Sreedhar's Journey

Sometimes we take for granted our situations in life.  We fail to realize that things can get pretty bad very quickly.  In those times we feel hopeless and desperate.  We try everything possible and sometimes make it worse than before.  That is what happened with my family when I was growing up from about 11 years old.  My Mum would try everything possible, including going to various temples and mediums.  They obviously did not work. Jeremiah 4:22 “For My people are foolish, They have not known Me. They are silly children, And they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, But to do good they have no knowledge.” Desperation is the word to describe the feeling in Jeremiah Chapter 4. Of course the people of Israel and Judah have been given clear warnings about what would happen if they persisted in their pursuit of other gods. The warning is clear that a conqueror is coming from the north. What can they do? We know that God can cha...

Are you good?  Please be truthful!  We have failed in one way or another through our acts of commission or omission.  The people can best pick us out are those closest to us.  In my case, my wife!  Nothing beats me worse than my wife pointing out the obvious wrong in my thoughts, words or actions.  She is GOOD!  I know it is wrong, and she is my external conscience besides my internal God given conscience.  People of Israel had the benefit of God continually pointing out things there were doing wrong.  God is GOOD! Jeremiah 3:12-13 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: ‘Return, backsliding Israel,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not cause My anger to fall on you. For I am merciful,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not remain angry forever. Only acknowledge your iniquity, That you have transgressed against the Lord your God, And have scattered your charms To alien deities under every green tree, And you have not obeyed...

My mother is a wonderful lady in spite of some of her idiosyncrasies.  I am sure many mothers are like mine, because of their "mother nature".  She would go to great lengths to make sure the children succeeded in life and would reprimand us when we did something that would upset that.  I grew up as the eldest and only son, and much was expected of me.  The biggest disappointment I brought her was when I rejected her religious beliefs and pursued Jesus Christ.  Israel however rejected God and reaped the consequences. Jeremiah 2:36-37 Why do you gad about so much to change your way? Also you shall be ashamed of Egypt as you were ashamed of Assyria. Indeed you will go forth from him With your hands on your head; For the Lord has rejected your trusted allies, And you will not prosper by them. There is no meaning in your gods if you constantly chase different ones when you are in need. Some are desperate for a solution and so do not want to keep ...

I have been journaling for a number of years and it has been from January 2016 that I have been journaling publicly. As I looked back on what I journaled, the themes are similar to the present. Choose wisely, about peace and not having fear. But the context is different. Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah is called to speak to the nations without fear and with Godly wisdom. Verse 19 says,  "They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you.” It is clear that as Jeremiah does this there will be opposition. No different from what I will face, but God is there with me.  What station of life are you at? For me it is clear. I cannot keep quiet. I need to speak His Word to the nations. Father, give me the boldness to share the good news of the Kingdom.

There are many things that we do blindly because we do not understand.  It has been passed from generation to generation because it is easy to pass down.  Superstitions, religious practices, the way we should take care of simple tasks, and even what time we should go to bed.  :) Isaiah 66:3 “He who kills a bull is as if he slays a man; He who sacrifices a lamb, as if he breaks a dog’s neck; He who offers a grain offering, as if he offers swine’s blood; He who burns incense, as if he blesses an idol. Just as they have chosen their own ways, And their soul delights in their abominations, Yes, even "good" religious practices are done without regard for the God who loves us.  Why do it at all?  Is it because of fear?  Is it because we want to "cover our bases"?  But, Jesus Christ is real.  His story has no beginning, because it is before the beginning of time.  You have a choice. Accept Him or reject Him. Many people choose t...

It is so easy to misplace your glasses.  Been there before? You put it down to take a little nap.  If it is not in the usual place, you scramble.  In that "little blur" you look here and there and hope that you do not step on it or push it to the floor and break it.  I have done this many times since I first started wearing glasses at the age of 10.  Likewise, we can be blur on other more serious things in life. Isaiah 65:1 gives a baffling statement, ​ "“I was sought by those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ To a nation that was not called by My name." But as you read the rest of the chapter you understand that the people of Israel are at two ends of the spectrum. Those that worship other gods and are committed to all the rituals of doing that,  and those that stay true to their call as God's people. Ultimately we who seek Him will be saved. Isaiah 65:24-25 “It shall come to pass ...

