The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.'
Isaiah 40:8
Lately, life seems to have come one full circle for me. The present wealth destruction in the financial markets seems reminiscent of the last Asian crisis. And if that is the case, then we should expect more to come. On the political scene, the rude awakening for the West, now that the Russian bear has come out of its slumber, with its claws out, seems to portend of a resurrected Cold War in the making. Georgia might not be the last of the re-subjugated countries. And with social unrest globally still fairly muted, now that food, fuel and other basic necessities have lost some of its froth, are happy days back with us again, or this is just the calm before the storm? Terrorism and unstable governments were endemic in the 1970s, with corruption and increased poverty levels forming a potent mix.
'…But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.'
Zechariah 13:4-5
How true this verse seem to reflect my life. In my pre-follower days of our Lord Jesus Christ, I have been caught out so often by my intellect, where either an irrational financial market caught me on the wrong foot or my greed and fear clouded my logic and discipline. My wife make few but prescient decisions and that was not even based on the principle of risk/reward but rather the need for a convenient abode.
What about my track record my post adherant days of our Lord Jesus Christ? Some things don't change and if it was based upon reliance on my abilities, I was none the wiser. What about the wife? The difference this time round was that all blessings were truly from the Lord. Was this the case in my part-time believer days? It was, but just that I never fully realized nor acknowleged His omnipresence.
'The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God….'
Psalms 14:1
How do we measure the 'success' of our relationship with the Sovereign God? Is it by the measures of the secular world ie wealth, status, health, or even predictive ability? The world or rather us humans have always been a fair weather brood. Lately, the newspapers have lauded and placed on the pedestal, men who have called this present financial crisis a few years back. One should not begrudge these men their day in the sun, but truly, should not prescience be spot on, ie exact time and date and exact circumstances? Is this possible with men and do these men deserve to be treated like demi-gods now but soon to be ditched when their fallibility eventually comes through?
'She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the Lord; she drew not near to her God.
…..Her prophets are light and treacherous persons…….The just Lord is in the midst thereof….''
Zephaniah 3:2-5
In the Christian realm, we believe and know that God gives each and everyone of us different gifts. Some teach, some lead, some encourage and a whole spectrum of gifts including the gift of prophesy.
'For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.'
2 Peter 1:20-21
But is prophesy a function of our own abilities or are the prophets responding as led by the Lord our God? Is a prophet treating God like a genie who will respond with wonderful miracles at the command of the prophet, who can then perform in front of an entranced and awed audience. Are the audience worshipping the prophets or God? Are our faith a function of how many times a 'prophet' display his 'predictive prowess' that measure up to our expectations. The Israelites of Moses time were treated to many wonderful miracles by our Almighty God. They were suitably impressed, but unfortunately in all brevity and their sinful ways crept right back when the physical manifestation of God's presence were not with them.
If your faith is a function of how many times God answers your clouded desires disguised as prayers, then you will be very disappointed. If your faith is with the next man claiming to be a prophet of God, who can satisfy your sinful desires or flawed understanding, then be prepared to be misled and disappointment will be a matter of time.
'If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself…'
1 John 5:8-10
Thankfully I do not have this problem. For my confessional track record attests clearly to not just having rare successes whenever I lean on my own understanding or that of men, but truly, so called 'successes' in my life clearly comes from the grace of God, where I would have never made those decisions as a rational man, but I do for the Spirit of God prompts and my own contribution was to respond in a way that honours God.
God does bring men into our lives, to share a Word that the messenger might not even understand as to its significance. God do use men as prophets, who can be prescient with its meaning for us, but again either these prophets have no idea of its significance or it will be a mistake and sin for us to come to them like a crystal ball or worse, a demi-god, for truly, only God is omnipresent and only He knows what is in our hearts.
'There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.'
Romans 3:11
God is an 'invisible God.' And man like to define visibility as something that is within the grasps of their senses, be it sight, sound, smell, taste, feel. In my past 8 years of actively seeking God, I do have a 'poor' record as far as the sense are concerned. My one and only true experience was that one night in Bangkok, when the Spirit of God brought forth this great cleansing and sanctification and uplifting in my life, that I have but to respond from then on to an invisible but very real and visible God. Joy and peace in knowing God goes beyond our finite understanding.
Since then, I have tried to be a very diligent seeker of our Lord, in prayers, in praise, in His words and in His work. But I only have a smattering of 'visible' experiences to show for, including being 'slain' once when the hands of one of His annointed prophets touched me and I just wobbled over. And I did have a couple of healing of physical ailments as I worshipped Him.
'…If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver him now…..'
Matthew 27:42-42
Does this make me a lesser Christian or does it mean that I have been walking wrong or that God has greater preferences for His other children?
'Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.'
Romans 6:13
Like so many of us, as God took us out of the bondage of our Egypt, as we walk in the desert with Him, it is natural that we still look for things that we are comfortable with. But God has other plans for us. He wants to reshape us in His likeness, to be made ready for His return. Yielding or letting go, and letting Him is a process. It starts from a desire, translated into a commitment but its execution must start, be throughout and always with the Lord our God.
The relationship with God is a very real and vibrant relationship. God speaks to me as I seek Him. He speaks many times to my heart, as I spend time with Him. In prayers, He gives me that inner peace and joy and clarity of thought. In doing His works, in showing love, He brings me into communion with Him, for God is love. He more than provides, so that I can respond and focus on His call knowing that I walk not alone. In time of worship, His praise brings me into that unison with His Spirit that transcends our thoughts. And for me, in reading and sharing His Words, He truly speaks to me, guide me, encourages, teaches and corrects me. It is always a joyful wonder for me whenever I 'see' how close God is in my midst and how wonderfully He shows me His very real presence in His Words, in His response as I respond in faith to His promptings.
God will speak to each and everyone of us, for His Spirit resides in all who truly believe and desire to follow Him. Lets not worry too much about the form, or the platform but truly ground yourself upon Him by obeying His commands, to seek Him, to love others and to live the fruits of the Spirit as exemplified by our Lord Jesus Christ. We have a direct line to God through His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Men can and will be used by God to encourage, correct, teach us. But men, no matter how anointed that they might seem, is not God, and it is Him that we must look to, and not the imperfect man.
'….that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now our salvation nearer than we believed.'
Romans 13:11
The day I truly walked across after that night in Bangkok eight years back, and I remembered as I drove past my church a few days after, it struck me that just like between the last book of the Old Testatment, Malachi and the first book of the New Testament, Matthew, there was this silent period, for me of almost 15 years where till nearer the tail end, I have never gone back to the church that I used to attend sporadically, in my young adult days, when troubles bring me to want to seek a God that will answer my needs. The silent period was also the time that my career took off. It was a 'blessed' time financially, but on hindsight, was never a peaceful time, as I seek the glories and riches of the world.
'..And the way of peace they have not known..'
Romans 3:17
I am thankful that God 'woke' me up and now allows me to know Him and acknowlege Him in my life. And God is good. On the same parallel, He also 'woke' my parents up and I have the joy of knowing my human father better the past few years, more than I ever did the first 40 years of my life.
'In whom ye also are builded together for an inhabitation of God through the Spirit.'
Ephesians 2:22
God is good. The past one month, He has brought friends I used to know, but has since been off my radar screen for the past 15-20 years, back into my life. Just like the gap between Malachi and Matthew, there was this period of incommunicado, but I believe God was working in all our lives. Strange as it might seem, I have met close to 10 friends, none of whom I had actively seek and has lost all contact with and the reunion in itself is a tale of coincidences, that would have tempted me to 'try my luck' at the local lottery. But there is no coincidence or luck, but rather the grace and will of God.
What does it mean?
'Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest'
Matthew 11:28
I have no idea. But I do know that wherever God places in our lives, we must live a life that will glorify Him and be used by Him to shine forth His light into the hearts of His children. These are interesting times. The bedrock of human comforts be it weallth, health, stability are increasingly being shaken to its very roots. None of us can predict, though God will use some of us as prophets to reveal His Word as given to the chosen messenger. But God is a consistent God, in that He does give us markers of what is ahead, to give us that reassurance and to lead us in this dark and sinful world. God also uses the past to teach us about the future, but more importantly, His command to all who believe as to how we should response to His will has never changed.
'Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes…'
Romans 3:16-18
The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Seek God and not seek the lures of the world. Humility and not pride. Give and not take. Contentment and stewardship and not greed and fear. These are values that does not mean that we will not be hurt by the present tough economic conditions, but it would have definitely saved us from a lot more grief than those who had chosen to do otherwise.
'For whosover hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.'
Matthew 13:11-12
As believers, we often tend to lay claim to our faith when we find ourselves on the correct half of the great divide. And we are often guilty of judging the quality of faith of those who seem to be like Job, in great suffering. In all conditions, be it good or difficult times for us, God is always there in our midst, and His plans for us are good and are being worked out, even when it seem to be otherwise.
