ear…
''.Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world, they increase in riches. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. For all day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning..if I had said, "I will speak thus, " behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me..'
Psalms 73:12-16
There are times in our lives when one seem to be buffetted from all sides. No one thank us for our kind intentions, and the unkindest cut is that the clearly recalcitrant gets the rewards. Asaph was a man of great faith, who led worship for King David. Like him, there are times we start to question our faith in God, but like Asaph, even in the doldrums of his emotions, there is still a fine line we will not cross, ie to look away from God and profess our disappointment. And like Asaph, when he stopped worrying about the harshness of the desert that he was in and instead willingly came unto the presence of God, we will like him, not just understand the will of God, but will be refreshed and reassured.
'Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.'
Daniel 6:5
Bigot is a term reserved for someone who is not just uncompromising, but intolerant of anyone who is different be it in identity, lifestyle or opinion. A Christian who truly seek to be like Christ cannot be a bigot, for Christ is willing to love all and not just his disciples. Christ espouses God's wisdom, to clarify any doubts expressed. Christ welcomes all to the Lord's table. However he will not tolerate any attempt to desecrate the sanctity of His father's house.
'Until I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood I their end. Surely Thou didst set them in slippery places, Thou castedst them down into destruction.'
Psalms 73:17-18
Enlightenment comes from the Lord our God. Once we understand that, oiled by a heart of love that God imbue in us, one would no longer be too disillusioned by one's seemingly futile and unappreciated efforts to bring understanding to whoever God places in our lives. In pushing against a seemingly immovable rock or more like hardened heart,, God is strengthening our own faith much as He is using us to chip away at our counterparty.
There is no reason for us then to allow our carnal self to direct our relationship with whoever God places in our lives, but rather we should let the Spirit of God lead us, and God is love.
'…Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, He will deliver thee…'
Daniel 6:16
The Lord has delivered me from all financial crisis since the day I started to work. He gave me the intelligence, the discipline and the prescient timing, but on hindsight, none of this matter for it was the Lord Who truly delivered me from walking off the edge, that would have make it very tough and painful to bounce back. God knows our limits, even as He refines us.
Should not one stay firmly grounded upon the Lord our Rock?
'…a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.'
Psalms 78:8
Does your present life mirror the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 78:8? Only the Lord knows your heart and would you rather live a life of heartfelt joy and peace or heartache spiced with regret?
'For thus saith the Lord God, how much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the evil beasts, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast! Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be carried forth….and ye shall see their way and their doings, and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem….'
Ezekiel 14:21-23
This verse came to my mind these past few days. Prayerfully, it is not a verse that I dust off the shelf just to suit the times. And such times like this where a potential pandemic is brewing, as the viruses are stirring and mixing to concoct some new mutations faster than our bodily defense system can keep pace with. A deja vue it is for those of us who have gone through SARs.
Will swine flu be the equivalent of the subprime crisis, what on hindsight, SARs was to the Asian crisis preceding it?
It has been 8 years, but after the internet madness of the late 90s, the stockmarkets sobered up in early 2000 and like a half weaked body, only to be dealt a near fatal blow by SARs. And personally for some of us, between the 2 events were a series of fatal heart attacks and cancer for some of our dear friends, and the last death if some might recall, occurred just before SARs got fullblown.
Literal and probably liberal interpretation it might be, but I did remember than that it was the first time for me that I came across the verse in Ezekiel 14:21-23 and it did struck me then that the sword(was as swift and lethal as the heart attacks were), the famine(the very tough business conditions after the froth of the internet), the evil beasts(no different from the cancerous cells run wild in the once healthy bodies of many) and with the grand finale of a very challenging yet blessed period when the pestilence plagued us all in Asia(SARs)
Painful yet gainful period, for indeed while it was an emotionally draining period for some of us to lose friends who are still dear in our hearts, yet we were blessed to witness God's grace in the lives of the many departed and in the living.
But must we come to such defining experiences before one will move away from the mantle of one's own understanding to acknowledging our limitations and the Sovereign God?
'I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me…..'
Daniel 7:15
Unlike Daniel, I have had no vision, and definitely not of birds morphing into flying porkers, but what concerns me like many is how far will the swine virus mutate to the point of a pandemic? Do take time now to reflect upon the thoughts the Lord our God placed in my heart in my previous sharing on 6thJan 09(Running the race #27 "The next wave" see excerpt below in smaller print ). But it is not because I can predict, but rather, it was the obvious scenario that the scientific community and the governments have been preparing for these past few years. There were more than suffice early indications.
But is this not the same with the will of God? God has been very prescient and crystal clear in His leading to us, but we choose to remain oblivious to it, and rather wallow like the pigs in the sludge of our own understanding and sinful pride, till oblivion stare us in the face.
The next wave of pain, might seem to be the obvious to me, for the real economy must now reflect the same consequences of the fallout from the financial economy. But it is not what one's think that matter, but rather, the need for us to come back unto a loving and waiting God, that many of us have long ignored.
Much as our bodily needs are important, it is the soul that is paramount and the shaking will intensify, if we continue to show that inattention to the very danger to our souls.
Would the next wave be not in the economic arena, but in a different form where our very lives are at risk, that it will make our continued angst with loss material wealth, seem so immaterial?
'Who is there among you of all His people? His God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel(He is the God,) which is in Jerusalem…'
Ezra 1:3-4
Ezekiel 14:21-23 was the verse that came to my mind yesterday, but the book of Daniel chapters 7 and 8 was what the Lord our God brought me to this morning.
In Daniel 7, it recorded that Daniel had a vision of 4 beasts, ie a lion with eagle's wings, a bear in a devouring mood, a leopard and the fourth, a dreadful and terrible beast with 10 horns.
I have no interpretation for this other than what the Bible recorded and you can read this prayerfully in the same chapter 7 of the Book of Daniel.
But it is still good to ponder upon the distinct possibility that we have entered the next phase of God's promised wrath for all who continue to sin against Him?
Interestingly, even our Minister Mentor Mr Lee was quoted in the newspapers this morning that the swine flu is an act of God. But is this so? What matters more is how do we respond, in belief and repentance.
'……….if there be pestilence, ….whatsoever sore or sickness there be. Then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man….when everyone know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands in this house. Then hear thou from heaven Thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart Thou knowest..'
2 Chronicles 6:28-30
King Solomon when he consecrated the temple of God, also aptly described the very act of belief, repentance and obedience that God command us all. You could say, our side of the bargain, a part that many of us have reneged upon.
Sprinkled across the Bible are many examples of men's follies and unfaithfulness, yet God's love has always undergirded all who are repentful. God is a God Who will want to bring us back, and like the sieve that one uses for the flour, how many more shaking would one want to be subjected to before one is willing to acknowledge the Sovereign God?
'The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.'
Isaiah 40:3
'And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shalls see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.'
Isaiah 40:5
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(29 April 09)
Note
------
If truly this is a pandemic, God never promises to take us all who trust Him out of the storm. But God will anchor us all through and it is not the temporal bodily shelf that should concern us, but eternity that matters more. Still it is good to remember the promise of God to those who are faithful and for those who choose not to, a loving God does not mean a God who will close a blind eye to our continued disobedience.
Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God…..Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters……'
Ezekiel 14:14-16
Is this all hogwash??
If you do not think so and is asking, what must I do to be saved? Take heart that God looks not for the perfect us, but a willing and repentful heart.
'But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good Lord pardon everyone. That prepareth his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary. And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.'
2 Chronicles 30:19-20
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Reflections for the moment #9 Light not might (27april09)
t is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord…….'
Lamentations 3:26
For most of us who still cares to read the local newspaper, it is not too great an experience to continue to be plastered by the fixation that our local press have on the on-going saga amongst our fairer folk. If you are amongst the rare blissful folks who are not aware of AWARE, then it might be better to go for lighter reading somewhere else.
'Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness'
Matthew 6:33
A friend sent me a comparative pictorial representation of our Earth relative to the Sun, our Solar System relative to some much bigger ones, and simplistic as it might be, it does bring one into perspective.
From the first bite of the forbidden fruit by Adam and Eve, all of us, irregardless of race, religion, value system, intellect ability, pet causes etc etc would always form an opinion on matters that will be clouded either consciously or subconsciously by our own frame of reference, rather than from the Sovereign God. And till today, wars and strife have always been the solution, for might is right and peace is temporal.
And much as many seek for perfection or dominance through various routes, reality is when we revert back to dust, it matters not much whether one is housed in an expensive masoleum, or placed in more humble dwellings like an urn, or simply sprinkled over the ocean.
The Athenians during Apostle Paul's time did spent untold hours philosophising and in debate, but that did them not much good, for might is right as far as the conquering Persians were concerned.
'And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice…."
Acts 10:15
In politics, we have the left wingers, the right wingers, the centrist, the liberal conservatives, the new labour and the whole gamut of definitions. Not even sure if the basis of segmentation is universal, but men are nomadic as far as alliances are concerned, so called shifting sands.
Much as some might want to tag Christians as liberal or rightwing(with the word extreme thrown in for good measure), reality is that there is only one Sovereign God, one Jesus Christ and all who not just profess to believe in but truly seek to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, to be like our Lord Jesus Christ, are termed Christian. But have you strived to live up to what God wills, and not what man thinks?
'Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not….Great is Your faithfulness.'
Lamentations 3:22-23
For does believing from the mouth qualifies you as a Christian? The devil believe in God and in the existence of Jesus Christ. But he is not a Christian.
How does then one know who is a "real" Christian and who is just a "quack"? For one must not take lightly our claim to be a Christian, for all are accountable to God.
The world lately, is more aware of the presence of Christians in their midst. The collective branding of all who claim to be a Christian has also meant that the world with their finite and imperfect understanding has attributed high benchmarks, the fruits of the Spirit, that they expect all Christians to live by and rightly believe that most Christians have fallen short of these same standards that Christians are perceived as trying to impose upon them.
But it is God that men should look to, not fellow sinful men, Christians or not, for all have fallen short of the law.
Men are in different shade of darkness. Light comes from the glory of God upon those He has shone His grace upon.
'To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not. Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
Lamentations 3:36
Some have called me a staunch Christian. . But "staunch" is not about defending the faith by my own understanding nor about imposing my views upon others nor by the pharisee-like symbolism of my life as seen by others. For reality is, I am just an imperfect man trying to stay in the light of our Lord Jesus Christ, in this encapsulating darkness of the world, and not too successful too, for I am one who continue to sin, much as I try not to, but the key difference since I came to the faith and seek to follow Christ, is that I will always be acutely aware, by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, of any failings on my part, quite quickly, and I have learned to be desirous of coming unto the presence of the Lord to let Him correct me. Staunch, here is to staunchly stamped out any simmering potential for furthur sin upon my own part.
