Psalms 23

Rev Jameson Yeoh

It's good to be back in Penang. Thank God for the opportunity to share the word here. The pulpit is a sacred place and I thank God for this opportunity. 

The first time I was here I shared from John 14. What Jesus left for us when he went to heaven. The second time continued with the theme what Jesus want us to do for him. Today I want to continue with this theme.

What did God wanted from David, a man after God's heart. After this service, I pray that we will want to be a man after God's heart.

I thank God for the smartphone, because there are resistance in using a physical Bible. This is now my Bible. So when they ask if I brought a bible, I said no.

Psalms 23

A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul:

he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;

thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

The 23rd Psalms have only 6 verses. And each verse I have pages of notes and it takes 2 hours to cover one verse. I travel as a bible teacher and I thank God for that privilege. In 2018, I will be in Africa for 5 months. You may ask how I know I will still be around in 2018? Because God open that door for me so I know God will keep me alive until June 2018. After that I don't know.

The Lord is my Shepherd. This is a fact. How do we know the Lord is our Shepherd? There are two meaning. The first is that he's our Master and Saviour. A statement of fact. Jehovah God is our Father. Jesus revealed that. That is a fact of God. We can humbly say we have need of nothing because the Lord God is the creator of the heavens and the earth and the all mighty, all knowing, all present God and above all else he keeps his promise for you and me for his namesake.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He promised to make me. Once upon a time, I was a sinner. Not a common sinner but one that no one wants to know. Paul says he's a chief sinner. King David, steal people's wife yet many want to take the name David. He was a murderer and liar but when he comes to God and confess his sins to God, God says to David he want to make him a child of the devil to one who is a man after God's heart.

How many of you have held sand? I worked with sand for a while. One of the way to make a ship's hull is to use sand. In every household how many of you have glasses. Glass is made from sand. From sand, God wants to make you into a glass that can be used. You may be the worst kind of sinner, God wants to make you a man or woman after his own heart or Paul says a man or woman of God. The question is are you willing.

Are you willing to allow the almighty God to make you to become a man or a woman after his own heart. Are you willing and are you ready.

Jesus said to his disciples follow me and I will.make you to become fishers of men. It's not fishermen but to become leaders of men. Leaders of your community. One that influence the society and community that you live in. Come and follow me. Are you willing? Or you want to sit in your comfort zone and do nothing.

Following Jesus Christ is never a risk. When you say a risk it's failure or success. When you follow Jesus it's always a success. Then he will make you a man or a woman after God's heart. Then you become the leader of your community. God promised to make you but are you willing. He's all powerful, all knowing and an ever present help when you're in need. Are you willing.

When he make you to become what he intended you to be, he followed up with his word, he makes me and then he leads me.

After he make you to be what you should be, as leaders of men he promised to lead you. He will lead us how to do the things to be done according to his purpose and his will. God will not abandon you. He will make you to be a success for the glory of his name.

The word was is very interesting. It is holding your hand, go beside you and giving you instructions on what to do or what not to do. Giving you the word of wisdom and how to say the right things at the right time so that you will bring glory and honour to his name, in other words for his namesake.

When we go out into the world and claim to be a Christian everybody looks at your lifestyle which will reflect your saviour and your master. He will see to it that you become what he intended you to be. The question is are you willing? Most if not all of us are very quick to resist his making and leading. Why? He make you and me a free will agent. When he first created us, he made us a human being, a thinking person, one who can choose. So that we can truly worship  and he can take pleasure in our worship because of this free will. And he will not violate that free will. He will ask you permission. He honour the principle that he has put in your life.

The devil will not honour that free will and will manipulate you. So you have a choice to a make. After he makes you, he will lead you. And what else? He will restore your soul.

The word restore is very important. It has a purposeful concept. It is rebuilding or giving back to you what you have lost or taken away from you or stolen from you. To restore to you the first intention of when you were first created. When God created me and you, we are meant to become leaders. To become sons of God. But the sad day that happened in the garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve were created to rule creation, but when they sinned against God and gave into the devil's suggestion, all that God has given was lost. The devil stole from Adam and Eve the right to rule.

