Dear…
'The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them'
Romans 1:18-19
'And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, ……'
Jeremiah 29:18
Telling it as it is, might not cut it with many in the world who prefers to engage in the myriad of lies and deceit of their own making. But it is time to cut to the chase, and while upheavals are part and parcel of the cycle of life, just like intrigue and jostling for power is the singular most consistent pattern of human life, no better exemplified by the book that I read some years back on the history of 2000 years of Chinese Emperors, the difference this time round is that the amplitude and intensity of the cycles have broadened and intensified.
'Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else'
Isaiah 45:22
If this is another one of my seemingly pessimistic and doomsday sharing, at least to some it seems to be of late, then the choice of title "Saving Private Ryan" seems a little out of sync. Are we not talking about destruction rather than salvation?
'And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain………….'
2 Chronciles 13:12
Some might recall that the movie(produced in 1998) was set in the last world war. Pte Ryan was one of 4 brothers from small town America. Uncle Sam did have a heart in those days, and an order was sent out to recall him from behind enemy lines, as his other three brothers had unfortunately died and the intention was to ensure that the family line was preserved. Of course, the group of men sent out to bring him back underwent many trials and tribulations, and most died just to save one life. Is there merit in that logic?
'To whom will ye liken Me, and make Me equal, and compare Me, that we may be like?
They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god; they fall down, yea, they worship'
Isaiah 46:5-6
The basic tenet of our Christian faith is that man have sinned, and that our Heavenly Father sent His one and only beloved Son to die on the cross, to cleanse us of our sins and by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the grip of death on men is broken. However, God will not impose His will upon us. Like Adam, many of us have chosen to 'play god' and are literally still munching away at the apple that the devil offered all of us, ie the right to choose and decide between what we consider is right or wrong. Many are still willing to give up their 'birth right'(just like famished Esau who sold his birthright to the cunning Jacob) ie the right to start anew with our Father and instead, they rather remain enamoured with the delusions of the evil world.
'Blessed be God, …...Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God'
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Unlike "Private Ryan" where many died to save one, as believers, we know that for the world, only one man was sacrificed to save the rest of us. But Jesus Christ was no ordinary man. He was God incarnate. He was like man, yet without our imperfections.
In simplistic terms, the 'saving' is already done. But unlike the secular world, where not responding mean a 'yes.' For matters of our faith, the Lord our God gives us a choice. To accept the salvation offered to all, is not based on our personal efforts or that of others, but by simply recognizing the truth of the gospel and repenting of our sins, to believe that Christ has died for our sins and to be an obedient and faithful follower of our Lord, to be made ready for His return. Circumcision is of the heart by the Spirit, and we response by yielding to the will of God in faith.
'…Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand'
Matthew 4:17
As believers, indeed there is still work to be done. But it is not about dragging the unwilling over into the safe harbour of God's presence, but rather, to be the lamp that God's light shines forth, that will penetrate the encapsulating darkness and delusion that has so insulated the innate desire in all of us, to show love and to worship God, but now fully wrapped up by our sins. And like a butterfly that breaks out of its ugly cocoon, the Lord will use us to lead by example, to lay forth the journey of faith, to ensure that the flickering light of desire to seek God do not get snuffed out at its rudimentary stage or even near the finish line or any time at all.
'Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.'
Genesis 12:1-2
Unlike the other Private, ie Pte Benjamin(aka Goldie Hawn in a movie in 1980) who joined the US Army on a whim and fancy and muddled her way through to glory, we in our previous incarnate, the secular man might have muddled along as an unbeliever, but when the Lord our God brought us forth out of the darkness, it was no accident, but rather, His will for us, to know Him, to follow Him and to obey Him in the way we live and in being a testimony to many more whose hearts are still blinded.
'…by faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out into a place which he should after he received for an inheriitance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went…'
Hebrews 11:8
As a believer, I know God is real, for He is ever present in my life. As a follower, I know for certain my destination, for just as we await the return of Jesus Christ, our God is preparing us who are willing to come into His kingdom. So, how does one not just pass the message(just like the ill fated men of Pte Ryan) of the good news of the gospel, which itself is a challenge with the need to wade and battle through the enemy lines( and here we are not just talking about the natural,but the spiritual wars), but would the recipient be all eyes and ears and be a responsive one to boot?
'…The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight'
Matthew 3:3
In a dream last night, the Lord reminded me that we do not journey alone. He is with us. He is there always. Are we willing to look unto Him. On a wing and prayers, He will carry us through and indeed, prayers brings us into a close communion with our Lord. Prayers asked in His will will be answered.
'Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek Me and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart….'
Jeremiah 29:12-13
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(24July2008)
Monday, July 28, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Running the race #2 W.I.P (23jul2008)
If a man dies, shall he live again?'
Job 14:14
In a world where deception and delusion have increasingly become the moral of choice(no need to look too far than the present financial crisis), one of the greatest lies ever propagated must be this, live for the present, strive and strife towards attaining what the world values, be it power, prestige, a life of comfort and use this largese to buy yourself what comes after, if that matters to you. Man want to believe that the god or gods they will worship is the right god, for it is a reflection of their own selfish perceptions.
'…these men have set up their idols in their heart…..'
Ezekiel 14:3
The civilizations of old, be it Egyptian or Chinese, spent an undue amount of time and resources preparing for the afterlife, an expectation that the present comforts and status of the present will be extended into the yond. Thankfully for that, the world gets a chance to admire the quality of antiquities of days gone by.
'…a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place, all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again'
Ecclesiastes 3:19-20
Suppose the Bible speaks the truth, and it does, and dust you might still be when the Lord returns, but the bodily shell might be gone, but your very soul is very much alive and has to be accountable to the Lord on judgement day, And being in a sauna a million times over might not be your idea of a life of relaxation, unless you love mixing with the bad and the ugly, for the devil might have been a beautiful angel, but that was the past.
'To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven'
Ecclesiastes 3:1
Work in progress is one term I learned in my A-levels in my first tentative introduction to the subject of Accounting. I guess, with today's need to mask pain and defer reality, the many incomprehensible accounting rules that I racked my brain to fathom, is no longer of any consequential value. In the simpler days, W.I. P refers to uncompleted work undertaken, be it property development or the manufacturing of widgets.
'And be renewed in the spirit of your mind. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness…..'
Ephesians 4:23-24
Believer or not, the fallen man are all work in progress. The Lord is perfecting us, to be in His likeness. To bring us back from the fallen state to His image. But many of us have chosen to do otherwise, believing in our own defintion of what is right or wrong, believing in defining the god or gods that we are most comfortable to align our selfish will to .
'Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to brids, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
….Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator……'
Romans 1:22-25
These past 6 years, the journey that I have walked with the Lord has been spent more on focussing to know Him, to let His light shine forth upon the darkness sheltering in the inner recesses of our hearts, to learn about our imperfections, to let God refine us as He put us through the crucible of purification. For anyone who truly seek the Lord our God, who is determined to come into His presence, who strives to be faithful even as his carnal nature tries to pull him back, you will today, imperfect as we all will be still, yet be a man who has grown with the Lord, a man whose life is increasingly aligned with the will of God.
Ye also , as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritiual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ'
1 Peter 2 :5
What about the world?
'When He is angry, the earth trembles….The nations cannot endure His wrath'
Jeremiah 10:10
Time and tide waits for no one, but the Lord our God has been patient. Like Nineveh, God wants to save all and much as He gives us all a free will, He will more than remind us and bring us over once we show that small inkling of desire to repent and return to Him. But the Lord has also set a conclusion beyond which, our procrastination and sinful disobedience will leave us no room for redemption. But God is good, He has also shown us what is to come and may these markers of the End of Times, a prelude to the return of His beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, be a more forceful 'wake-up' call than the limpid efforts of His chosen messenger, Jonah in the days of Nineveh.
'So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them…..
..And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way, and God repented of the evil, that He had said that He would do unto them, and He did it not'
Jonah 3:1-10
Some of you might have watched the Chinese epic, "Red Cliff" produced by John Woo. Quite an interesting story, not just because of the blood and gore, but with the masterful retelling of a key battle of a tumultous period in Chinese history. Looks like I will go pick up an English version of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms not just because the the movie left us awaiting the 2nd part to be played out likely early next year, John Woo's idea of a cliffhanger, but rather, there are indeed many lessons to be learned from the battle of wits of the protagonists, whose strategies and wiles are still used in today's modern society.
Of course, I will also like to pick up the book to find out the conclusion of the expected battle at Red Cliff and how the defenders of the invasion overcame the overwhelming odds.
'Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord our God…. To make ready a people prepared for the Lord' And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.'
Luke 1:16-17
Life might seem like a stage and all of us are the players, but unlike the movie, where the date of the sequel is known, none of us know when the Lord our God will return and bring to a conclusion this temporal but painful existence of man, in the fallen world. But the Lord has given us clearly, the markers to look out for as the increasingly sinful world hurtles towards its conclusion. Let me not predict the timing of our Lord's return but let me share some observations of these markers as I see it, and imperfect as these postulations might be, may the Lord our God speak to you, that you become cognizance of the very danger to your soul, that you will turn away from damnation and towards salvation, as you surely would, if only you would allow Him.
'Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded. But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimestone from heaven, and destroyed them all.'
Luke 17:28
For mortal death is not the end all, but a temporary respite from what is to come.
'Marvel not at this , for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice. And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation'
John 5:28-29
So do heed the promptings of the Lord, for all are forewarned, even as the prophesies of the Word of our Lord increasingly comes to life. Interesting postulations these might be, but at best they are from a finite man and will be flawed. What is more important is not one's view of the world, but you yourself. Will you consider coming to the presence of the Lord our God, before the present world moves into the past tense??
1. Is the much abused Earth crying out for humanity?
'There will be earthquakes in various places and there shall be famines and troubles; these are the beginnings of sorrows'
Mark 13:8
Creation groans as the birth pangs of End times intensifies. No where is this more well demonstrated than in the scale and intensity of natural disasters that the world has witnessed in recent years, be in in the Asian tsunami, Katrina in New Orleans, Sichuan earthquake, Myammar cyclone and now, the African famine. Is this the prelude to an even greater shaking? Till the next one, most would have been too caught up with the world to give these events much thought, unless it has hit one personally.
'Before Him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forht at His feet'
Habakkuk 3:5
What about diseases and famines? SARS and bird flu might be relatively new in terms of intensity. But the old long eradicated disease of tuberculosis is simmering and could be back with a vengeance and might soon find company with that old bane of humanity, small pox, should the last remnants of that dreaded disease ever find its way out of the laboratory.
2. Are the wolves howling for the lost sheep??
No news is sometimes good news, but the world wants to hear what their selfish hearts pines for, and the niche of false prophesy and lies has increasingly gone mainstream and is doing a roaring trade. A lie becomes fact when the hearer wants to believe in it and the messenger sticks to the same message come what may. People are subscribing to the version of a 'god' who will fit into their selfish desires, be it for material blessings, words without works, secularism fused with spirituality, but in truth, a heart that is far from God.
'They say still unto them that despise Me, The Lord hath said, Ye shall have peace, and they say unto everyone that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you'
Jeremiah 23:17
'I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied'
Jeremiah 23:21
And what about the Bible? In recent years, the world has witnessed "new discoveries" that purport to challenge the Biblical truths. Men are always looking for 'facts' or 'new thoughts' to either substantiate or disprove the Word of God. The Da Vinci Code brought myth to a new reality. Now, with the expected launch on 24th July of the Codex Sinaiticus on the web, the claimed oldest complete copy of the New Testament, there should be new grounds for controversy, as men look for comparative errors or deviations from the present text used.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. And the Word was God(John 1:1). Does God need the sinful and finite men, with their imperfect understanding to either justify or disprove Him? If you truly seek the Lord our God and come into His presence every moment of your life, you will know that faith is indeed the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen and with the deep assurance of God and the sanctification of His Spirit, you will know God.
3. What about God's chosen people?
The newspapers recently had an interesting article on the present leadership in Israel. Unlike the early days of its founding fathers, where socialism was the norm and everyone stays in a Kibbutz, irregardless of status, the Israel of the today is very much focussed on the secular world, with a significant percentage of its leadership accused of graft, corruption and sexual immorality. The pioneering spirit of selflessness, of seeking God in right living, has been increasingly replaced by selfish interests and by mammon.
'Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt….."obey My voice, and do them, according to all which I command you; so you shall be My people, and I will be your God' Jeremiah 11:4
'Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked everyone in the imagination of their evil heart……'
Jeremiah 11:8
In the recent Lebanon conflict in July 2006, with the Hezbollah, the much vaunted Israelite military was taken down a peg or two. Its aura of invincibility was diminished somewhat and a third of Israel's populations were exposed to rocket attacks. Would the world soon witnessed a harder wake-up call should the sabre rattling by Israel and its old nemesis, Persia(now present day Iran and soon to include most of Shitte Iraq) turn into a more serious conflict? And would we soon see a chastened Israel more amenable to peace with the very oil rich but politically at risk Sunni Arab states, who might deem Israel a safer enemy than their dangerous friends, the Shiite Iranians.
4. What about us, the Gentiles??
'Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them'
Romans 1:32
Our Lord Jesus Christ used the Apostle Paul powerfully, in bringing the growth of Christianity to the then dominant power of the world, the Roman Empire. When the Roman Catholic church became a surrogate for the corrupt Emperor's machinations, the Lord again brought forth a great revival, through the Protestant movement.. Today, the home of that great revival of Christian faith, the Anglican church is going through great schism with its anointing of the likes of men who thought Sodom was a joyful place and that the cleaving of the same gender is in line with modern human values. An updated modern Christianity, refined to suit the present but still sinful world has led to men's sinful reinterpretation of the Word of God, which is the same today, yesterday and will be the same till He returns. Man is replacing God with their own idols and we are moving towards the ideals of the devil, who is androgynous and loves his own image.
Today, secularism is the new religion in Europe. And civil rights mean that the tyranny of the minority will increasingly take precedence over that of the indifferent majority. And that God has no place in the public places of society be it in the schools or at work is now a reality in many places of the world.
5. What about America??
'..when you hear of wars and rumours of war, do not be afraid. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come…..'
Mark 13:8
Down on its knees. The stage is set for the demise of the vibrancy of the old world order and the ushering of the new. With the policeman of the world increasingly incapable of performing its role, with a resurgent Russia and a confident China biting at its heels, with more nations vying to join the nuclear club, and with the increased competition for the resources of the world, conflict will be the trend going forward. The world will want to sue for peace, to cling on to their sinful desires and would be more willing to listen or pay obeisance to whoever can promise to meet these needs.
United Europe is now a reality, something that no one imagined was ever possible given the fractious and hatred filled history of Europe, the source of the two major world wars. With the tearing down of the Berlin Wall symbolizing the Iron Curtain coming down, the world is seeing the near completion of the process of a once communists controlled, but now liberalized Eastern European coming to join the EU, to fulfil this union of the brotherhood of men. The beginnings of a possible New Roman Empire?? The prelude to the appearance of the Anti-Christ? ?