I am far from qualified to make a judgement upon others, and God knows that, for we are asked never to judge others and I am too fearful of our Sovereign God to want to make light of His command.
'For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating or drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.'
Romans 14:17
To each their own, including one's sexual orientation. It is not for me to impose my "right nor might" on someone's preferences. But not to judge does not mean not to share my faith by the way I live, to whoever God brings into my life, for light does emanate out into the darkness, even if the lamp is stationary within its confines.
To respect others right to be different does not mean that one will not stand firm when darkness seek to encroach upon light under the cover of what else, but illuminated darkness. Christians must be inclusive in respecting the choice that others have, for Christ ate with the taxpayers and other so called "sinners" of his time( as defined by the self righteous Pharisees) but inclusive does not mean that Christ compromised upon the will of God and neither should we.
The world is moving to a roundabout contention that if we don't condone their lifestyle, it is taken to mean that we are against them. Is overbearing the second skin of the non Christians just like self righteousness has been the ailment plaguing many professed Christians.
Each of us are accountable to God directly and while we are asked to correct with love, it is not my right nor responsibility to impose change on another fellow being. Only God can bring about the increase.
" I am a little pencil in the hand of God Who is writing a love letter to the world" that is what Mother Teresa said about herself. And as uncompromising in following the will of God, as a true follower of our Lord Jesus Christ must be, it does not mean that we do not continue to love all who disagree with us. We must correct, but with love for God is love, and as the Lord has shown us, we have to move on should an unbeliever choose not to heed our words, for we can only water, but it is God Who can bring about the increase.
And what about those who continue to challenge our very right to live our faith? The battle is the Lord's and let the Lord lead us, and not us lead Him by our own understanding.
'From henceforth let no man trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus..'
Galatians 6:17
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(27april09)
In perspective
-------------------
Everyone who is still carnal loves a good fight. Guess passion is good for the adrenaline and stokes our carnal self. A Christian on the contrary must lived by the Spirit. A Christian on fire is on who is fervent in seeking the Lord our God and is compassionate to all that God placed in their paths. But will many be willing to move out of darkness into the light?
Who knows, with the swine flu possibly being a pandemic, we might soon stretch that word to pandemonium, not that kind of excitement we look for, but it will bring all to a clearer perspective beyond the present self. One will do well to reflect upon the following
'And I will set My face against them, they shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour them, and ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I set My face against them..'
Ezekiel 15:7
Lamentations 3:26
For most of us who still cares to read the local newspaper, it is not too great an experience to continue to be plastered by the fixation that our local press have on the on-going saga amongst our fairer folk. If you are amongst the rare blissful folks who are not aware of AWARE, then it might be better to go for lighter reading somewhere else.
'Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness'
Matthew 6:33
A friend sent me a comparative pictorial representation of our Earth relative to the Sun, our Solar System relative to some much bigger ones, and simplistic as it might be, it does bring one into perspective.
From the first bite of the forbidden fruit by Adam and Eve, all of us, irregardless of race, religion, value system, intellect ability, pet causes etc etc would always form an opinion on matters that will be clouded either consciously or subconsciously by our own frame of reference, rather than from the Sovereign God. And till today, wars and strife have always been the solution, for might is right and peace is temporal.
And much as many seek for perfection or dominance through various routes, reality is when we revert back to dust, it matters not much whether one is housed in an expensive masoleum, or placed in more humble dwellings like an urn, or simply sprinkled over the ocean.
The Athenians during Apostle Paul's time did spent untold hours philosophising and in debate, but that did them not much good, for might is right as far as the conquering Persians were concerned.
'And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice…."
Acts 10:15
In politics, we have the left wingers, the right wingers, the centrist, the liberal conservatives, the new labour and the whole gamut of definitions. Not even sure if the basis of segmentation is universal, but men are nomadic as far as alliances are concerned, so called shifting sands.
Much as some might want to tag Christians as liberal or rightwing(with the word extreme thrown in for good measure), reality is that there is only one Sovereign God, one Jesus Christ and all who not just profess to believe in but truly seek to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, to be like our Lord Jesus Christ, are termed Christian. But have you strived to live up to what God wills, and not what man thinks?
'Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not….Great is Your faithfulness.'
Lamentations 3:22-23
For does believing from the mouth qualifies you as a Christian? The devil believe in God and in the existence of Jesus Christ. But he is not a Christian.
How does then one know who is a "real" Christian and who is just a "quack"? For one must not take lightly our claim to be a Christian, for all are accountable to God.
The world lately, is more aware of the presence of Christians in their midst. The collective branding of all who claim to be a Christian has also meant that the world with their finite and imperfect understanding has attributed high benchmarks, the fruits of the Spirit, that they expect all Christians to live by and rightly believe that most Christians have fallen short of these same standards that Christians are perceived as trying to impose upon them.
But it is God that men should look to, not fellow sinful men, Christians or not, for all have fallen short of the law.
Men are in different shade of darkness. Light comes from the glory of God upon those He has shone His grace upon.
'To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not. Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
Lamentations 3:36
Some have called me a staunch Christian. . But "staunch" is not about defending the faith by my own understanding nor about imposing my views upon others nor by the pharisee-like symbolism of my life as seen by others. For reality is, I am just an imperfect man trying to stay in the light of our Lord Jesus Christ, in this encapsulating darkness of the world, and not too successful too, for I am one who continue to sin, much as I try not to, but the key difference since I came to the faith and seek to follow Christ, is that I will always be acutely aware, by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, of any failings on my part, quite quickly, and I have learned to be desirous of coming unto the presence of the Lord to let Him correct me. Staunch, here is to staunchly stamped out any simmering potential for furthur sin upon my own part.
I am far from qualified to make a judgement upon others, and God knows that, for we are asked never to judge others and I am too fearful of our Sovereign God to want to make light of His command.
'For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating or drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.'
Romans 14:17
To each their own, including one's sexual orientation. It is not for me to impose my "right nor might" on someone's preferences. But not to judge does not mean not to share my faith by the way I live, to whoever God brings into my life, for light does emanate out into the darkness, even if the lamp is stationary within its confines.
To respect others right to be different does not mean that one will not stand firm when darkness seek to encroach upon light under the cover of what else, but illuminated darkness. Christians must be inclusive in respecting the choice that others have, for Christ ate with the taxpayers and other so called "sinners" of his time( as defined by the self righteous Pharisees) but inclusive does not mean that Christ compromised upon the will of God and neither should we.
The world is moving to a roundabout contention that if we don't condone their lifestyle, it is taken to mean that we are against them. Is overbearing the second skin of the non Christians just like self righteousness has been the ailment plaguing many professed Christians.
Each of us are accountable to God directly and while we are asked to correct with love, it is not my right nor responsibility to impose change on another fellow being. Only God can bring about the increase.
" I am a little pencil in the hand of God Who is writing a love letter to the world" that is what Mother Teresa said about herself. And as uncompromising in following the will of God, as a true follower of our Lord Jesus Christ must be, it does not mean that we do not continue to love all who disagree with us. We must correct, but with love for God is love, and as the Lord has shown us, we have to move on should an unbeliever choose not to heed our words, for we can only water, but it is God Who can bring about the increase.
And what about those who continue to challenge our very right to live our faith? The battle is the Lord's and let the Lord lead us, and not us lead Him by our own understanding.
'From henceforth let no man trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus..'
Galatians 6:17
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(27april09)
In perspective
-------------------
Everyone who is still carnal loves a good fight. Guess passion is good for the adrenaline and stokes our carnal self. A Christian on the contrary must lived by the Spirit. A Christian on fire is on who is fervent in seeking the Lord our God and is compassionate to all that God placed in their paths. But will many be willing to move out of darkness into the light?
Who knows, with the swine flu possibly being a pandemic, we might soon stretch that word to pandemonium, not that kind of excitement we look for, but it will bring all to a clearer perspective beyond the present self. One will do well to reflect upon the following
'And I will set My face against them, they shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour them, and ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I set My face against them..'
Ezekiel 15:7
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Reflections for the moment #8 How many Rs??(22April09)
Dear…
'This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoureth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me……..But those things which proceed out of their mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.'
Matthew 15:8-18
Last nite, my son and I had our usual cookie and milk pre-bed time ritual, and one thing we always do is to switch on Channel News Asia. We were quite pleasantly surprised to see a snippet on the Miss America contest, temptations do abound but in this case was for Miss California, the hot favorite. One of the judges, a professed gay, asked what she thought of same sex marriage in America? She spoke from her heart, and stated her supportive views for the tradtional family, and this being a politically incorrect answer, was a major contributing factor to her not winning the crown.
How society has indeed regressed in the Christian nation of USA(much as its present day detractors might want to disagree with the very Christian foundations of this relatively still young nation), where in the present day context of pluralism, to state one's traditional belief would be taken that one is unfit to represent today's progressive or more like regressive society, at least that was what the same judge was quoted on television after the contest.
.And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the righthand, nor to the left.'
2 Chronicles 34:2
Not too sure if Ms California is a believer, but at least she spoke boldly from the heart. But what about us who professed to be Christians?
In the till recent halycon days of globalization and a rah rah economy, many of us were guilty of compromise, for in the pursuit of riches and material gains, or even self preservation, how many of us would have taken time to consider the will of God, rather than that of our bosses, customers or even our own desires? Much of the financial system is in its present day mess, because from the top corporate suites, down to the soldiers in the field, and not forgetting the watchdogs who were looking everywhere but at the right thing, no one was really keen to reflect if all were erring on the side of greed and repugnant recklessness, for to do otherwise would probably mean't one loses the chance to participate in the riches nor can one continue to rest secure in one's position in the organization.
Recession is now with us, and regrets there might be, but is it about repentance or rather, a wish for a recovery of the good old roaring times?
'And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep His commandments, and His testimonies, and His statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which was written in this book.'