Are we prepared to show that perseverance, be obedient even when to do so would seem silly, be faithful even when conditions demand us to do otherwise and with little or more, would we be willing to live a life that honours God and be used by Him to encourage and bring others unto His presence.
'Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate…'
Isaiah 6:11-12
Take away the reference to Isaiah 6:11-12, it might seem to be a question all of us are asking as to when the subprime crisis and its broad ranging negative ramifications will end, so that good times can be back.
I will offer my one and only 'prophesy' or more like flawed guess. I think it will have to get worse before the relevant authorities will be able to muster the political will and courage to do the necessary. But it will not be long.
But it matters not, ie my guess. But rather, the Lord reminded me at the beginning of this year, as having been flushed with His blessings, including material, I was all ready to cumulate furthur to do more for Him. The Lord reminded me that He has provided and this is the year of sharing His provisions. And how right was our Lord, for I did receive much greater joy in using His blessings to bless others as He leads and thankfully, while none of us will be able to escape this present erosion of wealth, God is good. It is Him we lean upon and not His blessings.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(22Aug08)
Note:
Having caught up with a some of these long lost friends this past week, I am reminded that indeed all of us have gone through many changes in our lives. Some have divorced, some almost died and indeed some have died to Christ and risen with Him as believers. Familiarity does not bring contempt but provides a comfortable presence for friends to commiserate, to encourage and be encouraged, especially where our focus is no longer upon the world, but upon the Lord our God.
'My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.'
James 1:2
Monday, August 25, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Running the race #8 Bringing up father (18aug08)
Dear…
'Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.'
Malachi 4:5-6
Ever felt like one of those days when the world around you seems like a series of collapsing pillars, where having just avoided one just by a cat's whisker, the next pillar starts falling towards you and even the floor seems to be opening up. Angst and pangs of intermittent fear seem to underline your day and you sometimes just wished that you were somewhere else, or better still, dad will be around to take the load off you.
Most of us will find it quite difficult to create such dire but character building live scenarios for our children. Yet, without being put through the mill of life's harsh realities, it is almost impossible for our children to bring forth that inner strength and resourcefulness that we like to believe exist in them, but which has been submerged by their very comfortable life. Unlike the agrarian economies of old, where the children work alongside the parents, where they will experienced the same cruel vagaries of weather's fickleness, our children today, especially in developed countries like ours can be forgiven for thinking that food on the table is a birthright, and that education is burdensome, rather than a privilege.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me: Thou shalt stretch forth Thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand shall save me.
The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me; Thy mercy O Lord endureth for ever……'
Psalms 138:7-8
Parenthood today is quite different from times past. Parents today are likely to be more prepared to stay engaged with their children, unlike the days of old, where fathers are king of the roost, and children are to be seen and not heard. Yet today, life for our children, at least in the developed Asian countries, seems more like a factory floor, where once the basic widget or baby is produced, the better part of their childhood and young adulthood is spent on a series of regimented packaging and value added, to make them ready for the material demands of the secular world, and less on character building.
'For the love of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.'
1 Timothy 6:10
What about the more liberal West, where being lax with children, where parents can be sent to prison for disciplining their brood with a cane, where a child today might be very confused as to who his/her parents might be, given the same sex marriages, wombs for rental, cohabitation and short term transactional nature of marriages. Are the children brought up upon a focus on self rather than the common good, where values are the color of monies rather than of the heart. Where the home is no longer a dependable role model. Can the West be any better?
'For the son dishonooureth the father, the duaghter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house.'
Micah 7:6
And what does our secular world demand?
With increased globalization, the standard operating requirements for one to be successful will hinge on
- not just the right education, but the right pedagogic institution with the right networks
- the right packaging and less on the quality of the intrinsics be it the heart
- the willingness to let our needs reign supreme rather than the common good.
A wee be harsh this might seem, but would be good for all of us to reflect upon our own and that of the lives of our brood. We are all guilty in different degrees but the common factor that bond all of us is the need to be with the system or falter otherwise, with its dire consequences of a lower standard of living.
But must life be this way. Are we as parents on the right track with the system, but way off center with the Lord our God?
'Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismay for the King of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles.'
2 Chronicles 32:7-8
It is good to revisit our own experiences ever since the Lord has blessed us in lifting the blindness in our hearts. Being privileged to know the perfect God does not mean that we will be perfect. The Lord our God has wiped off the debt of our sins. We have a chance to start again on a clean slate, to be made into His likeness. As we allow Him to mould us, we will be there, but our Lord will have to surface layer by layer, the latent rough spots of our nature. We will resist, often desist, but God will make us right, if we let Him.
After so many years, all of us are far from the finished product. But God understands and He is patient.
What about us with our children?
No two child are the same. One might seem to fit our desired mould more, while the other seems to be almost a lost cause. But there will be times when the near perfect child will surprise us with an extreme display of schizophrenic behaviour or more correctly disassociative identity disorder. Have we failed as parents?
Has God failed with us??
'Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.'
Malachi 4:5
Our Lord has a great sense of humour. The writer in the Daily Bread article that I read two days back was using the analogy of a bison, that by nature can only look down, compared to the giraffe, that can only look up. Interesting it might seem that at that very moment on this Monday morning, a very stiff neck ensured that I could not look down or up nor sideways, but only straight and staying focus upon God was a lot easier. The desire that God wants us to seek Him always, but which most of us find it hard to do in normal conditions. We seem to fear everything else except the Lord our God.
The stiffness has now left me, in fact my neck can do a swivel(180 degrees only and not 360 degree for that will be a different set of problem then) but the relief came about from my having undergone 45 minutes of near excruxiating pain at the hands of the Chinese chiropracter.
The tension in my body is released, though now replaced by soreness across the whole body, but which thankfully should go away the next couple of days.
For many of us who have come to know God, our enlightenment comes from the grace of God, but we are often make ready after an intensified preparatory period of personal angst, which softens the present tautness of our firm refusal to seek Him. And like many newly crossed over believers, we still carry some of those sores but they will dissipate with time spent with God.
'Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is His reward'
Psalm 127:3
Does our children have to go through the same route that we take. Probably, but the difference is that we as fathers can make the difference by the way we live, by our prayers, by where our very hearts are focussed upon. We cannot take away the darkness of the sinful world, but we can be used by God to light up the darkness of the paths that they will have to go through. As we allow God to bring us up as fathers to our rightful role as the spiritual head of our household, God will use us to bring our families unto His presence, to be made ready for the return of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
The present world might seem to be in greater disarray than ever before. But God's plans are certain and ordered. And just like the book of generation of Jesus Christ as described in Matthew 1, God is faithful in fulfilling His promise of bringing salvation to the world through His beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. From Abraham to Jesus, God used many faithful men as fathers in between.
Today, God has promised that our Lord Jesus Christ will return again. We are privileged to be used by our Heavenly Father to be in His plans. God will be faithful in His promise to all of us, and it is time that as the fathers of this present generation, that we be faithful and pass on that baton of faith to our next generation and thereafter till the fulfilment of the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(18aug08)
'Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.'
Malachi 4:5-6
Ever felt like one of those days when the world around you seems like a series of collapsing pillars, where having just avoided one just by a cat's whisker, the next pillar starts falling towards you and even the floor seems to be opening up. Angst and pangs of intermittent fear seem to underline your day and you sometimes just wished that you were somewhere else, or better still, dad will be around to take the load off you.
Most of us will find it quite difficult to create such dire but character building live scenarios for our children. Yet, without being put through the mill of life's harsh realities, it is almost impossible for our children to bring forth that inner strength and resourcefulness that we like to believe exist in them, but which has been submerged by their very comfortable life. Unlike the agrarian economies of old, where the children work alongside the parents, where they will experienced the same cruel vagaries of weather's fickleness, our children today, especially in developed countries like ours can be forgiven for thinking that food on the table is a birthright, and that education is burdensome, rather than a privilege.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me: Thou shalt stretch forth Thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand shall save me.
The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me; Thy mercy O Lord endureth for ever……'
Psalms 138:7-8
Parenthood today is quite different from times past. Parents today are likely to be more prepared to stay engaged with their children, unlike the days of old, where fathers are king of the roost, and children are to be seen and not heard. Yet today, life for our children, at least in the developed Asian countries, seems more like a factory floor, where once the basic widget or baby is produced, the better part of their childhood and young adulthood is spent on a series of regimented packaging and value added, to make them ready for the material demands of the secular world, and less on character building.
'For the love of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.'
1 Timothy 6:10
What about the more liberal West, where being lax with children, where parents can be sent to prison for disciplining their brood with a cane, where a child today might be very confused as to who his/her parents might be, given the same sex marriages, wombs for rental, cohabitation and short term transactional nature of marriages. Are the children brought up upon a focus on self rather than the common good, where values are the color of monies rather than of the heart. Where the home is no longer a dependable role model. Can the West be any better?
'For the son dishonooureth the father, the duaghter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house.'
Micah 7:6
And what does our secular world demand?