Nuclear power is the privy of the French, whose independent streak has ensured that they stayed in the forefront of this once hated energy source. Interestingly, France under its new suave President has just concluded a Mediterranean club meeting, comprising of many nations(European, North African and Arab) bordering the Mediterranean, including arch enemies Israel and Syria. And not forgetting the volatile Balkan nations. And now France is looking to be back in NATO( just as America's leadership of the dominant military alliance is waning).
What about water? Water and energy will be the two key resources an increasingly industrialized world will hunger after and fight for, and as an interested observer, one should not ignore the recent major corporate realignments in these major sectors in Europe and the fact that an assertive Russia(the possible future invaders of Israel from the North) now holds the key to either a frigid or comfortable winter for most of Europe with its control over gas.
6. What about the world??
'… and the gospel must first be preached to all nations'
Mark 13:10
In one swift stroke, the internet and technology in general, have made it possible for communication to reach the far flung places of the world. God wants each and everyone of us to be given that choice, to follow or not to follow His call. But we must all first hear of the good news of the gospel. The world is now a much smaller place and with the lifting of the Iron Curtain and the capitalist swing of China, there are now indeed very few places in the world where instititional barriers made it harder to spread the gospel. Remember once isolated Albania. Indeed North Korea does feel lonely.
And with the globalization of cities, where the world, at least people of impact gather to live and work in, there has never been such a concentration of different beliefs in just a few areas. An opportunity for harmonization of beliefs at the lowest common denominator, a one world religion, yet also an opportunity for many to hear and experience the Gospel of our Sovereign God being lived out.
The world is indeed a World In Progress. But is it a digression towards mammon or a progression towards God? It cuts both way and the choice is yours. John Woo edited his version of Red Cliff to a shorter 2 1/2 hours to suit the American audience. For the rest of us, it will be two movies of total 4-5hours. That in itself is already just one segment of the long epic "Romance of the Three Kingdoms"
This sharing was not meant to look like a long distance race, but truly its length is a testimony of the sense of urgency that requires our attention and response to, for one might be long on the details, but the time for you is short.
'He hath made everything beautiful in His time; also He hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. I know there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life'
Ecclesiastes 3:11-12
Rgds and God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(21 Jul 2008)
Job 14:14
In a world where deception and delusion have increasingly become the moral of choice(no need to look too far than the present financial crisis), one of the greatest lies ever propagated must be this, live for the present, strive and strife towards attaining what the world values, be it power, prestige, a life of comfort and use this largese to buy yourself what comes after, if that matters to you. Man want to believe that the god or gods they will worship is the right god, for it is a reflection of their own selfish perceptions.
'…these men have set up their idols in their heart…..'
Ezekiel 14:3
The civilizations of old, be it Egyptian or Chinese, spent an undue amount of time and resources preparing for the afterlife, an expectation that the present comforts and status of the present will be extended into the yond. Thankfully for that, the world gets a chance to admire the quality of antiquities of days gone by.
'…a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place, all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again'
Ecclesiastes 3:19-20
Suppose the Bible speaks the truth, and it does, and dust you might still be when the Lord returns, but the bodily shell might be gone, but your very soul is very much alive and has to be accountable to the Lord on judgement day, And being in a sauna a million times over might not be your idea of a life of relaxation, unless you love mixing with the bad and the ugly, for the devil might have been a beautiful angel, but that was the past.
'To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven'
Ecclesiastes 3:1
Work in progress is one term I learned in my A-levels in my first tentative introduction to the subject of Accounting. I guess, with today's need to mask pain and defer reality, the many incomprehensible accounting rules that I racked my brain to fathom, is no longer of any consequential value. In the simpler days, W.I. P refers to uncompleted work undertaken, be it property development or the manufacturing of widgets.
'And be renewed in the spirit of your mind. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness…..'
Ephesians 4:23-24
Believer or not, the fallen man are all work in progress. The Lord is perfecting us, to be in His likeness. To bring us back from the fallen state to His image. But many of us have chosen to do otherwise, believing in our own defintion of what is right or wrong, believing in defining the god or gods that we are most comfortable to align our selfish will to .
'Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to brids, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
….Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator……'
Romans 1:22-25
These past 6 years, the journey that I have walked with the Lord has been spent more on focussing to know Him, to let His light shine forth upon the darkness sheltering in the inner recesses of our hearts, to learn about our imperfections, to let God refine us as He put us through the crucible of purification. For anyone who truly seek the Lord our God, who is determined to come into His presence, who strives to be faithful even as his carnal nature tries to pull him back, you will today, imperfect as we all will be still, yet be a man who has grown with the Lord, a man whose life is increasingly aligned with the will of God.
Ye also , as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritiual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ'
1 Peter 2 :5
What about the world?
'When He is angry, the earth trembles….The nations cannot endure His wrath'
Jeremiah 10:10
Time and tide waits for no one, but the Lord our God has been patient. Like Nineveh, God wants to save all and much as He gives us all a free will, He will more than remind us and bring us over once we show that small inkling of desire to repent and return to Him. But the Lord has also set a conclusion beyond which, our procrastination and sinful disobedience will leave us no room for redemption. But God is good, He has also shown us what is to come and may these markers of the End of Times, a prelude to the return of His beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, be a more forceful 'wake-up' call than the limpid efforts of His chosen messenger, Jonah in the days of Nineveh.
'So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them…..
..And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way, and God repented of the evil, that He had said that He would do unto them, and He did it not'
Jonah 3:1-10
Some of you might have watched the Chinese epic, "Red Cliff" produced by John Woo. Quite an interesting story, not just because of the blood and gore, but with the masterful retelling of a key battle of a tumultous period in Chinese history. Looks like I will go pick up an English version of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms not just because the the movie left us awaiting the 2nd part to be played out likely early next year, John Woo's idea of a cliffhanger, but rather, there are indeed many lessons to be learned from the battle of wits of the protagonists, whose strategies and wiles are still used in today's modern society.
Of course, I will also like to pick up the book to find out the conclusion of the expected battle at Red Cliff and how the defenders of the invasion overcame the overwhelming odds.
'Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord our God…. To make ready a people prepared for the Lord' And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.'
Luke 1:16-17
Life might seem like a stage and all of us are the players, but unlike the movie, where the date of the sequel is known, none of us know when the Lord our God will return and bring to a conclusion this temporal but painful existence of man, in the fallen world. But the Lord has given us clearly, the markers to look out for as the increasingly sinful world hurtles towards its conclusion. Let me not predict the timing of our Lord's return but let me share some observations of these markers as I see it, and imperfect as these postulations might be, may the Lord our God speak to you, that you become cognizance of the very danger to your soul, that you will turn away from damnation and towards salvation, as you surely would, if only you would allow Him.
'Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded. But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimestone from heaven, and destroyed them all.'
Luke 17:28
For mortal death is not the end all, but a temporary respite from what is to come.
'Marvel not at this , for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice. And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation'
John 5:28-29
So do heed the promptings of the Lord, for all are forewarned, even as the prophesies of the Word of our Lord increasingly comes to life. Interesting postulations these might be, but at best they are from a finite man and will be flawed. What is more important is not one's view of the world, but you yourself. Will you consider coming to the presence of the Lord our God, before the present world moves into the past tense??
1. Is the much abused Earth crying out for humanity?
'There will be earthquakes in various places and there shall be famines and troubles; these are the beginnings of sorrows'
Mark 13:8
Creation groans as the birth pangs of End times intensifies. No where is this more well demonstrated than in the scale and intensity of natural disasters that the world has witnessed in recent years, be in in the Asian tsunami, Katrina in New Orleans, Sichuan earthquake, Myammar cyclone and now, the African famine. Is this the prelude to an even greater shaking? Till the next one, most would have been too caught up with the world to give these events much thought, unless it has hit one personally.
'Before Him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forht at His feet'
Habakkuk 3:5
What about diseases and famines? SARS and bird flu might be relatively new in terms of intensity. But the old long eradicated disease of tuberculosis is simmering and could be back with a vengeance and might soon find company with that old bane of humanity, small pox, should the last remnants of that dreaded disease ever find its way out of the laboratory.
2. Are the wolves howling for the lost sheep??
No news is sometimes good news, but the world wants to hear what their selfish hearts pines for, and the niche of false prophesy and lies has increasingly gone mainstream and is doing a roaring trade. A lie becomes fact when the hearer wants to believe in it and the messenger sticks to the same message come what may. People are subscribing to the version of a 'god' who will fit into their selfish desires, be it for material blessings, words without works, secularism fused with spirituality, but in truth, a heart that is far from God.
'They say still unto them that despise Me, The Lord hath said, Ye shall have peace, and they say unto everyone that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you'
Jeremiah 23:17
'I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied'
Jeremiah 23:21
And what about the Bible? In recent years, the world has witnessed "new discoveries" that purport to challenge the Biblical truths. Men are always looking for 'facts' or 'new thoughts' to either substantiate or disprove the Word of God. The Da Vinci Code brought myth to a new reality. Now, with the expected launch on 24th July of the Codex Sinaiticus on the web, the claimed oldest complete copy of the New Testament, there should be new grounds for controversy, as men look for comparative errors or deviations from the present text used.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. And the Word was God(John 1:1). Does God need the sinful and finite men, with their imperfect understanding to either justify or disprove Him? If you truly seek the Lord our God and come into His presence every moment of your life, you will know that faith is indeed the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen and with the deep assurance of God and the sanctification of His Spirit, you will know God.
3. What about God's chosen people?
The newspapers recently had an interesting article on the present leadership in Israel. Unlike the early days of its founding fathers, where socialism was the norm and everyone stays in a Kibbutz, irregardless of status, the Israel of the today is very much focussed on the secular world, with a significant percentage of its leadership accused of graft, corruption and sexual immorality. The pioneering spirit of selflessness, of seeking God in right living, has been increasingly replaced by selfish interests and by mammon.
'Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt….."obey My voice, and do them, according to all which I command you; so you shall be My people, and I will be your God' Jeremiah 11:4
'Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked everyone in the imagination of their evil heart……'
Jeremiah 11:8
In the recent Lebanon conflict in July 2006, with the Hezbollah, the much vaunted Israelite military was taken down a peg or two. Its aura of invincibility was diminished somewhat and a third of Israel's populations were exposed to rocket attacks. Would the world soon witnessed a harder wake-up call should the sabre rattling by Israel and its old nemesis, Persia(now present day Iran and soon to include most of Shitte Iraq) turn into a more serious conflict? And would we soon see a chastened Israel more amenable to peace with the very oil rich but politically at risk Sunni Arab states, who might deem Israel a safer enemy than their dangerous friends, the Shiite Iranians.
4. What about us, the Gentiles??
'Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them'
Romans 1:32
Our Lord Jesus Christ used the Apostle Paul powerfully, in bringing the growth of Christianity to the then dominant power of the world, the Roman Empire. When the Roman Catholic church became a surrogate for the corrupt Emperor's machinations, the Lord again brought forth a great revival, through the Protestant movement.. Today, the home of that great revival of Christian faith, the Anglican church is going through great schism with its anointing of the likes of men who thought Sodom was a joyful place and that the cleaving of the same gender is in line with modern human values. An updated modern Christianity, refined to suit the present but still sinful world has led to men's sinful reinterpretation of the Word of God, which is the same today, yesterday and will be the same till He returns. Man is replacing God with their own idols and we are moving towards the ideals of the devil, who is androgynous and loves his own image.
Today, secularism is the new religion in Europe. And civil rights mean that the tyranny of the minority will increasingly take precedence over that of the indifferent majority. And that God has no place in the public places of society be it in the schools or at work is now a reality in many places of the world.
5. What about America??
'..when you hear of wars and rumours of war, do not be afraid. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come…..'
Mark 13:8
Down on its knees. The stage is set for the demise of the vibrancy of the old world order and the ushering of the new. With the policeman of the world increasingly incapable of performing its role, with a resurgent Russia and a confident China biting at its heels, with more nations vying to join the nuclear club, and with the increased competition for the resources of the world, conflict will be the trend going forward. The world will want to sue for peace, to cling on to their sinful desires and would be more willing to listen or pay obeisance to whoever can promise to meet these needs.
United Europe is now a reality, something that no one imagined was ever possible given the fractious and hatred filled history of Europe, the source of the two major world wars. With the tearing down of the Berlin Wall symbolizing the Iron Curtain coming down, the world is seeing the near completion of the process of a once communists controlled, but now liberalized Eastern European coming to join the EU, to fulfil this union of the brotherhood of men. The beginnings of a possible New Roman Empire?? The prelude to the appearance of the Anti-Christ? ?
Nuclear power is the privy of the French, whose independent streak has ensured that they stayed in the forefront of this once hated energy source. Interestingly, France under its new suave President has just concluded a Mediterranean club meeting, comprising of many nations(European, North African and Arab) bordering the Mediterranean, including arch enemies Israel and Syria. And not forgetting the volatile Balkan nations. And now France is looking to be back in NATO( just as America's leadership of the dominant military alliance is waning).
What about water? Water and energy will be the two key resources an increasingly industrialized world will hunger after and fight for, and as an interested observer, one should not ignore the recent major corporate realignments in these major sectors in Europe and the fact that an assertive Russia(the possible future invaders of Israel from the North) now holds the key to either a frigid or comfortable winter for most of Europe with its control over gas.
6. What about the world??
'… and the gospel must first be preached to all nations'
Mark 13:10
In one swift stroke, the internet and technology in general, have made it possible for communication to reach the far flung places of the world. God wants each and everyone of us to be given that choice, to follow or not to follow His call. But we must all first hear of the good news of the gospel. The world is now a much smaller place and with the lifting of the Iron Curtain and the capitalist swing of China, there are now indeed very few places in the world where instititional barriers made it harder to spread the gospel. Remember once isolated Albania. Indeed North Korea does feel lonely.
And with the globalization of cities, where the world, at least people of impact gather to live and work in, there has never been such a concentration of different beliefs in just a few areas. An opportunity for harmonization of beliefs at the lowest common denominator, a one world religion, yet also an opportunity for many to hear and experience the Gospel of our Sovereign God being lived out.
The world is indeed a World In Progress. But is it a digression towards mammon or a progression towards God? It cuts both way and the choice is yours. John Woo edited his version of Red Cliff to a shorter 2 1/2 hours to suit the American audience. For the rest of us, it will be two movies of total 4-5hours. That in itself is already just one segment of the long epic "Romance of the Three Kingdoms"
This sharing was not meant to look like a long distance race, but truly its length is a testimony of the sense of urgency that requires our attention and response to, for one might be long on the details, but the time for you is short.