2 Chronicles 34:31
For those of us who professed to be Christians, now is the time to reflect upon your own journey with God. Did you leave Him somewhere behind in one of the stations that you took time in for a rest. The 53 stations of Tokaido is a beautiful pictograph record of all 53 rest stops that travellers of Japan had to traversed in their journey between Edo(present day Tokyo) and Kyoto. Done during the Edo period, by one of the great woodblock('Ukiyoe") artists, Hiroshige, its masterful protrayals of men and scenery coupled with its vivid colors belie the sufferings and dangers that travellers have to overcome.
Has your life been one of achievement yet bereft of peace and joy, or has it been one where every move out of your comfort zone("paradigm shift") has been one of remorseful, refinement and even greater reassurance from your communion with the Lord our God?
'Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest His words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before Me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before Me; I have even heard thee also, saith the Lord.'
2 Chronicles 34:27
Resilience comes not from our inner strength, but rather from knowing that the Spirit of God resides in us and a recognition that only God can carry us forth. It is often in the desert of our lives that we will realize that our many carnal pursuits are mirages of mammon, and would we learn to be resolute to seek God with a humble and contrite heart.
'Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan…..to repair the house of the Lord his God.'
2 Chronicles 34:8
It is time to "reboot" the operating system of our very soul; your attitude, your emotions which for so long have been driven by your finite and carnal understanding, furthur fueled by the delusions of the devil. God has already forgiven us of our sins. Would we be prepared to make clean our very being, the temple upon which the Spirit of God will reside, a God Who will restore our rightful place in His kingdom, if we are willing to be made ready to receive Him.
'My soul cleaveth unto the dust, quicken thou me according to Thy Word…..My soul melteth for heaviness, strengthen Thou me according unto 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 119:35-40
Letting go and letting God, is that reliance? If you are relieved that you have now believed, and have no regrets about your repentance, then there is no better way to start, than to read His Word, for the Word is God, and God is the Word.
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever'
Isaiah 40:8
Let me just close not with the letter "S" for sshh or sigh, hasn't this chap already resurrected the letter "R" already so rigorously, but rather, with the last "R" word for the day, "resonance.'
May the love of God and His very presence in your life truly resonate forth or maybe, emanate might be a better choice, but lets reserve "e" for another foolish red letter day, but really, God might not take away the storms in our lives immediately, but He will anchor us and be with us. That is divine reassurance. I rest my case.
Rgds and God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(22 April 09)
'This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoureth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me……..But those things which proceed out of their mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.'
Matthew 15:8-18
Last nite, my son and I had our usual cookie and milk pre-bed time ritual, and one thing we always do is to switch on Channel News Asia. We were quite pleasantly surprised to see a snippet on the Miss America contest, temptations do abound but in this case was for Miss California, the hot favorite. One of the judges, a professed gay, asked what she thought of same sex marriage in America? She spoke from her heart, and stated her supportive views for the tradtional family, and this being a politically incorrect answer, was a major contributing factor to her not winning the crown.
How society has indeed regressed in the Christian nation of USA(much as its present day detractors might want to disagree with the very Christian foundations of this relatively still young nation), where in the present day context of pluralism, to state one's traditional belief would be taken that one is unfit to represent today's progressive or more like regressive society, at least that was what the same judge was quoted on television after the contest.
.And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the righthand, nor to the left.'
2 Chronicles 34:2
Not too sure if Ms California is a believer, but at least she spoke boldly from the heart. But what about us who professed to be Christians?
In the till recent halycon days of globalization and a rah rah economy, many of us were guilty of compromise, for in the pursuit of riches and material gains, or even self preservation, how many of us would have taken time to consider the will of God, rather than that of our bosses, customers or even our own desires? Much of the financial system is in its present day mess, because from the top corporate suites, down to the soldiers in the field, and not forgetting the watchdogs who were looking everywhere but at the right thing, no one was really keen to reflect if all were erring on the side of greed and repugnant recklessness, for to do otherwise would probably mean't one loses the chance to participate in the riches nor can one continue to rest secure in one's position in the organization.
Recession is now with us, and regrets there might be, but is it about repentance or rather, a wish for a recovery of the good old roaring times?
'And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep His commandments, and His testimonies, and His statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which was written in this book.'
2 Chronicles 34:31
For those of us who professed to be Christians, now is the time to reflect upon your own journey with God. Did you leave Him somewhere behind in one of the stations that you took time in for a rest. The 53 stations of Tokaido is a beautiful pictograph record of all 53 rest stops that travellers of Japan had to traversed in their journey between Edo(present day Tokyo) and Kyoto. Done during the Edo period, by one of the great woodblock('Ukiyoe") artists, Hiroshige, its masterful protrayals of men and scenery coupled with its vivid colors belie the sufferings and dangers that travellers have to overcome.
Has your life been one of achievement yet bereft of peace and joy, or has it been one where every move out of your comfort zone("paradigm shift") has been one of remorseful, refinement and even greater reassurance from your communion with the Lord our God?
'Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest His words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before Me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before Me; I have even heard thee also, saith the Lord.'
2 Chronicles 34:27
Resilience comes not from our inner strength, but rather from knowing that the Spirit of God resides in us and a recognition that only God can carry us forth. It is often in the desert of our lives that we will realize that our many carnal pursuits are mirages of mammon, and would we learn to be resolute to seek God with a humble and contrite heart.
'Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan…..to repair the house of the Lord his God.'
2 Chronicles 34:8
It is time to "reboot" the operating system of our very soul; your attitude, your emotions which for so long have been driven by your finite and carnal understanding, furthur fueled by the delusions of the devil. God has already forgiven us of our sins. Would we be prepared to make clean our very being, the temple upon which the Spirit of God will reside, a God Who will restore our rightful place in His kingdom, if we are willing to be made ready to receive Him.
'My soul cleaveth unto the dust, quicken thou me according to Thy Word…..My soul melteth for heaviness, strengthen Thou me according unto 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 119:35-40
Letting go and letting God, is that reliance? If you are relieved that you have now believed, and have no regrets about your repentance, then there is no better way to start, than to read His Word, for the Word is God, and God is the Word.
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever'
Isaiah 40:8
Let me just close not with the letter "S" for sshh or sigh, hasn't this chap already resurrected the letter "R" already so rigorously, but rather, with the last "R" word for the day, "resonance.'
May the love of God and His very presence in your life truly resonate forth or maybe, emanate might be a better choice, but lets reserve "e" for another foolish red letter day, but really, God might not take away the storms in our lives immediately, but He will anchor us and be with us. That is divine reassurance. I rest my case.
Rgds and God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(22 April 09)
Reflections for the moment #7 Advocate (22april09)
Dear…
'Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you…'
1 John 3:13
'There is no fear in love……'
1 John 4:18
It is understandable when some will take offense when presented with the good news of the gospel. To most, it is just an irritant, to others, it is a challenge to their professed lifestyle, and in the animal kingdom, such encroachment are dwelt with in less than civilized manner, but do we response in the like manner?
The Crusades might have started with the right intent, but its execution was probably misguided. An avid student of history I might be, but I am no expert on this subject, nor does anyone truly knows the hearts of the protagonists then.
But as a desirous follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are asked to be like Him, and God is love. Love to all, even for the unlovable be it thy detractors, thy persecutors or even anyone that does not fit our desired mold, is a command to all.
'My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth…'
1 John 3:18
One matter most of us including myself find it hard to condone is behaviour that is clearly off tangent from what is acceptable. To not deal with it is in our mind, encouraging furthur sins by the offender and we find it hard to believe that God wants us to sit on our hands. Some of us do go to the Lord in prayers with our hands clasped, but is our heart already decided on telling God what we want Him to tell us or are we truly willing to obey, should He tell us otherwise?
'…and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely, the Lord our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there..'
Jeremiah 43:2
But as our Lord Jesus Christ has exemplified, our walk must not be about equitability, but trust and obedience, as the Lord leads, and not as our understanding determines.
Cliché it might seem, but fact remains that Jesus Christ died for us all, who are the sinners, when He is not and the extreme ill-treatment and humiliation that he was subjected to is injustice personified. To be a Christian, we must be like Christ, to deny ourselves and to take up the cross.
'For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God…'
1 John 3:19-21
Does it than mean that today, in the climate of militant secularism, or more like pluralistic interests hiding behind the façade of secularism, that Christians should quietly shrink away from grounds that they are on, that reflect their beliefs, just because someone raised a contentious hand?
I think not, for we surrender not to men, but to God. But the battle must be the Lord's and we must do as the Lord leads, much as it might seem to go against our sense of self-righteousness or on the other side of the spectrum, acquisence because of our need for self-survival.
'Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers. Which have borne witness of Thy charity before the church…'
3 John :5-6
Scripture has given us many examples of men and women who risked life and limb to live out their faith. Almost all of the Apostles were martyred, but none surrendered their assured belief in the Risen Christ, much as self-preservation would have demanded otherwise. But Scripture has also shown us that God often change us, rather than we change others, and that God is love, and love is what God uses to lift the blindness in the hearts of many..
Today, as End times intensifies, as the world hurtles towards even greater sinfulness, and false prophets abound, the struggle for the souls of the unsaved intensifies. As Christians, we must no longer think and live with a carnal mind, for to do so, would mean that we should embark on a modern Crusade.
Change must come from within, namely, ourselves, much as it seems easier to answer the clarion call to change others.
'They profess that they know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.'
Titus 1:16
Do not get me wrong. It does not mean that we should keep our faith to ourselves. But have we walked right to be used by the Lord to bring others unto His presence?
Have we as believers even done the basic? How many of us have truly seek the Lord every moment of our lives. How well used are our Bibles that is often left on the shelf of neglect, when was the last time that God figured as the first and only priority in your busy life, would you let go and let God in determining your daily living? Have we worked right with God, or are we working to be in the limelight?
'…to be ready to every good work,. To speak no evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men…..For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient….
…But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared.'
Titus 3:1-5
There is never such a thing as being ready, for God looks not for human definition of preparedness, just as God often uses the weak to bring about His glory. But God looks for a willing heart, and a willing heart can only come from time spent with the Lord, and a life that has learnt that He is Sovereign. Are you at that point where you are always cognizance of and be willing to submit your carnal self to the Spirit God, or is your carnal senses still taking precedence over your every action?
'Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost..'
Titus 3:5
Christians can no longer sit on the fence, having the best of both worlds, a life of compromise that allows us to enjoy the offerings of the sinful world, yet in our misguided belief that we are symbollically religious believers.
