Dear...
"You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord. And I will bring you back from captivity.'
Jeremiah 29:10-14
Much as I sometimes use some old movies in my sharing, I am no movie buff and so, the choice of title for today's reflection is not a desire to preempt Pixar movies in doing a sequel to that lovable movie "Nemo.' but rather that orange bound fish seemed to pop up in my thoughts once too often today that I felt led to speak as the Lord leads and may the words truly be the salt water that will awash you with joy into what has till now for many, been a bland non relationship with our Sovereign Lord.
'But concerning Israel He says,"All day long I have held out My hand to a disobedient and obstinate people.'
Romans10:21
Nemo as some might recall was a fish who decided to skip town, having grown intolerant of the constant loving concern of his father. Rejected as he might be, Nemo's father searched the ocean for his son and the story ended well with reconciliation and love spring forth again.
'..if you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, He will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after He has been good to you.'
Joshua 24;19-20
As a Christian, how many of us truly understands its implications? A Christian is not just a believer of our Lord Jesus Christ, but an obedient and faithful follower. A desirous Christian places God as first in his or her life. It is not about first thing in the day, but rather, God is Whom you come to in all things and God's will supercedes our will and that of others.
Many find it burdensome to follow the will of God. Some find it hard to understand the will of God, And others are not even sure if they can follow a God they cannot see or hear with their senses.
So like Nemo, everyone goes their own way.
'Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.'
Luke 22:46
God has a purpose for each and every individual. The commonality is His love for us and the plan of salvation and transformation for all who believed. But personal responsibility or more correctly a determined response, that is independent of our imperfect understanding, but solely dependent upon trust and obedience in God and in His leading, is very much needed in the fulfilment of God's purpose for us..
It is by our willing response of faith that will bring us onto the predestination that God has foreknew for all who believed. We must be willing to jump in, all two hands and legs onto the train that God has set in motion towards His will.
'For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son...'
Romans 8:28-29
To continue to do a Nemo, ie to fend off the loving hands of our Sovereign God, and to continue to seek other gods of our own understanding is to not just place ourselves at the non mercy of the devil, but unlike Nemo, there might not be a happy ending, for God gives us all a choice.
If it is hell one so seek, God's outstretched hands are still there for you to grasp to be pulled out of the depths of hell, but you must want to grasp that hand, God will not force His will upon you.
'And we know that in all things God wants for the good of those who love Him...'
Romans 8:28
If you truly call yourself a Christian, then you must live like one. To continue to give lip service to God's commands and delude yourself that there is always time for God some other time or that God will forgive the disobedient and unrepentant or that God will understand our needs on Earth are indeed compelling enough to place Him down the priority list, is the quickest way to a one way ticket to eternal damnation. And to delude oneself that God loves us, so He will be inclusive and is prepared to compromise His will to suit our lustful and unnatural desires or all other sins, is to bring one closer to the reality of the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Do reflect upon the parable of the banquet where the angry master told his servant to
'go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invtied will get a taste of my banquet.'
Luke 14:23
And for double measure, here is one more for the road
...I was found by those who did not seek me. I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me.'
Romans 10:20
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(14june09)
Note
-------
This reflection was written two Sundays back, in a moment of inspiration or madness, depending upon the belief system of the reader. Since then, have already inundated all with a spate of 3 sharings and so, thought I should hold it back. But as I spend time with the Lord today, I was reminded that if it is truly from the Lord, one should never hold back, for we are in End Times, and God will bring about the increase, as many are forced to revisit their lives. And as men and women who are blessed to be used by our God to be the lamp upon whom His light shine forth, we must decrease for God will increase, but if God so leads, we must respond.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Reflections for the moment#20 Looney (25jun09)
Dear…
'Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled, and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.'
Acts 4:13
Not too sure if all share the same feeling as me, but since I was blessed to receive the God inspired desire to seek Him, I have like you, done small but wonderful things for His kingdom, that I would never fathom myself ever doing, either because it was not financially rewarding, or maybe in a broader sense, runs against my own interests and understanding or simply, I either will feel foolish doing it, or be considered foolish to do it.
Looney toons was and is still my favorite cartoon on television, but now was, simply because television today no longer show the simpler cartoons like Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig or Sylvester the Cat. Guess the Japanese Anime cartoons with all its gadgets and violence are more appealing to the heightened carnal senses of our internet savvy kids.
So are diligent followers of our Lord Jesus Christ(rather than fervent for fervent seems associated with fanatical, which trust me, true followers of Christ are not, for God is love) loose nuts or loonies to be looked upon with disdain or at best left in isolation from the real world?
'And many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come.'
Matthew 24:12-14
Coming back to the "real" or more like sinful world, one would realize that there are already plenty of loonies running loose, and we are not talking about Christians.
The "looney" is the Canadian $1 coin, with one side showing the loon, a popular Canadian bird, but has since come to symbolize the Canadian currency in general, just like the term "greenback" for the US currency. And much as Canada has been living in the shadows of its bigger Southern neighbour, the still great USA( at least militarily), Canada as an economy has a much vaunted banking system that seems to have escaped relatively unscathed from the excessive greed led, immoral credit binge that has floored its bigger developed Western peers.
Ludicrous might be an apt description of the excessive ill discipline or desperation amongst many nations to print their way out of this economic pithole they find themselves in, but madness does have its logic, when one is unwilling to take the morally correct but painful course of abstinence from past excessive binge funded by the rest of the world.
Are all the hints of "green shoots" of economic recovery and "the worst is over" and "good days are here again" the pronouncements of mad politicians and economists or the work of deviant minds selling delusions that the world wants to hear? Maybe, we are mistaking the superfluous overflow of greenbacks for greenshoots?
'Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? And whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden, and it grew, and waxed a great tree, and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it…'
Luke 13:18-19
Man without God is driven by his carnal passion. A man who seeks God is driven by compassion. The difference is that the "com" is the believers' acknowledgement and trust in "Christ our master", that God is Sovereign in all our endeavours.