And as his descendants, we have forfeited that right. The world today is manipulated by the devil. The result is what Adam and Eve had done. Jesus came to restore it back to us. If you want to know what we have lost read Revelations chapter 2 and 3. He who overcome and then the following statements. He came to restore that which we have lost. Seven rights that we have lost and God says he will restore it so that we can become joint heirs with Jesus Christ and be called sons of God. Ruling the nations at the throne with God and that was why we were created.

But there is a cost. The cost is to follow him. Once he restores you he wants to lead you to a path of righteousness. To live a lifestyle that is holy and righteous. Without holiness we cannot see God. Being a Christian is not by name but must be demonstrated through our lifestyle. Be holy for I am holy. Faithful is he that calls you and instruct you.

If you dare to follow him, then he says he will do it for you. He will make you to become that man or woman that will bring glory to his name. Christian lifestyle must reflect the image of God, righteousness and holiness. Then they will see our lifestyle and it's a testimony that will attract others to God for his namesake.

Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death….it sums up verse one to three. We will walk through and live through life's threatening moments but we will not fear the evil one. Because his rod and staff, they comfort me.

I have made research on the staff and the rod. The shepherd's staff and rod. The rod is a weapon of war. It is meant to kill or to maim. It is made from a chosen hard wood tree. The length of this rod depends on the height of the Shepherd. It's about 20 to 30mm across. At the end of the rod, it is enforced by a ring of iron. Three to four inches length. It is used to attack to maim or to kill. It is never used on the sheep.

No Shepherd will go out into the field without first knowing how to use this rod. Used against predators but never the sheep.

The staff is made from the same tree about 7 feet in length with a hook at the end.  It is designed to help the sheep. If the sheep falls, the hook is used to rescue the sheep.

The rod they comfort me because the rod is never meant for me while the staff is always used to help me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

He prepares you to meet your enemies. Our enemy is not flesh and blood but the devil who is unseen. We fight him with spiritual weapons. Through spiritual weapons. God will prepare you and me how to fight the devil.

He will equip you through your pastor how to make yourself a victor. It's not easy to be a pastor. I now am a teacher, a little lower than the pastor. Teachers can bully the sheep. I don't have the patience to be a pastor.

I was travelling in Tonga and a principal in the Bible school asked me to go teach. Then I saw a student of mine that married the principal. This student was an average student that just managed to pass but today he managed the largest church on that island. He told me he appreciate the tough times learning under me. Pastors are often unappreciated.

The table here is a table of celebration. He makes you victorious and he will anoint your head with oil and your cup runs over. In other words, he anoints you with the Holy Spirit to do the work and your blessings will overflow so you can share with others. He not only gave you eternal life but abundant life. God will make you, lead you, guide you, restore you, prepare you so that your blessings will overflow to bless others. This is what God wants to make you to become.

Surely goodness and mercy follows after you. You do not need to run after them. They will follow you. What an encouraging Psalm. What you have learnt is an outline of this Psalms. 

Lesson 5 - DISHONOURING GOD

1. The world we live in is definitely not a paradise. This observation is shared by everyone who has been around for a while. Christians and non-Christians alike do agree that this world in which we are living is filled with death, suffering, pain, injustice, violence, corruption, sexual immorality, hatred and the like. The Bible addresses the source of all these imperfections and attributes it to what happened in the Garden of Eden. It is there, a long time ago, that we witness the fall of man not long after he was created by God. In Adam and Eve's decision to dishonour God by violating God's command, sin entered the human race. Thenceforth, the descendants of Adam would be born in sin. Every human offspring would be spiritually dead right from birth, without an innate ability to honor God and to follow His commands. in Adam and Eve's separation from God came generations of men and women who would have a corrupted nature. Mankind in the line of Adam would no longer have the ability on their own to honor and praise God. Idolatry in the form of the worship of anything else except the true living God became the norm of human existence. It is against this backdrop that we identify the world we live in as a "fallen world”.

The apostle Paul addresses the human condition and gives his fullest explanation of sin in Romans 1:18-3:20. Paul asserts that all men, both Jews and Gentiles, are without excuse because all men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The day will come when all men will be judged for their sin.‘The Gentiles dishonoured God by rejecting the revelation in nature and turning to idolatry. The Jews , on the other hand, dishonoured God by failing to keep his law. In both instances, bringing dishonour on God's name is the fundamental sin.

2. In these 6 verses, Paul refers to Gentiles and states that God can be known through seeing the wondrous creation of God in nature and men will face the wrath of God for suppressing this knowledge of Him and turning to idolatry and wickedness.

Rom 1:18-23

18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

3. Both the Jews who have the written Mosaic law and the Gentiles who have the law written on their hearts will be judged accordingly

Rom 2:12-16

12 all who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight. but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (lndeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15 since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) 16This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

4. Jews cannot claim protection from God's wrath just by virtue of their being elected as God's people because they will be judged according to whether they have obeyed the law.

Rom 2:25-29

25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26 If those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker. 28 A man is not a Jew if the is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.

5. All men, both Jews and Gentiles alike, stand condemned before God because there is none who is righteous.

Rom 3:9-12

9 What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. 10 As it is written: "there is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless,- there is no one who does good, not even one.”

6. All men, both Jews and Gentiles, can only be declared righteous through faith in Christ Jesus.

Rom 3:21-24

21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known , to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Questions

1. Do we become sinners because we sin or do we sin because we are sinners?
2. Are the Ten Commandments still valid for Christians today since the Old (Mosaic)covenant is already replaced by the New Covenant?
3. "I think the Christian concept of sin is a negative idea that is not suitable for a Sunday message. After all a Sunday message should be positive and uplifting.” Evaluate this statement from the viewpoint of Luke 7:41-43.
4. Hypothetically, if a Jew were able to obey completely the Mosaic law and keep all its requirements by his own ability, can he then be saved by his own righteousness?

I want to look at one of the questions here. Question 1. The answer here is that we sin because we are all born with a sinful nature. This is the sin nature. There is no other way for God to institute salvation for us unless the line of Adam is  broken.

When Admin sinned there are two ways to look at it. First on this one and Adam it stood as a representative of the human race. So all behind him partake of that nature.

The second one is that we rightfully has Adam's seed. We all inclusively came from that seed. The source is him and intrinsically we have his sin. At accountable age, they affirm what Adam did. There is that personal sin and the inherited sin. Where your personal choice agrees with Adam's choice.

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Today I want to talk about the Ebola virus. It is contained now but the height of its outbreak was in 2014. It was from 2013 to 2016. About 29,000 cases and 11,000 death. About one in three will die. They just isolate the patient and that's it. No treatment or cure. It's very contagious. They will give you an IV drop to maintain your fluids. Most go into fits and then internal bleeding before they die. Why I talked about this? WHO encountered a problem in 2014 and declared a national emergency. They stopped all flights because it became an epidemic.

Those times, when the WHO team went in, the family will hide the sick ones because they thought these came to harm them. In the containment centres, they come to liberate them and killed the medical team with machetes. The problem was these people are in denial. They have their witch doctors whom they think can handle the sickness. They even said they came with the suits to inject the Ebola virus into them.

The good news is the same. They are living a good life and you come with the gospel and condemn them as sinners. You are coming to condemn us and to say we are wrong when there is nothing wrong with us.

Here lies the question. When is a person condemned to hell? This is a question the world do not understand. Is he condemned when you preach the gospel to him or at the time he was born. Or the day he reaches accountability age? People are born as unbelievers and at an accountable age they face the condemnation to hell. So what's the accountable age? Generally a Jewish child is considered accountable at age 14. Plus minus around there.

Like the Ebola case. The person already have Ebola without the doctors telling them they have Ebola.

They think they are condemned when you preach the gospel to them and it is you that condemn them. They also think "accept Jesus go to heaven and don't accept Jesus go to hell." Who are you to condemn me? They didn't understand that Jesus  did not come to condemn them. Jesus  came to rescue you because in the first place you are already condemned before Jesus came.

I want to start with this word Gospel. The Greek word is evangelion which literally means good news. The gospel is actually good news. Take Ebola. When WHO came it is good news. A team that came that can save them. It is good news. I want to start with the good news first.

Romans 3:21-24

21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Paul said faith is Jesus Christ saves. This is the solution. If you have a solution there must first and foremost be a problem. What's the problem?