With increased globalization, the standard operating requirements for one to be successful will hinge on
- not just the right education, but the right pedagogic institution with the right networks
- the right packaging and less on the quality of the intrinsics be it the heart
- the willingness to let our needs reign supreme rather than the common good.
A wee be harsh this might seem, but would be good for all of us to reflect upon our own and that of the lives of our brood. We are all guilty in different degrees but the common factor that bond all of us is the need to be with the system or falter otherwise, with its dire consequences of a lower standard of living.
But must life be this way. Are we as parents on the right track with the system, but way off center with the Lord our God?
'Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismay for the King of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles.'
2 Chronicles 32:7-8
It is good to revisit our own experiences ever since the Lord has blessed us in lifting the blindness in our hearts. Being privileged to know the perfect God does not mean that we will be perfect. The Lord our God has wiped off the debt of our sins. We have a chance to start again on a clean slate, to be made into His likeness. As we allow Him to mould us, we will be there, but our Lord will have to surface layer by layer, the latent rough spots of our nature. We will resist, often desist, but God will make us right, if we let Him.
After so many years, all of us are far from the finished product. But God understands and He is patient.
What about us with our children?
No two child are the same. One might seem to fit our desired mould more, while the other seems to be almost a lost cause. But there will be times when the near perfect child will surprise us with an extreme display of schizophrenic behaviour or more correctly disassociative identity disorder. Have we failed as parents?
Has God failed with us??
'Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.'
Malachi 4:5
Our Lord has a great sense of humour. The writer in the Daily Bread article that I read two days back was using the analogy of a bison, that by nature can only look down, compared to the giraffe, that can only look up. Interesting it might seem that at that very moment on this Monday morning, a very stiff neck ensured that I could not look down or up nor sideways, but only straight and staying focus upon God was a lot easier. The desire that God wants us to seek Him always, but which most of us find it hard to do in normal conditions. We seem to fear everything else except the Lord our God.
The stiffness has now left me, in fact my neck can do a swivel(180 degrees only and not 360 degree for that will be a different set of problem then) but the relief came about from my having undergone 45 minutes of near excruxiating pain at the hands of the Chinese chiropracter.
The tension in my body is released, though now replaced by soreness across the whole body, but which thankfully should go away the next couple of days.
For many of us who have come to know God, our enlightenment comes from the grace of God, but we are often make ready after an intensified preparatory period of personal angst, which softens the present tautness of our firm refusal to seek Him. And like many newly crossed over believers, we still carry some of those sores but they will dissipate with time spent with God.
'Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is His reward'
Psalm 127:3
Does our children have to go through the same route that we take. Probably, but the difference is that we as fathers can make the difference by the way we live, by our prayers, by where our very hearts are focussed upon. We cannot take away the darkness of the sinful world, but we can be used by God to light up the darkness of the paths that they will have to go through. As we allow God to bring us up as fathers to our rightful role as the spiritual head of our household, God will use us to bring our families unto His presence, to be made ready for the return of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
The present world might seem to be in greater disarray than ever before. But God's plans are certain and ordered. And just like the book of generation of Jesus Christ as described in Matthew 1, God is faithful in fulfilling His promise of bringing salvation to the world through His beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. From Abraham to Jesus, God used many faithful men as fathers in between.
Today, God has promised that our Lord Jesus Christ will return again. We are privileged to be used by our Heavenly Father to be in His plans. God will be faithful in His promise to all of us, and it is time that as the fathers of this present generation, that we be faithful and pass on that baton of faith to our next generation and thereafter till the fulfilment of the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(18aug08)
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Running the race #7 The tempo has quickened(12aug08)
For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie, though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.'
Habakkuk 2:3
The strength of the till recently anemic US dollars has once again proven the adage about us humans,none of us can predict and much as one might lay blame for our failings on the irrationality of markets, putting too much faith in our own understanding will be more painful than gainful. My credibility with my son has probably gone down a couple of notches in line with the Singapore dollar weakness. Andre has placed on his screensaver, besides the weather forecast, the USD/SGD exchange rate. The level started at 1.3550 and he was happy to buy his USD50 for his coming year end US vacation, but the wise old dad decided that we can wait. Now that it is at USD1.4150, should I quote himHabakkuk 2:3, for reality is Uncle Sam is fast outpacing the North Koreans at the printing press, producing fiat money but the world does not seem to mind, at least for now.
'…Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, ….and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.'
1 Kings 22:5-6
'…Behold now, the words fo the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good.'
And Michiah said, As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak.'
1 Kings 22:13-14
As I read this verse this morning, like all we also read in the newspapers, the ongoing conflict between Russian and Georgia. It is indeed a battle between Golaith and David. Mother Russia on ground forces alone can easily muster a million troops compared to Georgia's 25,000 men. Has too much vokha got into the heads of the Georgian leadership to attempt such a suicidal sure lose effort at snatching back lost territories now in the firm grasp of the waiting Russian bear or was there a little bird in the American bush with a Texan twang who told him that he will not be alone, for the American bald eagle will take flight with him. The Georgians must have mistookflight for fight?
Antioch, where Paul started the first church, was in Syria. Things have changed since then, and modern Syria, at one time allied to Saddam Hussein's Iraq, both being from the Baath party remains a close ally of the Iranians and could possibly renew its old comradeship with the New Russia, a resurgent and more decisive version of the old lumbering Soviet bear, better then known as the USSR(Union Soviet Socialists Republic).
Gog(Ezekiel 38 and 39) in the land of Magog(modern day Russia??) is on the rise and increasingly, the possibility of the proxy wars between Israel and Iran/Syria fought in Lebanon could quickly magnify into a proxy war between America(via Israel) and Russia(via Iran/Syria) and the battle ground could soon move to a bigger stage,Syria itself. The chances of Syria being destroyed, at least Damascus as prophesized in the Bible(Isaiah 17:1) now look like a distinct possibility notwithstanding a long shot at the moment.
What about China?. The Oympics opening was impressive. It is China's no expense spared coming out party, after enduring the years of humuliation by the Western powers including Meiji Japan in the last days of the Qing Dynasty. Opium no longer has its hold on China, but the USA is now addicted to the drug of consumerism and the devil's brew, both now well supplied by its potential usurpers at the world stage, China for consumer goods and Russia for oil. And was it by sheer coincidence that whiledear Mr Putin was sitting with his poker face look at the Birdnest Olympic stadium watching China's coming out party, Russia was having its own fireworks in Georgia to signal its own coming out party and the secular Western Europeans are now truly beholden to the Russians for gas through Ukraine, and soon to be Caspian sea oil through Russian controlled Georgia.
Interestingly, a world that has long been dominated by Western powers(Portugal, Spain, Holland, France and Great Britain for the best part of the past 400 to 500 years and USA for the better part of the last century) is now increasingly seeing an equalization to nations thatdo not have Christiandom as its foundation, though most of the West are now more secular than spiritual. What does it portend for the world, where the dominant powers that are coming into the fore values the worship of self rather than a higher being?
And just to round off this morning of postulations, which is at best flawed, Georgia(as in the Caucasus) happened to be the first few states in the world that had made Christianity as its state religion, back in the 14th century. And Georgia(as in USA) was where the peanut farmer but closest to a practising Christian president in modern office of the USA, the still very alive Mr Jimmy Carter. And beyond Georgia(as in the Caucasus) lies the Muslim nations of Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkey and beyond it Israel. If the Russians were indeed the Bibilical invaders from the north, they will soon have a clear path to Israel.
<>
'Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?'
John 11:40
As believers, many of us are often guilty of being caught up with our predictions(which none can) or worse, being caught up with everything else except with the Lord our God. A little Interesting as my wild thoughts might be, remotely possible they might turn out to be,the markers that God placed in our lives, in His Words are more important as measures of His reassurances, even as the world becomes increasingly topsy turrvy, as men's wickedness take on new heights or rather lows, and as nature groans and the earth shakes. In the midst of upheavals, men will react from their finite understanding, but believers and followers of Jesus Christ have no reason to let fear and lusts gripped us, for God walks with us. He is there right by our side.Rather than be caught up by the external environment, upon which we have very little control,will it not be better to look internally, for the Holy Spirit resides in all of us who believe and God will lead us.
"People do not change when they see the light, they change when they see the heat( a quote from the UK's The Week). An apt observation of general human motivation, for without pain, most would not do the gainful thing. If he source of enlightenment is from men, then clearly this causal observation is quite correct.But even then, men's reaction to pain will still be flawed as it will be benchmarked and determine by their own finite understanding and they will still be looking everywhere except to God and even if they were to turn to God, they still expect God to change for them and not the other way round.
But if the lifting of the blindness in our hearts is from the Lord, the need to transform in His likeness will be compelling and change will not come from us, but as the Lord leads. However, the willingness to be changed is still our choice and God will never impose upon us.
'Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father glorify Thy name'
John 12:27-28
'Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.'
