Dear…
'Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.'
Joshua 1:9
There was this video on Winnie the Pooh and his friends that I bought for my kids on the way to the States, when they were still toddlers and we had great fun watching the antics of that hare-brained bear and his friends. Those were the 'innocent' days before 9/11 forever changed the world and when toddlers do not put you through the angst of the present teenage years, where fathering for me at the moment, is no longer about provisions of basic needs, but about emotional management and role modeling
Harking back to those innocent days, in the same cartoon, Winnie's friend,Tigger the cranky tiger, an effervescent character, was feeling a little down, with the rain cloud hanging over his head, and much as he tried to get rid of it, he could not. The rain cloud clung on to Tigger because he had offended it and Tigger continued not to repent of his ways by apologizing to the offended cloud.
'But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God…'
Acts 20:24
Clouds are still hanging over many of our lives today, as the gloom from the sub-prime fallout has now clearly permeated the general economy. For many, it is like the same dark overbearing cloud that refuses to leave and continues to hang over our already drooping heads and sagging spirit, shutting out whatever possible glimmer of light somewhere out there.
Can one really be singing 'Hallelujah' and not just be thanking God for all situations, but responding in faith in glorifying His grace even in such bleak conditions?
'And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.'
Mark 8:16
Many a believer of our Lord Jesus Christ would find it hard to be generous, be it in spirit or in kind, when our very own conditions seem as dire or worse than the general populace. What about those who are relatively better sheltered? Would they consider venturing out of their comfort zone and be willing to share the Lord's provisions, notwithstanding that it seems to have diminished somewhat?
Too whom much is given, much will be expected, and in the midst of destruction, many of us who know the Lord are truly blessed. It might be a question of relativity, for all have suffered but diminished resources be it time, wealth or simply emotional challenges should not keep us from responding to the needs of others of even lesser fortitude, that God places in our midst. For all provisions are from the Lord, and the burden is light, when we rest upon our Lord Jesus Christ.
'And when Jesus knew it, He saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? Perceive ye not yet, neither understand? Have ye your heart yet hardened?
Having eyes, see ye not? And having ears, hear ye not? And do ye not remember?'
Mark 8:17-18
God never promises us no storms. But His faithfulness and presence is with those who draw nears to Him. He is in our midst, always. What matters then is not the issue of our present conditions, but have we been conditional with God, before we are willing to respond to His will, in trust and obedience?
'The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.'
Proverbs 14:32
The temporal will grip us, if we do not believe in God's promise, which is eternity with Him in Heaven, and peace and joy on Earth. If God is real, and HE is, then should we not dither any longer with concerns of the world, but rather be concerned with doing right in His eyes. If the devil was real, and he is, he would be smirking away in glee right now,watching many of us exert great angst in trying to hang on to the fast diminishing delusions of the world, that we happily sold our souls for in the 'good times.' The payback time for Satan is now, as he watches not just our wealth, but our very health slip away, as we pay the price for our past disobedience to the will of God, and as we continue to try to clutch on to the proverbial straw of the world's riches, not realizing that we are fast falling deeper into the clutches of the devil, who wants our very soul to join him in eternal damnation.
'When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood I their end…'
Psalms 73:16-17
God will not allow this to happen if we just let go and let Him bring us forth unto His presence.
'…It is more blessed to give than to receive.'
Acts 20:35
'I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles
To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.'
Isaiah 42:6-7.
Generosity not just helps us break free from the grip of the devil, but it brings us unto the presence of God, for God is love. A local tycoon recently was quoted as saying that his Christian friends told him that it was a sin to die rich. Guess he mean't materially. Not too sure if he was quoted correctly or possibly he was misinformed, but on the contrary, it will be a sin if we do not die rich in doing the Lord's work while we are living. "There is a value to life when we use the abilities and resources that God has made available to us to make a difference in the lives of other people"( quote from Discovery Series "Cultivating a life of contentment).
'My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever……….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 73:26-28
Our God is good. Once again, as our Lord brings my thoughts to a close, the world financial markets have rallied strongly from just what looks like a near cave-in just yesterday. This temporary respite is a chance for many to try to make right their already quite devastated financial situation, especially if they are on leverage. More importantly, it is an opportunity for all of us to take a step back from the relentless coundrum that we find ourselves in, to take time to be with the Lord our God, Who is always in our midst. Repentance has to come from a humble and contrite heart. The past few months have been a humbling experience for many, and in truly being willing to let go and let God be Sovereign in our lives, it does not mean that we will regain or restore our past material status. But rather, healing starts when we begin to learn to be truly thankful that God has been good, even when we have not and that perplexed we might be, but He did not allow us to be crushed. And that what matters now for us is no longer the ways and wonders of the secular world, but the will of God.
'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. Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee.'
Psalms 73:22-25
The shaking is not over. It will never be over till our Lord Jesus Christ returns. The shaking will intensify, but will you be like the stubborn Pharoah of Egypt, whose heart hardened even more and came to great grief, literally drowning in a sea of red(as many are today), ie in the Red Sea. A humble and contrite heart is what our Lord looks for. Would it not be better to come unto His midst now, then to defer till one is thoroughly humbled?
'For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not….'
Isaiah 30:15
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(29th Oct 2008)
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Running the race #18 The Brave New World (20th oct 08)
Dear…
'O Lord, I know that the way of man does not belong to man; it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. Lord correct me, but with judgment; not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing…'
Jeremiah 10:23
Last week ended for me on a thankful note. Thankful because if things had really gone over the brink, which was my brief, but sinful hope at the beginning of that week, to correct the incorrigibles, would have ensured that many would not have had the chance to turn to God, as I realized in mid-week, and by end of last week, even I the supposedly sheltered would not have been spared some grief, as banks go on a mad illogical frenzy to slash and burn, and anyone who was unfortunate to borrow monies from them and were not in a position to make good, was literally dead.
God has once again showed me that His way is the only way, and we the finite man, must not play judge and the need for us to always remain unto the presence of the Lord our God, for we can never trust ourselves.
'I will bless the Lord, Who hath given me counsel; my reins also instruct me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.'
Psalms 16:7
It has been a year since the world started to wake up to the stirrings of the sub-prime problem. Eight years of unfettered greed with its beginnings after the collapse of the internet boom in early 2000, as Americans decided to extend their dreamy days of freespending by leveraging off the enhanced value of their properties, to spend on the goods that the rest of the the world willingly purveyed to them on credit. The sins of self-denial have now come to roost and while financial institutions seem to be falling like ten-pins, one wished that it will just end here, so that maybe just maybe all of us can take that long needed respite. The general populace might just be beginning to feel the reverberations of the sub-prime crisis, but for many of us who are in the financial line, the toll and toil at ground-zero is very real, in terms of both physical and emotional, not considering the material and yet the only thing certain about tomorrow is that it is fraught with even greater uncertainty.
'Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my Redeemer.'
Psalms 19:14
You might realize from my meanderings that I am still quite coherent. If not for God's grace in allowing me to anchor upon Him my Rock, I would have long been washed ashore as flotsam,like so many whose hard built business and wealth have been shipwrecked by the many floating icebergs in these dangerous waters.
It has reached the point that none of us have any idea as to where the next bomb would explode in the business world and whether the world leaders are truly capable of defusing this continuous series of implosions, whose ramifications are broadening in strength even as ours are ebbing.
Thankfully, God is Sovereign and He is with those whose faith rest with Him.
'The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water, He turneth it whithersoever He will.
