Sreedhar's Journey

When someone is newly appointed into senior leadership from outside the organization there is always some internal resistance to this. Change is not easily accepted and creates stress on people. It gets manifested in objections to even the smallest of changes, like changes to an internal form. I experienced this in numerous occasions as a consultant and this continued into my days in corporate leadership. As we work through the bigger picture and the end result, much of this resistance gives way and success results. Jesus faced huge opposition to what He had to say. Matthew 21:23 Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?” The chief priests and the pharisees were challenging Jesus' authority in the temple. He spoke to them in parables so that they got the message. He answered their question with a question. The...

Is a half-truth the truth or a lie?  In the American court system, part of the witness oath requires the person to say, "the whole truth, and nothing but the truth".  Half-truths are not admissible in court and are considered lies, and can lead to a contempt of court.  Saying everything can sometimes hurt but always delivers good in the long run.  The name "Jesus" is so misunderstood.  Many use this name as a curse word, but others mention Him with high acclaim.  However, these high acclaims fall short of the "full truth".  Matthew 20:30-31 And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” Greatest prophet. Greatest guru. Greatest holy man. The man you will see at judgement. These statements or accolades...

Life is never simple when there are so many things (and persons) that you cannot control and there are so many uncertainties.  Many motivational speakers will make you cry out, "Take Charge" or "Yes, We Can", but truth be told that these statements of motivation can only get you so far.  Jesus encounters many questions and requests for direction in this chapter. Marriage, wealth, position and family. They all fall under this same category of things you have limited control.  So what do you do? Matthew 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Jesus' reply seems to be difficult to understand and obey. If this is what God wants us to do we can do it by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Have you been put into difficult situations where all your skills and experience seem inadequate for the task at hand. I have been there many times. I still remember as a 33 year old leading a projec...

Children in your home and/or around you are great. They can teach you many things in life as they ask straightforward open questions about many things. Sometimes they may ask intimate or sensitive questions and we need a way to explain them so that they get what they need in this stage of their lives and they can understand it well. Jesus uses the same parallel with us. We need to come to God with straightforward and open questions when we interact with Him in prayer or reading the Word. Matthew 18:2-5 NKJV Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. After talking about children, Jesus goes on to talk about correction and forgiveness. Again, ...

The days are going by so quickly and before you know it, it is December and Christmas is less than 30 days away, and another year is coming to an end, and you are faced with another year of either challenges, opportunities or perhaps regrets. No, Jesus never looked back. He looked forward. When He shared again that He was going to be killed and arise after 3 days, the disciples only focused on His coming death and were sad. They did not catch the second part of His statement. Even though Jesus was transfigured and Peter, James and John saw it all, they had little faith. Matthew 17:22-23 Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up." And they were exceedingly sorrowful. We have a tendency to focus on the here and now. The struggles, the challenges and the regrets. No, there is a new thing coming and we need to keep moving forwa...

Do you remember the old phrase that you hear people around you saying "touch wood"? Well it has pagan roots from the days that they worshiped the spirits of trees and things made from the wood. It has become so common that people of many faiths say it to repel a bad saying, especially death. Do you fear death? Is death defeat? If your paradigm is limited to the here and now then the answer would be yes. But Jesus saw it very differently. Besides talking about the bad teaching of the religious leaders of His time, He freely and frequently spoke of His death in this chapter. Matthew 16:4,21 [4] A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." And He left them and departed. [21] From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Jesus was asked...

Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. How true. We use the phrase "slip of the tongue" all the time. In reality there may not have been a slip.  You spoke what was on your heart. We can justify for all you care, it does not remove the fact that you were thinking in a certain way about a situation or a person. The religious leaders of Jesus' day were having great heart issues and this was prophesied by Isaiah. Matthew 15:7-9 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' This chapter in a nutshell shows Jesus speaking about the “elephant in the room” when it came to the spiritual condition of the religious leadership of Israel in His days. We also need to be self searching.  Are we sincerely seeking God and His ways in our lives? Jesus was unconven...

Beheading as a form of execution was common in the old days, but it was done away with in many modern countries because of its cruel nature. However, countries like Saudi Arabia and groups like ISIS practice this for some of smallest of crimes in their context.  Whatever the case, it is a form of execution that predated Jesus' times and was used by Herod on John the Baptist.  Though Herod was afraid to behead John, he used the excuse of a promise to Herodias' daughter to behead him.  It was a sad day, but the Jesus' ministry was unaffected by this. Matthew 14:6-8 But when Herod’s birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod. Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, “Give me John the Baptist’s head here on a platter.” In this chapter, Jesus retreated to a quiet place but the crowds followed Him and he performed the miracle of feeding the 5,...

