Sreedhar's Journey

In my journey of life I have encountered many challenges and many of them seemed insurmountable.  These challenges came with new responsibilities.  You truly can be at wits end to know what to do next.  There seems to be no way out.  You do the best you can and hope for the best.  However, in the midst of it all you realize that your appointment to this responsibility was from God and He is there with you.  This is what happened to Ezekiel. Ezekiel 2: 6 “And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions; do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks, though they are a rebellious house. After a tremendous opening with 4 living creatures, spinning wheels and  an encounter with God, Ezekiel gets his job appointment with God. This is an appointment that would cause him to face opposition and ridicule from his own people. But, God says they will know they had a prophet among

Ever experienced an out of this world experience. Ezekiel, a priest of Israel, got that and starts to record that in his disposition. He was describing things that were out of this world using elements that he is familiar with from his world. What they actually were we may never know. Someone seeing them today will describe them in today's language as UFOs. The wheels parallel flying saucers? But before we all jump to conclusions or everyone jumps on me for drawing these parallels, the fascination here is truly Godly.  Ezekiel 1:28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking. Are you ready for this? Get ready for an out of the world journey as I reflect on the revelations through this book. Ezekiel was blessed with a first hand encounter. I know I am going to be bl

One of the things that Lee Yen and I have taught our children is to not just say sorry but to seek forgiveness when they have done something wrong. This process took time to develop and our children know what we mean. We have not been perfect parents but we try to operate the way our Heavenly Father operates. Lamentations 5:15-16 The joy of our heart has ceased; Our dance has turned into mourning. The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned! When the people of Israel sinned they were stubborn for a long time until the consequences became unbearable. And here in this chapter we see them repenting and appealing for God's favor again. Did they get it? Yes, they did. Because we serve a God that is full of mercy and forgiveness. Daily I need to ask God to search my heart and see if there be some wicked way in me. He is ready to forgive if we truly repent. Father, thank you.

When I was growing up I had a busy father, no different from my current situation as a father.  It was very challenging for me and I am sure for my father as well.  However, I admired him greatly for his accomplishments and saw how his willingness to go the extra mile gained results.  But biggest role model is Jesus Christ himself.  I am grateful that I met Jesus at a young age.  I first introduced to Him at about 10 years of age and I made a decision to follow Him at 14.  Israel unfortunately followed poor role models and they suffered greatly. Lamentations 4:6 The punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people Is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, Which was overthrown in a moment, With no hand to help her! It is mentioned here that their fate was worse than Sodom because the people annihilated in a moment in Sodom. Here the people are dying of hunger. Instead of feeding their young, they were eating them. It must have been horrific. Such was th

I keep reading of many that struggle with life, especially in the area of sickness.  For dreaded sicknesses like cancer, there is the sacrifice of time of those closest to the ill person and the financial burden that sets in because of the extended treatment and hope for recovery.  I have had close friends and relatives pass on because of cancer.  Not only do they struggle with the discovery and possible recovery, their families also struggle in a different way.  Jeremiah's statement of hope here gives all of us a new hope. Lamentations 3:21-25 This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. Jeremiah has experienced very difficult times as a prophet. In this chapter he gives the ba

Are you crying over spilled milk?  This is alluding to an idiom asking you not to do this.  It is done.  It is over.  It is time to learn from the past and do better.  Yes, failure is bad, but the future is ahead of you.  Do better.  The problem is that "history repeats itself".  Do NOT let that happen.  What is wrong with you?  You want to see the same or worst failure? Lamentations 2:11 My eyes fail with tears, My heart is troubled; My bile is poured on the ground Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, Because the children and the infants Faint in the streets of the city. Jeremiah continues to share his sadness which is really a human presentation of God's sadness for the way Israel and Judah have behaved. False gods. False prophets. Great sin of totally ignoring His ways in their daily lives. These people were far from God. They were privileged as God's chosen people and He had to bring this calamity to help them return. W

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 19.7 million children, more than 1 in 4, live without a father in the home.  Many social ills follow as a result.   This type of lifestyle is being subtly promoted through many government and multilateral agencies.  What is wrong with these people.  Studies have shown that parents have a great deal of impact on a child's development.   A parent's absence reaps great long term challenges for society.  The same can be seen in the children of Israel. Lamentations 1:5 Her adversaries have become the master, Her enemies prosper; For the Lord has afflicted her. Because of the multitude of her transgressions. Her children have gone into captivity before the enemy.  Such was the lament of Jeremiah the prophet. The old renowned Jerusalem was no more. Such would be the case when the Lord departs from you. The people were worshiping other gods that could not save them. Such was the dire situation resulting from the disobedience of the people