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts. To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice…'
Proverbs 21:1-3
By now, many might be literally be with their backs to the wall and but not on their knees, making supplications to their 'gods' to restore their fortunes. Wealth before health and for some, money is more than a matter of life or death. There are also many men of faith whose prayers are to the Lord, to trust in His faithfulness, even as they go through this storm. The Lord our God is indeed a refuge for those who trust in Him. God knows our needs, even before we come to Him. That is our reassurance.
But what is our response to a loving and graceful God? What is God telling us?
'He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?'
Micah 6:8
It is natural in these very difficult environment to think of our own interests and survival. Yet, if we truly know God, we will know that He will and has provided. We must honour Him now in believing in His promise and we must translate that belief into faithful obedience on our part, by doing the things which He has commanded us. Which is, to live out the fruits of the Spirit, to be a platform upon which His light will shine forth in a world where darkness and fear envelopes many.
'While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.'
John 13:35-36
We must move from our sinful natural self to the God led Spiritual man of truth, that He wants to transform us into.
'Judge me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity; I have trusted also in the Lord, therefore I shall not slide. Examine me, O Lord, and prove me, try my reins and my heart.'
Psalm 26:1-3
Being the imperfect man, I am like the vessel that still have many layers of dirt yet to be removed. But God is good. Even in my imperfections, He has allowed me to be a witness to His grace, in my life and that of others. But the times are with us, where the scrubbing has to be more intense and correction has to start with the faithful.
Numb or rather shell-shocked many might be, and just a little nudge more might be suffice to push many over the brink of no return.
'I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye……..Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.'
Psalm 32:8-11
As one shares, clearly the landscape of the world is being reshaped and here, we are not talking about light touch-ups, but rather whole scale reconfiguration. Where will things be, and for many, in their present sorry to destitute state, would they be in position to survive the brave new world we have entered?
I believe that the author of the futurist book "The Brave New World" was this chap called Alduos Huxley. In my younger days, in the 1970s, the other famous chappie or rather futurologists was Alvin Toffler. I cannot remember the exact contents of what both gentlemen wrote, but it matters not, for what matters is not what we think but rather, that the grace of God is suffice for the day, and while the world going forward might be even more unpredictable than its already present fickleness, God is Sovereign and He is omnipresent and that is suffice.
'Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.'
Romans 10:1
At this stage, many of us need saving, in terms of what the world values. Wealth is temporal and by the time things settle down, many will come to realize that their financial losses will be permanent. Yet, what will we not give up if we know with certainty that it is our eternity that is at stake here.
This is the time where not just the active seekers of wealth will suffer collateral damage, but even the innocent bystanders and this is the time where the only thing certain is one's knowledge and experience that God provides and He has provided.
'The wicked is driven away in his wickedness, but the righteous has hope in his death.'
Proverbs 14:32
We as men are very concerned with the temporal, whose very preservation is now at risk. But God is concerned with the eternal and the beginning of our healing will start when He allows us to be so shaken that the grip of the world no longer has its hold upon us, and in letting go of our reservations about trusting God, and in letting God, we will let His Spirit sanctify and lift us up, that we will realize that what matters is not what matters to us, but what matters to God.
'He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.'
John 1:23
In the till recently red-hot agrarian sector, the farmers both sow, plow and reaps. In the kingdom of God, He uses all who are willing, to take on different roles. I have been blessed these past few years to sow with the Words that He has given me. While many who have been kind to still stay on my mail list, might not have read most if any of these regular meanderings, the time has come for the plowing and God will bring you forth now, if you are willing.
Where do we begin(just like the opening lyrics of the song "Love Story) and love is indeed where you must begin, for God is love.
1. Admit you are a sinner
'For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God….'
Romans 3:23
2. Believe on Christ
'And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.'
Acts 16:31
3. Confess your faith
'That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with thy heart man believeth unot righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.'
Romans 10:9-11
Let me conclude by saying that just because you have changed, by moving from the sinful world unto God, that the world will also change for the better. It will not happen, as yet. The world will continue to shake even more, as there are many more to be saved, to be loosen from the deathly grip of the devil. But as you begin to allow God to transform you, you will realize that come what may, the peace, joy and deep reassurance that only God can give you, will continue to uphold and anchor you, in this temporal world, as you await the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Is this not better than what many are continuing to undergo in torment and fear as fear feeds upon itself and we are nearing the day when the Anti-Christ, with his saccharin tongue and false promises, would come forth to be willingly worshipped by the tormented, if not demented, who will sell their soul to recover their temporal desires.
'Fear, and the pit, and the snare, shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, siath the Lord. He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit, and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon it, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith the Lord.'
Jeremiah 48:43-44
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(20th Oct 2008)
'O Lord, I know that the way of man does not belong to man; it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. Lord correct me, but with judgment; not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing…'
Jeremiah 10:23
Last week ended for me on a thankful note. Thankful because if things had really gone over the brink, which was my brief, but sinful hope at the beginning of that week, to correct the incorrigibles, would have ensured that many would not have had the chance to turn to God, as I realized in mid-week, and by end of last week, even I the supposedly sheltered would not have been spared some grief, as banks go on a mad illogical frenzy to slash and burn, and anyone who was unfortunate to borrow monies from them and were not in a position to make good, was literally dead.
God has once again showed me that His way is the only way, and we the finite man, must not play judge and the need for us to always remain unto the presence of the Lord our God, for we can never trust ourselves.
'I will bless the Lord, Who hath given me counsel; my reins also instruct me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.'
Psalms 16:7
It has been a year since the world started to wake up to the stirrings of the sub-prime problem. Eight years of unfettered greed with its beginnings after the collapse of the internet boom in early 2000, as Americans decided to extend their dreamy days of freespending by leveraging off the enhanced value of their properties, to spend on the goods that the rest of the the world willingly purveyed to them on credit. The sins of self-denial have now come to roost and while financial institutions seem to be falling like ten-pins, one wished that it will just end here, so that maybe just maybe all of us can take that long needed respite. The general populace might just be beginning to feel the reverberations of the sub-prime crisis, but for many of us who are in the financial line, the toll and toil at ground-zero is very real, in terms of both physical and emotional, not considering the material and yet the only thing certain about tomorrow is that it is fraught with even greater uncertainty.
'Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my Redeemer.'
Psalms 19:14
You might realize from my meanderings that I am still quite coherent. If not for God's grace in allowing me to anchor upon Him my Rock, I would have long been washed ashore as flotsam,like so many whose hard built business and wealth have been shipwrecked by the many floating icebergs in these dangerous waters.
It has reached the point that none of us have any idea as to where the next bomb would explode in the business world and whether the world leaders are truly capable of defusing this continuous series of implosions, whose ramifications are broadening in strength even as ours are ebbing.
Thankfully, God is Sovereign and He is with those whose faith rest with Him.
'The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water, He turneth it whithersoever He will.
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts. To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice…'
Proverbs 21:1-3
By now, many might be literally be with their backs to the wall and but not on their knees, making supplications to their 'gods' to restore their fortunes. Wealth before health and for some, money is more than a matter of life or death. There are also many men of faith whose prayers are to the Lord, to trust in His faithfulness, even as they go through this storm. The Lord our God is indeed a refuge for those who trust in Him. God knows our needs, even before we come to Him. That is our reassurance.
But what is our response to a loving and graceful God? What is God telling us?
'He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?'
Micah 6:8
It is natural in these very difficult environment to think of our own interests and survival. Yet, if we truly know God, we will know that He will and has provided. We must honour Him now in believing in His promise and we must translate that belief into faithful obedience on our part, by doing the things which He has commanded us. Which is, to live out the fruits of the Spirit, to be a platform upon which His light will shine forth in a world where darkness and fear envelopes many.