John 12:31-32
Our Lord Jesus Christ, by his death and resurrection, brought forth salvation to the world. These words that he shared in the days before he was crucified seems to be still applicable to our present troubled days.
With the world entering capitulation at least in terms of the various asset classes,with commodities the last vestiges of bullishness now falling flat on its nose, do not we have enough troubles to have the Russians now bring the world to a different stage, with increasingly volatile politics and conflicts are likely to become the forseeable landscape. As Russia now tries to make up for years of lost pride and lost territories, fueled by their largess of oil and commodities.
'He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep It unto life eternal. If any man serve Me, let him follow Me: and where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honour.'
John 12:25-26
Like some, who do take time to ponder upon our present world, troubles seem aplenty andmy heart is indeed troubled. But like God reminded our Lord Jesus Christ years back, the time to bring many back into His fold is now with us, and indeed, we who have had the veil lifted from our hearts, are both privileged and blessed to be used by Him, as His light shines forth upon the darkness in the world.
The tempo might have quickened, but the steps of the assured are still the same, seek the Lord with our heart, soul and mind, acknowlege Him in all our ways, and He will make straight our paths. A simple Biblical truth, in an increasingly disjointed and complex world.
'And not for that nation only, but that also He should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.'
John 12:52
'…Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light….'
John 13:35-36
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(12Aug2008)
Habakkuk 2:3
The strength of the till recently anemic US dollars has once again proven the adage about us humans,none of us can predict and much as one might lay blame for our failings on the irrationality of markets, putting too much faith in our own understanding will be more painful than gainful. My credibility with my son has probably gone down a couple of notches in line with the Singapore dollar weakness. Andre has placed on his screensaver, besides the weather forecast, the USD/SGD exchange rate. The level started at 1.3550 and he was happy to buy his USD50 for his coming year end US vacation, but the wise old dad decided that we can wait. Now that it is at USD1.4150, should I quote himHabakkuk 2:3, for reality is Uncle Sam is fast outpacing the North Koreans at the printing press, producing fiat money but the world does not seem to mind, at least for now.
'…Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, ….and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.'
1 Kings 22:5-6
'…Behold now, the words fo the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good.'
And Michiah said, As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak.'
1 Kings 22:13-14
As I read this verse this morning, like all we also read in the newspapers, the ongoing conflict between Russian and Georgia. It is indeed a battle between Golaith and David. Mother Russia on ground forces alone can easily muster a million troops compared to Georgia's 25,000 men. Has too much vokha got into the heads of the Georgian leadership to attempt such a suicidal sure lose effort at snatching back lost territories now in the firm grasp of the waiting Russian bear or was there a little bird in the American bush with a Texan twang who told him that he will not be alone, for the American bald eagle will take flight with him. The Georgians must have mistookflight for fight?
Antioch, where Paul started the first church, was in Syria. Things have changed since then, and modern Syria, at one time allied to Saddam Hussein's Iraq, both being from the Baath party remains a close ally of the Iranians and could possibly renew its old comradeship with the New Russia, a resurgent and more decisive version of the old lumbering Soviet bear, better then known as the USSR(Union Soviet Socialists Republic).
Gog(Ezekiel 38 and 39) in the land of Magog(modern day Russia??) is on the rise and increasingly, the possibility of the proxy wars between Israel and Iran/Syria fought in Lebanon could quickly magnify into a proxy war between America(via Israel) and Russia(via Iran/Syria) and the battle ground could soon move to a bigger stage,Syria itself. The chances of Syria being destroyed, at least Damascus as prophesized in the Bible(Isaiah 17:1) now look like a distinct possibility notwithstanding a long shot at the moment.
What about China?. The Oympics opening was impressive. It is China's no expense spared coming out party, after enduring the years of humuliation by the Western powers including Meiji Japan in the last days of the Qing Dynasty. Opium no longer has its hold on China, but the USA is now addicted to the drug of consumerism and the devil's brew, both now well supplied by its potential usurpers at the world stage, China for consumer goods and Russia for oil. And was it by sheer coincidence that whiledear Mr Putin was sitting with his poker face look at the Birdnest Olympic stadium watching China's coming out party, Russia was having its own fireworks in Georgia to signal its own coming out party and the secular Western Europeans are now truly beholden to the Russians for gas through Ukraine, and soon to be Caspian sea oil through Russian controlled Georgia.
Interestingly, a world that has long been dominated by Western powers(Portugal, Spain, Holland, France and Great Britain for the best part of the past 400 to 500 years and USA for the better part of the last century) is now increasingly seeing an equalization to nations thatdo not have Christiandom as its foundation, though most of the West are now more secular than spiritual. What does it portend for the world, where the dominant powers that are coming into the fore values the worship of self rather than a higher being?
And just to round off this morning of postulations, which is at best flawed, Georgia(as in the Caucasus) happened to be the first few states in the world that had made Christianity as its state religion, back in the 14th century. And Georgia(as in USA) was where the peanut farmer but closest to a practising Christian president in modern office of the USA, the still very alive Mr Jimmy Carter. And beyond Georgia(as in the Caucasus) lies the Muslim nations of Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkey and beyond it Israel. If the Russians were indeed the Bibilical invaders from the north, they will soon have a clear path to Israel.
<
'Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?'
John 11:40
As believers, many of us are often guilty of being caught up with our predictions(which none can) or worse, being caught up with everything else except with the Lord our God. A little Interesting as my wild thoughts might be, remotely possible they might turn out to be,the markers that God placed in our lives, in His Words are more important as measures of His reassurances, even as the world becomes increasingly topsy turrvy, as men's wickedness take on new heights or rather lows, and as nature groans and the earth shakes. In the midst of upheavals, men will react from their finite understanding, but believers and followers of Jesus Christ have no reason to let fear and lusts gripped us, for God walks with us. He is there right by our side.Rather than be caught up by the external environment, upon which we have very little control,will it not be better to look internally, for the Holy Spirit resides in all of us who believe and God will lead us.
"People do not change when they see the light, they change when they see the heat( a quote from the UK's The Week). An apt observation of general human motivation, for without pain, most would not do the gainful thing. If he source of enlightenment is from men, then clearly this causal observation is quite correct.But even then, men's reaction to pain will still be flawed as it will be benchmarked and determine by their own finite understanding and they will still be looking everywhere except to God and even if they were to turn to God, they still expect God to change for them and not the other way round.
But if the lifting of the blindness in our hearts is from the Lord, the need to transform in His likeness will be compelling and change will not come from us, but as the Lord leads. However, the willingness to be changed is still our choice and God will never impose upon us.
'Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father glorify Thy name'
John 12:27-28
'Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.'
John 12:31-32
Our Lord Jesus Christ, by his death and resurrection, brought forth salvation to the world. These words that he shared in the days before he was crucified seems to be still applicable to our present troubled days.
With the world entering capitulation at least in terms of the various asset classes,with commodities the last vestiges of bullishness now falling flat on its nose, do not we have enough troubles to have the Russians now bring the world to a different stage, with increasingly volatile politics and conflicts are likely to become the forseeable landscape. As Russia now tries to make up for years of lost pride and lost territories, fueled by their largess of oil and commodities.
'He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep It unto life eternal. If any man serve Me, let him follow Me: and where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honour.'
John 12:25-26
Like some, who do take time to ponder upon our present world, troubles seem aplenty andmy heart is indeed troubled. But like God reminded our Lord Jesus Christ years back, the time to bring many back into His fold is now with us, and indeed, we who have had the veil lifted from our hearts, are both privileged and blessed to be used by Him, as His light shines forth upon the darkness in the world.
The tempo might have quickened, but the steps of the assured are still the same, seek the Lord with our heart, soul and mind, acknowlege Him in all our ways, and He will make straight our paths. A simple Biblical truth, in an increasingly disjointed and complex world.
'And not for that nation only, but that also He should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.'
John 12:52
'…Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light….'
John 13:35-36
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(12Aug2008)
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Running the race #6 The naked truth(8Aug08)
ubject: Running the race #6 : The naked truth (4Aug08)
Dear…
'Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walked naked, and they see his shame.'
Revelations 16:15
'Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?'
Isaiah 53:1
What we read in the major newspapers, are so termed current news, but more realistically, in the main, are really day old history. And will such reporting be factual and objective, without any tinge of biasedness or worse, a hidden agenda? As men are imperfect and all of us will consciously or subconsciously look at issues from our sense of right or wrong, all reporting will likely have shades of our innate judgement, no matter how objective we strive to be.
'All we like sheep have gone astray; for we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all'
Isaiah 53:6
The good news of the gospel message of repentance, salvation, peace and joy in eternity might be happily regurgitated by the believers, but it oftens cut no ice with many more out there in the world. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and as followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, like Him, we live by example, but never try to, against their will, make others an example of our faith. Even amongst us Christians, there are often grounds of contention in the interpretation of the will of God, be it in His Words, or in His works.
