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)
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