'Sound speech, that cannot be condemned, that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you…'
Titus 2:8
God is looking for followers, who will trust wherever He lead us. But boldness is not about us re-arranging the life , the thought process or even the face of our detractors, but rather, by allowing God to change us, that even the unbelievers cannot but attest to the greatness and glory of God, that to choose to not believe and follow, while still their choice, is clearly a path that they know will lead them away from the joy and peace that God promised to all. Boldness is about living a life that is a public testimony to God's love and glory, a life that can and will be different from the ways of the world, not an alternative lifestyle, but the only lifestyle that the Lord has commanded all His creation to follow, to live out the fruits of the Spirit.
'Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he is, so are we in this world.'
1 John 4:17
'And this commandment have we from Him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.'
1 John 4:21
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(19 April 2009)
On deeper reflection:
Everyday we are faced with decisions. Like some, I wish God will just tell me in clear terms what I should do. Well, the Lord brought me to the Book of Numbers which talked about how the Israelites chose not to obey His clear command via Moses to go into the land of Canaan because of their own fears and doubts about God's Sovereignty. And how the same sinful Israelites chose to disobey the Lord again when they chose to go into the land when they were told no longer to proceed.(Numbers 13-14).
And for double measure, the Lord brought me to the Book of Jeremiah(Chapter 42) which talked about how the remnants of the Isrealites seek direction from the Lord via the prophet Jeremiah and promised to obey all that God will convey. But when the Lord asked them to stay where they were instead of fleeing to Egypt from the perceived wrath of the Babylonians, they chose to disobey and depended upon their own understanding.
We often looked to God for directions and conclusions, in our prayers and supplications. But it is peace and joy that God will give us in response and a deep assurance to trust in the Lord come what may.
God might not give us an answer we want to hear, but He has given us the emotional fortitude, and He has already taught us how to live, whatever route we take. Which is, to be truthful, be honest, be just, be pure and to live out the fruits of the Spirit. The conclusion matters not, for He will take care of it, but we must be like Christ. (Philippians 4:4-9)
'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 4:9
'Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you…'
1 John 3:13
'There is no fear in love……'
1 John 4:18
It is understandable when some will take offense when presented with the good news of the gospel. To most, it is just an irritant, to others, it is a challenge to their professed lifestyle, and in the animal kingdom, such encroachment are dwelt with in less than civilized manner, but do we response in the like manner?
The Crusades might have started with the right intent, but its execution was probably misguided. An avid student of history I might be, but I am no expert on this subject, nor does anyone truly knows the hearts of the protagonists then.
But as a desirous follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are asked to be like Him, and God is love. Love to all, even for the unlovable be it thy detractors, thy persecutors or even anyone that does not fit our desired mold, is a command to all.
'My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth…'
1 John 3:18
One matter most of us including myself find it hard to condone is behaviour that is clearly off tangent from what is acceptable. To not deal with it is in our mind, encouraging furthur sins by the offender and we find it hard to believe that God wants us to sit on our hands. Some of us do go to the Lord in prayers with our hands clasped, but is our heart already decided on telling God what we want Him to tell us or are we truly willing to obey, should He tell us otherwise?
'…and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely, the Lord our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there..'
Jeremiah 43:2
But as our Lord Jesus Christ has exemplified, our walk must not be about equitability, but trust and obedience, as the Lord leads, and not as our understanding determines.
Cliché it might seem, but fact remains that Jesus Christ died for us all, who are the sinners, when He is not and the extreme ill-treatment and humiliation that he was subjected to is injustice personified. To be a Christian, we must be like Christ, to deny ourselves and to take up the cross.
'For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God…'
1 John 3:19-21
Does it than mean that today, in the climate of militant secularism, or more like pluralistic interests hiding behind the façade of secularism, that Christians should quietly shrink away from grounds that they are on, that reflect their beliefs, just because someone raised a contentious hand?
I think not, for we surrender not to men, but to God. But the battle must be the Lord's and we must do as the Lord leads, much as it might seem to go against our sense of self-righteousness or on the other side of the spectrum, acquisence because of our need for self-survival.
'Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers. Which have borne witness of Thy charity before the church…'
3 John :5-6
Scripture has given us many examples of men and women who risked life and limb to live out their faith. Almost all of the Apostles were martyred, but none surrendered their assured belief in the Risen Christ, much as self-preservation would have demanded otherwise. But Scripture has also shown us that God often change us, rather than we change others, and that God is love, and love is what God uses to lift the blindness in the hearts of many..
Today, as End times intensifies, as the world hurtles towards even greater sinfulness, and false prophets abound, the struggle for the souls of the unsaved intensifies. As Christians, we must no longer think and live with a carnal mind, for to do so, would mean that we should embark on a modern Crusade.
Change must come from within, namely, ourselves, much as it seems easier to answer the clarion call to change others.
'They profess that they know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.'
Titus 1:16
Do not get me wrong. It does not mean that we should keep our faith to ourselves. But have we walked right to be used by the Lord to bring others unto His presence?
Have we as believers even done the basic? How many of us have truly seek the Lord every moment of our lives. How well used are our Bibles that is often left on the shelf of neglect, when was the last time that God figured as the first and only priority in your busy life, would you let go and let God in determining your daily living? Have we worked right with God, or are we working to be in the limelight?
'…to be ready to every good work,. To speak no evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men…..For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient….
…But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared.'
Titus 3:1-5
There is never such a thing as being ready, for God looks not for human definition of preparedness, just as God often uses the weak to bring about His glory. But God looks for a willing heart, and a willing heart can only come from time spent with the Lord, and a life that has learnt that He is Sovereign. Are you at that point where you are always cognizance of and be willing to submit your carnal self to the Spirit God, or is your carnal senses still taking precedence over your every action?
'Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost..'
Titus 3:5
Christians can no longer sit on the fence, having the best of both worlds, a life of compromise that allows us to enjoy the offerings of the sinful world, yet in our misguided belief that we are symbollically religious believers.
'Sound speech, that cannot be condemned, that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you…'
Titus 2:8
God is looking for followers, who will trust wherever He lead us. But boldness is not about us re-arranging the life , the thought process or even the face of our detractors, but rather, by allowing God to change us, that even the unbelievers cannot but attest to the greatness and glory of God, that to choose to not believe and follow, while still their choice, is clearly a path that they know will lead them away from the joy and peace that God promised to all. Boldness is about living a life that is a public testimony to God's love and glory, a life that can and will be different from the ways of the world, not an alternative lifestyle, but the only lifestyle that the Lord has commanded all His creation to follow, to live out the fruits of the Spirit.
'Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he is, so are we in this world.'
1 John 4:17
'And this commandment have we from Him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.'
1 John 4:21
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(19 April 2009)
On deeper reflection:
Everyday we are faced with decisions. Like some, I wish God will just tell me in clear terms what I should do. Well, the Lord brought me to the Book of Numbers which talked about how the Israelites chose not to obey His clear command via Moses to go into the land of Canaan because of their own fears and doubts about God's Sovereignty. And how the same sinful Israelites chose to disobey the Lord again when they chose to go into the land when they were told no longer to proceed.(Numbers 13-14).
And for double measure, the Lord brought me to the Book of Jeremiah(Chapter 42) which talked about how the remnants of the Isrealites seek direction from the Lord via the prophet Jeremiah and promised to obey all that God will convey. But when the Lord asked them to stay where they were instead of fleeing to Egypt from the perceived wrath of the Babylonians, they chose to disobey and depended upon their own understanding.
We often looked to God for directions and conclusions, in our prayers and supplications. But it is peace and joy that God will give us in response and a deep assurance to trust in the Lord come what may.
God might not give us an answer we want to hear, but He has given us the emotional fortitude, and He has already taught us how to live, whatever route we take. Which is, to be truthful, be honest, be just, be pure and to live out the fruits of the Spirit. The conclusion matters not, for He will take care of it, but we must be like Christ. (Philippians 4:4-9)
'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 4:9
Friday, April 17, 2009
Reflections for the moment #6 Amnesia (17 April 09)
Dear…
'And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark…'
Genesis 8:1
"Do you remember…" so goes the line in the popular song by that old crooner, Paul Anka. For those of us who still remembered Kodak films, for it was not too long ago that Kodak and Fuji film dominated the photographic world, before the advent of digital cameras, this song was also the memorable jig that helmed the Kodak advertisements of old. With digital cameras, one can now delete, alter and mass mail via the internet, such is technology, unlike the more cumbersome film, whose saving grace is its yellowed patina, which can bring back a wave of nostalgia for the once young, and a sense of inquistiveness for the present young.
'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
Why did most of us who profess to be Christians choose to be so? Maybe this question will be of greater relevance to the first generation Christians. But it could also apply to those who were Christians by birth, who subsequently reaffirmed their faith because of their experience with the Lord our God as described in Romans 15:13.
'Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?'
1 Corinthians 3:16
The interesting thing about our Christian faith, is the call to all who believe to go out to share the good news. Unless you are a closet Christian, where only the Lord knows about your claim to faith, the world has come to look upon us believers as performing on the world stage, and like all performers, we are under public scrutiny and judged by all and sundry, based upon a confused casserole of our finite understanding of our faith, and the imperfect benchmarks of the human race.
But is our human imperfections the perfect foil for all of us professed Christians to ignore or conveniently forget the response the Lord our God commanded all who believed in Him?
'If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.'
1 Corinthians 3:17
Our time on earth is to be a living sacrifice to the Lord our God Whose Spirit resides in all who believe. Much as some Christians might want to believe otherwise, we are the church, and as long as you claim to be a Christian, you have to live out your faith, every moment of your life, as the Spirit leads. For God is perfecting us and also using us as the platform upon which the world will see Him in all His glory.
Quite a tall order it is, and one good reason why many are so afraid to consider taking the leap of faith. There are indeed "costs" to be a Christian but like Apostle Paul said, it pales in comparison to what the Lord has promised to all who believe, and God is faithful, not just for the future, but for the present and in the past.
'And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosover will have save his life shall lose it, but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?'
Luke 9:23-25
The Lord placed the thought in my heart yesterday. Will I be prepared to commit the financial blessings that He will surely bless me with these next few weeks. The stockmarkets have entered the rising momentum of hope. Delusion it will be but it will soon suck in many more who are still sceptical but increasingly finding it difficult to continue to resist the lure of the rising prices, and to come to grief again, given that the move up is more attributable to liquidity and man's machinations than a genuine improvement in values.
The time to harvest the "instant growth seeds" that the Lord has led me to plant in the stockmarkets these past few days is not now, but it will not be long.
