Dear...
'Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.'
Romans 6:13
This is in all probability my last Reflection for year 2009, and if God so desires, I will still saunter into your life come year 2010. Two things just happened today. My dear assistant has just given birth this evening, much as the intended date was more likely to be early to mid January next year. But none can hold back a baby desirous of seeing the light of the world. The other was my son, also a December baby, just barking out his mother's orders for me to cut the pricey Philippines papaya before it becomes over-ripe. Yield one must, and so to the flesh I must obey for we know who is the boss at home, but I will be back in a flash!!
'Therefore, brethren, we are debtors , not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God...'
Romans 8:12-14
I am back and indeed, the papaya looks pretty delectable, could be from the rich volcanic soils around the now rumbling Mayon volcano. Much as men know the potential destructive powers of earth's hot-spots, it is indeed hard to resist the richness of the fertile soil, and much as nature ultimately will reclaim its destructive right to the land, who can resist what the sinful world has on offer?
The term "yield" this year is what troubles the hearts of many. For in the aftermath of the financial meltdown, very low global interest rates was the inevitable price of the massive liquidity pumping by the major governments, in their present efforts to re-float the global economy. Many have had a tough time looking for decent yields ie a stable and regular income on their cash. And frustration is natural if one looks at one's seemingly unenviable position from the natural rather than the spiritual. One might be a lot more at peace if one could just look from the perspective that one's capital is still preserved, no doubt with very little regenerative returns compared to the shell that underlines the once beefed up wealth of the hurt rich.
'But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.'
Psalm 37:11
If you were one of those enterprenerial and very hard working traders on the black market in communist North Korea, will you yield willingly to the recent measures by the government, who in one clean regulatory sweep, has just made most of your hard earned savings worth literally pennies. You might more than grumble, for resentment could boil over the inherent fear of a repressive regime, but reality is to stubbornly resist will soon see you end up in the Korean Gulag, not a holiday resort, unless one desires deprivation as the means to knowing God.
'O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps....'
Jeremiah 10:23
I just gave a dear friend a book titled "Half Tim." A thought provoking book from a Christian perspective about what should we do about the 2nd half of our life, assuming there is a 2nd half!! I am sure I am quite past half time, and thankfully, for if at 49 next year is just half time, not too sure if I want to stay within my run-down shell at 98 when one could be with the Lord our God in eternity.
But what I have truly learned this past 48 plus years? Or at least these past 8 years as a more committed follower of our Lord Jesus Christ?
Letting go and letting God is a concept or more like Biblical truth that has been the first word of wisdom that was given to me by my small group leader a decade back, when I first returned to the Lord. And even after a couple of years of wondering everywhere except following our Lord Jesus Christ, until the Spirit of God filled me up that one time in Bangkok 8 years back, since then, a near full tank I might be as a desirous follower of Christ, but I have till now never been able to yield totally to His leading.
'Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit, through deceit, they refuse to know Me, saith the Lord.'
Jeremiah 9:6
The world is indeed living under a delusion, the illusions of the Prince of the air, the devil. But hasn't the light of God already shone through the darkness unto my repentful and thankful heart? So how can I, not a Bible waving, but a diligent Bible reading believer, who tries to be diligent in living out my faith, be grouped together with those who clearly refuse to know or yield to the will of our sovereign God?
'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, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.'
Jeremiah 9:23-24
I might know God a little better than most, because I seek Him more than most. But if I truly know Him, I should be able to not just discern His leading, but be willing to follow without being held back by my sinful understanding. God looks for obedience, not sacrifice. In yielding totally to His will, we will reap a yield beyong our wildest but finite understanding.
So what is my year 2010 resolution? To stay resolute without the need for resolutions? ?
The secular world values a resolute spirit for they believe it will yield great material success. Resilience based on one's strength and human will might indeed achieve temporal success for some but at what costs?
In God's kingdom, it is the inverse. A heart that is willing to yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit will grow into an assured heart that stays resolute in trusting our lord because, in yielding rather than resisting, we have come to know God.
'Saying, Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from me, nevertheless not my will, but Thine, be done.'
Luke 22:42
Christ in moments with God, before his arrest by the Jews, struggled knowing that to follow the will of God his Father will mean a painful death on the cross. But he resolutely obeyed because he trusted God with his all.
