth. God willing, before Christmas my new book will be out. What a year. It has been bleak in many ways, but there is a silver lining in the clouds with the production of this concise commentary from April onwards with the months of October and November dedicated to revising and putting in into the final shape of a book. It is a small book, the length of a Masters thesis. John Calvin, the famous 16th reformer said that books needed to be concise, to the point and I trust that my commentary on the Song of Solomon is right to the point.
Tuesday, December 1, 2020
Ministry’s 26th Anniversary
I thank you O Lord for calling me and in Your mercy consider me faithful to be in Your service and today marks the 26th anniversary of my full-time service in the Lord’s harvest fields. What a day! The day of the gladness of his heart (SS 3:11). I celebrated the anniversary by preaching four Sunday in a row and tomorrow looking to the future I shall be conducting a Google Meet bible study with my young teenage group. During worship especially when a Dusun song was sung I felt elated and reassured of God’s purpose for me to stay and remain in Sabah, at least for the near future.
Tuesday, November 24, 2020
Ministry under the Movement Control Order (MCO)
I tend to get busier when the lockdown or Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) took effect almost two months ago. We started a google meet for young teenagers' class last week and tomorrow we will be continuing our study on John 5. By this Sunday I shall have preached 4 weeks non-stop which would be a first for me as a pastor since I started January 2020. But one learns many new things during this current health crisis that brought about many changes. Churches have closed down and many big or mega churches have been brought to their knees though their online services are still ongoing and can garner thousands of views. Church finances suffer as well as staff and Bible College lecturers received pay-cut or no pay at all. What is God saying in all these? I always thought perhaps by the end of the year I will preach a message entitled, "10 Reasons why God allows this Covid-19 to come upon Malaysia and its effect on Churches". If there is a lesson we have learned, it is how powerless human beings are.
Thursday, November 19, 2020
Google Meet Bible Study
I was so thrilled after completinng my first google meet bible study with my young teenagers. A total of 24 people logged in which means minus the adults there were 18 or 19 teenagers, my target group. I expounded from where we left off two months ago in the middle of ch 4 of John's Gospel. Before the class I had a few nerves as I am bit slow to technology though my table looked well set up with two laptops and a tablet and my John's commentary in Malay for reference. The kids were good although only two askee questions and a few more wrote on the chat forums. All in all it was well worth it so much so my Chairman texted and thanked me and suggested another Bible study next week same time same forum on google meet. I had fun and technology is a boon for us as a few from a far away village could follow and link up though I could see that their line was not consistent throughout. God's Word is taught and His people are blessed and that's all I prayed for and thankful to God for His gift of teaching and it went really well for 1 hour and 10 mins.
Monday, November 16, 2020
Excitement Rises
Sometimes after preaching on Sunday, I can only rest on Tuesday because on Monday I still feel the glow of the anointing that flowed throughout the preaching of God's Word. Last evening I could not rest at all, feeling the effect of the God's Word for hours. I went for afternoon tea break and at night I slept like a baby and got up at 4.30am. Excitement rises because sometime today I shall be picking up the first copies of my new book, printed for the purposes of proof-reading. I already detected several typos, and I hope if I can find two or three proof readers, my book can go into printing by end of the year. Welcoming the New Year with a new book will be icing on the cake.
Tuesday, November 10, 2020
A New Book
I am pleased to announce that my new manuscript is 99% complete with proof-reading and sourcing of publishers still to come. This morning I got up early and by 6am I was working to revise my book for the 20th time and worked until 10.30am. No wonder they say that the early bird catches the worms. I always find the first three hours of my morning to be the most fruitful. By 12 noon I was satisfied with my work and now I need to pray so that I could find at least two proof-readers and a good publishers.