Will I be prepared to deny myself of hoarding the realized gains of the next few weeks and instead, take up the cross like Christ in using the gains that I will receive to do His work? It might be easy to say yes, for I have not seen the fruits yet, but will it be easy when God honours His promise, and will I obey as I have committed? Or would l in the midst of my blessings have a sudden memory loss?
'He hath made everything beautiful in its time, also He hath set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end…'
Ecclesiastes 3:11
On logic, I have in all probability done the most stupid thing in my life. Putting monies in a market that has already risen 20% or more, putting more than I will do in such circumstances and buying stocks that I felt led to rather than placing more of my usual rigorous thought to. And every day since, the news continue to affirm what I have understood, that is, the world is living out a lie, propagated by the powers to be and it is a matter of time before the markets go for a bigger whack.
'But if we hope for what we don't have, we wait for it patiently.'
Romans 8;25
I have come to learn that if God leads, we obey. And that we do not measure our relationship with the Lord in terms of dollars and cents or any of our worldly measurements. But we look not at the conclusion, but live to obey His will, to honour Him in the way we live.
'…and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God…...'And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us…'
Romans 5:3-5
I have as of now, not been better off nor worse off with my recent investments of faith. But the Lord is good. He placed the thought in my heart that I needed to invest the future fruits in 4 pillars of work. Just yesterday, He has showed me the first and I am pondering upon the second. I believe that the time to be out of the markets, at least for me, is when the 3rd and 4th pillars are make known to me.
'For whatsover things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.'
Romans 15:4-5
To some of my friends at this stage, I do apologise if it seems that my senses has gone a little off. But I have to speak what I truly believe God has spoken to me on. It is a personal message, why then share this on the public forum, and risk being subjected to ridicule. But like the Apostle Paul professed, he is willing to be a fool for the Lord, if He so wills. But will it not be even more foolish and of great dire consequence, when you have to meet the Lord on judgment day, and be told that He does not know you, for you never knew or remembered His love for you nor did you ever bother to heed His call, for either you were to busy to hear it or you just plain ignore it?
Why not start your recollection of His love by making time to come unto His presence this very moment, in remembering the times you were thankful for God's grace. And to translate that thought into picking up the Bible right now to read His Word or even just prayerfully reflecting upon His Words that exist aplenty in this sharing.
'Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour…'
Titus 3:5-6
'If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus. That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness…'
Ephesians 4:21-32
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(17th April 2009)
Note: a health warning
Do apologise for this longer reflection than as normal. But one writes as led.
And more importantly, God speaks to all of us differently. So while I do believe none of you will be as foolish as me, kindly DO NOT invest in the stockmarkets unless truly the Lord leads you otherwise. For there is every reason to be afraid, for this is a treacherous world we live in and lies and deceit abound, ever more than before.
'And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark…'
Genesis 8:1
"Do you remember…" so goes the line in the popular song by that old crooner, Paul Anka. For those of us who still remembered Kodak films, for it was not too long ago that Kodak and Fuji film dominated the photographic world, before the advent of digital cameras, this song was also the memorable jig that helmed the Kodak advertisements of old. With digital cameras, one can now delete, alter and mass mail via the internet, such is technology, unlike the more cumbersome film, whose saving grace is its yellowed patina, which can bring back a wave of nostalgia for the once young, and a sense of inquistiveness for the present young.
'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
Why did most of us who profess to be Christians choose to be so? Maybe this question will be of greater relevance to the first generation Christians. But it could also apply to those who were Christians by birth, who subsequently reaffirmed their faith because of their experience with the Lord our God as described in Romans 15:13.
'Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?'
1 Corinthians 3:16
The interesting thing about our Christian faith, is the call to all who believe to go out to share the good news. Unless you are a closet Christian, where only the Lord knows about your claim to faith, the world has come to look upon us believers as performing on the world stage, and like all performers, we are under public scrutiny and judged by all and sundry, based upon a confused casserole of our finite understanding of our faith, and the imperfect benchmarks of the human race.
But is our human imperfections the perfect foil for all of us professed Christians to ignore or conveniently forget the response the Lord our God commanded all who believed in Him?
'If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.'
1 Corinthians 3:17
Our time on earth is to be a living sacrifice to the Lord our God Whose Spirit resides in all who believe. Much as some Christians might want to believe otherwise, we are the church, and as long as you claim to be a Christian, you have to live out your faith, every moment of your life, as the Spirit leads. For God is perfecting us and also using us as the platform upon which the world will see Him in all His glory.
Quite a tall order it is, and one good reason why many are so afraid to consider taking the leap of faith. There are indeed "costs" to be a Christian but like Apostle Paul said, it pales in comparison to what the Lord has promised to all who believe, and God is faithful, not just for the future, but for the present and in the past.
'And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosover will have save his life shall lose it, but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?'
Luke 9:23-25
The Lord placed the thought in my heart yesterday. Will I be prepared to commit the financial blessings that He will surely bless me with these next few weeks. The stockmarkets have entered the rising momentum of hope. Delusion it will be but it will soon suck in many more who are still sceptical but increasingly finding it difficult to continue to resist the lure of the rising prices, and to come to grief again, given that the move up is more attributable to liquidity and man's machinations than a genuine improvement in values.
The time to harvest the "instant growth seeds" that the Lord has led me to plant in the stockmarkets these past few days is not now, but it will not be long.
Will I be prepared to deny myself of hoarding the realized gains of the next few weeks and instead, take up the cross like Christ in using the gains that I will receive to do His work? It might be easy to say yes, for I have not seen the fruits yet, but will it be easy when God honours His promise, and will I obey as I have committed? Or would l in the midst of my blessings have a sudden memory loss?
'He hath made everything beautiful in its time, also He hath set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end…'
Ecclesiastes 3:11
On logic, I have in all probability done the most stupid thing in my life. Putting monies in a market that has already risen 20% or more, putting more than I will do in such circumstances and buying stocks that I felt led to rather than placing more of my usual rigorous thought to. And every day since, the news continue to affirm what I have understood, that is, the world is living out a lie, propagated by the powers to be and it is a matter of time before the markets go for a bigger whack.
'But if we hope for what we don't have, we wait for it patiently.'
Romans 8;25
I have come to learn that if God leads, we obey. And that we do not measure our relationship with the Lord in terms of dollars and cents or any of our worldly measurements. But we look not at the conclusion, but live to obey His will, to honour Him in the way we live.
'…and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God…...'And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us…'
Romans 5:3-5
I have as of now, not been better off nor worse off with my recent investments of faith. But the Lord is good. He placed the thought in my heart that I needed to invest the future fruits in 4 pillars of work. Just yesterday, He has showed me the first and I am pondering upon the second. I believe that the time to be out of the markets, at least for me, is when the 3rd and 4th pillars are make known to me.
'For whatsover things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.'
Romans 15:4-5
To some of my friends at this stage, I do apologise if it seems that my senses has gone a little off. But I have to speak what I truly believe God has spoken to me on. It is a personal message, why then share this on the public forum, and risk being subjected to ridicule. But like the Apostle Paul professed, he is willing to be a fool for the Lord, if He so wills. But will it not be even more foolish and of great dire consequence, when you have to meet the Lord on judgment day, and be told that He does not know you, for you never knew or remembered His love for you nor did you ever bother to heed His call, for either you were to busy to hear it or you just plain ignore it?
Why not start your recollection of His love by making time to come unto His presence this very moment, in remembering the times you were thankful for God's grace. And to translate that thought into picking up the Bible right now to read His Word or even just prayerfully reflecting upon His Words that exist aplenty in this sharing.
'Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour…'
Titus 3:5-6
'If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus. That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness…'
Ephesians 4:21-32
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(17th April 2009)
Note: a health warning
Do apologise for this longer reflection than as normal. But one writes as led.
And more importantly, God speaks to all of us differently. So while I do believe none of you will be as foolish as me, kindly DO NOT invest in the stockmarkets unless truly the Lord leads you otherwise. For there is every reason to be afraid, for this is a treacherous world we live in and lies and deceit abound, ever more than before.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Reflections for the moment #5 What grips my heart? (15april09)
''…Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.'
John 7:37-38
As I ponder upon the words to share with a friend, whom I am meeting this morning, matters of business should be the last thing on the agenda, for what should matter more, given that the expiry date of this gentleman's life has now been more clearly fixed, given his terminal illness?
Acceptance of one's fate might be a positive, for it does allow one to move on to settling one's outstanding matters before departure, and even possibly, try to make right what was previously wrong in one's relationships with others. And when all is done, to call one's time out on a permanent basis, by taking our own life, be it assisted or not, sanctioned or not?
Prayerfully, we will not degenerate to being a widget on a factory floor. And is it possible to do so with a lightness of heart, based on one's self will? Can one leave, certain that all cares of the world has been resolved? I doubt it.
'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me,though he may die, he shall live.'
John 11:25
Would it not be better to lean not on our own understanding, but upon the Lord our God, Who will not just be a much firmer Rock to lean upon, compared to our fragile and flawed emotions, and Whose promise of eternal life for us and our loved ones, if we believed, is not just an interesting proposition, but a balm to all our fears associated with the impending snuffing out of our temporal life.
Should we not let the flickering flames of our finite life persist, till the Lord brings us home, for till the last, the Lord can still bring forth wonderful works in our lives and people He places in our lives?
'But there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.'
Job 32:8
On wonderful works, I have been priviledged just this week to have two dear friends share with me God's grace in their lives and that of their loved ones. And just yesterday, my dad just told me that of late, his church had seen a significant increase in membership, and during Easter service, there was quite a few testimonies. To the uninitiated, testimonies seem like a song and dance, and many(including Christians) who do not seek to actively follow our Lord Jesus Christ will find it hard to fathom the great expression of joy, peace and gratitude to the 'unseen' God. Yet, God is truly present in all our lives, if we are willing to come unto His presence.
'He must increase, but I must decrease.'
John 3:30
For some of my friends who have been kind to remain my friend, at least on Facebook, you will have noticed I have lately garnered a little more junk and a thanks to those who have given me some kind comments, for my indulgent follies. The thrill of being a collector is in the hunt, and a prey once attained, is usually consigned to one corner of the cupboard, while one embarks on the next pursuit. The inherent danger of collecting is that besides throwing more good monies after bad, is that what we seek out to master will inevitably master us.
With a wandering eyes for things of beauty, it is easier for me to go off keel, and thankfully, as of now I have not, for nothing can ever replace the great joy and peace(as described in John 7:37-38) that the Lord blessed us with whenever we come unto His presence, and nothing that man made can come close to that fulfilment that the Spirit of God gives those who believed.