The Roman Catholics and the Protestant Church had their schism not too many centuries back. Till recently, the old differences were still played out in modern Northern Ireland(and IRA is not an acronym for "I Respect All, but rather the Irish Republican Army). Next door in good olde Scotland, the centuries old sectarian differences, at least in the subconscious, are fought out on the soccer pitch, between the two great Scottish soccer teams, Glasgow Rangers for the Protestants and Celtic for the Catholics. And just in the newspapers a few days back, the fault lines in the Russian Orthodox church could mean an eventual split between the Russians and the Ukranians, both of whom being Slavs, share a common heritage, including their faith, yet, political reality and age old human resentment are increasingly coming to the forefront.
'And in those times there was no peace to him …..but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries'
2 Chronicles 15:5
In our present times, which seems more dire than before, where many tire of the daily grind and challenges of a globalized world, where the rumblings of distant lands are transmitted almost instantaneously and impact us all much more than before, peace and joy is what many search for, and Christianity and its message of hope, love and joy should be aptly placed to fill this gap. But why are many still keeping a distance from the obvious?? Is it because we who professed to be living testimonies of God's love and grace, are not fulfilling our calling and in fact, are compounding the woes of the world by our disobedience to the will of God? The Jews were God's chosen people. They were circumcised, given the law from God, and had the benefit of the prophets, yet when the Saviour that they have long been waiting for returned, they chose to disbelieve that our Lord Jesus Christ, who was amongst them, was Him. What about us, the Gentile believers, who are circumcised by the Holy Spirit? Are we Christians in name and form, but just like the Jews of Jesus's time, our hearts are far from the Lord our God?
'And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God:
………because we sought the Lord our God, we have sought Him, and He hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.'
2 Chronicles 14:2-7
Till the seed of Abraham(ie Jesus Christ) was birthed to the world, to bring us into a new covenant with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, the world was under the law, the old covenant upon which all have fallen short. The law made us aware of our sins. But none by their own efforts were able to fulfill the requirements of the law. Abraham was right with God on account of his faith, and not his efforts. The same applies to all of us. God understands. He made a new convenant with us. The promise of God has been fulfilled. Our Lord Jesus Christ has come, lived by example, died for our sins and risen on the 3rd day, and has forever broken the grip of sin and death and all are free to take up the salvation that God has given to all. We now all have a direct line with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. We walk with Him by faith, as He leads.But does it mean that we will willingly let the Holy Spirit lead us to live a life like Christ or are there still more than traces of resistance in all our us, where the old sinful self tries to reassert its grip upon us?
How do we keep ourselves aligned with the will of God, to be like our Lord Jesus Christ?
'…help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on Thee……let not man prevail against Thee'
2 Chronicles 14:11
'…The Lord is with you, while ye be with Him; and if ye seek Him, He will be found of you; but if ye forsake Him, He will forsake you.'
2 Chronicles 15:2
'And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul.'
2 Chronicles 15:12
'For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.'
2 Chronicles 16:9
God responds to a responsive heart. What holds your heart this very moment? Physical exercises does benefit the heart. For many, it has become almost a religion. Christianity is not a religion but a relationship with a Sovereign God. Have you put in the same vigour, the same determined focus on seeking and responding to the leading of God, as you would in all others matters of life? In fact, when was the last time you picked up the Bible? Has it been a while that you gave thought to what your very next action or thought will stand in the light of our God?
'…Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria and not relied on the Lord thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand'
2 Chronicles 16:7
The film, "The Naked Gun" was a parody by Leslie Nielsen that not many fully comprehended, three times over, as it was a series of 3 films. The Emperor's clothes was a story(by Hans Christien Andersen) that many might laugh at the gullibility of the prideful, who were misled by the wiles of a two swindlers, who found ready to wear allies in the Emperor's court, who were willing to substantiate the follies of the Emperor rather than tell him the truth, that he was stark naked.
What about you? In seeking to be clothed by the desires of the world, in truth, are we literally wearing nothing of permanency and when the glory of God returns, when the delusions are peeled off your blinders, would you not feel horribly exposed and plain inadequate?
'And they taught in Judah and had the book of the law of the Lord with them, and went out throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people. And the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat'
2 Chronicles 17:9-10
The Bible is no fiction. It is the Word of God given by the inspiration of God(2 Timothy 3:17) . It is a living Word, that the Spirit of God will use to change the people of God(Daily Bread 17 Jul 2007).
God is waiting, but men is whiling his time away. The message of love, forgiveness must be shared concomitantly with the reality of His return and judgement of the world. For when the music stops, when the attractions or distractions of the world fades into oblivion, when all is stripped away, will you be clothed in the Christlikeness of God, made ready for His return or would the glory of God shine forth through the darkness encapsulating your life, and one can no longer stick to the bluff, that you are not in the buff??
'Therefore take no thought, saying…What shall we eat?.......wherewit hal shall we be clothed?.... ....
……….But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His rigthteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.'
Matthew 6:31-33
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
8 Aug 08
Dear…
'Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walked naked, and they see his shame.'
Revelations 16:15
'Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?'
Isaiah 53:1
What we read in the major newspapers, are so termed current news, but more realistically, in the main, are really day old history. And will such reporting be factual and objective, without any tinge of biasedness or worse, a hidden agenda? As men are imperfect and all of us will consciously or subconsciously look at issues from our sense of right or wrong, all reporting will likely have shades of our innate judgement, no matter how objective we strive to be.
'All we like sheep have gone astray; for we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all'
Isaiah 53:6
The good news of the gospel message of repentance, salvation, peace and joy in eternity might be happily regurgitated by the believers, but it oftens cut no ice with many more out there in the world. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and as followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, like Him, we live by example, but never try to, against their will, make others an example of our faith. Even amongst us Christians, there are often grounds of contention in the interpretation of the will of God, be it in His Words, or in His works.
The Roman Catholics and the Protestant Church had their schism not too many centuries back. Till recently, the old differences were still played out in modern Northern Ireland(and IRA is not an acronym for "I Respect All, but rather the Irish Republican Army). Next door in good olde Scotland, the centuries old sectarian differences, at least in the subconscious, are fought out on the soccer pitch, between the two great Scottish soccer teams, Glasgow Rangers for the Protestants and Celtic for the Catholics. And just in the newspapers a few days back, the fault lines in the Russian Orthodox church could mean an eventual split between the Russians and the Ukranians, both of whom being Slavs, share a common heritage, including their faith, yet, political reality and age old human resentment are increasingly coming to the forefront.
'And in those times there was no peace to him …..but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries'
2 Chronicles 15:5
In our present times, which seems more dire than before, where many tire of the daily grind and challenges of a globalized world, where the rumblings of distant lands are transmitted almost instantaneously and impact us all much more than before, peace and joy is what many search for, and Christianity and its message of hope, love and joy should be aptly placed to fill this gap. But why are many still keeping a distance from the obvious?? Is it because we who professed to be living testimonies of God's love and grace, are not fulfilling our calling and in fact, are compounding the woes of the world by our disobedience to the will of God? The Jews were God's chosen people. They were circumcised, given the law from God, and had the benefit of the prophets, yet when the Saviour that they have long been waiting for returned, they chose to disbelieve that our Lord Jesus Christ, who was amongst them, was Him. What about us, the Gentile believers, who are circumcised by the Holy Spirit? Are we Christians in name and form, but just like the Jews of Jesus's time, our hearts are far from the Lord our God?
'And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God:
………because we sought the Lord our God, we have sought Him, and He hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.'
2 Chronicles 14:2-7
Till the seed of Abraham(ie Jesus Christ) was birthed to the world, to bring us into a new covenant with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, the world was under the law, the old covenant upon which all have fallen short. The law made us aware of our sins. But none by their own efforts were able to fulfill the requirements of the law. Abraham was right with God on account of his faith, and not his efforts. The same applies to all of us. God understands. He made a new convenant with us. The promise of God has been fulfilled. Our Lord Jesus Christ has come, lived by example, died for our sins and risen on the 3rd day, and has forever broken the grip of sin and death and all are free to take up the salvation that God has given to all. We now all have a direct line with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. We walk with Him by faith, as He leads.But does it mean that we will willingly let the Holy Spirit lead us to live a life like Christ or are there still more than traces of resistance in all our us, where the old sinful self tries to reassert its grip upon us?
How do we keep ourselves aligned with the will of God, to be like our Lord Jesus Christ?
'…help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on Thee……let not man prevail against Thee'
2 Chronicles 14:11
'…The Lord is with you, while ye be with Him; and if ye seek Him, He will be found of you; but if ye forsake Him, He will forsake you.'
2 Chronicles 15:2
'And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul.'
2 Chronicles 15:12
'For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.'
2 Chronicles 16:9
God responds to a responsive heart. What holds your heart this very moment? Physical exercises does benefit the heart. For many, it has become almost a religion. Christianity is not a religion but a relationship with a Sovereign God. Have you put in the same vigour, the same determined focus on seeking and responding to the leading of God, as you would in all others matters of life? In fact, when was the last time you picked up the Bible? Has it been a while that you gave thought to what your very next action or thought will stand in the light of our God?
