Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, And prove Me now in this" says the Lord of Hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it," And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," says the Lord of Hosts'
Malachi 3:10-11
It seems almost cliché but truly the Lord prompts and affirms, as we respond. Lately, I have been quite a 'dangerous driver.' Some focus their mind not on the road, but on the party on the other line that they are so engaged in animated conversation with, that the world seems to flow by without them batting an eyelid. For me, my mind was on the road, but the Lord placed this thought in my heart about how blessed I am. That truly, like Joseph, I am blessed to have 7 good years in the aftermath of the last internet bubble burst. And the 7 good years was not just materially, but spiritually, for that period also marked the next phase in my journey with the Lord when I truly moved from believer to follower. And the Lord reminded me that truly, now is the time to unlock not just our hearts, but the granary of diverse gifts that He has stored in us, to be used to translate His love into action, for those He placed in our lives, for while the macro-climate might be harsh,("the next 7 bad years") many hardened hearts are being softened, being made ready to receive His Spirit.
And the Lord indeed affirms, for Malachi 3:10-11 was the verse in a letter a friend sent me, which I read upon arriving at the office this morning.
'And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.'
1 Corinthians 13:3
A balanced life is what many attest to, as the way to cope with an unbalanced world. And a more moderative lifestyle is what many have come to recognized as necessary, or more often out of necessity, as the good times gives way to the harsh times.
But as a true follower of the Lord our God, the only thing certain about our daily living is that it must always rest exclusively upon the Lord our Rock. We cannot and must not allocate time and obedience to the will of God, as part of the overall balance of life, factoring in our own needs, family, career, and other diverse distractions.
'Charity suffereth long, and is kind, charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. Doeth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own,is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in truth. Beareth all things , believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth…'
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Charity is not just about material giving or even the giving of our time and talents. Charity is living like Christ, as led by the Holy Spirit from the heart.
'And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity.'
1 Corinthians 13:13
Faith is God's love at work through us. What about hope? It is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. Hope comes from God's love at work in us. And charity is our response to living out the God imbued faith.
'For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud,yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble, and the day that cometh shall burn them up, siath the Lord of hosts that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.'
Malachi 4:1
The "American Dream" was the term this recent unemployed Mexican immigrant to the USA espoused when sharing his enthusiasm( with CNBC in their investigative programme "The House of Cards") and great fortune in coming to the land of the free, where literally, by courtesy of the nice mortgage broker, he got himself a very nice house with next to nothing down payment, and indeed the rising value of the house allowed him to have extra cash on leverage, for spending as well as start-up capital for his business.
Of course, just like Dr Faustus, materialism does not come free, for Dr Faustus had to give up his soul to the devil. For our poor émigré, his dreams turned into a nightmare, and with foreclosure by the banks, he and his family are back to reality, sharing a borrowed garage space from a friend as their new abode.
'Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.'
Malachi 4:5-6
For many, the great and dreadful day seems to be with them already. Painful as it is, there is a distinct possibility that we might have hardly started and more painful financial experiences await many of us. This is the period where everyone loses materially, but some will gain spiritually. What is plain is that wealth is temporal, and with the impending nationalization of many institutions in the global system, more pain awaits. But is there truly a grain of truth to what we who know the Lord our God has been professing, that the grace of God is suffice for the day and nothing can come close to the love of God.
'(love) Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.'
1 Corinthians 13:7
Living by the day is truly a new if not necessary experience for many of us. Yet, the day can be wonderful if we truly allow the Lord our God to be our all in all. More than suffice is truly the experience we will savour as we learn to let go and let God. And the Lord wants to use us Whom His light shone upon in the darkness of this world, to go forth and be the lamp upon which His light will shine forth.
But thou shalt remember that thou was a bondman in Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee thence, therefore I command thee to do this thing…'
Deuteronomy 24:18-19
The world is not just hungry materially, but very starved spiritually. The keys to opening the granary to sate the hunger rests in a willing heart, for the Spirit of our God resides in us and it is time we allow Him to not just unlock our hearts, but to work through us mightily, to allow the world and ourselves to see and receive the bountiful grace of the Lord our God
'…Peace, be still, and the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And He said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?'
Mark 4:39-40
In the midst of the masses who seek to see Jesus Christ, our Lord went into the wilderness to pray. For all of us, in this increasingly difficult and uncertain world, we must truly want to come unto the presence of God, for only in drawing near to Him will we not just have that inner peace and deep assurance but the confidence to move boldly forth, not on what we have but Who God is.
''I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you…'
John 14:18
God has never left me comfortless all these years. And God has never been that close to me these past couple of years. I guess, when one is undergoing challenges in life, one tend to want to seek Him more, and He is just there waiting for us.
'I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty; why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?'
Ruth 1:21
A client told me last week. If you have some money, you will definitely lose some this past one year. I lost an arm, and I am thankful. Many have lost not just all limbs but are walking dead, literally wiped out financially, in this financial tsunami cum earthquake cum hurricane. I am even more thankful not just because of my better relative position, but that the Lord our God allowed me to pick up a couple of bruises here and there, like Paul said, perplexed but not crushed, for pain is gainful for it keeps one close to God and fully aware of our own limitations.
'Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the Lord, which I speak unto thee, so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live'
Jeremiah 38:20
Instead of extrapolating our fears into the bleak future, or moaning over what we have lost, would it not be better to be thankful that we know God, and that we still have the provisions, albeit lesser. Would it not be better than to distribute these provisions amongst people God placed in our lives, for them to see God's love in action, for souls are at stake. To ignore our calling is to ignore God's calls and will eventually lead to an ignominable conclusion for the disobedient. Do use the provisions be it material, your talents, time or whatever that God bless you with, while you still have it.
Is it possible to lose the rest of what is really a pittance remaining of one's once bountiful assets? I believe we have not seen the worse. For even as we read, Eastern Europe beckons like a siren, just waiting to bring down their brethren in the West and maybe, soon the East.
The Lord often affirms and Jeremiah 38:20 appeared twice here because it was the last verse that I read this morning, which He placed in my heart to add on to conclude this most recent journey.
And it was a surprise but yet not unsurprisingly to see this same verse already appearing in the last line of this sharing in my computer, a verse I put two weeks back and totally forgotten about. But God is always prescient, so do take time to be still and hear His will.
'…Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the Lord, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live….'
Jeremiah 38:20-23
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(28th Feb 2009)
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Running the race #31 Show me God!!(20Feb2009)
Dear…
'As for me, I shall behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy form.'