Self belief can bring man to achievements that they thought not possible. Belief in Christ will bring us to realms that we can never fathom by our own finite understanding.. God will use all of us, who are desirous, upon which His grace and glory will shine forth and there is no madness of illogic in our relationship with God, but there must be meekness or rather, humility in the presence of our awesome God.
''How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?'
Genesis 39:9
If you are in an asylum, or in today's politically correct world, at least in Singapore, we call it an Institute of Mental Health(in other countries, they might call it emotional spas or health farms or whatever seems nice) instead of the more memorable Woodbridge Asylum. You are taken out of the normal society and placed in the asylum, because you are considered mentally unstable because your behaviour is not in line with the bigger universe of normal people. Yet, it is all relative, for in the asylum, the looneys are the majority and hence can be considered "normal" and anyone who has a lucid mind, would be considered off centre.
Christians are in this world, but not of this world. Will we who is prepared to stay steadfast in the Lord, be eventually lumped as "loonies' in a world that is increasingly moving away from God to self?
The world we have entered has truly evolved. Recent studies have confirmed what we intuitively already know. Global warming is already here with us and not our inheritance for our next generation. Politicians fairly or unfairly always have bad press as regards their morality. For a politician is defined as one who is involved in influencing public decision and in our present context where mob and deviant behaviour has increasingly entered mainstream, at least from my biased view, in the West, it would be politically suicidal and pure lunacy to speak the truth and inflict pain upon a generation that has been corrupted by its material blessings.
The recent European Parliament elections could be a harbinger of things to come, with the far right and right winning more seats than before. Is xenophobia back in fashion, when there is less to go around?
'….lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.'
Matthew 28:20
As a believer who knows God and continue to seek to walk even more closely with our Lord, the need to stand firm and steadfast is even more compelling, much as the world swirls even more in all dimensions and much as the world demands that we be like them, be inclusive, a compromiser at the lowest reaches of human morality, away from the Lord's commands.
It is not for us to judge our brethren. Yet, it is even more that we must live a life that will allow the light of God's truth to shine forth brightly in the intensifying darkness. The world might think that faithful Christians are mad not to think of self, but to not obey our God is worse than madness, it will mean the reality of eternal damnation in hell and rest assured, it is not a figment of one's imagination.
'I have stuck unto Thy testimonies: O Lord, put me not to shame.'
Psalms 119:31
Self denial or self delusion, God will allow us to be shaken out of it and much as the world has been shaken, it has been as quick in forgetting, and while none of us can predict the next shaking, the Lord our God is very clear that He will want to bring us back, for our soul is at stake, and would you be like the many, who is rationally delusive in choosing to ignore the warnings of the Lord our God to their own peril?
'..for the day of the Lord is at hand..'
Zephaniah 1:7
Rgds and God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(20th June 09)
An afterthought
---------------------
For those of us in Singapore, the heat has been quite unbearable. The heat might have affected my imagination, but lately I have been spending an undue amount of time ridding the house of ants, which were quite relentless in their desire to seek shelter in the cooler part of the house, be it the airconditioning or where there is water. Not a new phenomenon, but quite different in their continued stubborness in the face of certain death, no different from the British soldiers who charged at the machine gun enplacements of the Afrikaans during the Boer War.
It is well documented that animals display strange behaviour before a natural disaster eg Tsunami or Earthquakes. No one ever included the ants, but is this a harbinger of some near term upheavals about to dawn upon the world? The devil is in the details, but the devil or rather his fellow demons were in the herd of swine when they left the body of the poor soul that our Lord Jesus Christ saved. Will it be swine flu turn virile, or Eastern Europe taking over the mantle of crisis continent from Asia of 10 years back, or the present Iran crisis triggering a 2nd and more severe economic downturn, like what Iran did almost 30 years back?
No one knows, but it matters not, for it is more important to know the Lord our God, for only can then one stand steadfast in this swirling and sinful world.
'Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled, and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.'
Acts 4:13
Not too sure if all share the same feeling as me, but since I was blessed to receive the God inspired desire to seek Him, I have like you, done small but wonderful things for His kingdom, that I would never fathom myself ever doing, either because it was not financially rewarding, or maybe in a broader sense, runs against my own interests and understanding or simply, I either will feel foolish doing it, or be considered foolish to do it.
Looney toons was and is still my favorite cartoon on television, but now was, simply because television today no longer show the simpler cartoons like Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig or Sylvester the Cat. Guess the Japanese Anime cartoons with all its gadgets and violence are more appealing to the heightened carnal senses of our internet savvy kids.
So are diligent followers of our Lord Jesus Christ(rather than fervent for fervent seems associated with fanatical, which trust me, true followers of Christ are not, for God is love) loose nuts or loonies to be looked upon with disdain or at best left in isolation from the real world?
'And many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come.'
Matthew 24:12-14
Coming back to the "real" or more like sinful world, one would realize that there are already plenty of loonies running loose, and we are not talking about Christians.
The "looney" is the Canadian $1 coin, with one side showing the loon, a popular Canadian bird, but has since come to symbolize the Canadian currency in general, just like the term "greenback" for the US currency. And much as Canada has been living in the shadows of its bigger Southern neighbour, the still great USA( at least militarily), Canada as an economy has a much vaunted banking system that seems to have escaped relatively unscathed from the excessive greed led, immoral credit binge that has floored its bigger developed Western peers.
Ludicrous might be an apt description of the excessive ill discipline or desperation amongst many nations to print their way out of this economic pithole they find themselves in, but madness does have its logic, when one is unwilling to take the morally correct but painful course of abstinence from past excessive binge funded by the rest of the world.
Are all the hints of "green shoots" of economic recovery and "the worst is over" and "good days are here again" the pronouncements of mad politicians and economists or the work of deviant minds selling delusions that the world wants to hear? Maybe, we are mistaking the superfluous overflow of greenbacks for greenshoots?
'Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? And whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden, and it grew, and waxed a great tree, and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it…'
Luke 13:18-19
Man without God is driven by his carnal passion. A man who seeks God is driven by compassion. The difference is that the "com" is the believers' acknowledgement and trust in "Christ our master", that God is Sovereign in all our endeavours.