I grew in a home with 3 women, and a busy father.  If there were "man issues" I usually dealt with them myself, or my mother would intervene.  There was no brother or male figure to confide in.  I remember growing up and wanting to feel like a man.  I picked up a cigarette stick from my father's pack and tried to smoke it. The hilarious thing about that event was that I blew into the stick rather than suck on it.  That ended the possibility of me picking up an unhealthy habit.  It was the same with liquor.  My father would have many friends over to the house and guess who was the bar tender.  I decided one day to try one of the drinks.  It was awful and I never liked liquor.  Reflecting back, I know God was protecting me.  He became my "Big Brother". Jeremiah 52:31-32 Now it came to pass in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, that Evil-Merodach king of Babylon, i

There seems to be a continuous fascination with things carved and sculptured.  The craftsman makes it and is absorbed with the need to follow a design that he sees in his head.  Who put the design in his head?  The thing that really amazes me is how this man-made creation is then adored and worshiped. I once asked this question, "Can these statues save themselves if there was a fire?".  My simple 12 year-old mind said no.  Babylon, though it became a strong and conquering nation, was doomed because of its devotion to these things.  Jeremiah 51:11 Make the arrows bright! Gather the shields! The Lord has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes. For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it, Because it is the vengeance of the Lord, The vengeance for His temple. The Lord has come and revealed the things of the future for Babylon. Who would have thought that this great kingdom would one day be totally overtaken and destroyed. The judgement on Babylon wa

When I finished university I wanted to either join an investment bank or management consulting.  I applied to one of each, and I got an interview with both.  Long story made short, I joined a firm that eventually merged with Arthur Andersen.  In my time they were the world's largest accounting and consulting firm.  I left the firm in 1995 to pursue what God was leading me to next, but would never have contemplated that this great firm would one day collapse.  It closed in 2002 .  The same thing could be said of a powerful nation called Babylon. Jeremiah 50:9 For behold, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon An assembly of great nations from the north country, And they shall array themselves against her; From there she shall be captured. Their arrows shall be like those of an expert warrior; None shall return in vain. It is very interesting that after Babylon is used to defeat the many nations in the region it was brought down itself. Arrogance? Thei

Have you been disciplined by your parents before? The obvious answer is, yes!  We all have had our bad moods and tantrums.  My father only needed to turn on his volume, and there will be much submission.  When he punishes, there is no need for more than one slap.  It was painful and memorable enough.  In spite of it all, my parents gave all they could to see me succeed.  God wants the same, if not much more. Jeremiah 49:6 (Ammon) But afterward I will bring back The captives of the people of Ammon,” says the Lord. Jeremiah 49:11 (Edom) Leave your fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; And let your widows trust in Me. Jeremiah 49:39 (Elam) ‘But it shall come to pass in the latter days: I will bring back the captives of Elam,’ says the Lord. Ammon, Edom, and Elam are all to fall but there is a promise that the captives will return. Just like Moab. Again I am reminded that redemption is for all. Yes, these nations went their own way. Worshiped idols

Much history is recorded about the Middle East and preserved.  It is very difficult for a person with deep interest in history not to look at the current state of affairs in the Middle East and Northern Africa, and go back in history to understand the reasons for the current state.  Many things would make sense, however some cannot be explained with human rational.  One people group that is mentioned over and over again are the Moabites. Jeremiah 48:46 Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh perish; For your sons have been taken captive, And your daughters captive. Yesterday we read about the judgement and destruction of Egypt. Today it is Moab. The discourse against Moab is long. They are descendants of Lot that also worshiped other gods. They were being judged because of this. There is mention of their arrogance because they have preexisted Israel and held their areas well. But they will be overrun.  In spite of this, God has a plan for the people of Moab. Jere

Did you have a nagging mother?  Or, at least that is how you perceived it when you were growing up.  Mothers only mean well.  And so do spouses.  Ahem!  The story is nothing new but we seem to suffer from amnesia when it comes to remembering what was said.  I suppose it is more a mental block caused by paradigm paralysis that prevents us from adopting new mental models of what is good. God has also been speaking.  Are you listening? Jeremiah 47:5 Baldness has come upon Gaza, Ashkelon is cut off With the remnant of their valley. How long will you cut yourself? The Philistines were age old enemies of the people of Israel. Their historical cities of Gaza and Ashkelon exist till this day. Much is said of their history through the years and they also have no excuse in not knowing the true and living God. But they chose to serve their god Dagon who we know was brought down by the Ark of the Covenant. This same god has been worshiped with different names but similar design th