'While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.'
John 13:35-36
We must move from our sinful natural self to the God led Spiritual man of truth, that He wants to transform us into.
'Judge me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity; I have trusted also in the Lord, therefore I shall not slide. Examine me, O Lord, and prove me, try my reins and my heart.'
Psalm 26:1-3
Being the imperfect man, I am like the vessel that still have many layers of dirt yet to be removed. But God is good. Even in my imperfections, He has allowed me to be a witness to His grace, in my life and that of others. But the times are with us, where the scrubbing has to be more intense and correction has to start with the faithful.
Numb or rather shell-shocked many might be, and just a little nudge more might be suffice to push many over the brink of no return.
'I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye……..Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.'
Psalm 32:8-11
As one shares, clearly the landscape of the world is being reshaped and here, we are not talking about light touch-ups, but rather whole scale reconfiguration. Where will things be, and for many, in their present sorry to destitute state, would they be in position to survive the brave new world we have entered?
I believe that the author of the futurist book "The Brave New World" was this chap called Alduos Huxley. In my younger days, in the 1970s, the other famous chappie or rather futurologists was Alvin Toffler. I cannot remember the exact contents of what both gentlemen wrote, but it matters not, for what matters is not what we think but rather, that the grace of God is suffice for the day, and while the world going forward might be even more unpredictable than its already present fickleness, God is Sovereign and He is omnipresent and that is suffice.
'Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.'
Romans 10:1
At this stage, many of us need saving, in terms of what the world values. Wealth is temporal and by the time things settle down, many will come to realize that their financial losses will be permanent. Yet, what will we not give up if we know with certainty that it is our eternity that is at stake here.
This is the time where not just the active seekers of wealth will suffer collateral damage, but even the innocent bystanders and this is the time where the only thing certain is one's knowledge and experience that God provides and He has provided.
'The wicked is driven away in his wickedness, but the righteous has hope in his death.'
Proverbs 14:32
We as men are very concerned with the temporal, whose very preservation is now at risk. But God is concerned with the eternal and the beginning of our healing will start when He allows us to be so shaken that the grip of the world no longer has its hold upon us, and in letting go of our reservations about trusting God, and in letting God, we will let His Spirit sanctify and lift us up, that we will realize that what matters is not what matters to us, but what matters to God.
'He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.'
John 1:23
In the till recently red-hot agrarian sector, the farmers both sow, plow and reaps. In the kingdom of God, He uses all who are willing, to take on different roles. I have been blessed these past few years to sow with the Words that He has given me. While many who have been kind to still stay on my mail list, might not have read most if any of these regular meanderings, the time has come for the plowing and God will bring you forth now, if you are willing.
Where do we begin(just like the opening lyrics of the song "Love Story) and love is indeed where you must begin, for God is love.
1. Admit you are a sinner
'For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God….'
Romans 3:23
2. Believe on Christ
'And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.'
Acts 16:31
3. Confess your faith
'That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with thy heart man believeth unot righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.'
Romans 10:9-11
Let me conclude by saying that just because you have changed, by moving from the sinful world unto God, that the world will also change for the better. It will not happen, as yet. The world will continue to shake even more, as there are many more to be saved, to be loosen from the deathly grip of the devil. But as you begin to allow God to transform you, you will realize that come what may, the peace, joy and deep reassurance that only God can give you, will continue to uphold and anchor you, in this temporal world, as you await the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Is this not better than what many are continuing to undergo in torment and fear as fear feeds upon itself and we are nearing the day when the Anti-Christ, with his saccharin tongue and false promises, would come forth to be willingly worshipped by the tormented, if not demented, who will sell their soul to recover their temporal desires.
'Fear, and the pit, and the snare, shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, siath the Lord. He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit, and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon it, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith the Lord.'
Jeremiah 48:43-44
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(20th Oct 2008)
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Running the race #17 Transformation (14oct2008)
'But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn everyone from his evil way, and fromt the violence that is in their hands.
Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from His fierce anger, that we perish not?'
Jonah 3:8-9
Now that we have been pulled back temporarily from the brink of the abyss, would the sighs of relief lead to a
- recovery of whatever wealth was lost in the frenzied mayhem, not likely for many ever
- return of the good old roaring days of bullishness, not likely for sometime but maybe not never
- an honest reflection of one's purpose in life and if there is a place for God in our lives, prayerfully so?
'And should I not spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons, that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?'
Jonah 4:11
In my sinful moments, albeit thankfully briefly, I felt like Jonah, a sense of angst with God for not letting things go over this Monday. Is that not what He wanted me to say just last Sunday, where for once, I felt truly the need to be precise, almost prophetic in my choice of words and though I resisted, for who can predict, I felt the need to obey the promptings in my heart.
Monday has come and the world instead of going over the brink, was pulled back and many believe that we have seen the worse.
Like Jonah, I question God. Would not have unfulfilled punishment lead to a sense of déjà vu amongst the many unrepentant sinners, who can now continue to subscribe to the belief that either God is all bark and no bite, or He loves us too much to truly let us go over.
'…for I knew that Thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest Thee of evil.'
Jonah 4:2
God knows our limits. He will not impose His will upon us. In stretching us that far,yet without pushing us beyond the point of no return, He hopes that we will turn back from our sinful ways to Him. Just like Nineveh was not destroyed, the lives of its inhabitants were never the same. Many repented and came unto the presence of God. What about us? Will your lives ever be the same again? For some, the material damage might be irreparable, but the soul can be saved, for God forgives.
God has shown me and you His mercy, even in His anger. This period we have entered now is a period of reprieve. It is a time for us to "clean up our lives and come unto His presence."
I have come to realize in moving out of my God sheltered situation these past couple of days, to talk to and to observe not just people whom God places in my path, but the general state of the world, that many are already on their edge, emotional and health wise, not to mention financial for some, and if last Monday the world had gone over the brink, many might have died literally and in actuality. Or at least, will suffer an emotional breakdown that will make it difficult for them to start the journey of healing with God, for God respect our free will and some will no longer be in that proper mental state to exercise that free will if the world had fallen over.
'Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.'
John 4:35
Many Christians unfortunately have often come across as 'pushy know all' and almost always ready to condemn if one do not meet up to their spoken standards. And for the poor souls who were just looking for some encouragement in their time of need, besides being beaten to a pulp and make to feel very small and sinful, the so called propagators of our faith, then proceed to break all the rules of good living that they have just forced fed upon their poor victims.
Just like the devil, you might believe in God and know that Jesus Christ exist, but just like the devil, you are not a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. For God is love, and to be Christ-like is to be like Christ, starting with ourselves first. And to be like Christ, one has to know Him, and it is a reality that there are many believers who stopped at having heard of our Lord Jesus Christ, but have never really entered into the on-going relationship that God commands us all to every moment of our lives.
God is Spirit and we must worship Him in Spirit and truth. But reality is, many of us call God by our lips, but He is far from our heart. For how many of us truly spent time unto His presence, in His Words, in prayers and praise and in in His works? And in our sinful world, grey is the color of choice, but with God, there is no room for variations of the truth. And what fruits are we harvesting, of the Spirit or of the world?
'Then said Jesus unto him, 'Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.'
John 4:48
Some of us became believers because we witnessed God's grace in our lives, be it a miracle in an earth shattering experience or more likely simply that indescribable joy and peace when the Spirit of God fills our parched inner soul.
