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)
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