Can we be like Christ? Most of us find it easier to yield to the demands of the sinful world, because the world will impose on us. God leads but He give us a free will. He will not impose His will upon us. His Spirit falls upon us when we are ready and willing. He will know when we are ready to be filled with His Spirit. But to be ready, we must be willing to be made ready. A heart that seeks to yield to the leading of His Spirit, every moment of our life, is a necessary step towards being made ready.
Are you willing??
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(29dec09)
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Reflections for the moment #46 Kingdom Investment (18dec09)
Dear…
'Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner pray…'
Matthew 6:8-9
'Then the priests, the Levites, arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard; and their prayer came up to His holy dwelling place, to heaven.'
2 Chronicles 30:27
The thought that our good Lord placed in my heart these past few days is the need for us to stop running two parallel lives. I am not talking about the dual persona that has caused much stress to the Tiger that found itself out of sorts, now that his dalliances in the literal woods, have been exposed in the wide open field of the media. The Lord reminded me that most of us are not living a life that is truly aligned to His will. Much as we should not impose our faith on others, we must not be afraid to live out our faith, be it in the workplace, school or wherever He places us. But it is more than the outward manifestation that God is looking at. He is looking for a heart that has a place solely for Him, a heart that seeks after Him, even if it means to deny the world.
'And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.'
2 Chronicles 29:2
Soul searching is a pre-requisite exercise before one make resolutions for the New Year. Question is, would one be quick as a tiger in making promises of amendments, yet the heart is still wavering? And on what benchmarks are we measuring ourselves? Most of us tend to judge on what we think rather than ask the Lord what His will is. And if this is true, the next year will be no different much as we might hope for otherwise, more of the angst and strife and unaswered prayers, much as we thirst for the peace and joy that seems to slip by quicker than Father time. We might regress to our old sinful habits, but the world is not the same, as End Times intensifies, and many of us will find it increasingingly untenable to have a foot on both paths - the ways of the world, or the will of God.
'Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that His fierce wrath may turn away from us. My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that you should minister to Him and burn incense..'
2 Chronicles 29:10-11
We might be inclined to think that we chose God in calling ourselves a Christian, but reality is, it is God Who chose us. In calling oneself a Christian, one who believes in the saving grace from God's sacrifice of His beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, is just the beginning of a new leg in our journey of life. Many non-believers might not realize that even in their mothers' womb, God has already set the path for all. And even in their present un-believer state, God is preparing them for the day they will know His presence. For some, you are already at that stage, where you believe in God's presence. But like the devil, you might choose to believe, but not be desirous of following His leading. Does believing make the devil a Christian? Clearly not, for the devil denied the Lordship of our Lord Jesus Christ.
'So I spoke to you: yet you would not listen, but rebelled against the command of the Lord and presumptously went up into the mountain.'
Deuteronomy 1:43
As year 2010 beckons, most of us in the midst of rest and merriment, are making plans for the next year. Such plans would include good plans for our families, our businesses, our wealth and our health.Like the disobedient Israelites of Moses time, we choose to continue to climb such mountains of achievements based on our finite and sinful understanding, and figured that this must be what God would want, rather than be still and truly know the will of God.
'I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.'
Romans 12:1
So, what is the will of God for each and everyone of us? God will bring us through different paths, but it all leads to Him and the basic guiding command remains the same, ie to be a living sacrifice for His Glory. To live a life that places Him, not just first and foremost, but the only focus of our life. And that means to honor Him in all that we do. To obey as He leads. To stay close to Him so our very spirit will sense the leading of the Holy Spirit residing in us who truly believed. In short, are you prepared to allocate your all to invest in the Kingdom that God is preparing?
'For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth….
…..Therefore know that the Lord your God, HE is God, the faithful God Who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments..'
Deuteronomy 7:6-9
All humanity are God's chosen people. Each and everyone will be given that opportunity to know our Sovereign Lord, but not everyone will choose to walk the path that God has set them. It is your choice to take God's loving hands firmly or to reject it. Half and limpid grips doesn't count. For those who truly are desirous of letting go and letting God, Whose plans are good for us, this is the time to come to Him with your all, and God will speak to you.
It seems easy to say yes Lord, I will Lord. But at every crossroads that you will encounter, will you be prepared to trust in the Lord by honoring Him, or will you look at your self interests based on your flawed understanding? Your decision then will be very dependent upon what you do now, for God wants to start you on the process of being refined to His likeness, but you must be willing.
'Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.'
2 Corinthians 5:20
'And I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be My sons an daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.'
2 Corinthians 6:18
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(17th Dec 09)
Note
So where is God leading me next year? In year 2007, God blessed me tremendously material-wise. In year 2008, He told me to distribute and not cumulate. I obeyed for the 1st half and then decided to modify the gameplan, to my chagrin and grief. This year, in early 2009, the Lord admonishes, yet He restores, and indeed He has returned me what He has promised me. What about next year, 2010? As this year nears its last days, the Lord reminded me again to invest in His Kingdom and not in the world.
.
'It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast, I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.'
2 Corinthians 12:1
To invest correctly, I ask the Lord what does His kingdom really mean't??
God loves a cheerful giver, and we must be willing to share the provisions HE has provided. But it is more than that. For God desires every heart to be the temple upon which His Spirit will reside exclusively. Why would anyone be a willing to give up the perceived delusions of the world just to receive the glory of God? They must see the glory of God in you the chosen, for they must see Christ in you and see no compelling reason not to want to experience the same fruitful relationship with our Sovereign God.
'But he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.'
2 Corinthians 10:17
So how does one invest not in the world, but in the Kingdom of God? I do have some inkling, but it is better and imperative for you to take time with our good Lord, and He will lead you. As for me, I have learned to respond as God leads, and on that, the Lord our God has placed in my heart, the title of a 2nd book "Happy Family - mirroring God's love"
What form it will take, the Spirit of our Lord will show me. How long it will take to fruition, I have no idea. But if it is from our Lord, it will be as wonderful if not more than the first book "Reflections - A traveler's muse"
And on that, every day is a blessing, so do enjoy it.
'Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner pray…'
Matthew 6:8-9
'Then the priests, the Levites, arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard; and their prayer came up to His holy dwelling place, to heaven.'
2 Chronicles 30:27
The thought that our good Lord placed in my heart these past few days is the need for us to stop running two parallel lives. I am not talking about the dual persona that has caused much stress to the Tiger that found itself out of sorts, now that his dalliances in the literal woods, have been exposed in the wide open field of the media. The Lord reminded me that most of us are not living a life that is truly aligned to His will. Much as we should not impose our faith on others, we must not be afraid to live out our faith, be it in the workplace, school or wherever He places us. But it is more than the outward manifestation that God is looking at. He is looking for a heart that has a place solely for Him, a heart that seeks after Him, even if it means to deny the world.
'And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.'
2 Chronicles 29:2
Soul searching is a pre-requisite exercise before one make resolutions for the New Year. Question is, would one be quick as a tiger in making promises of amendments, yet the heart is still wavering? And on what benchmarks are we measuring ourselves? Most of us tend to judge on what we think rather than ask the Lord what His will is. And if this is true, the next year will be no different much as we might hope for otherwise, more of the angst and strife and unaswered prayers, much as we thirst for the peace and joy that seems to slip by quicker than Father time. We might regress to our old sinful habits, but the world is not the same, as End Times intensifies, and many of us will find it increasingingly untenable to have a foot on both paths - the ways of the world, or the will of God.
'Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that His fierce wrath may turn away from us. My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that you should minister to Him and burn incense..'
2 Chronicles 29:10-11
We might be inclined to think that we chose God in calling ourselves a Christian, but reality is, it is God Who chose us. In calling oneself a Christian, one who believes in the saving grace from God's sacrifice of His beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, is just the beginning of a new leg in our journey of life. Many non-believers might not realize that even in their mothers' womb, God has already set the path for all. And even in their present un-believer state, God is preparing them for the day they will know His presence. For some, you are already at that stage, where you believe in God's presence. But like the devil, you might choose to believe, but not be desirous of following His leading. Does believing make the devil a Christian? Clearly not, for the devil denied the Lordship of our Lord Jesus Christ.
'So I spoke to you: yet you would not listen, but rebelled against the command of the Lord and presumptously went up into the mountain.'
Deuteronomy 1:43
As year 2010 beckons, most of us in the midst of rest and merriment, are making plans for the next year. Such plans would include good plans for our families, our businesses, our wealth and our health.Like the disobedient Israelites of Moses time, we choose to continue to climb such mountains of achievements based on our finite and sinful understanding, and figured that this must be what God would want, rather than be still and truly know the will of God.