'He hath made everything beautiful in His time; also He hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. I know there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life'
Ecclesiastes 3:11-12
Rgds and God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(21 Jul 2008)
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Running the race#1 From the ashes (16th jul2008)
Dear…
'…that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds. That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man'
Colossians 4: 3-6
There are times when I am tongue tied, when faced with a desire to bless a friend whom God places in my path, at the point of their need, when truly only the knowledge of God's grace can be the source of all comfort for a parched soul. I believe I am more ready now, for my daily walk with a responsive God, who more than respond to a desirous heart, has left me with no room to doubt His omnipresence and love for all of us. But is my counterpart ready? Would he see what I see so clearly now, hear what I hear with the same resonance, the clarity of God's will?
'The fool says in his heart, " there is no God."
Psalms 14:1
A friend I met up with yesterday is no fool. He has lived a very successful life as an entrepreneur and by the general definition of man's finite understanding, is truly a good man with the right values. I have not seen him for 3 years, but was a little taken aback to see a person who though in his 70s, was in my mind at least in the past, always a trim and energetic person, where the vestiges of natural aging seem to be no deterrent to the strength of the mind.
The gentleman today has the look of death upon him, no doubt a result of a major illness not too long ago. He acknowledged the brevity of man's time on earth and has adjusted his lifestyle accordingly.
'So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief'
Hebrews 3:19
What makes us an obedient follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not about spit and fire, brimstone or doomsday judgement on the poor souls who we think need to be dragged, willingly or or more often, unwillingly from the abyss of damnation. It is about us, not them. It is about how we allow God to transform us, layer by layer, how God lovingly pry open the grip of the devil's tentacles upon our very hearts and soul, painful sometimes but always gainful.
As God transforms us, people around us will notice the change. As we stay steadfast, resting on the Rock our God, even as they feel discouraged, as we love, for God is love, even when they seemed incapable of giving or receiving love, God will transform them.
Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship with a Sovereign yet loving God. Living our faith is not about the diagnosis of the people God placed in our lives and dispensing of human advice or the imposing of self righteous judgement that leads us to usurp God's sovereignty and lead us to sin. It is about encouragement, love, patience, kindness, perserverance, selflessness, peace and joy. It is not about doing great things, but rather, to allow the awesomeness of God to work through us, in all things, big or small.
'…Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know'
Job 42:3
Having sprinted quite fast in extolling the joy I feel in knowing God, this verse in Job 42:3 quickly brings me back into perspective. It is never possible for anyone of us to express in words or in whatever manner that our finite capabilities can allow us, that indescriable joy and peace of the on-going communion with the Lord our God. It has to be experienced by yourself, by being willing to come into the presence of our God, by believing and obeying His will.
'But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him'
Hebrews 11:6
Is this possible? And this brings me back to my reticent moments when faced with a situation of dire needs of a non-believer, where I know the solution, but how do you move the person into the Lord's presence? Thankfully, it is not about me, nor you, but God. And with man, things are not possible, with God, all things are more than possible.
'But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the Ark. And knew not until flood came, and took them all away, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.'
Matthew 24:37-39
To be afflicted early in our finite lives is a blessing, rather than a curse. For without pain, very few would pay attention to the call of our Lord. And much as we value the things of the world, it is our soul that is truly at stake, for mortal life is temporal, damnation in eternity is for real. And would you rather be caught with your pants down literally, when the Lord return and you are not clothed with the the God given righteousness.
Yet, truth would seem inhumane, no matter our good intentions, when ministered incorrectly to a suffering soul, whose mindset has not come fully into the presence of God and I have learned that often, it is how we live our faith, that will give us the right to just be there to be the shoulder of choice, to an afflicted heart that is starting to consider making that tentative but important step into the presence of God.
'While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease'
Genesis 8:22
'I am God, and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient time, what is still to come'
Isaiah 46:9-10
Like the seasons, economic cycles will come and it will go. It will repeat itself, though just like the weather, the word unprecedented would become a more common watchword in the overall constant behaviour.
And so if it is any reassurance for the financially harrassed in such difficult economic times, when beside Fannie and Freddie, we could soon see many more gilt edged investments join in the dismal party of asset destruction, the knowledge is that till our Lord Jesus Christ returns, as promised, the proverbial Pheonix of hope and growth will continue to rise from the ashes of destruction that the world is now undergoing.
'For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble……………..'
Malachi 4:1
Upheavals in our lives, do bring life changing lessons for the willing and repentant. Many a roaring bull in greedy times have learned to lick their wounds and come out wiser in their financial investments and general outlook towards life. Of course, some never learned, like the proverbial stain on the white washed cloth that never disappears despite countless washes.
But how many more upheavals do you need to truly want to pay attention to the call of the Lord our God. God is patient, God is love. But just like a marathon, the race has to end. God has also set a time when He will return and judge the world. It could even be now as you finish reading this. But till He returns, you have the God given right to accept the salvation that He gave to all, to be the child He wants you to be, on Earth and in eternity.
'The unfolding of Your words gives light, it gives understanding to the simple'
Psalms 119:130
The gospel is the power of God expressed, to the believer. All of us are familiar with the notion of first mover advantage. With the Lord, it is never too late to turn to Him, at least for now, till He returns. So even if you find yourself like Job, brought down to earth very hard and wallowing in misery, do take this time to ponder upon what truly holds your heart.
'And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes…'
Job 2:8
And suppose you are blessed to have seen the light and truly wants to be right with God. The Lord reminds me and you about how we should live our lives, come what may
'He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?'
Micah 6:8-9
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
16 Jul 2008
'…that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds. That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man'
Colossians 4: 3-6
There are times when I am tongue tied, when faced with a desire to bless a friend whom God places in my path, at the point of their need, when truly only the knowledge of God's grace can be the source of all comfort for a parched soul. I believe I am more ready now, for my daily walk with a responsive God, who more than respond to a desirous heart, has left me with no room to doubt His omnipresence and love for all of us. But is my counterpart ready? Would he see what I see so clearly now, hear what I hear with the same resonance, the clarity of God's will?
'The fool says in his heart, " there is no God."
Psalms 14:1
A friend I met up with yesterday is no fool. He has lived a very successful life as an entrepreneur and by the general definition of man's finite understanding, is truly a good man with the right values. I have not seen him for 3 years, but was a little taken aback to see a person who though in his 70s, was in my mind at least in the past, always a trim and energetic person, where the vestiges of natural aging seem to be no deterrent to the strength of the mind.
The gentleman today has the look of death upon him, no doubt a result of a major illness not too long ago. He acknowledged the brevity of man's time on earth and has adjusted his lifestyle accordingly.
'So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief'
Hebrews 3:19
What makes us an obedient follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not about spit and fire, brimstone or doomsday judgement on the poor souls who we think need to be dragged, willingly or or more often, unwillingly from the abyss of damnation. It is about us, not them. It is about how we allow God to transform us, layer by layer, how God lovingly pry open the grip of the devil's tentacles upon our very hearts and soul, painful sometimes but always gainful.
As God transforms us, people around us will notice the change. As we stay steadfast, resting on the Rock our God, even as they feel discouraged, as we love, for God is love, even when they seemed incapable of giving or receiving love, God will transform them.
Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship with a Sovereign yet loving God. Living our faith is not about the diagnosis of the people God placed in our lives and dispensing of human advice or the imposing of self righteous judgement that leads us to usurp God's sovereignty and lead us to sin. It is about encouragement, love, patience, kindness, perserverance, selflessness, peace and joy. It is not about doing great things, but rather, to allow the awesomeness of God to work through us, in all things, big or small.
'…Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know'
Job 42:3
Having sprinted quite fast in extolling the joy I feel in knowing God, this verse in Job 42:3 quickly brings me back into perspective. It is never possible for anyone of us to express in words or in whatever manner that our finite capabilities can allow us, that indescriable joy and peace of the on-going communion with the Lord our God. It has to be experienced by yourself, by being willing to come into the presence of our God, by believing and obeying His will.
'But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him'
Hebrews 11:6
Is this possible? And this brings me back to my reticent moments when faced with a situation of dire needs of a non-believer, where I know the solution, but how do you move the person into the Lord's presence? Thankfully, it is not about me, nor you, but God. And with man, things are not possible, with God, all things are more than possible.
'But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the Ark. And knew not until flood came, and took them all away, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.'
Matthew 24:37-39
To be afflicted early in our finite lives is a blessing, rather than a curse. For without pain, very few would pay attention to the call of our Lord. And much as we value the things of the world, it is our soul that is truly at stake, for mortal life is temporal, damnation in eternity is for real. And would you rather be caught with your pants down literally, when the Lord return and you are not clothed with the the God given righteousness.
Yet, truth would seem inhumane, no matter our good intentions, when ministered incorrectly to a suffering soul, whose mindset has not come fully into the presence of God and I have learned that often, it is how we live our faith, that will give us the right to just be there to be the shoulder of choice, to an afflicted heart that is starting to consider making that tentative but important step into the presence of God.
'While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease'
Genesis 8:22
'I am God, and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient time, what is still to come'
Isaiah 46:9-10
Like the seasons, economic cycles will come and it will go. It will repeat itself, though just like the weather, the word unprecedented would become a more common watchword in the overall constant behaviour.
And so if it is any reassurance for the financially harrassed in such difficult economic times, when beside Fannie and Freddie, we could soon see many more gilt edged investments join in the dismal party of asset destruction, the knowledge is that till our Lord Jesus Christ returns, as promised, the proverbial Pheonix of hope and growth will continue to rise from the ashes of destruction that the world is now undergoing.
'For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble……………..'
Malachi 4:1
Upheavals in our lives, do bring life changing lessons for the willing and repentant. Many a roaring bull in greedy times have learned to lick their wounds and come out wiser in their financial investments and general outlook towards life. Of course, some never learned, like the proverbial stain on the white washed cloth that never disappears despite countless washes.
But how many more upheavals do you need to truly want to pay attention to the call of the Lord our God. God is patient, God is love. But just like a marathon, the race has to end. God has also set a time when He will return and judge the world. It could even be now as you finish reading this. But till He returns, you have the God given right to accept the salvation that He gave to all, to be the child He wants you to be, on Earth and in eternity.
'The unfolding of Your words gives light, it gives understanding to the simple'
Psalms 119:130
The gospel is the power of God expressed, to the believer. All of us are familiar with the notion of first mover advantage. With the Lord, it is never too late to turn to Him, at least for now, till He returns. So even if you find yourself like Job, brought down to earth very hard and wallowing in misery, do take this time to ponder upon what truly holds your heart.
'And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes…'
Job 2:8
And suppose you are blessed to have seen the light and truly wants to be right with God. The Lord reminds me and you about how we should live our lives, come what may
'He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?'
Micah 6:8-9
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
16 Jul 2008
My walk with the Lord #193 Breadbasket or Basketcase(13jul2008)
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.'
John 14:27
I had a wonderful dream last night. I saw myself walking down a five-foot way, flanked by a row of 2-storey shophouses. It was happy because I got invited into 3 of these units, one by a group of university students who formed a club there, no ordinary club, but a Christian fellowship. Another was by a bunch of policemen. Not too sure if it was a police station, but the police were having a great time in Christian fellowship. And the 3rd I can only vaguely recall was another Christian fellowship.
Since my walk with the Lord became a more determined process on my part, the things that pleases me seem pretty at odds with what pleases the more worldly me in the past. In the past, it was what satisfies my personal needs. Now, it always bring me greater joy to see others, be it family, friends or even strangers come to know the Lord our God.
'One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet. His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow.
And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure.
They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them'
Job 22:23-26
Brutally frank as it might seem, reality is that while differentiation might be a matter of life or death for many in their lifetime, in death, all are equal, for dust is dust, irregardless of the symbolism that one erects to represent one's past. But is 'afterlife' the same for everyone??
'……how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.'
1 Thessalonians 1:9-10
If our belief that our Lord Jesus Christ will return is not a fruitless hope, it is not based on hearsay, but rather a faith that is built on an ongoing relationship with the Living God, then we must work to be fruitful in living a life of faithful obedience in our days on Earth. For can we face our Maker with a basket filled only with our acts of disobedience?
'For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty….'
1 Corinthians 1:26-27
God will worked wonderfully through us in the areas that we might have thought to be our achilles heel. Equiping to do the Lord's work comes from Him, not via our own efforts. God looks for a responsive and obedient heart, not for resplendent in our basic make. In the secular world, it is often about the Law of Comparative Advantage, you do what you are perceived to be most equipped at. In the way of our Lord, it is wherever He places us, for it is Him who works through us, and not us that matters.
In the same self-oriented world of ours, it is often we who decide who we want to deal with, in the Lord's way, it is who He places in our paths.
'I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians, both to the wise, and to the unwise………I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile'
Romans 1:14-16
Till the past few years, one would never imagine that our dialect speaking parents would ever feel comfortable stepping into a church service. The increased resources channelled to dialect outreach did help but it is the mindset that Christianity is a Western religion and has no place in the Asian pysche that has now truly undergone a sea change. My mum goes to a Mandarin service every Sunday. She tells me that she might not understand everything but yet, she faithfully attends the service. Is it due to the tireless efforts and encouragement of my sisters. It helps but I truly believe that in coming to the Lord's presence, He speaks to my mum's heart.
For the Gospel is the power of God released in the life of the believer. It is God doing what we could never do ourselves.
'For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith'
Romans 1:17
For righteousness ie a right relationship with God comes from God. But we must want to respond to His calling.
'….thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me'
Isaiah 47:10
A couple of weeks back, I read in one of the more respectable British newspapers(meaning not the tabloids) an interesting headline that said "May God do Africa a favour.' The writer was responding to the still kicking octogenarian ruler of Zimbabwe, aka Robert Mugabe's proclamation that only God can remove him, from his seat of power in anarchic Zimbabwe. Do not call upon the name of the Lord our God in vain. Guess both gentlemen are doing the same thing, from opposite side of the spectrum.
'And He said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the Lord unto me, The end is come upon My people………….'
Amos 8:1-2
Rhodesia('the former name of Zimbabwe) and South Africa, were till recently, the bulwark of white supremacy in the Dark Continent. There are indeed moral issues with the rights of the black majority being subserved by the interests of the minority ruling Whites. Just like communism, autocracy would reach the point where suppression can no longer contain the expression of resentment of the underprivileged.
The Rhodesia that Robert Mugabe inherited or won, was till then, a key breadbasket of Africa. Today, it has become a basketcase, with millions of the wrong kind, ie refugees in South Africa fleeing the repressive regime, and inflation running into the million percentages.
'And I will turn your feasts into mourning……………..
Behold, the days come, siath the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord'
……they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it'
Amos 8:10-12
The world the next five years is likely to be a 'wonderful' place. That is, if you happen to ensconced in the islands of prosperity and material riches as the world's rich converged upon such safe havens, seeking refuge from the the other world that will be racked by increased poverty and social unrests, and where starvation will be the norm and governments will be hardpressed to cope with satisfying the basic needs of the general population. But will you be genuinely happy, at peace and truly secure??
'There will be trouble….'
?? 2:9-10
'Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee'
Isaiah 47:13
Are we on the cusps of those days, when many a shakened life starts to look for the true meaning of life beyond the temporal and in fact to look for the source of all comfort and grace, our Sovereign God.
