Two Local Lads

John 6 : 1 – 13

One of the world’s favourite bible story, Jesus feeds the five thousand. Somehow this story has become relevant only to Sunday School. It is really sad because we know everything in the bible has its purpose and there is lesson for all mankind thru reading of God’s holy word. Why should this story be for Sunday school children? Was it because Jesus used a boy’s meal to feed the five thousand?

Last Wednesday, while K aneh, Pas Sandi and myself were discussing on the sermon K aneh was about to preach, we made and interesting discovery. And i realized then that this very favourite Sunday school story is for all mankind. Well we all know this passage very well, but here’s a short summary for better understanding.

Jesus and his disciples crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee, to Bethsaida. There we see a large crowd followed Jesus because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. Jesus had compassion on this crowd and asked Philip where can he find bread for these people to eat. He ask this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. But Philip answered him, ‘eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one only to have a bite!’

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many? The rest is simple, Jesus blessed the meal and all five thousand men ate and there were twelve baskets of left over!

When we were going through this passage, we learn that Philip along with Peter and Andrew were all from Bethsaida, Galilee. There were all local lads returning to their hometown. This in fact explain why Jesus asked Philip and not the other disciples. Jesus already had in mind what was about to happen and what he was going to do. But he ask Philip this question only to test him. What was Jesus testing him? We see during the course of history, God would normally test his children only to help us grow stronger in faith. Abraham was not born the father of faith. But he became the father of faith through the many tests that God gave him.

Philip did not know that Jesus was actually asking him an important question. Being a local lad Jesus could have some expectation on Philip. Philip would have known the place better, and the people and therefore be the best person for Jesus to ask that question. But Philip was not attentive to it and answered Jesus with an irresponsible answer. Jesus Knew very well that Philip had no money, and that he had followed Jesus all these while and therefore had not being in touch with his family and friends. But He still asked Philip that question to test Philip. What was Jesus expecting of Philip?

I remember once when my family from Ipoh came down to Penang to visit my family. After spending awhile with us, they decided to go for shopping in one of Penang famous shopping spots. They asked me for direction. I was about 18 or 19 then. But i could not bring them to the place they wanted to go. It felt so shameful when they said to me you don’t even know your hometown, Jonathan? They were expecting me, a local lad to know my hometown, which is fair. I should know my hometown. Likewise, Jesus was expecting the same from Philip. Philip that day missed a glorious opportunity to allow Jesus perform a miracle which people will talk about and teach their children for generations to come!

We see that another of Jesus’s follower, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother had already started searching for resources even before Jesus asked Philip. Andrew, a fellow local lad, found a young boy with five bread and two fish. Logically this would not even be enough for one man, maybe two if they were poor eaters like me. But he still brought that boy to Jesus. Maybe at the back of his mind he knew Jesus could perform extraordinary things. Andrew was more attentive to the situation around him. Jesus was the one who perform the miracle, it was the little boy’s meal which Jesus blessed, but it was Andrew who stood in the gap and in a way avail himself for an opportunity for Jesus to bless the crowd through him.

Jesus is the Son Of God. He could perform miracles. What is impossible for men is possible for God! ( Luke 18 : 27 ) Jesus need not ask Philip or Andrew to perform miracles. At a snap of his fingers he could bring down the manna again! But why did Jesus asked Philip? God wants us to stand in the gap for him. There is a beautiful song by Casting Crowns, In Me, which in a line says, ‘how refreshing to know You don’t need me, how amazing to know that You want me’.

Jesus wants us to be his disciples, to reach out to the ends of the world. His word and love should reach every ear. But Jesus is also expecting us to preach the truth in our hometown. Which local lad do you want to be you? Philip or Andrew? The obvious answer would be Andrew right? It would be unfair if we say Philip was not a good disciple. We learn that the angel of the Lord asked Philip some time later after Jesus’s resurrection to reach out to an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official of Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians. We see in Acts 8 : 26 – 40, Philip waste no time when the angel of the Lord told him to go to the Ethiopian and that he ran to the chariot. There can be many reason on why did Philip ran to the chariot, but i think one of the reason for the dash was because Philip know that this was an opportunity for him to share God’s love. And that is why he ran, wasting no time to reach the Ethiopian.

God has places us here in our hometown that we can be His mouth piece. He wants us to be like Andrew, attentive to the situation around us, to know the needs of His people around us and to act upon it. God also wants us to be like Philip, that we will know the urgency of reaching out to our lost brothers and sisters.

Look around you. What do you see? What can you do today for God, your hometown, your nation? Don’t waste your life. We are in the state of urgency! And God is expecting us to perform! Let us not let Him down.

An Unlikely Hero

SR Judges 6: 1- 16

V 14- 15 says “the Lord turned to him and said, Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am i not sending you? 15 But Lord, Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and i am the least in my family.

How will you react if Jesus were to ask you to do something great ‘in the strength you have?

We are living in a world full of competitions. Its like the tv show survivors, we are surviving to live one day in this world. Some of us will play by the book and get crashed. But some will make their way and survive this hectic world. Often we get caught in situations where everything around us seems so big and massive. We become so small and we tend to look down on ourselves. We give up so easily without trying, we become so contain with what we have not expecting anything great. Are we made to be like that? Or are we called to be like that? So small, not brave to stand up for what we believe, to give up so easily, so small that we never expect to impact anything of anyone’s lives? Are we small? Are we really that small? YES! We are indeed small, too small that we go unnoticed in the whole picture of our universe! We are small because the God who made us is BIG and MIGHTY!