Self belief can bring man to achievements that they thought not possible. Belief in Christ will bring us to realms that we can never fathom by our own finite understanding.. God will use all of us, who are desirous, upon which His grace and glory will shine forth and there is no madness of illogic in our relationship with God, but there must be meekness or rather, humility in the presence of our awesome God.
''How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?'
Genesis 39:9
If you are in an asylum, or in today's politically correct world, at least in Singapore, we call it an Institute of Mental Health(in other countries, they might call it emotional spas or health farms or whatever seems nice) instead of the more memorable Woodbridge Asylum. You are taken out of the normal society and placed in the asylum, because you are considered mentally unstable because your behaviour is not in line with the bigger universe of normal people. Yet, it is all relative, for in the asylum, the looneys are the majority and hence can be considered "normal" and anyone who has a lucid mind, would be considered off centre.
Christians are in this world, but not of this world. Will we who is prepared to stay steadfast in the Lord, be eventually lumped as "loonies' in a world that is increasingly moving away from God to self?
The world we have entered has truly evolved. Recent studies have confirmed what we intuitively already know. Global warming is already here with us and not our inheritance for our next generation. Politicians fairly or unfairly always have bad press as regards their morality. For a politician is defined as one who is involved in influencing public decision and in our present context where mob and deviant behaviour has increasingly entered mainstream, at least from my biased view, in the West, it would be politically suicidal and pure lunacy to speak the truth and inflict pain upon a generation that has been corrupted by its material blessings.
The recent European Parliament elections could be a harbinger of things to come, with the far right and right winning more seats than before. Is xenophobia back in fashion, when there is less to go around?
'….lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.'
Matthew 28:20
As a believer who knows God and continue to seek to walk even more closely with our Lord, the need to stand firm and steadfast is even more compelling, much as the world swirls even more in all dimensions and much as the world demands that we be like them, be inclusive, a compromiser at the lowest reaches of human morality, away from the Lord's commands.
It is not for us to judge our brethren. Yet, it is even more that we must live a life that will allow the light of God's truth to shine forth brightly in the intensifying darkness. The world might think that faithful Christians are mad not to think of self, but to not obey our God is worse than madness, it will mean the reality of eternal damnation in hell and rest assured, it is not a figment of one's imagination.
'I have stuck unto Thy testimonies: O Lord, put me not to shame.'
Psalms 119:31
Self denial or self delusion, God will allow us to be shaken out of it and much as the world has been shaken, it has been as quick in forgetting, and while none of us can predict the next shaking, the Lord our God is very clear that He will want to bring us back, for our soul is at stake, and would you be like the many, who is rationally delusive in choosing to ignore the warnings of the Lord our God to their own peril?
'..for the day of the Lord is at hand..'
Zephaniah 1:7
Rgds and God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(20th June 09)
An afterthought
---------------------
For those of us in Singapore, the heat has been quite unbearable. The heat might have affected my imagination, but lately I have been spending an undue amount of time ridding the house of ants, which were quite relentless in their desire to seek shelter in the cooler part of the house, be it the airconditioning or where there is water. Not a new phenomenon, but quite different in their continued stubborness in the face of certain death, no different from the British soldiers who charged at the machine gun enplacements of the Afrikaans during the Boer War.
It is well documented that animals display strange behaviour before a natural disaster eg Tsunami or Earthquakes. No one ever included the ants, but is this a harbinger of some near term upheavals about to dawn upon the world? The devil is in the details, but the devil or rather his fellow demons were in the herd of swine when they left the body of the poor soul that our Lord Jesus Christ saved. Will it be swine flu turn virile, or Eastern Europe taking over the mantle of crisis continent from Asia of 10 years back, or the present Iran crisis triggering a 2nd and more severe economic downturn, like what Iran did almost 30 years back?
No one knows, but it matters not, for it is more important to know the Lord our God, for only can then one stand steadfast in this swirling and sinful world.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Reflections for the moment #19 A.D Verbatim(18jun09)
Dear…
"I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure.'
Psalm 119:162
The word "surprise" mean something unexpected, and it could be pleasant or nasty but never indifferent. I had a dream last night and saw myself in a concert. What the eye could visualize was clearly an event organized by people whose belief systems are different from mine, yet, the whole proceeding seemed no different from that of a worship session that believers engaged in and to cap it all, God and Amen were the distinct last words that spewed forth from one garbed in clothings you will least expect.
"Sequel" is not an unpopular word, if Hollywood has its ways, given their attempts to squeeze more monies out of a one hit movie into a series of clones that by now has dulled most senses. The same nite, my dream moved on to a guy who I know and probably unfairly, in my sinful eyes, one whom I would least expect to be a believer and here he was, a devout one mouthing with all sincerity, praise to our Lord.
'But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.'
Acts 11;9
Being imperfect, each and everyone of us will carry our baisedness and maybe in the medium of dreams, where all are revealed, for none can in their sleep, consciously suppressed their inner thoughts, God reveals our true feelings, much as we might not even be aware of in our waking hours. Maybe on a more positive note, one would not expect the obviously oblivous to God's presence to suddenly do the unthinkable, to be a faithful Christian, but who are we to know the heart of a person, and with God, all things are possible.
'Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as He did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I that I could withstand God?'
Acts 11:17
Verbatim is the repetiton of the exact words used by a speaker or writer. The dictionary defines it as marked by strict and particular and complete accordance with fact; "an exact mind"; "an exact copy"; "hit the exact center of the target"
To be a Christian is to believe in God and the salvation given to all by the sacrifice of His Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. To be a Christian is to be willing to let God mold us in the likeness of Jesus Christ. To be a Christian is not to just mouth verbatim the Words of the Bible, but rather, to live out the will of God, to let the world see Christ through us.
'For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings…'
Hosea 6:6
All of us will struggle to be like Christ, but it matters not, for God looks not for perfection, but for a desirous and obedient heart. Christians will come in all shapes and sizes, with different background and past experiences, but the commonality is a heart that is opened to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
What about ad verbatim? I scoured the internet to look for traces or explanation for the existence of these two words working together. There was none. Individually yes, but not together.
I had thought "ad verbatim" had mean't to speak off the cuff, yet being able to repeat to the last letter, words spoken by someone else.