Saturday, November 7, 2020
Preaching in front of a Crew & Camera
It's been surreal or unreal in many ways. I have not gotten used to preaching in front of the multimedia crew and cameras. But I preach I shall do in the foreseeable future as the Covid-19 infections have not decreased and it will take several more weeks, or even months before things become better. Early in the MCO I told my congregation not to expect to celebrate Christmas in church. So this year we have missed all the Christian feasts, Passover in April, Pentecost at the end of May (first MCO) and now most likely we will miss Christmas in December. I will press on with my job at hand, recording and preaching online sermons to my congregation. Technology is a two-edged sword. Much good comes out of it as we can learn much, hold business meetings, listen to lectures but online services are not the assembly of the saints as where there is no gathering, then there is no church (ekklesia).
Monday, November 2, 2020
"My Times are in Your Hands" (Psalm 31:15)
Worldly timing or human planning have always thrown a spanner into the works. Jesus in John's Gospel repeatedly said that, "My time is not yet". If it is just human reckoning, I should now be taking a sabbatical since my return from Singapore more than 6 years ago. But I have to wait for a long time for ministry appointments so much so, one reader who read my book texted me and asked why that was so. Only the Lord knows the answer but I have always waited for His time. I waited 6 months before starting in Ranau in 2015, then for two months out of work when I completed my Semester as Acting Principal. Before the current pastorate, I waited 11 months, out of work for nearly a year in 2019. Who is able to do endure all these?
Monday, October 26, 2020
Emergency Averted: Power of Prayer
Could it be a coincidence? We ended our 8-day Prayer Chain (Doa Berantai) at 6pm last Friday where we prayed round the clock, one hour each with about 30 church members taking part. News began to flash that the Prime Minister of Malaysia with his entourage were heading to the King's palace in Kuantan as our current King is from the State of Pahang. So throughout the week-end we continued to pray ending with our Sunday service's intercession yesterday for the King and the nation. In just over 6 hours, we received the good news that the proposed Emergency proclamation had been averted.
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
"Do not Judge before the Time"
Solon, the great ancient Greek philosopher opined that no one should be called good when he is still alive. This means one's life has to be judged when one passes away and has completed one's life on earth. Even then for Christians, we should not judge before the time as the Lord is the judge of all and He knows the hearts of men, whether good or bad (John 2:25). While living on earth, often the one motivation that drives people is "honour" and this honour is man's honour, that is honour given by his peers or fellow human beings. There is nothing wrong in that if done right, though as the weakness of the fallen human nature should remind us to be wary lest as Jesus warned that the Pharisees sought honour/glory from one another, but not the honour/glory that came from God (John 5:44). Exactly a chapter before (John 4:44), Jesus says that, "a prophet has no honour in his own country".
Monday, October 19, 2020
Faith & Financial Management
I learned my lessons young, thanks be to God! I realised in my early 20s how easy it was to spend money and how difficult it was to save or repay debts. I graduated and began work with a RM60,000.00 study loan. At first, I did not think much about it but two years into paying down the loan, I realised that it was not easy to pay off debts when one has many other financial commitments. But thanks be to God, and as a Christian I would sum up my financial management experience as "faith & worldly wisdom". It is a combination of believing and trusting in God, yet when making financial decisions, especially in taking loans or debts, a big dose of worldly wisdom is needed. So after repaying all my debts and financing my own theological education, I started full-ministry with practically nothing.
Departure Points (1994-2019)
These are the departure points since I was called into full-time ministry: "Moses recorded their starting-points in writing whenever they moved on at Yahweh's command" (Numbers 33:2)
1) Melangkap, Kota Belud (2 hours from Kota Kinabalu) 1 Year (1994-1995)
2) Wisma SIB, Guest Room (KK) 6 months (1996)
Sunday, October 18, 2020
New Zealand - Is the Lord calling?