How is this possible? Because we have seen the very visible presence of God in the lives of followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. Through observing the Spirit filled lives of these faithful men and women that God placed in our lives, in our moments of great distress, we will be just encouraged to want to come unto the presence of God, just like in moments like now, when the very foundations of our comfortable world gets shakened.
Faith is a series of steps, and not usually one big leap across unlike the proverbial leap of faith. Faith comes from God, not from us, but we have to be willing to come unto His presence.
The day we are borne, God is preparing us for our return to Him. He uses circumstances and people to bring us that nearer to coming unto His presence.
Catcyclsmic events like this present financial upheaval just push things that bit further, but the choice is still ours. To not take up the salvation offered freely to all, is to subject ourselves to the next bigger seismic shake in our lives, for God wants to bring all of us back.
'..Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.'
John 5:14
For those of us who are blessed to see the light during this latest round of catastrophic financial upheaval, welcome to the Kingdom of our Lord. But till our Lord Jesus Christ return, belief is just the beginning of your journey of transformation in the likeness of Christ, as we worked out our salvation, to be made ready for the return of Jesus Christ. And for those who said yes to God before, and has since gone back to their old secular ways, it is time to resume this same journey of transformation, for to continue to dither, when you know God, is to tread on dangerous grounds.
'Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live'
John 5:25
Use well these days of relief to be right with God, for brief it will be, and the days of darkness looms. The world will shake even more intensely, but it is only upon the Rock our God that we will not be shaken.
'For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain'
Philippians 1:21
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(15oct08)
Note
-------
'Be still, and know that I am God.'
Psalms 46:10
Now into my 3rd day of a simple fast of skipping one meal, the lack of sugar is either giving me hallucinations and hence these foolish doomsday gibberish or God is giving me greater clarity of thought, for I seem to sense His promptings better. These past few months have been a challenge, but I know God has sheltered me and provided and prepared me well. I have felt less the full brunt of the potent mix of fear, emotional angst and real losses materially than most who are in the midst of this present cauldron. But these couple of days, I have had the opportunity to observe at first-hand the extent of the emotional damage lingering in many and while I sense no fear, for God is with me, I do feel this great dread upon me this morning, that something is about to give way and there is that sense of urgency for all of us to truly come back unto the heart of worship, with God, for only He can shelter us from what is to come.
'God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way..'
Psalms 46:1-3
''And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace'
Luke 8:48
Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from His fierce anger, that we perish not?'
Jonah 3:8-9
Now that we have been pulled back temporarily from the brink of the abyss, would the sighs of relief lead to a
- recovery of whatever wealth was lost in the frenzied mayhem, not likely for many ever
- return of the good old roaring days of bullishness, not likely for sometime but maybe not never
- an honest reflection of one's purpose in life and if there is a place for God in our lives, prayerfully so?
'And should I not spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons, that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?'
Jonah 4:11
In my sinful moments, albeit thankfully briefly, I felt like Jonah, a sense of angst with God for not letting things go over this Monday. Is that not what He wanted me to say just last Sunday, where for once, I felt truly the need to be precise, almost prophetic in my choice of words and though I resisted, for who can predict, I felt the need to obey the promptings in my heart.
Monday has come and the world instead of going over the brink, was pulled back and many believe that we have seen the worse.
Like Jonah, I question God. Would not have unfulfilled punishment lead to a sense of déjà vu amongst the many unrepentant sinners, who can now continue to subscribe to the belief that either God is all bark and no bite, or He loves us too much to truly let us go over.
'…for I knew that Thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest Thee of evil.'
Jonah 4:2
God knows our limits. He will not impose His will upon us. In stretching us that far,yet without pushing us beyond the point of no return, He hopes that we will turn back from our sinful ways to Him. Just like Nineveh was not destroyed, the lives of its inhabitants were never the same. Many repented and came unto the presence of God. What about us? Will your lives ever be the same again? For some, the material damage might be irreparable, but the soul can be saved, for God forgives.
God has shown me and you His mercy, even in His anger. This period we have entered now is a period of reprieve. It is a time for us to "clean up our lives and come unto His presence."
I have come to realize in moving out of my God sheltered situation these past couple of days, to talk to and to observe not just people whom God places in my path, but the general state of the world, that many are already on their edge, emotional and health wise, not to mention financial for some, and if last Monday the world had gone over the brink, many might have died literally and in actuality. Or at least, will suffer an emotional breakdown that will make it difficult for them to start the journey of healing with God, for God respect our free will and some will no longer be in that proper mental state to exercise that free will if the world had fallen over.
'Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.'
John 4:35
Many Christians unfortunately have often come across as 'pushy know all' and almost always ready to condemn if one do not meet up to their spoken standards. And for the poor souls who were just looking for some encouragement in their time of need, besides being beaten to a pulp and make to feel very small and sinful, the so called propagators of our faith, then proceed to break all the rules of good living that they have just forced fed upon their poor victims.
Just like the devil, you might believe in God and know that Jesus Christ exist, but just like the devil, you are not a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. For God is love, and to be Christ-like is to be like Christ, starting with ourselves first. And to be like Christ, one has to know Him, and it is a reality that there are many believers who stopped at having heard of our Lord Jesus Christ, but have never really entered into the on-going relationship that God commands us all to every moment of our lives.
God is Spirit and we must worship Him in Spirit and truth. But reality is, many of us call God by our lips, but He is far from our heart. For how many of us truly spent time unto His presence, in His Words, in prayers and praise and in in His works? And in our sinful world, grey is the color of choice, but with God, there is no room for variations of the truth. And what fruits are we harvesting, of the Spirit or of the world?
'Then said Jesus unto him, 'Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.'
John 4:48
Some of us became believers because we witnessed God's grace in our lives, be it a miracle in an earth shattering experience or more likely simply that indescribable joy and peace when the Spirit of God fills our parched inner soul.
How is this possible? Because we have seen the very visible presence of God in the lives of followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. Through observing the Spirit filled lives of these faithful men and women that God placed in our lives, in our moments of great distress, we will be just encouraged to want to come unto the presence of God, just like in moments like now, when the very foundations of our comfortable world gets shakened.
Faith is a series of steps, and not usually one big leap across unlike the proverbial leap of faith. Faith comes from God, not from us, but we have to be willing to come unto His presence.
The day we are borne, God is preparing us for our return to Him. He uses circumstances and people to bring us that nearer to coming unto His presence.
Catcyclsmic events like this present financial upheaval just push things that bit further, but the choice is still ours. To not take up the salvation offered freely to all, is to subject ourselves to the next bigger seismic shake in our lives, for God wants to bring all of us back.
'..Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.'
John 5:14
For those of us who are blessed to see the light during this latest round of catastrophic financial upheaval, welcome to the Kingdom of our Lord. But till our Lord Jesus Christ return, belief is just the beginning of your journey of transformation in the likeness of Christ, as we worked out our salvation, to be made ready for the return of Jesus Christ. And for those who said yes to God before, and has since gone back to their old secular ways, it is time to resume this same journey of transformation, for to continue to dither, when you know God, is to tread on dangerous grounds.
'Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live'
John 5:25
Use well these days of relief to be right with God, for brief it will be, and the days of darkness looms. The world will shake even more intensely, but it is only upon the Rock our God that we will not be shaken.
'For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain'
Philippians 1:21
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(15oct08)
Note
-------
'Be still, and know that I am God.'