It's at Romans 1:18-3:20. The problem is sin. The solution is in Romans 3:21-24. Harmatia which literally means "missing the mark". It's the word used in bows and arrows. Missing the mark. What mark is it? The mark is the standard that God has fixed. The standard of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. It is a mark of perfection.

Matthew 5:17-20

The Fulfilment of the Law

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Hebrews 4:15

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.

Jesus was sinless. He was without sin. His standard is perfection. So what is sin? It has something to do with the law. Sin - violating the commandments of God and thereby dishonouring him. Jesus Christ is the only one who actually have not violated a single command of God. Sin do not bring glory to God but dishonours him.

That mark is an absolute mark and not a relative mark. It is a standard of Jesus. Perfection. You break any one of God's commands you break every one. Paul understands this. Sin preached without the gospel is condemnation. Sin must be preached with the gospel. End with a victorious note. We have power from God to give us victory over sin.

What's the problem with the world? The problem is they don't think they have a problem. So why need the good news? When we preach the gospel there are many angles to work from. Common angle is that your life is not good and the gospel is a solution.

The problem with this is that they were not good when they accepted Christ. Then things went well but after 10 years they are back to square one and life is not good again. So they find the gospel irrelevant because it's according to his state. The gospel is only relevant with sin. For God to send his son, he is not primarily to enable you to buy a bigger car or house. If that is the reason, he would not have to die on the cross. It has to be something deeper. Sin separates you from God. And the world is already condemned so he had to come.

Paul sees mankind in terms of two categories. Jews and Gentiles. The Roman church, the Jews were a minority. While the Gentiles are the majority. The Roman church is the only church that Paul writes to that is not established by him or his co-workers.

When he writes to the Romans he has to write from the beginning. Very systematic because it was not under his tutelage.

Romans 1:18-23 are for the Gentiles. So what's the difference? The Jews had the law, the Gentiles no. The Jews hence think they are better than the Gentiles. They had the mark of circumcision so they have the mark to state they are a people of God. The status is not about faith. So Paul was trying to address this. The Gentiles think the Jews have no life because everything also cannot do. While the Jews looked at the Gentiles as unbelievers.

To the Gentiles he is saying that God has made it plain that they don't have an excuse that they do not know God. But Paul says although they know there is a God, they suppressed the truth. So they are without excuse. Paul says they build images.

When does a person become an atheist? Children naturally believe what you tell them. You tell them to pray they will pray. But once they are 13 or 14, they start to think and question. And when they go to university they think they are smarter than us. Paul says they suppress the truth. Don't think that God will not judge you. The result of suppressing this truth is images that were made. The word is idolatry.

We are made in the image of God. We are made with a vacuum that can only be filled by God. We can put two things in his place. Idols we pray to which God calls images or idolatry. The second is in Colossians 3:5.

Colossians 3:5

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

You may ask how can greed be idolatry? First Commandment is worship God alone and the Tenth Commandment is do not covet. All the other Commandments you have to do something external but this one is internal. Covetousness is internal. It's an internal desire. Desire is what you put in the vacuum where God is supposed to be. That is idolatry.

All of us have to give first place to God. He is to be honoured and glorified in our life.

Why was God so unhappy with the Israelites? When you read carefully, you'll find it's idolatry. That's why God ask choose you this day whom you will serve. The key theme of the OT is idolatry.

In Romans 2 Paul handled the Jews.

Romans 2:12-16

12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

The Jews have the written law (black & white) but the Gentiles had the law written on their hearts.

Someone asked me long ago, bro Koay, cannot divorce ar? So I told her unless he commits adultery. She said she is emotionally abused but I told her that is not adultery. So she said it's difficult to be a Christian because her non Christian friends can easily divorce. What do they have in mind? Here is when Paul addresses it. Take adultery. Adultery is always wrong whether you are a Christian or not a Christian. Stealing is wrong whether you are a Christian or not. Wrong is written in your heart. Jews or Gentiles will be judged impartially and you cannot plead innocence. It's called conscience.

This word conscience. The nearest word is guilt and different people have different feeling towards guilt. Romans 8 said there's no more condemnation in Christ Jesus. So the line of thinking is that we should not feel guilty because there is no more condemnation. We call it a seared conscience or a soft conscience.