Maybe I am wrong. But like many, I am probably more wrong in having preconceived notions of who should be a Christian and what ideal attributes they should possess to qualify and stay as one.
God loves all. And God will use the weak. Quite a different approach from us humans who judge a person by what we perceived from our sinful and finite understanding.
In the pre-Jesus Christ days, to some extent, humans had a direct line with God, in the sense that the Ten Commandments formed the basis of their acceptable behaviour.
Reality is that man is incapable of not sinning and all will have fallen short of the law. Does it mean that God has failed to forsee our inability to live verbatim the rules He has set?
A study course I recently undertook gives an interesting perspective. It is not that God has failed to see our weakness. But rather, God is aware of our failings and the law is placed to enable us humans to see our weaknesses to live verbatim God's commands.
We need a conduit, our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom, by our belief will we be able to overcome our inherent sinfulness. The law shows our shortfall. And by faithfully following our Lord Jesus Christ, will we truly be able to live in the Spirit, the will of God.
It is not Ad Verbatim, but rather, A.D. Verbatim. That is, after Christ's entry into our world, has men been able to be cleansed of their sins and been able to live a life that God has set for us all. Our predestination that God has set for all who believe, but which none could enter and none could stay on, without our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are all work in progress, till the day the Lord takes us home.
“He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.’
Philippians 1:6
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(18th June 09)
"I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure.'
Psalm 119:162
The word "surprise" mean something unexpected, and it could be pleasant or nasty but never indifferent. I had a dream last night and saw myself in a concert. What the eye could visualize was clearly an event organized by people whose belief systems are different from mine, yet, the whole proceeding seemed no different from that of a worship session that believers engaged in and to cap it all, God and Amen were the distinct last words that spewed forth from one garbed in clothings you will least expect.
"Sequel" is not an unpopular word, if Hollywood has its ways, given their attempts to squeeze more monies out of a one hit movie into a series of clones that by now has dulled most senses. The same nite, my dream moved on to a guy who I know and probably unfairly, in my sinful eyes, one whom I would least expect to be a believer and here he was, a devout one mouthing with all sincerity, praise to our Lord.
'But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.'
Acts 11;9
Being imperfect, each and everyone of us will carry our baisedness and maybe in the medium of dreams, where all are revealed, for none can in their sleep, consciously suppressed their inner thoughts, God reveals our true feelings, much as we might not even be aware of in our waking hours. Maybe on a more positive note, one would not expect the obviously oblivous to God's presence to suddenly do the unthinkable, to be a faithful Christian, but who are we to know the heart of a person, and with God, all things are possible.
'Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as He did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I that I could withstand God?'
Acts 11:17
Verbatim is the repetiton of the exact words used by a speaker or writer. The dictionary defines it as marked by strict and particular and complete accordance with fact; "an exact mind"; "an exact copy"; "hit the exact center of the target"
To be a Christian is to believe in God and the salvation given to all by the sacrifice of His Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. To be a Christian is to be willing to let God mold us in the likeness of Jesus Christ. To be a Christian is not to just mouth verbatim the Words of the Bible, but rather, to live out the will of God, to let the world see Christ through us.
'For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings…'
Hosea 6:6
All of us will struggle to be like Christ, but it matters not, for God looks not for perfection, but for a desirous and obedient heart. Christians will come in all shapes and sizes, with different background and past experiences, but the commonality is a heart that is opened to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
What about ad verbatim? I scoured the internet to look for traces or explanation for the existence of these two words working together. There was none. Individually yes, but not together.
I had thought "ad verbatim" had mean't to speak off the cuff, yet being able to repeat to the last letter, words spoken by someone else.
Maybe I am wrong. But like many, I am probably more wrong in having preconceived notions of who should be a Christian and what ideal attributes they should possess to qualify and stay as one.
God loves all. And God will use the weak. Quite a different approach from us humans who judge a person by what we perceived from our sinful and finite understanding.
In the pre-Jesus Christ days, to some extent, humans had a direct line with God, in the sense that the Ten Commandments formed the basis of their acceptable behaviour.
Reality is that man is incapable of not sinning and all will have fallen short of the law. Does it mean that God has failed to forsee our inability to live verbatim the rules He has set?
A study course I recently undertook gives an interesting perspective. It is not that God has failed to see our weakness. But rather, God is aware of our failings and the law is placed to enable us humans to see our weaknesses to live verbatim God's commands.
We need a conduit, our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom, by our belief will we be able to overcome our inherent sinfulness. The law shows our shortfall. And by faithfully following our Lord Jesus Christ, will we truly be able to live in the Spirit, the will of God.
It is not Ad Verbatim, but rather, A.D. Verbatim. That is, after Christ's entry into our world, has men been able to be cleansed of their sins and been able to live a life that God has set for us all. Our predestination that God has set for all who believe, but which none could enter and none could stay on, without our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are all work in progress, till the day the Lord takes us home.
“He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.’
Philippians 1:6
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(18th June 09)
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Reflections for the moment #18 Barbarians within the gates (17th June 09)
Dear….
'…but the Word of the Lord stands forever.'
1 Peter 1:25
"Barbarians at the Gate - the fall of RJR Nabisco is a 1990s book about the leveraged buyout of the same namesake company. It is a percusor of the debt binge of our present day and about conflicting personalities, deceit and skyhigh egos, inherent human defects since the day Adam and Eve disobeyed God.
The hordes of Ghenghis Khan is an earlier version, when to the cultured European society of the rudimentary Renaissance period, it was quite discomforting to have the barbarian Mongol hordes breathing literally down their necks in Central Europe, and if not for the sudden death of Ogedei Khan in 1241A.D., the son of Genghis Khan, maybe Mongolian instead of English, could have been the lingua franca of our present world.
'And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes, for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.'
Nehemiah 6:16
Gates of a city are not just a symbol of sovereignty, but a very real entrée to overcoming the resistance of one's decided prey. Gates today play a less signficant role, with the advent of modern warfare and its new fangled technology, but as defence experts will tell you, hardware is important, but it is the gates to the hearts and souls of the combatants that matters as much in battle.