'And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosover will have save his life shall lose it, but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?'
Luke 9:23-25
In collecting, it is always difficult to want to let go of the next exquisite thing that crosses one's path. But is this not the same for all manners of life? If we are close in our walk with the Lord, there will be times that we will hear Him speak clearly to us, to let go of things or issues that grip our hearts, that we find it either illogical or to our disinterests to let go of. Let go, we must and submission to God will not just ensure that we will not succumb to the devil's wiles, but ensure that we will be able to receive the goodness that God has prepared for us just round the corner, that we do not deprive ourselves of by our own disobedience.
'Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee.'
Psalm 73:25
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
John 7:37-38
As I ponder upon the words to share with a friend, whom I am meeting this morning, matters of business should be the last thing on the agenda, for what should matter more, given that the expiry date of this gentleman's life has now been more clearly fixed, given his terminal illness?
Acceptance of one's fate might be a positive, for it does allow one to move on to settling one's outstanding matters before departure, and even possibly, try to make right what was previously wrong in one's relationships with others. And when all is done, to call one's time out on a permanent basis, by taking our own life, be it assisted or not, sanctioned or not?
Prayerfully, we will not degenerate to being a widget on a factory floor. And is it possible to do so with a lightness of heart, based on one's self will? Can one leave, certain that all cares of the world has been resolved? I doubt it.
'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me,though he may die, he shall live.'
John 11:25
Would it not be better to lean not on our own understanding, but upon the Lord our God, Who will not just be a much firmer Rock to lean upon, compared to our fragile and flawed emotions, and Whose promise of eternal life for us and our loved ones, if we believed, is not just an interesting proposition, but a balm to all our fears associated with the impending snuffing out of our temporal life.
Should we not let the flickering flames of our finite life persist, till the Lord brings us home, for till the last, the Lord can still bring forth wonderful works in our lives and people He places in our lives?
'But there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.'
Job 32:8
On wonderful works, I have been priviledged just this week to have two dear friends share with me God's grace in their lives and that of their loved ones. And just yesterday, my dad just told me that of late, his church had seen a significant increase in membership, and during Easter service, there was quite a few testimonies. To the uninitiated, testimonies seem like a song and dance, and many(including Christians) who do not seek to actively follow our Lord Jesus Christ will find it hard to fathom the great expression of joy, peace and gratitude to the 'unseen' God. Yet, God is truly present in all our lives, if we are willing to come unto His presence.
'He must increase, but I must decrease.'
John 3:30
For some of my friends who have been kind to remain my friend, at least on Facebook, you will have noticed I have lately garnered a little more junk and a thanks to those who have given me some kind comments, for my indulgent follies. The thrill of being a collector is in the hunt, and a prey once attained, is usually consigned to one corner of the cupboard, while one embarks on the next pursuit. The inherent danger of collecting is that besides throwing more good monies after bad, is that what we seek out to master will inevitably master us.
With a wandering eyes for things of beauty, it is easier for me to go off keel, and thankfully, as of now I have not, for nothing can ever replace the great joy and peace(as described in John 7:37-38) that the Lord blessed us with whenever we come unto His presence, and nothing that man made can come close to that fulfilment that the Spirit of God gives those who believed.
'And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosover will have save his life shall lose it, but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?'
Luke 9:23-25
In collecting, it is always difficult to want to let go of the next exquisite thing that crosses one's path. But is this not the same for all manners of life? If we are close in our walk with the Lord, there will be times that we will hear Him speak clearly to us, to let go of things or issues that grip our hearts, that we find it either illogical or to our disinterests to let go of. Let go, we must and submission to God will not just ensure that we will not succumb to the devil's wiles, but ensure that we will be able to receive the goodness that God has prepared for us just round the corner, that we do not deprive ourselves of by our own disobedience.
'Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee.'
Psalm 73:25
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Reflections for the moment #4 When the donkey brays(10april09)
Dear…
'…shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?...'
Job 2:10
"The poor devil" is the oft phrase used as a sympathetic expression for the sufferings of a fellow being, rare does one use the phrase "the poor angel.'
And the devil is the source of trouble whom we believers often ascribe to as responsible for all bad things happening to us. In the book of Job, clearly, Satan was the source of Job's woes. Yet, we are also told in the Bible that God has the final say, and God did placed limitations on the extent of mischief or 'testing' that Satan can put Job through.
But it takes two to tango, and the imperfect men that all of us are, can and are often susceptible to our own deceitful mind.
'…therefore have I uttered that I understood not, things too wonderful for me, which I knew not..'
Job 42:3
The past couple of days have been one of soul searching for me. The soul is our emotions, our very will and attitude, and the Lord did allow me to go to the cleaners for some humbling and refining.
I am definitely not a man of few words, and in fact, I have come to believe that truly God speaks powerfully through me to the hearts of many. And indeed, God did.
Yet, in the midst of His grace, our sinful and deceitful heart often creeps in quietly and much as one might give all thanks to God, our hearts have slowly but surely moved away from dependency upon God, and unto ourselves.
'Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.'
For a dream cometh through the multitude of business, and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.'
Ecclesiastes 5:1-3
Dreams indeed seem to populate my sleep the past few nites, from this wonderful dream of a dear neighbour turning to Christ, yet somehow there was something incomplete, to a horrors of horrors, I saw myself starting out with a good intent to share the word of God with friends and it degenerated into a full and rough judgement of all and sundry. It must be horrible for I did awaken at 5am and was thankful it was a dream.
Is God showing me something?? Yes indeed, for in a couple of events since, clearly He showed me the danger of my beginning to veer off course, much as I thought I was doing His work.
'The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil, He shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.'
Psalms 121:7-8
Even in our imperfections, thankfully God remains faithful and loving. I have come to realize that I have not done anything wrong as yet. But at the rate that I was moving, it was a matter of time that pride and self understanding will lead me astray and to a more painful reawakening of the extent of my follies. And God will not allow His children who seek Him to err too far away and indeed He has steered me back on track, much as I might have moved even one centimetre off.
The past two days have been a spiritually draining soul searching exercise for me, and thankfully, the only thing that kept me focus was the knowledge that one must cling even closer to the Lord, much as distractions call out to us.
We are used by the Lord in many different ways. The process is always dynamic and only the Lord knows what is appropriate and of relevance for the audience He has placed in our midst.
It has been a good reminder that God has indeed brought me far, but without a total dependency upon Him and acknowledgment that all glory are to Him, we can bring ourselves down very fast. The devil is a very good example of how pride led to his downfall and even as we speak today, out there, are many self professed "man of God" who have got so enamored with themselves that they have come to attribute "success in their ministry" to themselves.
And on reflection, the restrictive bandage on my left wrist, a continuing saga of my left hand treatment, has indeed restricted my dexterity on the keyboard these past few days, and by God's grace, kept me from spewing words that might increasingly reflect more my finite understanding than truly the Word of God.
'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
And may this little reflection and sharing of my admonishment by the loving God be truly from Him and a reminder to all that we must come to personify the donkey, a beast of burden, who was used wonderfully by our Lord Jesus Christ, who sat on a mule, as the world honored Him as he rode into Jerusalem.
'And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon, as it is written..'
John 12:14
And yet, we must never be like the braying donkey, that "hee haw" with such gusto, that the uninitiated would have thought that here stands an animal whose harsh, loud cry must be one of aggrievement bemoaning its once elevated status, when in reality, was a overworked beast of burden taking a temporary respite.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(9april09)
'…shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?...'
Job 2:10
"The poor devil" is the oft phrase used as a sympathetic expression for the sufferings of a fellow being, rare does one use the phrase "the poor angel.'
And the devil is the source of trouble whom we believers often ascribe to as responsible for all bad things happening to us. In the book of Job, clearly, Satan was the source of Job's woes. Yet, we are also told in the Bible that God has the final say, and God did placed limitations on the extent of mischief or 'testing' that Satan can put Job through.
But it takes two to tango, and the imperfect men that all of us are, can and are often susceptible to our own deceitful mind.
'…therefore have I uttered that I understood not, things too wonderful for me, which I knew not..'
Job 42:3
The past couple of days have been one of soul searching for me. The soul is our emotions, our very will and attitude, and the Lord did allow me to go to the cleaners for some humbling and refining.
I am definitely not a man of few words, and in fact, I have come to believe that truly God speaks powerfully through me to the hearts of many. And indeed, God did.
Yet, in the midst of His grace, our sinful and deceitful heart often creeps in quietly and much as one might give all thanks to God, our hearts have slowly but surely moved away from dependency upon God, and unto ourselves.
'Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.'
For a dream cometh through the multitude of business, and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.'
Ecclesiastes 5:1-3
Dreams indeed seem to populate my sleep the past few nites, from this wonderful dream of a dear neighbour turning to Christ, yet somehow there was something incomplete, to a horrors of horrors, I saw myself starting out with a good intent to share the word of God with friends and it degenerated into a full and rough judgement of all and sundry. It must be horrible for I did awaken at 5am and was thankful it was a dream.
Is God showing me something?? Yes indeed, for in a couple of events since, clearly He showed me the danger of my beginning to veer off course, much as I thought I was doing His work.
'The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil, He shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.'
Psalms 121:7-8
Even in our imperfections, thankfully God remains faithful and loving. I have come to realize that I have not done anything wrong as yet. But at the rate that I was moving, it was a matter of time that pride and self understanding will lead me astray and to a more painful reawakening of the extent of my follies. And God will not allow His children who seek Him to err too far away and indeed He has steered me back on track, much as I might have moved even one centimetre off.
The past two days have been a spiritually draining soul searching exercise for me, and thankfully, the only thing that kept me focus was the knowledge that one must cling even closer to the Lord, much as distractions call out to us.
We are used by the Lord in many different ways. The process is always dynamic and only the Lord knows what is appropriate and of relevance for the audience He has placed in our midst.
It has been a good reminder that God has indeed brought me far, but without a total dependency upon Him and acknowledgment that all glory are to Him, we can bring ourselves down very fast. The devil is a very good example of how pride led to his downfall and even as we speak today, out there, are many self professed "man of God" who have got so enamored with themselves that they have come to attribute "success in their ministry" to themselves.
And on reflection, the restrictive bandage on my left wrist, a continuing saga of my left hand treatment, has indeed restricted my dexterity on the keyboard these past few days, and by God's grace, kept me from spewing words that might increasingly reflect more my finite understanding than truly the Word of God.