'…Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria and not relied on the Lord thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand'
2 Chronicles 16:7
The film, "The Naked Gun" was a parody by Leslie Nielsen that not many fully comprehended, three times over, as it was a series of 3 films. The Emperor's clothes was a story(by Hans Christien Andersen) that many might laugh at the gullibility of the prideful, who were misled by the wiles of a two swindlers, who found ready to wear allies in the Emperor's court, who were willing to substantiate the follies of the Emperor rather than tell him the truth, that he was stark naked.
What about you? In seeking to be clothed by the desires of the world, in truth, are we literally wearing nothing of permanency and when the glory of God returns, when the delusions are peeled off your blinders, would you not feel horribly exposed and plain inadequate?
'And they taught in Judah and had the book of the law of the Lord with them, and went out throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people. And the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat'
2 Chronicles 17:9-10
The Bible is no fiction. It is the Word of God given by the inspiration of God(2 Timothy 3:17) . It is a living Word, that the Spirit of God will use to change the people of God(Daily Bread 17 Jul 2007).
God is waiting, but men is whiling his time away. The message of love, forgiveness must be shared concomitantly with the reality of His return and judgement of the world. For when the music stops, when the attractions or distractions of the world fades into oblivion, when all is stripped away, will you be clothed in the Christlikeness of God, made ready for His return or would the glory of God shine forth through the darkness encapsulating your life, and one can no longer stick to the bluff, that you are not in the buff??
'Therefore take no thought, saying…What shall we eat?.......wherewit hal shall we be clothed?.... ....
……….But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His rigthteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.'
Matthew 6:31-33
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
8 Aug 08
Friday, August 1, 2008
Running the race #5 Back from Egypt(1Aug08)
When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called My son out of Egypt….'
Hosea 11:1
'He shall not return into the land of Egypt…And My people are bent to backsliding from Me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt Him'
Hosea 11:5-7
'How shall I give thee up….?'
Hosea 11:8
Does this sum up for many of us believers, the sorry state of our relationship with God?
It is not about how regular you are an attendee in church(for many are there in body, but the soul is somewhere else). It is not about how many kind words, thoughts or even actions you have planned to share(for everything is theoretical till you lived it out). It is not about how much monies you have given nor what wonderful public service you have done(for even the non-believers are doing that).
But it is about how determined you are to live out the life that God has now made possible for you, with the salvation He gave to all, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives and with the knowledge that for all who are called out of the blindness in their hearts, the need to response as God leads is imperative. Is your heart truly moving in beat with the Lord's?
'Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit.
Psalms 51:10-12
Lust, will turn into rust, at least in terms of that once shimmering gleam of a past wonderful human relationship, that has now lost its lustre, as one begin to experience the imperfections of our human emotions. What about with God. Have you lost that joy and peace which you first experienced in coming into His presence? Some have plain forgotten what it was like, some are still searching for that higher hill of emotional release before they are willing to move furthur with God and some just decided that God does matters, but their worldly desires matter even more.
'Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto Thee'
Psalms 51:13
Out there in this world of ours are plenty more who are literally still in Egypt. Still weighed down by the bondage of this present sinful world. Enslavement can take on many forms, for the devil is not just a master of deceit, but has a whole repertoire of tools for the willing slaves, for whatever that you think that you have mastered, will master you.
How then do you, the freed man, stay not just free from the now loosened grip of Lucifer, but be used by the Lord our God to be the messenger to all that the locks on their lives have already been opened and that they are free to walk out of Egypt a free man?
Like the devil, you can believe in the existence of God. But unlike Satan, we must be prepared to let God work in our lives, to make us ready for His return. In following the leading of the Holy Spirit, we wiil ensure that we do not find ourselves drawn back to the mire of a sin encapsulated life of bondage and drudgery.
'Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways'
Haggai 1:5
If one is told that one only has 6 months to live, would not all of us, assuming you are not those on the fringe(ie in terms of your sanity or state of irresponsibility) , be very diligent to go about setting our affairs right. And this would oft include making right all the wrongs in our relationship with others.
Once you truly believed, when the Spirit of God sanctifies your heart, you die to sin and live to Christ. Your old sinful ways have been nailed upon the cross of salvation and you are now free to start life anew. Truly a marvellous difference from the scenario of the previous sentence, when time is finite to make right many wrongs. With God, for all who believe, time is also finite, but difference is we are preparing for eternity and time is suffice enough if we let God make us ready.
'For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts'
Haggai 2:6-7
Like the reformed prisoner who is given early release from a long sentence. The free world can look dangerously unsettling. For many, the initial joy of freedom quickly dissipates and many do feel a strong compulsion to run back into the gloomy, restricted confines of a familiar cell. In the past, during the Cold War years, many who risked life and limb to escape repressive Communist regimes, found themselves wanting in their new found freedom and longed for a return to the repressive but known life that they have just fled from. The capitalistic society had the wonderful materialism, but what many found lacking was the souls that comfort. I guess often when one is bereft of most materials things for a prolonged period, the basic humanity towards our fellow stragglers, shines forth better.
When one first believed and accept Jesus Christ as the Lord of our lives, the intial euphoria will not linger too long, and one will become more aware of the gravity of one's dash for freedom. The world is still depraved, obsessed and evil. Difference is that we begin to see beyond the illusory lights, the real darkness of our surrounds and that we have now become the focal point of attention of the dark side. We are now in the world, but not of the world.
'And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve Him…..
…Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel'
Joshua 24:22-23
Like the beginnings of Spring, it will still be some time before the remnants of Winter fades away and the lovely warmth of Summer keeps the darkness away. Thankfully, to move away from evil is to come unto the presence of God. There can be no better alternative. We are now willing "slaves: to a Sovereign God, who is perfect, just as we are imperfect, Who is omnipresent, just as we are ominously finite, Who is love, while we are narcisstic. To give up the keys to self determination for a God led life of peace, joy and eternal bliss is no loss at all.
'So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before Thee. Nevertheless I am continually with Thee, Thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory'
Psalms 73:22-24
'
Unlike the typical happy ending of the movies we watch, where the main characters end with a twinkle in their eyes, a bounce in their feet and the closing credits with the line, "and they live happily ever after"
The latter is true, but from the first tentative steps of freedom from the grip of the devil to God's kingdom still entail a journey of faithful obedience. There is still a need to bring us all the believers, now desirous followers up to speed.
With God, it is a journey of refinement, as the Lord our God strips away, with great care and love, the layers of our sin encrusted imperfections. Only the Lord knows our heart and much as we might often resist and desist, only in letting go and letting Him, can He complete us in His likeness.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise'
Psalms 51:17
Like the beautiful but untamed stallion, we need to be reigned in, so that we will allow God to reign Supreme in our lives. The journey you take from never having heard of the gospel to having some tentative idea to believing in the existence of God, and then to believing as in wanting to put your trust in our Lord Jesus Christ, and then on to wanting to follow His every leading and finally to always letting God lead is one long undulating journey. Like a typical run we take, it is tough to start, even tougher to run alone and the end is seeminlgy never in sight. Yet, like a road race, the first few steps are tough, but as we work on building our endurance, as we will ourselves to focus on the end(or in our case on the Lord our God) and as we have friends who run alongside us, the urge to end it all without ever completing the race loses its appeal to us all..
'Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end'
Psalms 73:17
With God, grief comes to us not because He is never present, but because we often dither and fritter away, instead of coming with all desire into His presence and staying in His presence always. To be out of the light is to be back in darkness.
But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Thy works'
Psalms 73:28
Like the slave of one of those southern plantations of old in Carolina, when told by His master that he is free, the slave finds it hard to comprehend, for slavery is all his life. God has set us all free all these years. Yet, He is never far from us, for we walk not alone. Is this true? Do take time to ask the devil, who loves a returning prisoner.
'Then the Lord put forth His hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth….'
Jeremiah 1:9
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(1 Aug 2008)
Hosea 11:1
'He shall not return into the land of Egypt…And My people are bent to backsliding from Me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt Him'
Hosea 11:5-7
'How shall I give thee up….?'
Hosea 11:8
Does this sum up for many of us believers, the sorry state of our relationship with God?
It is not about how regular you are an attendee in church(for many are there in body, but the soul is somewhere else). It is not about how many kind words, thoughts or even actions you have planned to share(for everything is theoretical till you lived it out). It is not about how much monies you have given nor what wonderful public service you have done(for even the non-believers are doing that).
But it is about how determined you are to live out the life that God has now made possible for you, with the salvation He gave to all, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives and with the knowledge that for all who are called out of the blindness in their hearts, the need to response as God leads is imperative. Is your heart truly moving in beat with the Lord's?
'Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit.
