Freaky Nehemiah

I am always short of being amazed at the Bible Surgeons (that's what we call ourselves now!). We have pressed on and are ending with chapter 13 of Nehemiah this coming Thursday. Off course we are going to have pot bless oso lah ... but hopefully not somuch food as last semester.

My teachers in the Bible Study group taught me faithfulness! They came faithfully to unearth God's message for us! And as we handled the rubbles of name after name ... many clues were unearthed. We made it fun for each other (as usual); even the last one where Boss almosty fell asleep!!

But Nehemiah was freaky for me! He seemed to rise among the people and call me to be counter-cultural! A cup bearer who couldn't forget his identity as God's people. a man, who was willing to leave behind comfort and travel 100 days to Jerusalem where there was only rubble awaiting him. He withstood the threats of Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem. Wow! That was close to home for me! And then he went on to inspire his people not just to rebuild; to reform and to renew their covenant with the Lord.

I felt called and challenged by this man's life. As I sought the Lord where He wants me to be ... it came clear again ... your place is in Malaysia. Your place is among the youth. Your place is in the Methodist church. Yeah, I see many rubbles in these places. The cost before me .... the call to be a "misfit" ~ an oldie among young people; the loneliness of not hanging out with friends my age (though I have some for my sanity sake and yours!!!). The cost will be to be a lone prophetic voice calling for things not popular and in demand.

But if the MMU Bible Surgeons are anything to go by, ... I see glimmers of hope! Yeah, common guys you can do it!

So we end this week, with casting lots for a Serendipity Bible ... Nehemiah chapter 11 style! See you there!