'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
And may this little reflection and sharing of my admonishment by the loving God be truly from Him and a reminder to all that we must come to personify the donkey, a beast of burden, who was used wonderfully by our Lord Jesus Christ, who sat on a mule, as the world honored Him as he rode into Jerusalem.
'And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon, as it is written..'
John 12:14
And yet, we must never be like the braying donkey, that "hee haw" with such gusto, that the uninitiated would have thought that here stands an animal whose harsh, loud cry must be one of aggrievement bemoaning its once elevated status, when in reality, was a overworked beast of burden taking a temporary respite.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(9april09)
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Reflections for the moment #3 Run out date (5 april 090
Dear..
'For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.'
Romans 24:17
In the past, upon being awakened by my biological alarm clock, right on the hour, at 6am, I would ponder upon the matters for the day, to be resolved or to be absolved of.
Ever since I seek to follow the Lord our God, the first matter of my heart at 6am is to ask the Lord, what would be His will for me today and to ask for the faith to let Him lead me.
"Let Jesus Christ step off the page of the Bible into your life and grip you with his marvelous risk taking love so that you will want nothing more than to follow Him and learn from Him al the days of your life"
(from "Jesus speak to you today" promotional leaflet for seminar at St Andrew's Cathedral on 9-10 July 2009)
Christ has indeed not just stepped of the page of the Bible for me, but His very Spirit resides in all who believe and life is indeed worth living for the day, for God is Sovereign. And what about tomorrow?
This must the question on the minds of many where a terminal illness has brought them to reality, the finite nature of all our lives, but most tend not to ponder upon, till we are force to.
The newspapers lately has given quite a bit of focus on euthanasia, organ trading as well as interviews with those who are terminally ill.
'...The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdom of the earth, and He has appointed me to build a temple for Him...may the Lord his God be with him and let him go up.'
2 Chronicles 36:23
The acronym R.O.D.is a 3 letter word that remains fixated on the minds of most boys who enter National Service in Singapore, for that is the date that those conscripted into military service will see them resume their civilian life, after 2 years of military service.
When Adam and Eve sinned by eating from the tree of knowledge, all humans have a run out date, for death is certain. If truly there was no God, if there was no salvation by the sacrifice His only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, then men should indulge as much as possible, for there is no after to worry or prepare for. And if there is no life after, then men should willingly kill themselves, once they had their last fling, for to prolong a wasting body is not just fruitless, but an unnecessary financial and emotional burden on the living. In the same vein, science now allows us to detect the physically imperfect feotus, and would it not be practical to preempt such imperfect beings from coming into the world, since they will not be able to partake in the short-lived material joys of the present world?
And since all are living in the present, would it not be correct for the privileged who are better positioned to enjoy the material present, to be made perfect, by having the perfect organs of the lesser beings(read lower rankings of society) harvested to made perfect the upper strata of society?
'Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere.'
2 Chronicles 36:23
Hogwash the above might seem just a few decades back. But the science is now with us. What is holding it from being full blown reality would be the values that all of us subscribe to. Western society and its laws, are to largely founded upon the precepts of Judeo-Christianity and to a large extent the world we know the past few hundred years, given that the colonial powers were the Western powers who dominated the world..
I am from the old school. I am no modernist, globalist nor am I the so called new fangled 21st century Christians or secularist who think either God and the Bible should be updated to suit the modern world or who just simply do not believe in God, but rather in themselves.
God is still the same loving and faithful God. And many men, much as they might think othewise, is still the same sinful, greedy, selfish and self serving, prideful scion of the devil.
'Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him...'
Psalm 84:10
I can only attest that having journeyed with friends who have lasted 6-12 months before they succumbed to the ravages of illnesses, that there is indeed life even in one's last days, and God is ever present, and eternity is real, and attainable for all who are willing, even if they were not willing most of their lives.
'Dont grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength'
Nehemiah 8:10
Should we dare to hinder God's grace and now play God by deciding who should inherit this earth and bring forward the expiry date of a fellow human being, based on our imperfect and finite understanding?
'And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.'
Philippians 4:7
Till his or her last breath, one still has the choice of saying yes to God's love. We must stop counting the costs of the present, for to do so, would not just deprive a fellow being of eternal salvation, but also the many people including yourself that God wants to bring forth to His kingdom, from just this one suffering brother.
How do I and many fellow followers of our Lord Jesus Christ know that?
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain fo what we do not see...'
Hebrews 11:1
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(5april09)
'For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.'
Romans 24:17
In the past, upon being awakened by my biological alarm clock, right on the hour, at 6am, I would ponder upon the matters for the day, to be resolved or to be absolved of.
Ever since I seek to follow the Lord our God, the first matter of my heart at 6am is to ask the Lord, what would be His will for me today and to ask for the faith to let Him lead me.
"Let Jesus Christ step off the page of the Bible into your life and grip you with his marvelous risk taking love so that you will want nothing more than to follow Him and learn from Him al the days of your life"
(from "Jesus speak to you today" promotional leaflet for seminar at St Andrew's Cathedral on 9-10 July 2009)
Christ has indeed not just stepped of the page of the Bible for me, but His very Spirit resides in all who believe and life is indeed worth living for the day, for God is Sovereign. And what about tomorrow?
This must the question on the minds of many where a terminal illness has brought them to reality, the finite nature of all our lives, but most tend not to ponder upon, till we are force to.
The newspapers lately has given quite a bit of focus on euthanasia, organ trading as well as interviews with those who are terminally ill.
'...The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdom of the earth, and He has appointed me to build a temple for Him...may the Lord his God be with him and let him go up.'
2 Chronicles 36:23
The acronym R.O.D.is a 3 letter word that remains fixated on the minds of most boys who enter National Service in Singapore, for that is the date that those conscripted into military service will see them resume their civilian life, after 2 years of military service.
When Adam and Eve sinned by eating from the tree of knowledge, all humans have a run out date, for death is certain. If truly there was no God, if there was no salvation by the sacrifice His only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, then men should indulge as much as possible, for there is no after to worry or prepare for. And if there is no life after, then men should willingly kill themselves, once they had their last fling, for to prolong a wasting body is not just fruitless, but an unnecessary financial and emotional burden on the living. In the same vein, science now allows us to detect the physically imperfect feotus, and would it not be practical to preempt such imperfect beings from coming into the world, since they will not be able to partake in the short-lived material joys of the present world?
And since all are living in the present, would it not be correct for the privileged who are better positioned to enjoy the material present, to be made perfect, by having the perfect organs of the lesser beings(read lower rankings of society) harvested to made perfect the upper strata of society?
'Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere.'
2 Chronicles 36:23
Hogwash the above might seem just a few decades back. But the science is now with us. What is holding it from being full blown reality would be the values that all of us subscribe to. Western society and its laws, are to largely founded upon the precepts of Judeo-Christianity and to a large extent the world we know the past few hundred years, given that the colonial powers were the Western powers who dominated the world..
I am from the old school. I am no modernist, globalist nor am I the so called new fangled 21st century Christians or secularist who think either God and the Bible should be updated to suit the modern world or who just simply do not believe in God, but rather in themselves.
God is still the same loving and faithful God. And many men, much as they might think othewise, is still the same sinful, greedy, selfish and self serving, prideful scion of the devil.
'Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him...'
Psalm 84:10
I can only attest that having journeyed with friends who have lasted 6-12 months before they succumbed to the ravages of illnesses, that there is indeed life even in one's last days, and God is ever present, and eternity is real, and attainable for all who are willing, even if they were not willing most of their lives.
'Dont grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength'
Nehemiah 8:10
Should we dare to hinder God's grace and now play God by deciding who should inherit this earth and bring forward the expiry date of a fellow human being, based on our imperfect and finite understanding?
'And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.'
Philippians 4:7
Till his or her last breath, one still has the choice of saying yes to God's love. We must stop counting the costs of the present, for to do so, would not just deprive a fellow being of eternal salvation, but also the many people including yourself that God wants to bring forth to His kingdom, from just this one suffering brother.
How do I and many fellow followers of our Lord Jesus Christ know that?
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain fo what we do not see...'
Hebrews 11:1
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(5april09)
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Reflections for the moment : Impression (2April09)
Dear…
'Arise, go over this Jordan….I will not leave you nor forsake you.'
Joshua 1:2,5
Does the horse comes before the cart,or is it the other way round? Ever since I seek to follow our Lord Jesus Christ, coincidences for me has become more of a prevalence than a bluer than blue moon. A brother did wonderfully remind me in sharing his thoughts from reading my "Reflections for the moment#1 : Dying and living" that truly, just like our Lord look not for sacrifice, but obedience, Our Lord looks for total commitment from us, but the results are left to Him.
But can the less than faithful us trust that the Lord is Sovereign? Today's Daily Bread reading from Joshua 1:2,5 reminds all that wherever God leads us, He will be with us. And what greater assurance do we need than to know that we walk not just alone, but with an omnipresent and awesome, yet loving God.
'But seek His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.'
Luke 12:31
The cart indeed comes before the horse, at least for the life of a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. God knows our needs, but do we know His will? Do we every moment of our lives seek to come unto God's presence to know His will, or do we come to God only when we need something?
If we are to take a moment's pause and reflect, with a thankful heart, upon the more than half full glass of our life, you will indeed concur that God is good, and our wants might not be met, but our needs have been more than satisfied
'According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, though the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue…..'
2 Peter 1:3-8
Like me, if you believe and know that God has provided and God will provide, will we not move as He leads, from our heart, and learn to leave our own understanding by the wayside.
We often talk of God speaking to us. Of God prompting us. But contrary to the finite man's understanding of the usual modus operandi, God communicates with us in the Spirit, and not via the carnal senses of sight, sound, feel, taste nor smell.
If you believe, the Spirit of God resides in you and the Spirit of God will lead us.
'Bless the Lord, ye His angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His Word…'
Psalms 103:20
King Agrippa told the Apostle Paul that too much knowledge has caused him to be mad. Some would say that my spending too much time with our Lord has caused me to hallucinate, for lately, I seem to "hear" our Lord very distinctively. In my recent sharings, I have written about how the Lord 'spoke' to me about the need to reduce debt significantly and to diversify out my rather overweight position in the Antipodean currencies. I did respond, for how can one not, when the Lord spoke to me not once, but thrice. But without His grace, it would not have been possible for me to do both and come out relatively unscathed, for all will be aware that most assets including the Australian and New Zealand dollars have declined at least 30-50%.
