A light in the haunted house

A light in the haunted house

Greetings, friends,

In light of MH370, many of us probably had a deep rethink about or lives and how short it is. Many of us probably would consider doing something that we might otherwise never get a chance to do. One of the things that I recently felt I needed to do was to document my testimony on how I really started to find true meaning in life.

And this all started in a haunted house. It was my first year at work in one of Malaysia’s most premier plantation and property groups. I was a junior internal auditor, and as part of our work duties, we would be assigned to go to various operating units, many of which were oil palm estates. For our accommodation, we would often have to stay for 2 to 3 weeks at old colonial bungalows in the estate, many of which predated back to World War II times. I was told that in some of these bungalows, unsavory incidents from the past had resulted in occupancy by certain otherworldly occupants.

As things went, I happened to have the privilege to stay in the mother of these bungalows in my first estate assignment, the infamous Paya Lang guesthouse near Segamat estate. It is said that strange things happened there, and my partner himself was terrified about the prospect of staying overnight in that place again. Being the senior, he insisted that we should stay in the room downstairs, and quickly took the bed farther away from the black cupboard that reminded him of a coffin…. It was actually quite a nice house with a beautiful garden and antiquated furniture. The mirrors though, were rather stained and dirty so that one couldn’t quite see his reflection clearly.

In any case, a strange incident happened on what I think was our third night at the guesthouse. Being tired after the day’s work, I had quickly fallen asleep when my colleague woke me up because he was scared and wanted me to let him sleep first. Shortly after, he fell asleep and now I couldn’t sleep. Then suddenly I heard what sounded like irregular footsteps of a little child running in the room above. Suddenly I sensed that there was an invisible presence in the room, feeling me with dread and fear. As I was taught as a child brought up in a Christian home, I said aloud “In Jesus name, go away”, but the presence remained undaunted. Nevertheless, I thank God I was not harmed and eventually fell into a fitful sleep.

After coming back from the estate, I began to reflect more and more about this event and my life. Blessed to have Christian parents, I had grown up in a local church and gone to Sunday School and learned about the Bible. However, I began to realize that my faith was actually quite shallow, with some head knowledge, but little real experience concerning God and the spiritual world.

This experience opened my eyes to realize that spirits are real, and the power of the Lord Jesus is real too! I realized that Lord Jesus protected me from harm that day, but because of my weak faith, the evil presence would not go away. Hence, I resolved to really put my trust in Jesus, and really get to know the Bible and try to know God well. I began to really believe in Jesus as Savior… After all, that’s what His name means-the One who Saves.

Thereafter, in the course of my time in audit, I frequented that haunted house many times as well as others, but I no longer felt any fear. As I looked to Jesus for help, He saved me and gave me new confidence, and I was no longer afraid. Sometimes, I was even willing to stay back in such houses alone when my colleagues went out. I was happy to read the Bible there and pray there even alone. Once, even when the lights went out for a while, I was not afraid despite being alone.

At the same time, strange things continued to happen to some of my other colleagues. One went to sleep in an upstairs room one night, and found himself suddenly sleeping downstairs as if levitated down. Another switched off her radio at the mains because it kept sounding irregularly but found to her horror that it still switched on even without electricity. Still others had their beds violently shaken in the middle of the night or found themselves temporarily paralyzed. Some saw little dark shadowy men darting here and there.

As I progressed in my new found Christian life, I also came across the testimonies shared by many who found Jesus to be their Savior as well especially among the Full Gospel Business brothers. Some had gained everything financially before falling into serious debt. They cried out to Jesus for help, and they found a way out and continue to testify of God’s goodness day by day.  Some had great lives until they fell into serious illness like cancer and cried out to Jesus. Jesus saved them too, and they continue to testify. Some were on the verge of marriage breakdown when Jesus saved their marriage. In all these testimonies as well as my own, I saw a common pattern. Men and women called out to the Lord Jesus in their time of desperate need, and He saved them. And friends, I wish the same for you too. If you have not found the Lord Jesus, call out to Him, and He will save you, He will help you. He will never turn away anyone who comes to Him! God bless you in Jesus name, Amen!

Overwhelmed with sorrow for our sake

Overwhelmed with sorrow for our sake

Scripture:

Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

Matthew 26:36-38

Observation:

In the famous garden of Gethsemane, we see the Lord’s last moments of intense prayer before He goes on to be arrested and killed. Peter, James and John, His inner circle, accompany him, but they fail in their attempt to keep watch with Jesus. His soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.

Humanly, if we imagined ourselves in Jesus’ place, we would be terrified of the terrible physical pain that was about to be inflicted upon us. However, it was not fear or anxiety that the Lord felt but incredible sorrow. The pain on the cross itself seems the most terrible to us at first, but that is only on the physical.

