Sreedhar's Journey

Are we there yet? I can just hear my children asking, when they were young. When you are on a long journey, or even a short one, children get restless about being confined to a car during a journey.  I do not blame them because they have limited or no historical experience to rely on. Thankfully the mode of transport available to us today is diverse and efficient to get us to a place faster than years ago in the days of animal drawn carriages and wind driven vessels. In Paul's days the best way for him to travel to Rome was on a sailing ship. Acts 27:2 So, entering a ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea, meaning to sail along the coasts of Asia. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us. This was no cruise ship. And after boarding this regional vessel, they transferred to a ship going to Italy. But the weather conditions were against them unexpectedly. Seasoned sailors made the wrong call. A teacher of the law and now tentmaker was "giving advise" not to sail

It has been a long time since I studied for an exam. I still have vivid memories of my last set of exams when I was doing my MBA as a 23 year old. The exams for all subjects were conducted in one week. You could have 3 exams in a row on the same day. Morning, afternoon and night. And so, you would really need to go crazy studying the day before. Praise God, I managed. After I wrote my last paper I went back to my graduate student apartment and lay on my bed resting before I went to eat two dinners at a Chinese restaurant near the campus. The restaurant must have thought I was crazy to eat two meals. And maybe I was, after a crazy time in the exams. Paul the Apostle was also thought to be crazy from all his learnings. Acts 26:24 Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!” The Roman governor could not understand or accept what Paul had to say. King Agrippa on the other hand appeared to be convinced a

When putting together a report in my days as a consultant we needed to compile sufficient documentation to provide the basis for our analysis and recommendations. Anything that was unsubstantiated would need to be addressed to ensure no stone was left unturned, and the work could be presented with total confidence. I am reminded of this when reading Acts chapter 25 and the statement made by Governor Festus, governor of Judea of at that time. Acts 25:24-27 And Festus said: “King Agrippa and all the men who are here present with us, you see this man about whom the whole assembly of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying out that he was not fit to live any longer. But when I found that he had committed nothing deserving of death, and that he himself had appealed to Augustus, I decided to send him. I have nothing certain to write to my lord concerning him. Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the examinatio

Have you been stopped by a policeman unnecessarily or for reasons that don't make sense? There may be a "nice" reason for it. In many countries corruption is rife and it happens because you have both a giver and a taker. It started with a giver who made a decision to do wrong and felt that he could get away with it by paying a bribe to the policeman who caught him. This vice of man is present the world over, including in Jesus' days. Paul was being held in Caesarea by Governor Felix. He was waiting for the Jewish leaders to come and make their accusations. Even though Paul explained himself and showed that he was innocent, Felix would not release him. He saw him many times hoping for "something". Acts 24:26 Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him. There was no reason for Paul to be put in captivity and Felix knew this. He gave instructions that pe

Going to court for anything is not an easy thing. I have had the difficult task of being in court for a crime I observed, witness on a personal matter and for a civil case. Thankfully, this was it. It is important that matters be settled before you entrust a matter to the courts. But in Paul's case the Jewish leaders were not going to let up. Some 40 people had made a vow to not eat or drink until they had killed Paul. They knew that Paul could not be found to have done any wrongdoing deserving death or incarceration. God had a plan in the midst of all this.  He was to be elevated and allowed an audience with the rulers of the land.  Starting with the Governor of Judea, Governor Marcus Antonius Felix (52-58).   Acts 23:11 But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.” Paul had yet to preach the gospel in Rome and now the opportunity has been given for the unim

In this day and age we live in a global world where exchange of news, information and ideas crosses country boundaries in a matter of milliseconds. It is not like days passed when you waited for a courier or had to travel great distances to experience a different people and their culture. You can do this with "a click of a button". This was not so in the days of Paul the Apostle. And therefore the general population of a community or country went about their daily lives with limited or no information except that which was exchanged in their local marketplace. Paul's standing as a Jew and his teachings were therefore misconstrued. In Acts chapter 21 we saw Paul being attacked by the Jews because information started to spread about him alleged speaking against the Jewish laws.  The commander of the Roman garrison had to mobilize hundreds of soldiers to keep the peace.  In chapter 22 Paul is brought for interrogation by the commander after the Jews started to riot again. Th

I have been to many countries and cities in my lifetime, and one of them was Rome. I was there for an overnight trip. Arrived in the evening, had breakfast in the hotel, business meeting in the morning, and a sumptuous lunch before my flight out. During this time I saw the outsides of the coliseum. I am reminded of the suffering the early Christians went through under the Roman Empire. Paul the Apostle was about to experience some of that suffering in this chapter. Paul was repeatedly warned through many prophecies about his imminent arrest in Jerusalem. Acts 21:11 When he had come to us, he took Paul's belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” Paul was determined to be in Jerusalem. He must have sensed that God wanted him to go to Jerusalem despite the warnings. In fact there was a wonderful outcome of this besides the opportunity to

What is the purpose of your a visit? A commonly asked question at immigration checkpoints. Depending on how you answer the question you get through. I have never once had a problem with these questions. I remember once in my early twenties, a pastor of a fairly large church, said to me that I had a very believable face. My first Managing Director (a Muslim), when I started my first job as a Management Consultant, told me to be careful about what I said as people may take it as the gospel truth. I am gratified to be told these things. But what is the real purpose of your travel? Paul was perhaps asked this question? It was clear in the Spirit that he was going to be incarcerated. Acts 20:29-31 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn ever