Clay modeling and pottery is a fascinating activity. It starts with some dirty chunk of soil (called clay). No form or design. The soil itself has no idea what it will one day become. With the mastery of the expert it becomes a very unique and sometimes expensive item. It is interesting that this parallel is used here in this chapter. Isaiah 64:8-9 But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand. Do not be furious, O Lord, Nor remember iniquity forever; Indeed, please look—we all are Your people!  Yes, we are His people. Made in His hands and placed in the fire to bring out the beauty that only God saw in the soil.  Yes, I was just some dirty soil made into me by a loving Heavenly Father needing His continuous intervention to deliver the full value for which I was intended. Father, nothing beats Your molding and fire process.  I want to shine in Your Hands.

History has a way of making us reflect and say that we need to do better.  But the problem is that we do not learn from it.  We repeat the mistakes of the past.  We are therefore very predictable in what we would do.  Man is driven by human greed and selfishness.  But in spite of all this, God is still ready to save the situation. Isaiah 63:16 Doubtless You are our Father, Though Abraham was ignorant of us, And Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O Lord, are our Father; Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name. This chapter seems to be a reflection of days gone by a remnant of the people of Israel who are standing in the gap for the rest. It is preceded by God saying I am standing with you and I will destroy your enemies. I am reminded yet again how the fervency for the Lord can vary from one generation to the next. Ultimately it is up to us not to forget the goodness of the Lord, to learn from history and return to Him. In May of 2016 ...

The 60's of the previous century came with its many new social ideas that were considered radical and anti-establishment. This happened mainly in North America where much was happening post war world 2 and the growing influence of communism. During the same period came the Jesus movement where there was a yearning for more beyond what organized religion could offer. This was a revival of sorts. But like all revivals, it only lasted a generation. But God is always persistent in pursuing us. Isaiah 62:11-12 Indeed the Lord has proclaimed To the end of the world: “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Surely your salvation is coming; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him.’ ” And they shall call them The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord; And you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken. This chapter in Isaiah is quite intimate in the way God refers to the people of Israel. He delights with them to the point of marriage. I suppose that ...

There is no confusion. Jesus when He picked up the scripture to read, He finished the first part of Isaiah 61 by saying that today this is fulfilled. Luke 4:21 . Yes, much can be said about Jesus' ministry but He spoke with authority. Authority that can only come from God. He was more than a prophet, and more than a Rabbi. He is the Messiah. Isaiah 61:11  For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. All nations! This message came to the world including the deserts of Saudi Arabia during Muhammad's days. Yes, the salvation through Jesus the Messiah is for all. Let it spring forth in your nation. Do not stifle it. It is the good news that is spoken from ancient of days in the Torah (which is mostly the old testament of the Bible), and the Vedic scriptures. Yes, that's right the ancient Indian writings also ...

Over the years there have been people who went through near death experience and talk about how they were carried into heaven and saw what heaven was like. Some others encountered it through angelic invitations to visit heaven. I have never personally met any of these individuals and so I cannot vouch for their stories. However, the bible has many references and descriptions of heaven. Heaven is described here in this chapter. Isaiah 60:19-20 “The sun shall no longer be your light by day, Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; But the Lord will be to you an everlasting light, And your God your glory. Your sun shall no longer go down, Nor shall your moon withdraw itself; For the Lord will be your everlasting light, And the days of your mourning shall be ended. Both Jews and Gentiles are mentioned in this chapter. Much blessings brought to the Jews through the Gentiles. Tremendous view of wealth in this chapter.  It is evident therefore that b...