I must say 12 years ago I would jump at the chance of going to New Zealand and serve the Lord there. So when I resigned in 2008 from my pastorate of my homechurch in KK, the first thing I did was to buy a ticket to New Zealand. My son was already there in his Year 13 (Upper Six), but it happened that I was called or re-called to Asia, to Singapore where I stayed for 6 years. When my Kiwi friend who just recently connected with me through Instagram, and he asked me where I was serving. When I told him that I was serving this new church called, SIB Indah Permai, he replied that no wonder my book was named as "Departure Points". As for my friend, he had stayed put in one ministry in one place since his graduation in 1995, all 25 years in one position. I graduated a year earlier though we entered first year at the same time, but I must have moved at least 10 times in 10 places.
Friday, October 16, 2020
A Sabbath from Preaching
It was a mighty relief once I asked to be relieved of my preaching duty this Sunday. I have been preaching three Sundays in a row which was a first time for me since becoming the pastor of the church. If I count the sermons for prayer meetings (twice) and a wake service, I have preached six times in the past 3 weeks. No wonder my mind is telling me to take a break and in fact a friend suggested as much. As preaching takes much time in preparation, reading the biblical texts, praying before the Lord for wisdom, understand the situation of the local church and the members' needs, it is spiritual burden. No wonder the priests of old were said to be ministering the burden of the congregation and it is a burden one has to bear and it can be relentless like in the past month.
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Surviving the Plague
Covid-19 is a plague that has come to test humankind and nations on earth. The State of Sabah was almost clear of active Covid-19 cases until early September when the all the activities and campaigning for the State's Election took place. Twice in my sermon I had hinted strongly that I was not going to vote (it isn't compulsory to vote in Malaysia) but at the end I did. Did not Moses give up everything to suffer afflictions with His people? Last Saturday when I ministered in a wake service I realised I was taking considerable risks because of the confined space and the amount of time we spent inside the house to comfort the bereaved. Then I thought of John Calvin in the 16th century who also ministered to the sick when plague struck Geneva and he did not shy away from ministry just because of some disease. Interestingly, in Calvin's times, church services were never closed and only those infected were quarantined at home.
Monday, October 12, 2020
Double Sabbath
When you work double time, sometimes you deserve a double Sabbath. It is not that we are worthy as we are all unworthy servants and we do not look for commendation or praise from men. Yet from the MCO period which started last Wednesday, it had been one of my busiest weeks, not least in the last 48 hours leading to Sunday. I recorded a sermon for Friday, the first audio recording for about 4 months, which took me much longer than anticipated. Then, on Saturday morning I recorded my sermon for Sunday and that took two hours of my time in church but at least two or three days in preparation. I have a friend or two who thinks my work is easy or less hard than their so-called professions.
Wednesday, October 7, 2020
Staying at Home
It was good that today is the start of the Movement Control Order. I stayed at home whole day. It's like an enforced Sabbatical. Simple lunches and eggs on toast for dinner. And I felt more productive than usual. More time at home means more time reading the Bible, worshipping and praying. I actually suggested that this Sunday's sermon be cancelled and we all enjoy a rest since there will be so many online services to watch. Sometimes the impact of church closure is not felt if we provide online services causing the members to feel comfortable and sooner or later some will feel contented and not a few have told me they now prefer to stay at home and watch the services. But I was persuaded to carry on in view of the wishes of the majority. I will either continue my series on Ephesians or leadership. But at least today, I read through my forthcoming book and revised it a fair bit.
Tuesday, October 6, 2020
Floods & Incessant Rain
A friend texted me and jokingly blamed me for preaching on "Ask of Me - Rain!" (Zech 10:1). Rain it did in Sabah for about 16 hours non-stop from midnight Sunday to 4pm Monday. Many areas in the West coast and Kota Kinabalu were flooded. A number of bridges that I had crossed were swept away and many villages became inaccessible as a result. I thank God that I am holding onto my 4-wheel pick-up with high ground clearance. I had paid for it cash when I bought it second hand 6 years ago. Since it is not a financial burden except for the usual maintenance, now with the floods and incessant rains for the past several weeks had convinced me to hold on to my car as long as possible.
