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
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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.
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