Spiritually, the Lord would become the guilt offering, become sin itself as the sins of the world past, present and future was laid upon Him who had no sin. We cannot begin to imagine how terrible it must have been to feel and experience every wicked and horrible sin mankind had ever committed and would commit all at once on the cross.

The great horror of the multitude of sins was so intense that God the Father was forced to turn away from His only beloved Son. Indeed, compared to that, the physical pain was trivial. That’s why Jesus felt such great sorrow, for He knew that as the sins were placed on Him, He would become separated from His beloved Father. Their union that had always been since the beginning of time would be severed in that instant and we simply could not comprehend the intensity of grief and pain that separation would cause Jesus, even in that short time.

 We are creatures subject to time. Once we pass a moment, it is history. We quickly forget and move on to the future. However, to God, who is timeless, a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day. That faithful day at Gethsemane and later at Golgotha changed everything in the earthly and heavenly realms, and opened up the way for man to come back to God. Everything of importance in all history from a spiritual sense now all goes back to that faithful day. Praise be to the Lord!

Application:-

Consider the Son of God, pure and holy in every way, being completely defiled by all the evil sins of mankind as He hung on the cross – He had no sin bearing all the punishment and consequence of all sins, He who had never been separated from the Father being forced to break this precious eternal communication for our sake. We shudder at the horrors of the physical suffering of the Lord’s body at the cross, but far more precious was His sacrifice of bearing our sins spiritually. Far, fare more precious was His sacrifice of having His Father turn away from Him, having lost that connection of perfect love with His Father for those moments.

But the Lord did all this our of love for us. Both God the Father and God the Son willingly severed their precious eternal bond of love for that moment, so that we might be included. How truly precious is the salvation that He has granted us! How wonderfully precious is the access He has given us to come back to God, to be adopted into God’s wonderful family. We deserved nothing at all, but the Lord sacrificed Himself for us. It was His grace, His truly amazing grace. How ill-deserving we are as a human race. Yet, His marvelous and incomprehensible sacrifice has saved us!

Let us never lose that deep gratitude for our Lord, who suffered such deep sorrow for our sake. Let that deep gratitude inspire and lead us to serve Him more and more in even greater measure, and especially in desiring others to share in our great salvation!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, how marvelous indeed Your great sacrifice for us! You suffered not just physically, but emotionally and mentally and especially spiritually. How could you who detested all sin carry on yourself all the terrible sins of humanity? How heavy and horrible that burden must have been. How terrible indeed to have our Father turn His face from you. We quickly become concerned for a young baby crying when separated from his mother. How great Your sorrow must have been in knowing You would lose connection with  Your Father whom You always were with before time. O Lord, let me never take for granted Your great sacrifice and suffering. Lead me, Lord to live a life worthy of Your calling. Praise You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

The shepherd struck, the sheep scattered

The shepherd struck, the sheep scattered

Scripture:

Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same. Matthew 26:31-35

Observation:

Speaking of the night of His arrest, the Lord prophesies to His disciples how they will all fall away according to the Scriptures. Yet He also adds how He will rise again, and go ahead of them into Galilee. Even before He died, the Lord was fully aware that He would rise again and meet His disciples again.

The disciples naturally refuse to accept their cowardice, claiming that they would never leave Jesus even if it meant dying with Him. Peter in particular boasts how even if all fall away, he would remain true to the Lord. However, the Lord prophesies to him specifically how he would deny Him three times before the rooster crows.

Application:

Earlier, the Lord had warned His disciples, whoever acknowledges Him, He would acknowledge before God the Father in Heaven while whoever disowned Him He would likewise disown. On the night of betrayal, all his disciples fell short there, especially Peter. However, the Lord already in essence forgave them in advance, knowing that they would be restored when they met Him again in Galilee. Later, after being given the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit, the disciples would receive boldness to proclaim the Lord throughout their lives right up to martyrdom.

In the Christian life, there are ups and downs, and sometimes we may be “sifted like wheat” like Peter. We fail in our humanity and weakness. Yet in spite of this, the Lord gives us His grace, even declaring ahead of time, our future position where we will be fully restored and in communion with Him.

For our part, we need to remain humble, to know that if even the Lord’s closest disciples fell away at the hour of trouble, we too can easily give in because of our fears and weaknesses. In these last days, where trouble is imminent for all true Christians once the Anti-Christ appears, we need to be prepared and seek God humbly, asking for His mercy.