Psalm 17:15
How many of us can truly state categorically that we come out of our nightly slumber all raring to start anew in this newly minted fresh day? And even fewer will likely end the day at peace, with nary a few needing valium induced sleep.
I must admit that I find it impossible to be at peace, without time with God, but would that not make God no different from the other paraphernalia of solace that many seek in this troubled world? Be it meditation, yoga, spa, valium and whatever seems to give us that temporary respite.
To each his or her own might be the dictum, and it should be, for one should not impose one's faith on others. But share, we can and let me try to expound a little more on why for me and for many other believers in our Sovereign Lord, God is truly the only source of comfort and grace.
'Yea, I have a goodly heritage. I will bless Jehovah, Who hath given me counsel; Yea, my heart instructeth me in the night seasons. I have set Jehovah always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth. My flesh also shall dwell in safety. For Thou wilt not leave my soul to Sheol..'
Psalms 16:7-9
A short article I read in the Daily Bread this morning gave me an insight which I was fleetingly aware, but never paid much attention to. King Solomon, the wisest man in the world, made his most correct decision in his sleep, when God spoke to his heart, and from his humble and contrite heart, Solomon asked not for riches or power, but for wisdom from God to be a good steward of the Kingdom that King David his father had bequeathed to him, as commanded by God.
The best decision in my life was also from the heart, but it was when I was wide awake at 1 a.m in Bangkok, when the Lord uplifted my heart, that one cannot but be repentant and be willing to acknowledge His Sovereignty and translate that into a desire to seek Him always.
'And I will give them an heart to know Me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be My people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto Me with their whole heart.'
Jeremiah 24:7
But coming back to slumberland, while I did have a sprinkling of dreams or visions in my past slumbers, where truly I believe the Lord spoke clearly to me, but my recent experiences was a little different. My recent heart to heart experience (early Sep 2008) was more of a strong prompting that moves from the heart to an immediate thought in the mind as He awakens me in the few minutes preceding the beginning of dawn.
And as shared with some on this mailing, the prompting was to pay down debt and to buy physical gold, and though I ignored God more than a few times, for it goes again my rational logic, one must pay attention to a persistent call.
'For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables…'
2 Timothy 4:3-4
"Show me the money" is a common retort for those who are sceptical of a commercial proposition. But sadly, this also permeates the lives of many both in and out of church, be it in times of great wealth creation or like now, in times of deep economic crisis.
A reallocation of God's material provisions to the faithful is occuring, as end times intensifies, and where God will not just provide for the faithful, but will give more than suffice to allow the faithful to do His work amongst the many whose shaken lives will make them more willing to embrace God's love at work through us all.
'In his days, Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely, and this is his name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.'
Jeremiah 23:6
But to express that I will have knowledge as to where is best to position one's God provided resources to obtain the best financial returns or that I have the inside feel as to how best to extract that material blessings that God is supposedly to freely give to all who us who ask, is at best a misrepresentation of the will of God, and in Chinese mythical belief, would likely qualify me to go through the 7 or whatever is the numerical levels of torture before one finally end up in the hot cauldron of Hell. Not too sure about the levels but I would dread having to account to the Lord our God for my misdemeanours.
If we have forgotten the name of our God,or stretched out our hands to a strange god; shall not God search this out? For He knoweth the secrets of the heart…'
Psalms 44:20-21
"Show me a miracle" might be the critera many indicate as a pre-requsiite before they will be willing to consider the Sovereignty of God. The Israelites of Moses time were treated to a series of miracles, culminating in the parting of the Red Sea, yet, before long, their interests soon digress, and they rather exchange worship for God for a golden bull instead.
Is it because men find themselves easily distracted by the wiles of the devil or worse, they rather play god and arbiter themselves. Men, by virtue of eating the fruit of knowledge, find it difficult to want to let go and let God, for submissiveness run against their intellect, or more their sinful desire to play god.
'Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.'
James 4:10
A humble and contrite heart is the canvass upon which the Spirit of God will shine upon. Humbling is painful, but gainful for to be otherwise is to be like the devil, a prideful, deceitful and unrepentant fallen angel.
The devil as personified by pointed ears and a swishing tail, not many might have seen in real life, but the devil is in you, and the devil is on full display through you, if we continue to live a life that personifies the evil of this present world.
What about God? How can we show you the awesome God, that even men who are closest to Him can never see except from a sheltered distance and a covered veil, no one will live if He sees God.
'Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid…'
John 14:27
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us, God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.'
Psalms 46:10-11
To introduce God, we have to first know Him. And much as the world uses its senses, God speaks to our heart and when He does, we will know His very presence. That inner peace and joy is a constant companion for those who are truly desirous of seeking God and obeying His will. I cannot show you God, but I know He is in me. But by my very living, I can be used by God to show all His very likeness.
But is that good enough for those who still insist that God must come down to their level?
'…am I now trying to win the approval of men or of God?'
Galatians 1:10
'Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised…..for all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.'
Jeremiah 9:25-26
Today, more than ever, many are going to church because they have been told that God will forgive and God will provide bountiful blessings, if we jus asked. God has indeed already forgiven us our sins, but it does not mean that we can revert back to our old sinful ways. Forgiveness is given, but accountability for our sins still has to be made or more correctly, our hearts still need be to be transformed, and without some pain, there will be no gain, for then will one truly move from mouthing repentance to a truly heartfelt repentance. Is the corporate leadership of the world truly repentant? Lets hope so for then can healing truly begin.
'…The God of heaven, He will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build….'
Nehemiah 2:20
As a believer, I know that God will honour His promise to redistribute the provisions to the faithful. But it is not to be taken as a reward on earth for our reward is in eternity in Heaven. But rather, the provisions will be there for us to be used to release others from the bondage of the devil and to allow them to see the love of God in action.
Is it correct then to continue to do nothing but continue to pray that the provisions will come to us before we can moved hearts?
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.'
1 John 2:15
The provisions are already there for many of us, for the Lord our God has sheltered and provided. But it is not the provisions, but the Provider whom we must look to. And rather than worrying about showing the unbelieving proof of God's existence or even God Himself, would it not be better to show the way to the presence of God by obeying wholeheartedly the path He has shown us, which is
'For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.'
1 Peter 2:15
'But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.'
