#143 Strangely warm (26 jun 07)

'…thou art careful and troubled about many things…'
Luke 10:41

'Come unto Me…….and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light'
Matthew 11:28-30

With the weather gyrating between the clouds pouring forth its sorrowful tears and the searing glare of the angry sun, there was not much option but to keep the windows shut. With air-circulation being minimal, one cannot help but feel wearily warm and thank goodness for the soothing sounds emanating from the beautiful fingering of my daughter on the piano(for truly music does calm the beasts in us). The ozone depleting air-conditioners also came in useful, and with mosquitoes thriving and maturing with quicker brevity, with every 1 degree rise in the temperature, and with the financial markets toterring that little bit more, as investors jangled nerves dithered between fear and greed, the hot and bothered look is possibly back in fashion.

Attending Sunday service in church is never a chore now, unlike my part-timer days, for it is in church, in the midst of the mass of worshippers, that I often am blessed by the Lord's love. This strangely warm empathic communion with God (is an entirely different feeling from the worldly version of anger or lust or physical discomfort), a sense of compassionate love, inner peace and contented joy that many of us who believed and followed often experienced, as we come to the presence of the Lord, as the Holy Spirit ministers to our soul, is truly heavenly.

'All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness;
That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.'
2 Timothy 3:16-17

Some of us read the Bible like a story book and eventually doze off when we come to the hard grinding part like Book of Numbers.
Some read it like the Tarot cards, hoping for some Divine guidance, but more often than not, looking for the answers that we want to hear.

'For the idols speak delusion. The diviners envision lies. And tell false dreams. They comfort in vain, therefore the people wander away like the sheep…'
Zehcariah 10:2

Thankfully, many do come to the Word of God, with awe, with respect and with a humble and contrite heart, for the Word is God, and God is the Word.
For me, it is often in reading and reflecting upon His Word, that the Lord speaks to me, with the warmest of love and grace that only He can provide.

'This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemous, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy…..despisers of those that are good'
2 Timothy 3:1-5

Man tend to wallow in self-denial, even when the obvious hard facts are staring them in the face.
The sins of greed seem to be calling to roost, the reckless, prideful and avarice behaviour of many in the investment world, but many are still hopeful, for to recognize reality is to acknowlege the consequences of less than past prudent actions and the need to let go of sinful desires.
Illusions are at best desultory, for selfishness will ensure that someone out there will bail out a little earlier and faster than the rest of the hopefuls. As disllusionment and fear set in, most will behave like the real rats on a sinking boat, that they have epitomised for so long in their worldly attitudes, ie to bail out by jumping ship, hence triggering the atypical market crash.

'…..Prophesy not in the name of the Lord, that thou die not by our hand'
Jeremiah 11:21


What clear words of warning to evil man in Jeremiah's time,. These false prophets claim to speak for God, when in reality, they were the messengers of the devil.

'…I(ie God) did not speak to them, yet they have prophesized'
Jeremiah 23:21

Much as I in my prideful moments, wished that I was endowed with predictive powers, reality is I have no crystal ball nor is equipped with whatever paraphernalia of the trade that will make me a clairvoyant. .
So why am I acting like I am in the same boat as Noah, who, in the sea of sinful disobedience and disbelief, built his ark(in my case of contented obedience to God) to the derision of his fellow men,

'….persecutions I endured,; but out of them all the Lord delivered me.'
2 Timothy 3:11

Man tend to look for signs, when their sinful emotions are stirred, be it lusts or fear. But even then, the sinful man tend to be looking for the predetermined answers he already desire in his heart and it is just of question of when they come to grief.

I have learned to look to God, thankfully, with an increasing desire and a declining rate of resistance to His will. He has always provided.

'Am I a God at hand, siath the Lord, and not a God afar off?'
Jeremiah 23:23

God speaks to us. He is always with us, if only we care to believe and be still.
It is not what the world is saying or what you think that matters, but rather, what is God speaking to you on this very moment.
We all can hear God. Question is, do we choose to listen? Would we obey??

'For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed…'
Job 33 :14-15

God does not and will not leave us alone to our sinful wiles and eventual damnation. Till the day He returns, He seeks our very attention and repentance, so that He can draw us back from the clutches of the devil. But we must want to grip His hands. Often, He allows us to experience the follies of our sinful ways, inorder for us to loosen the blinding sinful bonds in our hearts.
Times of great upheavals will continue to haunt all of us, this not a prediction, but an acknowledgment of God's love for us and His desire to shake us loose from the grip of sins and eternal death.

Then He openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction. That He may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.
He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword. He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain, so that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat…'
Job 33:16-19

Pain is gain. For often, in this tainted world of ours, what is plain to the faithful only becomes clear to non-believers and believers but non-followers of Jesus Christ, when pain is mixed with the letter 'L'
ie letting go, letting God, learning about His love, by living a Christ-like life.

'But if they had stood in My counsel, and had caused My people to hear My words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings'
Jeremiah 23:22

I am blessed to truly feel the presence of God in my heart, in my life and in the lives of fellow believers He places in my path. The inexplicable warmth, that cleanses my very soul and my very being came, because I want to draw near to Him, to obey Him. This is my testimony.

I cannot predict. I can only encourage you to take that moment with the Lord, for He will bring about a momentous and continued transformation in your life.

'…We will go with you; for we have heard that God is with you'
Zechariah 8:23

Better to go willingly, because you see the grace of God in our lives and in yours, than to have the very foundation of your life shaken, before you will even consider.
Still, better late than never. But there is a cut-off date, so be strongly warned.

And what about those of us who believed, once desired to follow Jesus Christ, but now is in the way of the world??

'Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats…..'
Zechariah 10:3


God Blesses

Note
God is love and to know God, is to love Him and to love others.
Giving is painful, but we need pain to rekindle feelings to the numbness in our hearts, hearts that has increasingly been devoid of love for others.
Do visit this website, the 2nd orphanage in Chiangmai that I have been blessed by the Lord to share His blessings and consider expressing the first or even continued act of love, by giving, by praying and by whatever ways the Lord our God places in your heart.
http://carecornerorphanage.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/MayJune07.pdf.