'I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.'
Romans 12:1
So, what is the will of God for each and everyone of us? God will bring us through different paths, but it all leads to Him and the basic guiding command remains the same, ie to be a living sacrifice for His Glory. To live a life that places Him, not just first and foremost, but the only focus of our life. And that means to honor Him in all that we do. To obey as He leads. To stay close to Him so our very spirit will sense the leading of the Holy Spirit residing in us who truly believed. In short, are you prepared to allocate your all to invest in the Kingdom that God is preparing?
'For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth….
…..Therefore know that the Lord your God, HE is God, the faithful God Who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments..'
Deuteronomy 7:6-9
All humanity are God's chosen people. Each and everyone will be given that opportunity to know our Sovereign Lord, but not everyone will choose to walk the path that God has set them. It is your choice to take God's loving hands firmly or to reject it. Half and limpid grips doesn't count. For those who truly are desirous of letting go and letting God, Whose plans are good for us, this is the time to come to Him with your all, and God will speak to you.
It seems easy to say yes Lord, I will Lord. But at every crossroads that you will encounter, will you be prepared to trust in the Lord by honoring Him, or will you look at your self interests based on your flawed understanding? Your decision then will be very dependent upon what you do now, for God wants to start you on the process of being refined to His likeness, but you must be willing.
'Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.'
2 Corinthians 5:20
'And I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be My sons an daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.'
2 Corinthians 6:18
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(17th Dec 09)
Note
So where is God leading me next year? In year 2007, God blessed me tremendously material-wise. In year 2008, He told me to distribute and not cumulate. I obeyed for the 1st half and then decided to modify the gameplan, to my chagrin and grief. This year, in early 2009, the Lord admonishes, yet He restores, and indeed He has returned me what He has promised me. What about next year, 2010? As this year nears its last days, the Lord reminded me again to invest in His Kingdom and not in the world.
.
'It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast, I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.'
2 Corinthians 12:1
To invest correctly, I ask the Lord what does His kingdom really mean't??
God loves a cheerful giver, and we must be willing to share the provisions HE has provided. But it is more than that. For God desires every heart to be the temple upon which His Spirit will reside exclusively. Why would anyone be a willing to give up the perceived delusions of the world just to receive the glory of God? They must see the glory of God in you the chosen, for they must see Christ in you and see no compelling reason not to want to experience the same fruitful relationship with our Sovereign God.
'But he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.'
2 Corinthians 10:17
So how does one invest not in the world, but in the Kingdom of God? I do have some inkling, but it is better and imperative for you to take time with our good Lord, and He will lead you. As for me, I have learned to respond as God leads, and on that, the Lord our God has placed in my heart, the title of a 2nd book "Happy Family - mirroring God's love"
What form it will take, the Spirit of our Lord will show me. How long it will take to fruition, I have no idea. But if it is from our Lord, it will be as wonderful if not more than the first book "Reflections - A traveler's muse"
And on that, every day is a blessing, so do enjoy it.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Reflections for the moment #45 Does it matter? (10nov09)
Dear...
'Jesus said. "...Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.'"
Matthew 4:4
December is a great month. By tradition, a time for most of us to take that well deserved rest, from a hard year's challenge. A time of respite before we start a new year, hopefully a better and more rewarding year, resolving to do things better.
But is this temporary hiatus suffice for us before life's concerns and woes in this imperfect world resume its grip upon our very tormented soul as the new work year edges nearer? A news report I watched yesterday stated that one out of every four Taiwanese has insomnia, above the global average of 10-15% of the world.
'Then God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold I have done according to your words...
1 Kings 3:11
The present financial implosions in Dubai, where a spanking new city in bricks and mortars is very real, but the whole mirage of greatness was funded by easy credit, has now come to roost. And though the contagion has now spread to lesser European countries like Greece, and maybe soon to Spain and Italy, self belief or more like self denial, in the effervescence of liquidity keeping things afloat, have ensured that no panic has hit the world in general, though as a Sheikh in fllowing robes in Dubai, watching the camels reclaim its old hunting grounds amongst your still opulent but empty palaces, you might not be as agreeable.
'And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honour.....'