Psalms 51:10-12
Lust, will turn into rust, at least in terms of that once shimmering gleam of a past wonderful human relationship, that has now lost its lustre, as one begin to experience the imperfections of our human emotions. What about with God. Have you lost that joy and peace which you first experienced in coming into His presence? Some have plain forgotten what it was like, some are still searching for that higher hill of emotional release before they are willing to move furthur with God and some just decided that God does matters, but their worldly desires matter even more.
'Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto Thee'
Psalms 51:13
Out there in this world of ours are plenty more who are literally still in Egypt. Still weighed down by the bondage of this present sinful world. Enslavement can take on many forms, for the devil is not just a master of deceit, but has a whole repertoire of tools for the willing slaves, for whatever that you think that you have mastered, will master you.
How then do you, the freed man, stay not just free from the now loosened grip of Lucifer, but be used by the Lord our God to be the messenger to all that the locks on their lives have already been opened and that they are free to walk out of Egypt a free man?
Like the devil, you can believe in the existence of God. But unlike Satan, we must be prepared to let God work in our lives, to make us ready for His return. In following the leading of the Holy Spirit, we wiil ensure that we do not find ourselves drawn back to the mire of a sin encapsulated life of bondage and drudgery.
'Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways'
Haggai 1:5
If one is told that one only has 6 months to live, would not all of us, assuming you are not those on the fringe(ie in terms of your sanity or state of irresponsibility) , be very diligent to go about setting our affairs right. And this would oft include making right all the wrongs in our relationship with others.
Once you truly believed, when the Spirit of God sanctifies your heart, you die to sin and live to Christ. Your old sinful ways have been nailed upon the cross of salvation and you are now free to start life anew. Truly a marvellous difference from the scenario of the previous sentence, when time is finite to make right many wrongs. With God, for all who believe, time is also finite, but difference is we are preparing for eternity and time is suffice enough if we let God make us ready.
'For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts'
Haggai 2:6-7
Like the reformed prisoner who is given early release from a long sentence. The free world can look dangerously unsettling. For many, the initial joy of freedom quickly dissipates and many do feel a strong compulsion to run back into the gloomy, restricted confines of a familiar cell. In the past, during the Cold War years, many who risked life and limb to escape repressive Communist regimes, found themselves wanting in their new found freedom and longed for a return to the repressive but known life that they have just fled from. The capitalistic society had the wonderful materialism, but what many found lacking was the souls that comfort. I guess often when one is bereft of most materials things for a prolonged period, the basic humanity towards our fellow stragglers, shines forth better.
When one first believed and accept Jesus Christ as the Lord of our lives, the intial euphoria will not linger too long, and one will become more aware of the gravity of one's dash for freedom. The world is still depraved, obsessed and evil. Difference is that we begin to see beyond the illusory lights, the real darkness of our surrounds and that we have now become the focal point of attention of the dark side. We are now in the world, but not of the world.
'And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve Him…..
…Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel'
Joshua 24:22-23
Like the beginnings of Spring, it will still be some time before the remnants of Winter fades away and the lovely warmth of Summer keeps the darkness away. Thankfully, to move away from evil is to come unto the presence of God. There can be no better alternative. We are now willing "slaves: to a Sovereign God, who is perfect, just as we are imperfect, Who is omnipresent, just as we are ominously finite, Who is love, while we are narcisstic. To give up the keys to self determination for a God led life of peace, joy and eternal bliss is no loss at all.
'So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before Thee. Nevertheless I am continually with Thee, Thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory'
Psalms 73:22-24
'
Unlike the typical happy ending of the movies we watch, where the main characters end with a twinkle in their eyes, a bounce in their feet and the closing credits with the line, "and they live happily ever after"
The latter is true, but from the first tentative steps of freedom from the grip of the devil to God's kingdom still entail a journey of faithful obedience. There is still a need to bring us all the believers, now desirous followers up to speed.
With God, it is a journey of refinement, as the Lord our God strips away, with great care and love, the layers of our sin encrusted imperfections. Only the Lord knows our heart and much as we might often resist and desist, only in letting go and letting Him, can He complete us in His likeness.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise'
Psalms 51:17
Like the beautiful but untamed stallion, we need to be reigned in, so that we will allow God to reign Supreme in our lives. The journey you take from never having heard of the gospel to having some tentative idea to believing in the existence of God, and then to believing as in wanting to put your trust in our Lord Jesus Christ, and then on to wanting to follow His every leading and finally to always letting God lead is one long undulating journey. Like a typical run we take, it is tough to start, even tougher to run alone and the end is seeminlgy never in sight. Yet, like a road race, the first few steps are tough, but as we work on building our endurance, as we will ourselves to focus on the end(or in our case on the Lord our God) and as we have friends who run alongside us, the urge to end it all without ever completing the race loses its appeal to us all..
'Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end'
Psalms 73:17
With God, grief comes to us not because He is never present, but because we often dither and fritter away, instead of coming with all desire into His presence and staying in His presence always. To be out of the light is to be back in darkness.
But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Thy works'
Psalms 73:28
Like the slave of one of those southern plantations of old in Carolina, when told by His master that he is free, the slave finds it hard to comprehend, for slavery is all his life. God has set us all free all these years. Yet, He is never far from us, for we walk not alone. Is this true? Do take time to ask the devil, who loves a returning prisoner.
'Then the Lord put forth His hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth….'
Jeremiah 1:9
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(1 Aug 2008)
Running the race #4 Leadership(30jul08)
'Blessed be the God…….Who hath sent His angel, and delivered His servants that trusted in Him, and ………….have yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god except their own God'
Daniel 3:28
Most of us are familiar with the story of how King Nebuchanezzar(of the famed Hanging Garden of Babylon, one of the ancient wonders of the world) sent 3 faithful men of God into the hot furnace for their steadfast faith to God. These 3 men yielded not to the King's command and were prepared to yield all to the Lord our God, even at risks of certain death. The 3 men came out of the crucible of fire unsinged and the unbelieving mighty King was awed by this testimony of their faithfulness and God's deliverance.
'The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth'
Psalm 145:18
As a believer, in my days of weakness, I sometimes wonder if God will ever put me through such a major test and will I pass it? The natural man is sinful but God is graceful and I am reminded that our journey of faith with God is a series of steps, led by Him and He knows our limits. Better to focus on the moment and ask, "is my every step pleasing to the Lord our God?' If there is ever a wider chasm of faith to cross, the Lord will provide as He has always, and He will make us ready to take that next step, big or small.
'And thus did Hezekiah throughout Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek His God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered'
2 Chronicles 31:20-21
All of us are leaders, in the sense that as believers, we are to take the lead in responding to the will of God, as led by the Holy Spirit, who resides in us. But unlike the secular kings, we as servant leaders lead by example and not by compulsion, and pray that many will be encouraged to join us in the presence of our Lord, but we have no right to impose upon the people our God places in our lives. Change cannot be forced upon the unwilling.
'By Whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for His name. Among whom are ye also called of Jesus Christ'
Romans 1:5-6
As the world moves towards this notion of the need to look for commonality, to learn to respect each others' rights of belief in a pluralistic society, the inevitable question has to arise as regards this general practice in enlightened societies, which is " to each his own, as long as he does not impinge nor impose his belief upon that of others, and that he does not run contrary to the generally acceptable values of society"
Will this now change and will society not insist that everyone should restrict their beliefs to the inner sanctum of their home and the designated physical religious institutions, and beyond this, no one should espouse their faith, even to the willing. And the only value acceptable for the public forum should be the values of the secular world, which is, greed, fear, pride, selfishness for secularism is increasingly the common religion of the sinful human race.
'I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgement is just: because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me'
John 5:30
Is this already a reality in our world. It is increasingly so in secular Europe and making advances in America. We as believers are asked to go out to share the good news of the gospel, for only till the last reaches of the world hear and know about the salvation given to all, will our Lord Jesus Christ return. If the world were to impinge and restrict such sharing, how can we do the Lord's work?
'..Before a word is on my tongue, You know it completely…..'
Psalm 139:1-4
With God all things are possible, with men it is not. The Lord knows our ins and outs. The Lord wants change to start with ourselves. Transformation in a person speaks volume of his faith and the work of a Sovereign God, more than our words and that is where we must start from. Are we willing to be like our Lord Jesus Christ(as in John 5:30)
'Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and depart from evil'
Proverbs 3:5-7
Man, from the moment Adam took a bite of the apple from the Tree of knowledge, has since learn to deal with all matters of life on the basis of their own understanding. For all of us believers too, there are many times when we are very much dependent on that same flawed understanding. The Words we look for when we read the Bible, the people we seek and their desired response is still very much a function of our inner fears and sinful desires. Even when we come to the Lord in prayer, we are still taking the lead in determining the desired outcome of His response.
Can we ever truly let go and let Him?
'Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth He meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,,,,,,,,,,
Psalms 1:1-3
God gives us the wisdom to deal with the many issues facing us every day. He gave us the founational principles of Christlike living. But the wise would learn to anchor his day with the Lord always. To let the Spirit of God sanctify and lead Him, to ensure that his response is align with the will of God, always.