The phrase "silver lining" is used when you want to emphasize the hopeful side of a situation that might seem gloomy on the surface.  The origin of the phrase seems to be John Milton's 1634 poem "Comus," which includes the line, "Was I deceived? or did a sable cloud/Turn forth her silver lining on the night?" ( Source ).  When you think about it most things is not doom and gloom.  There is a positive side that you can pick up on, because God is watching over us. Jeremiah 46:14 “Declare in Egypt, and proclaim in Migdol; Proclaim in Noph and in Tahpanhes; Say, ‘Stand fast and prepare yourselves, For the sword devours all around you.’ Egypt had great military might and was a great civilization with years of history. Yet they were no match for the new Super Power of the day, Babylon. They had hired workers as their soldiers and great expertise in warfare but all this is nothing when God declares that you will be defeated. In times like t

When you have worked long and hard for an organization you wonder if the bosses notice it.  It is painful if you perceive not.  As a person that has been responsible for anywhere between 1 person to over 2,000, I have learnt that building good relationships and appreciating each of your co-workers is so important.  A pat on the back, a smile, a "thank you" or simply your presence walking through their place of work with a sense of caring. But God beats us all in this area. Jeremiah 45:4-5 "Thus you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, what I have built I will break down, and what I have planted I will pluck up, that is, this whole land. And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh,” says the Lord. “But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go."  This is a promise to the faithful. Here it is addressed to Baruch, Jeremiah's scribe.  In the midst of t

Before I got married I grew up with bottles of water being kept in the fridge to provide an unending flow of refreshing drink each day.  You get used to cold water and it becomes a habit to only drink cold drinks.  Things changed when I got married.  No more cold water in the fridge and only room temperature water made from boiled and naturally cooled water.  It was hard to break from old habits, but when it is served by a woman you love much, you comply and eventually it becomes a habit, and you love it too.  A habit that I continue to this day and it has served me well.  On occasion I still take some cold drinks.  :) Jeremiah 44:30 "Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies and into the hand of those who seek his life, as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, his enemy who sought his life.’" What an unthinkable outcome. Truly a historical moment for the world to see

Our lives are filled with decision points and we are constantly bombarded with new information that makes decision making difficult. Sometimes the decisions are made because of the need or the circumstances of the day. In a family the people with probably the least say in a decision are the children.  This is probably how it turned out for the people of Judah.  Decisions to be taken and children become consequentially involved in the move. Jeremiah 43:5-7 But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces took all the remnant of Judah who had returned to dwell in the land of Judah, from all nations where they had been driven — men, women, children, the king’s daughters, and every person whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah. So they went to the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the Lord. And they went as far as Tahpanhes. Jerem

Run from problems or face them head on? The textbook answer is the latter, but is that our tendency? It has been said that "Being human is to err", and every time something goes wrong we run from it. So we go against the "textbook" answer.  Sometimes we are faced with these difficult decision points and the absolutely right thing to do is to confront the matter face on and immediately.  Not so we can act immediately, but we can note the matter and prepare for the right response. Jeremiah 42:11-12 Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid; do not be afraid of him, says the Lord, for I am with you, to save you and deliver you from his hand. And I will show you mercy, that he may have mercy on you and cause you to return to your own land. The people of Judah were seeking God's blessings to run from their problems. But Jeremiah said don't run to Egypt as God will deliver them from the rule of the King of Babylon. Would they belie

How do you topple a leader? With deceit. You trust somebody but the person can betray your trust because of greed. This happens all the time in politics.  I have been observing Malaysian politics and you see all this from a distance.  Once you have all the money, you want position and power.  It can get quite nasty and evil.  To the point that you are prepared to kill someone.  This is what happened to a Governor in Israel.  Jeremiah 41:2 Then Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men who were with him, arose and struck Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, and killed him whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land. There was certainly the spirit of envy and enmity.  Gedaliah was forewarned about Ishmael's plans, but he set it aside.  And now he is dead and people are on the run.  They compound the problem by running to Egypt.  Why murder in the first place?  You have added to your troubles and still have not been able to libera