I believe that God truly wants our attention, for many are at very real risk of losing their soul to the devil. But the response has to come from us and lets not leave it to too little too late, for our Lord Jesus Christ will return and when He does, as He surely would, do we meet Him with a basketful of the wonderful fruits of the Spirit harvested from living a God centred life, or do we barely dare to lift an eyelid to look at him, for having lived a life bereft of any desire to obey His commands has left our soul barren.
'Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence, a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people. Gather thy saints together unto Me, those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice……'
Psalm 50:3-6
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
14 Jul 08
Note
With this latest sharing, it concludes my days of "Walking with the Lord our God." It is not that I have left to be with the Lord our God, at least not as yet, but rather, our Lord has placed this desire in me to run that much faster with Him. The days of a sedentary journey with our Lord is over, at least for me. The brith pangs of End Times have increased in intensity and the need for us to allow the Lord our God to help us 'finish the race' has taken on added urgency.
My journaling will still continue, but it will take on a new title "Running the race." My personal website http://www.hieang.com is still available till the Lord shows me otherwise. However, I have just started a blog
http://www.hieang.blogspot.com and all future archives will be placed in this blog. I am in the midst of transferring the previous entries into this blog as well.
You are free to place comments on the blog, but prayerfully, it should be God led. Also, I have left my personal email address on the blog should some of you do decide to communicate with me on a personal level.
Advice from man is at best dangerous. But to be left to our own vices, without God is fatal.
Posted by Eng Hieang Ang at 3:42 AM
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John 14:27
I had a wonderful dream last night. I saw myself walking down a five-foot way, flanked by a row of 2-storey shophouses. It was happy because I got invited into 3 of these units, one by a group of university students who formed a club there, no ordinary club, but a Christian fellowship. Another was by a bunch of policemen. Not too sure if it was a police station, but the police were having a great time in Christian fellowship. And the 3rd I can only vaguely recall was another Christian fellowship.
Since my walk with the Lord became a more determined process on my part, the things that pleases me seem pretty at odds with what pleases the more worldly me in the past. In the past, it was what satisfies my personal needs. Now, it always bring me greater joy to see others, be it family, friends or even strangers come to know the Lord our God.
'One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet. His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow.
And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure.
They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them'
Job 22:23-26
Brutally frank as it might seem, reality is that while differentiation might be a matter of life or death for many in their lifetime, in death, all are equal, for dust is dust, irregardless of the symbolism that one erects to represent one's past. But is 'afterlife' the same for everyone??
'……how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.'
1 Thessalonians 1:9-10
If our belief that our Lord Jesus Christ will return is not a fruitless hope, it is not based on hearsay, but rather a faith that is built on an ongoing relationship with the Living God, then we must work to be fruitful in living a life of faithful obedience in our days on Earth. For can we face our Maker with a basket filled only with our acts of disobedience?
'For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty….'
1 Corinthians 1:26-27
God will worked wonderfully through us in the areas that we might have thought to be our achilles heel. Equiping to do the Lord's work comes from Him, not via our own efforts. God looks for a responsive and obedient heart, not for resplendent in our basic make. In the secular world, it is often about the Law of Comparative Advantage, you do what you are perceived to be most equipped at. In the way of our Lord, it is wherever He places us, for it is Him who works through us, and not us that matters.
In the same self-oriented world of ours, it is often we who decide who we want to deal with, in the Lord's way, it is who He places in our paths.
'I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians, both to the wise, and to the unwise………I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile'
Romans 1:14-16
Till the past few years, one would never imagine that our dialect speaking parents would ever feel comfortable stepping into a church service. The increased resources channelled to dialect outreach did help but it is the mindset that Christianity is a Western religion and has no place in the Asian pysche that has now truly undergone a sea change. My mum goes to a Mandarin service every Sunday. She tells me that she might not understand everything but yet, she faithfully attends the service. Is it due to the tireless efforts and encouragement of my sisters. It helps but I truly believe that in coming to the Lord's presence, He speaks to my mum's heart.
For the Gospel is the power of God released in the life of the believer. It is God doing what we could never do ourselves.
'For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith'
Romans 1:17
For righteousness ie a right relationship with God comes from God. But we must want to respond to His calling.
'….thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me'
Isaiah 47:10
A couple of weeks back, I read in one of the more respectable British newspapers(meaning not the tabloids) an interesting headline that said "May God do Africa a favour.' The writer was responding to the still kicking octogenarian ruler of Zimbabwe, aka Robert Mugabe's proclamation that only God can remove him, from his seat of power in anarchic Zimbabwe. Do not call upon the name of the Lord our God in vain. Guess both gentlemen are doing the same thing, from opposite side of the spectrum.
'And He said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the Lord unto me, The end is come upon My people………….'
Amos 8:1-2
Rhodesia('the former name of Zimbabwe) and South Africa, were till recently, the bulwark of white supremacy in the Dark Continent. There are indeed moral issues with the rights of the black majority being subserved by the interests of the minority ruling Whites. Just like communism, autocracy would reach the point where suppression can no longer contain the expression of resentment of the underprivileged.
The Rhodesia that Robert Mugabe inherited or won, was till then, a key breadbasket of Africa. Today, it has become a basketcase, with millions of the wrong kind, ie refugees in South Africa fleeing the repressive regime, and inflation running into the million percentages.
'And I will turn your feasts into mourning……………..
Behold, the days come, siath the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord'
……they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it'
Amos 8:10-12
The world the next five years is likely to be a 'wonderful' place. That is, if you happen to ensconced in the islands of prosperity and material riches as the world's rich converged upon such safe havens, seeking refuge from the the other world that will be racked by increased poverty and social unrests, and where starvation will be the norm and governments will be hardpressed to cope with satisfying the basic needs of the general population. But will you be genuinely happy, at peace and truly secure??
'There will be trouble….'
?? 2:9-10
'Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee'
Isaiah 47:13
Are we on the cusps of those days, when many a shakened life starts to look for the true meaning of life beyond the temporal and in fact to look for the source of all comfort and grace, our Sovereign God.
I believe that God truly wants our attention, for many are at very real risk of losing their soul to the devil. But the response has to come from us and lets not leave it to too little too late, for our Lord Jesus Christ will return and when He does, as He surely would, do we meet Him with a basketful of the wonderful fruits of the Spirit harvested from living a God centred life, or do we barely dare to lift an eyelid to look at him, for having lived a life bereft of any desire to obey His commands has left our soul barren.
'Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence, a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people. Gather thy saints together unto Me, those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice……'
Psalm 50:3-6
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
14 Jul 08
Note
With this latest sharing, it concludes my days of "Walking with the Lord our God." It is not that I have left to be with the Lord our God, at least not as yet, but rather, our Lord has placed this desire in me to run that much faster with Him. The days of a sedentary journey with our Lord is over, at least for me. The brith pangs of End Times have increased in intensity and the need for us to allow the Lord our God to help us 'finish the race' has taken on added urgency.
My journaling will still continue, but it will take on a new title "Running the race." My personal website http://www.hieang.com is still available till the Lord shows me otherwise. However, I have just started a blog
http://www.hieang.blogspot.com and all future archives will be placed in this blog. I am in the midst of transferring the previous entries into this blog as well.
You are free to place comments on the blog, but prayerfully, it should be God led. Also, I have left my personal email address on the blog should some of you do decide to communicate with me on a personal level.
Advice from man is at best dangerous. But to be left to our own vices, without God is fatal.
Posted by Eng Hieang Ang at 3:42 AM
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Saturday, July 19, 2008
MLworship#1 Soothing verses for a troubled heart
Balm for a troubled heart
Ever since God lifted the darkness from me, life has never been the same.
One could see with clarity the beauty of God’s love in the midst of the ugliness of man’s evil.
Storms and tempest one will still go through. God calls it refinement, but in the midst of it, sometimes one feels the unbearable confinement and asked warily for relief if not at least discernment.
Peace is not what we work for, but by always seeking God first, come what may, at His own time, peace is what will come to reign in our lives.
Once again, do forgive me for taking the liberty of following through on this suppressed urge to share with you the verses that God has lovingly used to not just bring relief to my occasionally troubled soul but to uplift me in my walk with Him.
Before I impose my joy on you, I did pray about it that even if the intent is not perfect, that these are the Words of God and that they do mean something to you as it did for me.
1) His calling
‘I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness,
And I will hold Your hand,
I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people.
As a light to the Gentiles,
To open blind eyes……’
Isaiah 42:6-7
‘I heard the voice of the Lord, saying ;
‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’
Then I said, Here I am; send me.
Isaiah 6:8
2) His expectations
God does not hold us responsible for success but for faithfulness
‘And He said, “Go, and tell this people:
‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
Isaiah 6:9-10
3) Our response as an individual
‘Stir up the gift of God which is in you.’
2 Timothy 1:6
4) Our response as a group
‘from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share,
causing growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.’
Ephesians 4:16
5) My belief in God’s reassurance
‘I thank my God every time I remember you.
In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1: 3-6
Ever since God lifted the darkness from me, life has never been the same.
One could see with clarity the beauty of God’s love in the midst of the ugliness of man’s evil.
Storms and tempest one will still go through. God calls it refinement, but in the midst of it, sometimes one feels the unbearable confinement and asked warily for relief if not at least discernment.
Peace is not what we work for, but by always seeking God first, come what may, at His own time, peace is what will come to reign in our lives.
Once again, do forgive me for taking the liberty of following through on this suppressed urge to share with you the verses that God has lovingly used to not just bring relief to my occasionally troubled soul but to uplift me in my walk with Him.
Before I impose my joy on you, I did pray about it that even if the intent is not perfect, that these are the Words of God and that they do mean something to you as it did for me.
1) His calling
‘I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness,
And I will hold Your hand,
I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people.
As a light to the Gentiles,
To open blind eyes……’
Isaiah 42:6-7
‘I heard the voice of the Lord, saying ;
‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’
Then I said, Here I am; send me.
Isaiah 6:8
2) His expectations
God does not hold us responsible for success but for faithfulness
‘And He said, “Go, and tell this people:
‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
Isaiah 6:9-10
3) Our response as an individual
‘Stir up the gift of God which is in you.’
2 Timothy 1:6
4) Our response as a group
‘from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share,
causing growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.’
Ephesians 4:16
5) My belief in God’s reassurance
‘I thank my God every time I remember you.
In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1: 3-6
MLworship#2 Fasting(31jul2002)
’31 Jul 02(fasting)
.
A friend said that he had a vision of the word ‘fast’ for me.
Though he seems like a man of God, however, still has healthy sceptism.
In my daily reading, asked God for a clear msg.
Read Esther 4, was subconsciously pleased that no mention of fast.
About to close Bible when noticed the last 2 lines of chapter talked about Esther going on a 3 days fast before approaching the kind.
Decided to read furthur on topic of fasting in the Bible.
Quite interesting
- fasting as a form of personal sacrifice
- fasting as a discipline to allow us to spend time on the word of God
- fasting as a supplication in our requests to God for others
Decided to start a lunch fast every Wed.
Today was the first day.
Interestingly, had a mild case of food poisoning on Tuesday nite.
Makes it easier to fast as need to abstain from solid food due to diarrhoe..
Today, this was the verse that I read while preparing for the fast:
‘Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
But I with a song of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
Salvation comes from the Lord
Jonah 2:8:9
’5 Aug 02 Monday (Doubting God)
Monday was the 2nd fast(before my Bangkok trip).
Started to get worried about health risks associated with fasting
I knew that I must trust and obey God as this is His will, yet I doubted.
During the fast at lunchtime, had images of food hovering over my thoughts.
Went on a binge during dinner and suffered cramps the whole nite.
Check the internet on topic of fasting and realized its health benefits.
On Fri, back from Bangkok, stayed with kids at Ritz for national day,
Ate too much.
On Sunday, fell sick, flu and hoarse voice, lasted right through to Thursday(aug 15)
On Wed(aug 14), A friend shared with us about her smg members aggressiveness.
Shared with her that likely the members lack of faith.
Today, Thur(aug 15), read daily bread, reread
- db aug 12:
‘You cant work for it
The grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ abounded to many
Romans 5:15
I finally realized that while the verse talk about healing, it also talks about the grace of God and my own sinful nature in doubting God
- db aug 24
the same verse that I shared with a friend this morning
Talks about Crisis of faith
Finally realized that like like my friend’s smg members, when I knew the will of God, I did not take the 1st step of obedience.
Thank God and the Lord Jesus Christ for this enlightenment. Amen.
.
A friend said that he had a vision of the word ‘fast’ for me.
Though he seems like a man of God, however, still has healthy sceptism.
In my daily reading, asked God for a clear msg.
Read Esther 4, was subconsciously pleased that no mention of fast.
About to close Bible when noticed the last 2 lines of chapter talked about Esther going on a 3 days fast before approaching the kind.
Decided to read furthur on topic of fasting in the Bible.
Quite interesting
- fasting as a form of personal sacrifice
- fasting as a discipline to allow us to spend time on the word of God
- fasting as a supplication in our requests to God for others
Decided to start a lunch fast every Wed.
Today was the first day.
Interestingly, had a mild case of food poisoning on Tuesday nite.
Makes it easier to fast as need to abstain from solid food due to diarrhoe..
Today, this was the verse that I read while preparing for the fast:
‘Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
But I with a song of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
Salvation comes from the Lord
Jonah 2:8:9
’5 Aug 02 Monday (Doubting God)
Monday was the 2nd fast(before my Bangkok trip).
Started to get worried about health risks associated with fasting
I knew that I must trust and obey God as this is His will, yet I doubted.
During the fast at lunchtime, had images of food hovering over my thoughts.
Went on a binge during dinner and suffered cramps the whole nite.
Check the internet on topic of fasting and realized its health benefits.
On Fri, back from Bangkok, stayed with kids at Ritz for national day,
Ate too much.
On Sunday, fell sick, flu and hoarse voice, lasted right through to Thursday(aug 15)
On Wed(aug 14), A friend shared with us about her smg members aggressiveness.
Shared with her that likely the members lack of faith.
Today, Thur(aug 15), read daily bread, reread
- db aug 12:
‘You cant work for it
The grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ abounded to many
Romans 5:15
I finally realized that while the verse talk about healing, it also talks about the grace of God and my own sinful nature in doubting God
- db aug 24
the same verse that I shared with a friend this morning
Talks about Crisis of faith
Finally realized that like like my friend’s smg members, when I knew the will of God, I did not take the 1st step of obedience.
Thank God and the Lord Jesus Christ for this enlightenment. Amen.
MLworship#3 Proof before faith
God : ?????
‘Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.”
Luke 12:51
“These people honour Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me
Isaiah 29:13
Questions
1. Is the Bible truly what it is, ‘the Word of God.’
As we are all agreed, Christianity has the most compelling and substantiated historical evidence to justify its claims
“There has not failed one word of all His good promise”
1 Kings 8:56
2. If that is the belief, then we should read the facts and statements in the Bible as it is without adding nor subtracting from it.