Its fair to ask God why then you need us? Since god is so big and mighty and we are so tiny in His eyes. During the cause of history, God used many small people and small things to impact the world. He use small things to show how powerful He is.

We read in Judges chapter six about a man who to his own eyes he was small and weak. His name was Gideon. But in the eyes of our God, he was a mighty warrior! It all started when Gideon was secretly threshing wheat, terrified that the midianites would catch him and confiscated the precious grain. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and addressed him as a mighty warrior. Ironnically, Gideon was anything but a mighty warrior. But the angel of the Lord was unrealized potential in Gideon. He knew what Gideon was intended to be, what he could become with the help of God. There same goes with our lives. God sees us beyond who we are, small as we are. Instead, he looks forward to helping us become all that he intends us to be. The angel commanded Gideon to go and save Israel in the strength that he had. Gideon objected. But even so Gideon obeyed and he came up with 32,000 men to fight the midianites. But that number was to big for god. God intention was to ensure that the people would maintain focus and realize afterward that they had not saved themselves by their own strength. Eventually god pared the army down to 300 men, all of whom believe our almighty god. And with that handful of men, plus Gideon, plus God himself, the midianites were defeated. Throughout history we see God using the least likely individuals to accomplish his purposes, because of this, people will be able to see beyond the person to the God who wants to be known (1 Corinthians 1: 26-31)

In the scale of the universe we are indeed very very small.  Tiny. But to our God, we are tiny tools with a mighty purpose. But there are times when we get discourage with what God wants us to do. We feel inadequate. We tend to feel that other people are more qualified to do our given job. Other people are more talented. But our God knows us and there for have identify the right ‘job’ for us. If God is asking us to do something, then you’re perfect for the job! Leave your fears behind. Its time we realize the great ‘call’ that our God has for us and answer it. It can be anything, anywhere. The worship team, youth fellowship, in your school and work place. Just like Gideon, Jesus as a great call for you. And He believes your capable of greatness. Just like one faithful servant once said,expect great things from our god, attempt great things for our God! Jehovah Nissi will always grant us victory!

A New Chapter

                5...4...3...2...1!! Happy New Year!!! I know i know its February, one month overdue but...Happy New Year!!!..=) Thank you Father for a very blessed 2010, for the many things you taught me, for the new and old friends that u gave me, for blessing and watching over my family, and thank you Lord for this new breath that u have bless me with.

                I think it is only fair for me to share some of the events of 2010 that change my life before saying anything about this year. 2010 was an awesome year. A year i never one to forget. God was so good to my family and i. It was indeed a beautiful year full of growth and self discovery. It was the year i discovered my life’s purpose and god’s special plan for my life. It was the year i submitted my life for His will. Everything from the very first day to the youth camp to my short term mission trip to Thailand, and Nepal have impacted me in a very beautiful way. It was by His grace and His alone that i am where i am today. Thank you Jesus!

                 My short term mission trip to Hat Yai Thailand was definitely God’s special way of saying a big NO to my big dreams. I call it my Beautiful Letdown (Switchfoot). God let me down to see my true calling and peace, my true heart’s desires and that is why it was a beautiful letdown. I have always wanted to be a lawyer. It was my passion my dream. After my pre law,(got thru my law papers but didn’t do well for one of my history paper) i was so confused, frustrated with myself. It was then i decided to switch to psychology and maybe continue my law after finishing psychology. But God had a different idea all together. I registered myself for the May intake for psychology in one of the collage in Subang Jaya. Everything was done and all i need to do is to enrolled myself by 21^st of May. There, well plan and i was all set for a new chapter. But then God open a door for me. There was this great opportunity for a short term mission trip to Hat yai, one which i have always wanted to do. It was a one month trip just before my intake. So i decided that i should do it just to make God happy and be pleased with me and then when it is over i can pack my backs for my so called new ‘Chapter’.  But God had other plans. During my time in Hat Yai Thailand, i have learn so much from Jesu aneh(brother), Love akka(sister),kuya Jun and Kuya Jun Jun and from all the other missionaries i meet there. Not just about missions, but also about God and this life that he has bless us with. Everything i ever knew about the church and life itself as well as my Christian faith was challenged. Well if i go in a bit deeper this will no longer be called my blog but my autobiography. My God showed me a world i have never thought of. A world full of pain and sorrow. Suddenly all my problems which was like a big thing for me seem so small. I realize that there are so many people seeking for someone to come and set them free from all their misery. I know who is that ‘someone’. I have Him in me. So i decided to share him. I will never know for sure if i will be a great lawyer. Maybe i will, and i’ll be winning cases for big money. But all that joy and peace will always be nothing compare to joy i had in me that very moment when i gave my life to God’s will, saying God use me to reach out to your lost children. The rest is well, history. I gave up my dreams for a greater call and i have all the peace i need in me. Never will i ever regret giving my life to my Jesus.

                I have been posted to TMC Seremban for a year, under the care of Rev. Sandi, a man of mission himself. God’s mighty hands were on me every step of the way. I know i will be learning so many new things from Pastor Sandi and from the church. But what i am really looking forward is to see god’s leading in my life. I am so very excited to see how God is going to use me here and what He has for me next. A new chapter has started. There’s no turning back now. I am moving forward with His grace. I pray that this New Year will also be an exciting year for all of you. May the good Lord use each one of you in a very special way. All glory to Him alone.