Five Books

I can't praise God enough for enabling me to get my book done from conception, writing, revising, editing, formatting and finally publication. Today I shall be getting about 100 copies of my Galatians' commentary with the rest to follow in the first week of December. When I launched my book on John's Gospel in my former church in early February 2020, I blurted out my desire to write seven books in my lifetime by God's grace. By I qualified my vision by stating that it was so difficult to get one book out that 7 would be a magical number. When a couple of weeks ago, I handed my manuscript to my printers I sang at the top of my voice in my car giving thanks to Him who deserves all glory. Then, in church one Sunday, maybe two Sunday ago, I received a vision of the number of books I would write before the Lord calls me home or He will return in glory to take me to Himself in the clouds and on Mount Zion.

Speaking of the five books, if I would rank them, I would say I would rank the Song of Songs' commentary as my best work by far thus far (forgive the word pun and repetition). In a Woman in Love, I explained many mysteries which I had not read elsewhere in the 20 plus Song's commentaries and monographs that I had read in the last decade or so. Not only the exegesis, but the love-story behind the two lovers would be a major plus in my book, because many commenters just do not set out how the love affair pans out or how the two lovers interacted with each other besides the obvious sexual overtones and euphemisms. 

Now I have written three commentaries on three biblical books, though John's Gospel needs a 2nd volume on John 13-21. By God's grace it will be done in His time. Two NT commentaries in John's Gospel and Galatians and one in Old Testament in the Song of Solomon. Two books in Malay and two books in English within three years plus my revised thesis published in 2005. It is not a matter of breaking records, but I try to maximise God-given talents in my life, being a bilingual, having preached in Malay in Sabah since 1988 and English in Singapore and West Malaysia. 

If I followed the crowd, I would be a man-pleaser. Just follow the tide or where the wind is blowing. As a man of God, I will do what God bids me to and fulfils the needs of the church, the church of Jesus Christ. Now it is biblical resources in Malay for the Malay-speaking church. The Malay-speaking church may be small in comparison, but God is the defender of the weak and the orphans. Though most of the leaders do not know of the need, but if one is aware with what is going on in the country, one would work hard while it is still day and when night comes, no one can work. In 5 or 10 years' time, it will be extremely difficult with possible persecution and Christian leaders will have to be courageous and pay the price for their faith. If they really love the flock of God, the good shepherd will lay down his life for the sheep as Jesus had done for us,.