Psalms 46:10
Now into my 3rd day of a simple fast of skipping one meal, the lack of sugar is either giving me hallucinations and hence these foolish doomsday gibberish or God is giving me greater clarity of thought, for I seem to sense His promptings better. These past few months have been a challenge, but I know God has sheltered me and provided and prepared me well. I have felt less the full brunt of the potent mix of fear, emotional angst and real losses materially than most who are in the midst of this present cauldron. But these couple of days, I have had the opportunity to observe at first-hand the extent of the emotional damage lingering in many and while I sense no fear, for God is with me, I do feel this great dread upon me this morning, that something is about to give way and there is that sense of urgency for all of us to truly come back unto the heart of worship, with God, for only He can shelter us from what is to come.
'God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way..'
Psalms 46:1-3
''And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace'
Luke 8:48
Saturday, October 11, 2008
The world this coming week (12oct08)
Dear fellow believers and soon to be believers, who I am privileged to have joined me in my journey with God.
'Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found thy works perfect before God.'
Revelations 3:2
The Lord woke me up at 5am this morning, and reminded me that I have to be fully with Him and not just 95% of the way.
Each of us will have interests/needs that can take us away from our
focus on the Lord. Now is the time to truly let go of what holds our
heart and with a single mindedness, come to the presence of the Lord our God, with a humble
and contrite heart.
'Beloved, now are we the sons of God.....And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.'
1 John 3:2-3
'Thou wilt shew me the path of life; in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.'
Psalm 16:11
I spent most of this morning, after church, setting my household and my own heart in order, for like some of the God fearing men of past, we might be right with God, but we must remove every Baal in our lives. For as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.
'For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord, walk as children of light'
Ephesians 5:8
NONE OF US HAVE PREDICTIVE POWERS.
'Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know Me, satih the Lord. Therefore saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them........'
Jeremiah 9:6-7
But clearly, the week ahead will be even more dramatic than the last. Men have lost the opportunity to come clean and repent of their sins and with the half measures of the governments at the G7 meeting this weekend, FEAR will now possibly take on a full life of its own and we will enter into the great unknown.
'Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on the as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.'
Revelations 3:3
Do prayerfully come unto the presence of the Lord our God NOW. Let His Spirit cleanse and sanctify all of us.
Do prayerfully consider joining me in a fast this coming week, as we still our hearts to listen to the Lord our God, as we anchor ourselves upon Him as the world shakes even more intensely.
Do join me in time with God in prayers, for He will anchor and shelter the faithful. But this is also the time that many will come to know Him.
'Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold I come quickly, hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.'
Revelations 3:10-11
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
12oct08
'Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found thy works perfect before God.'
Revelations 3:2
The Lord woke me up at 5am this morning, and reminded me that I have to be fully with Him and not just 95% of the way.
Each of us will have interests/needs that can take us away from our
focus on the Lord. Now is the time to truly let go of what holds our
heart and with a single mindedness, come to the presence of the Lord our God, with a humble
and contrite heart.
'Beloved, now are we the sons of God.....And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.'
1 John 3:2-3
'Thou wilt shew me the path of life; in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.'
Psalm 16:11
I spent most of this morning, after church, setting my household and my own heart in order, for like some of the God fearing men of past, we might be right with God, but we must remove every Baal in our lives. For as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.
'For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord, walk as children of light'
Ephesians 5:8
NONE OF US HAVE PREDICTIVE POWERS.
'Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know Me, satih the Lord. Therefore saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them........'
Jeremiah 9:6-7
But clearly, the week ahead will be even more dramatic than the last. Men have lost the opportunity to come clean and repent of their sins and with the half measures of the governments at the G7 meeting this weekend, FEAR will now possibly take on a full life of its own and we will enter into the great unknown.
'Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on the as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.'
Revelations 3:3
Do prayerfully come unto the presence of the Lord our God NOW. Let His Spirit cleanse and sanctify all of us.
Do prayerfully consider joining me in a fast this coming week, as we still our hearts to listen to the Lord our God, as we anchor ourselves upon Him as the world shakes even more intensely.
Do join me in time with God in prayers, for He will anchor and shelter the faithful. But this is also the time that many will come to know Him.
'Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold I come quickly, hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.'
Revelations 3:10-11
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
12oct08
Friday, October 10, 2008
Runnng the race #16 Restoration (10oct08)
Dear…
'The Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth.'
Psalm 47:2
The media loves a good story, especially if it is spiced up with controversy. There was none of the usual 3S in yesterday's financial market carnage, but the 4th S, "suffering" was real and yesteday's Straits Times had the headline "Hell in Asia.' I think the writer could have either fond memories of the Asian crisis a decade back, or someone could have resurrected the headline title from the same decade back, for the headline was a bit of a misnomer, for it was more like "Hell on Earth, rather than just Asia."
Leaving the realm of hell for now, a more interesting thought would be in the midst of the helter skelter emotions yesterday or even the past few months of slow but gradually intensifying death, did anyone give any thought about Heaven and God?
'Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.'
Proverbs 18:12
Destruction is already with many, at least on the financial front and it has now broadened to the economic front and with it, implications for the social fabric of society as stress levels intensifies with the end of the good times. But are 'bad times' all that bad? It is, if the temporal is what one holds dear, it isn't if eternity is what one understands and wants to work for. For the quality of our soul tends to improve for many, with the deterioration in our material well-being.
'And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes….'
Deuteronomy 6:5-9
The "Grapes of Wrath" was a poignant story depicting the dustbowl that was the once rich lands of middle America. A prolonged period of drought that almost turned the land of plenty to a desert. America recovered and prospered to take its place as the dominant superpower of the twentieth century, and the rest is history. In fact, history is often consigned to the dusty bookshelves and not many of the present generation of Americans might remember or even know the struggles nor faith of their forefathers, as they plogged along resolutely to bring forth this great country.
What about the rest of us? Be it an immigrant society or even a well established family lineage, rare would be the present generation who remembered the toil and sacrifices of their forefathers, and much less would many care, for the fruits of the present are too distractive.
'And it shall be, when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers……
And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not……..Then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage..'
Deuteronomy 6:10-14
Some of us who have gone through the Asian crisis and have not been scarred for life, would have been pretty troubled by in the past few years by the almost careless to reckless devil may care attititude of the 'can do' approach towards a very serious matter, money, for what is more important than life, but money, at least is the case for many.
What the markets have again shown to those who believe that great brains, social connectivity, eloquence and spiffy dressing will bring one to the stratosphere of society will also be brought crashing down when the music stops. Markets in its bad moods, do not differentiate by social status, intellect and any other human understanding, but purely by your commitment to live by the principles of God's Word ie contentment and stewardship and His grace upon the faithful.
Of course, just as there are certain consistent behavioural patterns in all market cycles, there will be some distinct differentiation and what will probably stand out in this market panic( whose finale might just be a curtain call away), is the lower than low basement rats type character of many of the main actors in this parody of corporate governance and collective greed.
The house of cards have collapsed but the fat cats or more like rats, as what some decent hardworking mainstream Americans called them are still not just getting to keep a large part of their largese, but have the audacity to have a good time at taxpayers' expense. There is very little repentance from the heart.
God is Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth.'
John 4:24
Fear is the absence of certainty. Fear is that imaginary monster that will take on a life of its own, fueled by the fertile and sinful imagination of the finite man. Fear is what is driving the panic in the financial markets.
Selfishness is the co-driver that works in tandem with fear to bring about the paralysis that the world's economy is now facing. Pride is the sunshade that keeps many in self-denial from doing the obvious right courses of action to put a brake on this runaway train of frenzied panic that is heading towards the cliff of oblivion.
'So then I run, not as if I were uncertain. And so I fight, not as one who beats the air.'