The Isrealites of old under Nehemiah spent a fair bit of time and under duress from their enemies, in repairing and rebuilding the gates and walls of Jerusalem, which had been destroyed by their conquerors, the Babylonians. The physical was rebuilt, though it was still a conquered land, but what was more significant was their standing firm upon the promise of God and how God ensured that their tasks was completed, much to the chagrin and instilled fear of their detractors who truly knew that God was with them.
'…God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth…..Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.'
2 Thessalonians 2:13-15
Today, many of us still will not consider the possibility of the existence of a God who loves us. We keep our gates tightly shut to the outstretched hands of God, and rather deal with a god or gods that meet our perceived desires or that fit our finite understanding. It is understandable. The gate to our hearts is a multi-layered, thicker than thick wall and if we continue to use our own understanding as the gatekeeper, then no man can bring about that enlightenment. But God can but we must want to come unto His presence.
'…that in latter times some shall depart from their faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.'
1 Timothy 4;1-2
And what about those who are blessed to have the light shine forth into the darkness of their hearts, there should be no longer any barriers to our 'seeing and following" Him? Yet reality is, many professed believers still keep a gate in their hearts that is a swinging gate, it opened and then shut back up. Did you truly believe when you profess your faith? And if you did, why would you be more interested in or more concerned with the distractions of the outside world then in the leading of the Holy Spirit within you?
'Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it…'
Matthew 7:13-14
As I ponder upon my own journey with God, it is indeed very difficult to want to keep to the straight and narrow path. The devil's world is a one size fit all, with a wide open gate, where everything goes including one's soul. But to be like Christ, we have to want to be molded into His likeness, for there is only one way to Heaven, which is, to be like Christ. It is impossible to tame the sinful nature within us, by our own strength, but if we are willing to let God enter the gates of our hearts, all things are possible. And will we continue to be willing to let God help us shut out the temptations of the outside world and be prepared to stay within the presence of the Lord our God, even when life seems even more challenging?
'Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.'
Colossians 4:6
Today, even as we seek to follow our Lord Jesus Christ, we will continue to be buffetted by life's challenges and distractions, I am reminded of the need to curb the inherent carnal or you could say barbaric instinct in me to deal with issues my way. But repress such carnality I cannot, yet I need not regress to my former sinful self, if I truly live out what the Lord has shown us, which is to
- acknowledge God's Sovereignty in our lives in all circumstances
- seek the Lord always and much as we want Him to hear our prayers and supplications, it is good to listen to what the Lord has to say
- thankfulness in all situations will allow us to look at things from God's perspective, and not be blindsided by the potent mix of our own self-deceit and the devil's wiles
- to honour Him always, much as our carnal self might desire to the contrary
'For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, Who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
These things command and teach.'
1 Timothy 4:10-11
Does it work? Music calms the beast in us. Time with God, and being faithfully atuned to God and in tune in our actions with Him will truly allow us to testify to His faithfulness, for God has never failed the faithful.
We only fail because we failed to trust and obey our Sovereign God.
'And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, Who liveth for ever and ever…..Thou are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.'
Revelations 4:9-11
Rgds and God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(16june09)
'…but the Word of the Lord stands forever.'
1 Peter 1:25
"Barbarians at the Gate - the fall of RJR Nabisco is a 1990s book about the leveraged buyout of the same namesake company. It is a percusor of the debt binge of our present day and about conflicting personalities, deceit and skyhigh egos, inherent human defects since the day Adam and Eve disobeyed God.
The hordes of Ghenghis Khan is an earlier version, when to the cultured European society of the rudimentary Renaissance period, it was quite discomforting to have the barbarian Mongol hordes breathing literally down their necks in Central Europe, and if not for the sudden death of Ogedei Khan in 1241A.D., the son of Genghis Khan, maybe Mongolian instead of English, could have been the lingua franca of our present world.
'And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes, for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.'
Nehemiah 6:16
Gates of a city are not just a symbol of sovereignty, but a very real entrée to overcoming the resistance of one's decided prey. Gates today play a less signficant role, with the advent of modern warfare and its new fangled technology, but as defence experts will tell you, hardware is important, but it is the gates to the hearts and souls of the combatants that matters as much in battle.
The Isrealites of old under Nehemiah spent a fair bit of time and under duress from their enemies, in repairing and rebuilding the gates and walls of Jerusalem, which had been destroyed by their conquerors, the Babylonians. The physical was rebuilt, though it was still a conquered land, but what was more significant was their standing firm upon the promise of God and how God ensured that their tasks was completed, much to the chagrin and instilled fear of their detractors who truly knew that God was with them.
'…God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth…..Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.'
2 Thessalonians 2:13-15
Today, many of us still will not consider the possibility of the existence of a God who loves us. We keep our gates tightly shut to the outstretched hands of God, and rather deal with a god or gods that meet our perceived desires or that fit our finite understanding. It is understandable. The gate to our hearts is a multi-layered, thicker than thick wall and if we continue to use our own understanding as the gatekeeper, then no man can bring about that enlightenment. But God can but we must want to come unto His presence.
'…that in latter times some shall depart from their faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.'
1 Timothy 4;1-2
And what about those who are blessed to have the light shine forth into the darkness of their hearts, there should be no longer any barriers to our 'seeing and following" Him? Yet reality is, many professed believers still keep a gate in their hearts that is a swinging gate, it opened and then shut back up. Did you truly believe when you profess your faith? And if you did, why would you be more interested in or more concerned with the distractions of the outside world then in the leading of the Holy Spirit within you?
'Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it…'
Matthew 7:13-14
As I ponder upon my own journey with God, it is indeed very difficult to want to keep to the straight and narrow path. The devil's world is a one size fit all, with a wide open gate, where everything goes including one's soul. But to be like Christ, we have to want to be molded into His likeness, for there is only one way to Heaven, which is, to be like Christ. It is impossible to tame the sinful nature within us, by our own strength, but if we are willing to let God enter the gates of our hearts, all things are possible. And will we continue to be willing to let God help us shut out the temptations of the outside world and be prepared to stay within the presence of the Lord our God, even when life seems even more challenging?
'Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.'