Jeremiah 9:24
'I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith…'
2 Timothy 4:7
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(14 Feb 09)
An after note
------------------
In Bangkok, where I have just returned from, this verse I read in my quiet time there, reminded me of the one and only time when I "saw" God, and even then, it was in my sleep.
"And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the East, and His voice was like a noise of many waters and the earth shined with His glory……So the Spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court, and behold the glory of the Lord filled the house. And I heard Him speaking unto me out of the house…''
Ezekiel 432-6
But I have "seen" God many times since then, in His Words, in His way, in circumstances. And a song I sang in church last Sunday reminded me and all about "seeing" God
Part of the song goes as follows
"..And I will run to You. To Your Words of truth. Not by might, not by power, But by the Spirit of God. Yes, I will run the race, till I see Your face. O, let me live in the glory of Your grace"
(Words and Music by Darlene Zschech)
I might not see God till He takes me to eternity, but His Spirit truly resides in us who believed and the Spirit will lead us, as the verse says below
'You,however are controlled not by the sinful nature, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you…'
Romans 8:9
And let me end by not making a prediction, but by stating what I truly believe the Lord had put in my heart on the way back on the plane yesterday,
That be forewarned, the stirrings of trouble in Eastern Europe will get worse if men not repent and let go of their own selfishness, as is already happening with the way the Western European banks are pulling the carpet from under the Eastern European brothers. The contagion has truly moved from the still unrepentant and deceitful land of the free, America to the still selfish Old World. Would it then move on to the rest of us including Asia?
'…God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him for HE care for you.'
1 Peter 5:5-7
Who are we to make God our equal??
'What is man that You are mindful of him. But the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a litter lower than the angels. And You have crowned him with glory and honour'
Psalms 8:3-6
'As for me, I shall behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy form.'
Psalm 17:15
How many of us can truly state categorically that we come out of our nightly slumber all raring to start anew in this newly minted fresh day? And even fewer will likely end the day at peace, with nary a few needing valium induced sleep.
I must admit that I find it impossible to be at peace, without time with God, but would that not make God no different from the other paraphernalia of solace that many seek in this troubled world? Be it meditation, yoga, spa, valium and whatever seems to give us that temporary respite.
To each his or her own might be the dictum, and it should be, for one should not impose one's faith on others. But share, we can and let me try to expound a little more on why for me and for many other believers in our Sovereign Lord, God is truly the only source of comfort and grace.
'Yea, I have a goodly heritage. I will bless Jehovah, Who hath given me counsel; Yea, my heart instructeth me in the night seasons. I have set Jehovah always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth. My flesh also shall dwell in safety. For Thou wilt not leave my soul to Sheol..'
Psalms 16:7-9
A short article I read in the Daily Bread this morning gave me an insight which I was fleetingly aware, but never paid much attention to. King Solomon, the wisest man in the world, made his most correct decision in his sleep, when God spoke to his heart, and from his humble and contrite heart, Solomon asked not for riches or power, but for wisdom from God to be a good steward of the Kingdom that King David his father had bequeathed to him, as commanded by God.
The best decision in my life was also from the heart, but it was when I was wide awake at 1 a.m in Bangkok, when the Lord uplifted my heart, that one cannot but be repentant and be willing to acknowledge His Sovereignty and translate that into a desire to seek Him always.
'And I will give them an heart to know Me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be My people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto Me with their whole heart.'
Jeremiah 24:7
But coming back to slumberland, while I did have a sprinkling of dreams or visions in my past slumbers, where truly I believe the Lord spoke clearly to me, but my recent experiences was a little different. My recent heart to heart experience (early Sep 2008) was more of a strong prompting that moves from the heart to an immediate thought in the mind as He awakens me in the few minutes preceding the beginning of dawn.
And as shared with some on this mailing, the prompting was to pay down debt and to buy physical gold, and though I ignored God more than a few times, for it goes again my rational logic, one must pay attention to a persistent call.
'For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables…'
2 Timothy 4:3-4
"Show me the money" is a common retort for those who are sceptical of a commercial proposition. But sadly, this also permeates the lives of many both in and out of church, be it in times of great wealth creation or like now, in times of deep economic crisis.
A reallocation of God's material provisions to the faithful is occuring, as end times intensifies, and where God will not just provide for the faithful, but will give more than suffice to allow the faithful to do His work amongst the many whose shaken lives will make them more willing to embrace God's love at work through us all.
'In his days, Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely, and this is his name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.'
Jeremiah 23:6
But to express that I will have knowledge as to where is best to position one's God provided resources to obtain the best financial returns or that I have the inside feel as to how best to extract that material blessings that God is supposedly to freely give to all who us who ask, is at best a misrepresentation of the will of God, and in Chinese mythical belief, would likely qualify me to go through the 7 or whatever is the numerical levels of torture before one finally end up in the hot cauldron of Hell. Not too sure about the levels but I would dread having to account to the Lord our God for my misdemeanours.
If we have forgotten the name of our God,or stretched out our hands to a strange god; shall not God search this out? For He knoweth the secrets of the heart…'
Psalms 44:20-21
"Show me a miracle" might be the critera many indicate as a pre-requsiite before they will be willing to consider the Sovereignty of God. The Israelites of Moses time were treated to a series of miracles, culminating in the parting of the Red Sea, yet, before long, their interests soon digress, and they rather exchange worship for God for a golden bull instead.
Is it because men find themselves easily distracted by the wiles of the devil or worse, they rather play god and arbiter themselves. Men, by virtue of eating the fruit of knowledge, find it difficult to want to let go and let God, for submissiveness run against their intellect, or more their sinful desire to play god.
'Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.'
James 4:10
A humble and contrite heart is the canvass upon which the Spirit of God will shine upon. Humbling is painful, but gainful for to be otherwise is to be like the devil, a prideful, deceitful and unrepentant fallen angel.
The devil as personified by pointed ears and a swishing tail, not many might have seen in real life, but the devil is in you, and the devil is on full display through you, if we continue to live a life that personifies the evil of this present world.
What about God? How can we show you the awesome God, that even men who are closest to Him can never see except from a sheltered distance and a covered veil, no one will live if He sees God.
'Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid…'
John 14:27
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us, God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.'
Psalms 46:10-11
To introduce God, we have to first know Him. And much as the world uses its senses, God speaks to our heart and when He does, we will know His very presence. That inner peace and joy is a constant companion for those who are truly desirous of seeking God and obeying His will. I cannot show you God, but I know He is in me. But by my very living, I can be used by God to show all His very likeness.