I still have vivid memories of the time in 1990 when my wife (just a friend at that time) and I were preparing to go to the Philippines for our first mission trip. I also borrowed a friend's baju melayu (a traditional Malay attire) for one of the presentations we were going to do. As preparation for the trip we met for prayer in church. One of the team members had a headache and I prayed for him. In this cold air conditioned room he was sweating and he mentioned that the headache had gone away. Besides this miracle we also saw many miracles in the Philippines. One of them was an old man who had his hands all cramped up. After I prayed for him he was rejoicing in Tagalog because he could move his hand freely now. Yes, we preached the kingdom and demonstrated it. Paul did the same and stayed in Ephesus for 2 years doing this. Acts 19:11-12 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the disea

Many companies that produce products and services that have export potential fail to break into the export market. There are many reasons for this, including the lack of financial resources. It is very difficult to sustain a move into a new market unless the company has raised the needed capital to produce more goods, have "feet" on the ground and conduct product promotions. You could be thinking that this new movement of followers of Jesus in the first century needed the same. Acts chapter 18 shows that in a few short years the gospel had gone out of Jerusalem into Asia, Europe and Africa.  How could it happen so quickly?  God was behind it right from the beginning.  Paul is promised by God, for this season, that God will protect him. In fact the leader of the accusers of Paul got beaten up. Acts 18:9-10 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I

While there is a need for transition from humanly capable logic to faith to be able comprehend who God is, what His purposes are, and His desired relationship with us, there is so much that can in fact be understood with human understanding.  Hence, we have the whole area of study, that cannot be neglected, in the area of defending Christian doctrines through systematic argumentation and discourse.  Many have had the opportunities to speak about Jesus Christ and the reasons for faith in Him to large, sometimes abusive, audiences. With the internet you have an added platform to speak the truth of the gospel to many without the need for travel. In Paul's days that was not so. Paul went to city after city to share the Word. He always went to the local synagogues and shared the message of the gospel there. In many of these places he is chased. In Acts Chapter 17 he had great trouble in Thessalonica and they pursued him to Berea. As a result, he had to leave by sea to Athens where for

The Roman Empire was once a great institution. It was a republic where you get the idea of a senate, governors and other elements of government that is followed in one way or another by many countries. A highly respected form of government. But based on the record of their process with Paul in this chapter, it is highly corrupted and imperfect due to the influence that a small few could have on the government. But in the midst of all this the gospel moved in a manner that would not have been possible in any other time. Acts 16:8-10 So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. Acts 16:30-31 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,

Working together as a team is not easy. Each one has their own inspiration and aspirations. There are always matters that can come up where there would be differing opinions. You therefore need a leader who is respected to make the final decisions to move forward and everyone is prepared to abide by that decision. Households are the same, and so was the early church. Peter gave wise leadership through the power of the Holy Spirit. Acts 15:10-12 Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.” Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles. Peter clearly understood the grace of God extended for us to be saved. We can add nothing except to receive the Holy Spirit and operate in faith. Pa

I remember going to share the gospel message door to door when I came back to Malaysia for a holiday in 1981. It was an interesting first experience. It was a learning experience. I remember getting into a lengthy discussion with an Indian man. Since then I have been doing this from time to time in various neighborhoods.  It has been gratifying to see people open to invitations, especially prayer in some instances. People were ready to hear my personal experience with God and what He has done in my life .  One thing I realize is that I need to walk with the Holy Spirit so that He guides me in the conversations and prepares the heart of the people. Paul and Barnabas were doing the same and were bolder. Paul and Barnabas went to the synagogues of each city they visited. It would be like me going to the Hindu and Buddhist temples, and the mosque. They were chased from Antioch of Psidia and arrived in Iconium where they had a similar reception. Acts 14:4-5 But the multitude of the city w

There comes a time for change and you approach it with great sense of adventure and opportunity. And at the same time it's mixed in with some fear of the unknown. I experienced these when I left to study in Canada, and again when I returned to Malaysia after 7 years to start my career. This was followed by the time I left my first job after almost 10 years. We all have a fear of change but with God directing each step, we take those steps. There will be times of uncertainty and hardship but God is there. Barnabas and Paul experienced all of these things. The Antioch Church sent Barnabas and Paul with John Mark on their first missionary journey. The first recorded time of ministry was in Paphos on the island of Cyprus. The Proconsul of the place was going to hear them but a sorcerer was in the way. Paul through the power of the Holy Spirit said this. Acts 13:11 And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time. And immediately

Are you ready for miracles? Are there things going on in your life that can only be changed or improved by a miracle? We sometimes come to the end of ourselves and do not know where to turn. We become desperate. You don't have to. Believe in the God of the Universe who created the heaven and the earth. We do have someone to turn to in times of need. God is ready to do exceedingly abundantly over all we can ask or imagine. Brother Yun (a Chinese Christian Minister of the Gospel), aka "Heaven Man" , had an extraordinary experience of a prison escape in China ( video interview with Brother Yun ) similar to the one recorded in Acts Chapter 12. Acts 12:5-7 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a l

In a subject that I teach, I speak about paradigms. Paradigms are not bad in and of themselves, but when your world shifts, or when there are new opportunities afforded to you by shifting your paradigm, being stuck in your old paradigm is bad and sometimes dangerous. Don't get me wrong. There are many things that happen around us that are changing for the bad. We DO NOT flow with them for obvious reasons. Like legalized marijuana, and same sex marriage. I do not hate you for this but, because I love you, I will look at ways and means to help you overcome the challenges you have. Only people who love you and care for you will correctly and genuinely look for ways to help you break out.  Others will either ignore the problem or blindside you and assure you things are okay, when they are not. So, are you ready to see things with a different set of glasses, and grab new opportunities? Make a paradigm shift. This is what the church in Jerusalem had to do. The uncircumcised were getting