Monday, October 5, 2020
Ask for Rain; Sheep without a Shepherd (Zechariah 10:1-2)
"Who is adequate for all these?, says Paul the apostle". Yesterday by 7.20am I was already in church for our 9am service after having about 3 or 4 hours of sleep. It was the longest 48 hours from Friday onwards with fake news and much happening around me. After my message that lasted about 32 minutes which was shorter than usual, one deacon asked me how I managed to preach and prepare my slides under the circumstances. I had to gather the leaders 10 minutes before the service started and spent about 20 minutes with them and we decided from next week we are ceasing church services once more due to the rising Covid-19 cases. In my sermon I mentioned that Sabah's cases could rise to 500 to 600 a day and just this evening we had news that Malaysia's toll now stands at 432 cases in 24 hours. Sabah's cases are not much more than yesterday but we expect the Covid-19 infections to rise in the next few days.
Thursday, October 1, 2020
Last Quarter 2020
Monday, September 28, 2020
Historic Year in Sabah
Thursday, September 24, 2020
War Horse (2)
Monday, September 21, 2020
Recovery & Progress
For three weeks in a row now, our Sunday services are almost full (90 adults capacity). Now we have reached half of our average attendance pre-Covid 19. It is in the process of recovery and we praise God that the finances are also recovering with members giving more generously though not a few have lost their jobs or given no-pay leave for 3 months or more. Better still, I feel there is progress in spiritual growth. Twice in recent weeks, members of the church actually clapped spontaneously when I spoke.
Friday, September 18, 2020
Teaching Teenagers
Thursday, September 10, 2020
My War Horse
Suddenly today the thought of selling my double-cap Triton 4 by 4 came to me so much so that I called the Borneo Post to inquire about putting up an advertisement under "Car for Sale". My car has been my war horse for nearly 6 years since November 2014. Where would I be and where have I gone or not gone if not for my war horse? I had been into at least 50 villages in the past 6 years, together with the 70 villagers which I ministered in 25 years earlier, the total now must exceed 120 villages. I realized that at least 10 villages that I had preached in had not been included in my book, "Departure Points". Well, I had always planned for a 2nd edition down the road (God willing, in 15 years' time). It will be sad if I have to part way with my car that had served me so well.
Friday, September 4, 2020
"I was cast aside in the house of God" (Psalm 83:12 LXX; MT Psalm 84)
I don't know how many times the Lord spoke to me through the LXX translation of the Old Testament. No wonder most NT authors quoted Scripture from the LXX (80% of the time) rather than the Hebrew MT. Late last night, I had a great struggle, almost in proportion to Jacob's struggle with the angel at the stream of Jabbok. I woke up several times, thinking about the events of last night and then at 4am sharp I got up for good to read my Bible and prayed. I came across Psalm 83:12 LXX, "I was cast aide in the house of God" instead of the MT "I rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God". During the beginning of PKP (MCO) I felt that the MT spoke to me as often I would go to church on my own and just prayed at its entrance when we were barred from holding public services for more than 3 months. I was like a doorkeeper in God's house. Then now back in church, the house of God I felt cast aside. It is an interesting Greek word, "pararriteisthai" quite a mouthful but it means to be thrown down.
Thursday, September 3, 2020
20 Years or 240 Months of Active Service
This month I am celebrating the completion of 240 months or 20 years in active service. I entered full-time ministry in December 1994 when I was 30 years old, four months and 5 days old, which means by this December it will be my 26th anniversary in full-time ministry. However, if I deduct the time I took for my post-grad studies and time waiting for the next appointment, it adds up to five and a half years. I waited for 10 months recently before coming into this current pastoral position. When I returned from Singapore I waited for 6 months until 1st January 2015 before taking my position as pastor in Ranau. Then even after stopping as Acting Principal, I waited for one and a half months before being reappointed as lecturer in the Bible College. All in all, I spent 49 months (7 x 7) in Ranau, travelling almost every weekend for more than 3 years up and down the Mount Kinabalu route.