1 Kings 3:13
The world has indeed not resolved its problems. It will come back and haunt all of us a few short years from now. And this continued fiscal ill disciplines of governments will portend a great period of upheaval, not just economically, but across all spectrum of life. The old order as we know it, since the end of World War 2, will change, no different from the animal kingdom, where the new upstarts will want to replace the aging leader. We are moving closer to a new one world, where the values of Judeo Christianity, as epitomized by the Roman Byzantine, the Imperial British and now the declining American Empires, will be replaced by a hodge podge of values, whose only commonality is that they do not believe in the God of Israel.
A bit far reaching this postulation might seem, for most of us will be more interested in the present. And the present is already quite daunting, for we are in a jobless economic recovery. Will God truly give us what we need to survive in this world, even if we do not asked for it as in 1 Kings 3:13?
As we ponder upon this Biblical truth, I will dare say that all of us on this email are well provided for, materially. Yet, as we extrapolate into the future, fear of insufficiency does grip all of us and that is only natural, if we continue to look at life from the natural rather than the spiritual.
Man measures life by its length, be it 70-80 years and how best we can be ensconced during this period comfortably. God wants us to look at eternity and be desirous of being made ready for the day we will have to meet Him.
'The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and a contrite heart - These, O God, You will not despise.'
Psalm 51:17
Peace and joy comes to us, when we truly understand that nothing else matters in our till now wretched life, except for the deisre to have the presence of God in our lives always and to live a life that honours Him. All of us will find it hard to give our all to God and like the Apostle Peter, we will continue to deny Christ, thrree times or even more, if it is on our own strength. God understands that and painful as deprivation of the earthly treasures of the world might be, in allowing us to go through refinements, God will help us to look at Him, our Provider and not at His provisions.
'Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness. That the bones You have broken may rejoice..'
Psalm 51:7-8
Like all, I continue to be troubled by too many things. Yet, because I know God, I know where to go to and such fears do not grip me too long. LIke the imperfect men, I often wish for challenges to be resolved quickly and in my ways, based on my finite understanding. I have learned, with God, that I must be patient to wait upon Him, for His way and timing is perfect. The Daily Bread reading this morning is presceint as always, for God knows our needs. Today's reading brings us to the Book of Ruth, and how, despite all her troubles, Ruth chose to honor God through her relationship with her mother in law. It is good to look back at how God has indeed always held our hands all the time and how He has always brought us through, for He is Sovereign. "In all your ways acknowlege Him, and He shall direct your paths"(Proverbs 3:6)
Having just returned from Japan, what strikes me is the compactness of their physcial environment, the generlal courtesy of its people and the presence of many shrines to their gods. Is there a dichotomy that will erupt from the general politeness into brutalness, as in World War 2, when a button in their emotional mix is pressed that transform the civility of Japanese society into a brutal conqueror, that could only be suppressed by the equally horrendic atomic bombs dropped upon Nagasakin and Hiroshima?
Without God, our carnal instinct will come to the fore, once our abiility to meet our needs is no longer possible within orderly society, and this is where the world seems to be going headlong into, as countries compete for limited resources and infintie wants.
O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king, instead of my father David, but I am a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in'
1 Kings 3:7
For all his wisdom, King Solomon eventually fell from grace, because he stopped relying upon the Lord our God. What about us lesser men and women? God knows our needs on Earth, and we must believe in His promise to provide for our needs, not our wants.
But to not rely upon our Provider is to ensure that we will continue to be subjected to the delusions of the devil, whose real purpose is to keep us sleepless and tormented, not just in the present, but in eternity.
The choice is yours,even as circumstances will harden in the days ahead, for End Times are intensifying.
'The peace of God which surpasses all understandng, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus'
Philippians 4:7
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(10 Dec 09)
'Jesus said. "...Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.'"
Matthew 4:4
December is a great month. By tradition, a time for most of us to take that well deserved rest, from a hard year's challenge. A time of respite before we start a new year, hopefully a better and more rewarding year, resolving to do things better.
But is this temporary hiatus suffice for us before life's concerns and woes in this imperfect world resume its grip upon our very tormented soul as the new work year edges nearer? A news report I watched yesterday stated that one out of every four Taiwanese has insomnia, above the global average of 10-15% of the world.
'Then God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold I have done according to your words...