Colossians 4:6
Today, even as we seek to follow our Lord Jesus Christ, we will continue to be buffetted by life's challenges and distractions, I am reminded of the need to curb the inherent carnal or you could say barbaric instinct in me to deal with issues my way. But repress such carnality I cannot, yet I need not regress to my former sinful self, if I truly live out what the Lord has shown us, which is to
- acknowledge God's Sovereignty in our lives in all circumstances
- seek the Lord always and much as we want Him to hear our prayers and supplications, it is good to listen to what the Lord has to say
- thankfulness in all situations will allow us to look at things from God's perspective, and not be blindsided by the potent mix of our own self-deceit and the devil's wiles
- to honour Him always, much as our carnal self might desire to the contrary
'For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, Who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
These things command and teach.'
1 Timothy 4:10-11
Does it work? Music calms the beast in us. Time with God, and being faithfully atuned to God and in tune in our actions with Him will truly allow us to testify to His faithfulness, for God has never failed the faithful.
We only fail because we failed to trust and obey our Sovereign God.
'And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, Who liveth for ever and ever…..Thou are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.'
Revelations 4:9-11
Rgds and God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(16june09)
Monday, June 8, 2009
Reflections for the moment #17 Resilience (5th June 09)
Dear…
'Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.'
James 1;3-4
Not sure about you, but in times of challenges, even now, I do wish God will turn down the temperature a mite lower, to make things more comfortable for me. And till then, angst and the whole myriad of emotions hovered around my very being, making life tortuous.
Life is still a challenge. In fact, as a desirous follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, one do get a sense that we are being challenged more, for the devil cannot be too happy about us looking beyond his delusions, and God will allow us to be refined furthur, to be in His likeness, for correction has to start with His children.
'But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering…'
James 1:6
How does one stay focused? How does stay on the race of faith, looking to the ultimate prize, a place in the Kingdom of God? How does one let go and let God?
God is Sovereign. He is in control and every event or circumstance in our lives will have a purpose, His purpose, for our good and this fact does serve not just as a timely reminder of His faithfulness, but it keeps me steadfast, when wobbly should be the norm, and it allows me to look at all matters, no matter how dire it might seem for the moment, from God's perspective.
'I can do all things in Him that strengtheneth me..'
Philippians 4:13
Interestingly, this was the verse that has appeared to me twice these past 2 days from two separate articles. And for good measure, a verse I was looking for and not sure exactly where it was stared right at me in the face, as I opened the Bible.
Silly as it might seem, such coincidences is not a matter of rarity but of suffice frequency at the right circumstances to remind and assure me of God's ever presence. But it is more than this. For all of us who seek to follow our Lord Jesus Christ diligently, in words and in works, God's ever prescient hands in our lives, His wonderful tapestry in the big and small matters of our life, which we have always been blessed to look back upon with joy, after each and every challenge, has ensured that the deep assurance and certainty that goes beyond finite human understanding, that has and will provide the bulwark to our faith, much as our flesh might desire otherwise, that our hearts have learned to look beyond the immediate challenges and to learn to submit to Him, knowing that God is Sovereign.
'….I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therein to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know also how to abound…..'
Philippians 4:11-12
Thankfulness in all situations has allowed me to learn to give God time to show me His way, at His timing. And what about the screaming gap in between, where many in the past will either sink in the mire of despair, or like the quicksand, struggle even harder on their own strength, not realizing that they will only sink faster, to their own demise?
'Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.'
Philippians 4:6
'Finally, brethren, whatsover things are true, …are honest….are just,….are pure…..are lovely…..are of good report…..think on these things…..do and the God of peace shall be with you.'
Philippians 4:8-10
Thankfulness will lead us to stop questioning God, and to start to do what pleases Him, much as many will find it difficult or impossible. With men, it is impossible, with God, all things are possible, but when was the last time that you were with our Lord?
'But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.'
Acts 6:4
Rgds and God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(5th June 09)
An afterthought
---------------------
'For the enemy hath persecuted my soul, he hath smitten my life down to the ground……Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me, my heart within me is desolate. I remember the days of old. I meditate on all Thy works; I muse on the work of Thy hands……..Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God…'
Psalm 143
As I pondered upon a pressing issue at hand, like many, we do gyrate between a desire to trust God on His timing and ways, yet we wish that the burden facing us will just be removed like now. Resilience comes from God, but often, we tend to mistake our resistance to truly letting go and letting Him work in our lives, our determined efforts to overcome on our own strength, as resilience imbued by the Holy Spirit.
Resilience comes when our hearts are stilled, to hear God's will. When we will ourselves to honour Him in whichever way He leads us, praying more to align our will to His will, and paying no consideration to the conclusion of our own interests or needs. When we remember that God will always have our interests at heart, that He is Sovereign, that God is allowing us to live out our faith and that good always come out of our troubles. Resilience is unconditional submission to God.
'Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.'
2 Corinthians 1:4
'Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.'
James 1;3-4
Not sure about you, but in times of challenges, even now, I do wish God will turn down the temperature a mite lower, to make things more comfortable for me. And till then, angst and the whole myriad of emotions hovered around my very being, making life tortuous.
Life is still a challenge. In fact, as a desirous follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, one do get a sense that we are being challenged more, for the devil cannot be too happy about us looking beyond his delusions, and God will allow us to be refined furthur, to be in His likeness, for correction has to start with His children.
'But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering…'
James 1:6
How does one stay focused? How does stay on the race of faith, looking to the ultimate prize, a place in the Kingdom of God? How does one let go and let God?
God is Sovereign. He is in control and every event or circumstance in our lives will have a purpose, His purpose, for our good and this fact does serve not just as a timely reminder of His faithfulness, but it keeps me steadfast, when wobbly should be the norm, and it allows me to look at all matters, no matter how dire it might seem for the moment, from God's perspective.
'I can do all things in Him that strengtheneth me..'
Philippians 4:13
Interestingly, this was the verse that has appeared to me twice these past 2 days from two separate articles. And for good measure, a verse I was looking for and not sure exactly where it was stared right at me in the face, as I opened the Bible.