“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path
Psalm 119:105
Seek ye first the Words of God,
Read, pray and meditate upon the Words of God
Abide in Him and do His Will.
(the gist of Psalm 119)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths
Proverbs 3:5-6
Do not be wise in your own eyes
Proverbs 3:7
3 We have to live our faith.
The best commentary on the Bible is a person who puts it into practice
To be spiritually fruitful, plant God’s word in your heart
“Those who hear the Word with a noble and good heart keep it and bear fruit”
Luke 8:15
4. So why is there injustice in this world?
- The presence of trouble does not mean the absence of God
“Oh, that I knew where I might find Him, that I might come to His seat
Job 23:3
- Vengeance is Mind
“Repay no one evil for evil”
Romans 12:17
- God loves us not because of who we are, but because of who He is
“As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him”
Psalm 103:13
4. Will God tempt me?
‘Let no one say when he is tempted, “ I am tempted by God”;
for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
James 1:13
5 Will God test me?
“He who judges me is the Lord”
1 Corinthians 4:4
“We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed;
we are perplexed, but not in despair
2 Corinthians 4: 8
“In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God;
He heard my voice
Psalm 18:6
6 What do I have to give up to follow God?
- He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in Him”
1 John 2:15
7 Will I lose what is dear to me: material possessions?
- wealth is a double blessing when you share it with others
“Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you”
James 5:3
8 Will I lose what is dear to me : my life and that of my loved ones?
- Death is not a period – it’s only a comma
Dying with certainty
“ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”
2 Timothy 4:6-18
“nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy.”
Acts 20:24
“Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.”
2 Corinthians 4:16
9 How do I handle tribulations?
- when you are swept off your feet, land on your knees
“Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head: and he fell to the ground and worshipped
Job 1:20
“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulations produces perserverance; perseverance character, and character , hope
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us
Romans 5:1-5
10 Show me God?
- no mortal can see God and live, His brilliance would destroy all sight,
But Jesus’s glory we shall see For He as God is truth and light
“He who has seen Me has seen the Father”
John 14:9
- if you would know the power of God, just take Him at his Word
Be not dismayed if faith is small
But trust “thus saith the Lord
“The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
Luke 17:5
In closing, do read, pray and reflect upon this verse
“And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him,
“O you of little faith, why did you doubt”
Matthew 14:31
‘Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.”
Luke 12:51
“These people honour Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me
Isaiah 29:13
Questions
1. Is the Bible truly what it is, ‘the Word of God.’
As we are all agreed, Christianity has the most compelling and substantiated historical evidence to justify its claims
“There has not failed one word of all His good promise”
1 Kings 8:56
2. If that is the belief, then we should read the facts and statements in the Bible as it is without adding nor subtracting from it.
“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path
Psalm 119:105
Seek ye first the Words of God,
Read, pray and meditate upon the Words of God
Abide in Him and do His Will.
(the gist of Psalm 119)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths
Proverbs 3:5-6
Do not be wise in your own eyes
Proverbs 3:7
3 We have to live our faith.
The best commentary on the Bible is a person who puts it into practice
To be spiritually fruitful, plant God’s word in your heart
“Those who hear the Word with a noble and good heart keep it and bear fruit”
Luke 8:15
4. So why is there injustice in this world?
- The presence of trouble does not mean the absence of God
“Oh, that I knew where I might find Him, that I might come to His seat
Job 23:3
- Vengeance is Mind
“Repay no one evil for evil”
Romans 12:17
- God loves us not because of who we are, but because of who He is
“As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him”
Psalm 103:13
4. Will God tempt me?
‘Let no one say when he is tempted, “ I am tempted by God”;
for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
James 1:13
5 Will God test me?
“He who judges me is the Lord”
1 Corinthians 4:4
“We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed;
we are perplexed, but not in despair
2 Corinthians 4: 8
“In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God;
He heard my voice
Psalm 18:6
6 What do I have to give up to follow God?
- He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in Him”
1 John 2:15
7 Will I lose what is dear to me: material possessions?
- wealth is a double blessing when you share it with others
“Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you”
James 5:3
8 Will I lose what is dear to me : my life and that of my loved ones?
- Death is not a period – it’s only a comma
Dying with certainty
“ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”
2 Timothy 4:6-18
“nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy.”
Acts 20:24
“Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.”
2 Corinthians 4:16
9 How do I handle tribulations?
- when you are swept off your feet, land on your knees
“Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head: and he fell to the ground and worshipped
Job 1:20
“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulations produces perserverance; perseverance character, and character , hope
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us
Romans 5:1-5
10 Show me God?
- no mortal can see God and live, His brilliance would destroy all sight,
But Jesus’s glory we shall see For He as God is truth and light
“He who has seen Me has seen the Father”
John 14:9
- if you would know the power of God, just take Him at his Word
Be not dismayed if faith is small
But trust “thus saith the Lord
“The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
Luke 17:5
In closing, do read, pray and reflect upon this verse
“And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him,
“O you of little faith, why did you doubt”
Matthew 14:31
MLworship#4 By grace or by work?
2002
By God’s Grace or by our work ???
1) By God’s Grace
‘For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.’
Ephesians 2:8-9
‘That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.’
Romans10:9
2) Why then is good work still expected from a Christian??
a) we are the image of God
‘For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.’
Ephesians 2:10
b) this image of God will only be clear if…
‘But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your ownselves
For if any be a hearer of the word , and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass.’
James 1: 22-23
c) it is a command of God
‘For we are labourers together with God; ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building
1 Corinthians 3: 9
d) good work glorifies God
‘Let your light so shine before men, that they see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heavaen.’
Mathews 5:16
e) doing God’s will ensure that we will see his blessings, do not go wayward and lose our given salvation through sin
‘Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.’
Jeremiah 32:3
‘And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted sould;
then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day
Isaiah 58:10
‘the merciful man does good for his own soul but he who is cruel troubles his own flesh’
( any idea where this verse came from, forgot where I got it from)
‘
By God’s Grace or by our work ???
1) By God’s Grace
‘For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.’
Ephesians 2:8-9
‘That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.’
Romans10:9
2) Why then is good work still expected from a Christian??
a) we are the image of God
‘For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.’
Ephesians 2:10
b) this image of God will only be clear if…
‘But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your ownselves
For if any be a hearer of the word , and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass.’
James 1: 22-23
c) it is a command of God
‘For we are labourers together with God; ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building
1 Corinthians 3: 9
d) good work glorifies God
‘Let your light so shine before men, that they see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heavaen.’
Mathews 5:16
e) doing God’s will ensure that we will see his blessings, do not go wayward and lose our given salvation through sin
‘Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.’
Jeremiah 32:3
‘And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted sould;
then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day
Isaiah 58:10
‘the merciful man does good for his own soul but he who is cruel troubles his own flesh’
( any idea where this verse came from, forgot where I got it from)
‘
MLworship#5 To be like Joseph(27Aug2003)
A Personal testimony(27 Aug 2003)
1) Revelation of God’s grace is from God
‘And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.’
Romans 8:28
2) We respond as the ‘veil’ blinding our heart is lifted
‘Thanks be to God who always lead us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.’
2 Corinthians 2:14
3) My life till yesterday night
Many of you have known me for many years. My life truly changed 2 yrs back when God spoke to my heart at 4am in Bangkok.
Ever since, as I responded to the Holy Spirit’s prompting, sometimes tentatively, sometimes with doubt, God has always provided me with His reassurances and blessings.
Man is never perfect. As we respond to God’s grace, God ‘strips’ away layer by layer our sinful cover.
Last night, in my dreams,
- I saw an azure blue sky, the kind we see in scenic Christian calendars
- Without warning, emanating from that same calm sky was a sudden intense surge of bright light which shone right into my eyes, unbearable yet peaceful.
.
- A felt myself being pulled right up yet without fear towards the source of the light and
- I heard a powerful resonant voice(like the one of God in the show ‘Moses’) commanding me to ‘rise with the Oriole’
The whole episode lasted probably between 10-15 secs, but its intensity caused me to wake right up(time 5.45am)
Was it just a dream or is this truly God communicating to me?
Having experienced God’s grace and reassurance many times, I will not doubt.
However, one must also obey, discern with wisdom and not speculate nor overreact..
The word ‘Oriole’ is not exactly a common word. Oreo biscuits certainly is but not Oriole.
I checked the dictionary and it is taken to mean ‘ a family of birds with black and either orange or yellow plummage’
Interestingly, the next word below ‘Oriole’ in the dictionary was the word ‘Orison’
Which means ‘a prayer.’
Pray was what I did and in my quiet time today(at 12.30 pm, my fasting day). I read the Word of God and the reading that God gave me was from Proverbs 6
‘Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,
like a BIRD from the snare of the fowler.’
Proverbs 6:5
‘My son, keep your father’s commands and do not forsake your mother’s teachings. Bind them upon your heart forever, fasten them around your neck
When you walk, they will guide you, when you sleep, they will watch over you’
When you awake, they will speak to you’
Proverbs 20-22
I understood it to mean
- that as we grow with God, God will continue to surface the deeper layers of our sinful nature to cleanse us furthur
- as we received God’s blessings, it is common that we could lose our focus on Him and let our sinful nature creep back in.
- just like Joseph, God let Joseph go through many years of preparation before Joseph was deemed ready to be a vehicle for God’s work. Joseph prospered in God’s grace but he stayed humble and Christlike, characteristics that was never him in his early years, God refined him.
I thank God for the constant refinement and let us all rest in the reassurance that before God let us ‘soar like the birds’ in glorifying His works, we will be properly grounded.*
‘Be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
1 Peter 5:5
1) Revelation of God’s grace is from God
‘And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.’
Romans 8:28
2) We respond as the ‘veil’ blinding our heart is lifted
‘Thanks be to God who always lead us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.’
2 Corinthians 2:14
3) My life till yesterday night
Many of you have known me for many years. My life truly changed 2 yrs back when God spoke to my heart at 4am in Bangkok.
Ever since, as I responded to the Holy Spirit’s prompting, sometimes tentatively, sometimes with doubt, God has always provided me with His reassurances and blessings.
Man is never perfect. As we respond to God’s grace, God ‘strips’ away layer by layer our sinful cover.
Last night, in my dreams,
- I saw an azure blue sky, the kind we see in scenic Christian calendars
- Without warning, emanating from that same calm sky was a sudden intense surge of bright light which shone right into my eyes, unbearable yet peaceful.
.
- A felt myself being pulled right up yet without fear towards the source of the light and
- I heard a powerful resonant voice(like the one of God in the show ‘Moses’) commanding me to ‘rise with the Oriole’
The whole episode lasted probably between 10-15 secs, but its intensity caused me to wake right up(time 5.45am)
Was it just a dream or is this truly God communicating to me?
Having experienced God’s grace and reassurance many times, I will not doubt.
However, one must also obey, discern with wisdom and not speculate nor overreact..
The word ‘Oriole’ is not exactly a common word. Oreo biscuits certainly is but not Oriole.
I checked the dictionary and it is taken to mean ‘ a family of birds with black and either orange or yellow plummage’
Interestingly, the next word below ‘Oriole’ in the dictionary was the word ‘Orison’
Which means ‘a prayer.’
Pray was what I did and in my quiet time today(at 12.30 pm, my fasting day). I read the Word of God and the reading that God gave me was from Proverbs 6
‘Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,
like a BIRD from the snare of the fowler.’
Proverbs 6:5
‘My son, keep your father’s commands and do not forsake your mother’s teachings. Bind them upon your heart forever, fasten them around your neck
When you walk, they will guide you, when you sleep, they will watch over you’
When you awake, they will speak to you’
Proverbs 20-22
I understood it to mean
- that as we grow with God, God will continue to surface the deeper layers of our sinful nature to cleanse us furthur
- as we received God’s blessings, it is common that we could lose our focus on Him and let our sinful nature creep back in.
- just like Joseph, God let Joseph go through many years of preparation before Joseph was deemed ready to be a vehicle for God’s work. Joseph prospered in God’s grace but he stayed humble and Christlike, characteristics that was never him in his early years, God refined him.
I thank God for the constant refinement and let us all rest in the reassurance that before God let us ‘soar like the birds’ in glorifying His works, we will be properly grounded.*
‘Be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
1 Peter 5:5
MLworship#6 Dreams(8Sep2003)
Dreams(8 Sep 03)
Dreams is a relatively new experience for me.
In the last 1 yrs, God gave me 4 distinct dreams
- when I doubted God, the same nite, I experienced a negative force bouncing off me and as I sat up, I shouted ‘away with you Satan’ and had a vision of a snake.
Next morning, God gave me a word about doubting Him and the consequences
- in Nov 2002, I had dreams about my job
: leaving the company and getting into a high paying stressed up salaried job with another firm. I woke up within the dream and and told myself that it was a dream
: next nite, I had the same dream, but this time was working in a high paying stressed insurance company.
: a week later, I dreamt that I have tendered and regretted. My boss told me that it was too late. I woke up at 2 am and almost wanted to call my assistant to be sure that it was a dream
: last nite, 7 Sep 03, I dreamt that I had to leave the firm for some minor issue. I did not feel good about starting some where else and losing my flexibility of time.
God reassures and as Simon mentioned today, if dreams are not from God, I will call on His Grace to dispel such evil attempts to negatively influence me
- in Aug 2003, my dreams about the light and the crocodile
Thank God for His divine guidance
Dreams is a relatively new experience for me.
In the last 1 yrs, God gave me 4 distinct dreams
- when I doubted God, the same nite, I experienced a negative force bouncing off me and as I sat up, I shouted ‘away with you Satan’ and had a vision of a snake.
Next morning, God gave me a word about doubting Him and the consequences
- in Nov 2002, I had dreams about my job
: leaving the company and getting into a high paying stressed up salaried job with another firm. I woke up within the dream and and told myself that it was a dream
: next nite, I had the same dream, but this time was working in a high paying stressed insurance company.
: a week later, I dreamt that I have tendered and regretted. My boss told me that it was too late. I woke up at 2 am and almost wanted to call my assistant to be sure that it was a dream
: last nite, 7 Sep 03, I dreamt that I had to leave the firm for some minor issue. I did not feel good about starting some where else and losing my flexibility of time.
God reassures and as Simon mentioned today, if dreams are not from God, I will call on His Grace to dispel such evil attempts to negatively influence me
- in Aug 2003, my dreams about the light and the crocodile
Thank God for His divine guidance
Mlworship#7 God's affirmation(28th Aug 2003)
God’s affirmation: Crocodile tales(28th Aug 03)
Christians tend to be perceived as irrational. This is true when we judge within our limited human understandings. But when we have been blessed to see God’s grace, it is perfectly rational.
God as in the bible does affirm His words through a 2nd dream. So if you think that this is truly God at work, do read on, if not it is still an enjoyable ‘silly’ tale.
Last nite, I had a 2nd dream. Less dramatic and intense, hence a dream and not an experience with God, but nevertheless enlightening.