1 Corinthians 10:26
"Certainty" does not mean that the fallout from years of unfettered greed and irresponsibility will disappear at the blink of an eyelid, for rare would be a recalcitrant soul that will truly repent, without the need to go through the pain of punishment. But truth will at least bring to an end, the mistrust that is feeding the momentum of fear that till now, is morphing into an increasingly uncontrollable goo.
Once the climate is trust is established, which probably meant a need for all guilty parties to come clean on the exact extent of their flings, for to continue to hide behind the complexity of their own machinations as a reason for not knowing the total exposure to questioanble loans is increasingly a non-excuse.
Boldness of heart to do the right and honorable thing would be required to assuage the now certain fear and may we pray that within the leadership would emerge men of great courage and character, just like men of years past who were prepared to knock some sense back into their fellow men and led by example by showing the willingness to take responsibility and be honest about one's past failings. This will allow solutions to be implemented. It is quite telling at this juncture that the greatest country in the world today have so far managed to squeeze out only the Sage of Omaha, Mr Warren Buffett as a credible knight to come save the many damsels in distrees. Whatever has happened to those Ivy Leaguers from the boom post war boom years?
'I sought the Lord and He heard me. And delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant.'
Psalms 34:4-5
But
Character in our increasingly mercenary world might not bring one to the nadir of society, but lack of it have brought all of us to below sub-zero conditions. Can one build good character without resting upon the foundations of our Lord Jesus Christ?
'And as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.'
Revelations 3:19
The world has once again learn that for all their brilliance and idealism, the imperfect men have always fallen short. The difference is that the ramifications of our continued failure based on our finite understanding have become more global and intense as we are witnessing these past few days.
The fear of the Lord our God is the beginning of wisdom. As we come to know God, we will begin to feel truly humbled and in awe, for His omnipresence is beyond our understanding, yet His grace and love for us must elicit that desire to never displease Him, for what words can describe the almost irrelevance of our gratitude, and to go lower than that in sinful disobedience is enough cause for fear.
'And they who use this world are as not abusing it, for the fashion of this world is passing away. But I desire you to be without anxiety…'
1 Corinthians 7:31-32
I believe we are very close to going over the brink but God will restore us and bring us back, if we allow Him.For God even in His wrath loves us all and in allowing us to be a victim of our own sinfulness, God hopes that we will realize our own sinfulness and reach out for His outstretched hand. The choice is ours. Are we willing to come down upon our knees and truly seek the Lord our God in true repentance.
''..Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven……………..'
Hebrews 12:26
Let me leave this sharing with the following verses. Do reflect upon it even if you are at the abyss of your life at this moment. The darkness might be upon you, but the light of our loving God is shining brightly.
Restoration and healing(of your soul, not sure about one's wealth though) will come. But the world will be a different place from what we know. Sinfulness will intensify and so will the shaking. It is time that we awaken, or be awakened even more painfully when the next storm comes, as it will surely come.
'And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace..'
Luke 8:48
'But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole'
Luke 8:50
'And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.'
Matthew 21:21-22
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
Note
------
"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
I believe these are truly the words that our God have used me to remind us all of where our faith should be anchored, in these very fearful times.
And God is good. Today for those in the financial business or with financial investments or even real businesses will realized we are near pandemonium.
Yet, as I sit down to complete this sharing, God truly took away not just the very bad neck ache(and maybe a possible heart attack) I have been carrying these past few days, but He gave me this inner peace, a priviledge in these very tense times.
'The Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth.'
Psalm 47:2
The media loves a good story, especially if it is spiced up with controversy. There was none of the usual 3S in yesterday's financial market carnage, but the 4th S, "suffering" was real and yesteday's Straits Times had the headline "Hell in Asia.' I think the writer could have either fond memories of the Asian crisis a decade back, or someone could have resurrected the headline title from the same decade back, for the headline was a bit of a misnomer, for it was more like "Hell on Earth, rather than just Asia."
Leaving the realm of hell for now, a more interesting thought would be in the midst of the helter skelter emotions yesterday or even the past few months of slow but gradually intensifying death, did anyone give any thought about Heaven and God?
'Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.'
Proverbs 18:12
Destruction is already with many, at least on the financial front and it has now broadened to the economic front and with it, implications for the social fabric of society as stress levels intensifies with the end of the good times. But are 'bad times' all that bad? It is, if the temporal is what one holds dear, it isn't if eternity is what one understands and wants to work for. For the quality of our soul tends to improve for many, with the deterioration in our material well-being.
'And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes….'
Deuteronomy 6:5-9
The "Grapes of Wrath" was a poignant story depicting the dustbowl that was the once rich lands of middle America. A prolonged period of drought that almost turned the land of plenty to a desert. America recovered and prospered to take its place as the dominant superpower of the twentieth century, and the rest is history. In fact, history is often consigned to the dusty bookshelves and not many of the present generation of Americans might remember or even know the struggles nor faith of their forefathers, as they plogged along resolutely to bring forth this great country.
What about the rest of us? Be it an immigrant society or even a well established family lineage, rare would be the present generation who remembered the toil and sacrifices of their forefathers, and much less would many care, for the fruits of the present are too distractive.
'And it shall be, when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers……
And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not……..Then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage..'
Deuteronomy 6:10-14
Some of us who have gone through the Asian crisis and have not been scarred for life, would have been pretty troubled by in the past few years by the almost careless to reckless devil may care attititude of the 'can do' approach towards a very serious matter, money, for what is more important than life, but money, at least is the case for many.
What the markets have again shown to those who believe that great brains, social connectivity, eloquence and spiffy dressing will bring one to the stratosphere of society will also be brought crashing down when the music stops. Markets in its bad moods, do not differentiate by social status, intellect and any other human understanding, but purely by your commitment to live by the principles of God's Word ie contentment and stewardship and His grace upon the faithful.
Of course, just as there are certain consistent behavioural patterns in all market cycles, there will be some distinct differentiation and what will probably stand out in this market panic( whose finale might just be a curtain call away), is the lower than low basement rats type character of many of the main actors in this parody of corporate governance and collective greed.
The house of cards have collapsed but the fat cats or more like rats, as what some decent hardworking mainstream Americans called them are still not just getting to keep a large part of their largese, but have the audacity to have a good time at taxpayers' expense. There is very little repentance from the heart.
God is Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth.'
John 4:24
Fear is the absence of certainty. Fear is that imaginary monster that will take on a life of its own, fueled by the fertile and sinful imagination of the finite man. Fear is what is driving the panic in the financial markets.
Selfishness is the co-driver that works in tandem with fear to bring about the paralysis that the world's economy is now facing. Pride is the sunshade that keeps many in self-denial from doing the obvious right courses of action to put a brake on this runaway train of frenzied panic that is heading towards the cliff of oblivion.
'So then I run, not as if I were uncertain. And so I fight, not as one who beats the air.'
1 Corinthians 10:26
"Certainty" does not mean that the fallout from years of unfettered greed and irresponsibility will disappear at the blink of an eyelid, for rare would be a recalcitrant soul that will truly repent, without the need to go through the pain of punishment. But truth will at least bring to an end, the mistrust that is feeding the momentum of fear that till now, is morphing into an increasingly uncontrollable goo.
Once the climate is trust is established, which probably meant a need for all guilty parties to come clean on the exact extent of their flings, for to continue to hide behind the complexity of their own machinations as a reason for not knowing the total exposure to questioanble loans is increasingly a non-excuse.