1 Kings 3:11
The present financial implosions in Dubai, where a spanking new city in bricks and mortars is very real, but the whole mirage of greatness was funded by easy credit, has now come to roost. And though the contagion has now spread to lesser European countries like Greece, and maybe soon to Spain and Italy, self belief or more like self denial, in the effervescence of liquidity keeping things afloat, have ensured that no panic has hit the world in general, though as a Sheikh in fllowing robes in Dubai, watching the camels reclaim its old hunting grounds amongst your still opulent but empty palaces, you might not be as agreeable.
'And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honour.....'
1 Kings 3:13
The world has indeed not resolved its problems. It will come back and haunt all of us a few short years from now. And this continued fiscal ill disciplines of governments will portend a great period of upheaval, not just economically, but across all spectrum of life. The old order as we know it, since the end of World War 2, will change, no different from the animal kingdom, where the new upstarts will want to replace the aging leader. We are moving closer to a new one world, where the values of Judeo Christianity, as epitomized by the Roman Byzantine, the Imperial British and now the declining American Empires, will be replaced by a hodge podge of values, whose only commonality is that they do not believe in the God of Israel.
A bit far reaching this postulation might seem, for most of us will be more interested in the present. And the present is already quite daunting, for we are in a jobless economic recovery. Will God truly give us what we need to survive in this world, even if we do not asked for it as in 1 Kings 3:13?
As we ponder upon this Biblical truth, I will dare say that all of us on this email are well provided for, materially. Yet, as we extrapolate into the future, fear of insufficiency does grip all of us and that is only natural, if we continue to look at life from the natural rather than the spiritual.
Man measures life by its length, be it 70-80 years and how best we can be ensconced during this period comfortably. God wants us to look at eternity and be desirous of being made ready for the day we will have to meet Him.
'The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and a contrite heart - These, O God, You will not despise.'
Psalm 51:17
Peace and joy comes to us, when we truly understand that nothing else matters in our till now wretched life, except for the deisre to have the presence of God in our lives always and to live a life that honours Him. All of us will find it hard to give our all to God and like the Apostle Peter, we will continue to deny Christ, thrree times or even more, if it is on our own strength. God understands that and painful as deprivation of the earthly treasures of the world might be, in allowing us to go through refinements, God will help us to look at Him, our Provider and not at His provisions.
'Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness. That the bones You have broken may rejoice..'
Psalm 51:7-8
Like all, I continue to be troubled by too many things. Yet, because I know God, I know where to go to and such fears do not grip me too long. LIke the imperfect men, I often wish for challenges to be resolved quickly and in my ways, based on my finite understanding. I have learned, with God, that I must be patient to wait upon Him, for His way and timing is perfect. The Daily Bread reading this morning is presceint as always, for God knows our needs. Today's reading brings us to the Book of Ruth, and how, despite all her troubles, Ruth chose to honor God through her relationship with her mother in law. It is good to look back at how God has indeed always held our hands all the time and how He has always brought us through, for He is Sovereign. "In all your ways acknowlege Him, and He shall direct your paths"(Proverbs 3:6)
Having just returned from Japan, what strikes me is the compactness of their physcial environment, the generlal courtesy of its people and the presence of many shrines to their gods. Is there a dichotomy that will erupt from the general politeness into brutalness, as in World War 2, when a button in their emotional mix is pressed that transform the civility of Japanese society into a brutal conqueror, that could only be suppressed by the equally horrendic atomic bombs dropped upon Nagasakin and Hiroshima?
Without God, our carnal instinct will come to the fore, once our abiility to meet our needs is no longer possible within orderly society, and this is where the world seems to be going headlong into, as countries compete for limited resources and infintie wants.
O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king, instead of my father David, but I am a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in'
1 Kings 3:7
For all his wisdom, King Solomon eventually fell from grace, because he stopped relying upon the Lord our God. What about us lesser men and women? God knows our needs on Earth, and we must believe in His promise to provide for our needs, not our wants.
But to not rely upon our Provider is to ensure that we will continue to be subjected to the delusions of the devil, whose real purpose is to keep us sleepless and tormented, not just in the present, but in eternity.
The choice is yours,even as circumstances will harden in the days ahead, for End Times are intensifying.
'The peace of God which surpasses all understandng, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus'
Philippians 4:7
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(10 Dec 09)
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