But is that good enough for those who still insist that God must come down to their level?
'…am I now trying to win the approval of men or of God?'
Galatians 1:10
'Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised…..for all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.'
Jeremiah 9:25-26
Today, more than ever, many are going to church because they have been told that God will forgive and God will provide bountiful blessings, if we jus asked. God has indeed already forgiven us our sins, but it does not mean that we can revert back to our old sinful ways. Forgiveness is given, but accountability for our sins still has to be made or more correctly, our hearts still need be to be transformed, and without some pain, there will be no gain, for then will one truly move from mouthing repentance to a truly heartfelt repentance. Is the corporate leadership of the world truly repentant? Lets hope so for then can healing truly begin.
'…The God of heaven, He will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build….'
Nehemiah 2:20
As a believer, I know that God will honour His promise to redistribute the provisions to the faithful. But it is not to be taken as a reward on earth for our reward is in eternity in Heaven. But rather, the provisions will be there for us to be used to release others from the bondage of the devil and to allow them to see the love of God in action.
Is it correct then to continue to do nothing but continue to pray that the provisions will come to us before we can moved hearts?
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.'
1 John 2:15
The provisions are already there for many of us, for the Lord our God has sheltered and provided. But it is not the provisions, but the Provider whom we must look to. And rather than worrying about showing the unbelieving proof of God's existence or even God Himself, would it not be better to show the way to the presence of God by obeying wholeheartedly the path He has shown us, which is
'For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.'
1 Peter 2:15
'But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.'
Jeremiah 9:24
'I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith…'
2 Timothy 4:7
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(14 Feb 09)
An after note
------------------
In Bangkok, where I have just returned from, this verse I read in my quiet time there, reminded me of the one and only time when I "saw" God, and even then, it was in my sleep.
"And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the East, and His voice was like a noise of many waters and the earth shined with His glory……So the Spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court, and behold the glory of the Lord filled the house. And I heard Him speaking unto me out of the house…''
Ezekiel 432-6
But I have "seen" God many times since then, in His Words, in His way, in circumstances. And a song I sang in church last Sunday reminded me and all about "seeing" God
Part of the song goes as follows
"..And I will run to You. To Your Words of truth. Not by might, not by power, But by the Spirit of God. Yes, I will run the race, till I see Your face. O, let me live in the glory of Your grace"
(Words and Music by Darlene Zschech)
I might not see God till He takes me to eternity, but His Spirit truly resides in us who believed and the Spirit will lead us, as the verse says below
'You,however are controlled not by the sinful nature, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you…'
Romans 8:9
And let me end by not making a prediction, but by stating what I truly believe the Lord had put in my heart on the way back on the plane yesterday,
That be forewarned, the stirrings of trouble in Eastern Europe will get worse if men not repent and let go of their own selfishness, as is already happening with the way the Western European banks are pulling the carpet from under the Eastern European brothers. The contagion has truly moved from the still unrepentant and deceitful land of the free, America to the still selfish Old World. Would it then move on to the rest of us including Asia?
'…God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him for HE care for you.'
1 Peter 5:5-7
Who are we to make God our equal??
'What is man that You are mindful of him. But the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a litter lower than the angels. And You have crowned him with glory and honour'
Psalms 8:3-6
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Running the race #30 Daily rated labourer(10feb09)
Dear…
'Holding forth the Word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.'
Philippians 2:16
As I was driving this morning, in between atoning to the wife via sms for my less than ideal plant watering skills, resulting in my messing up her hard work the day before in cleaning the patio, my father came to my mind, or rather, the occupation of my dear father. One regular annual exercise in lower primary school, at least the one I came from, was to fill up a one piece bio-data which included father's occupation. My birth certificate indicated labourer as the vocation of my father, and much as I might think, know or believe or hope otherwise, that was the designation my dad was most comfortable with.
'For they all would have made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. But now, O God, strengthen Thou my hands.'
Nehemiah 6:9
Today, like my dad, I am also a daily rated worker. In the corporate world, if you have no certainty of a fixed salary, not much corporate benefits, guess that will qualify me as daily rated worker. Guess the difference between my dad and myself was that he is smart,both IQ and EQ wise, but never completed his education as the difficult years of postwar Singapore entailed the need for most sons to help bring the bread home early in their lives. I like to believe I am a shade better than gullible, for I did obtain a degree, but beyond that, I am still a daily rated worker, with no certainty as to where the next dollar will come from, but it matters not, the grace of God is indeed suffice for the day.
'For this My son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.'
Luke 15:24
Justifiable material rewards for one's efforts used to be the basis for me taking on life's burdens. But thankfully, God has moved me from self to learn to strive to be more selfless, much as the imperfect me often struggles to be like Him. Ever since coming to the faith, the Lord has not just lifted the veil in my heart, but He has shown me that while the desire to believe and follow must be a free willed response from us, our Lord will not just be there with us, but He will carry us forth, if we let Him. It is not about co-laboring with the Lord, but rather, letting Him work through us, on His strength and sovereignty and never on ours.
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure'
Philippians 2:13
The harvest is great,but the workers are few. The usual corporate line is that it is lonely at the top, but mind, how rewarding it has been financially though, what with the till recently astronomical payouts and perks.
But as a servant leader, upon which all who seek to follow our Lord Jesus Christ are, it can also seem to be not just lonely but unrewarding financially, out there in the field, for what am I doing trying to save unwilling souls, when the time could be better used to mine the material rewards of the world?
'..The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field. Which indeed is the least of all seeds, but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds fo the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.'
Matthew 13:31-32
With God it has never been lonely, for His presence is more than suffice. And God knows our limitations and He has more than provided, including plenty of like-minded fellow journeymen where friendship transcends the usual human benchmarks and are instead grounded upon the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And what about the rewards? One can never put a price to the joy of witnessing people the Lord has placed in our lives, walking into His arms nor can one ever value the joy and peace that only God can give us. And not forgetting the wonderful prescience of God in our lives in both the "big" and "little" matters of our lives.
What will not one give in exchange to be that little mustard seed that God will use mightily.
'And it came to pass, when all our enemies heard thereof, that all the nations that were about us feared, and were much cast down in their own eyes, for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God..'
Nehemiah 6:16
For many, life's achievements is about material success, power, prestige, a showcase perfect family and if possible, if not a masoleum, then at least an iron cast bronze bust for posterity. Reality is there is no posterity for men's achievements, ask the Pharoah(or rather the tomb robbers), or Saddam Hussein or anyone empire builders in between.