Boldness of heart to do the right and honorable thing would be required to assuage the now certain fear and may we pray that within the leadership would emerge men of great courage and character, just like men of years past who were prepared to knock some sense back into their fellow men and led by example by showing the willingness to take responsibility and be honest about one's past failings. This will allow solutions to be implemented. It is quite telling at this juncture that the greatest country in the world today have so far managed to squeeze out only the Sage of Omaha, Mr Warren Buffett as a credible knight to come save the many damsels in distrees. Whatever has happened to those Ivy Leaguers from the boom post war boom years?
'I sought the Lord and He heard me. And delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant.'
Psalms 34:4-5
But
Character in our increasingly mercenary world might not bring one to the nadir of society, but lack of it have brought all of us to below sub-zero conditions. Can one build good character without resting upon the foundations of our Lord Jesus Christ?
'And as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.'
Revelations 3:19
The world has once again learn that for all their brilliance and idealism, the imperfect men have always fallen short. The difference is that the ramifications of our continued failure based on our finite understanding have become more global and intense as we are witnessing these past few days.
The fear of the Lord our God is the beginning of wisdom. As we come to know God, we will begin to feel truly humbled and in awe, for His omnipresence is beyond our understanding, yet His grace and love for us must elicit that desire to never displease Him, for what words can describe the almost irrelevance of our gratitude, and to go lower than that in sinful disobedience is enough cause for fear.
'And they who use this world are as not abusing it, for the fashion of this world is passing away. But I desire you to be without anxiety…'
1 Corinthians 7:31-32
I believe we are very close to going over the brink but God will restore us and bring us back, if we allow Him.For God even in His wrath loves us all and in allowing us to be a victim of our own sinfulness, God hopes that we will realize our own sinfulness and reach out for His outstretched hand. The choice is ours. Are we willing to come down upon our knees and truly seek the Lord our God in true repentance.
''..Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven……………..'
Hebrews 12:26
Let me leave this sharing with the following verses. Do reflect upon it even if you are at the abyss of your life at this moment. The darkness might be upon you, but the light of our loving God is shining brightly.
Restoration and healing(of your soul, not sure about one's wealth though) will come. But the world will be a different place from what we know. Sinfulness will intensify and so will the shaking. It is time that we awaken, or be awakened even more painfully when the next storm comes, as it will surely come.
'And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace..'
Luke 8:48
'But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole'
Luke 8:50
'And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.'
Matthew 21:21-22
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
Note
------
"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
I believe these are truly the words that our God have used me to remind us all of where our faith should be anchored, in these very fearful times.
And God is good. Today for those in the financial business or with financial investments or even real businesses will realized we are near pandemonium.
Yet, as I sit down to complete this sharing, God truly took away not just the very bad neck ache(and maybe a possible heart attack) I have been carrying these past few days, but He gave me this inner peace, a priviledge in these very tense times.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Running the race #15 In the midst of the rubble(6oct08)
Dear….
'…We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace, if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.'
2 Kings 7:9
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.'
John 1:5
What good news can come out of the world today? Literally, the earth is shaking right from the very top, for Tibet is closer to heaven then Szechuan was, and just as the financial markets shook that much harder last nite, as the aftershocks of the sub-prime crisis(with its root cause being men's avarice) reverberate globally, it was symbolic that Tibet was rocked by an earthquake the same day.
'The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the Lord. Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour'
Proverbs 19:3
Amidst the rubble that is being cumulated, even as one writes, can many really be thankful for the possible near obliteration of the many towers of material achievements from their single minded pursuit of the the desires of the world, which though temporal, has never ceased to grip the minds and hearts of many, where good values can be lived out, once one has arrived in life, but not before.
'He must increase, I must decrease.'
John 3:30
Someone told me that the average millionaire who has been active on a leveraged basis in the global financial markets would have lost about 50% of his/her investable assets by now. Not too sure if this is correct, but there is a distinct possiblity that many are a lot poorer by now, at least wealth wise. But will their soul get "richer" for pain can lead to gain in one's character refinement and just possibly, spiritually as well? For in giving up, albeit grudgingly, the delusions of the world, we might begin to see the presence of God with greater clarity, if we choose to come unto His presence. For in the illuminating darkness of Satan's material delusions, we are often blinded to God's grace, but in the overwhelming darkness of our lives, our humbled hearts might just provide that small hither unknown opening, just like the minute but lighted opening one strive to crawl to, out of the darkened rubble of a collapsed building one is caught in.
'..and he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God, he and his whole family'
Acts 16:34
A book I just completed over the last week, titled "If I perish" was a factual account about the faith of a frail Korean woman, who endured great torment in a Japanese run prison during the years 1939-1945 for her faithful response to heed God's call to warn the Japanese about their impending doom from a sulphurous firestorm, if they persisted in their arrogance as well as idolatory. Like they say, the rest is history and those who have had a chance to visit Hiroshima or at least seen some pictures of the aftermath of not just the atomic bombs, but the near flattening of Tokyo by the Allied forces, might see the folly of ignoring this warning from God, for His wrath against men's sinful disobedience.
Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from the time, and have declared it"? Ye are witnesses. Is there a God beside Me? Yea, there is no God; I know not any.'
Isaiah 44:8
What was even more compelling about the life of Esther Anh Kim, the "heroine" in this book was not about her indomitable spirit, for being imperfect like all of us, there were moments of weaknesses, especially in the face of great torment and fear. Yet, it was her determination to will herself back into the presence of God, her resilence in living out her faith, being thankful to God for all situations, in showing love to her fellow inmates and her jailers cum tormentors, even where love seems undeserved.
'For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope….'
Romans 15:4
What kept her going was her knowledge of the Word of God, which teaches, corrects, assures, inspires and provides for the soul. The faith that God gave her as she comes unto His presence kept her flames of hope not just flickering, but encouraged the many around her. And thankfully, God knows her and our limits, and in her being thankful for all situations, she saw how God not just brought her out of many dire situations, but used her powerfully to minister and yet admonished the many He placed in her path.
She was a prisoner of sinful men, but a soul freed from the encumbrances of the world, a peace and joy that only God can provide, unlike her jailers, who were free men and women, yet very burdened by the woes of life, gripped by the concerns and cares of the world.
'For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour My spirit upon thy seed, and My blessings upon thine offspring. And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses. One shall say, I am the Lord's….'
Isaiah 44:3-5
Like many parched lands, a few days of rain does work wonders in reinvigorating what was almost desert, but beneath its surface, the very seeds that will spring forth. Is the present almost ceaseless destruction of wealth about to bury in all permanency, the hopes or desires of many or in the midst of this gloom and doom, is the beginnings of that flickering flame that will ignite that long dormant desire to know the Sovereign God, a desire that God places in all of us, to be like Him, but since submerged by our sinfulness?
Financial markets normally recovers after a prolonged period of fallow, once the destruction is over. We are not at the end but we might be quite near the end of this phase of relentless destruction, but it will probably take us some time to resume any semblance of growth.
Like the aftermath of a hurricane, the storm might be gone, but to pick up one's lives will take some time, and for some, there will never be that possibility of recovery, for they would have died in the storm, just like many will be in this financial storm.
'Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost'
Romans 15:13
And for many who have come to erroneously believe that being a Christian entitles one to expect that God will bless us materially always, you might have already or is about to be very disappointed, for much as God wants us to enjoy the fruits of the Earth, it is our soul and eternity that is at stake, and not our temporal comforts.
Our relationship with the Sovereign God is not one of ask and be given, but rather, trust and obey and when we do that, we will be given because we will ask in God's will, and not ours.
Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him My salvation.'
