The Best of Times is Here

Charles Dickens wrote a play in the 19th century titled “A tale of two cities.” In the opening line of the play he said: “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.”

Friend, that looks like the time we are in. it all depends on where you are seated. I know the whole world is talking about recession now but something good is also taking place in the midst of this confusion. God is moving. The Spirit of God is active more than ever before on the face of the earth. Friend God is not passive at all. Don’t ask, “God where are you? Why are all these happening?” He is right at work. Something is happening. If you look well you will see.

He said, “Darkness shall cover the earth, and total darkness shall cover the people,” (Isaiah 60:2) but thank God He did not stop there. “But the Lord will arise upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you.” Wow. Glory to God!

I believe this is one of those prophecies with double interpretation. It came to the Israelites at the darkest times of their existence, at the dawn of the exile. But i see it also as a prophecy for the end times, for the next chapter talks of the Messiah.

Friend, this is not the time to be discouraged or look down. You may have even lost your job, or stocks or whatever, but thank God you have not lost your life. This is not the time to be depressed at all for God is about to distinguish His own. Light is of no use in the middle of the day when the sun is shining. But when night falls, you appreciate light better. Then you can look up and see the stars shining in their glory.

Oh yes it is dark now, because God is about to confuse this godless world. God is about to show Himself as the Governor among the nations. When all their wisdom fails them, then they will know that there is a God in the Heavens that ruleth in the affairs of men. Praise God!

But I see something else happening in the midst of all these. I see the ground being levelled for the anti-Christ to come in. I see the global financial meltdown as the precursor for the world to adopt a common stand. They may not be able to agree on the fight against terror, but I see the whole world speaking the same language now. I see them gathering in the White House, all of them, friends and foes, speaking with one voice.

Friend, the Lord says when you see all these happening; it is time to do something: “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Luke 21:28, KJV).

Can you see that this is not time to look down, but to arise, and lift your hands and shout glory. Why because, our redemption is drawing nearer. Our salvation is drawing nearer. Our breakthrough is drawing nearer. This is our best of times. The whole world has had their fill, it is now our turn to shine. Praise God!

For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory (not shame), saith the LORD of hosts. Haggai 2:6-7.

Longdi: Lost among the Bikes

Of course there are cars, but the principal mode of transportation for the Cambodians is the motordups (motorcycles). It’s as if everyone has got one, including school children. Everywhere you turn is a sea of bikes, especially at shopping malls, school parking lots and markets.

So on the eve of my departure from Phnom Penh, I was excited when my new friend, Longdi, offered to take me on his motordup to some places I’ve not visited in the capital, especially the city/central market.

We visited some shops, window-shopping and had a good lunch together. On coming out to pick our two-wheeler, even longdi couldn’t identify ours, not to talk of myself. You could see a look of bewilderment on his face.

More than Bike . . .

But longdi is more than bike. He is actually a man with a good heart. He runs a dormitory with the assistance of a Singaporean church in phnom penh for poor university students from the provinces. And he does this free of charge to those students. But with the rising cost of living he needs more help to continue to render this service.

The church only helps in paying for the monthly rental but the feeding and other utilities are borne by him and the students, and the latter being so poor are seriously limited in their contribution.

According to him, it costs about US $540 to feed the twenty-seven students in a month. Water, gas and electricity take up another $256 every month. These figures are like the mighty Goliath before them. In a country that is being ravaged by the tide of poverty sweeping across the land, the only way for those students to beat this wave is a good education.

Longdi needs help. Those students need our help. I was with them for four nights teaching them the word of God during my last trip. They are hungry for God. Through housing them, he has been able to get all of them converted. And he wants to do more for God.

You can contact him on +855 92 797 289, +855 11 807 004 or by email: longdi04@yahoo.com

By the way, we later found our bike. We had parked at another side of the building. Apparently we didn’t leave through the door we’d entered.

Victory Over the Devil

It was a joy to share with the brethren from the book of Rev. 12:7-11 with emphasis on verse 11. Our victory over the devil is hanged on the blood of Jesus. It was the blood that delivered us from the dominion of the devil and set us free from all his activities.

Hence by lifting up the banner of the blood of Jesus anytime the devil comes calling, we are proclaiming the victory that Jesus gave us over him. It is like saying, "Hey devil, you have no right to do this. I'm no longer your stooge. By the blood of Jesus, I'm free from your dominion"

And you don't even stop at that, you slam him with a proclamation of the truth. The good news Bible says "They won the victory over the devil by the blood of the lamb, and by the truth they proclaim." By proclaiming the truth of the word of God. you put a final end to its move in your life. And you do this standing strong without any fear of death or whatever you think the devil may do. They bible says they had no fear of death.

That is how to secure the victory over the devil. As a christian, you cannot live with a closed mouth. The victory is in your mouth.