We are the temple upon which the Spirit of God resides and God is the builder and refiner of all of us, and we are blessed to have His Spirit upon and in us. So what is our role?
To be that willing 'slave' not to sin, but to our Sovereign God, Who will use us mightily to not just build up ourselves in His presence, but to be used by Him on a daily basis(till He brings us home) to be a co-labourer with the many people He will place in our lives.
'We have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.'
2 Peter 1:19-21
I am willing, Lord to do as you lead, on a daily basis. But without certainty, the imperfect man in me find it difficult to let go totally. Letting go and letting God on our own strength is impossible but thankfully, the Lord has given us the means through Him. Do reflect upon the Lord's guidance in Philippians 4:4-12 below.
'Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do; and the God of peace shall be with you..'
Philippians 4:4-12
In the secular world, the daily rated workers often milled around a specific location waiting for the foremen to offer the few available jobs for the day. This is a scene that will now be increasingly repeated in many parts of the world, as the economic recession bites. And what about the salaried worker. The job might be there, but only on a day by day basis, as furrows of worry reflects the uncertainty of an uncertain economic climate.
'What a wretched man I am. Who will rescue me from the body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.'
Romans 7:24
On the spiritual level, as desirous followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, we start the day knowing His grace is suffice for the day, and as in Philippians 4:4-12, we start with thankfulness for all circumstances, and solidify our dependance on the Rock our God, by always going to Him with our needs. And with that certainty that only God can imbue in us, we move on in our daily lives to strive to honour Him in all that we do, to be a living testimony of His grace. This is our daily living.
"Take control of My words today. May they tell of Your great love; And may the story of Your grace. Turn some hearts to You above.'
(Daily Bread 4 Feb 2009)
From experience, a good farmer would best lay his seeds to create the best possible conditions for growth, and nurture it to the best of his finite abilities, but he has no control over the vagaries of the weather nor market economics for his produce. God gave us all the wisdom to use the gifts and resources He blessed us with to align our work and our lives in His will. But unlike the weather, God is faithful and He will honour His promises to bless those who draws near to Him. Question is, will we honour Him by aligning our will, every moment of our lives to His will, instead of to the world?
Daily living in God's presence is a joy, daily living away from His presence is worse than drudgery.
What about tomorrow? Tomorrow will not take care of itself but God will take care of us, if not in this difficult world if He keeps us here for another day, then in bringing us back earlier to His Kingdom and there will be no longer any difficult day to ponder upon.
'But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the Word, and understandeth it, which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.'
Matthew 13:23
'Whereas ye know not what shall be tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that…..Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.'
James 5:14-17
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(4Feb09)
"Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law……There is one lawgiver, Who is able to save and to destroy, who art thou that judgest another?'
James 4:11-12
Note
This journey has been penned a few days back. But I somewhat struggled with sending it out for something wasn't right. The Lord placed in my heart this morning that there was nothing wrong with the script but with my heart. Guess in such times, one can unwittingly move from edifying to judging. And on that count, I was guilty. But God also forgives and affirms, and as I read His Word this morning, no coincidence that James 4:11-12 was staring me in the face, what the Lord has just put in my heart a few minutes earlier.
God is ever so visible in the lives of us who seek Him. "Show me God" is the next journey I have been led to ponder upon. I have no idea how it will pan out but I do believe God will speak to many shakened lives, who are still questioning His very existence and Sovereignty, only in the way He can, much as all of us who know Him find it so difficult to express and convince others of our own daily experience with the ever present God. Thankfully, we only water, but it is God Who provides the increase.
'Holding forth the Word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.'
Philippians 2:16
As I was driving this morning, in between atoning to the wife via sms for my less than ideal plant watering skills, resulting in my messing up her hard work the day before in cleaning the patio, my father came to my mind, or rather, the occupation of my dear father. One regular annual exercise in lower primary school, at least the one I came from, was to fill up a one piece bio-data which included father's occupation. My birth certificate indicated labourer as the vocation of my father, and much as I might think, know or believe or hope otherwise, that was the designation my dad was most comfortable with.
'For they all would have made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. But now, O God, strengthen Thou my hands.'
Nehemiah 6:9
Today, like my dad, I am also a daily rated worker. In the corporate world, if you have no certainty of a fixed salary, not much corporate benefits, guess that will qualify me as daily rated worker. Guess the difference between my dad and myself was that he is smart,both IQ and EQ wise, but never completed his education as the difficult years of postwar Singapore entailed the need for most sons to help bring the bread home early in their lives. I like to believe I am a shade better than gullible, for I did obtain a degree, but beyond that, I am still a daily rated worker, with no certainty as to where the next dollar will come from, but it matters not, the grace of God is indeed suffice for the day.
'For this My son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.'
Luke 15:24
Justifiable material rewards for one's efforts used to be the basis for me taking on life's burdens. But thankfully, God has moved me from self to learn to strive to be more selfless, much as the imperfect me often struggles to be like Him. Ever since coming to the faith, the Lord has not just lifted the veil in my heart, but He has shown me that while the desire to believe and follow must be a free willed response from us, our Lord will not just be there with us, but He will carry us forth, if we let Him. It is not about co-laboring with the Lord, but rather, letting Him work through us, on His strength and sovereignty and never on ours.
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure'
Philippians 2:13
The harvest is great,but the workers are few. The usual corporate line is that it is lonely at the top, but mind, how rewarding it has been financially though, what with the till recently astronomical payouts and perks.
But as a servant leader, upon which all who seek to follow our Lord Jesus Christ are, it can also seem to be not just lonely but unrewarding financially, out there in the field, for what am I doing trying to save unwilling souls, when the time could be better used to mine the material rewards of the world?
'..The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field. Which indeed is the least of all seeds, but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds fo the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.'
Matthew 13:31-32
With God it has never been lonely, for His presence is more than suffice. And God knows our limitations and He has more than provided, including plenty of like-minded fellow journeymen where friendship transcends the usual human benchmarks and are instead grounded upon the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And what about the rewards? One can never put a price to the joy of witnessing people the Lord has placed in our lives, walking into His arms nor can one ever value the joy and peace that only God can give us. And not forgetting the wonderful prescience of God in our lives in both the "big" and "little" matters of our lives.
What will not one give in exchange to be that little mustard seed that God will use mightily.