Psalms 91:14-16
What makes our faith different and very personal is that a true believer and follower of our Lord Jesus Christ will by His grace, come to be thankful in all situations. And it is not a function of our understanding or sacrifice or our own indomitable strengths, but faith that is given by the Lord, a God given assurance that transcends human understanding.
Yet, a faith that can only be received from a disciplined desire on our part to stay the course with Him, to come unto His presence always, much as our human imperfections might deem otherwise.
'Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day. Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but is shall not come nigh thee.'
Psalms 91:5-7
To claim that I am perfectly buffetted from the storms of the past few months would be a lie. However, like many who strive to be faithful, God has indeed provided, and down I might be sometimes, but one is never flat out nor crushed. Some will emerged from the rubble of their sin-filled lives, not just a better person, but with a renewed desire to know the God that many men/women of faith have shared with him or her, but with seemingly no success. It will indeed be a joy to be able to walk with such people of newly minted faith, as they are transformed by the Lord our God.
But are we willing to take up the burden of the cross, light as it might be, when we lean upon our Lord Jesus Christ?'
'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.'
Psalms 139:7
The Lord our God is not just a shelter for those who seek and obey Him. He is also a spring of life that not just sate our spritual thirst, but He gives us the renewed vigour and strength to stand firm and also be used by Him to stand with many floundering souls.
The time is now with us.
'She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the Lord; she drew not near to her God.'
Zephaniah 3:2
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(7oct08)
'…We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace, if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.'
2 Kings 7:9
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.'
John 1:5
What good news can come out of the world today? Literally, the earth is shaking right from the very top, for Tibet is closer to heaven then Szechuan was, and just as the financial markets shook that much harder last nite, as the aftershocks of the sub-prime crisis(with its root cause being men's avarice) reverberate globally, it was symbolic that Tibet was rocked by an earthquake the same day.
'The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the Lord. Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour'
Proverbs 19:3
Amidst the rubble that is being cumulated, even as one writes, can many really be thankful for the possible near obliteration of the many towers of material achievements from their single minded pursuit of the the desires of the world, which though temporal, has never ceased to grip the minds and hearts of many, where good values can be lived out, once one has arrived in life, but not before.
'He must increase, I must decrease.'
John 3:30
Someone told me that the average millionaire who has been active on a leveraged basis in the global financial markets would have lost about 50% of his/her investable assets by now. Not too sure if this is correct, but there is a distinct possiblity that many are a lot poorer by now, at least wealth wise. But will their soul get "richer" for pain can lead to gain in one's character refinement and just possibly, spiritually as well? For in giving up, albeit grudgingly, the delusions of the world, we might begin to see the presence of God with greater clarity, if we choose to come unto His presence. For in the illuminating darkness of Satan's material delusions, we are often blinded to God's grace, but in the overwhelming darkness of our lives, our humbled hearts might just provide that small hither unknown opening, just like the minute but lighted opening one strive to crawl to, out of the darkened rubble of a collapsed building one is caught in.
'..and he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God, he and his whole family'
Acts 16:34
A book I just completed over the last week, titled "If I perish" was a factual account about the faith of a frail Korean woman, who endured great torment in a Japanese run prison during the years 1939-1945 for her faithful response to heed God's call to warn the Japanese about their impending doom from a sulphurous firestorm, if they persisted in their arrogance as well as idolatory. Like they say, the rest is history and those who have had a chance to visit Hiroshima or at least seen some pictures of the aftermath of not just the atomic bombs, but the near flattening of Tokyo by the Allied forces, might see the folly of ignoring this warning from God, for His wrath against men's sinful disobedience.
Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from the time, and have declared it"? Ye are witnesses. Is there a God beside Me? Yea, there is no God; I know not any.'
Isaiah 44:8
What was even more compelling about the life of Esther Anh Kim, the "heroine" in this book was not about her indomitable spirit, for being imperfect like all of us, there were moments of weaknesses, especially in the face of great torment and fear. Yet, it was her determination to will herself back into the presence of God, her resilence in living out her faith, being thankful to God for all situations, in showing love to her fellow inmates and her jailers cum tormentors, even where love seems undeserved.
'For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope….'
Romans 15:4
What kept her going was her knowledge of the Word of God, which teaches, corrects, assures, inspires and provides for the soul. The faith that God gave her as she comes unto His presence kept her flames of hope not just flickering, but encouraged the many around her. And thankfully, God knows her and our limits, and in her being thankful for all situations, she saw how God not just brought her out of many dire situations, but used her powerfully to minister and yet admonished the many He placed in her path.
She was a prisoner of sinful men, but a soul freed from the encumbrances of the world, a peace and joy that only God can provide, unlike her jailers, who were free men and women, yet very burdened by the woes of life, gripped by the concerns and cares of the world.
'For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour My spirit upon thy seed, and My blessings upon thine offspring. And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses. One shall say, I am the Lord's….'
Isaiah 44:3-5
Like many parched lands, a few days of rain does work wonders in reinvigorating what was almost desert, but beneath its surface, the very seeds that will spring forth. Is the present almost ceaseless destruction of wealth about to bury in all permanency, the hopes or desires of many or in the midst of this gloom and doom, is the beginnings of that flickering flame that will ignite that long dormant desire to know the Sovereign God, a desire that God places in all of us, to be like Him, but since submerged by our sinfulness?
Financial markets normally recovers after a prolonged period of fallow, once the destruction is over. We are not at the end but we might be quite near the end of this phase of relentless destruction, but it will probably take us some time to resume any semblance of growth.
Like the aftermath of a hurricane, the storm might be gone, but to pick up one's lives will take some time, and for some, there will never be that possibility of recovery, for they would have died in the storm, just like many will be in this financial storm.
'Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost'
Romans 15:13
And for many who have come to erroneously believe that being a Christian entitles one to expect that God will bless us materially always, you might have already or is about to be very disappointed, for much as God wants us to enjoy the fruits of the Earth, it is our soul and eternity that is at stake, and not our temporal comforts.
Our relationship with the Sovereign God is not one of ask and be given, but rather, trust and obey and when we do that, we will be given because we will ask in God's will, and not ours.
Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him My salvation.'
Psalms 91:14-16
What makes our faith different and very personal is that a true believer and follower of our Lord Jesus Christ will by His grace, come to be thankful in all situations. And it is not a function of our understanding or sacrifice or our own indomitable strengths, but faith that is given by the Lord, a God given assurance that transcends human understanding.
Yet, a faith that can only be received from a disciplined desire on our part to stay the course with Him, to come unto His presence always, much as our human imperfections might deem otherwise.
'Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day. Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but is shall not come nigh thee.'
Psalms 91:5-7
To claim that I am perfectly buffetted from the storms of the past few months would be a lie. However, like many who strive to be faithful, God has indeed provided, and down I might be sometimes, but one is never flat out nor crushed. Some will emerged from the rubble of their sin-filled lives, not just a better person, but with a renewed desire to know the God that many men/women of faith have shared with him or her, but with seemingly no success. It will indeed be a joy to be able to walk with such people of newly minted faith, as they are transformed by the Lord our God.
But are we willing to take up the burden of the cross, light as it might be, when we lean upon our Lord Jesus Christ?'
'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.'
Psalms 139:7
The Lord our God is not just a shelter for those who seek and obey Him. He is also a spring of life that not just sate our spritual thirst, but He gives us the renewed vigour and strength to stand firm and also be used by Him to stand with many floundering souls.
The time is now with us.
'She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the Lord; she drew not near to her God.'
Zephaniah 3:2
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(7oct08)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