Proclaiming life at the Killing Fields

Sure God has a great sense of humor. What the Communist Khmer Rouges killers tried hard to stop is now taking place right on the ground where many lives were brutally terminated; some for their faith.

It was a joy to share Christ with these two Cambodian gentlemen at the Killing Fields of Phnom Penh.

Sitting right beside the monument built in the memory of the lost, they came in to share the shade with us. “Have you heard about Christ?” I asked. And so we share the simple gospel with them. They were so willing to hear about it. But for my language difficulty, I called on my host and interpreter to help out. Due to time constraint, they had to leave in a hurry.

My host promised to follow them up. They willingly offered their addresses and took mine. But they were the ones following me up the next day. Glory to God.

From an Orphan to running an Orphanage

That is the story of Yos Bophal, a 35 year old Cambodia lady that runs Center of Peace, an orphanage in Phnom Penh. This is a case of the broken becoming master at mending.

She lost her father when she was one year old and later her mother at the age of 5. She grew up with her uncle. Although the Uncle loved her but with his many children, it was not a home at all for her. She was still a stranger as far as the other children are concerned. There and then she made up her mind that when she grew up, she would give orphans a better life. And that is what she is doing today. The children undergo schooling at the centre in the day time with the help of volunteer teachers. The Government also sends teachers once or twice a week to teach, which is the only support she gets from the government. Her main support for the day to day running of the centre comes from individuals and missionary groups from Europe, America and Australia.

But right now, her centre, one of so many in Cambodia is in dire need of a better accommodation. The present place has become too small for the over 70 children crowded there. To get a better place, she is considering buying a property on the outskirt of Phnom Penh so as so to save cost. But even there, at a cost of US $30 per square meter, it is a long dream for her to get the 100 square meters she so desired. “With that, I can have separate buildings to accommodate the boys and the girls, and then the school and the offices.”

She is believing God for kind-hearted people like you and I to see her dream come through. She can be reached at bophal4u@yahoo.com

Outside are Dogs

That is what the Lord Jesus said but on this particular day in a Cambodian village called Kampong Phnom in the Kandal province, one of them decided to stay in, to hear the word of God. Well, whether he believes with his heart (if there is any), and confess with his mouth, I don’t know.

It was a joy to share the good news of Christ with these villagers who gathered in the small church. About three of them surrendered to the Lordship of Christ while we ministered healing to almost everyone present. Many of them were instantly healed. We give God all the glory.

Ministry

Well it has not been all gloomy. We’ve been teaching and interacting with the people. In our first few days, we were working with Agape Shalom Centre which teaches English to students (majority non-Christians) of all ages from Kindergarten to University students. We had some conversation classes with them and teaching as well. In the course of teaching and speaking with them.

On Friday, we had a kind of fellowship with the University students. About 40 of them were in attendance. I shared the gospel with them. About 7 of them responded to the altar call. I was later told that 4 of them are new comers to the center who have never known anything about Christ.

And just this morning, at a church service, we had five people giving their lives to the Lord. Surely God is at work in Cambodia. I also prayed for healing and empowerement for ministry for some of them that came forward. About five of them testified to receiving the touch of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

To God be the Glory.

What actually happened?

The Khmer Rouges were communist minded rebels that wanted to turn the entire country into a peasant and agrarian society. Hence they went all out against anyone with any religious ideology. The people living in Phnom Penh the capital were all sent to the villages to go and farm. They worked an average of 12 hours a day with little to eat. Children were separated from their parents. Husbands and wives were separated. It was a chaotic living experience.

At Present
Although Cambodia is in democracy now, but there is another genocide that is subtly plaguing the society. It is corruption. Unlike the Khmer Rouge genocide which wiped out over a million of the population, this one is drowning the soul of the country. Cambodia is impoverished. Can you imagine a high school teacher getting a salary of US $60 dollars a month? That is the level of poverty in the land. I learnt Policemen and Soldiers get a salary of $30 a month.
Just to check how powerful the money is, I went to the local market to have lunch, which is like one of the lowest places to eat; I discovered that to have a plate of rice or noodle, you need at least $1, i.e. not taking any drink at all. You now wonder how the people are surviving on that kind of salary.

Cambodia, 24 May 2008

We arrived here in the evening of Tuesday 20th of May, about five days ago. It’s been a wonderful experience. Cambodia is another world completely. Our first visit was to the Toul Sleng, the genocide museum, at least to have a feel of the land, especially of their past. It was an agonizing experience to learn how cruel one man can be to another.

The museum was an old secondary school converted by the Khmer Rouge government to a prison during their reign of terror in the land. The evidences are still there. The instruments of torture and wickedness are still lying there.

In that prison, the best of the people were incarcerated, tortured and ultimately exterminated. Anyone with any trace of education, that could challenge the authority of the khmer rouges be it teachers, government officials, doctors, lawyers, all were herded into their place.