'And it came to pass, when all our enemies heard thereof, that all the nations that were about us feared, and were much cast down in their own eyes, for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God..'
Nehemiah 6:16
For many, life's achievements is about material success, power, prestige, a showcase perfect family and if possible, if not a masoleum, then at least an iron cast bronze bust for posterity. Reality is there is no posterity for men's achievements, ask the Pharoah(or rather the tomb robbers), or Saddam Hussein or anyone empire builders in between.
We are the temple upon which the Spirit of God resides and God is the builder and refiner of all of us, and we are blessed to have His Spirit upon and in us. So what is our role?
To be that willing 'slave' not to sin, but to our Sovereign God, Who will use us mightily to not just build up ourselves in His presence, but to be used by Him on a daily basis(till He brings us home) to be a co-labourer with the many people He will place in our lives.
'We have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.'
2 Peter 1:19-21
I am willing, Lord to do as you lead, on a daily basis. But without certainty, the imperfect man in me find it difficult to let go totally. Letting go and letting God on our own strength is impossible but thankfully, the Lord has given us the means through Him. Do reflect upon the Lord's guidance in Philippians 4:4-12 below.
'Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do; and the God of peace shall be with you..'
Philippians 4:4-12
In the secular world, the daily rated workers often milled around a specific location waiting for the foremen to offer the few available jobs for the day. This is a scene that will now be increasingly repeated in many parts of the world, as the economic recession bites. And what about the salaried worker. The job might be there, but only on a day by day basis, as furrows of worry reflects the uncertainty of an uncertain economic climate.
'What a wretched man I am. Who will rescue me from the body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.'
Romans 7:24
On the spiritual level, as desirous followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, we start the day knowing His grace is suffice for the day, and as in Philippians 4:4-12, we start with thankfulness for all circumstances, and solidify our dependance on the Rock our God, by always going to Him with our needs. And with that certainty that only God can imbue in us, we move on in our daily lives to strive to honour Him in all that we do, to be a living testimony of His grace. This is our daily living.
"Take control of My words today. May they tell of Your great love; And may the story of Your grace. Turn some hearts to You above.'
(Daily Bread 4 Feb 2009)
From experience, a good farmer would best lay his seeds to create the best possible conditions for growth, and nurture it to the best of his finite abilities, but he has no control over the vagaries of the weather nor market economics for his produce. God gave us all the wisdom to use the gifts and resources He blessed us with to align our work and our lives in His will. But unlike the weather, God is faithful and He will honour His promises to bless those who draws near to Him. Question is, will we honour Him by aligning our will, every moment of our lives to His will, instead of to the world?
Daily living in God's presence is a joy, daily living away from His presence is worse than drudgery.
What about tomorrow? Tomorrow will not take care of itself but God will take care of us, if not in this difficult world if He keeps us here for another day, then in bringing us back earlier to His Kingdom and there will be no longer any difficult day to ponder upon.
'But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the Word, and understandeth it, which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.'
Matthew 13:23
'Whereas ye know not what shall be tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that…..Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.'
James 5:14-17
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(4Feb09)
"Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law……There is one lawgiver, Who is able to save and to destroy, who art thou that judgest another?'
James 4:11-12
Note
This journey has been penned a few days back. But I somewhat struggled with sending it out for something wasn't right. The Lord placed in my heart this morning that there was nothing wrong with the script but with my heart. Guess in such times, one can unwittingly move from edifying to judging. And on that count, I was guilty. But God also forgives and affirms, and as I read His Word this morning, no coincidence that James 4:11-12 was staring me in the face, what the Lord has just put in my heart a few minutes earlier.
God is ever so visible in the lives of us who seek Him. "Show me God" is the next journey I have been led to ponder upon. I have no idea how it will pan out but I do believe God will speak to many shakened lives, who are still questioning His very existence and Sovereignty, only in the way He can, much as all of us who know Him find it so difficult to express and convince others of our own daily experience with the ever present God. Thankfully, we only water, but it is God Who provides the increase.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Running the race #29 Like Abraham(30th jan 09)
Dear….
'Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds' feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places….'
Habakkuk 3:17-19
Grace is God's love at work through us. God is love and as we come unto His presence, much as we will be edified, the more compelled must we be willing to be the conduit upon which His love comes upon others, . Love is patience, love is kindness, love is compassion, love is encouragement and forebearance. Love is living out the fruits of the Spirit. But love is not dependent upon our own finite understanding or strength, but love is God at work through us.
'Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches. But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness, judgment, and rightouesness, in the earth, for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.'
Jeremiah 9:23-24
Most of us do not know God very well. If we do, angst and fears and all other human imperfections will have less a grip on us, because we will not just know Who to lean upon but will without any hesitation or dithering, always go to the source of all comfort and grace, our God. And in today's economic context, nothing is more telling than to have harried Christians(in good times) move to worried Christians but with the Lord no where in sight for our mind and hearts are still far from Him.
'Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the precept of men.'
Isaiah 29:13-14
But God knows our limitations and it is a question of progressive growth in faith, step by step, as He gently loosen our grip on things of the world, to enable us to learn to grasp His hand. Bigger steps do come along when He knows we are ready or just maybe, we might just need that slightly larger tremor to not just draw our attention to our follies, but to bring us back into focus.
'O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in Thine anger, lest Thou bring me to nothing.'
Jeremiah 10:23-24
Abraham took a wrong step by choice, in not believing that the Lord will still bring forth a son for him in his twilight years. The Lord forgave him his imperfections, but it seems that the ramifications of that disobedience is still being lived out today, on the world stage. The Jews and the Arabs today are at least agreed on one issue, both claim Abraham as their forefather. The day might come, implausible as it may seem, that Israel and the Arab world might truly make a more lasting peace treaty in the face of common interest or more like a common threat, if the Persia of old ever resurfaces. Postulations this is, but with man, nothing lasting is possible, with God all things are possible. Not sure if anyone can claim to have foretold the collapse of the Berlin wall, and with it, the bondage of communism on millions of lives, where faith was repressed, but strong amongst many underground Christians, but with the liberation of man's bondage, faith instead of flowering forth, actually wilted as many got distracted by the materialism of the free world.
God will deliver on His promise always, question is will we the imperfect man remain steadfastly faithful?
'By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed: and he went out, not knowing whither he went.'
'By faith he soujourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country….'