A good story always has a good opening, a moving account about what happened, and a "good feeling" ending. Everybody loves a good story and that's what makes people go to the movies. Some have experimented with stories to promote a cause that has no good ending in order to provoke action. These may have smaller audiences but will attract those who identify with the cause. The true story of Jesus Christ is a story that has both a sad and happy ending. Matthew 13:16-17 But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. In this chapter Jesus tells many parables. Many sat and listened not because they understood the parables but because He had done many miracles before this. Their hearts were closed to the message. The happy ending is that many will hear well and celebrate the kingdom of ...

While going house to house inviting families to church I met Tom.  He vigorously mentioned that he is against organized religion and that he finds that all people are good irrespective of their faiths. I had a good time speaking with him and I shared my personal testimony about how I became a Christian. And spoke about how God's love was what attracted me to Jesus. We got to pray for him and left. In a way Jesus did the same during His days though I have much more to learn about His ways. Jesus also came against organized religion in His time of ministry.  Jesus speaks here strongly to Pharisees. Matthew 12:3-5 But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are b...

It is time to get first hand information. There are too many lies on the internet. There have been so much of that in the different social media channels that it promotes unsettling behavior among significant groups of people.  Rumors and incorrectly presented information that leads to uncivil behavior only demonstrates the poor integrity of both the promoter of the information and the recipient.  The operators of these social media channels can only do so much.  Given the large revenues earned from "sponsored" content, this could also be in the way of receiving unvarnished facts.  Jesus faced this even before TV and radio, and of course before the internet. Matthew 11:18-19 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children. The word "children" is sometimes menti...

All of us have been in a situation where we bought a piece of equipment and the first thing we would refer to is the user manual. Without the user manual you may even have difficulty turning the equipment on. It also tells you all the features and how to use them. There are some who do it by trial and error without referring to the user manual, like me. Most times this may be okay, but sometimes you could damage the equipment. There are warnings in the manual to be heeded too. But many do not get to them in the midst of eagerness of using the equipment. Matthew 10:18-20 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. Jesus has given us our manual for life, the Bible. Don't try to live this life by t...

Many jockey to be close to people of authority or of some repute. They seek some personal return from such relationships. Nothing wrong with this if the resulting benefits are derived from skills and experience of the person, and therefore totally based on merit.  In Jesus' day He was both approached by, and approached people of authority.  He was approached by a ruler who had a dead daughter.  He also approached Matthew the tax collector.  Because, people hated the tax collectors of their day, they found it offensive for Jesus to have Matthew in His team.  Matthew 9:10-11 Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Yes, you will be misunderstood like Jesus when you associate yourself with the rogues of the community but Jesus did ...

There is a great interest in the supernatural and the paranormal. This is seen by the great number of movies and moviegoers for this genre. I have only one answer for this. Somewhere deep inside we all know these things are real and there is a desire to know more. If you lived in Jesus' days you would also have experienced it first hand. The chapter today speaks of healing for many different things. There is also record of many that are demon possessed being delivered. In one case the demons moved from two humans to pigs. Wow. Does this still happen today? Can you experience these things now? Yes, they do and yes, you can. Matthew 8:28-29 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?” I accep...

What attracts you to a person? Is it what he says? His deeds? Or perhaps what he has? It has been said that if you want to be successful, you need to intentionally choose to be around successful people. The question becomes what do you define as successful? What is the measure? I have seen many "successful" people lead terrible lives. Divorced, remarried, children unhappy, unhappy home situations, abusive leaders, unethical business practices, and bitterness to name a few. A successful person can build and own an expensive "house", but not a "home". It may be hard finding the right successful people. The best are God fearing individuals who know that God is not finished perfecting them. Matthew 7:28-29 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Matthew chapters 5 through 7 show God's expectations of us. One successful ...

I remember when I was in school having to do a subject called Civics where you were taught all the right things to do. It was a subject that you were never tested on and so no one paid serious attention to it.  In the final year of my Malaysian high school the person that taught us Civics was the headmaster himself.  When he came in we were extra quiet.  This was not normal even though his office was directly above us.  We were a loud class where a third of the class were school prefects and the class monitor was more a friend and my bench buddy (we sat next to each other).  Something was missing. Matthew 6:22-23 The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! These are the many virtues that Jesus teaches on the Mount. Generosity, humility, forgiveness, c...