How do you respond when someone you know (or do not know) prospers?  As human beings we always have a problem seeing another prosper. Either we are jealous and/or we strive to do better because of greed. It is never enough.  For some of us many "what if's" go through our minds and these thoughts come intermittently.  For some others we take action and we say we need to do something about our current state.  Whatever our thinking and ensuing actions (or inaction) we generally want to get the best deal for ourselves.  Or worse, we speak against those that prospered. Jeremiah 40:4 And now look, I free you this day from the chains that were on your hand. If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you. But if it seems wrong for you to come with me to Babylon, remain here. See, all the land is before you; wherever it seems good and convenient for you to go, go there. Jeremiah was given a choice. Go to Babylon or stay in Judah. He

"London Has Fallen" is a movie I watched in 2016 and about the same time the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union.  This caused the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, David Cameron, to indeed resign . This was tremendous news. In a way expected for weeks but nobody was really ready for its repercussions. Not when the polls were showing the other way.  Reports said investors did not expect this.  The Dow dropped 900 points and other major markets followed the same the next week. Wow!  Sounds like Jerusalem. Jeremiah 39:2-3 In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the city was penetrated. Then all the princes of the king of Babylon came in and sat in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer, Samgar-Nebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergal-Sarezer, Rabmag, with the rest of the princes of the king of Babylon. Jerusalem fell and the leaders never expected it, or were perhaps hoping for the best. But the Lord's messages t

Whether you are vacuuming or mopping your floor you must have a clear plan.  If you don't your vacuum cables will be in the way or you could be messing up an area that is already mopped.  Or, worst still, you mop yourself into a corner.  A parallel to this is a chess game.  You do not want to be checkmated.  This is what was going on in Jerusalem.  The king was in a corner and allowed his need for self preservation to lead him into a corner. Jeremiah 38:5-6 Then Zedekiah the king said, “Look, he is in your hand. For the king can do nothing against you.” So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the king’s son, which was in the court of the prison, and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire. So Jeremiah sank in the mire. The dungeon experience must have been harrowing for Jeremiah. He was left to die. But an Ethiopian came to the rescue. While the leaders of Judah operated with human rationale, this Ethiopi

Do you secret admirers?  They are watching you in the corner of their eyes.  Or perhaps they are talking about you in a good way "behind your back".  They could be talking about your good looks.  Or perhaps better still, your good character.  That is priceless.  I have mentioned before that character determines success echoing the phrase or tagline from the program CharacterFirst! that I used to be trainer with.  The character of a person is what influences him/her to do what is right even when no one is looking.  However, the challenge is for secret admirers to emulate your good qualities or model. Jeremiah 37:16-17 When Jeremiah entered the dungeon and the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days, then Zedekiah the king sent and took him out. The king asked him secretly in his house, and said, “Is there any word from the Lord?” Being a prophet is a hard life. Beaten. Jailed. Badly maligned and character assassinated. Though you have a proven track record

Put ink to paper when you want something read many times over. This was the only way to share information, thoughts and ideas until the last century. Then we discovered that content can be carried digitally (email), and then later stored and accessed digitally (www). Today, you have content from everywhere and up to date information shared freely.  You can learn many things independently online. While there is much benefit from this, some abuse these tools for bad purposes. Jeremiah 36:28-29 Take yet another scroll, and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned. And you shall say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, ‘Thus says the Lord: “You have burned this scroll, saying, ‘Why have you written in it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and cause man and beast to cease from here?’ ” Wonder how Jeremiah and Baruch would have done what they did with today's technology. Certainly the ki

I recently read a story about the Hilton hotel having a swingers' party with all kinds of activities that I would care not to share here.  An estimated 800 people had come for this event.  It obviously would not been missed by other hotel guests and may have been awkward for guests that came with families, even individuals and couples, that did not subscribe to this type of lifestyle.  It is becoming hard to stay correct with society becoming more promiscuous by the day.  Even substances, like marijuana, for which some countries like Malaysia are illegal to be carried or consumed and the crime is punishable by death, are being decriminalized in countries like the US. The Rechabites have an interesting history. Like many clans of old, they take on the name of their ancestor and the line specifically mentioned is that of his son Jonadab that purposed to abstain from wine, not cultivate the land, not build and live in homes. They are basically living in tents and are nomads. The

War is a difficult time. Whether you are talking about the wars of the previous century or the ones previous to that. It makes people do desperate things. Bad things continuously escalate.  People, communities and entire nations react with greater and greater intensity to each other's actions.  Every verbal point made in the midst of such conflict is always viewed with high skepticism.  Good gestures and offers are not trusted.  You yourself may be in the midst of such situation, and you may be feeling like the "whole world" is against you like the people of Israel felt. Jeremiah 34:1-2 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army, all the kingdoms of the earth under his dominion, and all the people, fought against Jerusalem and all its cities, saying, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him, Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will give this city into the hand of th