#90 Soul mates(20jun06)

'Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him....
...He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him..'
Psalm 91:14-16

Some people are blessed with visions. I on rare ocassions, have dreams.
Last nite, I was reminded by the Lord on the dangers of not staying focussed on Him always.
We would not just lose what we hold dear, but also our very souls.

As I watched the news last night, which showed Nicole Kidman being serenaded to by a bunch of reporters on her birthday, I am reminded of what my daughter told me earlier on in the morning. She was reading to me from the newspaper, the list of famous people(from soccer players to movies stars) who shared the same birthday as me, and I was the only ordinary, non-descript human being in that star studded list of luminaries.

'...I am He that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen:
and I have the keys of hell and of death'
Revelations 1:18

An acquaintance I have known for the past 16 years, happened to be in the limelight recently for the wrong reason. He was famous for his business acumen in his early years, but sadly, it took on large degree of infamy in his latter years. Yesterday was his passing from mortality to the realms of the non-experiential for the living us.
Wealth made him, but could the stealth that came with wealth destroyed not just him, but his family?? He went to his grave, leaving not only his earthly treasures and worldly troubles behind, but possibly, a series of destroyed lives within and without, for the people who had journeyed with him.

'What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death?
Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.'
Psalm 89:48

At 45, I guess one no longer has the luxury of perfect symmetery in one's timeline.
For the secular man, he would at such important milestones, sit down and savour his past achievements, rue over the missed opportuniites and plan diligently for the future.

'I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever;
With my mouth, will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations..'
Psalm 89:1

In the eyes of the world, my desire is not exactly an ambitious one nor a very good role model for the striving secular people in the strife drivened world.
Praising God and sharing about His grace and love, does not bring the bread home(at least that is how most perceived it) nor will it make one the cream of the crop of the secular world.

Amazing as it may seem to those who know me in my pre-age 40 days, I actually did a decent song presentation in my singing class two days back.
(At age 10, my music teacher in primary school told me that I couldn't sing. I blamed her(as I do not know the devil then) for my never ever opening my mouth in the next 3 decades of my life, to even whisper a tune. Now I thank God for removing that bondage from my vocals).
I am no nightingale, but am now an officially blessed singing frog(much to the chagrin of my kids) which is definitely better than a silent one.

I sang the song "Amazing Grace" and it shattered no windows and myopic as I may be, I was very sure none of my classmates cringed. And as true followers of Christ are never to lie, or be prepared to face the immediate corrective wrath of God, my music teacher must be speaking the truth when she said I sang well.
Interestingly, the week before, I happened to be in Charleston, South Carolina. For the historically more attuned, this was the place that John Newton(the author of the song 'Amazing Grace') in his heathen days, spend an inordinate amount of time bringing slaves caught from Africa, to be traded here.

'....with all of them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the Lord.....'
Erza 1:5

With the sunshades of Hades removed by the grace of God from his callous heart, John Newton devoted his life to living it the way the Lord led him.
For me, the darkness gave way to light at age 40. The past 5 years has been truly wonderful, in ways you will also fathom if only you were to embark on that same desire to focus on God

It is said that the a good piece of art will reflect the very soul of its artist. A wonderful masterpiece is not just visually appealing to our inner senses, but it draws us to that level of empathy with the very emotions and soul of its maker.
We become one with the artists.

Yet, humans in their most glorious are at best imperfect.
God is perfect.

He chose me and you. I chose to respond to Him.
My very soul must want to cling on to Him every day of my life.

Sadly, for many of us, we tend to take a hard look at who are soul mates are, only when our lives reached a checkmate.
There is only One God. Jesus Christ is your only true mate.

'...not by might nor by power but by My Spirit..'
Zechariah 4:6

God Blesses

Eng Hieang