I take this example. Murder. In the heat of the moment we commit a crime of passion. It's extreme but what I want to put to you is that when it comes to guilt we say a Christian cannot do certain things. How should the person feel in terms of guilt? If he don't feel guilt, then he has a seared conscience. If you have a soft conscience you will feel guilty. Romans 8:1 is not to give us the liberty to sin. We think we feel bad when we feel guilty. Why did God put guilt in our hearts? It's actually a spiritual pain. Guilt draws you back to God.

People ask why pray when God already knows my problem. What is the primary objective of prayer? It is to draw you back to God. God is more interested in you than your circumstances. Once he changes you, your circumstances will change.

Guilt is like your physical pain. When you have very bad pain, a bad doctor just give you pain killers. The problem is still there. Is pain good or bad? It is part of a system in your body to tell you there is something wrong with your body. Pain is a warning sign language to warn you something is wrong. Why did God put guilt into our conscience? It is a spiritual pain that God put in us to warn us. The guilt can bring a person into remorse and like Judas committed suicide or you can come to God for forgiveness and God gives you grace.

A son of God must be someone with a soft or tender conscience. When he draws to God he grows. You cannot say I can do what I want because I am not condemned. The conviction of sin is through the Holy Spirit. When you say I have sinned you draw near to God.

I would be very worried if my son or daughter tells me,I don't feel guilt. It is true that we are covered in the blood but God also wants to draw us near to him. When sin abounds so does grace. That's how we grow.

Next Paul handled the Jews. Romans 2:2-29.

Romans 2:25-29

25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26 So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.

The Jews think that by election they will be accepted even if they don't follow the law. But God is impartial and whether you are Jew or Gentile you have to obey the law. Election for the Jews does not negate obedience.

Are Jews better than the Gentiles? The answer is no.

God is Your Shepherd

Rev Ronald Ooi

Always a pleasure to step onto this island as it's the land of my ancestors. My parents and my children were born in Penang. Except for me. I grew up eating Penang food. My mom cooks good Penang food. All our children have left the nest so it's our second honeymoon, say amen Jasmine.

We've been in ministry 40 years and 35 years ago we stepped in to Penang for ministry. We went up to Penang hill and looked down a dark Penang except for the little lights twinkling in George Town. I remember how Jesus wept over Jerusalem up on the mountain. It was a similar experience for us and that evening the Holy Spirit overwhelmed our hearts and we just prayed and prayed and prayed and how he loves this island. Dark as it was but there are these twinkling lights. We are that twinkling lights. The whole church of Penang are also these twinkling lights.

We the church lives in the city and Jesus went into the cities and villages and towns to preach the kingdom of God. He brought the kingdom of God and he confronted the powers of the day. Setting people free and turned their lives right side up. He came because he loved us and he prayed at the garden knowing it's a difficult journey. It was not an easy assignment. I call it the inconvenient gospel.

Only when it's convenient we serve. Jesus came when it was inconvenient. When we do that we become strong. A weak church will not turn a world that is in trouble right side up. When we are strong and healthy we can help someone else.  When we are strong physically and mentally and emotionally we can help others.

That strength comes with a relationship with God. That walk with God is a walk that will experience the power of God.

Let's look at this passage. I call it the prayer of Israel.

There are several prayers in the Bible like the Lord's Prayer. How Jesus established the kingdom of God here on earth. We have Jehoshaphat's prayer. The battle is not yours but the Lord's.

So now I want to look at the Prayer of Israel.

Genesis 48:15-16

15 Then he blessed Joseph and said,

“May the God before whom my fathers

Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully,

the God who has been my shepherd

all my life to this day,

16 the Angel who has delivered me from all harm

—may he bless these boys.

May they be called by my name

and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,

and may they increase greatly

on the earth.”

Genesis 49:22-26

22 “Joseph is a fruitful vine,

a fruitful vine near a spring,

whose branches climb over a wall.

23 With bitterness archers attacked him;

they shot at him with hostility.

24 But his bow remained steady,

his strong arms stayed limber,

because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,

because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

25 because of your father’s God, who helps you,

because of the Almighty, who blesses you

with blessings of the skies above,

blessings of the deep springs below,

blessings of the breast and womb.

26 Your father’s blessings are greater

than the blessings of the ancient mountains,

than the bounty of the age-old hills.

Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,

on the brow of the prince among his brothers.

Joseph received a double portion of the blessings.

Let me take you on a journey. These were the words of a dying man. There was once someone told me to preach as if you are a dying man. Preach like it's your last. And that's how I've been, never taking life for granted. That's how Israel wanted to bless his son. That Ephraim and Manasseh is blessed properly. He wants to make sure his grandchildren gets his blessings not by deception but by divine revelation.

Jacob now learns his lesson that blessings are not by deception but by prophetic revelation. For the first time in scripture Joseph was a bit upset because he favoured the younger one than the older one. And he said father, you should bless Manasseh, but the father said I know my sons and he blessed Ephraim more than Manasseh. He said I know.

Jacob understand that God has worked in the past, he is working in the present and he will work in the future. He understands the workings of God. He used the word walked when he said the God of my fathers. Abraham and Isaac walked with them. Life is not about what you get or don't get, but about a walk with God. We were made by God and made for God. Imperfect as we are he came to walk with us. He died for us so that we can come to him. When he said I AM, it means there is no other. He chooses to come so that we are re-connected so that we can walk with God and God walk with us.

It is not about what we want, to satisfy our appetite all the time. We come to God not because we want this and that. It is about us wanting to walk with him. Just like how he went into the garden to fellowship with Adam. He is not a shopping mall with all the goodies there. The reason is we are here to want to be with God. When we enjoy his presence first.

Our encounters with God happens again and again and again like how Abraham was unsure if he'll have a son, God appeared to him again. It's a journey. Growing deeper and deeper into knowing who God is. In Genesis 17, God appeared to Abraham again and said walk before me and be blameless and God affirmed him of his promise.

God is the promise keeper, the covenant keeper. You come to him. The shepherd walks with the sheep. Jacob was a shepherd. Joseph was a shepherd. David was a shepherd. Moses was a shepherd. They were all shepherds and they had to learn what is in the shepherd's heart. The rod and the staff. He protects with the rod against predators and the staff is to nudge the sheep. To keep them save.

The good shepherd lay down his life for his sheep. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. God walked and wrestled with Jacob. Because he was running away from cheating. Our walk includes wrestling with God. We have to do it God's way to bring the destiny of Jacob's life to pass. He was always trying his own way but at Genesis 22 he was alone, and cornered in a desperate situation. Trouble bring us to a point where man's extremity is also man's opportunity.

Finally he wrestled until daybreak. He wanted God to bless him and the amazing thing is that for once in his life he lost to God and he never walked the same again. He was a transformed man. It was a very practical transformation of his life.

This wrestling match gives us another revelation. God appeared as an angel. He was called a redeemer and it means in the literal sense someone who steps in and rescued him.

I grew up in a family with 5 boys 1 girl. When you have 5 boys it's never quiet. They call it sibling rivalry. I am the youngest and though we sometimes fight but when someone else outside touched me, my brothers will come to defend me.

Finally after the wrestling came the wonder of a nation formed. Genesis talked about the blessing.

Have you all seen a vineyard? When we were at Melbourne, we loved being at the vineyards. There are these clusters of grapes. My son will just ask me what I want. I used to wrestle with him and I always win but now, I cannot wrestle with him anymore. I wrestle instead with my grand daughter.

Walking with God is anytime. Not just good times. Good times and bad times walk with God. Wrestle so that we become more like him. He purifies his bride. He's coming soon. The whole world is in trouble. It's not a safe place anymore. He's preparing his bride. If we will just align ourselves with him and we too will be a fruitful vine.

I want to end with this thought.

Genesis 49:23-24

23 With bitterness archers attacked him;

they shot at him with hostility.

24 But his bow remained steady,

his strong arms stayed limber,

because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,

because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

I like these verses because. There are so many because.

Genesis 49:24-25

24 But his bow remained steady,

his strong arms stayed limber,

because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,

because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

25 because of your father’s God, who helps you,

because of the Almighty, who blesses you

with blessings of the skies above,

blessings of the deep springs below,

blessings of the breast and womb.

We will make it because our God is a blesser.

Why Does God Make Us Wait?