Just when you think everything is going well, something goes wrong. Sound familiar? You feel all alone and depressed. No one to turn to. Perhaps we have sinned and gone far from God. That's easy to fix. Cry out to Him in repentance. Go to him in humility. And He is ready to save you. This is all mentioned and broken up into 3 parts in this chapter of Isaiah. Isaiah 59:16 He saw that there was no man, And wondered that there was no intercessor; Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; And His own righteousness, it sustained Him. Finally, God has to do it Himself.  This is what Isaiah is saying.  Man can only be saved by God.  He came down to earth Himself.  Ministered to us, suffered, died and rose again to bring salvation for all man.  Jesus was no mere human being.  He was not just a prophet.  He was and is God Himself. Isaiah finishes this chapter with this promise from God, “As for Me,” says the Lord, “this is My covenan...

Most religions of the world understand the need to seek forgiveness for sins and there is a need to make certain ceremonies and sacrifices to atone for those sins. This is clearly a common worldview in most cultures and civilizations. However, they have great uncertainty about whether they are in right standing with the Creator God after all their "acts of worship or atonement". The people of Israel were also not clear. But, they went through the motions of the religion failing to realize that their hearts are far from God. There is great injustice in the land. They were doing things that did not reflect God's ways. They needed to correct their ways. And so do I on many occasions. Isaiah 58:12 Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In. Father, help me to do that which you have commanded. I want ...

People say this all the time. "To err is human, to forgive is divine". Just googled it and found that it is a quote attributed to an 18th century poet by the name of Alexander Pope. This quote almost seems to give an excuse for mankind to make mistakes and not forgive. Oops. Never mind what it implies but thankfully we have a God that does not err, and forgives. This is further shown in Isaiah 57 . Isaiah 57:18-19 I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him, And restore comforts to him And to his mourners. “I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,” Says the Lord, “And I will heal him.” In spite of the people of Israel pursuing other gods, God is prepared to take them back. The chapter describes with great detail the practices that most Asians would be familiar with. But if His people would turn back and follow Him, He will forgive.  Forgiveness is something I need to continue learning...

There is much admiration and hate in the world for the Jews. It all depends on their historical and contemporary encounters with them. As the saying goes,  "You either love them or hate them".  Whatever your disposition, the bible is clear that God has blessed them in unique ways different from the rest of mankind because of His covenant with Abraham. But that does not mean the other peoples are not blessed. Isaiah 56:7-8 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations. The Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, “Yet I will gather to him Others besides those who are gathered to him.” Yes, the rest of us have a blessing. So why the hate, or maybe envy? You are invited to partake of the same. All mankind.  This was said in the original vision before Abram left Ha...

On a Friday and everyone screams Thank God it's Friday. Wok with Yan , the old popular Chinese cooking show, joked that "Fly Day" was Chinese Air Force Day. But whether we celebrate the end of a tough week or have a joke about it, it is all temporary. There is a longer lasting joy promised in this chapter. Isaiah 55:12 “For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.  Reading this verse reminds me of a song written to this verse .  This joy that has a foundation. It is sustainable. It comes from knowing God, like you would someone like your wife or mother.  It is not good enough to know about God.  You need to know Him.  Real joy will come.  Read the whole chapter . It is powerful.  However, let me share two verses from this chapter that gives us reason to celebrate. Isaiah 55:10-11 “For as the...

My greatest weakness is trying to right every wrong.  This sometimes overextends me.  I therefore have to prioritize the things I have to do.  I have to do this intentionally, otherwise I will not get the important done.  My constant prayer is that I can increase the efficiency with which I get things done so that I can get everything done.  This prayer is embedded in these 2 verses in Isaiah. Isaiah 54:2-3 “Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, And strengthen your stakes. For you shall expand to the right and to the left, And your descendants will inherit the nations, And make the desolate cities inhabited. As human beings we have failings and we need to seek forgiveness. The person that we need to seek forgiveness most from is God. Just when you could do no wrong, trying to right every wrong, you fall into sin. You have done something that is not God'...

When I was young there was always a strong motivation in my family tradition to know the future.  And because we were Hindu, we followed certain practices to be able to know the future and even try to control it.  In reflection of the past, I can see how it was all done in vain and it put us into a worse off condition than before.  We delved into the demonic and this caused much strife and calamity.  We should have known better.  God is the one that holds the future in His Hand. Isaiah 53:12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors. This is the last verse of Isaiah 53.  It gives a clear reference to the future coming of the Messiah.  The first time I had a profound encounter with this chapter was when Rev Earl McNut...