'He is the Rock, His works are perfect and all His ways are just'
Deuteronomy 32:4
The present world do otherwise. Man wants certainty. They want to believe in leaders who promise them the desires of their heart
'Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts'
Proverbs 19:6
Much as it is against our carnal nature, the man of God must take delight in seeking Him first, to know His will. The child of God must remain steadfast in staying in the presence of God, even as the world beckons him to do otherwise. Leadership in the context of a believer and follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, is to be willing to take the lead in always acknowleging the Sovereignty of God in our lives, always be willing to take the lead wherever God places us. Leadership is not about who we are, but Who God is.
'For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding……'
Proverbs 2 :6
The wonderful thing about our faith is that we are less likely to have fair weather friends, for it is not riches, or status or whatever the sinful world values that we can offer to others. In fact, often the path we walk will ensure that not many will be willing to enjoin us in this lustless life. But more importantly, it is God whom we are accountable to and take delight in and so, even as others disappoint us in not being willing to follow our lead, or as some fall by the wayside, it matters more for their soul than ours.
'But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature, ………..for the Lord seeth not as man seeth, fo rman looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart'
1 Samuel 16:6-7
The increasingly shaken world will want to cling on more to a leadership that can sustain or at least preserve what the secular world define as an ideal life. More will be led down the garden path only to discover that they have been let down again, and again. Today, the present woes of the world, be it in the financial sector, the corporate world in general, in the political arena, or even in the schools or at home, are due to a confluence of factors, be it questionable leadership, greedy shareholders, diverse pluralistic selfish interests that water down the quality of the candidates, focus on cumulating material values rather than living out good godly values, but the interesting thread that underlines all these is the sinful bedrock of values the world increasingly lean upon.
'Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me……'
Isaiah 47:8
Pride, selfishness, lusts, self-righteousness have been with man since Adam and Eve. But the difference is that it is a disease that has permeated general society and is now increasingly the lifestyle of choice of the upper echelons of society and the power brokers. The shepherds of the secular world.
'I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.'
Romans 12:1-2
The Bible has shown many times in Israel's history, how God more than blessed them when their hearts look unto Him and how Israel often falls, when their hearts go a flutter elsewhere.
'And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our God will we serve, and His voice will we obey'
Joshua 24:24
Today, all of us who believe and desire to follow our Lord Jesus Christ are the 'Israel' of the present world. The world will increasingly see the difference between those whose leadership rests upon the Lord our God, and those who choose to do otherwise.
'…..I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye Me in vain………'
Isaiah 45:19
'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
'So the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him'
Deuteronomy 32:12
Joshua 24:22-23
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(30jul08)
Daniel 3:28
Most of us are familiar with the story of how King Nebuchanezzar(of the famed Hanging Garden of Babylon, one of the ancient wonders of the world) sent 3 faithful men of God into the hot furnace for their steadfast faith to God. These 3 men yielded not to the King's command and were prepared to yield all to the Lord our God, even at risks of certain death. The 3 men came out of the crucible of fire unsinged and the unbelieving mighty King was awed by this testimony of their faithfulness and God's deliverance.
'The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth'
Psalm 145:18
As a believer, in my days of weakness, I sometimes wonder if God will ever put me through such a major test and will I pass it? The natural man is sinful but God is graceful and I am reminded that our journey of faith with God is a series of steps, led by Him and He knows our limits. Better to focus on the moment and ask, "is my every step pleasing to the Lord our God?' If there is ever a wider chasm of faith to cross, the Lord will provide as He has always, and He will make us ready to take that next step, big or small.
'And thus did Hezekiah throughout Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek His God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered'
2 Chronicles 31:20-21
All of us are leaders, in the sense that as believers, we are to take the lead in responding to the will of God, as led by the Holy Spirit, who resides in us. But unlike the secular kings, we as servant leaders lead by example and not by compulsion, and pray that many will be encouraged to join us in the presence of our Lord, but we have no right to impose upon the people our God places in our lives. Change cannot be forced upon the unwilling.
'By Whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for His name. Among whom are ye also called of Jesus Christ'
Romans 1:5-6
As the world moves towards this notion of the need to look for commonality, to learn to respect each others' rights of belief in a pluralistic society, the inevitable question has to arise as regards this general practice in enlightened societies, which is " to each his own, as long as he does not impinge nor impose his belief upon that of others, and that he does not run contrary to the generally acceptable values of society"
Will this now change and will society not insist that everyone should restrict their beliefs to the inner sanctum of their home and the designated physical religious institutions, and beyond this, no one should espouse their faith, even to the willing. And the only value acceptable for the public forum should be the values of the secular world, which is, greed, fear, pride, selfishness for secularism is increasingly the common religion of the sinful human race.
'I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgement is just: because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me'
John 5:30
Is this already a reality in our world. It is increasingly so in secular Europe and making advances in America. We as believers are asked to go out to share the good news of the gospel, for only till the last reaches of the world hear and know about the salvation given to all, will our Lord Jesus Christ return. If the world were to impinge and restrict such sharing, how can we do the Lord's work?
'..Before a word is on my tongue, You know it completely…..'
Psalm 139:1-4
With God all things are possible, with men it is not. The Lord knows our ins and outs. The Lord wants change to start with ourselves. Transformation in a person speaks volume of his faith and the work of a Sovereign God, more than our words and that is where we must start from. Are we willing to be like our Lord Jesus Christ(as in John 5:30)
'Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and depart from evil'
Proverbs 3:5-7
Man, from the moment Adam took a bite of the apple from the Tree of knowledge, has since learn to deal with all matters of life on the basis of their own understanding. For all of us believers too, there are many times when we are very much dependent on that same flawed understanding. The Words we look for when we read the Bible, the people we seek and their desired response is still very much a function of our inner fears and sinful desires. Even when we come to the Lord in prayer, we are still taking the lead in determining the desired outcome of His response.
Can we ever truly let go and let Him?
'Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth He meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,,,,,,,,,,
Psalms 1:1-3
God gives us the wisdom to deal with the many issues facing us every day. He gave us the founational principles of Christlike living. But the wise would learn to anchor his day with the Lord always. To let the Spirit of God sanctify and lead Him, to ensure that his response is align with the will of God, always.
'He is the Rock, His works are perfect and all His ways are just'
Deuteronomy 32:4
The present world do otherwise. Man wants certainty. They want to believe in leaders who promise them the desires of their heart
'Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts'
Proverbs 19:6
Much as it is against our carnal nature, the man of God must take delight in seeking Him first, to know His will. The child of God must remain steadfast in staying in the presence of God, even as the world beckons him to do otherwise. Leadership in the context of a believer and follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, is to be willing to take the lead in always acknowleging the Sovereignty of God in our lives, always be willing to take the lead wherever God places us. Leadership is not about who we are, but Who God is.
'For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding……'
Proverbs 2 :6
The wonderful thing about our faith is that we are less likely to have fair weather friends, for it is not riches, or status or whatever the sinful world values that we can offer to others. In fact, often the path we walk will ensure that not many will be willing to enjoin us in this lustless life. But more importantly, it is God whom we are accountable to and take delight in and so, even as others disappoint us in not being willing to follow our lead, or as some fall by the wayside, it matters more for their soul than ours.
'But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature, ………..for the Lord seeth not as man seeth, fo rman looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart'
1 Samuel 16:6-7
The increasingly shaken world will want to cling on more to a leadership that can sustain or at least preserve what the secular world define as an ideal life. More will be led down the garden path only to discover that they have been let down again, and again. Today, the present woes of the world, be it in the financial sector, the corporate world in general, in the political arena, or even in the schools or at home, are due to a confluence of factors, be it questionable leadership, greedy shareholders, diverse pluralistic selfish interests that water down the quality of the candidates, focus on cumulating material values rather than living out good godly values, but the interesting thread that underlines all these is the sinful bedrock of values the world increasingly lean upon.
'Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me……'
Isaiah 47:8
Pride, selfishness, lusts, self-righteousness have been with man since Adam and Eve. But the difference is that it is a disease that has permeated general society and is now increasingly the lifestyle of choice of the upper echelons of society and the power brokers. The shepherds of the secular world.
'I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.'
Romans 12:1-2
The Bible has shown many times in Israel's history, how God more than blessed them when their hearts look unto Him and how Israel often falls, when their hearts go a flutter elsewhere.
'And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our God will we serve, and His voice will we obey'
Joshua 24:24
Today, all of us who believe and desire to follow our Lord Jesus Christ are the 'Israel' of the present world. The world will increasingly see the difference between those whose leadership rests upon the Lord our God, and those who choose to do otherwise.
'…..I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye Me in vain………'
Isaiah 45:19
'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
'So the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him'
Deuteronomy 32:12
Joshua 24:22-23
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(30jul08)
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