Sis Melinda Song 

Illustration: The well-known New England preacher, Phillips Brooks, was normally a man of poise and calm. But at times he suffered moments of frustration and irritability. One day a friend saw him pacing the floor like a caged lion and asked, “What is the trouble, Dr. Brooks?” “The trouble is,” Brooks replied, “that I’m in a hurry, but God isn’t!”

If you have been a Christian for very long, you have experienced God’s delays. Assuming that you are not in a state of unrepentant sin and that God has heard your prayer, God does and will respond immediately.

When we pray, remember:

1. The love of God that wants the best for us.
2. The wisdom of God that knows what is best for us.
3. The power of God that can accomplish it.

-      William Barclay, Prodigals and Those Who Love.

But today we shall look into two instances of delayed response to prayer.

I. AN INSTANT ANSWER THAT WAS HINDERED

Daniel was a man loved of God and a man of intense prayer. One day, while in exile in Babylon, he was seeking God, with fasting, when he saw visions and an angel, a messenger from God, who came to speak with him. This is what happened next…

Daniel 10:10-14, NIV

¹⁰A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. ¹¹He said, "Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you." And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling. ¹²Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. ¹³But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. ¹⁴Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come."

Daniel’s prayer was heard on day one and an answer was dispatched in instant response to it. But the answer was delayed by twenty-one days due to an angelic war.

What can we learn from this?

1.  Assuming that our prayer is heard instantly and even assuming that God sends us an instant response it is not a guarantee that the answer will arrive the moment it is dispatched.

2.  Our lives as God’s people and our prayers are inextricably bound with events on earth and in heavenly realms too.

Ephesians 6:12, NIV

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

3.  As Christians, we have ‘direct access’ to the throne of God but very often, He chooses to work out his purposes in and through men and angels.

II. A DELAYED ANSWER THAT WAS CAREFULLY TIMED

Acts 10:1-2, NIV

¹ At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. ² and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.

Cornelius and his family were devout and God-fearing Gentiles and it was in the place of prayer that God revealed Himself to him.

We have to seriously consider that one of the best prayers that we can ask a seeker to pray is, “If you are the true and living God, reveal yourself to me.”

Jeremiah 29:13, NIV

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Hebrews 11:6, NIV

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

a. The Prayer Was Repeated

We don’t know how and when any of his prayers were answered in the past but at this time it would appear that they were cumulatively presented before the throne of God.

Another story that clearly shows the importance of persistence in prayer is in 1 Kings 18 where God tells Elijah to go to the king and announce that it’s going to rain after a 3 year drought.

Elijah duly gives the king the weather forecast and then he crouches down with his face between his knees (the traditional posture for giving birth) and prays his heart out.

Even though God wants to send the rain, Elijah has to pray and ask God seven times before his servant spots a cloud on the horizon and Elijah knows that his prayer has accomplished what it was meant to.

In the Bible, seven is the number of completion. Elijah prayed in line with God’s will and agreed with God’s plans until his prayers accumulated and he birthed the rain of God. By agreeing with God’s plans we release them on earth.

“God does nothing on earth save in answer to believing prayer.” John Wesley

It is God’s way because He’s given us the authority over the earth. God has put us in charge and releases His power through us... and particularly through our prayers.

Acts 10:3-6, NIV

³ One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!" ⁴ Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked. ⁵ The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. ⁶ He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea."

Like Daniel, Cornelius had a vision and the agent of answered prayer was an angel who gave him instructions to bring Peter back to his house. 

We must not forget that human beings are locked in a space-time continuum.

b. The Time Was Right

Time and time again in scripture we see that God is not in a hurry. Trusting God is in control, that He is good, and that He gives good gifts means trusting that His timing makes better sense than our timing.

The time was right for the Sovereign Lord of heaven and earth to bring the good news of Jesus Christ into the Gentile world.

Note the progression of the fulfillment of Acts 1:8 – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

In Acts 2, the Jerusalem church was born at Pentecost.

In Acts 8, Philip goes to Samaria, meets and shares the gospel with the Ethiopian eunuch, who was saved.

In Acts 9, Saul was converted.

Acts 9:31, NIV

Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.

Acts 10:6-8, NIV

⁶ He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea." ⁷ When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. ⁸ He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.