I dream’t that I was staying in a very comfortable house set amongst a cluster of other houses in an idyllic lush tropical setting, located in a rejuvenated swamp.
My neighbours were swimming in the river fronting our houses, with the hills to their left and palm trees swaying.
The calm was interrupted by the appearance of 3-4 hugh crocodiles(supposed to be long exterminated) swimming towards my neighbours from their back. As I waved and shouted frantically to them to get out, they either ignored me in their bliss or just waved me off.
In just a few seconds, they were all make a meal of and to my horrors, the crocodiles were rushing to get into my house through my lovely full glass windows. I struggled with my kids to close the windows and by God’s grace, we managed to push them out.
What is the message? Time to be a vegetarian, the meaty type are taking their revenge.
God led me to this verse this morning:
- Deuteronomy 6
In brief:
: God bless us plentifully
: in response, our heart must be right with God
: to do that, we must keep his words in our heart always
: or risk being corrupted and incurring His wrath.
Interestingly, if you compare yesterday’s verse Proverbs 6 and todays Deuteronomy 6, they basically address the same issue
Thank God for His grace and blessings
‘Whoever trust in the Lord shall be safe’
Proverbs 29:25
An afternote
- interestingly, I was at the Jacuzzi at valley park(on Sat 13 Sep 03) when the panoramic scene in front of me striked me as closely resembling the tropical resort in my dreams
- Junie’s word for me was to uphold and lead my family to God
Thank God for His grace and reassurances
Christians tend to be perceived as irrational. This is true when we judge within our limited human understandings. But when we have been blessed to see God’s grace, it is perfectly rational.
God as in the bible does affirm His words through a 2nd dream. So if you think that this is truly God at work, do read on, if not it is still an enjoyable ‘silly’ tale.
Last nite, I had a 2nd dream. Less dramatic and intense, hence a dream and not an experience with God, but nevertheless enlightening.
I dream’t that I was staying in a very comfortable house set amongst a cluster of other houses in an idyllic lush tropical setting, located in a rejuvenated swamp.
My neighbours were swimming in the river fronting our houses, with the hills to their left and palm trees swaying.
The calm was interrupted by the appearance of 3-4 hugh crocodiles(supposed to be long exterminated) swimming towards my neighbours from their back. As I waved and shouted frantically to them to get out, they either ignored me in their bliss or just waved me off.
In just a few seconds, they were all make a meal of and to my horrors, the crocodiles were rushing to get into my house through my lovely full glass windows. I struggled with my kids to close the windows and by God’s grace, we managed to push them out.
What is the message? Time to be a vegetarian, the meaty type are taking their revenge.
God led me to this verse this morning:
- Deuteronomy 6
In brief:
: God bless us plentifully
: in response, our heart must be right with God
: to do that, we must keep his words in our heart always
: or risk being corrupted and incurring His wrath.
Interestingly, if you compare yesterday’s verse Proverbs 6 and todays Deuteronomy 6, they basically address the same issue
Thank God for His grace and blessings
‘Whoever trust in the Lord shall be safe’
Proverbs 29:25
An afternote
- interestingly, I was at the Jacuzzi at valley park(on Sat 13 Sep 03) when the panoramic scene in front of me striked me as closely resembling the tropical resort in my dreams
- Junie’s word for me was to uphold and lead my family to God
Thank God for His grace and reassurances
MLworship#8 My daughter Sarah
Being an indulgent father, one who in the wee hours of the morning, massages the children's toes to warm them up from their sleepy stupor, changed them, get their tooth brushes ready and wear their shoes, it is inevitable that we increased their dependency.
This morning, our sins caught up with us and my daughter reached the school without her school bag(thinking that I had takened in on her behalf).
Naturally, one reversed course for home and being late by 20secs, she was left standing forlornly, at the locked school gates.
Human failings, we can laugh over. But it does captures vividly, what it means for us all should we be left outside the pearly gates of heaven, when our Lord returns.
To all of you, my friends, who have been kind to prod through the sometimes less than perfect prose of my personal thoughts the last few mths, do forgive me. The intent is not to impose one's beliefs on anyone but for all of you on my email list, I will not count myself as your friend if i do not share the good news and its importance to all, if one believes in it.
How does one know that God exists?? You will first have to believe.
'Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now,
you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.'
1 Peter 1:8
This personal experience of inexpressible and glorious joy,
------------------------------------
sums up for us whom God has filled with the Holy Spirit.
Our lives are never the same: irrationally rational and at peace.
'not by work of righteousness which we have done,
but according to His mercy He saved us,
by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit;
Titus 3:5
Our response when we receive the revelation of God
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another,
God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us.'
1 John 4:12
Finally, back to my daughter.
-----------------------------------------
While sometimes heartrending, it is good for her character to go through momentous but temporary trials. Yesterday, after our worship, God led me to the chapter on Mathew 27:32-44, which talks about the cruxification of Jesus Christ.
This story is real but not unfamiliar to all of us. However, yesterday, it took on greater clarity for me.
That is:
- it is not just a question of God giving us the salvation
- it is the image of the ultimate sacrifice of one who is perfect, redeeming all of us without any preconditions, the inperfect
- it puts all our anger with God's perceived unfairness in the correct perspective.
'Let God rescue him now if He wants him'
Mathew 27:42
'And about the nineth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying
Eli Eli, Lama Sabachthani?
that is to say,
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Mathew 27:45-46
Once our sinful anger recedes, when we learn to trust God, we will see His reassurances and will understand that all things He does are for our good, at His timing, not ours.
Jesus died to put to death the stranglehold sin(and Satan) has on all of us. His resurrection 3 days later signifies the overcoming of death and God's promise of eternal life to all.
In Mathew 27:45-55
we read of the very clear indications of God's awesome powers and His reassurances
'and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent, and the graves were opened,...
........................they feared greatly, saying,
Truly, this was the Son of God'
God bless
This morning, our sins caught up with us and my daughter reached the school without her school bag(thinking that I had takened in on her behalf).
Naturally, one reversed course for home and being late by 20secs, she was left standing forlornly, at the locked school gates.
Human failings, we can laugh over. But it does captures vividly, what it means for us all should we be left outside the pearly gates of heaven, when our Lord returns.
To all of you, my friends, who have been kind to prod through the sometimes less than perfect prose of my personal thoughts the last few mths, do forgive me. The intent is not to impose one's beliefs on anyone but for all of you on my email list, I will not count myself as your friend if i do not share the good news and its importance to all, if one believes in it.
How does one know that God exists?? You will first have to believe.
'Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now,
you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.'
1 Peter 1:8
This personal experience of inexpressible and glorious joy,
------------------------------------
sums up for us whom God has filled with the Holy Spirit.
Our lives are never the same: irrationally rational and at peace.
'not by work of righteousness which we have done,
but according to His mercy He saved us,
by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit;
Titus 3:5
Our response when we receive the revelation of God
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another,
God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us.'
1 John 4:12
Finally, back to my daughter.
-----------------------------------------
While sometimes heartrending, it is good for her character to go through momentous but temporary trials. Yesterday, after our worship, God led me to the chapter on Mathew 27:32-44, which talks about the cruxification of Jesus Christ.
This story is real but not unfamiliar to all of us. However, yesterday, it took on greater clarity for me.
That is:
- it is not just a question of God giving us the salvation
- it is the image of the ultimate sacrifice of one who is perfect, redeeming all of us without any preconditions, the inperfect
- it puts all our anger with God's perceived unfairness in the correct perspective.
'Let God rescue him now if He wants him'
Mathew 27:42
'And about the nineth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying
Eli Eli, Lama Sabachthani?
that is to say,
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Mathew 27:45-46
Once our sinful anger recedes, when we learn to trust God, we will see His reassurances and will understand that all things He does are for our good, at His timing, not ours.
Jesus died to put to death the stranglehold sin(and Satan) has on all of us. His resurrection 3 days later signifies the overcoming of death and God's promise of eternal life to all.
In Mathew 27:45-55
we read of the very clear indications of God's awesome powers and His reassurances
'and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent, and the graves were opened,...
........................they feared greatly, saying,
Truly, this was the Son of God'
God bless
MLworship#9 Finding Nemo
God : ?????
‘Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.”
Luke 12:51
“These people honour Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me
Isaiah 29:13
Questions
1. Is the Bible truly what it is, ‘the Word of God.’
As we are all agreed, Christianity has the most compelling and substantiated historical evidence to justify its claims
“There has not failed one word of all His good promise”
1 Kings 8:56
2. If that is the belief, then we should read the facts and statements in the Bible as it is without adding nor subtracting from it.
“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path
Psalm 119:105
Seek ye first the Words of God,
Read, pray and meditate upon the Words of God
Abide in Him and do His Will.
(the gist of Psalm 119)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths
Proverbs 3:5-6
Do not be wise in your own eyes
Proverbs 3:7
3 We have to live our faith.
The best commentary on the Bible is a person who puts it into practice
To be spiritually fruitful, plant God’s word in your heart
“Those who hear the Word with a noble and good heart keep it and bear fruit”
Luke 8:15
4. So why is there injustice in this world?
- The presence of trouble does not mean the absence of God
“Oh, that I knew where I might find Him, that I might come to His seat
Job 23:3
- Vengeance is Mind
“Repay no one evil for evil”
Romans 12:17
- God loves us not because of who we are, but because of who He is
“As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him”
Psalm 103:13
4. Will God tempt me?
‘Let no one say when he is tempted, “ I am tempted by God”;
for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
James 1:13
5 Will God test me?
“He who judges me is the Lord”
1 Corinthians 4:4
“We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed;
we are perplexed, but not in despair
2 Corinthians 4: 8
“In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God;
He heard my voice
Psalm 18:6
6 What do I have to give up to follow God?
- He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in Him”
1 John 2:15
7 Will I lose what is dear to me: material possessions?
- wealth is a double blessing when you share it with others
“Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you”
James 5:3
8 Will I lose what is dear to me : my life and that of my loved ones?
- Death is not a period – it’s only a comma
Dying with certainty
“ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”
2 Timothy 4:6-18
“nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy.”
Acts 20:24
“Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.”
2 Corinthians 4:16
9 How do I handle tribulations?
- when you are swept off your feet, land on your knees
“Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head: and he fell to the ground and worshipped
Job 1:20
“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulations produces perserverance; perseverance character, and character , hope
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us
Romans 5:1-5
10 Show me God?
- no mortal can see God and live, His brilliance would destroy all sight,
But Jesus’s glory we shall see For He as God is truth and light
“He who has seen Me has seen the Father”
John 14:9
- if you would know the power of God, just take Him at his Word
Be not dismayed if faith is small
But trust “thus saith the Lord
“The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
Luke 17:5
In closing, do read, pray and reflect upon this verse
“And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him,
“O you of little faith, why did you doubt”
Matthew 14:31
‘Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.”
Luke 12:51
“These people honour Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me
Isaiah 29:13
Questions
1. Is the Bible truly what it is, ‘the Word of God.’
As we are all agreed, Christianity has the most compelling and substantiated historical evidence to justify its claims
“There has not failed one word of all His good promise”
1 Kings 8:56
2. If that is the belief, then we should read the facts and statements in the Bible as it is without adding nor subtracting from it.
“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path
Psalm 119:105
Seek ye first the Words of God,
Read, pray and meditate upon the Words of God
Abide in Him and do His Will.
(the gist of Psalm 119)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths
Proverbs 3:5-6
Do not be wise in your own eyes
Proverbs 3:7
3 We have to live our faith.
The best commentary on the Bible is a person who puts it into practice
To be spiritually fruitful, plant God’s word in your heart
“Those who hear the Word with a noble and good heart keep it and bear fruit”
Luke 8:15
4. So why is there injustice in this world?
- The presence of trouble does not mean the absence of God
“Oh, that I knew where I might find Him, that I might come to His seat
Job 23:3
- Vengeance is Mind
“Repay no one evil for evil”
Romans 12:17
- God loves us not because of who we are, but because of who He is
“As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him”
Psalm 103:13
4. Will God tempt me?
‘Let no one say when he is tempted, “ I am tempted by God”;
for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
James 1:13
5 Will God test me?
“He who judges me is the Lord”
1 Corinthians 4:4
“We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed;
we are perplexed, but not in despair
2 Corinthians 4: 8
“In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God;
He heard my voice
Psalm 18:6
6 What do I have to give up to follow God?
- He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in Him”
1 John 2:15
7 Will I lose what is dear to me: material possessions?
- wealth is a double blessing when you share it with others
“Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you”
James 5:3
8 Will I lose what is dear to me : my life and that of my loved ones?
- Death is not a period – it’s only a comma
Dying with certainty
“ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”
2 Timothy 4:6-18
“nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy.”
Acts 20:24
“Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.”
2 Corinthians 4:16
9 How do I handle tribulations?
- when you are swept off your feet, land on your knees
“Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head: and he fell to the ground and worshipped
Job 1:20
“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulations produces perserverance; perseverance character, and character , hope
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us
Romans 5:1-5
10 Show me God?
- no mortal can see God and live, His brilliance would destroy all sight,
But Jesus’s glory we shall see For He as God is truth and light
“He who has seen Me has seen the Father”
John 14:9
- if you would know the power of God, just take Him at his Word
Be not dismayed if faith is small
But trust “thus saith the Lord
“The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
Luke 17:5
In closing, do read, pray and reflect upon this verse
“And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him,
“O you of little faith, why did you doubt”
Matthew 14:31
MLworship#10 Fish tales
Thank God :
----------------
for the many wonderful testimonies amongst those present today of God's ever faithful presence in their daily lives, in good times and in 'difficult' times.
God's will for us all is:
------------------------------
'to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the son of God, unto a perfect man, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ'
Ephesians 4:12-13
In this walk with God:
------------------------------
'When my faith recedes, I look upon the flowers and remembers God's wonderful grace, my faith came flooding back in'
(Words from a painting hanging in Wesley Church toilet. Not the most desirable of ambiance, but the most apt words for me when i needed it most).
'Safety is not found in the absence of danger or pain, but in the presence of God
( this is what i have learned the past 2 weeks, as God walked me through issues of love, pride,
fear and anger, but always coated with just the right touch of His reassurances that give me such joy)
Christian faith is a living relationship with God:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
- Where our focus is on God,
our lives are aligned to Him and we respond as the Holy Spirit prompts us.
Turbulences will buffet us in our walk, as the evil one struggles to keep us mired in our innate sinful human nature. God will allow these storms to surface the latent sinfulness in us for it to be cleansed.
- Our reassurances is that
He will walk with us. We are never alone. He is in total control.
'For you alone, O Lord make one dwell in safety'
Psalm 4:7
- Our response should be to seek Him first and always,
in words and prayers and to respond in obedience with love, kindness, humility and perserverence.
'Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression. But a good word makes it glad'
Proverbs 12:25
- Our faith will be reassured
as God provides snippets of His ever presence even as this segment of the journey that we are on seems to be never ending.
- Our response is to be thankful and to glorfiy God by sharing testimonies of His grace.
AND NOW ON TO THE FISH STORY, just in case you are wondering where does the fish come in.