Hebrews 11:8-9
Many of us in our prayeres and time with God, has asked for salvation of our loved ones or even people God has placed in our lives. We have often also prayed for our own desire to be the child that God wants us to be, to be Christlike in our lives, as a living testimony of God's love.
God will answer all prayers asked in His Will. That is our reassurance. He has answered our prayers today, as the ground gets soften, as aptly expressed in the popular media, which reported church attendance rising, hits on on-line sites for prayers increasing, and latest survey showing that priorities have changed, the 5Cs of life matter less now, than the more mundane matters of family, health and peace of mind.
But the timing and form of answered prayers only God knows. God does not fit His will to our will.
As a believer and follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, we must remind ourselves that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. Come what may, we must be like the Greek sailors of old mythology(in Odysseus) who tied themselves to the ship's mast or waxed their ears, as they sailed passed the rocky and treacherous islands of the alluring Sirens, cling on with our all and all to the Lord our God, for then can we in submitting totally to God, be able to resist the wiles of the devil.
Yet God knows our limitations, and our faith is not a blind faith, for God will show us His ways, so wonderful that we know that He is real and Sovereign, for the conclusions to our particular issues of life will always shine forth so wonderfully, that our best efforts on our own strenght, would have paled in comparison.
'Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He hath charged me to build Him an house at Jerusalem…'
Ezra 1:2
In his first few days in office, President Obama has provened to be quite decisive. And his actions seems to be fleshing out the complaints of the man in the street, who are rightly disgusted with the sense of injustice and continued unrepentance of the protagonists of the world's present financial woes.
Prayerfully, the Lord will continue to lead him and provide him with the boldness, strength to do as God wills and that the Lord will smoothen the paths and remove hindrances which will inevitably come.
Just as our prayers are for President Obama to lead an America that has lost its moral footing, back to what makes it great, a country blessed by the Lord and whose founding fathers entrusted their destiny to the Sovereign God, and a country that had once seek to live our their faith from their hearts and not from their lips, what about the rest of us??
'But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.'
Hebrews 11:6
One reason the world is in its present mess today is because the original sensible approach to being a good steward of our God given resources have degenerated into greed and fear. The rush for the largess of astronomical financial rewards have overwhelmed the need to balance that with risk, ethics and social responsibility. A corporate chieftain who is paid millions start to believe in his or her own indispensability and has no qualms to continue to enrich himself or herself, even as the boat that he or she commands is lurching over. Just imagine how many more jobs could be saved furthur down the foodchain, if the leadership does the honorable thing and take a pay cut. Servant leadership as exemplified by our Lord Jesus Christ has no place in the ivory towers of leadership in our present world, but thankfully, God is Sovereign and the unrepentant will have to face His wrath.
'For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men'
Titus 2:11
Judgement has to be left to the Lord our God. What about us who have been blessed to have the blindness lifted in our hearts?
The Lord our God reminded me these past few weeks that submission to Him is total and not to be balanced with our needs in this present world. But He knows our needs, and He will more than provide and we must be prepared to obey His leading much as it might go against our finite understanding.
Certainty of job is no longer given for most. And worst, going forward, the world is clearly a lot more uncertain than ever before, not just economically wise, but politically, socially, healthwise and not forgetting the more regular seisimic activitiy on our terra firma.
'My soul cleaveth unto the dust; quicken thou me according to Thy word…..I have stuck unto Thy testimonies; O Lord, put me not to shame. I will run the way of Thy commandments, when Thou shalt enlarge my heart.'
Psalms 119:25-32
The Lord reminded me and all who are certain of our faith, that we must now seek to live out our faith, that the world will see the grace and glory of God in our lives. That in the enhanced state of awareness of the ever present darkness in their lives, that the humbled heart will finally be contrite enough to want to seek the only real source of all comfort and grace, our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the secular world that we are in, our lives must no longer be driven by the values of the material world. Does it mean that all will now go into service in the Church. Some yes, but for many of us, the church is wherever God places us.
If you still have a job in the corporate world or a business to run, you must work hard with the gifts that God gave you, leaning not on your own strength but upon Him. The driving factor must no longer be about personal enrichment, but to enrich the lives of others that God places in our lives, by living out a life that is rich in the fruits of the Spirit, by leading by example God's command to us to be contented(thankful for all situations) and good stewards(dependency upon God) of the provisions He has place in our lives.
'Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes, and to keep His commandments, as at this day.'
1 Kings 8:61
Like Abraham, we must now learn to move out from our till recently comfortable tentage and come unto the promised land that God has given us. And what is that land? It is a land where comfort is no longer defined by what man thinks based on their sinful understanding, but rather a land where God resides in our very hearts and where our fellow travellers see Christ in us, be it in the green grass of home or the present harsh deserts of the moment.
'Teach me to do Thy will; for Thou art My God, The Spirit is good, lead me into the land of uprightness'
Psalms 143:10
Difficult times are often God's allowance to help us ease into His will. Times are indeed tough and will get tougher. But unlike the popular one liner about how the tough gets going on their own strength, for us who trust in the Lord our God, it is time to translate that trust into action by truly letting go and letting Him.
Lets not wait to be literally let go in our present employ to truly understand our true vocation in life
'If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?'
Jeremiah 12:5
'And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land….'
Jeremiah 12:15-16
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(Jan 30th 2009)
'Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds' feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places….'
Habakkuk 3:17-19
Grace is God's love at work through us. God is love and as we come unto His presence, much as we will be edified, the more compelled must we be willing to be the conduit upon which His love comes upon others, . Love is patience, love is kindness, love is compassion, love is encouragement and forebearance. Love is living out the fruits of the Spirit. But love is not dependent upon our own finite understanding or strength, but love is God at work through us.
'Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches. But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness, judgment, and rightouesness, in the earth, for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.'
Jeremiah 9:23-24
Most of us do not know God very well. If we do, angst and fears and all other human imperfections will have less a grip on us, because we will not just know Who to lean upon but will without any hesitation or dithering, always go to the source of all comfort and grace, our God. And in today's economic context, nothing is more telling than to have harried Christians(in good times) move to worried Christians but with the Lord no where in sight for our mind and hearts are still far from Him.
'Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the precept of men.'
Isaiah 29:13-14
But God knows our limitations and it is a question of progressive growth in faith, step by step, as He gently loosen our grip on things of the world, to enable us to learn to grasp His hand. Bigger steps do come along when He knows we are ready or just maybe, we might just need that slightly larger tremor to not just draw our attention to our follies, but to bring us back into focus.