The time was right. Have you ever wondered why God did not simply allow the angel to share the gospel with Cornelius? That’s because God delights to partner with and use human agents.

The trouble with human agents is that they are willful creatures. Jonah is a prime example. Likewise, God had to prepare Peter first before He could use him.

c. The Person Was Ready

Acts 10:9-20, NIV

⁹ About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. ¹⁰He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. ¹¹He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. ¹²It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. ¹³Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat." ¹⁴"Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean." ¹⁵The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." ¹⁶This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. ¹⁷While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate. ¹⁸They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. ¹⁹While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Simon, three men are looking for you. ²⁰So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them."

A God-fearer like Cornelius would have no objection socializing with the Jews, but even a moderately orthodox Jew would not willingly enter the dwelling of a Gentile, even if he were a God-fearer, for to enter the home of a non-Jew would somehow contaminate him or make him unclean.

God had to give Peter a vision to indicate that the gospel could and should go to the gentiles, who seemed the furthest from God.  Peter did not receive this word at first, so God had to repeat Himself, prompt Peter through the Holy Spirit and confirm His will with the arrival of Cornelius’s servants.  

The vision changed Peter’s attitude toward Gentiles: "God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean" (Acts 10:28). With this understanding, he invited the men into Simon's home and later he freely entered the home of Cornelius.

In prayer we align ourselves with God’s plans and purposes. Without prayer, Peter may have missed God’s leading. When we pray, we need to listen to God.  Be aware of the promptings He gives us and the people He brings to our minds.  God is pleased to remind us of our purpose and send us in any new direction when we simply come to Him in prayer with ears to listen.  

Does God have to change some of our mind-sets, attitudes and prejudices that are hindering the work of God in our lives or the lives of others?

Just as the seeker is wise to pray, “God reveal yourself to me” so the believer is wise to pray, “God show me what you want me to do.”  God will answer both prayers.

Peter was the answer to Cornelius’s prayer. Have you ever considered that you could be someone’s answered prayer?  

CONCLUSION

We often ask: Will God answer my prayers? When will God answer my prayers? We may even ask, How will God answer my prayers? We have many questions regarding prayer, but have you ever thought, or asked: “Where are my prayers!?” 

The Bible tells us that Cornelius’ prayers and generosity to the needy “have come up as a memorial offering before God.” We are told in The Book of Revelation that deeds on earth are recorded in books in heaven (Rev. 20:21, Dan. 7:10; Ps. 56:8; Mal. 3:16) and that prayers are also being stored up.

Revelation 5:7-8, NIV

⁷ He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. ⁸ And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

What a comfort it is to know that our prayers are so precious to God that they are stored in golden bowls. They are kept in heaven and the answers will come in the fullness of time.

This is just one reason why we “ought always to pray and not to give up.” Our past prayers may yet be accumulating, even the ones we’ve forgotten may yet come up as a memorial before The Lord!

No doubt you have your story of frustrations in prayer. Take heart. Persistence does not guarantee that you will get what you asked for, but it does promise you will get something better and actually closer to your heart’s deepest desire.

If He is making you wait, there is a very good reason for it. If He is telling you “no” today, maybe it’s because He has a better “yes” waiting for you tomorrow.

Wherever you are at today know that God is right beside you and that there is a purpose for you. Even if that purpose is to wait.

Don’t give up just because you don’t see anything happening today. Maybe there is nothing physically happening that your eyes can see but there is definitely something happening in the spiritual realm as you learn to rely on Christ. He is preparing someone

“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” – Psalm 27:14

Today, I would like you to also look at prayer beyond the I-Me-Myself perspective. What if, like Peter God wants you to be someone else’s answered prayer?

If you and I today are to be usable to someone for God’s purpose, we need to ask ourselves the following:

• Am I available, set apart, useful to the Master?
• Am I listening for His promptings? Am I preoccupied with my agenda?
• If I sense His prompting, am I willing to respond?
• If I am unavailable, unprepared, or insensitive to His promptings, the Master may use someone else, and I will miss the blessing (Esther 4:14, 15).

God is looking for vessels He can use—those that are clean, available, and useful. He will prompt and dispatch His servants to carry out His ministry. Will you be alert to His promptings? Will you be available for the Lord to use you to answer someone else’s prayer?