Prayer:

We praise You and love You, Lord, for the great things You have done. We thank You for the disciples, and even the record of their failures, for it shows us Your great mercy and grace for our fallen race. Forgive us, we pray, and restore us again that we might serve You faithfully and passionately. Give us more and more of Your Spirit of boldness we pray. Even in these last days, O Lord, pour out Your Spirit abundantly upon us. In Jesus name, Amen.

His body, His blood

His body, His blood

Scripture:

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Matthew 26:26-30

Observation:

As they were eating, the Lord suddenly takes the opportunity to establish the solemn ceremony of the Holy Communion. He first takes the bread, gives thanks, breaks it and gives is to His disciples, telling them “take and eat, this is my body”. Likewise, he takes the cup, gives thanks and gives it to His disciples, asking all of them to drink from it. He further explains that this wine is the blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. He then further prophesies how He will not drink wine again until the day He drinks it anew with them in God the Father’s kingdom.

Application:

Consider the Lord’s body and the symbolism of bread. In the time of temptation in the desert, the Lord said that Man shall not live by bread alone but by every Word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. In John 1, as it is written “in the beginning was the Word…“, Jesus is described as the Word. What does it mean to partake of the bread, of the Word of God, of Jesus’ body? The late T.L Osborn taught that when we take the bread, there is the Lord’s healing power, as based on Isaiah 53, by his stripes, we are healed. It was the Lord’s body that was wounded as He went to the cross, and it is by His wounded body that we are healed if we believe it! Therefore, when we partake of the bread, we remember that Jesus was wounded that we might be healed and be healthy and thank God for it.

In the same way, when we partake of the wine, the blood of Christ, we remember that we are forgiven and made righteous because of His death on the cross. While the bread has to do with the body, the flesh, the blood has to do with the spiritual.

When we remember Jesus, we are reminded that we have divine health in Him and divine forgiveness through Him. Both our physical and spiritual bodies are restored and regenerated in the Lord. And even as we remember the Lord’s death, we are also reminded of our own death in Him, death to our sinful desires but life to the Spirit. Even as we take of His body and His blood, so too His life becomes more and more real in us.

Therefore, let us encourage each other to take the Holy Communion often, not just in church, but even in our homes.

Prayer:

We praise You and thank You, Lord Jesus for Your great sacrifice for us. We thank You Lord, that You suffered in Your body for us, that we might be healed. We thank You Lord, that You gave Your life and blood that we might be forgiven. We thank You, Lord, that in You, our body, soul and spirit is renewed and regenerated in You. Help us remember, even as we partake, that we belong to You, that we have been saved so that we can die to sin, and live for righteousness. Let Your precious life become more and more real in us we pray. Let Your Holy Spirit stir greatly within our hearts, lead us Lord in the way everlasting. In Jesus name, Amen.                                                  

Faith in healing

Faith in healing

Was listening to Pastor Robert Ssesanga’s message during the Healing Service in SIBKL recently and there were several important lessons for us to take note of.

When Jesus came and ministered upon the earth, He healed all the sick and cast out all the demons from those who came to Him. This established the fact that it is God’s will to heal everyone. The leper who came to Jesus said “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean”. However, this is not the correct way to pray, because it is the Lord’s will to heal because it is written, by His stripes, we are healed.

Jesus showed God’s will to heal when He walked upon the earth, and when He went back to the Father, He then sent His Holy Spirit to His disciples, that they may continue His ministry of healing. Who is able to heal others? Those who believe, as it is written, these signs will accompany those who believe – in my name, they will cast out demons, in my name, they will lay their hands on the sick and they will recover.

When we study the pattern of Jesus’ healing in the gospels, we see at least three distinct ways that the Lord healed people. Firstly, Jesus laid His hands on the sick and they were healed. In the book of Acts, we see the same pattern. Through Peter’s hands, people were healed. Through Paul’s hands, people were healed. Our hands are a conduit of God’s healing power, from point A to point B, from the living God to the person who is sick. When we lay our hands, we sometimes feel heat, which is the power of God, and sometimes we don’t, but the important thing is for us to believe. We are laying hands in Jesus name according to the Word of God, and so that person must be healed.

Secondly, Jesus at times spoke and brought about healing purely through His Word. He spoke to the paralytic “Stand up, take up your mat and go home”, and he did!  He spoke to the man whose hand was shriveled, “Stretch our your hand” and he did. We can receive healing by hearing and believing the Word of God even without any physical touch. The centurion believed Jesus’ word that his servant would be healed and he was healed that very hour.

Thirdly, Jesus healed even when someone touched his cloak. The woman with the issue of blood believed that if she could only touch his cloak, she would be healed and the moment she did, she was. The Lord felt power go out of Him and called out the woman and confirmed her healing. Later, in the Acts of the apostles, people brought the sick so that perhaps even Peter’s shadow might fall upon them and they were healed. Articles of clothing that Paul touched were also able to transmit healing to people far away. The healing passed from God to Paul to the article of clothing or handkerchief and brought healing to the sick person who touched the same article in faith.

In respect of receiving healing and imparting healing, the most important factor is faith. We must believe and keep believing that God’s Word is true, and healing is happening. In Jesus’ time, He could not do miracles in his hometown because of their lack of faith. We need the power of God and faith together to see miracles. The power of God without faith does not work. Sometimes, healing is not immediate. Some people comes back for prayer three, four times. Do not give up, but press on in faith. Believe that you are healed despite the symptoms and eventually God’s Word must come to pass!

Surely not I, Rabbi?

Surely not I, Rabbi?

Scripture:

On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”

Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me.  The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?” Jesus answered, “You have said so.”

Matthew 26:17-25

Observation:

It is the time of the Passover, a solemn festival for Jewish folk, who remember with gratitude the great exodus from Egypt, when God pronounced judgment on all the firstborn of the Egyptians while sparing all the Israelites, who proceeded to move from being a nation of slaves to inheriting a country of their own. Unknown to the Jews at that time, the Passover was also symbolic of the great sacrifice to come, which would see the Son of God Himself sacrificed as the offering that would bring salvation to mankind.

Arrangements are made for Jesus to celebrate the Passover with His disciples and a gracious host provides the place for them. No mention is made of the host of the premises or his name, but one thing for sure, is that the presence and holiness of the last Passover would linger on in his property, and how wondrous it must been for him to know he owned the site of such a sacred event.

The disciples are enjoying fellowship with the Lord, reclining at the Passover table as is customary when He suddenly declares “truly I tell you, one of you will betray me” Great sadness came upon them, and one by one, the disciples ask Jesus “surely not I, Lord?” The disciples cannot conceive how any of them could betray the Lord, all except Judas, who also pretentiously asks “Surely not me, Teacher?” Perhaps as a final warning to Judas, the Lord declares that although He would certainly suffer and die as prophesied in the Scriptures, how terrible it would be for the one who betrayed Him, so much so, that it would be better if he had not been born.

Application:

Little did the host who let Jesus use his premises know that such a sacred event was about to happen there. He was simply gracious and generous to the Lord and His disciples. In time to come, he would have told awe-struck family and friends, the Lord Jesus Himself and His disciples had the last Passover right here, in my own home. Many Christians who visit the holy land speak of feeling a deep presence of the Lord, knowing that they were standing where the Lord lived and preached and healed more than 2000 years ago. How much more blessed then to actually live and dine where the first holy communion actually took place.

Just like the host, we would do well to cultivate a generous and hospitable spirit towards others. Who knows what blessings we may miss simply by being selfish or unwilling to share?

During the Passover, a heavy weight fell upon the atmosphere when the disciples realized that one of their very own would betray the Lord. The betrayal of a close friend is a terrible thing. Many have fallen away and never recovered from such a betrayal. This was one of the sufferings that the Lord was given to face. He truly suffered just as we suffer. We know that He understands how we feel.

Did Judas have a chance to deny his role as the Traitor of the ages? Was he destined to be Traitor from birth? Or could it have been any one of the twelve disciples? Was it his fault to be born to fulfill such a destiny? There are many questions we cannot answer and the secret things belong to the Lord. However, we know that the Lord warned him, and Judas was given a fair chance although the Lord already knew he would not turn from his terrible destiny. The lesson of Judas is this – do not be so set in a way bent on error that we cannot stop and turn back. As long as we have breath, there is still hope! Stop and turn back! God is gracious and merciful. Remember the prodigal son! Whilst we have breath, there is no level so low that we cannot turn back and receive forgiveness

Prayer:

Praise You, Heavenly Father, for the greatness of Thy name. You hold all things in Your hands, Lord. Nothing happens apart from Your will. Teach me I pray O Lord to be a gracious and generous host like the host who prepared the Last Passover for You so long ago. How blessed he was to be involved in such a holy event.

We thank You, Lord, that You came to earth to behold and experience all that humans go through. We thank You, Lord, that You suffered more physical and emotional and spiritual pain than anyone, more humiliation than anyone, more strain than anyone. Yet, in spite of it all, You remained sinless, You remained pure. Therefore You are able to be our Great High Priest who knows our weaknesses and deepest needs.                                                                     

O Lord, some of us, like Judas are set on a path of error. Open up a way, we pray, enable us to turn back, to come back to what is right, like the prodigal son did. We bless You and praise You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.