Saying I am tired can be an understatement.  Keeping a better and healthy body would help. Yes, the discipline of fasting and prayer helps give both the body and mind in a cycle of renewal. This allows for clarity of mind and better focus.  In any event focus on what? Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Yes, this needs to be the focus for my second half (praying to live to be at least a hundred <smile>). As I read books on evangelism, discipleship and discipleship making movements, it is clear that we need to focus on this.  Your God reigns!, must be what I focus on proclaiming. The word for me today. Father, help me stay focused on what is important for You.

I have shared before that a marriage covenant is very special.  It makes the husband and wife inseparable till death breaks that tie.  I know we live in a society where marriage is viewed as a contract that can be broken before a judge.  But there is one thing a human judge can never break.  A parent child relationship.  Once a child always a child. Isaiah 51:16 And I have put My words in your mouth; I have covered you with the shadow of My hand, That I may plant the heavens, Lay the foundations of the earth, And say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’ Even though Israel disappointed God numerous times, it was not enough to permanently remove His blessings upon them. Yes, they remain His people.  They remain His children. What about me? Yes, I have failed God many times. But as I reflect on those past episodes they have been difficult, disappointing, hard and terrible. But the Lord has stayed by my side and reminded me that I am His Child. ...

Choices, choices and choices.  Everyday we are faced with choices.  How we spend our time, food to eat, people to meet, tasks to complete.  Our choices drive outcomes.  We pray all for good.  But sometimes they yield poor outcomes.  Sometimes they yield good outcomes in the short term, but are bad for the long run. Isaiah 50:10-11 Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness And has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord And rely upon his God. Look, all you who kindle a fire, Who encircle yourselves with sparks: Walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks you have kindled— This you shall have from My hand: You shall lie down in torment. Verses 10 and 11 gives you two choices.  Fear and trust God, or lie down in torment.  Solomon knew well how to get wisdom. The Hebraic way is to fear God. There is no better source for wisdom than God. The Greek approach uses hu...

A senior friend of mine from my media days sent an email to his friends to announce the arrival of his grandchild.  You can feel the pride and joy in his email.  I am so happy for him because he was concerned about how long his oldest son was going to take to settle down and have children.  He and his wife may be American, but Jewish in tradition.  Sort of like Lee Yen and me.  Among our chief concerns are always our children, because we love them very much. Isaiah 49:25 But thus says the Lord: “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, And the prey of the terrible be delivered; For I will contend with him who contends with you, And I will save your children. The family will be taken care of. What a promise and perfect timing of this message for Lee Yen and our children.  Incredible promises in this chapter. As we sit on this end of history and look at how connected we are, indeed the world is at our doorsteps. The message of s...

This is long quote from Pascal (yes, remembered by most of us for his math theorem): "What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself". Said more precisely or paraphrased by many, "Man has a God shaped void". Isaiah 48:7-8 They are created now and not from the beginning; And before this day you have not heard them, Lest you should say, ‘Of course I knew them.’ Surely you did not hear, Surely you did not know; Surely from long ago your ear was not opened. For I knew that you would deal very treacherously, And were called a transgressor from the womb. The...

You would have heard it said, "An eye for an eye, A tooth for a tooth". Jesus said it in Matthew 5:38 . This is so natural for us since we always want to get back at somebody. I have to confess that I have done this some years ago.  Yes, I have and I am not proud of it. I was driving to a meeting in Malaysia and was behind a slow car and so had little choice but to drive slowly. As the car pulled off the road to park, I was going to proceed on straight. However the car behind me was a little impatient and the driver gave a hard horn. The vengeance in me caused me to retaliate with the same. My immediate reaction was to justify my actions but I immediately felt bad. Pray that everyone reached their destination safely. Isaiah 47:15 Thus shall they be to you With whom you have labored, Your merchants from your youth; They shall wander each one to his quarter. No one shall save you. The Babylonians were hard on their captives, including the people of Israel...