Silly as it might seem, such coincidences is not a matter of rarity but of suffice frequency at the right circumstances to remind and assure me of God's ever presence. But it is more than this. For all of us who seek to follow our Lord Jesus Christ diligently, in words and in works, God's ever prescient hands in our lives, His wonderful tapestry in the big and small matters of our life, which we have always been blessed to look back upon with joy, after each and every challenge, has ensured that the deep assurance and certainty that goes beyond finite human understanding, that has and will provide the bulwark to our faith, much as our flesh might desire otherwise, that our hearts have learned to look beyond the immediate challenges and to learn to submit to Him, knowing that God is Sovereign.
'….I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therein to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know also how to abound…..'
Philippians 4:11-12
Thankfulness in all situations has allowed me to learn to give God time to show me His way, at His timing. And what about the screaming gap in between, where many in the past will either sink in the mire of despair, or like the quicksand, struggle even harder on their own strength, not realizing that they will only sink faster, to their own demise?
'Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.'
Philippians 4:6
'Finally, brethren, whatsover things are true, …are honest….are just,….are pure…..are lovely…..are of good report…..think on these things…..do and the God of peace shall be with you.'
Philippians 4:8-10
Thankfulness will lead us to stop questioning God, and to start to do what pleases Him, much as many will find it difficult or impossible. With men, it is impossible, with God, all things are possible, but when was the last time that you were with our Lord?
'But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.'
Acts 6:4
Rgds and God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(5th June 09)
An afterthought
---------------------
'For the enemy hath persecuted my soul, he hath smitten my life down to the ground……Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me, my heart within me is desolate. I remember the days of old. I meditate on all Thy works; I muse on the work of Thy hands……..Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God…'
Psalm 143
As I pondered upon a pressing issue at hand, like many, we do gyrate between a desire to trust God on His timing and ways, yet we wish that the burden facing us will just be removed like now. Resilience comes from God, but often, we tend to mistake our resistance to truly letting go and letting Him work in our lives, our determined efforts to overcome on our own strength, as resilience imbued by the Holy Spirit.
Resilience comes when our hearts are stilled, to hear God's will. When we will ourselves to honour Him in whichever way He leads us, praying more to align our will to His will, and paying no consideration to the conclusion of our own interests or needs. When we remember that God will always have our interests at heart, that He is Sovereign, that God is allowing us to live out our faith and that good always come out of our troubles. Resilience is unconditional submission to God.
'Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.'
2 Corinthians 1:4
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Reflections for the moment #16 Coming out of the closet(3june09)
Dear…
'For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.'
Nehemiah 6:9
I am not sure about you. But like some, the world seems quite different from the one I used to know. Of course, time and tide waits for no one, and things will evolve, but there seems to be an escalation not just in the pace but in the whimsicalness of change as well, that can be pretty unsettling for many.
Nature is not just more temperamental, but very tempetuos in its wrath. Financial markets have not just more extreme mood swings, but most if not all have and will continue to be caught wrongfooted. What's worse is, the rule of the law looks increasingly like being replaced by the law of the jungle, and any pretentiousness at equitability and integrity, once bedrock of civilized and progressive societies, have been literally thrown overboard, in the bid by many desperate to right their sinking ships. The end justifies the means, and if one can look beyond the hype and misinformation, assuming one is properly grounded on once core values of kindness, uprightness, love, contentment, one would be not just be very disheartened, but very concerned.
'For many are called, but few are chosen.''
Matthew 22:14
What we are experiencing today is not new. The Lord has stated that as End Times intensifies, men gets more evil and indulges in all kinds of debauchery and unnatural lusts. False prophets will abound, and the natural world will shake even more. Be it a privilege or not, all of us are the generation that is experiencing what has been prophesized, but our reassurance is in the Lord, and upon Him our Rock can only one stand steadfast and unwavering, in the face of the rifs, rafs that are coming out of the closet into the mainstream.
'For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son….'
Romans 8:29
It might be a mystery as to when God will lift the blindness in your heart, but God wants to bring all unto His kingdom. Faith is given by Him and Him alone. But we must want to come unto His presence, and this is the ongoing struggle between the desires of the sinful world, and the truth of God's salvation.
'But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.'
Acts 1:8
Not just in today's context, but has always been since Christ came as man, to bear our sins, that a Christian cannot have a dual personality. One for the public glare of the secular world, and the other in the private domain of his or her personal relationship with the Lord our God. Our relationship with God is indeed a personal and unique one, but it must be lived out in the harvest grounds that God places us in. For how can the "blind at heart" see the light of God's grace if we the lamps stay hidden in the shadows? Those who profess an alternative lifestyle are not just coming out of the closet, but are working hard to mold mainstream thinking, but what about us believers, are we to remain selfishly contented in the darkness of this world, and not let the light of God shine forth through us?
'…for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not Me, saith the Lord.'
Jeremiah 9:3
For many believers, after the initial tentative steps out into the hardened world, would quickly scurry back into the safefy of anonymity, for evil men abound, and no one in their right mind wants to be bedeviled by the unrepentant hordes. The Apostle Peter, to be known as Peter the Rock upon which the church will stand, at the beginning, was a mere shadow of his future status. He denied Christ 3 times but he repented. What about you? Have you denied God throughout your daily life, in so many umpteen ways and times? Not giving time to God, a seemingly innocuous action, to many justifiable in the face of the many needs of their daily lives, is no different to Peter denying Christ.
'Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit, through deceit they refuse to know Me, saith the Lord.'
Jeremiah 9:6
Time is something that grips all our hearts. Timing is everything and many in today's bullish markets are increasingly frustrated at never getting the perfect timing, in terms of maximum profits, but always prescient in terms of maximum losses. But time for God and with God, that is another matter, to be reviewed when time permits, which is never or rarely.
But the time to be what God wants us to be is now.
'So the wall was finished….And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes, for they perceived that this work ws wrought of our God.'
Nehemiah 6:15-16
A booklet that I am in the midst of publishing, using art ie man's creations to reflect my journey with God, my Creator, has amongst my various sharings, two little epitaphs, that might mean something to some of us.
Would you prefer the marker of your entrance into eternity to be written as:
"Here lies…., a wonderful man, with a wonderful collection, but we are just wandering where in yonder is he?'