Recently, my role as a father has expanded to include taking care of the childrens' fishes.
Every morning, i washed the fish container, added in new water and food and hope that they last till the next day.
When the fish dies, i buy a new one and life carries on.
On one occasion, the fish tried to be a 'Nemo' and fortunately, i managed to extract it before it disappeared down the sink.
Life is like a fishbowl, an oft quoted phrase. For many, this is what it is.
It just a question of swimming in an expensive Lalique crystal bowl and or in just a cheap plain old tin can, depending on one's status in life
Sometimes, like Nemo, we struggle to break free. Even if we do, we find ourselves in a bigger sinkhole
Life need not be this way. As we walk closely with God, 'its new every morning' as we experience the fullness of His Grace.
So while the words might not mean anything to some of us now, do remember, when God reveals Himself to you, just response in faith. Do not worry, when life move from one of drudgery to wonderful coincidences, the balance in your head is definitely of better calibre than the best Patek Phillipe movement.
God bless
Regards
Ang Eng Hieang
----------------
for the many wonderful testimonies amongst those present today of God's ever faithful presence in their daily lives, in good times and in 'difficult' times.
God's will for us all is:
------------------------------
'to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the son of God, unto a perfect man, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ'
Ephesians 4:12-13
In this walk with God:
------------------------------
'When my faith recedes, I look upon the flowers and remembers God's wonderful grace, my faith came flooding back in'
(Words from a painting hanging in Wesley Church toilet. Not the most desirable of ambiance, but the most apt words for me when i needed it most).
'Safety is not found in the absence of danger or pain, but in the presence of God
( this is what i have learned the past 2 weeks, as God walked me through issues of love, pride,
fear and anger, but always coated with just the right touch of His reassurances that give me such joy)
Christian faith is a living relationship with God:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
- Where our focus is on God,
our lives are aligned to Him and we respond as the Holy Spirit prompts us.
Turbulences will buffet us in our walk, as the evil one struggles to keep us mired in our innate sinful human nature. God will allow these storms to surface the latent sinfulness in us for it to be cleansed.
- Our reassurances is that
He will walk with us. We are never alone. He is in total control.
'For you alone, O Lord make one dwell in safety'
Psalm 4:7
- Our response should be to seek Him first and always,
in words and prayers and to respond in obedience with love, kindness, humility and perserverence.
'Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression. But a good word makes it glad'
Proverbs 12:25
- Our faith will be reassured
as God provides snippets of His ever presence even as this segment of the journey that we are on seems to be never ending.
- Our response is to be thankful and to glorfiy God by sharing testimonies of His grace.
AND NOW ON TO THE FISH STORY, just in case you are wondering where does the fish come in.
Recently, my role as a father has expanded to include taking care of the childrens' fishes.
Every morning, i washed the fish container, added in new water and food and hope that they last till the next day.
When the fish dies, i buy a new one and life carries on.
On one occasion, the fish tried to be a 'Nemo' and fortunately, i managed to extract it before it disappeared down the sink.
Life is like a fishbowl, an oft quoted phrase. For many, this is what it is.
It just a question of swimming in an expensive Lalique crystal bowl and or in just a cheap plain old tin can, depending on one's status in life
Sometimes, like Nemo, we struggle to break free. Even if we do, we find ourselves in a bigger sinkhole
Life need not be this way. As we walk closely with God, 'its new every morning' as we experience the fullness of His Grace.
So while the words might not mean anything to some of us now, do remember, when God reveals Himself to you, just response in faith. Do not worry, when life move from one of drudgery to wonderful coincidences, the balance in your head is definitely of better calibre than the best Patek Phillipe movement.
God bless
Regards
Ang Eng Hieang
Mlworship#11 Angel sightings
'The things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.'
2 Corinthians 4:18
For many, this runs contrary to the real world they think that they lived in.
Since we are walking on the 'wild' side, let me push the envelope a little by sharing 'An Angel story' with you.
Yesterday, my son(just confirmed myopic week before) told my wife that an Angel spoke to him in the school canteen. The Angel told him that his eye vision should be fine, and to tell mum not to worry about it. My son, when i came home 4 hrs later, couldn't contain his excitement and repeated the same story to me.
Angels are not new to many of us. We watch the movies, read the books but they stayed fictional, at least for me until recently.
As you might recall, near the tail end of Oi Mei's time with us, 2 Angels were seen ministering to her at the hospital bed. The msg then was that God is with her in her journey as she leaves us.
Coming back to my son's angel, as a Christian, i believe in Angels, but to be sure that it is not a young prayerful boy's imagination nor efforts to please his stressed up mum, i asked him the following:
- to describe the angel : has a halo, and a shiny outline/aura round his body
- how he felt after seeing the angel : warmth, a very positive feeling that we receive when God speaks to our heart
This afternoon, before the worship session, in my quiet time, i picked up a book just given to me by a dear friend yesterday.
As i read through the 1st 2 chapter, chapter 2 was titled 'Angel Sightings'
At this juncture, let me reassure all that i am sane. What truly touched my heart was that this chapter described the situation the author and family went through before the Angel sighting. For horror stories, we use the word uncanny, for the Hands of God, we term it impeccable timing of God. The situation describe almost fit to the tee, the events of the day before my son's Angel sighting.
SO WAS THERE AN ANGEL??
Its does not matter, what matters is that God is aware of our needs. And He looks beyond our ugly attitudes and irreverent thoughts, seeing the deeper needs in our soul. God reassures, always but at His timing and form, not ours.
'Faith is the substance of things hoped for, evidence unseen.'
Hebrews 11
Faith is a response to God in obedience. Often we qualify our faith.
In the Bible(in Judges 11:30-31), during a time of great disobedience to God, Jephthah was anointed by God to help the oppressed Israelites.
Jephtah asked for God's grace for victory, but he also placed a condition, that if God help him succeed in his battle, he will sacrifice the 1st thing that walked through his door. Never did he expect that he will be putting his daughter as a burnt sacrifice.
WAS GOD CRUEL??
- God loves us, as by His ultimate sacrifice of His beloved son, Jesus to cleanse the world of their sins.
Things happen to us because of our own sinful nature. We go through pain and 'brokeness' in this temporal world, inorder for us to truly be refined, to ensure that we take our given eternal place in Heaven.
SO HOW DOES ONE LIVED OUT ONE'S FAITH??
'I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it'
Mark 10:15
Let me closed by adding on Delphine and Simon's point today, that as adults, we must always have a thankful heart for God's grace always.
As we respond to God, He will respond to us.
Regards
Ang Eng Hieang
2 Corinthians 4:18
For many, this runs contrary to the real world they think that they lived in.
Since we are walking on the 'wild' side, let me push the envelope a little by sharing 'An Angel story' with you.
Yesterday, my son(just confirmed myopic week before) told my wife that an Angel spoke to him in the school canteen. The Angel told him that his eye vision should be fine, and to tell mum not to worry about it. My son, when i came home 4 hrs later, couldn't contain his excitement and repeated the same story to me.
Angels are not new to many of us. We watch the movies, read the books but they stayed fictional, at least for me until recently.
As you might recall, near the tail end of Oi Mei's time with us, 2 Angels were seen ministering to her at the hospital bed. The msg then was that God is with her in her journey as she leaves us.
Coming back to my son's angel, as a Christian, i believe in Angels, but to be sure that it is not a young prayerful boy's imagination nor efforts to please his stressed up mum, i asked him the following:
- to describe the angel : has a halo, and a shiny outline/aura round his body
- how he felt after seeing the angel : warmth, a very positive feeling that we receive when God speaks to our heart
This afternoon, before the worship session, in my quiet time, i picked up a book just given to me by a dear friend yesterday.
As i read through the 1st 2 chapter, chapter 2 was titled 'Angel Sightings'
At this juncture, let me reassure all that i am sane. What truly touched my heart was that this chapter described the situation the author and family went through before the Angel sighting. For horror stories, we use the word uncanny, for the Hands of God, we term it impeccable timing of God. The situation describe almost fit to the tee, the events of the day before my son's Angel sighting.
SO WAS THERE AN ANGEL??
Its does not matter, what matters is that God is aware of our needs. And He looks beyond our ugly attitudes and irreverent thoughts, seeing the deeper needs in our soul. God reassures, always but at His timing and form, not ours.
'Faith is the substance of things hoped for, evidence unseen.'
Hebrews 11
Faith is a response to God in obedience. Often we qualify our faith.
In the Bible(in Judges 11:30-31), during a time of great disobedience to God, Jephthah was anointed by God to help the oppressed Israelites.
Jephtah asked for God's grace for victory, but he also placed a condition, that if God help him succeed in his battle, he will sacrifice the 1st thing that walked through his door. Never did he expect that he will be putting his daughter as a burnt sacrifice.
WAS GOD CRUEL??
- God loves us, as by His ultimate sacrifice of His beloved son, Jesus to cleanse the world of their sins.
Things happen to us because of our own sinful nature. We go through pain and 'brokeness' in this temporal world, inorder for us to truly be refined, to ensure that we take our given eternal place in Heaven.
SO HOW DOES ONE LIVED OUT ONE'S FAITH??
'I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it'
Mark 10:15
Let me closed by adding on Delphine and Simon's point today, that as adults, we must always have a thankful heart for God's grace always.
As we respond to God, He will respond to us.
Regards
Ang Eng Hieang
Mlworship#12 Sarah's fall, God's grace is suffice(1Nov2003)
Sarah’s fall: God’s grace is sufficient(1 Nov 2003)
1) Yesterday, Sarah slipped and fell at home. According to Janet, the noise emanating from her head hitting the hard marble floor had the same loud resonance of a broken bowl.
By God’s grace, other than the inevitable ‘badge of honour’on her head, she seems none the worse.
2) As I share with you tonite this latest mishap(or spiritual challenge) in the family, I have come one full circle by ending the nite with a bad stomach. Just to recap:
- last week, I had a viral attack of the weak stomach type
- Andre had his two days later
- My sister in law who tends our house had hers 3 days back
- Janet was sick two days back
- Now, Sarah has rounded it off in an earth shattering manner
3) In the Alpha course(for the Merrill staff) this week, interestingly,
‘the topic was on “how can I resist evil?’
According to Nicky Gumble, once we have come to believe in a transcendant God, in some ways its is only logical to accept belief in the existence of the devil.
‘For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms’
Ephesians 6:10-12
4) We are called to pray. Satan trembles when it sees the weakest Christian on his knees.
‘Therefore put on the full armour of God,……….
………And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.’
Ephesians 6:13-20
‘for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’
Romans 10:13
5) When God lifted the blindness in our hearts, we repented and acknowledge Jesus as our Saviour.
‘You didn’t choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.’
John 15:16
6) For many of us, whenever we face problems in our life, we call out to Jesus for help. Jesus is just our saviour, useful in difficult times, not needed in easy times.
If this is all we know Christ as, we will be stuck in an eternal childhood mode.
Our sole expression of relationship to God will be the cry of a baby’s “I need. I want.”
This is not what God wants.
‘Therefore dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position’
2 Peter 3:17
7) We must move from just a salvation mode to an obedience based relationship with God
‘But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.’
2 Peter 3:18
8) It is often difficult and challenging(as Satan schemes to distract us) from listening and responding in obedience to God.
‘Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith….
Hebrews 12:2-12
I have come to learn that in walking closely with God, it does not mean that we will not go through the storms of life nor spiritual challenges. However, in being close to God, we will :
- recognize and take comfort in His ever presence
- turn to Him always in all times, both joy and pain
- received the fullness of His grace and peace of heart while He put all of us through the refinement process.
Do take the first step to always seek God first in all you do.
Do not let the Prince of the world subjugate you again when you have already been freed of its bondage.
Have a blessed week.
1) Yesterday, Sarah slipped and fell at home. According to Janet, the noise emanating from her head hitting the hard marble floor had the same loud resonance of a broken bowl.
By God’s grace, other than the inevitable ‘badge of honour’on her head, she seems none the worse.
2) As I share with you tonite this latest mishap(or spiritual challenge) in the family, I have come one full circle by ending the nite with a bad stomach. Just to recap:
- last week, I had a viral attack of the weak stomach type
- Andre had his two days later
- My sister in law who tends our house had hers 3 days back
- Janet was sick two days back
- Now, Sarah has rounded it off in an earth shattering manner
3) In the Alpha course(for the Merrill staff) this week, interestingly,
‘the topic was on “how can I resist evil?’
According to Nicky Gumble, once we have come to believe in a transcendant God, in some ways its is only logical to accept belief in the existence of the devil.
‘For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms’
Ephesians 6:10-12
4) We are called to pray. Satan trembles when it sees the weakest Christian on his knees.
‘Therefore put on the full armour of God,……….
………And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.’
Ephesians 6:13-20
‘for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’
Romans 10:13
5) When God lifted the blindness in our hearts, we repented and acknowledge Jesus as our Saviour.
‘You didn’t choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.’
John 15:16
6) For many of us, whenever we face problems in our life, we call out to Jesus for help. Jesus is just our saviour, useful in difficult times, not needed in easy times.
If this is all we know Christ as, we will be stuck in an eternal childhood mode.
Our sole expression of relationship to God will be the cry of a baby’s “I need. I want.”
This is not what God wants.
‘Therefore dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position’
2 Peter 3:17
7) We must move from just a salvation mode to an obedience based relationship with God
‘But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.’
2 Peter 3:18
8) It is often difficult and challenging(as Satan schemes to distract us) from listening and responding in obedience to God.
‘Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith….
Hebrews 12:2-12
I have come to learn that in walking closely with God, it does not mean that we will not go through the storms of life nor spiritual challenges. However, in being close to God, we will :
- recognize and take comfort in His ever presence
- turn to Him always in all times, both joy and pain
- received the fullness of His grace and peace of heart while He put all of us through the refinement process.
Do take the first step to always seek God first in all you do.
Do not let the Prince of the world subjugate you again when you have already been freed of its bondage.
Have a blessed week.
MLworship#13 Clarity of God's will(3Nov2003)
Clarity of God’s Will(3 Nov 2003)
1) Who is a Christian?
- a person who responds in faith to the belief that Jesus Christ, the Son of God died for us.
2) How does a Christian live his/her life?
- to know Jesus as Lord through an ONGOING relationship of love and obedience to him
‘So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness’
Colossians 2:6
3) Just last week, my daughter, Sarah slipped and the resonance of her head meeting the hard marble floor was pretty earth shattering. By God’s grace, other than the inevitable ‘badge of honour,’ the damage was miraculously limited.
4) How do I know it is by God’s grace that the damage was limited relative to the
impact?
Would I have been as thankful if the damage was more severe?
‘Faith is the evidence of things hoped, the substance of things unseen’
‘Without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to God…
Hebrews 11:6
5) When God lifted the scales from my eyes, I repented and believe in His love and the salvation He has given all of us, through the sacrifice of His only beloved son, Lord Jesus Christ
As I work on my salvation, as I spent time with God, God has changed the center of gravity of my life from myself to Himself.