Monday, August 31, 2020
Preaching Once
Thursday, August 27, 2020
Penang Bookshelf
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Singapore's Sojourn
Friday, August 21, 2020
Degrees & Diplomas
Tuesday, August 18, 2020
Leaders make or break the nation and the Church
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
Conferences and Revivals
Monday, August 10, 2020
Monday Musings
Tuesday, August 4, 2020
One Year & One Week: Covid-19 Musings
Monday, August 3, 2020
Monday's Sabbath & Youtube Channel
Saturday, August 1, 2020
The Month that Was (July 2020)
Thursday, July 30, 2020
Politics in Sabah & Malaysia
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Dogs are Men’s Best Friends
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
Pack of Dogs (Psalm 59:6, 14)
Monday, July 13, 2020
The Lord's Supper: Private or Corporate?
Tuesday, July 7, 2020
Village & Town
What is the Bible?
Saturday, July 4, 2020
Sabbath in Sabah
Thursday, July 2, 2020
Lord’s Prayer in Song
Wednesday, July 1, 2020
First Sunday Service after MCO
Thursday, June 25, 2020
"Show Yourself to the World" (John 7)
Saturday, June 20, 2020
Study Room Set Up (2)
Friday, June 19, 2020
6 Years Ago in Singapore
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Middle of the Year
Friday, June 12, 2020
Work Station
Thursday, June 11, 2020
Departing & Departure Points
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
Study Room, a Work in Progress
Sunday, June 7, 2020
Study Room Set-Up
Friday, June 5, 2020
Tech, Computers & Gadgets
Thursday, June 4, 2020
6th Week in the 6th Month
Monday, June 1, 2020
In the Midst of Year (Habakkuk)
Sunday, May 31, 2020
Pentecost Sunday & Harvest Festival
Saturday, May 30, 2020
Ezra's Leadership of God's People (Ezra 7-10)
Harvest Festival & Pentecost 2020
Friday, May 29, 2020
Twin Publication
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Filing Tax Returns 2019
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
One Month as a You-Tuber
Monday, May 25, 2020
Pentecostal Preaching
Sunday, May 24, 2020
Preaching in front of a Camera
Saturday, May 23, 2020
Church Reopening and Lack of Enthusiasm
14 & 70 Years
Monday, May 18, 2020
The Spirit: Leadership & the Rebuilding of God's Temple (Haggai 2 & Zech 4)
Sunday, May 17, 2020
Teachers' Day: "Despise not the day of small things" (Zech 4)
Tuesday, May 12, 2020
Hebrew & Greek
Friday, May 8, 2020
The Importance of the Septuagint (Habakkuk 3:2 LXX)
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Preaching in Church Again
Saturday, May 2, 2020
"You must prophesy against many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings" (Rev 10:11)
Monday, April 27, 2020
Preacher in Borneo
Saturday, April 25, 2020
Working Doubly Hard
Thursday, April 23, 2020
My Book is in Indonesia
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
Singapore's 10,000 Covid-19 Cases
Thursday, April 16, 2020
Money & Movement Control Order
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Money, Crisis & the Economy
Monday, April 13, 2020
Moses Shepherded the Flock
Thursday, April 9, 2020
Church Closure & Exile
Monday, April 6, 2020
"Work While It Is Still Day" (John 9)
Sunday, April 5, 2020
Standing in the Gap
Sunday, March 29, 2020
"I have not run away from being a pastor.." (Jeremiah 17:16)
Thursday, March 26, 2020
Living off the Land
Surviving under Movement Control Order (MCO)
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
3-Day Self-Isolation
Sunday, March 22, 2020
Reset Button
Tuesday, March 10, 2020
Purim & Malaysia
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In 20 days' time I shall be officially going on leave pending my departure from my current place of ministry and then moving all my stuf...
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I am amazed at how my indigenous brothers live in villages, often times at valleys at the foot or sides of Mount Kinabalu the tallest mounta...