Or should it read as
"Here lies… a godly man, who strive to be like Christ, but never is Christ, but now is with Christ.'
'…for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.'
Nehemiah 7:2
Just as evil on one end of the spectrum is manfesting itself fully, we who love God, must now live out the Spirit filled life that God has blessed us with. Coming out of the closet is not about the carnal man defying God in terms of what the traditional family mean't. It is about us Christians living out our faith
'Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them?'
Habakkuk 2:7
But sad to say, for most, as the days pass by, it is likely that in this month of June, many half dead bears will finally find themselve no longer capable of ignoring the siren call of the rising markets, and will jump out of the closet of self control, with all four claws onto the runaway train. Will there truly be the emanating brightness of that proverbial pot of gold at the end of the tunnel(or rainbow) or will it be the hazy lights one see when one hits one's head onto a solid wall of delusion?
'Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches. But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me….'
Jeremiah 9:23-24
I am not sure, but I do believe the Lord's call to me still stands, ie to "take my monies" that was once lost, but now being regained by the market exuberance. . To each his own, but for me, it is the Lord whom I must obey.
'Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised….the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.'
Jeremiah 9:25-26
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(3June09)
'For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.'
Nehemiah 6:9
I am not sure about you. But like some, the world seems quite different from the one I used to know. Of course, time and tide waits for no one, and things will evolve, but there seems to be an escalation not just in the pace but in the whimsicalness of change as well, that can be pretty unsettling for many.
Nature is not just more temperamental, but very tempetuos in its wrath. Financial markets have not just more extreme mood swings, but most if not all have and will continue to be caught wrongfooted. What's worse is, the rule of the law looks increasingly like being replaced by the law of the jungle, and any pretentiousness at equitability and integrity, once bedrock of civilized and progressive societies, have been literally thrown overboard, in the bid by many desperate to right their sinking ships. The end justifies the means, and if one can look beyond the hype and misinformation, assuming one is properly grounded on once core values of kindness, uprightness, love, contentment, one would be not just be very disheartened, but very concerned.
'For many are called, but few are chosen.''
Matthew 22:14
What we are experiencing today is not new. The Lord has stated that as End Times intensifies, men gets more evil and indulges in all kinds of debauchery and unnatural lusts. False prophets will abound, and the natural world will shake even more. Be it a privilege or not, all of us are the generation that is experiencing what has been prophesized, but our reassurance is in the Lord, and upon Him our Rock can only one stand steadfast and unwavering, in the face of the rifs, rafs that are coming out of the closet into the mainstream.
'For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son….'
Romans 8:29
It might be a mystery as to when God will lift the blindness in your heart, but God wants to bring all unto His kingdom. Faith is given by Him and Him alone. But we must want to come unto His presence, and this is the ongoing struggle between the desires of the sinful world, and the truth of God's salvation.
'But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.'
Acts 1:8
Not just in today's context, but has always been since Christ came as man, to bear our sins, that a Christian cannot have a dual personality. One for the public glare of the secular world, and the other in the private domain of his or her personal relationship with the Lord our God. Our relationship with God is indeed a personal and unique one, but it must be lived out in the harvest grounds that God places us in. For how can the "blind at heart" see the light of God's grace if we the lamps stay hidden in the shadows? Those who profess an alternative lifestyle are not just coming out of the closet, but are working hard to mold mainstream thinking, but what about us believers, are we to remain selfishly contented in the darkness of this world, and not let the light of God shine forth through us?
'…for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not Me, saith the Lord.'
Jeremiah 9:3
For many believers, after the initial tentative steps out into the hardened world, would quickly scurry back into the safefy of anonymity, for evil men abound, and no one in their right mind wants to be bedeviled by the unrepentant hordes. The Apostle Peter, to be known as Peter the Rock upon which the church will stand, at the beginning, was a mere shadow of his future status. He denied Christ 3 times but he repented. What about you? Have you denied God throughout your daily life, in so many umpteen ways and times? Not giving time to God, a seemingly innocuous action, to many justifiable in the face of the many needs of their daily lives, is no different to Peter denying Christ.
'Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit, through deceit they refuse to know Me, saith the Lord.'
Jeremiah 9:6
Time is something that grips all our hearts. Timing is everything and many in today's bullish markets are increasingly frustrated at never getting the perfect timing, in terms of maximum profits, but always prescient in terms of maximum losses. But time for God and with God, that is another matter, to be reviewed when time permits, which is never or rarely.
But the time to be what God wants us to be is now.
'So the wall was finished….And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes, for they perceived that this work ws wrought of our God.'
Nehemiah 6:15-16
A booklet that I am in the midst of publishing, using art ie man's creations to reflect my journey with God, my Creator, has amongst my various sharings, two little epitaphs, that might mean something to some of us.
Would you prefer the marker of your entrance into eternity to be written as:
"Here lies…., a wonderful man, with a wonderful collection, but we are just wandering where in yonder is he?'
Or should it read as
"Here lies… a godly man, who strive to be like Christ, but never is Christ, but now is with Christ.'
'…for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.'
Nehemiah 7:2
Just as evil on one end of the spectrum is manfesting itself fully, we who love God, must now live out the Spirit filled life that God has blessed us with. Coming out of the closet is not about the carnal man defying God in terms of what the traditional family mean't. It is about us Christians living out our faith
'Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them?'
Habakkuk 2:7
But sad to say, for most, as the days pass by, it is likely that in this month of June, many half dead bears will finally find themselve no longer capable of ignoring the siren call of the rising markets, and will jump out of the closet of self control, with all four claws onto the runaway train. Will there truly be the emanating brightness of that proverbial pot of gold at the end of the tunnel(or rainbow) or will it be the hazy lights one see when one hits one's head onto a solid wall of delusion?
'Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches. But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me….'
Jeremiah 9:23-24
I am not sure, but I do believe the Lord's call to me still stands, ie to "take my monies" that was once lost, but now being regained by the market exuberance. . To each his own, but for me, it is the Lord whom I must obey.
'Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised….the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.'
Jeremiah 9:25-26
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(3June09)
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