Dear….
'By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison. Which sometimes were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water….'
1 Peter 3:19-20
Contrary to general perception, the world at least the investing community do have good memories. They do remember with fond confidence, how the ex Federal Reserve Chairman, Alan Greenspan singlehandedly helped America and as a consequence, the rest of the world to more than recover economically, after the year 2000 debacle of the twin illusions of internet and lifesciences. Of course, we know now that he simply deferred the problems by converting mortgages to cash for every insatiable American consumer. Today, green with envy 90% of the world might be, having missed largely the big turnaround in asset prices since March 2009 to present, but should all credit be given to Bernanke, the present US Federal Chairman for this "miracle?" where Greenspan's subprime legacy has not sunk the world as yet?
The world has increasingly come to believe that just like the post technology bubble crash was painful but short, so would the sub-prime debacle be a brief disruption to the glorious future.
But are we doing a Greenspan sequel, difference being that a few short years from now, it might not be banks that collapse, but confidence in governments?
'Beware of false prophets….in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.'
Matthew 7:15
But miracles can also be a delusion, for by its very nature, a miracle cannot be explained by normal human rationale. If it is from God, then we don't need the finite human understanding to provide legitimacy to its acceptance. So, is this present strong market momentum a miracle or is it engineered by an unholy alliance of government fiscal irresponsibility, rah, rah bullish analytical concoctions of a resurrected financial and property market brewed in the storied towers of the same people responsible for our recent and still very present problems(at least in the insipid real economy), and a world awashed with liquidity that is now channelled to the hands of the same few financial coterie, who happily use it to make some serious monies in the till recently self destructed financial markets. And of course, not forgetting the income hungry, herd mentality of the masses, who are starved of any real interest income from the present near zero interest rates.
'The Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save…(But) your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.'
Isaiah 59:1-2
Noah must have looked real silly, busy building an ark, in an environment of great gaeity and where the world of his time were intoxicated with their sinful lusts, and if there was any drowning, it was more associated with drunken stupor than real flood waters.
The world today looks increasingly ready to ditch the brief spell of sobriety from the consequences of determined asset destruction and are ready to party again, for who can resist the lure of wealth creation that is very palpable today? Frustration at missing out, rather than fear of furthur financial incapacitation is the underlying tone of emotions in the general investing public today.
But are we 'hearing' God right? Or are we continuing to repeat the same mistakes of a lust driven heart?
'His fame spread far and wide, for he was marvelously helped till he became strong.
2 Chronicles 26:15
Much as I believe that God is honoring His promise to me, made in April this year(quite implausible then), that He will restore the lost value of investments I have made in 2008, in disobedience to His will, and in fact, God has indeed restored by now close to 70% of the previous asset decline(see excerpt below of God's promise made in April 09)
(excerpt from Reflections for the moment #6 Amnesia dated 14th April 2009)
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?
Today, in July, I am basking in the midst of His grace, yet my sinful self find it increasingly difficult to resist the siren call of this irrational but yet alluring rising market momentum. God is good. He will not allow us to err, for if we seek Him, we will "hear" His correction and His guidance. God reminded me in 2 Chronicles 26:15 how easy and often it is for us who are blessed to forget our Provider and much as our mouth might praise God, our hearts has takened on a mind of its own. We start to play "God" without realizing it or at least, choose to follow other "gods" be it our greed, pride, fear, envy or whatever grips our lustful hearts.
'Neglect not the gift that is in thee….Meditate upon these things, give thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine, continue in them, for in doing this thou shalt save thyself, and them that hear thee.'
1 Timothy 4:14-16
Time with God is an often harped phrase I have used lately in my sharings. But it is not because I love to nag, but rather, any lagging on our part in this very important command from God, will guarantee one's moving away from our Lord and the inevitable painful consequences, for ships that lose their moorings will flounder upon the treachearous rocks.
Like the Greeks of old, like many today, I find it increasingly illogical not to throw in the towel of prudence and not jump into what is clearly a momentum of optimism and short term profit opportunities that like many, we believe we should be able to get out of before the ship hits the rocks. The call of the Siren of greed and our own self deceiving mind is too hard to resist, even if common sense dictate otherwise.
'As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore, be zealous and repent.'
Revelation 3:19
'The fear of the Lord leads to life; Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.'
Proverbs 19:23
The Lord our God has reminded me oft enough to continue the building of my Ark of stewardship, contentment and obedience, much as the world might think otherwise and much as no imminent floods seems to be on the horizon. Foolish as it might be, to remain in low yielding cash, to continue to sell into rising prices and to buy only if intrinsic value justifies, is definitely not sensible nor possible in today's context. Or is it not?
Moot point it might be, but when God speaks to us, we must obey and thankful I am that though God rebukes, He corrects and He allowed me to atone for my past silliness. Much as I am like the horse tethered on a pole, yet dying to break free or more like to re-enter into the realm of my own understanding and sinful lusts, our Good Lord has ingrained in my heart, this steadfastness to continue to build my Ark that rest upon His will, for only He will know when the floods will come, and it will surely come, for governments have turned on the taps of liquidity and will continue to flood the world with its ill discipline, just as the masses today are flooding to their utopic delusions, like lemmings over the clift.
'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…'
1 Timothy 4:10
'Be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.'
1 Timothy 4:12
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(27 July 2009)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment