March 9, 2024

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” Ezekiel 36:26-27.

When I leave the house, I always ensure these three items are on me: wallet, phone, keys. Every time I move around, I tap myself three times to make sure that these three items are on me.

One morning, I came to church to pray and to read. While I was reading, I needed to get something from the backpack. Then I realized something else was missing. My instinct said that this item was back at home. I drove to church, so that means I had my keys on me. I can see the phone on the desk. So it was my wallet that I left at home.

I was super conscious on my way back home because I didn’t have my driver’s license on me. Since it was early morning, hardly any cars were on the road. But I didn’t speed, I drove safely on the road, and I made sure double, and triple times not to break the law. I didn’t want to get pulled over for any reason. Even though I can claim that I was faithful to the traffic law, I felt guilty. Because I didn’t have my driver’s license with me. I was just more conscious of that fact.

Romans 3:23 tells us that we are all sinners. Therefore, no matter how much I try to obey the law, we are still sinners. The only way to be saved as you know is only through Jesus Christ. When we do so, God will give us a new heart and a new spirit. We’ll feel secure and safe only when we have Jesus Christ within our hearts. If Jesus is not present in our hearts, no matter what we do, we will be insecure.

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March 2, 2024

“For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you too Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.” Matthew 25:35, 36.

Some years ago, one afternoon, I was parked outside this mart when suddenly this lady walked up to my car. She looked like she was seeking help. I rolled my window down and asked, “How can I help you?” She said, “Do you have any change? We ran out of gas and we need gas money.”

I didn’t ask more, I didn’t judge. I said, “If you go down half a mile there is a gas station. Come, meet me there and I’ll fill up gas for you.” I don’t know why I said that. I can be usually skeptical when it comes to things like this, doubting and questioning the person’s story. But for some reason, I was compelled to help this couple. Later I asked why she came to me. She said she asked for help from all the people she could find in the parking lot but everyone else had declined.

This wasn’t the first time. A few weeks before that, after church, a stranger texted me and told me he needed gas money. I called up and told him to meet me at a gas station. He had found my number by searching for churches online. I have a feeling I wasn’t the only pastor he had contacted.

I am not writing these stories to brag about what I did. It reminded me of Matthew 25 where the Son of Man separates the sheep from the goats. What was the measurement of separating? Was it based on how many verses you can memorize? Was it based on how many Bible doctrines you can teach? Was it based on how faithful you were in offerings? Was it based on how faithful you kept the Sabbath?

No. Surprisingly, it was defined by how much we helped other people. We need to know the Bible, but we need to practice what the Bible teaches us. We need to follow the examples of Jesus.

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February 24, 2024

“Now on the day that the tabernacle was raised up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the Testimony; from evening until morning it was above the tabernacle like the appearance of fire… Whether it was two days, a month, or a year that the cloud remained above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would remain encamped and not journey; but when it was taken up, they would journey.” Numbers 9:15, 22.

This is truly an amazing story. As the Israelites were journeying through the desert to get to the promised land, they were guided by a cloud during the day. During the night time when the sun went down, it was present in the form of fire. The key was that when the cloud rested above the sanctuary, the people camped on that location, and when the cloud was removed it was time for the people to move on.

I am sure there are many spiritual lessons that we can gain from here, but let me point out two. First, the Lord guided them in their journey. This was a desert the people were traveling throughout. It was hot during the day and cold during the night. I don’t know how big the cloud was but I believe it would have provided enough shade for the people. At night, when the temperature went down, it would have provided heat in the cold night for the people. The people of God were not left alone. They were guided and also provided with shelter in their journey. The people had to depend on the Lord’s guidance to journey.

Secondly, it teaches that the people had to be prepared to depart anytime. The people didn’t know how long the cloud would cover the sanctuary. It could stay for a day, a month, or a year. But at any given time, when the cloud was taken up, they had to leave right away. It teaches us that we need to be prepared for Jesus’ second coming. Matthew 24:36 tells us that “No one knows the day or hour.” Therefore we must be ready for His coming, even today. The good news is that our Father is faithful in leading us and guiding us.

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