The Lord Spoke when we are serving Him

I was overwhelmed by God's presence over a whole month. My end of Semester ministry started exactly a month ago on 29th October when I received an invitation. It was one of the bigger village churches and 278 adults attended. Since then, I preached on 12th Nov, three times over 36 hours on 18-19th Nov and three more times within 12 hours last Sunday. All seven sermons are different except the Christmas sermon which I covered almost the same scriptural texts. Yesterday after 24 hours since my return from Kota Belud on a Monday I felt a tiredness seldom felt before. I guess it adds up with the kind of intensity. On ministry days I often got up before 4am, often at 3.30am when I had to drive to the place of ministry though it is only 90 mins' drive. I preached on a mountain top church to about 500 youths on 18th Nov and the youth leader drove me back to my place of accommodation and I got back at 12 midnight and got up the next day at 4.30am to get ready for preaching again.

Among the Dusuns of Kota Belud

I started my ministry in Kota Belud. Last Saturday I preached in a church that I visited and preached in 1995. After a short while sitting there waiting for the service to start, I started to realise that this could be my second round had just begun and this would be the second half of ministry among the Dusuns. I started my sermon by asking how many were born before 1995. Only a handful of leaders who were present raised their hands. Almost all (99%) of the youths present (about 450 of them) were born after 1995. Most of them do not know me. Soon if I don't minister among them, the new generation would have forgotten their seniors and veterans. Earlier in the morning I preached among the seniors (those above 40 but most of the 153 who came were above 55 years old).

Sayings of the Lord are Pure Sayings (Psalm 12:6)

I would have perished in my afflictions if not for Your word, O Lord. This morning I woke up listless, woken up several times during the small hours of the night as my mind was overly active with three sermons to prepare for this weekend starting Saturday morning. But when I read a Psalm, especially a promise in Psalm 118, I felt restful and my soul was no longer in turmoil. Outwardly, circumstances suggest otherwise. Most doors are already closed for me, though I must say I was surprised that from late Oct to late December my schedule of preaching is filled up. But preaching alone does not make a whole ministry based on the Word. There are much strivings among the peoples as if there is a battle for the soul of the church. One is an anti-intellectual movement that is very powerful that says anyone and everyone can be a priest like the times of King Jeroboam who appointed priests from the common people, in fact from the lowliest of all. Obviously, the theology is that God can use anyone, did He not call fishermen and they changed the world? But nowadays many pastors are worse than fishermen.

Revitalisation of the Church of the New Generation

Today, the organisers of the three meetings that I shall be preaching over the weekend asked me whether I am on any medication and how they should prepare an emergency kit. Frankly, this is the first time someone asked me about my medical condition. But after a moment, I realised I shall be preaching among the seniors (Wira) probably half of them are some sort of medications. But I told them, I am not taking any medicine but occasionally my wife reminds me to take Vitamin Cs. The last time I was really sick was in 2015 in Ranau when in my first year I went to the general hospital there three times and took antibiotics. My blood pressure was fine then and though in Ranau until 2018 I would fall ill occasionally but that never warranted clinic or hospital visits. God is good.

It is Time to Speak

It's over two years since I resigned from my pastorate due to vaccine mandate. I have largely kept quiet since then, though last year from May to April of this year, I have not ceased preaching from church to church and from place to place. But it is now time to speak up. It is time to speak with clarity what besets the church and prays for the church's reformation. Yesterday, in my last 5 minutes of my 43 mins' sermon (about half of last week's sermon of 90mins), I read out the prophecy of Jeremiah 3:15-16 about God raising up of shepherds after His own heart who will pastor his flock with knowledge and understanding. At that time, the people will increase in the land. I told the congregation of about 300 people a story about the cultural revolution in China from 1966-1976. It was called a decade of chaos.

5 Books on Sale at Bookstore

I give You thanks O God for You have helped me and inspired me to write five books in four years. If you asked me five years ago 2018 that by Nov 2023 I would have five books published I would have said you must be kidding me. I remember writing my 2nd book after my PhD thesis published by T & T Clark in 2005 was a real struggle and I thought I could be a one book wonder like those who won just one grand slam and never win another. Until in Sept 2014 I got a text from my Indonesian student who texted me and said "Dr Tony you have a gift in writing. I hope you will publish soon."

Graduation & Service

Twice I missed my graduation, my BTheol and PhD. The former I was serving in the interior of Sabah, right at the foot of Mount Kinabalu among the indigenous peoples. The latter I was busy pastoring a city church also of 98% indigenous people with a few Chinese and two Indian families. I did not give a thought about going for graduation. It was the least of my concerns. Here it is the main event. Students practised for weeks for the songs and performances during graduation dinner and graduation day. Right into exams week and you will know where priorities lie. No wonder only one or two essays stood out. Most are simply mediocre. Exams results are nothing to be happy about either. If I mark them hard, a few will fail. But alas! There is more focus on form rather than substance. My pursuit of knowledge and theological education was for service, not grandeur or graduation in a worldly manner with pomp and glory.

In Silence & Solitude

 It is surprising how much one can hear in silence. Even the voice of the Holy Ghost, gentle and sweet. In solitude one finds solace from the busyness of this world. There are bright lights aplenty, pomp and glory. But the kingdom of God advances without people noticing it, silently but surely transforming hearts and minds by the power of the Gospel. He does not lift up his voice nor he breaks the broken reed.

Departure (Again)

It was less than 10 months ago that I announced my new appointment in my current place of ministry beginning last June. Now I am announcing my departure. In less than five months, I realised I do not share the vision of this place and I am moving on. One consideration is that once I take on supervision of theses, it won't be fair to leave unless for good reasons. But my main consideration is to go where I can focus on my writing ministry not just my preaching and teaching. After I preached last Sunday I managed to sell 14 books. I saw one of the leaders taking 10 books from my box but the person who was selling the books came back for more. In some village churches, there were times I could only sell two or three books. In Malaysian terms, my books are not cheap for villagers, RM40.00 a copy, though I would say it is cheap considering I spent a lot of time in writing it and I published all my books with my own money and there is no guarantee that I would sell enough books to cover the costs of printing.