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.
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'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)
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