'O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in Thine anger, lest Thou bring me to nothing.'
Jeremiah 10:23-24
Abraham took a wrong step by choice, in not believing that the Lord will still bring forth a son for him in his twilight years. The Lord forgave him his imperfections, but it seems that the ramifications of that disobedience is still being lived out today, on the world stage. The Jews and the Arabs today are at least agreed on one issue, both claim Abraham as their forefather. The day might come, implausible as it may seem, that Israel and the Arab world might truly make a more lasting peace treaty in the face of common interest or more like a common threat, if the Persia of old ever resurfaces. Postulations this is, but with man, nothing lasting is possible, with God all things are possible. Not sure if anyone can claim to have foretold the collapse of the Berlin wall, and with it, the bondage of communism on millions of lives, where faith was repressed, but strong amongst many underground Christians, but with the liberation of man's bondage, faith instead of flowering forth, actually wilted as many got distracted by the materialism of the free world.
God will deliver on His promise always, question is will we the imperfect man remain steadfastly faithful?
'By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed: and he went out, not knowing whither he went.'
'By faith he soujourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country….'
Hebrews 11:8-9
Many of us in our prayeres and time with God, has asked for salvation of our loved ones or even people God has placed in our lives. We have often also prayed for our own desire to be the child that God wants us to be, to be Christlike in our lives, as a living testimony of God's love.
God will answer all prayers asked in His Will. That is our reassurance. He has answered our prayers today, as the ground gets soften, as aptly expressed in the popular media, which reported church attendance rising, hits on on-line sites for prayers increasing, and latest survey showing that priorities have changed, the 5Cs of life matter less now, than the more mundane matters of family, health and peace of mind.
But the timing and form of answered prayers only God knows. God does not fit His will to our will.
As a believer and follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, we must remind ourselves that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. Come what may, we must be like the Greek sailors of old mythology(in Odysseus) who tied themselves to the ship's mast or waxed their ears, as they sailed passed the rocky and treacherous islands of the alluring Sirens, cling on with our all and all to the Lord our God, for then can we in submitting totally to God, be able to resist the wiles of the devil.
Yet God knows our limitations, and our faith is not a blind faith, for God will show us His ways, so wonderful that we know that He is real and Sovereign, for the conclusions to our particular issues of life will always shine forth so wonderfully, that our best efforts on our own strenght, would have paled in comparison.
'Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He hath charged me to build Him an house at Jerusalem…'
Ezra 1:2
In his first few days in office, President Obama has provened to be quite decisive. And his actions seems to be fleshing out the complaints of the man in the street, who are rightly disgusted with the sense of injustice and continued unrepentance of the protagonists of the world's present financial woes.
Prayerfully, the Lord will continue to lead him and provide him with the boldness, strength to do as God wills and that the Lord will smoothen the paths and remove hindrances which will inevitably come.
Just as our prayers are for President Obama to lead an America that has lost its moral footing, back to what makes it great, a country blessed by the Lord and whose founding fathers entrusted their destiny to the Sovereign God, and a country that had once seek to live our their faith from their hearts and not from their lips, what about the rest of us??
'But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.'
Hebrews 11:6
One reason the world is in its present mess today is because the original sensible approach to being a good steward of our God given resources have degenerated into greed and fear. The rush for the largess of astronomical financial rewards have overwhelmed the need to balance that with risk, ethics and social responsibility. A corporate chieftain who is paid millions start to believe in his or her own indispensability and has no qualms to continue to enrich himself or herself, even as the boat that he or she commands is lurching over. Just imagine how many more jobs could be saved furthur down the foodchain, if the leadership does the honorable thing and take a pay cut. Servant leadership as exemplified by our Lord Jesus Christ has no place in the ivory towers of leadership in our present world, but thankfully, God is Sovereign and the unrepentant will have to face His wrath.
'For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men'
Titus 2:11
Judgement has to be left to the Lord our God. What about us who have been blessed to have the blindness lifted in our hearts?
The Lord our God reminded me these past few weeks that submission to Him is total and not to be balanced with our needs in this present world. But He knows our needs, and He will more than provide and we must be prepared to obey His leading much as it might go against our finite understanding.
Certainty of job is no longer given for most. And worst, going forward, the world is clearly a lot more uncertain than ever before, not just economically wise, but politically, socially, healthwise and not forgetting the more regular seisimic activitiy on our terra firma.
'My soul cleaveth unto the dust; quicken thou me according to Thy word…..I have stuck unto Thy testimonies; O Lord, put me not to shame. I will run the way of Thy commandments, when Thou shalt enlarge my heart.'
Psalms 119:25-32
The Lord reminded me and all who are certain of our faith, that we must now seek to live out our faith, that the world will see the grace and glory of God in our lives. That in the enhanced state of awareness of the ever present darkness in their lives, that the humbled heart will finally be contrite enough to want to seek the only real source of all comfort and grace, our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the secular world that we are in, our lives must no longer be driven by the values of the material world. Does it mean that all will now go into service in the Church. Some yes, but for many of us, the church is wherever God places us.
If you still have a job in the corporate world or a business to run, you must work hard with the gifts that God gave you, leaning not on your own strength but upon Him. The driving factor must no longer be about personal enrichment, but to enrich the lives of others that God places in our lives, by living out a life that is rich in the fruits of the Spirit, by leading by example God's command to us to be contented(thankful for all situations) and good stewards(dependency upon God) of the provisions He has place in our lives.
'Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes, and to keep His commandments, as at this day.'
1 Kings 8:61
Like Abraham, we must now learn to move out from our till recently comfortable tentage and come unto the promised land that God has given us. And what is that land? It is a land where comfort is no longer defined by what man thinks based on their sinful understanding, but rather a land where God resides in our very hearts and where our fellow travellers see Christ in us, be it in the green grass of home or the present harsh deserts of the moment.
'Teach me to do Thy will; for Thou art My God, The Spirit is good, lead me into the land of uprightness'
Psalms 143:10
Difficult times are often God's allowance to help us ease into His will. Times are indeed tough and will get tougher. But unlike the popular one liner about how the tough gets going on their own strength, for us who trust in the Lord our God, it is time to translate that trust into action by truly letting go and letting Him.
Lets not wait to be literally let go in our present employ to truly understand our true vocation in life
'If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?'
Jeremiah 12:5
'And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land….'
Jeremiah 12:15-16
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(Jan 30th 2009)
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