The law of the land is there for us so that we have freedom. It seems counter intuitive but that is the only way to have freedom in our daily living. Imagine driving on the left side of the road in the United States, or vice versa in Malaysia. Or, coming to a green light and wondering if you can drive through the junction. Or, living in a country where there are no rules and people can come and go as they wish from other countries. There would be no freedom. No peace of mind. Everyone does what is right in their own eyes and eventually the wrong is legislated and you have babies aborted, same sex couples in a legal union adopting children, and harmful chemicals and products being legalized for sale (it is interesting that in the past other pharmaceutical products are tested so thoroughly before being approved for sale). Freedom? People are chasing freedom and forgetting that you need truth before freedom. Matthew 5:43-44 You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neig...

There was once reported a great conflict in Syria. To the point that more people were leaving than were staying. It was either because of their own government or ISIS, the militant Islamist group. The beautiful country and its people were destroyed. This point in history may be part of prophecy being fulfilled. It has a rich history but the sad thing is that it was influenced for Islam after the gospel had touched the land in Jesus' days. Jesus' fame spread to Syria based on what is said in this chapter. It is time for Syria to return to the Lord. Matthew 4:23-25 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. Great multitudes ...

Words of encouragement and affirmation always go a long way. Everyone love kind words. Who does not appreciate some sincere praise? Praise is a way for a leader, a parent or a teacher to show what meets their approval. It is powerful if used correctly. It can transform a person. God is no different. He also bestows genuine praise. Matthew 3:16-17 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus has just been baptized by John the Baptist and the Father from heaven speaks. We can learn great truths from our loving God. If Jesus, God, can be praised by God then this is a character of God to have in our own lives. Humanly speaking, it takes effort to look for the good in a person and praise it. But do take the effort. Father, help me...

When I was young we lived in many parts of Malaysia before I left to study in Canada in 1980. I was born in Sg Petani, lived on the island of Langkawi, the city of Alor Setar, then Petaling Jaya and then Johor Bahru and back to Petaling Jaya. It was challenging to keep friendships when you move so much and there is no way of staying in touch, unlike social media today. Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus had the same experience. He was born in Bethlehem, moved to Egypt for a time and then settled in Nazareth.  These moves of Jesus were very much what God directed through Joseph. These eventful moves were not only told to Joseph but were prophesied hundreds of years earlier through different prophets. One such prophecy is this one in the Gospel according to Matthew. Matthew 2:4-6 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written...

In one of my previous posts I mentioned about the great father we need to be. Today as I enter into the New Testament, we read about another father, Father Abraham who is sometimes called the Father of Nations because he is the channel of blessing to all nations. The generations were mapped out so well. The genealogy is documented clearly for all to see and research. Many prophecies are fulfilled as Jesus comes to us in human form. Matthew 1:21-23 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins. So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” The prophet mentioned here is Isaiah and he prophesied it 700 years earlier.  It was fulfilled with great accuracy.  The season is coming in December to remember Jesus' birth. I...

Being a father is no small thing. The enormity of that responsibility came quickly in March of 1993. As I held Sharmaine in my arms in the hospital, I remember tears of joy and the Lord showing me a new season that Lee Yen and I are to go through. It's been over 25 years now and we have had 3 boys since, the responsibility has grown and I constantly look to God for His guidance in raising God fearing children. Lee Yen and I are not perfect, and so God has to do much work for us. Hence our constant cry to the Lord. Since my boys and I started ALERT Cadets in 2005 this last verse in Malachi has caught our attention. Malachi 4:6 And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse. This is important for all us Dads. Jesus has come, and through the power of the Holy Spirit shown how we are to not just provide food, clothing, shelter and education, but also spiritual discipl...

Believe it or not I have more than 10,000 contacts in my cell phone which is backed up in the cloud. This was built from when I was about 28 years old when I could sending holiday greetings to clients and friends on company account. The data migrated through many database platforms to the current cloud contact platform. I have met people who I can say that I met them some time in the past in an old position and/or company. And this becomes a great talking point. There is another person that keeps good records. That is God. Malachi 3:16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name. Yes, God has you in His book of remembrance if you fear the Lord and meditate on Him. Obviously these actions lead to us to going about our lives in obedience to God choosing His ways rather than ours. In this chapter of Malachi you see God's way...