‘Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,…
Hebrews 12:2
6) God is an awesome God. He has the right to take everything including our loved ones from us.
But God also knows our limits. His grace is sufficient for us all.
God is also a benevolent and faithful God. He loves us more than we as humanly parents can ever possibly love our children.
7) This is my belief. This is my experience. I will and you will also continue to experience the fullness of God’s grace as we continue to focus our life on Him and respond to the Holy Spirit’s prompting
‘For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things’
Romans 11:36
8) Following after the above verse of Colossians 2:6-7 is Colossians 2:8
‘See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ’
Today, we witness the ordination of a gay bishop.
While I cannot claim to be knowledgeable on the theology underpinnings of God’s Word. My walk with God through time spent on the Gospel and in prayers have led me to believe that God’s will is very clear on all issues. There are no grey areas, only sinful human disobedience.
‘Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you’
2 Deuteronomy 4:2
Let me close with this verse,
‘I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom but on God’s power.’
1 Corinthians 2:2-5
Do put God as the focus of your life.
1) Who is a Christian?
- a person who responds in faith to the belief that Jesus Christ, the Son of God died for us.
2) How does a Christian live his/her life?
- to know Jesus as Lord through an ONGOING relationship of love and obedience to him
‘So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness’
Colossians 2:6
3) Just last week, my daughter, Sarah slipped and the resonance of her head meeting the hard marble floor was pretty earth shattering. By God’s grace, other than the inevitable ‘badge of honour,’ the damage was miraculously limited.
4) How do I know it is by God’s grace that the damage was limited relative to the
impact?
Would I have been as thankful if the damage was more severe?
‘Faith is the evidence of things hoped, the substance of things unseen’
‘Without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to God…
Hebrews 11:6
5) When God lifted the scales from my eyes, I repented and believe in His love and the salvation He has given all of us, through the sacrifice of His only beloved son, Lord Jesus Christ
As I work on my salvation, as I spent time with God, God has changed the center of gravity of my life from myself to Himself.
‘Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,…
Hebrews 12:2
6) God is an awesome God. He has the right to take everything including our loved ones from us.
But God also knows our limits. His grace is sufficient for us all.
God is also a benevolent and faithful God. He loves us more than we as humanly parents can ever possibly love our children.
7) This is my belief. This is my experience. I will and you will also continue to experience the fullness of God’s grace as we continue to focus our life on Him and respond to the Holy Spirit’s prompting
‘For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things’
Romans 11:36
8) Following after the above verse of Colossians 2:6-7 is Colossians 2:8
‘See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ’
Today, we witness the ordination of a gay bishop.
While I cannot claim to be knowledgeable on the theology underpinnings of God’s Word. My walk with God through time spent on the Gospel and in prayers have led me to believe that God’s will is very clear on all issues. There are no grey areas, only sinful human disobedience.
‘Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you’
2 Deuteronomy 4:2
Let me close with this verse,
‘I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom but on God’s power.’
1 Corinthians 2:2-5
Do put God as the focus of your life.
MLworship#14 Praying in the rain
I am Praying in the rain
- Diarrhoea to constipation
1 Tonight is one of those rare occasions when the rains just keep prodding along.
Would be nice to just stay snug in bed.
Unfortunately, for me, the umpteen times(last count 10) spent making trips to the toilet to purge negate that comfortable possibility.
Andre did the same except that he has nothing to show for it.
2 It is often in times of affliction that we tend to draw more on and acknowledge God’s grace.
Seems to be the case for me.
Holidays are nice, blessings are great, but often, our sinful nature caused us to drift away from our close relationship with God, as we luxuriate in the ambiance of good times and the temptations of the world.
‘For we do not have a High priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin’
Hebrews 4:15
3 For the mature Christian, that’s often our mistaken belief that since we know God well, spending cursory time instead of a close daily walk suffices
‘Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the Lord;
I shall not slip.’
Psalm 26:1
4 Sins creep up on us silently. We often get distracted from our close focus on God
Without the discipline of my daily quiet time, without the presence of my fellow small group members both in Wesley, ACS and Merrill, with the attractions of things of the world, I found myself slipping away to being of the world.
‘Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord…..’
Proverbs 8:34-35
5 As I thank God for His revelation in my life,
‘We give thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light…’
Colossians 1:12
6 I thank Him too for letting me be afflicted, for only in my points of despair that I remember His love for us and our sinful nature
‘This is a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of the Lord’
Isaiah 30:9
7 And I also give thanks to God for His grace and faithfulness, when we truly repent, despite our sinful nature that often saddens Him.
I have sinned in my own way the last two weeks. God brought me back into focus. Do repent and respond in obedience.
‘If anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you must also do’
Colossians 3:13
Do pray for me and Andre and the family.
Our stomach conditions are both stabilizing, just as our walk with God is renewed to its closer level.
- Diarrhoea to constipation
1 Tonight is one of those rare occasions when the rains just keep prodding along.
Would be nice to just stay snug in bed.
Unfortunately, for me, the umpteen times(last count 10) spent making trips to the toilet to purge negate that comfortable possibility.
Andre did the same except that he has nothing to show for it.
2 It is often in times of affliction that we tend to draw more on and acknowledge God’s grace.
Seems to be the case for me.
Holidays are nice, blessings are great, but often, our sinful nature caused us to drift away from our close relationship with God, as we luxuriate in the ambiance of good times and the temptations of the world.
‘For we do not have a High priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin’
Hebrews 4:15
3 For the mature Christian, that’s often our mistaken belief that since we know God well, spending cursory time instead of a close daily walk suffices
‘Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the Lord;
I shall not slip.’
Psalm 26:1
4 Sins creep up on us silently. We often get distracted from our close focus on God
Without the discipline of my daily quiet time, without the presence of my fellow small group members both in Wesley, ACS and Merrill, with the attractions of things of the world, I found myself slipping away to being of the world.
‘Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord…..’
Proverbs 8:34-35
5 As I thank God for His revelation in my life,
‘We give thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light…’
Colossians 1:12
6 I thank Him too for letting me be afflicted, for only in my points of despair that I remember His love for us and our sinful nature
‘This is a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of the Lord’
Isaiah 30:9
7 And I also give thanks to God for His grace and faithfulness, when we truly repent, despite our sinful nature that often saddens Him.
I have sinned in my own way the last two weeks. God brought me back into focus. Do repent and respond in obedience.
‘If anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you must also do’
Colossians 3:13
Do pray for me and Andre and the family.
Our stomach conditions are both stabilizing, just as our walk with God is renewed to its closer level.
Mlworship#15 God and the 4 Ws
God and the 4 Ws
‘ I believe, help me to overcome my unbelief’
Mark 9:19
1. At some stage in our lives, all of us have to believe or try to believe in something
For many, it is at the point when the reality of the fact that their soul will have to leave their physical body and enter into a realm, that truly only the dead is privy to.
2. As Christians, God has provided in His Word, a vivid description of
- what His Kingdom will be like: a land of milk and honey and peace and joy
- His promise of eternal life for those who believe, repent and response in obedience
‘For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have enternal life.’
John 3:16
- the reassurance that Jesus will walk with us as we take our place in God’s kingdom.
‘For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world , but to save the world through Him’
John 3:17
3. Christianity is not a religion. It is a daily living relationship with God.
As one who has like many, experienced God’s wonderful and loving grace many times over, GOD EXISTS.
4. BUT WHY DOES THE 4 Ws CONTINUE TO HAUNT ME???
a) WHAT if God does not fulfill His promise?
The Word of God says:
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord….
Jeremiah 29:13-14
b) WHYmust I continue to experience the pain of this world be it sadness, insecurity, deprivation, inequitability……?
The Word of God says:
‘It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes’
Psalm 119:71
‘Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus’
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
c) WHO is to stop me from enjoying the things of this world and repent at the last moment??
The Word of God says:
‘it is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God allover again and subjecting him to public disgrace’
Hebrews 6:4-6
d) WHEN will I see actual proof of God’s existence ???
The Word of God says:
‘They shall never enter my rest. See to it brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.’
Hebrews 3:12-13
5. THE INDIVIDUAL SELF is a very illusive and sinful entity
- God knows us, we do not know ourselves
- God knows and understand our weakness, as Jesus himself has been tempted, but without sin.
‘…..but God is faithful, He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.’
1 Corinthians 10:13
- God allows us to fail, stumble or sin, so that we will lose hope in ourselves completely and surrender to His Spirit fully.
‘…But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.’
1 Corinthians 10:13
ONLY THEN WILL YOU BE VICTORIOUS
6. IN THIS JOURNEY, we are not alone.
Jesus will walk with us. His outstretched, loving hands are always there for us.
He only wants us to respond by:
a) Learning to let go totally and trust in God, don’t let our sinful self dominate
‘….but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.’
Mark 4:19
b) Seeking God always
‘others like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it and produce a crop – thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown’
Mark 4:20
c) Responding in total obedience to God’s guidance
‘I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’
Mark 10:15
7. GOD’S REASSURANCE
‘No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly’
Psalm 84:11
‘The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hand, He has rewarded me.’
Psalm 18:20-21
‘ I believe, help me to overcome my unbelief’
Mark 9:19
1. At some stage in our lives, all of us have to believe or try to believe in something
For many, it is at the point when the reality of the fact that their soul will have to leave their physical body and enter into a realm, that truly only the dead is privy to.
2. As Christians, God has provided in His Word, a vivid description of
- what His Kingdom will be like: a land of milk and honey and peace and joy
- His promise of eternal life for those who believe, repent and response in obedience
‘For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have enternal life.’
John 3:16
- the reassurance that Jesus will walk with us as we take our place in God’s kingdom.
‘For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world , but to save the world through Him’
John 3:17
3. Christianity is not a religion. It is a daily living relationship with God.
As one who has like many, experienced God’s wonderful and loving grace many times over, GOD EXISTS.
4. BUT WHY DOES THE 4 Ws CONTINUE TO HAUNT ME???
a) WHAT if God does not fulfill His promise?
The Word of God says:
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord….
Jeremiah 29:13-14
b) WHYmust I continue to experience the pain of this world be it sadness, insecurity, deprivation, inequitability……?
The Word of God says:
‘It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes’
Psalm 119:71
‘Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus’
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
c) WHO is to stop me from enjoying the things of this world and repent at the last moment??
The Word of God says:
‘it is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God allover again and subjecting him to public disgrace’
Hebrews 6:4-6
d) WHEN will I see actual proof of God’s existence ???
The Word of God says:
‘They shall never enter my rest. See to it brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.’
Hebrews 3:12-13
5. THE INDIVIDUAL SELF is a very illusive and sinful entity
- God knows us, we do not know ourselves
- God knows and understand our weakness, as Jesus himself has been tempted, but without sin.
‘…..but God is faithful, He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.’
1 Corinthians 10:13
- God allows us to fail, stumble or sin, so that we will lose hope in ourselves completely and surrender to His Spirit fully.
‘…But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.’
1 Corinthians 10:13
ONLY THEN WILL YOU BE VICTORIOUS
6. IN THIS JOURNEY, we are not alone.
Jesus will walk with us. His outstretched, loving hands are always there for us.
He only wants us to respond by:
a) Learning to let go totally and trust in God, don’t let our sinful self dominate
‘….but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.’
Mark 4:19
b) Seeking God always
‘others like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it and produce a crop – thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown’
Mark 4:20
c) Responding in total obedience to God’s guidance
‘I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’
Mark 10:15
7. GOD’S REASSURANCE
‘No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly’
Psalm 84:11
‘The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hand, He has rewarded me.’
Psalm 18:20-21
Mlworship#16 Limping foot, punctured tyres
Limping foot, punctured tyre, where is the connection?
Another family story, except with two new characters, but with God always as the central focus.
Yesterday, as I was parking my car(near ACS Junior), a very kind man told me that the back tyre of my car was deflated. Thankfully, I managed to move the car to a nearby petrol station for temporary resuscitation before driving the reflated car a bit furthur down to my regular tyre shop.
There was a piece of metal shard, cutting deep into the outer tyre, but thankfully, it had not had the opportunity to pierce the inner tube, which would have had serious consequences.
So what has it got to do with my wife??
Some of you might know that I am not just blessed with a loving wife, but the marital package included being chauffeured.
This privilege was put in abeyance, when my wife injured her same left foot twice over, once by attempting a Samson, when she tried to kick down the door frame of the house.
2nd attempt, when the much abused leg decided to trip over in the only form of protestation available when ‘a shopping manic’ temporarily took over the mind of the lady of the house.
God do allow ‘miseries’ to come to our lives. He has His reasons. It is always for our good.
‘The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart, devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil’
Psalm 57:1
On reflection, if not for her little mishap, my wife will be driving the car, running the kids to the various locations, including right to the nite(for the extramural programmes).
It is likely that we will all be blissfully unaware of the dangers of the ubiquitous metal piece, tearing away at the heart of the tyre.
I am thankful that
- while her pain was real, we placed her woes and pain to the Lord in prayers
- I responded to the Holy Spirits prompting to meet up with Peter at ACS Junior to discuss God’s will for the prayer group
Walk closely with Jesus. Abide in the vine. It pleases God when we seek Him with all our heart. It is also His desire to shield us from the ‘arrows’ of the evil one.
‘I remember the days of old; I meditate on all your works, I muse on the work of Your hands’
Psalm 143:5
Another family story, except with two new characters, but with God always as the central focus.
Yesterday, as I was parking my car(near ACS Junior), a very kind man told me that the back tyre of my car was deflated. Thankfully, I managed to move the car to a nearby petrol station for temporary resuscitation before driving the reflated car a bit furthur down to my regular tyre shop.
There was a piece of metal shard, cutting deep into the outer tyre, but thankfully, it had not had the opportunity to pierce the inner tube, which would have had serious consequences.
So what has it got to do with my wife??
Some of you might know that I am not just blessed with a loving wife, but the marital package included being chauffeured.
This privilege was put in abeyance, when my wife injured her same left foot twice over, once by attempting a Samson, when she tried to kick down the door frame of the house.
2nd attempt, when the much abused leg decided to trip over in the only form of protestation available when ‘a shopping manic’ temporarily took over the mind of the lady of the house.
God do allow ‘miseries’ to come to our lives. He has His reasons. It is always for our good.
‘The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart, devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil’
Psalm 57:1
On reflection, if not for her little mishap, my wife will be driving the car, running the kids to the various locations, including right to the nite(for the extramural programmes).
It is likely that we will all be blissfully unaware of the dangers of the ubiquitous metal piece, tearing away at the heart of the tyre.
I am thankful that
- while her pain was real, we placed her woes and pain to the Lord in prayers
- I responded to the Holy Spirits prompting to meet up with Peter at ACS Junior to discuss God’s will for the prayer group
Walk closely with Jesus. Abide in the vine. It pleases God when we seek Him with all our heart. It is also His desire to shield us from the ‘arrows’ of the evil one.
‘I remember the days of old; I meditate on all your works, I muse on the work of Your hands’
Psalm 143:5
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