'But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus'
Philippians 4:19
As I now bring this latest reflection to a close and try to stay concise, the Lord placed the thought in my heart that now is the time to "clean up." But I have indeed clean up my debt and my deposits and very well, by His grace. The Lord reminded me about the need to clean up the last leg of of my own portfolio, ie shares. The markets the next month or so will offer all an opportunity to make right what was wrong with our portfolios. Be not driven by fear(as in the case now) nor be driven by greed(as what was and will again be soon as prices rises albeit temporarily on relentless liquidity from the Americans).
But it is more than our financials. It is about us making right our lives, by coming unto the source of all comfort and grace, the Lord our God.
'He seldom reflects on the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.'
Ecclesiastes 5:20
Indeed, would life not be wonderful, if it is all about following and not always wondering or wandering? That can only happen when the only deep impression on our hearts is that of the love of God.
God Blesses
Note
------
It is not that I have moved to a daily sharing, but rather, as the Lord prompts, one respond. Maybe, it is also to make up for the future lost time should I really need to be on a sling eventually. Am seeing a 2nd specialist and the prayers of the faithful avails much. Always grateful for your prayers.
Eng Hieang
(2April09)
'Arise, go over this Jordan….I will not leave you nor forsake you.'
Joshua 1:2,5
Does the horse comes before the cart,or is it the other way round? Ever since I seek to follow our Lord Jesus Christ, coincidences for me has become more of a prevalence than a bluer than blue moon. A brother did wonderfully remind me in sharing his thoughts from reading my "Reflections for the moment#1 : Dying and living" that truly, just like our Lord look not for sacrifice, but obedience, Our Lord looks for total commitment from us, but the results are left to Him.
But can the less than faithful us trust that the Lord is Sovereign? Today's Daily Bread reading from Joshua 1:2,5 reminds all that wherever God leads us, He will be with us. And what greater assurance do we need than to know that we walk not just alone, but with an omnipresent and awesome, yet loving God.
'But seek His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.'
Luke 12:31
The cart indeed comes before the horse, at least for the life of a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. God knows our needs, but do we know His will? Do we every moment of our lives seek to come unto God's presence to know His will, or do we come to God only when we need something?
If we are to take a moment's pause and reflect, with a thankful heart, upon the more than half full glass of our life, you will indeed concur that God is good, and our wants might not be met, but our needs have been more than satisfied
'According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, though the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue…..'
2 Peter 1:3-8
Like me, if you believe and know that God has provided and God will provide, will we not move as He leads, from our heart, and learn to leave our own understanding by the wayside.
We often talk of God speaking to us. Of God prompting us. But contrary to the finite man's understanding of the usual modus operandi, God communicates with us in the Spirit, and not via the carnal senses of sight, sound, feel, taste nor smell.
If you believe, the Spirit of God resides in you and the Spirit of God will lead us.
'Bless the Lord, ye His angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His Word…'
Psalms 103:20
King Agrippa told the Apostle Paul that too much knowledge has caused him to be mad. Some would say that my spending too much time with our Lord has caused me to hallucinate, for lately, I seem to "hear" our Lord very distinctively. In my recent sharings, I have written about how the Lord 'spoke' to me about the need to reduce debt significantly and to diversify out my rather overweight position in the Antipodean currencies. I did respond, for how can one not, when the Lord spoke to me not once, but thrice. But without His grace, it would not have been possible for me to do both and come out relatively unscathed, for all will be aware that most assets including the Australian and New Zealand dollars have declined at least 30-50%.
'But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus'
Philippians 4:19
As I now bring this latest reflection to a close and try to stay concise, the Lord placed the thought in my heart that now is the time to "clean up." But I have indeed clean up my debt and my deposits and very well, by His grace. The Lord reminded me about the need to clean up the last leg of of my own portfolio, ie shares. The markets the next month or so will offer all an opportunity to make right what was wrong with our portfolios. Be not driven by fear(as in the case now) nor be driven by greed(as what was and will again be soon as prices rises albeit temporarily on relentless liquidity from the Americans).
But it is more than our financials. It is about us making right our lives, by coming unto the source of all comfort and grace, the Lord our God.
'He seldom reflects on the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.'
Ecclesiastes 5:20
Indeed, would life not be wonderful, if it is all about following and not always wondering or wandering? That can only happen when the only deep impression on our hearts is that of the love of God.
God Blesses
Note
------
It is not that I have moved to a daily sharing, but rather, as the Lord prompts, one respond. Maybe, it is also to make up for the future lost time should I really need to be on a sling eventually. Am seeing a 2nd specialist and the prayers of the faithful avails much. Always grateful for your prayers.
Eng Hieang
(2April09)
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Reflections for the moment #1 Dying and living (1april09)
Dear..
'But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cheriseth her children.'
1 Thessalonians 2:7
I was at the Christian bookstore yesterday paying for a couple of items, when the cashier asked rather apologetically if I was over age 50. She was afraid I might not be and will be offended. But out of the goodness of her heart, she did not want me to lose the extra discount offered to the half century club.
Hoary hair I might have, but the shine on my head is the glory of God, and she was as pleased as I was that both of us gave glory to God for whatever station that we might be in, though the opportunistic and sinful me did try to ask if I still qualified for a discount by virtue of being a thankful Christian.
In this morning's reading of the Daily Bread, the author reminded us all to go beyond words and money, and unto our all in all, be it time, friendship or whatever the Lord placed at our disposal, in living out His command to us, to love Him and to love others.
Today, as we gathered for our regular office worship, we are also reminded that all of us have fallen short, in letting obstacles stop us from ministering to the needs of a fellow sister. The choice to believe is not for us to impose upon anyone, but in not responding to the Lord's will, we as believers and followers of Christ have deprived ourselves and others of witnessing the grace of God at work in the lives of all of us.
'I am the resurrection and the life, He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.'
John 11:25
How does one convey the message of salvation to one who is on the final throes of death, where all bodily faculties are in the process of shutting down. With God all things are possible, but have we done enough legwork when earlier opportunities had offered us the means to communicate with the unreceptive but still functioning brother or sister?
If we had responded as our Lord leads, we might not have seen much success either, based on our own strengths, but I am sure we would have been privileged to be used by the Lord as part of the process of healing and reconciliation with Him, and while the yes or no still has to come from the individual, my belief that it will always be a yes, much as we might not see it manifested by the normal sensory faculties, for God will speak to the heart.
And whoseover liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?'
John 11:26
Strange you might say, why is this chap still writing to me? Was not there suppose to be a period of silence while his left wrists heal? I have not had my 2nd appointment with the doctor as yet, but my heart has been truly stirred to start off this new leg of my journey with the Lord "Reflections for the moment."
And God is good. For some of my friends who was with me at worship this lunchtime, you might have noticed my personal gymnastics with my left hand. As we sang the song "He healeth." I was reminded of how the Lord a few years back restored my hearing, which has been temporarily deficient in the few days prior to that time of worship during my small group meeting, when my dear brother, whom I still missed, led us all in taking up our Lord on His promise, "He healeth." by singing this same song. My hearing was truly restored then, much to the surprise of the ENT specialists whom I met again for a second meeting after that night.
The pain in my wrist is still there, but somewhat greatly subsided. It is healed sufficiently to allow me to tap this short reflection fairly smoothy with little hindrance.
And so, in closing, we truly as men and women who have been blessed to experience God's grace in our lives all the time, we must not just stand steadfast in our faith, but cling close to our Lord every moment of our lives, so that we will know His will and be willing to move forth as He leads.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(1 April 09)
'But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cheriseth her children.'
1 Thessalonians 2:7
I was at the Christian bookstore yesterday paying for a couple of items, when the cashier asked rather apologetically if I was over age 50. She was afraid I might not be and will be offended. But out of the goodness of her heart, she did not want me to lose the extra discount offered to the half century club.
Hoary hair I might have, but the shine on my head is the glory of God, and she was as pleased as I was that both of us gave glory to God for whatever station that we might be in, though the opportunistic and sinful me did try to ask if I still qualified for a discount by virtue of being a thankful Christian.
In this morning's reading of the Daily Bread, the author reminded us all to go beyond words and money, and unto our all in all, be it time, friendship or whatever the Lord placed at our disposal, in living out His command to us, to love Him and to love others.
Today, as we gathered for our regular office worship, we are also reminded that all of us have fallen short, in letting obstacles stop us from ministering to the needs of a fellow sister. The choice to believe is not for us to impose upon anyone, but in not responding to the Lord's will, we as believers and followers of Christ have deprived ourselves and others of witnessing the grace of God at work in the lives of all of us.
'I am the resurrection and the life, He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.'
John 11:25
How does one convey the message of salvation to one who is on the final throes of death, where all bodily faculties are in the process of shutting down. With God all things are possible, but have we done enough legwork when earlier opportunities had offered us the means to communicate with the unreceptive but still functioning brother or sister?
If we had responded as our Lord leads, we might not have seen much success either, based on our own strengths, but I am sure we would have been privileged to be used by the Lord as part of the process of healing and reconciliation with Him, and while the yes or no still has to come from the individual, my belief that it will always be a yes, much as we might not see it manifested by the normal sensory faculties, for God will speak to the heart.
And whoseover liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?'
John 11:26
Strange you might say, why is this chap still writing to me? Was not there suppose to be a period of silence while his left wrists heal? I have not had my 2nd appointment with the doctor as yet, but my heart has been truly stirred to start off this new leg of my journey with the Lord "Reflections for the moment."
And God is good. For some of my friends who was with me at worship this lunchtime, you might have noticed my personal gymnastics with my left hand. As we sang the song "He healeth." I was reminded of how the Lord a few years back restored my hearing, which has been temporarily deficient in the few days prior to that time of worship during my small group meeting, when my dear brother, whom I still missed, led us all in taking up our Lord on His promise, "He healeth." by singing this same song. My hearing was truly restored then, much to the surprise of the ENT specialists whom I met again for a second meeting after that night.
The pain in my wrist is still there, but somewhat greatly subsided. It is healed sufficiently to allow me to tap this short reflection fairly smoothy with little hindrance.
And so, in closing, we truly as men and women who have been blessed to experience God's grace in our lives all the time, we must not just stand steadfast in our faith, but cling close to our Lord every moment of our lives, so that we will know His will and be willing to move forth as He leads.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(1 April 09)
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