Jesus is still on the Way!

Look with me to the gospel according to St. Mark 5:21-24; 35-36. Here was a man that came to Jesus with a great need. He came with so much faith. He came with so great expectation. He came knowing full well that Jesus could help him.

Does that not sound familiar? Some of us came to Jesus like Mr. Jairus; with full faith, full confidence and assurance. You were so sure if only I can pray. If I only I can tell Jesus about this problem. Even preachers encouraged you to do same.

vs 24 And Jesus went with him

But along the way, several things happened. What you thought would only take a few days or at most a few weeks had become some months and even years now. And like Jairus, you keep following Jesus on the way. You see others receiving their miracles. You hear others share their testimonies. You are even eyewitnesses of some of them. You saw the lady with the issue of blood got her miracles. And several others.

And you keep wondering: will it ever be my turn? Will it ever happen for me? Will I receive my own miracle? Will Jesus do my own?

The Lord gave me a good news for someone which I believe it’s you. Jesus is still on the way. And you know what? He is on the way to YOUR HOUSE!

One great man of God said: “when it appears Jesus is coming late. He’s not coming late; he is coming BIG!” Do you know how I define BIG—Beyond-Ima-Gination! BIG!

You look at yourself and your situation, it is becoming worse. No improvement whatsoever. Ever since you report the matter to Christ, instead of it to get better, it’s becoming worse, Vs 35.

Like Jairus, you want to give up. You are tired of praying. You can’t see any reason to continue trusting God over this matter. You have done your best. And yet no change. Nothing positive. No sign. No miracle.

What do you do? Can you read Vs 36a in the NIV: Ignore!

Refuse to be moved by what you see. Because we walk by faith, and not by sight. 2 Cor. 5:7. While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, for a time, not forever. 2 Cor.4:16-18.

One songwriter said: “I’m not moved by what I see . . .”

God is coming BIG! So it is time to ignore. Even when you are face to face with the signs and symptom; even when the facts are staring right at your face, IGNORE. Refuse to be moved. Don’t let the situation intimidate you. Your God is bigger than any problem. He is bigger than any mountain. IGNORE.

When the devil comes with the picture or even with the video, playing on the big screen of your mind, you need to blast him back and say: Devil, I’m not moved!

You may say, “But Pastor, this is not easy! It’s because you are not in my shoe.” I understand. But you start to do it. You will get used to do it. That is what Abraham, your father did. Rom. 4:19—He considered not his own body which was now dead. What is that called? IGNORE!

Empty Cross proves His Resurrection

The Cross today is empty. Hallelujah! Jesus Arose and He is Alive forever more.

Easter in Malaysia

I was in Malaysia town of Malacca and Segamat during the last Easter. What a beautiful moment we had there. I had four sessions all together. My text was taken from the Gospel According to St. Mark 2:1-5.
First night which was friday, I majored on verse 2 where the Bible says "and he preached the word unto them." I titled the message "The Power in the Word."

Second night, speaking mainly from verse 5, I talked about "The Force of Faith."

Sunday morning I was in Segamat for the Morning service while I was back in Malacca in the evening for the last night of the meeting. I spoke on "the Danger of Sin."

It was a beautiful programme. There were salvation, healing, deliverance. The Spirit of God moved mightily. The heaven opened over the church.

Glory to God.

Help for Cambodia

I will be going to Cambodia from 20^th of this month (May) for about 3 weeks as part of my Cross-Cultural Internship, and also to see how we can reach out to this hurting nation, and be of help to ministries on the ground there.

Why Cambodia?

Cambodia is a country with a terrible past; A deeply scarred nation; A nation that is in need of help; A crying nation; A nation with a sordid past.

In April 1975, after a five-year struggle, Communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh (Cambodia capital) and evacuated all cities and towns. At least 1.5 million Cambodians died from execution, forced hardships, or starvation during the Khmer Rouge regime under POL POT. A December 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside, began a 10-year Vietnamese occupation, and touched off almost 13 years of civil war.

Although many years have passed but the scar is still there. This is one nation that needs the help of the Christian church. Although there is serious poverty in the land but this nation needs more than money. It needs healing—both spiritual and emotional healing. It needs the mercy of God, for innocent blood cries, and the cry is for judgment. But more than anything else, it needs the gospel of peace.

Most Cambodians are Theravada Buddhists but the country also has a substantial number of Muslim, as well as ethnic Chinese, Vietnamese and small animist hill tribes.

But the good news today is that the door of this nation is wide opened to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Though the number of Christians in this country is still minute, just about 60,000 in a country of over 14 million, far below 1%, there is a hope. For as long as the door is still opened, we can do a lot. Jesus can capture the nation for His glory.

Please pray that the Lord will prosper my mission in Cambodia, and open the door of acceptance to my ministry.

Shalom