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
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